Midtown has a new specialty pet store, and if you’re anything like us (aka big softies for dogs, cats and anything cute and furry), you’re going to love it. Nerdy Dogs, which is quite possibly the best name ever for a pet store, is located at 1118 19th Street and has been open just a little over a week. We stopped in the other day with Submerge “shop dog” Panda Bear, an energetic 18-month-old Boston Terrier, and co-owner Caitlyn Shortt was so welcoming and friendly she even let us close the door behind us so we could take off Panda’s leash to let her run around. Shortt and fiancé MDavid Low’s 4-year-old “super nerd” Catahoula, Churro, greeted us (and Panda Bear) with respect and showed a high level of maturity. Our dog, on the other hand, didn’t do so well. She bolted straight up the stairs and into the owners’ apartment overhead. Sorry again about that guys! Anyway, back to the shop. They have really great stuff. Homemade, healthy dog treats, top-notch dog food from Orijen, cute and unique toys, skateboard dog bowls (one of our favorite items) and tons more great finds. Another note: the handmade treats come in nerdy shapes like Pac-Man, Legos, Tetris and neckties. Nerdy Dogs is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. They will stay open a little later on Second Saturdays as well. Call them at (916) 706-0209, visit them online at Nerdydogs.com and follow them on Twitter where their handle is @Nerdydogs.
-J. Carabba

Attwater recently announced their signing with Nashville-based Twenty Ten Music, an artist-development, music publishing and film/TV music placement company co-founded by Grammy award-winning record producer Charlie Peacock, a man with strong Northern California ties. In the company’s press release, Peacock stated that he found Attwater via Twitter after noticing their hometown was Sacramento. “I got my start there and love the people of Nor Cal. The least I could do was check Attwater out, maybe send them a note of encouragement. Then I heard Erika’s [Attwater, vocals/guitar] amazing voice singing these great songs, and I thought: I’m the luckiest man in the world–I just found a diamond in my old backyard! I’m a big fan of Twitter right about now.” Earlier this year Peacock and Attwater (made up of songwriting team and principal members Erika Attwater and Jonathan Richards) started working on the band’s debut project, tentatively titled Still Me Still You. The record features some great players, including people that have gigged and/or recorded with mega-acts like Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum, Faith Hill and more. Label and release date are still pending, but this is definitely exciting news for Sacramento music.

Local Rapper C Plus releases his first full-length solo album

Chaz Wheeler, better known as C Plus in the hip-hop community, remembers his first experience making a mixtape. It was recorded over an old-school computer mic with a program called Record Producer, a $50 purchase at Office Max. He was right out of high school.

It might have looked strange discussing the hip-hop biz with a renowned local rapper over tea in a coffee house on a Saturday night. Nonetheless, here’s an excerpt from our conversation.

The album is All C.I.T.Y., right?
Yes, C.I.T.Y. is an acronym. It stands for creative, intelligent, troubled youth.

Why did you choose that?
“All city” is kind of something that always stuck with me. Since I was a kid I used to be really into skateboarding. I still am, to this day, I still skate. Kareem Campbell was one of the most popular black skaters when I was coming up. He came up with All City [Campbell’s skateboarding team was called All City Skateboards]. So that term, that phrase always stayed with me, and then I got older and I found out what it meant. Another part that stuck out to me is that as Mos Def said, “It’s all city like Phase 2, and hip-hop will amaze you” [from Mos Def’s song “Hip Hop”] And I found out later Phase 2 is one of the most popular graffiti artists in the early ‘80s. And he was “all city,” which meant, five boroughs of New York. He wasn’t relevant in just one borough, he was like, all of New York. He was everywhere. So my whole thing, we were just talking about how I did State Cap, I did Neighborhood Watch. Now I’m with Turf Hop, and then I’m part Live at the Dojo. And then I also do Dope Fix! with Matt Cali. I’m kind of everywhere. I’m all over the map.

