Renaissance Woman

By Nicole Martinez | Photos by Michael McKinnis & Eve Soul

Clever, inventive and undeniably expressive, Cleo Cartel is a vocal, visual and creative artist with passion and conviction. It is an ordinary Sunday, full of sunshine, and Cartel is casually sitting in her salon where she joyfully braids culture and conversation into people’s hair. All around are vivid impressions that she recently designed. There are samples of hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind jewelry, a unique mixture of carefully made, brightly colored, poetically inscribed, wooden and stone earrings, bracelets and necklaces. Paintings with vibrant hues, full of people, scenes and meaningful images from Cartel’s mind enlighten the atmosphere. In a laid-back and relaxed demeanor, her voice warm and welcoming, she begins smiling and freely shares her joy of creating and tells the story of family, community and culture that inspired her confidence to choose art.

“I’ve never been scared to follow my first mind,” she says, “Art is what makes me feel good.” Born and raised in Oakland, Calif., amid an entirety of rich cultures, Cartel recalls, “We were immersed in art as kids.” Growing up part of an African-American, Latino and Asian community, Cartel felt, “There were no barriers to where you could go, what you could see, do and learn.” Her mom would take her around shopping and running errands, Cartel would observe all the different people, notice their different styles and absorb their art and cultural. Cartel specifically remembers one woman who owned her own business and was an innovative dresser. She stood out because of the clothes and culturally unique jewelry she wore. Cartel also thinks back to the Festival at the Lake, a local event where she observed people selling their own arts, goods and crafts. These were meaningful experiences because they served as early examples of “people like me, from where I’m from, being financially stable,” she says. Seeing creative and successful black-owned businesses especially, made her realize as a young girl, “Man, I can do anything. I can be in control.”

Cartel also had strong models and mentors at home. She credits a lot of her creativity, passion and drive to her father and mother. Her father was a gospel and jazz singer and memories of his jazz records playing when she was young nurtured her first love for art.
“He loved art but, he couldn’t pursue an arts degree; he had no choice as far as education.” She smiles, “He let us do what ever we wanted because he never could, but he always made sure you followed through and finished.” He’d say, “When choosing something extra-curricular,” because academics came first, “you have to think, is that something I can do as a career? And as an artist you need to be a businessman, because you need to feed yourself.” This proved to be a most valuable lesson.

Cartel’s mom, an activist and lawyer, passed on her own share of wisdom. She instilled in Cartel the importance of always having a voice, of being able to express one’s self, and having the ability to state her mind. “I think that’s where I got my poetry side, from my mom,” she reflects. An important contributor in Sacramento’s spoken word and urban poetry setting, Cartel has definitely been using her voice. Always a singer because of her father’s musical influence, she has also been involved with the Sacramento Poetry Slam Team and was an originating collaborator at the fondly remembered Blue Room, a weekly poetry series that was featured at Jazzman’s Art of Pasta many years ago.

It is King Jr. High School, however, where Cartel believes all these positive influences from her community and home first had the opportunity to manifest into the tangible art forms she creates now. It provided the perfect environment that allowed her good business sense, appreciation of art, value in education and the necessity to have a voice come alive. At King she had the experience of taking a wood shop class. Working with wood and using her hands is something she truly relished and soon she began working on her own.
“I was coming in after school and anytime I could,” Cartel says. “I had so many ideas, I never wanted to leave.”

Eventually, Cartel moved from the Bay Area with her family to Sacramento. She felt an immediate sense that something valuable was missing. The abundance of art and the community in which she grew up were no longer present. She thought, “There isn’t anything here that I’m used to so let’s create some.” Throughout finishing at Kennedy High School, Cartel continued to create using the skills first practiced at King. She began making earrings from wood she would shape by hand. She painted and colored the wood transforming each earring into a wearable piece of art. Always full of ideas, she added colorful stones and fabrics to her designs making them truly original in style and form. One very important aspect of Cartel’s pieces includes her own meaningful poetry inscribed on key pieces. Originally, she just designed for herself, but soon people would see her designs, and ask, “Can you do mine like that?” Inspired and encouraged, she continued to follow her passion and has created an entire assortment of accessories, not just jewelry.

Since then, she has worked hard to create freely, share her voice through art and support herself doing what she loves. “I know something about being clear and focused,” she says reflecting on her efforts. “Success that is lasting always takes hard work and perseverance.” Still at it, she admits, “There are times when I want to quit.” Cartel acknowledges that support from her husband helps to keep her on track and encouraged when she gets down. People who invest in her work are also definitely appreciated. She makes an important point saying, “If we can buy stuff that is mass produced and manufactured for stores then we can invest in art.”

