We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: If you ever hear anyone say anything along the lines of, “No good bands ever tour through Sacramento,” then please slap them upside the head and point them toward some of our area’s many amazing venues like, for example, Ace of Spades, who consistently brings national and international bands to town. Case in point: On Tuesday, July 26, one of the more buzzed about bands on the touring scene as of late, London-based post-punk rockers Savages, will hit Ace for a show that regional music aficionados are sure to be talking about for months (maybe even years) to come. “Savages’ intention is to create a sound, indestructible, musically solid, written for the stage and designed with enough nuances to provide a wide range of emotions,” states the manifesto on the band’s website, Savagesband.com. We’re just going to let it roll, because this shit is gold. “Savages are a self-affirming voice to help experience our girlfriends differently, our husbands, our jobs, our erotic life and the place music occupies into our lives. Savages’ songs aim to remind us that human beings haven’t evolved so much, that music can still be straight to the point, efficient and exciting.” Get your $25 advance tickets before they sell out, available now at Aceofspadessac.com or at Dimple Records locations. Opening will be A Dead Forest Index, all the way from Auckland, New Zealand. The show is all ages and kicks off at 7 p.m. Ace is located at 1417 R Street in downtown Sacramento.

Who’s the Boss?

Talking to rapper Lil Debbie on the phone is like spending a casual hour on your couch talking to a close friend you don’t see often.

When we thought we’d covered everything, like her new, yet-unnamed EP dropping this summer and launching her marijuana business, Kesha’s court case came up and we had to ruminate on that for a bit before discussing women getting treated and paid unfairly and how that’s affected Lil Debbie as she chased her dreams.

The 26-year-old Bay Area-born rapper has been in front of the Internet rap scene for 10 years, first with Kreayshawn and V-Nasty in the White Girl Mob, and later as a solo artist, releasing the EP Queen D in 2013.

That year, the younger Lil Debbie sat down with LA Weekly in her then-typical way: long acrylics, lotta bling, Cleopatra liner, high. She told the Weekly she saw herself flying off to Italy in her own private jet in five years.

Lil Debbie is just as bold and ambitious today, still shooting for that Billboard Top 100, radio play and private jet, but she’s also more comfortable in her own skin, and more of a businesswoman. She’s pared down her Instagram/selfie presence, opting instead for professional photo shoots with visual creatives to put out work “that touches people,” she says.

A day before this interview, she did a photoshoot with Vans, a company she respects. Last month she performed at an all girls show sponsored by Vans at SXSW.

“It’s crazy to be there [at SXSW] because there are five girls to every 50 dudes,” she says of the rap scene at the music festival. “Male rappers are so egotistical. They’re just about who is cool and who is not. Who is on the boat, who is not. I’m a bitch but I’m a bitch that doesn’t care about all that, genuinely. I’m not about to hang out. I’m about self-care and self-preservation. Some of the things I see are very childish. When the rap industry starts supporting women in a more positive way, I’ll come and hang out. I’m one of the most unhyped female artists. I won’t try to hang out with all the newest artists. I do this and it’s a talent of mine and it’s a business. It’s not a show. It’s not about that. Every time I put a project out I’m progressing, visually and lyrically. As long as I’m happy and proud of the work I’m doing, that’s it.”

She is also more aware of the pressure and scrutiny on artists online. It’s bothering her in a very adult way.

“People are disengaged … what’s the word? Desensitized,” she says. “Nothing shocks anybody anymore. ‘Oh you put that out, what’s next?’ It’s unrealistic. People want to see the process but to me the process is a very personal thing. I came up on the Internet with Kreayshawn shooting party videos. It went from ‘they’re changing the world’ to now being desensitized. There’s no shock factor in anything. No excitement.”

Instead, Lil Debbie says she’s scared to pour her heart out on the Internet because she’s watched the public tear apart rappers like Iggy Azalea and Kehlani.

“I’m excited but very confused,” she says about releasing her new album. “I’m a woman, I’m in the middle of my twenties, and as a woman, as a music artist it’s hard. Some of the things I go through personally I can’t put in my music. With the group I’m working with, they might not understand it, they might not get it. Like, ‘Why is she saying this, she’s a rapper?’ It’s hard but also about experiencing and growing as a woman. I’m confident it’s going to be good.”

She hinted the album will be less about smoking weed, like her last EP Home Grown, and more about her being a boss bitch like her fans asked, as well as hit on some serious subjects.

“I’m a rapper but I’m not in the streets at three in the morning selling dope, I’m not riding around with a gun in my car,” she says. “I write about me being a single, independent woman. I want to empower other women. And I am bossy. I talk about the support I don’t get. Talking about how I’ve done this for years and I don’t have support from the radio as of yet. Who knows? It’s a hard game being a woman in a rapper’s world. In a man’s world. Should I be sexual, should I not be sexual? What should I do? Who am I as a rapper?”