Now the acronym, was that something you came up with?
I came up with the acronym.

So why the acronym?
Because that really represents me, I feel, to a T.

Creative Intelligent Troubled Youth?
Yeah.

That was a pretty powerful first track, where you’re talking about leaving a piece of yourself, giving people something to relate to, representing creative, intelligent youth and having hope to inspire and all that. Did you want to talk a little bit about that or tell me if that’s sort of what you’re trying to aspire to or…
I would definitely say my pursuit of music as a career has been for material purposes. But it’s material in the sense of I want to buy my mom a house. And I want to be financially stable. So it’s like, yeah I want jewelry and nice cars and all that too, but I focus on music as a business for that reason. I came in really listening to conscious rap, and I grew up on A Tribe Called Quest and Talib Kweli and all that stuff. But I grew up and I got older and my life experiences started reflecting different stuff. I got a lot more into other types of hip-hop–I don’t want to necessarily say street or gangster rap or anything like that. So I always find it weird in interviews and stuff, when I talk about the “conscious stuff” like that. But that really definitely is my main focus, to inspire people. Especially like I’ve always said, I feel for the mixed kids. Because that’s always one of the biggest things I struggled with when I was younger, being a mix.

I liked “Captain Kirk.” Do you smoke a lot when you write?
It’s part of the creative process.

But when you write?
Yeah. I usually smoke while I write. I actually don’t write. I write, but I don’t write. I always like to touch on this because a lot of different artists have different writing processes, and ever since The Black Album came out, everyone’s like, “Oh yeah, you know, Jay-Z doesn’t write so I don’t write my lyrics. Yeah I do my shit in my head.”

I actually recite the whole song in my head. I don’t touch paper, don’t write in my phone. And I have the entire verse synchronized to the time and lay it out.

Then there’s the one after that, “Money Train?”
That’s just talking about, not just struggle in general, but more so just knowing that there’s a reason that you have to go through the motions. Like even when you’re at the lowest of the low, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. I know that sounds so cliché. Especially for young people. I find that a lot of the stuff that I talk about in my music, because it’s drawn from a lot of the experiences I had when I was younger, especially when I was 18 to 22, for people in that age bracket, it’s not really cool to talk about that stuff. You don’t really talk about it with your friends. It’s kind of taboo, some of that stuff.

Like what?
Like being really broke, having problems with your family, stuff like that.

You talk about Sacramento a lot, though, in your songs. Or at least you give several shout outs to Sacramento.
I love Sac to death, because I feel like I’m hella cool. I know that sounds extremely cocky but I look at myself from a third-person perspective, like I really went through shit.

I feel like I’m so cool and all this because of Sacramento.

That’s why I have State Cap tattooed on my hand, even though it’s hella faded. Every time I’m out of town that’s the first thing I say on stage is, “I’m from Sacramento, California. The capital.” [Laughs] Because a lot of people think it’s Los Angeles. A lot of people think the capital of California is L.A. That shit is scary.

C Plus’ album release party for All C.I.T.Y. will take place at Beatnik Studios in Sacramento on April 23. Pre-sale tickets are $15 and can be purchased in advance at Thirdletta.eventbrite.com. Pre-sale tickets include a copy of the album.

Style extends beyond apparel and accessories. The entire point of expressing a style point of view is to create and exemplify an aura, an attitude.

Expressing an attitude and giving off an overall “vibe” is a large part of what style achieves–the ability to tell your story to strangers, without saying a word.

When considering the mustache’s place in fashion the “creeper-stache” comes to mind for most young people. But there was an époque (and maybe time-tested circles), when mustaches were a regal and masculine sign of strength and power. Perhaps that is why the bearded lady was such a draw at traveling circuses. The ultimate anomaly in such times: a woman exemplifying a prominent proclamation of power and strength.