She explains, “What is better than getting something made from someone’s own hands? There is nothing better than that!” Cartel is not only an artist, but an avid collector as well.

When asked about what she wants her work to convey, she says, “I want my style to represent freedom.” She says she likes to use a lot of vivid colors because, “colors represent a piece of heaven; they’re just something beautiful.” She hopes that in following her passions, maybe her work will continue to motivate that same feeling that she got as a young girl from observing the people in her community. She wants to inspire others to pursue their passion too. “Don’t be afraid to try something new,” she encourages. “You never know what comes with trying something new. You might create something beautiful that the world may need to see.”

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

What do a Hindu, a Christian, a Muslim, a Buddhist and an Atheist have in common?

Not a whole lot, except that they’re touring as part of the Coexist? comedy tour.

The term “politically correct” is left backstage at a Coexist? show, and each member of the tour is known by his or her respective religion. The members are Tapan Trivedi, the Hindu; John Ross, the Christian; Sammy Obeid, the Buddhist; Tissa Hami, the Muslim; and Keith Lowell Jensen, the Atheist. “I get three names because I don’t have a God,” Jensen says, as seriously as he can manage.

The goal is to take the taboo subject of religious differences and present it in a way that gets people talking about it, replacing fear with a room full of laughter. Says Trivedi, “Once you laugh at something, you acknowledge its existence and deal with it; you cannot deny it anymore. When you laugh at something, it’s like, how heinous can it be?”

The group came together a year ago while founding members Jensen and Trivedi were performing their solo comedy acts in the Sacramento area. Trivedi and Jensen met at Luna’s Café, and came together when they noticed just how much they were at “opposite ends of the religious spectrum,” Trivedi says.

They talked it over, and started looking for other comedians in the area who fit the “comedians of a certain religion” bill. In fact, they put out an ad looking for a Muslim comic.

“It was part organic and part seeking people out,” Jensen explains. From there, it was a matter of deciding whether they could get along with this comedian while crammed into a tiny vehicle on long trips between shows. This is not a high-budget tour, and a private jet is not yet a reality. “What are the chances that they’ll give us a flight plan with a Muslim in it?” Trivedi jokes.

They performed for the first time in August 2007 at the Geery Theater in Sacramento, and since then have taken their rare breed of interfaith humor all over California, as well as to Portland and Seattle. They crack up audiences in comedy clubs, theaters, churches, atheist conventions and once even at a “clothing optional” hot spring.
“All ages, all colors, all races of people that have come [to our shows] they all liked it,” Trivedi says.

Jensen adds, “I like for people to understand that with all our high pretensions about it, it’s a comedy show. It’s funny, and no matter who you are you’re gonna laugh.”
Alternating between clubs and theaters, from large cities to tiny towns, can be challenging. The comedians try to tailor their humor to each location, which is why every show begins with a sort of meet-and-greet with the audience. Jensen explains, “We come out together and we say hello”¦and we find out what the audience is made up of. Let me hear from the Atheists; let me hear from the Christians in the audience. Kind of find out what sort of diversity we have in the crowd.” It helps for the audience to see them all together on stage before they start taking jabs at each other’s religions, he says, to let everybody know that they are friends after all.

The show is then passed to host Sammy Obeid, and each comedian takes a turn onstage. The bits really depend on the audience and whether they are performing at a theater or a club.

“Dealing with a theater crowd is like dealing with an old German Shepherd dog,” Trivedi quips. “He sees the mistake that you’re making, but he is kind of OK with it. The comedy club is like a Rottweiler. The moment he sees fear, ahh!”

So, why take on such a difficult topic? Basically, they explain that this is a conversation that just needs to be started. “You’ve got people who have potentially never met a Hindu before, and now they’ve come and they’ve not only met one but they’ve laughed with this person,” Jensen says.

The members of Coexist? are more likely to fight over who is taking too long in the shower than how many gods there are, and are always willing to help each other out with new jokes. Imagine a car ride with five comedians. With notebooks open and laptops out, they’ll work on jokes together for hours.

“What they say is that you can write the novel on your own, but comedy is almost always a team sport,” Trivedi says.

