The last time we left the Elia brothers, Jake and Lucas, they had moved on from their first venture, the chic and elegant Bloom Coffee and Tea out in Roseville, and were onto their next entrepreneurial endeavor, Pause Kitchen and Lounge, which was literally a stone’s throw away from Bloom. Unfortunately, this past August saw the closing of their swanky establishment that had a focus on small plates and thoughtful spirit pairings and found the two brothers back at their drawing boards once more. Luckily for the Elias, their drawing boards are accompanied by very sharp pencils and the Crayola 64 set, if you catch my drift, and these boys wasted no time in setting out to create their next work of art.
This time, along for the ride are two of their long time employees from Bloom, Justin Kerr and Andrew Lopez, who share the Elias’ passion for finely crafted coffee and the vision of bringing it to the masses. The idea for a coffee shop was in place and the four started looking for a space in the midtown/downtown area. With a stir of perfect timing, the firmly established Temple Coffee on 10th between J and K streets was gearing up to relocate from their original location, a charming Hobbit-like structure that was once a bookstore, to a new location just around the corner. This brewed the right opportunity and the perfect space for the four partners to capitalize on their new venture–Broadacre Ltd. Coffee.
With the addition of two more opinions weighing in, decision-making could get hairy. Especially since the brothers had been calling the shots at Bloom and Pause for the past couple years. But Lucas says the addition of Kerr and Lopez is all for the better.
“We definitely saw [Justin and Andrew] as assets and as minds we thought could bring something to the table,” says Lucas. “There are definitely conversations that have been hashed out, and we argue sometimes but at the same time we end up at a better result than we would have if it was just the two of us.”
Those minds all thinking in unison have created a new and knowledgeable destination for quality brewed coffees and beans in the heart of Downtown Sacramento. The location is perfect for foot traffic and their reputations from Bloom precede them. That means those seeking a good cup of Joe know exactly where to go, and Lucas says business has been good so far.
It all starts with good coffee and Broadacre has got that covered.
“We just had Verve at Bloom, and so we were an exclusive account,” says Lucas. “Here it’s very dynamic, and it’s changing all the time. We have four coffee roasters and it changes once a month–one drops off and another comes on. So there are always different coffees around.”
Aside from Santa Cruz, Calif.’s Verve Coffee, which the Elias still carry, their other roasters include San Francisco’s Ritual Roasters, Chicago’s Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea and Portland’s Stumptown Roasters. With the coffees rotating so frequently, it’s important that Lucas and the rest of the team dial in the espresso and make sure the transition to the new coffee is smooth.
“It’s not an easy thing to do if you don’t have the right skill set to manage changing out coffees every day, dialing in espressos and making sure everything tastes good all the time. You need to taste it, you need to have a good palate to be able to know that the espresso you’re pulling is tasting good,” explains Lucas.
Good coffee deserves careful preparation to make sure the final product, what’s in your cup, stays consistent. Broadacre currently offers four different methods of brewing for you to choose from: Hario V60, Aeropress, French press and Chemex. All have their different qualities and can bring out different notes in the coffee or reduce oils. Each method can be explained to you if you don’t know which one best suits your tastes. It’s also prepared right before; meticulously weighed out and treated with care.
When I arrived to chat with the brothers, Jake and Lucas were behind the counter helping customers and preparing their own coffee to drink. Both dressed in clean and pressed collared shirts that were tucked into their slacks; belts and dress shoes to match. Their thick, black tufts of hair neatly combed and groomed, a mirror of their surroundings. On the left counter, the shiny and new La Marzocco Strada espresso machine that Lucas spoke fondly of. White mugs sat orderly on the top, and behind the counter two-dozen rocks glasses, each filled with weighed-out portions of fresh coffee beans, awaited the grinder. Three scales rested neatly across the counter; another necessary component for ensuring consistency with how much water is required for the perfect cup. There’s this air of fun about all the young baristas there, seen in their honest smiles and their passion for coffee and how it’s served. Their blog posts that speak to the search for great coffee are always signed off, “the broad acre boys” like they’re some kind of Wild West Robin Hoods; taking the pretentiousness out of carefully brewed coffee and giving it to the common Joe drinker to enjoy. When you walk inside Broadacre, you feel compelled to stay a while and that’s exactly how the boys like it.
Res and Talib Kweli defy expectation as Idle Warship
Talib Kweli has become synonymous with underground hip-hop. Through his solo career and his collaborations with DJ Hi-Tek (Reflection Eternal) and Mos Def (Black Star), Kweli has enjoyed mainstream attention that hasn’t tarnished his artistic credibility. Res (pronounced reese), a rock/pop/soul singer from Philadelphia, may not be as well-known, but she’s no less talented. Signed to MCA Records, her 2001 debut How I Do received some attention with video play on VH1 before she fell victim to the major label machine. A few years back, Res and Kweli began hanging out in a studio, writing songs. They called it Idle Warship, but it wasn’t until the release of the band’s first album, Habits of the Heart, in November 2011 that the project began to realize its potential, according to Kweli.
“Idle Warship was an abstraction before Habits of the Heart came out,” he says. “We’ve been doing this for four years. Now we’re getting a lot of interest from a lot of artists who are just now starting to get it.”
