Sacramento’s largest free outdoor concert series will return to Cesar Chavez Plaza on Friday, May 4, 2018. Concerts in the Park just announced their lineup today and we’ve got your first official look at the artists that are set to rock the park this year. Highly acclaimed internationally touring bands like Franz Ferdinand and The Crystal Method will join forces with some of the finest acts to come out of Sacramento in recent years like Middle Class Rut, Peter Petty and Dance Gavin Dance, to headline shows throughout the series, which happens weekly through Friday, July 27 (although there is no show on July 6).
Throughout 2017’s Concerts in the Park series, nearly 76,000 people gathered in the heart of Sacramento to enjoy a wide range of genres of music, grab grub from local food trucks, check out artwork, peruse local vendors’ goods and enjoy some ice cold beverages.
“Concerts in the Park has grown to be one of Sacramento’s favorite places to rock the night away to some of the biggest names in music while also enjoying a true festival experience off stage,” mentioned Sureena Johl, events manager of Downtown Sacramento Partnership, in a press release submitted to Submerge. “We’re thrilled Concerts in the Park continues to attract internationally admired artists like Franz Ferdinand while staying true to our community and providing a stage for our hometown favorites.”
Take a look at the full list of CIP 2018 artists below. Click on the ones that are linked to read past articles we have published on them.
The Crystal Method
Write or Die
Ryan Moe
My Cousin Vinny & Mike Diamond
All Concerts in the Park shows are free and all ages are welcome. Music starts at 5 p.m. and the shows usually wrap up around 9 p.m. Visit Godowntownsac.com/CIP for more information and keep an eye out for future issues of Submerge for interviews with artists playing this year’s series.
If you log onto Spotify, you can pretty easily locate the artist page for local band Sunday School. On that page, you will find their recently released self-titled EP, a single from 2016 entitled “That’s Reasonable (I’m Not),” and a three-track single for a German house band from the mid-‘90s.
This article isn’t about the German house project.
“That’s when we were big in Germany,” laughed Will Heimbichner, singer of the local, more recent Sunday School. “What’s kind of funny about that band is for a while our whole goal for a minute was just to be the Sunday School that showed up above that, so we could say, ‘Hey, we’re on Spotify,’ ‘Wait, you’re a German house band?’”
Maybe they can organize a tour in Germany someday and hilarity will ensue.
Heimbichner and guitarist Alex Giddings met in high school at the age of 14. They formed an almost immediate friendship due to a mutual interest in video games, and, over time, that grew into a bond over music.
“I had on a Halo shirt,” recalled Heimbichner. “A really cool Halo shirt that I special ordered, and Alex came up to me and told me that he thought the Halo shirt was super cool, and I was like, ‘Yeah, uh, do you want to go play Halo?’ and that was pretty much it.”
“We still play Halo,” added Giddings. “That never stopped.”
The two friends have played in numerous acts together over the years since they were teenagers—recently in projects The Cosmonauts and Manos Hand of Fate.
“[The Cosmonauts] was pretty funny,” said Heimbichner. “We dressed up as superheroes, but that’s pretty much finished for now. And there were a couple of other little stints in there somewhere. This is so far the best stint.”
A few years ago, Sunday School began to take shape. Heimbichner ended up going to school at Sierra College and meeting bass player Zachary Green, and recruited drummer Cameron English when he was working at a local call center.
Despite being the one putting things together, Heimbichner is very explicit about his relationship with Giddings: “I guess I’m always the mastermind behind this stuff … I guess you could look at it that way,” Heimbichner said.
“But, I never have any success with anything without Alex also in the band. I can’t really write songs well without Alex there to help do it. It’s the truth.”
“We do have matching tattoos,” Giddings added. “I wouldn’t say deeper than blood, but it’s pretty deep.”
“We’ve pretty much been in all but a couple of bands [together],” said Heimbichner. “We were the same consistent people, not the same kind of music or anything, just different adventures. We just work really well together.”
Sunday School held an EP release show on April 14, 2017, for their self-titled debut. The album was recorded at Fat Cat Recording with local heavy hitter Sean Stack. While the band currently has a catalog of a dozen or so songs for live shows, they wanted to whittle it down to just the hits.
“Those were the strongest ones,” said Heimbichner. “They fit really well. We had different music video ideas and made a music video for one of them. Just sort of lumped together with a few things, what we felt would sound good on the radio. That kind of was a deciding factor.”