This theme of coexistence is magnified by these five comedians who not only come from different religious backgrounds, but also have extremely diverse comedic styles.

“We don’t get along by ignoring our differences or pretending they’re not there. I see a lot of interfaith entities kind of water down their beliefs to believe that their beliefs are all compatible, and we don’t need that to get along,” Jensen says.

Their upcoming show at the Crest Theatre on Dec. 12 will likely be the apex of this tour, as they’ve been saving the best for last. Trivedi refers to this show as their “swan song.”

Jensen says, “We have jokes that we put aside, but we pull them out for the Crest. So joke thieves, come to The Crest; buy a ticket. If we see Dane Cook in there, we’ll know. This is for you, Dane!”

Up, Up And Away

If Early States ought to have been intimidated by the traditionally aggressive cauldron of hardcore and metal bands bubbling out of the greater Sacramento area, they seem not to have noticed. In fact, they seem downright indifferent to the fabled demographic of their immediate proximity; a place where bands like Tera Melos shattered the glass ceilings of post-punk with dizzying mathematical permutations and broken instruments; a place where spatial metal heavyweights Deftones and Far ignited the tinder of disenfranchised Central Valley denizens and went knock, knock, knockin’ on Billboard‘s door; a place where the sheer strip-mallian essence floats so pungently in the humid troposphere, you’re damn near required to bleed Orange Julius should you be so unfortunate as to be shanked in the citywide food court. It’s this kind of focused apathy that seems to be setting the band apart from its peers in the local music scene, and it’s definitely getting it noticed outside of it as well.

Early States is fronted by 18-year-old Zack Gray. His affluence in songwriting has yielded the band (also including Shaun O’Brien, 20, on guitar and keyboard; Brandon Lee, 22, on drums; with recent additions Tom Hatch, 18, on bass; and Nick Silva, 18, on lead guitar) a fluffy bed of uber-pop melodicism and expansive indie-rock pomp.

“We weren’t apprehensive,” says Gray with regard to the divisiveness of the band’s sound. “If anything we looked forward to introducing people to something new. We want to be one of the bands that takes [the scene] in a new direction.”

While the band boasts an average age of 19, their focus remains steadfastly on the progression of their still fledgling career. Having just finished recording their debut EP Powerlines, Early States is forging ahead with not only their CD release show at Club Retro, but also with the spoils of their headway with major Los Angeles-based music licensing firm Immediate Music. The band was recently signed a licensing contract with the company, who is responsible for the composing and licensing of music cues and pieces for television and in the promotional campaigns of 70 to 80 percent of the top 50 highest-grossing films seeping out of Hollywood’s glistening underbelly, including the entire Harry Potter series, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and even ­Spider-man. Not a bad spot to be for a band that only formed about a year ago.

“Being the first band to sign with Immediate Music hasn’t changed our direction. It has only made us more driven and ambitious,” notes Gray. “We’re honored that a company as prestigious as I.M. wants to work with us. It’s definitely some great validation.”

The band is planning on shopping their music to proper record labels come January 2009, and figures to utilize the time in the interim to “tighten up any loose screws” and to focus on the release of their EP.

Powerlines was officially release at the Nov. 21 CD release show, but the album hit Purevolume a week prior for free (with the band on the front page), and has made its way on over to music Mecca iTunes, then Amazon, then to basically wherever music is sold on the wild wild Web. Additionally, the band has acquired an endorsement from Dickies clothing.

“Our band is our number one priority and we look forward to being able to give it our full, undivided attention,” explains Gray. And the drive with which he’s espoused his songwriting couldn’t cut closer to the quick of the proverbial angst-loaded post-grad.

Powerlines ushers in atmospheric nodes in all the right places, begging here and there for a unique thread to tether, but still maintains an unmistakable knack for hook-y transitions and guitar-smothered verve. Gray’s adolescent renderings of universal themes such as “love and conflict, to wanting to get away, to finding happiness in yourself instead of looking for it in other people,” while prudent, don’t belie the vastness of his visionary palate.

“Although those are the main themes that can be found on Powerlines, I really enjoy listening to people’s interpretations of what they think the songs are about and how they relate them to their own life,” says Gray.

Early States are hoping to tour in Spring 2009, but will be working on new material and playing local and regional venues to begin the arduous task of getting their name plastered in the fertile minds of show goers; more importantly, the quintet has already eschewed the reticence of the young band syndrome, and expects nothing but great things in the future.