Fans of both artists’ solo careers may at first balk at the songs on Habits of the Heart. This isn’t the hip-hop Kweli has become known for with a simple addition of a prominent female voice on the hook. In fact, Res is at the fore of many of these tracks with Kweli playing more of a supporting role. “Are You In,” for example, is a spacey funk-flavored rock track where echo effects lend Res’s earthy vocals an ethereal quality. “Covered in Fantasy” gives listeners the Kweli they know and love, showcasing his word-heavy flow, but the beat behind him might be something you’d more likely find in an electronica track. Res, singing the chorus, chimes in with, “There’s a lot more inside of me,” as if to request that fans leave their expectations behind them and come along for the ride, wherever it may lead.
“I think that the album feels like a total collaboration between the producer, what Kweli brings to the table, what I bring to the table, the writers that we work with,” Res says of Habits of the Heart. “It’s bigger than just what Talib and I do. It’s all the stuff that we love, and all the music that we love that we’re not able to express in our solo projects.
“I feel like this group brings out the best and the most unusual things in everyone.”
These songs may be unusual, but their charms are apparent. While Idle Warship may not be receiving accolades in the way of album sales just yet, Habits of the Heart has caught on with some critics and fans. More importantly, however, it’s lit a creative fire inside Res and Kweli. When Submerge spoke with the two artists, Kweli mentioned that he and Res are already working on a second Idle Warship album (this in addition to Kweli’s new solo album Prisoner of Consciousness and a new Black Star album both due out in 2012). Res says that the new music is still in its early stages, however.
“We wanted to be sort of the type of thing where we put out an incredible second album quickly, which makes people be like, ‘Yo, did you check out their first album?’” Kweli adds. “That’s where we’re at with it right now.”
Kweli and Res discuss, among other things, the benefits of having two Libras in the same band in the following interview.
One song that really attracted me, which was strange because the slower songs don’t usually jump out at me first, was “Beautifully Bad.” It’s a gorgeous track. I was wondering if you could talk about where that one came from a little bit. Talib Kweli: That’s my favorite record too. The title Habits of the Heart came from that one. Res: I think the songwriting on that is really great. A woman named Zenya Bashford, she penned that, and Kweli as well. It’s a story that resonates with every woman. You know, being in a relationship that you love for so many reasons, but at the end of the day, there are one or two things that you know are so horribly wrong with the relationship that make it a bad relationship, and it’s those one or two things that are the deciding factors. It’s a give and take, push and pull kind of record. I think Talib’s verse is really dope, and it was done right. I think the vocals I do complement it, and the music is really simple, but I don’t know, really profound at the same time. If the beat was anything more, it would have taken away from the song. You really get to hear the emotions.
It’s funny how the simplest song can really strike a chord. Do you find that when you’re working, that less is more? Talib: That’s a lesson for me, because I have such a wordy, loquacious style. I like to listen to complex beats. I enjoy beats with a lot of things going on. If you listen to my records through my solo career, it’s been a challenge for me to find the right beat that matches my style as opposed to rapping over music where my style gets lost. But Idle Warship brings me closer to that balance. Res: I was thinking, when we were in the studio doing a song, I did notice that you, Kweli. You were like, “OK, more, layer it,” and I think my preference is to have less, but again, this group is different than what I would personally do, and that’s what I like about it. I see that it’s changing–well, not changing 100 percent–but it’s making me feel like I can do more layers in songs and pushing the envelope in what I’m doing with my own sound. Talib: It doesn’t even always work for me, if I can criticize myself. What I like to hear isn’t always necessarily what I sound the best on rapping.
From talking to you guys, it sounds like you balance each other out in a lot of ways. Is that something that developed over the four years you’ve been collaborating together or something that you noticed right away? Res: I think we both know for the most part what we like. I can be convinced, though. Talib is a wordsmith, and he can convince me sometimes when I’m like, “No, no, no…” Talib: Don’t give me too much credit, though. I can only convince you when I’m right [laughs]. When I’m wrong no amount of words will convince you. I only go hard when I’m right. Res: I guess we do balance each other out. We’re both Libras, and we do agree on a lot of things musically, but visually, we don’t–at all. When he’s like, “Red,” I’m like, “Blue. What are you talking about?” Or something like that.
Do you think you’re going to bring your experience from working on this album to what you’re doing in your solo careers? Talib: I’m finding it a challenge for me not to do Idle Warship music on my new solo album… You have to do what you feel. At the same time, I’m trying to have respect for the body of work… It’s more about does it fit the album rather than what people expect of me. Now I’m in an Idle Warship mind state, and that’s where I’m at with it creatively. Now for the first time in my career, I have to physically and mentally switch gears because Idle Warship isn’t an abstraction any more, it’s real. I’m making decisions based on the sound and based on what I want to do. I think Idle Warship has helped me be more true to myself musically. Res: It’s kind of hard to get out of a mode. Now that I’m writing solo songs, I’m going to the mix engineer who has made some songs for Idle Warship, and he does dance and deep house, and I’m like, “I kind of like that,” but I normally do more rock/pop and alternative songs in my solo career… You don’t want to make 12 or 13 of the same record, but at the same time, you know you have a certain brand and a certain sound, so I feel you on that. It’s like, hold on. You’ve got to say, “I’m supposed to be creative all the time, no matter what I do.” Do you stick in a certain lane or do you keep going? I think it’s a problem for any artist.