Lil Debbie raps about drugs and emotions, and taking care of yourself, another subject she’s not sure will go down easy.

“I went from sippin’ syrup and poppin’ Xanax to only smoking weed,” she says. “I have a weed line and I have edibles and I do my best to put out a good product. Some fans are like, you need to put your acrylics back on. People think Lil Debbie needs to have acrylics. No, Lil Debbie is taking a break and is growing her natural hair back and is growing her nails. So that’s not what you’re gonna get and I’m sorry. I think it’s hard to see an artist come out like that.”

Her first overseas shows are a testament to this raw Lil Debbie. French rapper Wacko brought her out earlier this year to do a song together and play shows in France and England.

“Europe opened my mind, opened my heart,” she says. “I’m enthralled in the romance. People in my world don’t get to experience romance. It’s all pimps and hoes and ‘bitch bitch bitch.’ Just to be around flowers, and roses and the Eiffel Tower, to be around class is a breath of fresh air. It changed my outlook on everything.”

One of the most admirable characteristics of Lil Debbie is her drive to keep trying to change the world she works in, especially for girls, whether it’s in the music industry, in fashion or in weed.

“I want to prove to girls that even though it’s a long struggle there’s a good outcome,” she says. “For me it’s about being happy. I want people to say, ‘She’s innovative, she’s an activist, she’s strong.’ That’s what I want. To just be happy. If I ended up being like Nicki Minaj or Rihanna, that would be a beautiful thing. It scares the shit outa me. But I still want it.”

Some of that drive comes from her upbringing, and the difficulty of making a career in her first love: fashion. Her education includes attending the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles.

“I’ll always love fashion and fabric, but that’s as fucking hard as the rap world,” she says. “It’s not fair. I grew up in that shit. My mom was a child clothing designer. She would put me to bed and would work all night while I was sleeping, then finish when it was time to take me to school in the morning. She was selling shit in Nordstrom and she couldn’t make it. This was before the Internet. Having your own fashion line and selling well is truly a blessing. It’s even harder now and things are getting watered down and washed out. But I’ll always love fashion.”

Lil Debbie says the weed industry isn’t any better for women. It took her a year to get a logo and six months to get the packaging done, and she blames it on the lack of trust and interest “the boys” running the industry had in her work.

“It took that long to get someone to trust me and help me grow my weed,” she says, angrily. “Boys love boys. Boys are enthralled by boys. That’s the reality. But I want to grow good weed, and you know what they said to me? They said they could give me a small percentage on my sales, and I was like, what?!”

She eventually found a good group to work with and create her line, and they hope to have both weed and edibles (strong ones, she warns) available at events and clubs this summer.

“It’s a hard market to break into and some people have been doing this for years,” she says. “It’s very different than buying from Joe Blow on the street, buying from the club.”

Judging from her focus and attitude, no matter what Lil Debbie succeeds in, she’ll be in the spotlight, underground or otherwise, for a while.

“I have three or four more hard years to put in before I could think about being a star, especially as a rapper,” she says. “Does Lil Debbie want certain things and gets sad? Yeah. Is she still a boss ass bitch? Yeah.”

Catch Lil Debbie as part of the Califesto Pre Party Friday April 15, 2016 at Ace of Spades, located at 1417 R Street in Sacramento. Tickets for this all-ages, 7 p.m. show—which also features The Luniz, Roach Gigz and more—are $25 in advance ($30 the day of the show) and are available online at Aceofspadessac.com

***UPDATE*** This show has been moved to The Boardwalk, located at 9426 Greenback Lane. All tickets honored, same set times and same lineup!

If you’re going to call it quits, it’s nice to know you’re going out on top. Such is the case with local hard rock/alternative metal band FallRise, who will play their final show ever on Saturday, March 12 at Ace of Spades. The extremely popular and very hard working local group announced in late 2015 that they had come to a unanimous decision that it was time to pursue other interests, stating on their Facebook page that, “As time moves on, a person’s goals and aspirations can change, and this is what has happened with the members of FallRise.” They went on to say that, “We feel it is time for us to continue on a new endeavor and take the life lessons we gained from FallRise to benefit our future.” Not ones to just fade out with a Facebook post and a bunch of “noooo” comments, FallRise has one helluva final show lined up for March 12 featuring other local heavy hitters like The Alpha Complex, White Knuckle Riot, Sages, Madison Ave, A Mile Till Dawn, Conceived in Chaos and Heat of Damage. Doors will open at 5 p.m. for this “mini-fest” and tickets will be $20 at the door, $15 ahead of time.