“We believe that we’re a very hard working band, especially for our age,” says Gray. “We think we share the same focus as the bands we look up to and aspire to be like.”

Tamaya Sushi & Grill
2131 J St., Sacramento

By Corey Bloom

It seems odd that in spite of the worst economic conditions this country has seen in decades that we are just now coming around to reviewing a sushi restaurant. Trust me, my wallet is just as malnourished as yours, but if I’m going to indulge in one meal, it would have to be sushi. For one, I can’t make it (very well), so going out to sushi is always a treat. Most importantly though, whenever I eat sushi I always feel good afterward, not greasy or bloated, but refreshed and in a Zen-like food coma. If I’m going to splurge, at the very least I want to feel good about myself afterward, and sushi is always that meal for me.

In the time I’ve been in Sacramento, I’ve tried a good chunk of the sushi restaurants. I’ve gone through phases where one spot will be my favorite, and I will frequent that spot almost exclusively. About six months into my Sacramento experience, I discovered Tamaya Sushi & Grill, located at 2131 J St., a couple doors down from Tappa the World, and directly across the street from the One Man Band if you come on a weekend night. The décor is modern, and the energy is lively in both the main dining area and in the back bar area, which also doubles as a nice place to chill and grab a drink. The wait staff is attentive and helpful while giving you space and letting you enjoy your experience. Yes, this is going to be another one of those glowing reviews, but in all the times that I have been to Tamaya I have never had a bad meal, or even a bad dish.

It’s hard to look past Tamaya’s extensive menu. Picking it up is like lifting a book, with detailed descriptions of each dish or roll. I’m not even going to begin to count everything they offer, but sections include over 30 appetizers, noodles, Donburi, a healthy amount of Nigiri rolls, as well as 17 special rolls, 13 for “everyone” and 20 spicy rolls (which I generally choose from). Deciding what to get is the biggest dilemma you will face at Tamaya.

Starting with the appetizers, the spicy sashimi salad has always been a favorite to kick the meal off. The hot factor is not overbearing, and pairs nicely with the bite sized pieces of fish and the flavor of the marinated onions. I can also testify to the barbecued albacore, which is not comparable to another local variation, but nonetheless a nice start to any meal. I’m a sucker for barbecued tuna and garlic. Glancing down the menu, though, all the appetizers appear to be excellent and elegant.

I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’ve never ventured into the entrees section of the menu, because, let’s face it, if you’re going to Japanese food, you’ve got to get sushi. With that said, let’s get into the good stuff.

To be honest, I don’t even know where to start. There are so many good features on the menu, but perhaps what stands out the most is the portions and quality of Tamaya’s fish. The portions are so generous that sometimes two rolls can make a perfect meal for two, especially for lunch. All the rolls are huge, sometimes almost too big to fit in your mouth in one bite. Oftentimes my girlfriend will get three bites out of a roll, which she has convinced herself helps her savor it more. This could hold some truth, but it’s just something I can’t do. Aside from the rolls, the sauces vary, so unlike some places that use the same three sauces on every roll, Tamaya’s rolls are all very distinct. Some of my favorite rolls on the menu include the 007, which has creamy spicy tuna, with torched salmon and avocado on the top. The Used Car Salesmen (quite a paradox) is also delectable, boasting spicy tuna, crab, avocado, shrimp tempura and then topped with red and white tuna.

Special and spicy rolls range from $9-$18, but as mentioned you can get by getting one or two. Love is a powerful word, but I love Tamaya.

Harlow’s Sacramento

Monday, Oct. 6, 2008

Upon entering the dimly lit Harlow’s Restaurant and Night Club last Monday, I was delighted to see that Two Sheds had been booked as the last minute opener for Mates of State. I immediately noticed that it was not only Caitlin and Johnny Gutenberger (who make up Two Sheds) occupying the stage; there was another women sitting in-between the two assisting with vocal harmonies and light percussions, including the tambourine. I later came to find out that it was none other than Amber Padgett of the local duo Spider Silk Dress. Her addition was a great one and Two Sheds entire set was fantastic, but it seemed like the majority of the crowd didn’t care because almost everyone was talking—so loud in fact that it was nearly impossible for me to really focus on the music. Maybe I chose a bad spot to stand (I do that sometimes), maybe they weren’t there for the opening band, but come on people, show the band some respect and shut the fuck up for a few minutes. My guess is that the lack of bass and drums during Two Shed’s set made it easy for the audience’s short attention spans to become even shorter. What a shame.