Talib has a bunch of projects, and you have your solo stuff as well as Idle Warship. Do you think it’s easier not to have side projects and just focus on one thing? Res: I think it’s easier to have side projects. I think it’s better for an artist to have side projects. You learn more about what you can do. When you team up with other people, you get more aspects of yourself out there. There are songs that I’m singing on this record that I couldn’t even write myself. I don’t even write in that key. I’m pushing myself to sing a lot harder, and it’s a lot more challenging for me to sing Idle Warship than my solo stuff… Doing more projects, doing different things makes you a better artist. Period.
See Res and Talib do their thing in Sacramento at Harlow’s on Jan. 15, 2012. Doors open at 8 p.m. and can be purchased through Harlows.com for $25.
Anyone who’s ever started a band knows that the music business can be a tough and arduous road–even if you don’t have any aspirations beyond playing a few gigs and getting paid in free beer. If you stick with it, though, the rewards can be pretty awesome. Free beer, for one, is always good, but you could become a bona fide super star–or you could find yourself on any number of the rungs on the ladder of success in-between. If you’re looking for an example of sticking with it, look no further than Ricky Reed, the man behind Wallpaper, an Oakland-based electro-pop act. Reed started the project in 2005 as a sort of satirical look at pop music. Ironically enough, he now may be poised for some level of pop stardom in spite of himself.
With the release of Wallpaper’s latest album, #Stupidfacedd, Reed got the attention of MTV and even had the album’s single, the title track, played on the premier episode of this season’s The Jersey Shore. Maybe not the most auspicious venue to get his music heard, but it certainly opened some doors.
“Obviously, you have to be willing to deal with massive amounts of rejection. You have to be able to handle that,” Reed told Submerge over the phone from Los Angeles. “But when all these things came up, they were big and they felt good, but everything feels big and good the first time.”
Before his most recent breakthroughs, however, it was the small victories that kept Reed going.
“The first time that I played at The Press Club in Sacramento and had three to four attractive girls in the crowd, I thought I was winning,” he said. “The first time that I sold out Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco, I thought, ‘Wow, I’m doing it now.’ That’s the great thing about being a musician. As long as you work hard, in theory, things will get better, and every little milestone just feels a little bit better than the last one did.”
Reed’s recent successes have made him something of a sought-after commodity in the pop music world. Recently, he collaborated with Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo to write Cee-Lo Green’s new single “Anyway.”
“We took one shot at it, then took another shot at it, and the second shot knocked it out of the park,” Reed said. “Working with Rivers is crazy. I grew up listening to Weezer, and he’s a really special dude for sure.
“[Cuomo] came with an idea, and we just sort of built it outwards and it turned out great. He’s a class act. That’s the term to describe Rivers.”
When Submerge caught up with Reed, he was in Los Angeles, one night before heading to Las Vegas to play a show at Haze Night Club at Aria with Far East Movement. In Los Angeles, he was diligently working in the studio writing and producing. While he couldn’t divulge all that he was working on, Reed did tell us that he was putting the finishing touches on a new Wallpaper track. He shared some of the details on that and favored us with other words of wisdom in the following interview.
I saw that yesterday on your Facebook page you posted that you’re leaking a new Wallpaper song in a week or two. What’s that track about?
I can say that it’s sports related–jock jams. That’s all I can say about that.
Do you have an all-time favorite jock jam?
Oh dude, all-time favorite jock jam. There are so many good ones–from Gary Glitter… I really like whoa oh-oh-oh-oh whoa oh-oh-oh-whoa-oh-oh-oh whoa oh-oh-oh-oh… Whatever that one is [the aptly titled “Whoa Oh Oh” by Zombie Nation]. That’s a good one. You know what else is a good one? I’m pretty sure they put it on one of the Mortal Kombat themes, you know, “Gonna Make You Sweat” by C+C Music Factory. That was a weird time in music when pop house music was on the radio. Imagine being at a fucking Oakland Raiders game with all your tough cholo bros, and it’s like [singing], “Why waste your time? You know you’re gonna be mine.” The fucking ‘90s, bro. It was fucking unbelievable.
The ‘90s had all kinds of crazy things you’d never hear on the radio now. Like, Soundgarden was a pop band in the ‘90s.
Oh, I know, dude. You’re not going to hear “Spoonman” unless Dr. Luke produces it. I’d love to hear a Dr. Luke remix of “Spoonman.”
So on the scale of jock jams, would you say the song you’re working on is closer to C+C Music Factory or “We Are the Champions” by Queen?
Oh wow, I would say if you could merge those and sprinkle in a “Whoomp! There It Is” kind of flavor. That kind of “Whoomp! There It Is” energy I try to bring to all my records. I would say that “#Stupidfacedd” and “Fucking Best Song Everrr” definitely have a good dose of “Whoomp! There It Is” woven into them.
You’ve got the live show coming up at Ace of Spades in Sacramento. I was reading that your live show has two drummers and at least two other vocalists. Is that something you’d like to incorporate into the studio–having a bigger band?
In the studio, I just try to make the best songs however they want to be made. The live show, we’re trying to produce something special for people in that environment. There’s not a lot of carryover.
We’re going to do something even bigger and crazier for the Sac show. It’s going to be the debut of a new Wallpaper live set. It’s something nobody’s seen yet. We’re doing it that night and on New Year’s Eve with Kreayshawn in San Francisco.