This may be your last chance to see FallRise live, so join the band “for one more night, one more performance, one more memory as we end this journey on the highest note possible.” Visit Facebook.com/fallriserock for more info and for teasers about what some of the band members might be up to after the curtain falls at FallRise’s final gig.

Though Jello Biafra hasn’t fronted the band for 30 years, three-quarters of the Dead Kennedys’ most relevant members—East Bay Ray (guitar), Klaus Flouride (bass) and D.H. Peligro (drums)—are still carrying the flag along with newest member and singer Ron “Skip” Greer, who has manned his position since 2008. Although the band is anything but prolific, that hasn’t stopped them from drawing sizable crowds to their frenetic live show. Thankfully, fans of the band who only want to hear “the early shit” will be happy to know they’ll get an earful including much of the band’s catalog. From Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980) to Plastic Surgery Disasters (1982), Frankenchrist (1985) to Bedtime for Democracy (1986), nothing is off limits. This show also features New York’s Reagan Youth, Alameda’s Screaming Bloody Marys and Sacramento’s own The Secretions. Secure your tickets ($22 in advance) at Aceofspadessac.com

Not one to ever sit still, Sacramento entrepreneur and music business guru Eric Rushing (of Artery Foundation Artist Management, Artery Recordings, Ace of Spades, The Boardwalk, Goldfield and other entities) recently announced he opened a full-fledged recording studio in Sacramento called Gold Standard Sounds. “After 20 years in the music industry I’m extremely excited to open a state-of-the-art recording studio in my hometown,” Rushing stated in a press release sent to Submerge. “Not only did I open this studio so that that bands could record music but I created a really cool environment for writing sessions, video sessions and listening parties.”
Between his management company and record label, Rushing and his team represent some of the best bands in rock and metal, including national acts like Alesana, Chelsea Grin, Attila, Vanna and Anvil, as well as top-notch signed local and regional bands like Will Haven, Hoods, Hail the Sun, Horseneck, Graveshadow and many others. Between all of the bands his companies represent as well as all of the touring artists coming through town and playing the venues he owns, it’s easy to imagine why Rushing would get into the recording studio game.
“This will be a great addition for the label and management company that we have built on a local and national level,” he stated. “GSS showcases the only SSL Console in town and with a big L.A. studio vibe.” Learn more about the studio at Goldstandardsounds.com

Get the Spins

As my friends know all too well, when I drink, I like to DJ. So when I heard about a new dive bar in Midtown called B-Side, where you could play your own records, I wondered why I hadn’t thought of this brilliant concept myself.

B-Side is operated by the time-tested trio that brought Shady Lady to the forefront of Sacramento cocktail culture. But unlike Shady Lady, B-Side has a laid-back dive-y atmosphere. There’s no velvet damask wallpaper and moody lighting; there aren’t even drink menus. It’s the kind of place where you’re not going to be out of place in a hoodie and can get anything from a $3 Oly on tap to a fancy you-call-it cocktail with its corresponding high price tag.

“As much as we all love cocktails, there’s something to be said for a simple bar with no frills,” says Garrett Van Vleck, one of the managing partners at B-Side. “People seem a little surprised when we tell them there’s no cocktail list but they also quickly realize how nice it is to order whatever they want. We wanted a back-to-basics dive bar, but if you order something like an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan, you’re going to get the same quality drink you would at Shady Lady.”

While Shady Lady’s decor is decidedly prohibition-era themed, B-Side has a sleazy ‘70s audiophile vibe. Rope lighting lined the bar shelves with record sleeves serving as the sole non-alcohol bar adornment. A collection of antique audio equipment backed the prominent DJ booth while a Russ Meyer film played scenes of gratuitous nudity of mod babes with blue eyeshadow and big hair. Between the patrons and DJ Roger Carpio spinning an eclectic mix of vinyl, it was very loud.

“We started with the idea of doing a vinyl record-centric concept and the ‘70s vibe sort of developed as an extension of that,” explains Van Vleck of the inspiration for the bar concept.

Sacramento DJ veteran Shaun Slaughter heads up the event booking at B-Side. During one of the regular events, “Loose Change,” the DJs pass out request books and people can pick from a selection of 45s. At another event, Vixens of Vinyl, female DJs headed up by DJ TrashEpiphany spin psychedelic, garage, punk, glam and trash. Open turntable night encourages anyone to bring a couple of their favorite records and take turns DJing.

Slaughter enthusiastically describes his approach to B-Side’s entertainment.

“My idea is that all the DJs should make it feel like a house party,” says Slaughter. “Each night has its own theme, but the only instruction I gave them was to have fun and don’t think about it too much … Originally I thought about booking only ‘70s-sounding stuff to align with the bar concept, but Garrett really emphasized doing all kinds of music. We’ve been having a blast!”