As soon as Mates of State took the stage my theory was proven correct: all it takes is loud drums to get people to shut their yappers (probably because they can’t hear each other talking) and actually focus on the music. As if they were trained to do so, the entire crowd stood up and rushed toward the stage to get a closer look at Kori Gardner (keyboard/vocals) and Jason Hammel (drums/vocals). The two are married and have been making records and touring together since 1997, so they are solid as can be. The chemistry between the two on stage was something I have never before witnessed; you could sense them communicating while playing. They would cue each other with tiny glances or facial expressions to change parts or bring a song to an end.

Their timing and harmonies were flawless, further proving another theory of mine that every married couple should just make music together instead of making babies. When the two would simultaneously sing complementary vocal melodies it was so layered and sounded so huge that it was hard to believe only two people were on stage. At a couple different points during their set, two other musicians joined them: one played cello, adding a very symphonic, cinematic feel and the other played electric guitar (which wasn’t even really noticeable in the mix) and messed around on a laptop playing loops and samples here and there.

Crowd favorites of the night seemed to me to be “Fraud in the ’80s,” and “Like U Crazy,” both off their ’06 release Bring It Back, and “The Re-Arranger” which is on their newest album Re-Arrange Us and on this particular night brought their set to an end (before the obligatory encore of course).

As the show came to an end we quickly guzzled what remained of our beers and stumbled out the door, satisfied with the performances of both artists.

Great Expectations

Crank up the volume and feast your ears on a musical smorgasbord that definitely requires a full concert hall. The native Sacramento band MC Rut combines the talents of singer and guitarist Zack Lopez with drummer and backup vocalist Sean Stockham. Lopez’s angsty lyrics explode on a canvas of poignant guitar riffs, for a full sound that is raw and edgy. MC Rut doesn’t tiptoe into their songs—they give it all they’ve got, musically and lyrically.

Submerge catches up with MC Rut in the interim before they hop a plane to London—an interview that appropriately takes place at the Streets of London bar.

Can you tell me a little about the projects you’re working on now—the new album and the upcoming tour?
Sean Stockham: We’re always playing and writing music whether it’s an album we’re writing for or not. We do what we do. We get together five or more days a week and play music for as many hours as we can. Right now we’re getting ready to go to London in November. Obviously we’re really excited about that

Have you guys ever been to London before?
SS: This is the first time. It’s definitely something we’ve dreamt about doing since we started playing music. At some point we had stopped dreaming about it, and it didn’t even seem realistic.
Zack Lopez: Now it’s reality.

When do you think the new album will be realized?
ZL: We don’t even know really what the new album is. We’ve never written a song for a specific project.
SS: Out of what we have now we could probably put together maybe four to seven projects.

Why did you make the decision to release EPs instead of a full album?
ZL: They are full albums essentially. We’re just scared of the word “album.” Once you commit to saying “album,” that’s your first album.
SS: It’s just like not committing to marriage”¦ There’s something very scary about marriage and there’s something very scary about a full-length record.

So people have described your lyrics as being kind of aggressive. Did you write these songs during a dark period, or are your lyrics pretty consistent?
ZL: It wasn’t a dark period; it was just a normal life period. You don’t necessarily have to be depressed, you know? Most people aren’t happy with their lives as it is and I think that’s a big part of this band.

Your songs express a general dissatisfaction about middle class life. Would you say you have a fear of the 9-to-5 lifestyle?
SS: It’s different than like the fear of death, because none of us have actually experienced death”¦ The 9-to-5 thing is something that’s always right there.
ZL: I feel like some people are down with what they do and that’s great. It’s all about being happy with where you’re at. When you come to the point where you’re struggling to be somewhere that you don’t even want to be in the first place, that’s when you’re bummed.

Do you think that’s an artist thing?
SS: I don’t want to say that. You can say that, but yeah, that’s probably exactly what it is.
ZL: We expect a lot from ourselves. And if we don’t get it, then we’re miserable, and we keep chasing it till we get it.

You guys have high expectations, then?
ZL: From the first time we played music, we expected everything”¦ But at least we’re on the road to hopefully getting there. We’d rather be trying to get somewhere than never try and never be anywhere.

How do you think living in Sacramento affected your lyrics, or did it?
ZL: It definitely didn’t. It was more living in L.A., living on a failed dream that affected our lyrics.