Andrea Velasco, Star Mendez, Hana Mousavi {Zorro/Pencil/Einstein}

Ryan Scalis {Bushy Captain Hook}

These days in Sacramento, the Salvador Dali, Captain Hook and other variations of mustaches give gentlemen that same flare and sense of style from earlier times, but with a modern touch.

Some furry facial fun was had for all who attended the Mustache Bash at Shady Lady for the Anthony’s Barbershop Mustache March competition. Vote for your favorite mustache pic on Facebook (for each applicant who sent a photo, a donation was made from Anthony’s Barbershop to Locks of Love).

And gentlemen, as Sean Chandler cautioned, “Never point a loaded mustache at a woman you don’t intend to thrill.”  

Josselin Basaldu
capitalcapture@submergemag.com

{Mustache Proclamations}

Nick Ehrmann {General Lee}

Jessica Walker, Chris Gugino {Dear Watson/Motorhead}

Amy McGeorge {Mustache Proclamations}

Kevin Poulos {Low Salvador Dali}

Pretty ‘Stachey {Mario/Lars The Vikings}

When Sacramento drummer Zach Hill recently posted on his Facebook page, “Finished the new Hella album,” it caused a shit storm of excitement amongst his fans. As of press time for this issue, the post had a monstrous 359 “likes” and nearly 100 comments. Jose Sanchez said, “Woooooo OMG that shits gonna be on replay for months on end, I love you Zach Hill.” Richie Saldivar chimed in with, “Fuck yeah! I can’t wait to hear it!” and Heath Sousa took it to a whole other sexual-yet-sort-of-disturbing level by saying, “Just cummed my pants.” Yes, it’s clear that Hella fans near and far are excited at the news of the instrumental spaz-rock band’s return. So is Submerge. We caught up with Hill last week to pick his brain about the new album, which is still yet to be titled, and he had this to say: “We recorded the album in Oak Park with Andy Morin. He recorded it and we all mixed it together. It’s pretty raw and just two of us again. Primarily drums and guitar but Spencer [Seim, guitar] also played bass on every track. It’s instrumental and loud. It’s like a very raging band practice that was recorded and played very well.” Hill mentioned that they are looking at two possible release dates, July 26 or Aug. 2 and that it will be released via Sargent House.
-J. Carabba

Ganja Goodies sets the bar

Words Adam Saake – Photos Nicholas Wray

Red velvet cupcakes, homemade candy bars, snicker doodles and chewy caramel candies…sounds delicious right? Well there’s something special baked into each and every one of Jessie Degooyer’s delicious assortment of treats–high-grade cannabis. Degooyer is the owner and founder of Ganja Goodies, a Sacramento baking company that specializes in cannabis treats. Just a year old now, and what started with one solitary item, Degooyer has worked to include over 30 different menu items and she is still expanding. You won’t find Degooyer walking around a Dead concert with a wicker basket full of foil-wrapped brownies. These are gourmet baked goods, individually packaged, that find their way into many of the local dispensaries. There’s been a lot of legwork getting Ganja Goodies to where it is today, but Degooyer wants all her ducks in row. She’s as legit as it gets and she’s made real sure of that.

“I’m a certified food handler and the kitchen that I rent is health and safety approved. So it’s a fully licensed commercial kitchen. I would like to set the bar. I would like to be as 100 percent legit as I can. From the ground up, exactly the right way,” says Degooyer, a retired math teacher-turned-cannabis cook who grew up baking in the kitchen with her mother on Saturday mornings. A lot of the recipes are based on the same recipes she baked as a child, mixed with patient suggestions. Degooyer says she’s very “open to suggestions,” and if patients’ needs aren’t being met, she’s anxious to give it a try. The passion behind the product is all there. Degooyer speaks with enthusiasm when she talks about her menu and how she loves creating something new that will get patients excited. The teacher in her shines through, so much so that it’s easy to imagine a classroom full of high school algebra students gazing and crooning at their new favorite instructor. And as much as she loved teaching, there was a different calling for her.