Bret Bair, known locally for his ownership of Ace of Spades and part ownership of Goldfield, also owns the building in which B-Side resides, along with its liquor license. The building formerly housed the defunct, but legendary, Monte Carlo.

Van Vleck explains how the Shady Lady gents (which includes Jason Boggs and Alex Origoni) came to lease the B-Side space.

“Bret Bair from Ace of Spades bought the building a couple of years ago and kept it running for a little while as the Monte Carlo,” says Van Vleck. “Then he shut it down and started doing some rehab on the building. About a year ago we reached out and inquired about teaming up to do a project. We all felt like the B-Side concept was a good fit for the space and moved forward from there.”

{Alex Origoni and Jason Boggs}

Origoni, Boggs and Van Vleck have their hands in many regional projects, including Brewster’s in Galt, Fieldhouse in the Arden area and upcoming establishments Amaro (an Italian bistro slated to open in the R Street Corridor and partly owned by Deftones’ Abe Cunningham) and Sail Inn, which will revamp an existing bar on the West Sacramento riverfront.

One would think that working so closely together on so many diverse projects would wear on their friendship, but Van Vleck divulges that they get along better as time goes by.

“The three of us have polar opposite personalities and that works to our advantage,” says Van Vleck. “There’s no yes men and you never have to worry about getting an honest opinion. We argue all the time about every detail of every place, but in a constructive way. At the end of the day there are no egos, we just debate the ideas until we settle on the best one, then have a shot of whiskey.”

While good music and libations flow freely at B-Side, one thing you won’t find—yet—is a bite to eat. But times will change.

“We are going to add on a patio and do a food truck program as often as possible,” says Van Vleck. “Right now, we’re just concentrating on getting the bar running smoothly, but hopefully the food side will come along soon.”

So far, B-Side seems to be a neighborhood bar in terms of the clientele. And that’s exactly what the partners are going for—although time will tell what kind of crowd will become regulars.

One thing’s for sure: these guys know what they’re doing and have a track record of successful execution of their bar and restaurant concepts. Pair that with a unique idea like B-Side and open up shop in a city full of music junkies, and you’ve got yourself a dive bar that is sure to stick around for a long time. B-Side is solid gold.

{Local artist Jose Di Gregorio hanging his art work inside B-Side}

B-Side is open at 1430 S Street from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., seven days a week. Find them on Facebook to view the full events calendar.

It’s time to say goodbye to 2015. From rock concerts, to dance parties, to comedy shows and everything in between, here is your ultimate guide to Sacramento-area New Year’s Eve parties! Have fun, be safe and please don’t drink and drive.

1) If you’re looking for a funky dance party head to Torch Club and get down with two fantastic local bands: IdeaTeam (featuring Aquifer) and Black Star Safari. Cover charge is $25, 9 p.m., 21-plus. Torchclub.net for more info.

2) Enjoy a soft rock explosion at Harlow’s with Mustache Harbor. Tickets are $30 in advance, doors open at 9 p.m., 21-plus. Hit up Harlows.com for a link to buy tickets.

3) Sing along to your favorite hard rock hits with Radio Heavy at our favorite downtown Roseville watering hole, Bar 101. This party is free and 21-and-over, with a 9:30 p.m. start time. Bar101roseville.com for more info.

4) Groove to late ‘80s and early ‘90s hip-hop, hip-house, and R&B at “New Jack Fling” at Press Club, brought to you by DJs Crook (featured in our current issue), BenJohnson and Satapana. $7 cover, 21-plus, 9 p.m.

5) Ace of Spades wants to party hard with you on NYE when they host legendary heavy metal band Y&T, with opening sets by locals Skin of Saints, ONOFF and Roswell. Tickets are $35 in advance, available at Aceofspadessac.com. 7 p.m. doors. This show is all-ages!

6) The newest dive bar on the grid B-Side invites you to check out their digs and get down to sounds by DJ Whores and friends. No cover, 21-plus. Search for “B-Side” on Facebook for more info.

7) We here at Submerge are teaming up with the Lipstick crew for an epic NYE dance party at Old Ironsides featuring live music from local dreamy/synth-y pop group The Good Fortune, as well as DJ sets by Shaun Slaughter, Roger Carpio and Adam Jay. 9 p.m., 21-plus. $8 advance tickets available at Cuffs.

8) Laugh away the new year at Punchline Sacramento during “2015’s Last Laughs” featuring sets by Ngaio Bealum, Keith Lowell Jensen and many other local faves. Two shows: 7:30 p.m. ($20) and 10 p.m. ($25). 18-and-over. Punchlinesac.com for more info.