In one of your songs, the song “I Don’t Really Know,” you write, “We’re never going anywhere, just circling around.” Do you still feel that way at times even today, even though it seems like your band is really taking off now?
SS: I think everyone feels like that, generally stated. For us in the band, its such an exciting time right now it would be really hard to not feel like shit was improving at least.
ZL: You’ve got to understand, five minutes of your life where you could feel so strongly about something you could write 10 songs, and you have to express what you felt at that point. It doesn’t necessarily express how you feel all the time”¦it represents who you are at that point. And we’re really good at writing songs about moments.

So if you wrote a song about right now would it have a more positive spin on it?
ZL: It would sound like 311. And we’d be bummed on it.

How has your music evolved between the last songs you released and the new songs you’re working on now?
ZL: The vibe is the same, but we feel like we’re better songwriters. If we don’t consistently keep writing better songs, we feel like we’re not doing our job. Every time we’re writing something, the only reason we ever move on something is because it’s better than what we’ve already done. If its not, it gets left behind, and that’s where it deserves to be.
SS: At the same time, if what we’re doing now doesn’t at least have something in common with what we’ve done before, then it’s not even us.

Streets of London
1804 J St., Sacramento

I love to gorge myself with food 100 times more when I’m drunk as opposed to when I’m high. I don’t know what it is, but I just don’t get the munchies like that; however, after two beers I’m eating whatever I can get my hands on. That being said, bar/pub food (there is a difference, as Streets of London will show) is one of my favorite indulgences because, well, if I’m eating it, I’m probably already happy. At any establishment that serves liquor, you can always find burgers, fries, nachos, nacho fries, fried chicken whatevers or mozzarella sticks, but for a seasoned bar stool eater this fare can be numbing. For this reason alone, many bar crawls have been planned around landing at Streets of London around dinner time or the fourth or fifth drink, whichever comes first. Later for the one sided menu with a handful of items, Streets has a five-pager boasting sandwiches, appetizers, soups and salads, entrees and most awesome, breakfast (which is served all day). It’s almost as if the drinks take a back seat to the loaded menu; it’s that good.

On my last trip to Streets on J St., I was joined by a couple friends who really opened the menu up to me. Half drunk, one friend was adamant about ordering the fried pickles. The idea itself sounded kind of disgusting, but my taste buds knew something my stomach didn’t. Those fuckers are amazingly good. Thinly sliced, similar to how fried zucchini is served, the pickles had an addictive buttery and bitter taste. The breading was crispy, but strangely the pickle itself maintained the champion of crunch. A cup of ranch was offered as a dipper, and while ranch can make anything better, it wasn’t necessary as the pickles had so many other flavors going on. Even the French guys next to us approved, and even after them everyone in our party got their fix in one plate.

The entrees followed, and since I was splitting a plate with the vegetarian, I had chosen the traditional fish and chips. It’s not the most vegetarian friendly menu. There is nothing more British than fish and chips, so it is expected Streets has a pretty good recipe. Each piece is pretty hearty, definitely one of the bigger single servings of fried cod I have seen, and paired with a large portion of fries there is no way you’ll be hungry afterward. The taste was great, but on this particular visit, the fish and fries were both a little soggy, but I would credit that to it being a busy Saturday evening. When it was all said and done, I was not mad at all. My face was a little greasy, but yo, I wasn’t trying to eat anytime soon. In short, two people got stuffed for under $10.

Bocephus was included in the party and sided with the sausage roll, which was described as “a British style banger wrapped in a puff pastry and baked.” I’m not schooled on the schnitzels or anything like that, so the sausage roll was a new concept to me. With one bite, I can testify that it was the truth. It was baked to perfection, flaky and sweet, and the banger balanced it all out with its juicy saltiness. Also served with a (un)healthy portion of fries (or chips, whichever) and baked beans, for $8.50 this was an undeniably successful choice. After I try all the curries and shepherd’s pie, I’m going to roll with the sausage roll.

The winner of the three dishes though was the homie Erik’s corned beef sandwich. It was unbelievably good. The corned beef was stacked almost 2 inches high between two slices of delicious rye. You have the option of a hot or cold sandwich, and while Erik rocked the hot, there is no way you could go wrong with the cold either. I’ve been to Katz’s Deli in New York, and I want to go on record and say that Streets of London’s corned beef could at the very least rival a Katz’s sandwich. Plain and simple, it was bomb.

In conclusion, bar food is played, hit up any of the three Streets of London spots and get down with some real pub grub. You can’t do wrong.