Are you keeping that under wraps?
I want to keep that somewhat of a secret, but I will say that our live act is usually a four-piece setup, but the Sacramento show will be our first performance as a five-piece for those shows.
I listened to your album a couple of times through, and the first time, I definitely picked up on the beats and the energy, but the second time around, I was paying attention to the lyrics, I picked up on some really good lines in there, especially in “#Stupidfacedd” with that bit about the awkward silence. Is that something you throw in just to see if anyone’s paying attention?
You could definitely say that. I think my lyrical philosophy is just try to get people to pay attention to anything, you know what I mean? Like, hear something and realize you just heard it. Pop music is wallpaper. If you ask somebody what was the patterns or the colors on the walls of the rooms they’d been in today, of course they wouldn’t know what that is. They wouldn’t be able to answer you. That’s what pop largely feels like to me. People just run around with their thumbs up their butts, not paying attention to anything.
You say that, but Wallpaper’s music is obviously in that pop vein too. Is this one of those instances where you can be more rebellious inside the system than you can be outside the system?
I think you can stand on the outside and hurl rocks at it, or you can be the Trojan horse. I’ll leave it at that.
I wanted to ask you about the song you did with K Flay. I’d seen her play at a random club a while back. It was one of those instances where you go out and you don’t even know who’s playing and end up really enjoying it. I was wondering how that song came together and if you wrote it with her in mind.
Yeah, well I knew that K Flay was as broke as me… [laughs]. I wrote that record, and I knew it needed something. I think I met her just before that, and it was just the right timing. I thought, “This is perfect, why don’t you get on this?” She did a great job representing herself on that record, but she contributes to the song in such a great way. She’s just super talented and has also become a really good friend of mine.
Like you said, when you’re coming up you have to deal with a lot of rejection, but I’m sure that now that you’re making some headway, some of those nos are probably turning into yeses. How does that feel when that starts happening? Is it off-putting at first?
That was definitely the case. This sensation I feel pretty often is that I’m putting one over on people, you know? I know that my shit is dope, and I stand behind it, but also with how the rest of this stuff is, the rest of this stuff that you guys are signing off on–the powers that be–do you really think that you want to sign me? Are you really sure? Because I’m going to be a big problem for you guys.
Mall walkers had reason to pause during their power walks last Sunday at the Westfield Mall. And no, it wasn’t to watch Santa Claus taking photos with crying babies or ice skaters taking falls at the rink. They paused to see the first Non-Drummer Drum-Off. The event is exactly what its name implies, people attempting to drum like Taylor Hawkins from Foo Fighters but they end up sounding like Animal from The Muppets. In fact, the only qualification of the drum-off was that you were supposed to suck. Even the Facebook event page said if someone was caught practicing before the show, then they would have been automatically disqualified.
Just like American Idol, the non-drummers had to face judges, listen to a sarcastic host and battle to win a prize. The eager non-drummers were going head-to-head for a chance to win a new drum set. At around 3 p.m., a small crowd gathered around a mini stage and bleachers on the second floor of K Street mall in Downtown Plaza that stood in-between the retail stores Express and ZuhG Life (organizers and sponsors of the event). When the show got rolling, most of the audience members ended up being random holiday shoppers, curious workers, or mall walkers who wanted to see what all of the ruckus was about.
The judges, including Matt Mingus from Dance Gavin Dance and Kevin Martinez from Tha Dirt Feeling, had to rate the non-drummers on a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being the highest) and on “charisma and performance.”
But the show stopper went to a small audience member who was eager to get a whack at the drums. When Blake asked if anyone from the audience would like to drum off, a young boy named Liam not only raised his hand to volunteer but stood up on the bleachers to be seen and heard. After he pulled a rampage behind the drums, he received a perfect score from the judges and huge cheers from the audience. And every time the host would mention his name he would stand on top of the bleachers and give an arm wave of victory. When he found out that he won the contest, he told his proud mom that they are going to need a “bigger truck” to carry his new gift home. Although little Liam arrived as a casual mall visitor, he left as a drumming champion.
Dean Haakenson
Wes Davis
The Non-Drummer Drum Off
Westfield Downtown Plaza Mall, Sacramento – Sunday, December 4, 2011
Trent Liddicoat Connects Art and Literature in His New Exhibit
Given the healthy abundance of trees and recent infestation of raccoons and opossums, Midtown is in a delicate balance of the natural functioning alongside an urban civilization built atop it. Local artist Trent Liddicoat is plugged into the duality of Midtown, finding a sense of his inner struggle in it. He wrestles with these struggles and the stresses placed upon communities in death in his art show at Sol Collective.
Titled …and I’m whistling as beautifully as I can, Liddicoat’s work is predominantly conceived with the use of acrylics, coffee and spray paint. Dissatisfied with wine spills, he got the inspiration to use coffee after seeing a fellow artist Richard St. Ofle use the dark brew on canvas. Before Liddicoat, age 23, would head out for work in the mornings, he splashed the remains of his morning French press across the canvas to dry throughout the afternoon. In time he was able to manipulate the spills to his liking. “It’s cheap,” he said. “At first it was very intimidating, but now I’ve got a few techniques.”