9) Blackbird recently re-opened and they’re throwing a party this NYE co-presented by Rue 27, THIS Midtown and 1810 Gallery featuring live tunes by nu-disco act Figgy, and a DJ set from Sacto faves Sister Crayon. 7:30 p.m., $40 per person, $75 for VIP upgrade. Studio53.eventbrite.com for more.

10) Visit historic Grass Valley for Center for the Arts’ “Laughs, Lolo and Legs” party featuring comedy from Katie Rubin, neo vintage jazz pop music of Lolo Gervais, burlesque from the Bow-Tie Beauties, DJ dance party hosted by Jamal Walker and more! 8 p.m. doors, tickets start at $22. Hit up Thecenterforthearts.org for advanced tickets.

11) For a family-friendly daytime celebration that everyone can stay awake for, head to Crocker Art Museum’s “Noon Year’s Eve” event, which is free for all ages and runs from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Performances from Germar the Magician, Ebo Okokan, Ohana Dance Group and many more.

12) Enjoy some amazing homegrown talent at Crest Theatre when Jackie Greene and his band perform a special NYE concert! Doors open at 8:30 p.m. and tickets start at $35 in advance.

13) The kind folks over at Blue Lamp are throwing a free NYE bash featuring great music, plenty of booze, good company and a champagne toast at midnight. 9 p.m. start time, 21-plus, no cover.

14) Groove to some soul, funk, disco, reggae, latin and more from a few of Sacto’s best selectors at Fox & Goose. DJs Larry Rodriguez, MC Ham and Wokstar will be spinning all night! $10 cover, 21-and-up, 9 p.m.

15) Bundle up and head up the hill for three days of SnowGlobe (Dec. 29–31) in South Lake Tahoe featuring headliners like Jack Ü (aka Skrillex and Diplo), Kaskade, Dillon Francis, Run the Jewels, E-40 and many more. All-ages event. Check out Snowglobemusicfestival.com for details.

16) NOW 100.5 FM and MIX 96 are throwing a masquerade party for the ages at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento featuring cover band and headliner Apple Z, plus DJ Rated R, Quinn Hedges and Ryan Hernandez. $75 in advance for general admission, 9 p.m. start time, 21-plus.

Open Letter

For as busy as his 2014 was, you’d think Richmond, California-based rapper Iamsu (stylized IamSu!) would be content to kick back and enjoy a little downtime. That’s most certainly not the case.

In fact, when Submerge spoke to the young, rising hip-hop star, he was gearing up for a flight halfway around the world to Australia to play his first-ever string of dates in the Land Down Under, hitting five cities.

“I’m really excited,” he said as we began our phone conversation. “I heard they love hip-hop over there.”

This year, Iamsu’s travels have taken him coast to coast and around the globe, with even a stop in Paris along the way.

“Man, it was amazing when I went to Paris,” Iamsu said of his Oct. 3, 2015 performance at the Be Street Festival. “It was a great experience. I can’t wait to go back. There was a lot of energy. They just appreciate rap music, hip-hop, in a different way. It was really cool.”

Iamsu’s recent bout of globetrotting has been in support of his most recent release, and his first studio album, Sincerely Yours, released in May 2014. The album features 15 seamlessly woven together tracks that are refreshingly sparse, with a laidback feel that’s perfectly suited to Iamsu’s Cali-cool cadence. It also boasts guest appearances from Wiz Khalifa, 2 Chainz and Bay Area stalwarts E-40 and Too $hort. Rolling Stone ranked the album among its “40 Best Rap Albums of 2014.”

Though Sincerely Yours was technically his debut, Iamsu has been releasing mixtapes at a torrid rate since 2010. Beginning with Su! the Right Thing, he has put forth nine mixtapes, including 2015’s Eyes on Me, which is available for digital download. Among those releases were Kilt and Kilt II, which will lend their name to Iamsu’s forthcoming sophomore studio album, Kilt 3, which he said should be ready “early next year.”

“The album, as far as music goes, is complete. I’m just in the process of … gathering all my media content, which is something I’m doing different,” Iamsu said of the anticipated release. “With the last album, I didn’t have all my videos done before I released it. I was doing stuff after the release date … I just wanted to get all my stuff done and give everything to the people all at one time.”

He said that continuing the Kilt series was meant to recapture some of the feelings he had earlier in his still young music career.

“It’s definitely an evolution from those two. It’s me revisiting that feeling that I had,” Iamsu said. “When I recorded those first two mixtapes, the mindset on the music, just on determination, was so high. That’s what I’m giving people on this Kilt 3 is just a lot energy. It’s more so about feeling my presence.”

Upon returning from Australia, Iamsu will hit the familiar roads of California, including a stop in Sacramento. In the meantime, you can learn more about this burgeoning Bay Area rap star in the following interview.