“We talked about it when we recorded [the EP] with Sean,” said Giddings. “How this is kind of like our resume to people that don’t know us.”
The album is a fabulous four-track power pop effort, with some lovely nods to bands from the late ‘90s in particular. A quick perusal of local journalism blurbs regarding Sunday School from their short history will quickly produce some of the associated acts people tie together with the band’s current sound: Built to Spill, Supergrass, and most notably, Weezer.
“Alex and I, we both really loved Weezer growing up,” said Heimbichner, “and obviously that can be heard in our music. Especially with ‘Hold your Breath,’ you can totally hear it, the influence from Pinkerton.”
But with direct comparisons and music, while being told that you sound like a band you admired growing up is an honor to many—if not most—there’s always the instinctive desire to be seen as individuals, to have your own sound.
“I want to personally move past that [late ‘90s sound],” said Heimbichner. “There’s a ton of great music from that era, and I love Built to Spill and Supergrass and Weezer, that was a great band. But, I think for our next stuff, I kind of want to move away from the power chord-y guitar and maybe into some more complex stuff. Baroque pop would be super cool to do … I’ve always wanted to make a full baroque pop album, with harpsichords and stuff. I don’t know if it will happen, though.”
And Heimbichner isn’t just joking or spitballing when it comes to the idea of moving toward a baroque pop sound. He’s dead serious.
“I feel like there aren’t many baroque pop masterpieces in the world,” Heimbichner continued, “and I would like to add to the catalog. A lot of bands delved into that in the ‘60s, but not very many people play straight-up baroque rock. From time-to-time, we’ll cover ‘Time of the Seasons’ by the Zombies live, and we do it a little different style-wise … It feels like a logical step.”
The key to deciding their evolutionary path lies in decisiveness, which, Heimbichner admits, is not something he comes by so easily.
“I honestly get pulled in a lot of different directions when I start thinking about what I want to do,” said Heimbichner. “As a songwriter, it usually starts with me, I mean, we all get involved with it, but … I have trouble sticking to one thing. I listen to a lot of different music, and I’m like, ‘Now I want to make a country album and a synth pop album or something.’ I need to pick something and move forward with it.”
For now, though, the guys from Sunday School really love how the EP turned out, and are currently focused on promoting that, and over the next year or so they will strategize where to go next.
“We’re looking at playing up and down the coast this summer,” said Heimbichner, “but I think we’re still looking for shows outside of this area … maybe down south in the L.A. area. Maybe Portland or Seattle. As far as writing a new album, I have a ton of ideas, as far as a deadline for myself, by the end of the summer to have that figured out, and probably by the end of the year to have everything written. It will probably be 2018 when we start recording.”
No word on whether or not they will consider a tour of Germany.
Check out Sunday School live at Concerts in the Park in Cesar Chavez Plaza in Sacramento on June 30, 2017. Also performing will be Vista Kicks, Hobo Johnson and the Lovemakers and ONOFF. Sunday School’s self-titled EP is available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon, and you can also check it out on Spotify. Follow the band’s adventures at Facebook.com/sundayschoolcanbefun. Check out their video for the track “Hold Your Breath” below.
**This article first appeared in print on pages 14 – 15 of issue #242 (June 19 – July 3, 2017)**
The ‘90s is considered the golden age of hip-hop. A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan, N.W.A., Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. easily come to mind. The raw truth, political content, clever rhymes and seemingly countless notable figures have molded the style’s existence into the unique limitless genre it is today. One of those responsible is Oakland’s very own, Del the Funky Homosapien.
California’s role during the golden age is most notable for the rise of gangsta rap. Del was among those, however, involved with alternative types of reality. His rhymes consistently mark a distinct abstract sense of thought. He is known for his eclecticism and awareness of the past, present, and more dominantly, the future.
I was introduced to Del the Funky Homosapien’s sound through Gorillaz’s pivotal 2001 single “Clint Eastwood.” The track off their self-titled debut album shot them to stardom not only through the song’s melancholic tinges; the lyrics rapped throughout the tune by Del specifically kept audiences hooked. His verses make the song.
Though many give praise to Gorillaz and their own elaborate brilliance on the single, as a child I was frustrated and more concerned with understanding why the funky ghost from the video wasn’t rapping on all the other songs on the album.