The show title’s full quote, first penned by the late (so it goes) Kurt Vonnegut, is “All the other species are dying and so will we. I’m whistling as I walk past the graveyard…whistling as beautifully as I can.” Liddicoat wrote the quote in a journal years ago. While seeking a muse to direct his body of work, he rediscovered the saved prose. “I read that and was thinking how it was connected with being a new artist,” he said. “I don’t have an education with my art, so I’m taking this full force to be an honest portrayal of the best that I can do.”
The words relate to Liddicoat’s perception of death as well–a prevalent theme in his collection. He said the show is not a focus on death, but life’s curtain call acted as the steppingstone of inspiration for the series. “I wanted to find the positive light in it,” he said. “A friend pointed out once, that rather than focusing on the grieving, I’m focusing on the tail end of life. So now the show is more about life and experience. ”
Death as an adhesive for communities might be too pretty of a bow for Liddicoat’s intention, but with death as the foundation, it kept inspiring friends to offer their insights to his work. A few of his paintings feature images of deer, one of which was donated to the UC Davis Mind Institute for Autism Research. There are a number of reasons Liddicoat could have selected deer to unite his work, but it would be his small community of artists that guided him. “My friend Estella [Sanchez] from the Sol Collective actually pointed out to me that the deer is a symbol of death in Mayan culture,” he said.
A native of Rio Linda, Liddicoat is no stranger to the outdoors and its wildlife. He said his grandparents once owned acres of land. It is that upbringing pitted against his adjustment to urban living that seeps into his art. “I try to take the personal problems that I have or the issues with certain things and I think about something conceptually and then find a way to make it universal for others. That led me to the idea of how a sense of community helps loss.”
For Liddicoat, the task of internalizing is far deeper than the chore of conceptualizing. He offered a brief mention of a family situation concerning his grandfather’s health–a topic that felt addressable strictly due to his valued interest in art focused on death. He began questioning how his grandfather’s current health issues would alter the mindsets and how the family will process the impending change.
The situation lacks answers until the threshold is met, but it is in those dire moments that bonds are strengthened. The young artist spoke graciously of his friends and pocket of fellow artists and musicians, all of which provide motivation for his art. Liddicoat’s art show will feature a 7-foot installation inspired by the Free Life Center, a touring art house that he admires. Jesse Phillips of Ellie Fortune helped Liddicoat with the homage installation, which is made from recycled wood taken from a long dormant house near his mom’s property in Rio Linda. “They moved out years ago,” he said. “Basically this wood was part of what looked like meth shacks. We just hopped the fence, pulled off all the materials and brought it to the Sol Collective.” Strong communities should also be resourceful.
Trent Liddicoat’s …and I’m whistling as beautifully as I can can be viewed at the Sol Collective from Dec. 17, 2012 – Jan. 28, 2012. The closing reception will start at 7 p.m. and feature music performances from Fine Steps, Peggy Benks and Matthew Maxwell. For more info on Sol Collective, check out Solcollective.org. You can also follow Liddicoat on Tumblr at Trentliddicoatart.tumblr.com.
It’s probably trite by now to remind you that fans just don’t consume music the way they used to. That doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. We still enjoy putting on an album and ingesting it en masse, but it’s also fun to put the iTunes on shuffle and let fate decide, troll YouTube for new music videos or share play lists via Spotify. So for this year’s Top 20, we decided to mix things up a bit. Instead of just albums, we included a music video, EPs, live shows (even a comedy album snuck in there). Here’s our favorite music moments of this past year, in tweet-friendly format.
20. Jason Webley (live show)
Beatnik Studios, Sacramento
Oct. 30, 2011
When the man on stage thrusts his torso into a giant red balloon and gets the entire audience drunk enough to link arms and sway, you know it’s a good show.
19. Thee Oh Sees Carrion Crawler/The Dreamer
In The Red
Each song rocks, and it’s short and catchy enough to listen back to back, and back. They have mastered a sound, exemplified here. Loud fun.
18. Keith Lowell Jensen Cats Made of Rabbits
Apprehensive Films
Possibly the local comic’s best work to date, if this album/DVD doesn’t have you rolling on the floor, check your pulse, you might be dead.
17. Mastodon The Hunter
Reprise
Mastodon ditches spacey prog metal for gnarly bruising metal/rock hybrid and makes us wonder why they haven’t tried it sooner.
16. Mike Colossal The Psychodelic Soundsations of Mike Colossal
Glory Hole Records
From dub to dusty breaks Mike earns the name Colossal.
15. Red Fang Murder the Mountains
Relapse Records
Metal heads dose heavy riffs w/ stoner-core harmonies, crushing drums, subtly brilliant solos & bring serious balls back to rock ‘n’ roll.
14. The Generationals (live show) Sophia’s Thai Kitchen, Davis
July 16, 2011
The small porch in Davis provided the perfect environment to fall in love with every up-beat strum from The Generationals.
13. Cousin Fik Hacksaw Ben Thuggin
Sick-Wid-It Records
Hacksaw Ben Thuggin. Period. Fik is a rapper for real. From Halloween concepts, to catchy anthems, his words are precise and full of vigor.