Crest Theatre, Sacramento
Sept. 20, 2008

Arriving 30 minutes before the show started, I was surprised to see almost every seat in the Crest Theatre taken. I love Musiq Soulchild, but almost every time I dropped his name to someone, they’d never heard of the R&B singing soul man. So, you can imagine me entering the splendor of color and contour of the mid-sized Crest and seeing so many people.

Hometown guy MarKnoxx kicked, or rather danced (like Usher), things off at 8:30 p.m. Mr. Knoxx seemed to have a fan base who were not dissatisfied with the amount of clothes he lost as his set went on. His songs were heartfelt and backed up by two singers, guitar, bass, pianos, trumpet and a bangin’ drummer that a local fan told me was only 16 years old.

The folks at Conscious Vibes Productions made sure to raise anticipation of Musiq’s performance with an intermission that felt like 45 minutes. But in that time, I got to learn why everyone at this concert was eating popcorn (I’ve never before seen anyone eat popcorn at an enclosed concert) when my boyfriend returned holding a large cup of popcorn saying, “This popcorn was only a dollar!” Of course.

Then, the lights dimmed and on came the back-up singers, drummer and guitarists to start it all off. But when Musiq himself, standing all of about 5-foot-6 and looking urban-immaculate in pants, vest, tie, button-up shirt, aviators and well-groomed fro-hawk, fans (myself included) rushed down toward the stage. Musiq Soulchild played all the of fan favorites including “Buddy,” “Just Friends,” “Teach Me,” “Betterman” and “Time” while bouncing from side to side onstage. During a wardrobe change, two talented back-up singers enthralled the audience. Specifically, a lovely lady and true songbird named James Madison caught my attention with her chirping-ly elegant and soulful voice. When the Musiq man returned he sang his new hip-hop single “Radio” for the Sacramentan crowd.

The show was overall entertaining, but the sound quality was disappointing. For whatever reason, the back-up singers and instruments drowned Musiq’s vocals. To add to all that, there was some scraggly sweaty girl with a bad weave in a pink top who insisted on singing along to every song; which wouldn’t be so bad except she sang so loudly and at so high a pitch that if you were in the front, you couldn’t hear Musiq Soulchild. It was so bad that the back-up singers even noticed and kept shooting the scraggly girl warning looks. I really wanted to throw something at her, or at least tell her that I paid $40 to hear the guy on the stage sing and not her.

But, Musiq Soulchild still had that R&B je ne sais quoi and musical mystique up until he abruptly ended his set and bid Sacramento fans farewell.

Chase Moore was born in Melbourne, Australia into a very musically inclined family. His father played and taught piano while constantly recording and producing music right out of their home. Naturally then, Chase began making music at a young age but his move to Sacramento in September 1994 exposed him to a whole new lifestyle. He started writing rhymes, freestyling and producing beats and eventually gained some well-deserved recognition, especially after he won The Source‘s Unsigned Hype Battle in 2004 at ARCO Arena. As a performer, he has shared the stage with hip-hop heavyweights such as Nas, KRS-One, Mos Def, Living Legends and more. And as a producer he has worked with Keak Da Sneak and a slew of local artists. Moore’s momentum has surely not slowed; he has been a busy bee as of late. On Oct. 18 he had a “street album” drop entitled Paper Chase Music, and soon he will be gearing up for the release of his debut full-length album Moore to Chase, which will hit sometime in December. In addition to all that, local MCs and good friends Cawzlos and MahtieBush will team up with Moore this fall on The Bridge Tour, a self-booked venture that will take them from Vancouver to Las Vegas. Even though he has all that on his plate, Submerge was able to catch up with Moore recently to get in on some of his favorite (and least favorite) things in life.

Favorite MCs:
1) Eminem
2) Jay-Z
3) Chase Moore

Least favorite MCs:
1) Dose
2) Aesop Rock
3) Cawzlos

Favorite albums:
1) Thriller – Michael Jackson
2) 2001 – Dr. Dre
3) They’re All Gonna Laugh at You – Adam Sandler

Least favorite albums:
1) C True Hollywood Stories – Canibus
2) 8 Diagrams – Wu Tang Clan
3) NOW! That’s What I Call Music 17

Favorite concerts:
1) Rock the Bells where Mos Def performed “True Magic” produced by DJ Epik
2) Ashford & Simpson at GlideChurch in SF
3) Chase Moore in 2004 The Source Unsigned Hype battle at Arco Arena

Least favorite concerts:
1) Ugly Duckling where they dissed JD and Jay-Z
2) N.E.R.D.’s performance at Sleep Train
3) Downtown James Brown on 28th and K St.