Obviously, as I grew older I learned he wasn’t a ghost but an undeniable hip-hop legend. He’s had impressive albums like 1991’s, I Wish my Brother George Was Here (co-produced by cousin Ice Cube) and 2000’s Both Sides of the Brain. Plus he’s largely responsible for founding underground supergroup Hieroglyphics.
I got the chance to talk to Del the Funky Homosapien about what he’s been up to, his creativity and process, the Japanese language and his thoughts on today’s music before he headlines Concerts in the Park on June 9, 2017.
Photos by Galen Driver
Your last release Iller than Most was put out in 2014 and in interviews circulating the internet you tease talks of new material. Can you tell me a little about that?
Basically I’m trying to update hip-hop sound. You know, I like the aesthetic from the ‘90s—the golden age, whatever you want to call it. I like the idea, the process. I think it needs to be updated. Other than battle rap, it’s [sound is] missing. I mean I’m not going to say it’s missing, because I’m not aware of everything that’s on the planet Earth. I don’t wanna offend nobody by saying, there is no hip-hop in existence unless I perceive it. But for me, as an artist and as a fan, what I want to listen to is not readily available.
What goes into making a Del the Funky Homosapien project? Where do you usually start?
It depends on what type of project it is. Something like Deltron takes several years to make. If it were up to me, it’d be pretty basic. I’m trying to keep my music more rhythmic than anything else. I don’t want it too melodic. Like my idea of music is more from an African, afro-centric perspective, based more on rhythm like funk or hip-hop too, centered-around beats.
You’ve worked with MF Doom, Wu-Tang Clan, Zack De La Rocha—the impressive list goes on. Do you have any new collabs in the works?
I just did a project with Amp Live. He’s a producer for Zion I.
When’s that going to come out?
I don’t know … It’s finished now. So we’re just trying to figure out what we’re gonna do with it. We think it’s good enough to be sold. But the industry is kind of dominated by, you know, a few conglomerates.
On “Stay on your Toes” (2000) and “Immediate Rap Hits” (2014), you not only talk about the lack of originality in popular hip-hop, but you also cover greed and the dangers of giving up one’s creative integrity for mainstream success. How have you stayed so centered and grounded throughout your career?
I guess it’s just my personality. There are certain things I’ll do and there are certain things I’m not gonna do. I’m not gonna do things that are not within my belief system or my integrity. No matter what it is.
Regarding new artists, who’s standing up with originality these days?
A lot of cats in New York are very creative. L.A., too. Daylyt. Disaster is extremely creative. This cat named Steams. I’ll just keep it simple. URL [Ultimate Rap League] and We Go Hard on the East Coast primarily are what I’m into. King of the Dot, Black Ice Cartel I’m into, too. So these are like [battle rap] leagues. So anybody on those leagues, you’ll be safe with probably.
In the battle rap scene, anyway.
Yeah, in the battle rap scene. But I feel if they made records they’d probably make bomb records too. But I think that’s part of what’s missing in the music now. And I feel like that’s a big reason why people stopped listening to it [hip-hop] because the lyrics started going from being fun and clever to, “I’m threatening you,” or, “I got more money from you. Now I’m richer than you.”
Do you go to anyone first about creative projects? Or do you just get an idea, stick to it, and then pursue it right away?
Sometimes I talk to people about it, but I’m pretty much by myself most of the time. I mean I just contemplate things. I’m trying to figure out solutions to questions or problems I might have either musically or lyrically. Right now I’m studying humor. Wordplay is about half of what humor is. That’s why I’m into it. Just to get my lyrics more clever, to surprise you, keep you entertained or keep you locked in with what I’m saying. Like Richard Pryor was a childhood hero of mine. But I never thought I could be involved with it all because I had a misconception about it.
In an interview, you mentioned studying the Japanese language in college. I hear the influences of the culture in your music. Have you spoken any Japanese lately?
Not very much. I studied for like three years but obviously if you don’t use the language, you’re not gonna be able to speak it. So I don’t know a lot of it. I know how it works, but if I picked it back up and practiced it, I’d know how to speak it, ‘cause I know the syntax. I would need more than a refresher. You know I’d need the whole set of vocabulary. It’s basically a lifelong thing you don’t just learn in a few days.
When I listen to your music, specifically Deltron 3030, I hear the future. It reminds me of the dystopian settings in classic novels like George Orwell’s 1984 and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Do you have a favorite dystopian novel? And if so, have they played a role in your music?