You’ve done a lot of touring this year. Are you looking forward to winding down a little bit or do you enjoy being out there on the road?
I’m definitely not looking forward to winding down [laughs]. I might go crazy …

Before you released your first proper studio album, you released a bunch of mixtapes since 2010. Are you one of those people who are constantly writing and working on ideas?
Absolutely. Every time I get a chance to get in a studio and work on ideas, I do. This is just my passion. Hopefully I can get in a studio in Australia and catch that vibe.

Have you been in contact with any artists or producers in Australia that you’d like to collaborate with?
Some people had hit us up about if we were looking for a studio, so I’m going to see if I can get in that studio.

Do you have material you’re working on, stuff that you’ve written, that you’re looking to record?
Nah, I’m more of an in-the-moment type of writer. Sometimes I’ll write stuff on my phone—just the beats or whatever—and record it later, but I’m more so in the moment.

You’d released a bunch of mixtapes before 2014, but Sincerely Yours was dubbed your debut album. How was recording that different from your experiences making mixtapes?
It wasn’t too different. I had a lot of freedom with that album. I did something more alternative with that project, because I was really trying to showcase my artistic capabilities, so that was really cool … It was a great time. It allowed me to do a lot of different things.

One of the things that struck me about Sincerely Yours, even through the intro and interludes, was how the tracks seemed to flow together so well. It felt like listening to one long song with a bunch of different movements. Was that something you really wanted to work on when you were putting it together? You’d said you were looking to make an artistic statement.
Definitely. I’ve got to give a lot of the credit to some of my boys who helped me put the album together Kuya Beats, P-Lo and Chief. They helped me put that album together, because I was on the road. I had an overall concept, but they were the ones who helped me put it together.

What was the overall concept you had for Sincerely Yours?
It was an open letter to my fans. I wanted to make it like an audio book—just free-form thoughts and me just communicating openly to my fans, because I was in an interesting headspace at the time. I really had to express that. I feel like I got that all off my chest.

I was really digging the title track. The lyrics seemed very open and honest. Could you talk a little bit about how that song came together?
That was just where my head was at at that exact moment. When I listen back to it, it puts a smile on my face, just because I see how much I’ve grown up since then … To be honest, I was afraid of success. I wasn’t afraid of failure, because I don’t believe I’ve come all this way to fail. I was afraid of all the things to come, like traveling overseas and going on TV, you know what I’m saying? Because all this stuff is destined, and I wasn’t really sure if I was prepared for it at the time.

Do you think you’re more prepared now?
Definitely, and that just comes from maturity. There are a lot of things that happened over the past year that have made me grow up, you know what I’m saying? My grandmother passed this year, my uncle passed this year, and that was really hard. That really made me face reality, you know?

You’ve gotten a lot of attention from some major media outlets like Rolling Stone and even the New York Times. Did that help contribute to your fear of success? You hear a lot of cautionary tales of people approaching stardom and they can’t handle it. Was that where you were coming from?
It was definitely both. A lot of cautionary tales. It just comes from maturity, man, I had to realize I’m not scared. I had to use that fear to propel myself and not hold myself back.

The Bay Area has such a rich hip-hop history with guys like E-40 and Too $hort, and you’ve gotten to work with both of them. Did they impart any wisdom on to you as far as having a long career in music and helping you mature as an artist and just as a professional?
Oh definitely. I had a few talks with E-40, and he gave me a lot of knowledge as far as taking my time with music, and Too $hort as well. They’ve had probably the longest running rap careers, so I’m in good company.

Do you feel any responsibility, being from the Bay, to carry that banner, so to speak, of being the new generation?
I’m just walking my own path, and I want to represent the Bay Area, period. I hope to take it as far as they took it. So yeah, I want to carry that torch.

Catch Iamsu live at Ace of Spades in Sacramento on Dec. 4, 2015. Show Banga and Anjali World will also perform. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased through Aceofspadessac.com.

Still looking for something to do on Halloween? Just focus on getting your costume ready ‘cause we’ve got you covered with these 14 killer parties throughout the Sacramento region featuring live bands and DJs!

Don’t worry, The Nibblers won’t bite too hard, but they will bring the funky and soulful goodness that the local seven-piece powerhouse is known for to The Torch Club! 9 p.m., $10 with costume, $12 without. 21-and-over.

You’d think they’d be in some sort of post-fest hibernation right now but nope, the folks behind TBD Fest are throwing a Halloween rager. “Bleepy Hollow” will feature Com Truise {pictured}, Slow Magic, and local DJs Shaun Slaughter and Adam Jay. 18-and-over, tickets are $35 in advance. Facebook.com/tbdfest for details.

Blue Lamp and Abstract Entertainment are teaming up for a rockin’ Halloween with the legendary Tav Falco’s Panther Burns featuring Mike Watt and Toby Dammit. Tickets start at just $12.50, 21-and-over, doors open at 8 p.m.