One of stand-up comedy’s best, Dave Attell, will bring his caustic wit and rapid-fire delivery of “very adult” material to Sacramento for three shows at Punch Line Comedy Club on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011 (show time is 8 p.m.) and Friday, Dec. 30, 2011 (show times are 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.). Attell got into stand-up in the late ‘80s when he frequented the open mic scene in New York City. Since then he’s been named one of the “25 Funniest People in America” by Entertainment Weekly, had his own popular show Insomniac with Dave Attell on Comedy Central, has appeared in hit television shows like Arrested Development and has countless appearances on the late-night show circuit. What better way to get your pre-New Year’s Eve party on than to laugh your ass off with some friends over drinks? More information and tickets available by calling Punch Line at (916) 925-5500, or visit Livenation.com.
Foo Fighters, Cage the Elephant, Mariachi El Bronx
Power Balance Pavilion – Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2011
Twelve red semi trucks lined the northeast corner of the parking lot of Power Balance Pavilion on Tuesday, Nov. 1, offering a glimpse at the amount of gear this monstrous rock tour, featuring one of the world’s biggest bands, had traveled with into town.
Upon walking into the arena just before the opening band started, one couldn’t help but notice a giant runway extending from the stage all the way to the back of the general admission floor area that created a rift between the crowd. And since this wasn’t a fashion show, it was apparent that someone would eventually rock the shit out of that runway and the mini-stage at the end of it. My money was on Dave Grohl. But first, Mariachi El Bronx took to the stage, all eight of them, and dazzled the crowd with their impressive and upbeat set. Mariachi El Bronx is the alter-ego of esteemed Southern California punk band The Bronx, and everything about them is authentic, from their instruments and their sound right down to their charro suits. They played to an ever-growing crowd, maybe two or three thousand (an usher informed Submerge he’d been told to expect 10,000-plus in attendance) scattered throughout the arena, most shoveling nachos or pounding over-priced beers.
Serving as main support to the Foo was Cage the Elephant, best known for radio hits like “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” and “Shake Me Down.” Lead singer Matt Shultz convulsed around the stage, shaggy long hair in his face, very Kurt Cobain-esque. He even flung himself off the stage a couple times, clearing the barriers (a solid seven- or eight-foot gap) into the crowd, resulting in some of the most Jesus-like crowd surfing possible. Overall, Cage the Elephant’s set was heavier than one might expect having only been exposed to the band’s more radio-friendly vibe. Their heads were down the whole time as they charged through their surprisingly scream-y and edgy sounding set. Definitely a punk-rock-meets-grunge sort of vibe, and Sacramento was into it.
At 9:03 p.m. the lights dimmed again and Foo Fighters burst into “Bridge Burning” and then “Rope” back-to-back, the first two tracks off of the band’s seventh studio album, Wasting Light, released on April 12 of this year. What followed was an onslaught of songs (over two dozen total, including a five-song encore) delivered with gut-wrenching passion. “My Hero” was played early on in the nearly three-hour set and Foo Fighters’ charismatic frontman Dave Grohl ran up and down the rock runway for the first time, shredding on his guitar and screaming in the faces of fans. During the same song, he incited a massive sing along and slowed the song down, then moments later they finished it off heavy-as-hell again. They had the crowd in their hands, taking the place from rocking and chaotic to mellow and serene, to rocking again in a split second. “I just want to make sure you understand you’re not going home early,” Grohl told the now-entranced crowd. “Get comfortable, you’re gonna be here a long fucking time.” People went apeshit.
After ripping through another 10 or so songs, including crowd favorites “Breakout” and “Monkey Wrench,” as well as a guitar solo-off between Grohl and fellow guitarist Chris Shiflett (during the song “Stacked Actors”), where Grohl was standing on the mini-stage at the end of the runway that had now been lifted a good 15 feet off the ground, the two faced each other down from opposite ends of the arena. It was impressive and fun to watch, but it drew a four-minute song into what felt like half an hour. Drummer Taylor Hawkins also squeezed in an impressive but maybe excessive solo at the tail end of one of the songs. Submerge would have liked to have seen some of the filler cut and replaced with B-sides from old albums. But, it was an amazing performance nonetheless and it’s safe to say the audience got its money’s worth. Grohl even put a local touch on the massive show. “I dated a girl from Sacramento,” he announced at one point, speaking in reference to professional snowboarder Tina Basich, who is from here. The two dated years ago. He apologized for taking so long to make it back to Sacramento, “It’s been eight years?” he said. “I’m sorry. We’ve been practicing for tonight.”
During their encore, Grohl first appeared with just an acoustic guitar to play a song called “Wheels.” “It’s big in Germany,” Grohl exclaimed. “If you’re louder than the Germans…” he said as the crowd sweltered. “OK, we’ll play a bunch more songs.” Grohl played a couple more acoustic songs, “Best of You” and a cover of The Beatles’ “Blackbird.” “Times Like These” started out with just Grohl on stage, asking the crowd to sing along, but halfway through, the full band kicked in, bringing the energy in the building back up to a boiling point. After blazing through the track “Dear Rosemary” and a cover of Tom Petty’s “Breakdown,” Foo Fighters closed the epic set with their smash hit “Everlong.” It was nearly midnight when the last note (more like feedback) rung out, well past most of the crowd’s bedtime, but you won’t find anyone complaining. Unless, that is, they have to wait another eight years to rock ‘til midnight with Foo.