“Quitting teaching was a huge decision to make,” says Degooyer. “I tried to return to teaching this past fall, after a summer of baking and selling Ganja Goodies. But I didn’t last two weeks. My soul was calling me to bake and provide treats to patients.”

So why cannabis baking, you might ask? Why not a cupcake shop or a bakery? What led Degooyer to cannabis baking was her own necessity for it as a patient.

“I had some health problems and two major abdominal surgeries six months apart. Smoking helped with the pain but the coughing killed my scars and wounds on my tummy. So, edibles were the way to go,” explains Degooyer.

Quality and consistency are very important to Degooyer, all the way from the kind of chocolate she uses to whom she purchases cannabis from. She works with the same three growers, one of which is her husband, to ensure that the cannabis that goes into each item will provide the same dose of medication each time.

“Trying to expand beyond that, from my experience, you don’t always get the quality you’re looking for and I can’t take that risk with the patients,” says Degooyer.

This is very important considering the fact that we are talking about medicine here. You wouldn’t want to a take a pill prescribed by your doctor and not know the dosage of the pill each time. Same thing goes for Degooyer’s Ganja Goodies. They come in three different strengths: 1.5 grams, 3 grams or 4 grams per serving and you can be sure that you’ll get the same result each time.

It’s truly amazing how delicious the Ganja Goodies are, considering that taste is a huge issue when it comes to baking with cannabis. For starters, cannabis has a strong flavor that is recognizable in the final product and could, if used incorrectly, screw with a lot of the other flavors. Cooking that is done with hash oil often produces this result, so Degooyer opted to only use butter that has gone through a multiple-step, ice extraction process that purifies the butter and cuts down on the “pot” aftertaste.

“I’m really proud of these recipes. I love that it’s consistent, that it’s potent and that it’s delicious. I don’t sacrifice taste for potency. I’m reaching a point now where I’m making butter constantly. I have people who make butter for me, and we are just blowing through it,” says Degooyer.

That means business is good. Just recently, Degooyer expanded to an even larger kitchen than where she was before and she and her team outgrew it in less than two weeks. Now, Degooyer is expanding again and on the lookout for a kitchen that can handle a growing baking business. Besides all the cookies and caramels, there are plans in the works to create a spaghetti sauce as well. In fact, Degooyer hosts cannabis cooking classes where she discusses why eating cannabis is safe and effective and teaches the proper measuring of butter for each recipe. But what she gets the most excited about is something that she calls a “Better Than a Snickers Bar.” It’s a decadent candy bar made with milk chocolate and layered with chewy nougat that’s mixed with peanuts.

“One of my immediate goals is to expand upon an entire line of candy bars. The Butterfinger and then the Almond Joy,” says Degooyer.

No matter what it is you are looking for in life, there often tends to be an upper echelon that soars above the rest. Maybe even reinvent the way that you think about it in the first place. Gourmet corn dogs, diamond-encrusted iPods, a bottle of Chateau Haut-Brion red wine; you name it and somebody has put a lot of time in to making one better and more extravagant than it started out. Ganja Goodies has adopted this philosophy by taking something like ganja food and creating a product that transcends stereotypes and excites the taste buds, all while serving a medicinal purpose. Next time you’re at the dispensary, keep your eyes peeled for Ganja Goodies.

Ganja Goodies can be found at the following local dispensaries: The Green Temple, El Camino Wellness, One Solution, The Reserve, Another Choice and Unity Non-Profit. For more info, go to Ganjagoodiescafe.com.

According to the stylish and reputable website Dailycandy.com based out of New York, some major spring trends are here. Namely, bright make-up, sheer fabrics, “Tutti-Frutti” flirty prints, wide-leg pants, long skirts/dresses and spring hair (big, natural, textured) are exciting trends that perpetuate the “free-as-a-bird” attitude that is so loved about spring.