Former Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland will bring his new band The Wildabouts to The Boardwalk on Halloween night! $30 in advance, $130 for a meet-and-greet with the man himself! All-ages, 7 p.m. doors.

Requiem’s “Things That Go Bump In the Night” at Midtown BarFly will satisfy your needs in the following departments: deep bass, much dancing, crazy costumes, epic light show. San Francisco’s Ardalan and Portland’s Dallas Cotton {pictured} headline with support from Young Aundee, DJ Whores and many others. $20 (21-and-over) or $30 (18-and-over) at the door.

The Hideaway will host a rock ‘n’ roll extravaganza featuring an Andrew WK cover set by members of Bastards of Young and City of Vain! Trash Rock DJs, costume contests, horror movies on the tiki patio and more! Just $5, 8 p.m., 21-and-over.

Two shows, one night! That’s how Harlow’s rolls! Seattle’s Noah Gundersen {pictured} plays the early all-ages show at 7 p.m., with tickets being just $10 in advance, $12 at the door. New York’s Matt Pond PA headlines the 21-and-over late show at 10 p.m., tickets are $13 ahead of time, $15 at the door.

Australian metalcore band Parkway Drive is currently on a North American rampage and will tear down Ace of Spades on Halloween night! All-ages, 6:30 p.m. doors, $25 in advance.

Well over a dozen local bands will descend upon Old Ironsides for their annual Dead Rockstars Show! Hear cover tunes from, well, you guessed it, dead rockstars! $5, 21-and-over, 8 p.m.

The Park Ultra Lounge will host SKAM Artist DJ Crooked {pictured} with an early set from Sacramento’s own DJ Peeti V. A whopping $1,000 is up for grabs in a costume contest! 9:30 p.m., tickets start at $15, 21-plus.

Two great local punk/rock bands, Garble and The Rollin’ Blackouts, will play a costume party at Fox and Goose. 9 p.m., $5 at the door, 21-and-over.

Starlite Lounge wants you to celebrate darkness and horror with them as they host two awesome bands, Children of the Grave (a “zombie tribute” to Black Sabbath) {pictured} and Archangel (a badass Misfits tribute group). 9 p.m., 21-plus.

Country Club Lanes will house Lite Brite Productions’ 9th Annual Beetlejuice Party with 35 DJs, five dance areas, free bowling, zombie laser tag, video games, two bars, an outdoor movie theater and more! 8 p.m.–4 a.m., $40, all-ages welcome, costume required.

The night before Halloween (Friday, Oct. 30) the Sacramento Convention Center gets invaded by KSFM 102.5’s Gravedigger’s Ball featuring a DJ set by Lil Jon, live performances from Natalie La Rose and Charlie Puth, a $5,000 costume contest and more. 21-plus, $35 in advance.

Long Goodnight

2015 is a notable year for The Get Up Kids. It marks the 20th anniversary of the band’s 1995 formation in Kansas City, Missouri. It also marks the 10-year anniversary of the band’s 2005 breakup following their ascent to (and subsequent self-propelled descent from) the forefront of the early-’00s emo explosion.

It seems, however, that time has healed all wounds, not just between frontman Matt Pryor and the rest of the Kids—guitarist Jim Suptic, drummer Ryan Pope, bass player Rob Pope and keyboard player James Dewees—but also between the band and their role in shaping what became one of the decade’s most enduring musical styles. The band’s second album, 1999’s Something to Write Home About, is arguably the genre-defining album for what became known, for better or worse, as “emo,” a term borrowed from from the ‘90s hardcore underground and repurposed to describe the earnest, melodic, guitar-driven rock music that bubbled out of the turn-of-the-millennium indie rock scene.

But The Get Up Kids never seemed comfortable in the role of torchbearer. The band followed up Something to Write Home About with a markedly different sound on 2002’s On a Wire, trading in the upbeat, bombastic sound of the band’s first two full-lengths for a more subdued, introspective approach that, both literally and figuratively for many fans, wasn’t exactly something to write home about. The band continued to explore new territory on 2004’s Guilt Show, but were again unable to shake the expectations generated by their past success, going on hiatus shortly following the album’s release before calling it quits officially in early 2005.

In 2008, the band announced a reunion tour to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Something to Write Home About the following year. That tour in turn spawned an EP and, eventually, a new full-length, 2011’s There Are Rules. The band is now preparing for a spate of both domestic and European tour dates to celebrate the band’s 20th anniversary, including a stop through Sacramento, Sept. 6, 2015, at Ace of Spades. Although The Get Up Kids have worked through their past difficulties, as frontman Matt Pryor explained during a recent interview, these upcoming shows could be the band’s last for awhile.