Sacramento’s Lonely Kings are underground rock heroes
Although they may never have sold a million records, traveled to gigs via private airplane or experienced much else commonly associated with rock stardom, Sacramento-based Lonely Kings have long since established themselves as underground rock legends. They are a “band’s band,” if you will, and chances are, some of your favorite artists from back in the day have these guys’ cell phone numbers on lock. Formed in the early ‘90s by vocalist/guitarist/primary songwriter Jake Desrochers and drummer Jason Wilkinson (the two remaining original members; the group is now rounded out by bassist Emile Janicot and lead guitarist Johnny Deluca, both of whom have been in the band nearly a decade), Lonely Kings have had a long history of flirting with major success, coming ever-so-close time and time again to “making it big” and reveling in fame like so many of their close friends have. But they’ve never bitched or complained too much, never called it quits or took an elongated hiatus. Lonely Kings have always been there, a constant force in underground rock music and a fine example to bands young and old.
After performing countless self-booked tours and cutting endless demos and 7-inch vinyl splits throughout the early and mid-‘90s, Fearless Records released Lonely Kings’ debut full-length album What If? in 1999 to much critical acclaim. This led to tours with Agent Orange, A Static Lullaby, The Bled and others as well as dates on the infamous punk rock summer camp, the Vans Warped Tour. In 2001 the band went back into the studio with Cameron Webb (Social Distortion, Strung Out) to record their sophomore release, Crowning Glory, also released via Fearless Records in 2002. Other notable releases include two split CDs, one for Sessions Records and one for Coldfront Records, The Ides of March (out 2003 via Rise Records), and The End of Forever (out 2006 via Flight 13 Records). All in all, the Lonely Kings have completed 15 U.S. tours, been to Hawaii twice, Canada four times, Europe seven times (once with Hot Water Music in 2005), the United Kingdom four times (once with the Misfits), and a bunch of West Coast runs. They have become band buddies and/or have shared the stage with groups such as AFI, Papa Roach, At the Drive In, Thursday, Alkaline Trio, Strung Out, Sublime, Saves the Day–the list goes on and on.
Submerge recently sat down with Desrochers and Janicot to talk about their upcoming full-length record, American Heartache, their Rock for Tots charity gig at Ace of Spades on Dec. 23, 2011 and to bullshit about the band’s past.
I’m curious, having toured overseas so much in the past, what was the language barrier like? Emile Janicot: I mean, I speak French and Spanish and a little bit of German. But really you just kind of speak rock ‘n’ roll, that’s what people know all over, you know?
Seeing so many groups around you “make it big” commercially, bands like AFI, Papa Roach, etc. What’s that like? Are you ever envious or jealous? Jake Desrochers: It hurts every time for sure. Nowadays not so much, but when you see bands like you take off in the same year, the year that you’re the hottest your band has ever been… It was harder back then, because we were right there at the cusp.
And working hard, too. JD: Yeah, exactly. Like we got bumped on a tour with Face to Face for Alkaline Trio. We got bumped on a second AFI tour one time because they took out Jimmy Eat World when they started to pop. So we’ve lost out to some amazing bands on some of those tours that could have broke us. Looking back, it’s just amazing to have been in the ring, but I was fucking pissed because I needed it. I don’t know though, it’s like we still get good gigs, so you could take it two ways. Some of these bands aren’t even around anymore. EJ: A lot of these bands too like Papa Roach, Hot Water Music, AFI–we’re all friends with them. We get into all their shows free, they respect us, they’re always like, “We love your music!” But it’s hard to be like, “Give us a show. Give us this, give us that.” JD: And knowing their lives, I don’t envy it sometimes. It’s super hard. I just try to feel like God or whoever is in charge had a different plan for us or for me personally, and just try not to fight it too much and to be grateful for what I do have, which is an amazing group of dudes that play quality American rock. We’re still doing it. Like, what the fuck? It’s crazy, after every practice I’m just like blown away.
I’ve always thought that Lonely Kings were one of those bands that has just as much “street cred,” if not more, than bands that started in the same place you did but made it huge. Would you agree? EJ: We do have that! JD: I don’t think we’d still be here if we would have gotten famous when we wanted to.
Yeah, how things would have changed if a major label came knocking? A lot of times it ends up being not the right move for the band. EJ: We knew bands that did that; they got good really quick, they got signed and sponsored and this and that. We’d have already toured with them, and then they’d be done in two years. We’re still here. JD: We’ve seen bands come and go. [Laughs] Hell, we’ve seen genres come and go.
Your band has always had a sort of rough-around-the-edges vibe. Has that been natural? Were there ever periods where you were trying to polish it up more? JD: It wasn’t purposeful. Every record I’ve tried to make some pop masterpiece and to write that golden hit in the sky. I’ve tried every single time. But we are so rough around the edges, and I can’t write anything that doesn’t mean something to me. I can’t be too tongue in cheek, I can’t write all open chords, I have to keep it weird. As pop-y as it is, I want it to be just as weird, just to reflect what we’re going through. I just always liked bands’ bands in the way that there’s something raw to it. Maybe it’s my influences. But trust me, you think Fearless didn’t want to hear a hit? The second record, they wanted that to go, that was the whole plan. And they were sitting there in the studio screaming at me to come up with something. And then here I am writing it in Latin or some shit, shooting myself in the foot creatively, but I thought it’d be cool because it would be different. But sometimes what is different isn’t what’s cool. EJ: Also, on our records we like to put out stuff that we can recreate live. A lot of bands have backing vocal tracks, backing guitar tracks and all kinds of triggers and stuff like that. We don’t use any of that, we are straightforward.