Audrey Jade

Although true style and fashion relies on new perspectives and creativity rather than “following trends,” Sacramento deserves kudos for keeping up with national fashion trends.

Audrey Jade

During the 2011 Sacramento Fashion Week, emerging designers, fashion lovers and design supporters displayed the ability to stay current and on trend, as well as forming some new trends. Braids, bracelets, fun hair buns and chain accessories are carving a spring niche in Sacramento fashion.

I attended the “Emerging Artist Showcase,” supporting up-and-coming talent cultivated right here in Sacramento. Audrey Jade, Brenda Vie, Faatui Toele, Kira Martinson, Maisha Bahati, Nkaujer (Jules) Thor and Noognuv Thao showed varied and thematically orchestrated lines.

Good Show, Sacramento.

Words and Photos by Josselin Basaldu
capitalcapture@submergemag.com

Nkaujer Jules Thor

Nkaujer Jules Thor

Faatui Toele

Faatui Toele

Maisha Bahati

Maisha Bahati

Kira Martinson

Audrey Jade

Kira Martinson

Mini Burger Truck

Various Locations Sacramento Area
Words & Photos by Adam Saake

Would it be too pretentious if I quoted myself? Eh, fuck it. In a past “Refined Tastes” column, I pointed out that we write an awful lot about burgers. And, “It’s not that we favor burgers or establishments that serve them, it’s that Sacramento continues to turn out press-worthy product.” That continues to be true, and if we’re a burger town, then I am perfectly all right with that. In this issue’s column, we tracked down the Mini Burger Truck, Sacramento’s newest and exciting purveyors of patty. They do it from a truck and they do it well. Fasten your seat belts, this one’s on the go.

If you’re lucky, then the truck comes to you. But if you seek the truck, it’s best to “follow” its trail of tweets. Mini Burger Truck, whose handle on Twitter is plainly that (@MiniBurgerTruck), took the concept of live tweeting their varying locations that other food trucks and carts in cities like Los Angeles were having success with and has been attracting steady followers. Food cart success story Kogi, a Korean BBQ to-go business based out of Los Angeles, alerts Twitter followers to their scheduled locations. There are different carts that occupy different spaces and often the cart sells out. With Kogi’s over 82,000 Twitter followers, it’s no surprise. Mini Burger Truck, with a growing 800-plus followers, has already attracted a real-life following of state workers, UCD Med Center employees and downtown lunch-breakers, to name a few. It’s a no-brainer if you’re hungry; a gourmet burger truck with sweet potato tater tots and seasonal specials is a far cry from the standard roach coaches. So, why all the fuss about Twitter?

“We can’t stay in any one place for more than 30 minutes, and we can’t sell after dark,” says Mini Burger Truck owner and founder Davin Vculek.

This truck is constantly relocating throughout the day and doesn’t–let me rephrase that–can’t stay put for very long. The City of Sacramento has strict rules governing what the trucks and carts can and can’t do. Vculek says they “want to come downtown five days a week,” per people’s request, but parking is an issue, too. If it’s in your neck of the woods, then you’re golden. But for Twitter followers of the Mini Burger Truck, it’s about the hunt.

“I follow them on Twitter and try to stay in the loop with what’s going on with food,” said food truck enthusiast Naida Enriquez. “I’ve been trying to find a convenient time.”

I chatted with Enriquez, who was in front of me in line. There were a good eight people in front of her and another 10 waiting for their food. She kept checking her phone, anxiously watching her lunch break waste away in line.

“I don’t think I’ll have enough time,” she said with a filled-out order form and small yellow golf pencil in hand.

As someone who stays “in the loop” with what’s happening with food, she’s no stranger to food trucks. She filled a short stay in Austin, Texas, sampling the plethora of food trucks and carts that troll the city. She was excited to hear about the Mini Burger Truck in Sacramento. Those same trucks and carts who have found open arms and success in other cities are exactly what inspired Vculek to start the Mini Burger Truck. Originally from Redding, Calif., Vculek went to culinary school in Portland, Ore., before landing a job as a corporate chef for Food Network star Guy Fieri. The food truck was something that was always on his mind.