Favorite movies:
1) The Dark Knight
2) The Godfather II
3) Terminator 2

Least favorite movies:
1) Batman & Robin
2) Napoleon Dynamite
3) Jaws-3D

Favorite radio stations:
1) Shade 45
2) KBMB 102.5
3) KSFM 103.5

Least favorite radio stations:
1) KBMB 103.5
2) KSFM 102.5
3) The one that has Ryan Seacrest on it

Favorite DJs to work with:
1) DJ Epik
2) DJ Oasis
3) Kodak

Favorite venues to rock live in Sac:
1) The Library (R.I.P.)
2) Joe Style’s Shop (R.I.P.)
3) The Boardwalk

Favorite bars in Sac:
1) The L (shout out to my brother Leon)
2) Whiskey Wild (only if I’m faded and on the prowl)
3) Flame Club (cheap as fuck)

Least favorite bars in Sac:
1) Barcode
2) XO Lounge
3) Flame Club

Favorite places to take a lady in Sac:
1) My bed
2) My bed again
3) A quiet picnic overlooking the river at dusk

Guilty pleasures:
1) Katy Perry
2) Marvel Comics
3) Fried chicken and hot sauce

Photo by Carlos Lopez

Capitol Dawg

1226 20th St. Sacramento

I know how hot dogs are made, but I forgot what I did yesterday, so I have no problem indulging in a true American favorite. Matter of fact, just thinking about the words “encased pork,” I envision a happy wiener dog wearing a chef’s hat. Me and hot dogs got no beef. Wow, that was lame. Let’s get to the food.

I’ve driven by Capitol Dawg (located at 1226 20th St.) numerous times, and the bright colors always catch my eye. While I do enjoy a good hot dog, it’s not something I crave or necessarily pursue. Of the last 100 dogs I’ve eaten, 85 of them have been after midnight and the only evidence I have of eating one is mustard and ketchup stains on my shoes. This also means that those 85 dogs have been from a cart, which if you read this column is a definite plus for me, and also that each dog was no more than $2.00 (peace to Scrappy Dog in Chico!). That being said, stepping into an official hot dog (sorry, I can’t do the “-awg”) joint was a little bit of a reality shock.

Let me start off though by honoring the décor. The autographed Tesla record stood out amongst traditional photos of you guessed it, hot dogs and hot dog stands, but without question the crown jewel was the full sized David Stieb autographed poster, fitted in vintage Blue Jays attire. There was a lot to look at, so in terms of decorations, they get the nod.

But yes, there was food and after staring at the menu for a good five minutes I decided to go for the obscure and ordered the Gold Rush Dawg. The Sacramento Dawg looked interesting (guacamole, sour cream, cheddar cheese and salsa), but Swiss cheese, crushed pineapple and teriyaki sauce sounded a little more appealing. At $4.29 it seemed a little bit pricey and as much as I wanted some fries and a drink (an extra $3), I couldn’t bring myself to paying almost $8 for a dog. The dog itself was pretty good, not too plump but still juicy and full of flavor. As a diehard pineapple fan, its pairing with the pork hot dog was nice. The added teriyaki provided a familiar flavor. My only complaint, aside from the price, was that the teriyaki made the bun soggy which for me is an ultimate no. On top of that, I left hungry”¦

To provide some variety, the homie Bocephus joined and opted for the Prop. 51 Dawg. In his own words, “In true Chicago fashion, the fixings are lavish on this bad boy. Your frank comes smothered in mustard, onions, tomatoes, sport peppers, celery salt, dill pickle and nuclear green relish (despite its appearance, the relish is free of any gene altering materials). As you can imagine, the Prop. 51 is big on flavor; but unfortunately, it’s also big on price. At $3.89 for the wiener or $6.99 with fries and a drink, this ain’t your late night hot dog cart.”

Aside from the above mentioned there are 23 other combinations, most of which are relatively tame with the condiments with varieties of mustard, cheese and onions. You can upgrade to a polish, hot link or brat for $1, and then over 33 extras to choose from ranging from .30 to .60 cents. The fries were good, and they offer beer!

The verdict: good food, a little pricey, but you won’t walk out swearing you’ll never come back.