When you were first starting the band in 1995, did you ever imagine that you guys would make it 20 years?
Oh god no! [Laughs] I don’t think anybody thinks about that.

Was there a certain point, though, where you thought, “Maybe I will be doing this for a long time?”
Well I remember a point on our very first tour; we were originally just gonna go on tour then go back to school. Just take the summer off and go on tour. But we were like, “We can do this.” And then we kind of just kept going from there.

Twenty years later, do you ever wonder what would have happened if you had said screw it and went back to school instead, or do you still think it was the right choice?
Well it’s still my job and I still like it, so you can’t really ask for much more than that. I’m not really qualified to do anything else at this point.

Do you think that it would be possible to do what you’ve done if you were starting now, or have things in the music industry changed as far as what bands can and can’t do?
I think it’s changed, but I don’t think that that’s a bad thing necessarily. I think that there’s a lot more connectivity between bands and their audience now; it’s a lot more like the small scene that we came out of in the ‘90s where everybody knew everybody and there wasn’t a difference between the band and the crowd necessarily, we were all part of the same show. And I think that that’s kind of similar to how it is now, where you do have to have a personal connection with each of your fans and answer questions on Twitter and all that kind of stuff. I don’t know about starting a band now. It seems like, like anything, you have to learn how to adapt to the changing landscape.

Has that changed what you guys do with the band, as far as the format of putting out a record and touring to support that record? It seems like touring has sort of become more of the end itself rather than the means.
Well, I think that that’s evolving, but the players in the game, they don’t treat it like that. Like our booking agent, or promoters of different shows, want there to be some sort of angle. Whether it’s you put out a new record and you’re promoting that, or it’s a reunion tour or you’re doing a full-album show or something like that. We’ve always just kind of toured when we’re available because we have such busy schedules. But I think that that system is still in place, as far as promoters and agents go. I think don’t think people give a shit. People are just excited that you came to their town.

It’s a been a few years since you guys have put out anything new. Does that make it strange to tour? Do you have new stuff, or is it just “here’s our catalog?”
We’re treating this as more of a nostalgia show. We’re playing a lot of old songs; I mean, they’re all old songs. The last time we did a record was 2011, so even the new songs are old now.

Does that make the shows more fun, or less fun, or just the same, but in a different way?
It’s just a different way; it’s a lot less stressful. You don’t really have to make any creative decisions, you just have to pick which songs you want to play.

Was there a certain point where you, as a band, just sort of accepted that a lot of people want to hear the old stuff?
Ahhh … I guess that’s just kind of how it is. There really wasn’t any sort of “aha” moment.

Is that a bummer?
Well, you want to think that your best work is in front of you and not behind you. So in that sense, I wish that more people would give newer stuff a chance. But at the same time, I’m just stoked that they’re there at all. And if going out and playing our first records front to back will then make us enough money that we can then go do something else that’s more artistically rewarding, then I think that’s a fair trade.

You all have other projects going on, so has this become something that you do just for fun, or maybe just whenever the opportunity presents itself?
Well, and we’ve been talking about this for a couple years now, there happens to be break in people’s schedules that coincides with the 20-year thing. So it’s really more of just, it’s our 20th birthday, and we have sort of this window of opportunity before people turn back into a pumpkin, so it’s really more a matter of scheduling than anything else.

It’s also been almost exactly 10 years since the band split up. Did you think, at the time, that it was going to be something you were going to come back to?
Oh no, I quit. I never wanted to play with these shitheads again.

What changed?
We got away from each other for three years. I mean, bands don’t really ever break up. It’s always there somewhere, in the back of your mind. When you’ve been living in a van with four other dudes for 10 years, you should take a break, and I didn’t know how to do that. We didn’t know how to do that. The only thing we knew how to do is call it quits.

So has this sort of reset the dynamic of the band? Given you all a fresh start?
We still fight about the same shit. But now we’re mature enough to say, “OK, you’re pissing me off, I’m gonna go for a walk.” Where in the past, we’d just get drunk and fight, now we just get drunk and say we won’t talk about it any more.

What’s next for the band?
Our window of opportunity is through the end of next summer, and then Jim’s going back to school. We’re gonna go back to Europe again in the spring, and then we’re trying to figure out what we’re gonna do next summer. And then that’ll be it.

Is it sort of a “make hay while the sun’s shining” type thing, where this may be the last chance?
It’s probably one of the last times we’re gonna do a proper tour, I would guess.

Ride that nostalgia train and wish The Get Up Kids a happy 20th birthday at Ace of Spades on Sept. 6, 2015. The Hotelier and Josh Berwanger Band will also perform. Tickets are $19.99 and can be purchased through Aceofspadessac.com.