I’ve read a few. Definitely 1984 is one of my favorite books. That was a big influence on just how I look at things. Another that comes to mind is One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Not the book, but the movie. Jack Nicholson is in it. So that’s when I started being a fan of him, kind of really. His acting was just really good in that movie. But just what it was about was like mental institutions and how they keep dogging people.
Can you tell me about how you, Dan the Automator and Kid Koala came up with the stories for Deltron 3030?
Well, I pretty much came up with the stories, they sort of filled some parts in but like really me and a friend of mine was chatting, I guess on AIM back then, and came up with the need of it. Then in about two hours we had the core of what I wanted the Deltron record to be. This is the second one. The first wasn’t really about nothing. It was basically just me battle rapping. Everything was just in futuristic terms with futuristic imagery and language and all that.
Do you think there will be a third one?
There could be. Dan [the Automator] got the music all ready. I just have to be interested in writing it. But honestly it takes so much, and honestly, I don’t get that much out of it. I don’t feel like putting the amount of work in it, compared to what I should be getting back to.
Another level of it is like, “Why make a third one?” If it was me as a fan, after the second one, if I’d seen a third one, I probably wouldn’t buy it. Like I wish they would make another game other than Mario Bros. But they’ll probably never do it. They’ll just sit on that little nugget they got forever and just leach and blood suck it out dry
How do you maintain sanity in this chaotic world?
Man, it takes a lot. I’ll tell you that. From dealing with crazy people that come in and out of my life, I’m pretty relaxed for the most part. I don’t consider myself crazy, but it takes work to not lose your mind. I just try to keep focused on what I’m trying to do. I skate a lot, too. I’d say skating is something that helps me definitely settle my mind.
See Del the Funky Homosapien live for FREE at Concerts in the Park at Cesar Chavez Plaza, downtown Sacramento, on June 9, 2017. Also performing will be Soosh*e, The People’s Revolution and DJ Epik. For more info, go to Godowntownsac.com. Check out Del’s latest album Iller than Most via the Bandcamp player below.
**This interview first appeared in print on pages 28 – 29 of issue #241 (June 5 – 19, 2017)**
Pro tip: Don’t make any plans for Friday evenings from May 5 through July 21, because you’ll most definitely want to be at Cesar Chavez Plaza in downtown Sacramento every week to experience Concerts in the Park’s epic lineup, which we have revealed for you below.
From the dark and intense electronic vibes of local heroes Rituals of Mine (formerly known as Sister Crayon), to the legendary MC skills of Del the Funky Homosapien, to ska-punk staples Mad Caddies, to the genre-bending R&B stylings of R.LUM.R, CIP’s 2017 lineup is a seriously legit blend of touring national artists and established local bands.
In an exclusive interview with Submerge, Sureena Johl, events manager of Downtown Sacramento Partnership said, “We can’t wait to rock another season of Concerts in the Park. This year’s lineup is packed with an incredible range of both national and regional talent!”
Johl went on to say, “This season is going to be an unforgettable experience for everyone, on and off the stage. I’m especially excited about everything we’ve planned to expand on and complement the music. From artists to makers, retailers and vendors, Concerts in the Park is going to be the best local festival in town, every Friday in the park.”
Check out the full lineup.
May 5
Rituals of Mine
Sol Peligro
Lucid
DJ Eddie Z
May 12
Grizfolk
Inland
The Diva Kings
Adam J Amgen Tour of California Team Presentation
May 19
Cemetery Sun Life in 24 Frames
The Color Wild
Zach Van Zyck
Robbie (HOF) Backstage VIP Package Presented by Live Nation
May 26
HONEYHONEY
The Nickel Slots
Josh Lane and the Heartfelt
Salt Wizard
DJ Whores Memorial Set Military Appreciation Night
June 2
Secret Band (featuring members of Dance Gavin Dance)
Eternity Forever
A Foreign Affair
Lost Things
Billy Lane Meet the Makers Night
June 9
Del the Funky Homosapien
Soosh*e!
The People’s Revolution
DJ Epik
Concerts in the Park happens every Friday night from 5–9 p.m. at Cesar Chavez Plaza in downtown Sacramento from May 5–July 21. All shows are free and all ages are welcome. Check out GoDowntownSac.com/CIP to learn more about the hottest concert series in town.