“I thought mini burgers would be an awesome concept for a food truck,” he tells Submerge. “They’re easy to eat on the go.”

Vculek says that business has been good so far and they are definitely meeting their projections, aside from the city’s obstacles.

“It’s sad that during a time when so many jobs are leaving California, the city is making it so difficult for us to work,” says Vculek.

Long waits for food to come up have caused some complaints among customers, an issue that eventually forced Enriquez to abandon her place in line to return to work.

“People have been complaining about the wait,” says Vculek. “We don’t use steam trays, which is what a lot of the other guys use, which is fine. It’s just not how we do things. We make everything fresh.”

“The Ninja” was calling my name long before I finally found the truck in the Kiwanis Family House parking lot that is adjacent to the UCD Med Center and the Employment Development Department. With a name like “The Ninja,” how could I resist? A black Angus beef patty sits underneath crisp and refreshing Asian slaw, pea shoots, jalapeño for a nice little kick (Ninja, get it?), lotus chip for crunch and is topped off with some Sriracha aioli ($3). You actually feel healthy eating these little assassins because of the lightness of the slaw. It was a perfect marriage of salad and beef and if the truck wasn’t shutting down shop, I would have gone back for another. Free-range chicken breast and South Dakota bison burgers are on the menu too, and customers can choose between a brioche or wheat bun. Grab some Kennebec potato fries ($2) or sweet potato tater tots ($2) and you’re golden.

Follow the Mini Burger Truck on Twitter to find out where it will be next. Trust me, it’s worth tracking down and certainly worth the wait. After all, haven’t we waited for a food truck in this city long enough?

I’ve got a soft spot for instrumental music. I’m really not sure why. Maybe it was the extreme amount of Joe Satriani albums my parents played while I was growing up. Maybe it’s because most lead singers aren’t very good. (That was sarcastic. Mostly.) There’s just something about guitar, bass, drums, keys, etc. doing all of the talking that gets me. The Bumptet is a new group with Sacramento ties that fits this bill perfectly. This jazz-funk trio is made up of Sean Lehe (of the band Izabella, which packs out Marilyn’s on the regular) on guitar, Jonathan Stoyanoff (from Global Funk Council) on bass and Zack Bowden (who tours with Jackie Greene and previously played in Chingus) on drums. They take a cool improvisational approach to their music, which gives it a very loose feel. Their self-titled debut album will see its Sacramento release on April 15, 2011 at Marilyn’s on K where the trio will perform alongside Lake Tahoe’s electro-funk group STC. Show starts at 9 p.m. and it’s 21-and-over. For more information and to sample some tunes, visit Thebumptet.com

Grimey Tuesday, in case you don’t know, is a biweekly dubstep and bass heavy night at Townhouse featuring residents DJ Whores, Crescendo, Jaytwo, X GVNR, emcee Skurge and emcee Bru Lei. Basically, every other Tuesday these residents and special guests from all over the place turn Townhouse into a full-on sweaty dance party and much fun is had. April 12 will surely be no different when Grimey and Concerts 4 Charity team up to bring Sacramento’s favorite dance-punks !!! back to Townhouse to headline a quick stop on their way to Coachella. If you’ve never seen !!! live, you’re missing out big time; they deliver the goods. And by “goods” we mean about an hour or so of non-stop groovy jams and funny dance moves from frontman Nic Offer. Also performing upstairs that night is hip-hop-meets-jazz-meets-funk band Who Cares. Downstairs will feature performances from Man Machine, Billy the Robot and Ellis Rush. Get $7 presale tickets at Sacramento.ticketleap.com/chkchkchk. Show will be $10 at the door, 21-and-over only and everything kicks off at 9 p.m.