How does the material on American Heartache compare to past Lonely Kings releases? EJ: It’s more mature. Jake and I have really found how to complete our songwriting craft, to strip away all the layers and all the bullshit. Only the best songs are going to make it. Some of the songs are different, but it’s going to be a Lonely Kings record for sure. We haven’t even heard the whole thing ourselves. All we hear are bits and pieces that Michael [Rosen, producer/engineer] sends to us. JD: I don’t even care if it takes off or does well for us. I know I will have done my best work. And the fact we had to do it sporadically has made the songs so much better, because we’ve shed a couple every step of the way and really peeled the layers back to just quality shit. It was a two-year recording process, basically. It was as if someone gave you a studio for two years and told you to write a record. EJ: We probably did 25 to 28 songs for this record, and there’s only going to be 10 or 11, maybe 12, on it. We might let Jake do an acoustic one by himself. It’s been a long haul, but it’s going to be worth it.
This record is yours in that you own the masters, not a record label. When it’s totally done are you going to pull in favors from old friends and/or shop it around? Or, do you think you’ll put it out yourself true DIY style? JD: If it has to be, but it’s pretty freaking good so I’m hoping that someone will be like, “Damn!” and the songs will talk for us.
Look for American Heartache to be released sometime early next year. In the meantime, see Lonely Kings headline Ace of Spades on Dec. 23, 2011 at the bands’ sixth annual Rock for Tots, a toy drive for Sacramento Salvation Army. Bring a toy and receive a raffle ticket for prizes from local vendors. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the event is all ages.
Juno’s Kitchen and Delicatessen
3675 J Street – Sacramento
Some chefs do it for the love, some do it for the fame and others do it because they don’t know what else they’d be doing if they weren’t in the kitchen. The latter describes Chef Mark Helms of Juno’s Kitchen and Delicatessen.
“This is what I do with my time. I can’t think of anything else to do. I have holes in my pants and a dirty hat; that’s me,” says Helms with a smile and a Lagunitas IPA in his hand.
His ball-cap-wearing, laidback persona is the perfect juxtaposition to the thoughtfully prepared, colorful and masterfully executed food that he serves at his newly opened East Sacramento restaurant. A nondescript location–tiny and dangerously unnoticeable, from which the likes of two recent ventures have come and gone (Babycakes and Urban Dawg), this wasn’t exactly his first choice.
“This is what came up. There’s not a lot of real estate that comes up to open a business in East Sacramento that already has a kitchen ready to go,” says Helms.
But as many Sacramento chefs have proven before, a lot can be done with a little space; and the line out the door and groups patiently waiting for tables is proof. Big flavors are born at Juno’s. And what’s even more impressive is that most of the bread served is baked fresh on site, too. The baguette and burger bun (I’ll come back to this) are from Acme Bread Company in Berkley, Calif., but the rest is house-made dough that is naturally leavened, using zero commercial yeast. Sandwiches like the smoked salmon with creme fraiche vinaigrette, onion, cornichons, tomato, watermelon radish and arugula; or the Cabernet salami with aioli, tomato, red onion, lemon, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, are taken to the next level between two slices of freshly baked bread.
The process of making naturally leavened bread, a very old practice, takes much patience and attention. If Helms was using commercial yeast, versus the wild, air-born yeast used in his bread, his wait time for the dough to rise would be a lot shorter. His product takes time, love and effort and you can taste it the moment you bite into it. It’s not every day you find a baker, let alone a chef, making bread in this fashion.
“I don’t know if there’s anyone between myself and San Francisco that makes bread this way,” says Helms.
Fast food is championing some sort of product they call Angus burgers. But that ain’t no Angus burger, and the real deal is found at Juno’s. Once you taste this, you may never go back to eating burgers anywhere else. To begin, the Acme bun was an excellent choice–and as I’ve said before, is such a hugely important component in the construction of a perfect burger. The bun has a thin top layer of crunch that gives way to soft bread and is a perfect complement to the medium-rare patty that is juicy and loaded with flavor. Roasted garlic aioli, caramelized onions and Manchego cheese knock this burger entirely out of the park.
There really isn’t much that Helms doesn’t do well. Choosing what you want to eat off the menu becomes a process of elimination, and if there’s a daily special that catches your eye, you’d better enjoy it before it’s gone. His soup du jour was vegetarian minestrone on the day that Submerge paid Juno’s a visit. Minestrone can be somewhat uneventful, a comfort food that satisfies as long as it’s hot; but Helms’ version was nothing short of amazing. Tender lima beans and celery, leafy greens and a perfectly spiced and salted broth made me think differently about what minestrone can be.
If you’re ever faced with the dilemma of craving high quality fare, but your bank account is as empty as your stomach, then Juno’s is just the spot that Helms would like to welcome you to. It’s a neighborhood joint where locals walk to dine, devout customers from Helms’ first Pocket-area restaurant Ravenous travel to taste and fellow foodies and industry folk gather to feel comfortable and eat. Helms likes it to be just like it is.
“To be honest, I’ve worked in fine dining for years and years–I’m really not into it,” says Helms candidly. “I really like this, I really like what I’m doing here. I think this is down to earth, that there are all walks of life that come in here and that’s really cool.”