Once again winter has passed (if you can call that a winter), which means that spring is here and with it, the 2015 Concerts in the Park series, which officially kicks off on Friday, May 1! We’ve got your first glance at the eclectic lineup right here, and there’s a little something for everyone. Dig country music? Don’t miss May 15 with Cripple Creek Band and Golden Cadillacs. Want to throw your hands up at a hip-hop show? Mark your calendars for Blackalicious and DLRN + Stevie Nader on May 29 and a sure-to-be-insane collaboration set featuring Task1, Century Got Bars, J-Ras and Charleee on July 24. Wanna rock out with some post-hardcore? Check out Jonny Craig’s new band Slaves alongside A Lot Like Birds on June 26. Want to dance your face off? Hit up Joy and Madness on May 8. What about punk rock, you ask? Yeah, they’ve got that too. Check out Mr. T Experience, The Four Eyes and others on June 19. The indie-rock loving crowd will enjoy July 17 featuring From Indian Lakes and Sunmonks, and reggae enthusiasts can get their fix with Element of Soul on June 5 and Arden Park Roots on July 24. Peep the entire lineup below! If the artist’s name is linked, click on it to read a feature on them from a recent issue of Submerge. We’ll see you out at Cesar Chavez Plaza on Friday nights starting on May 1!
May 1 – CIP Kick-off!
Island of Black & White
Drop Dead Red Riotmaker
DJ Epik
May 8
Joy & Madness
Sol Peligro
Zyah Belle & The Funkshun
Paul Gordon & the Ambient Experience
May 15
Cripple Creek Band
Golden Cadillacs
Be Brave Bold Robot
Ashley Barron
DJ Rawhide
May 22
Frank Hannon Band
Alex Vincent Band
Pressure Lounge
DJ Peeti-V
May 29
Blackalicious
DLRN + Stevie Nader
Element Brass Band
Druskee
June 5
Element of Soul
Burro Once An Empire
50-Watt Heavy
TL Miller / imf.DRED
June 12
Jonah Matranga
The Storytellers
Kevin Seconds
One-Leg Chuck
DJ Elements
June 19
Mr. T Experience
The Four Eyes
The Enlows Rebel Punk
DJ Whores
June 26
Slaves
A Lot Like Birds
Tell the Wolves
We Went to the Moon
Z Rokk
July 3
No show! Happy 4th of July!
July 10
The Soft White Sixties
The Nickel Slots
Justin Farren
Vintage Vandals
El Conductor
Here is your first look at the 2013 Concerts in the Park lineup. Last summer saw record setting attendance for the Friday night series and by the looks of it this year shouldn’t be any different. Here is what we’re particularly stoked about: local hip-hop from the likes of Rasar, Live Manikins, DLRN and a couple others. Also Kill the Precedent is one of our absolute local favorites and we didn’t expect to see them on the listing at all, as they are rather heavy and in-your-face. And of course we’re pumped to see !!! (Chk Chk Chk) headlining a night not long after their new record THR!!!ER comes out. The Mother Hips are closing one night and they also have a new record out soon, same goes for Middle Class Rut. All in all it’s a pretty solid lineup in our opinion, but hey, what do we know? Best of all, the shows are all free. Let us know which bands you are excited about!
May 3rd:
Element Of Soul
Musical Charis
They Went Ghost
DJ Epik
May 10th:
Middle Class Rut
Jonny Craig
Dogfood
I’m Dirty Too
RCK:RMX (Blackheart+Buckdog)
May 17th:
Arden Park Roots
Syncro
Rasar (formerly Random Abiladeze)
Live Manikins
DJ Whores
May 24th:
James Cavern
Iconoclast Robot
Rock N’ Rhyme
DLRN
Heartworm
May 31st:
!!! (Chk Chk Chk)
Exquisite Corps
Paper Pistols
Sam I Jam
June 7th:
Mumbo Gumbo
The Quinn Hedges Band
Tel Cairo
June 14th:
Infamous Swanks
The Lesdystics
Avenue Saints
The Bar Fly Effect
Shaun Slaughter
June 21st:
Mother Hips
Jackpot
The Old Screen Door
Roger Carpio
June 28th:
Brodie Stewart
Nevada Backwards
The Carly DuHain Band
Big Trouble
DJ Rigatoni
NO SHOW JULY 5th
July 12th:
ZuhG
Joy & Madness
Harley White Jr. Orchestra
DJ Oasis and INKDUP
July 19th:
FallRise
Kill the Precedent
Restrayned
Fair Struggle
Z Rokk
July 26th:
The Brodys
Hero’s Last Mission
The Bell Boys
Humble Wolf
DJ Billy Lane
