Get the Spins

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

{Alex Origoni and Jason Boggs}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We are ecstatic to announce that Submerge will be partnering up with local DJs and party-throwing experts Shaun Slaughter and Roger Carpio (of Lipstick fame), as well as Adam Jay (of Le Twist Tuesdays and Wunderbar) for an epic New Year’s Eve Party at Old Ironsides (1901 10th Street, Sacramento). Not only will the aforementioned dudes be spinning danceable indie-rock-leaning tunes all night (think Friendly Fires, Talking Heads, The Rapture, Yacht, Phoenix, MGMT, Death from Above 1979, etc.), but there will also be a live performance from one of the region’s best new bands, The Good Fortune. TGF’s debut EP Social Crowns is fantastic, we highly recommend it if you’re into dreamy, synth-y pop-rock. You can listen to the whole thing at Soundcloud.com/thegoodfortune. Tickets for the party are only $8 in advance, available at Cuffs (2523 J Street, Sacramento). If you want to enjoy a super intimate party this NYE and avoid the crowded madness at other big nightclubs, come hang with a couple hundred friends who are into really good music! Cheap drinks all night, ball drop with complimentary champagne at midnight, special giveaways and much more. Check out the event’s Facebook page for more information.

Photo of Shaun Slaughter and Roger Carpio by Takeover Tokyo

What started out as a bunch of friends getting together in a small apartment listening to music and dancing all night has turned into one of the most important event production and party-throwing entities in the city: Requiem. “The apartment got too cramped, so we moved to a bigger venue,” Requiem’s Benjamin Leibold recently explained to Submerge. “Forty parties and two years later, we have some of the world’s best up-and-coming talent playing our stages and hundreds of people regularly coming out to our events. It’s really blown our minds.”

As if bringing cutting edge international DJs, producers and bands through town on the regular wasn’t enough, Requiem is also committed to the visual arts community in Sacramento. “We pay all of our artists first, before anything else. That includes custom art for every party, and a huge stage installation done by local art celeb Jose DiGregorio,” Leibold added. In the past two years, Requiem parties have hosted credible headliners like Brooklyn’s Bit Funk, Chicago’s Louis the Child, Los Angeles’ Mighty Mouse and tons of other out-of-towners who are always paired with talented local DJs like Shaun Slaughter, Adam Jay and Druskee, to name a few. Requiem has also had the honor of hosting official after parties for TBD Fest and TBD’s New Year’s Eve bash. “Last year, after TBD Fest, some of Empire of the Sun guys came and partied with us until the lights came on. A-Trak and all the Fool’s Gold crew spent their night with us after the TBD NYE event,” Leibold said. “To have this caliber of artists feel comfortable hanging with us, drinking, laughing, dancing right alongside the struggling Sacramento artist or student on the dancefloor, we can’t ask for anything more.”

To celebrate two years of Requiem, Leibold and his crew are doing what they do best: throwing a super rad party on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015, at Midtown BarFly (1119 21st Street, Sacramento). Headlining is the highly sought after multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer and DJ extraordinaire Felix Bloxsom, known best as Plastic Plates, his disco/house music alias. Everyone from Adele, to Demi Lovato, to Katy Perry, to Mark Ronson have utilized Plastic Plates’ skills to collab on official remixes of their tracks, so you know he’s good, otherwise pop stars wouldn’t fuck with him.

Also on the bill are Casino Gold, who just crushed it at THIS Midtown in July, and Vitamindevo, “A playa tested, SF party throwing DJ who’s on the rise,” according to Leibold. Ernie Fresh, Adam J, Tripz and Synclan (of Helicopter Showdown) will be making noise too. 18-plus to get in and dance, with 21-plus full bar. Pre-sales are just $10 at Requiemevents.queueapp.com, price goes up to $20 at the doors, which open at 10 p.m. Party goes all night till 3 a.m., and Leibold wants you to “Just come laugh and dance, and take your shirt off if you want to.” Facebook.com/requiemevents for more info.

As the Sacramento summer heats up so does THIS Midtown! A Second Saturday block party series with music, art, beer, food and local vendors, THIS Midtown is returning on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2015, for the second-to-last show of the series. The lineup of live talent for this one is seriously incredible and we all should be thanking the organizers for throwing a party like this that is free to attend! Headlining will be Oakland-based indie-pop band Trails and Ways, whose new album Pathology came out recently on Barsuk Records. Regional groovers Sunmonks are also on the bill, so if you missed their set at Concerts In the Park recently, you can catch them at THIS. San Francisco rock outfit Tiaras, which features ex-members of Sacramento’s beloved garage rock band Ganglians, will also be on hand jamming out and Young Aundee will spin a DJ set. The party kicks off at 4 p.m. and runs until 9:30 p.m. Once things on the block wrap up, the after-party will be cracking off inside LowBrau with DJs Shaun Slaughter, Adam Jay and special guests playing nu-disco, tropical, house and funk tunes. THIS Midtown takes place on the MARRS Building Block on 20th Street in between J and K streets. Learn more at Facebook.com/thismidtown.

If you’ve ever cruised around Midtown on a Second Saturday in the summertime, you know there is a lot of rad stuff going on. Art galleries keep their doors open late, bars are packed to the gills and there is live music everywhere. What was missing for years though was some sort of “anchor event” on Second Saturdays that could draw people in, keep them there for a while and create a real sense of community. Enter THIS, a free block party now in its third year that happens each Second Saturday on 20th Street (between J and K) from June through September. THIS features an expertly curated lineup of national and local bands/DJs, as well as local vendors, live art, food, craft beer, booze and more. The impressive lineup for 2015’s THIS dropped recently and let us just say: it’s going to be a fun summer! It all kicks off on June 13 with electronic musician/producer Cherokee headlining, who hails all the way from Luxembourg! Local acts for the season opener include Exquisite Corps, Mr. Erik James and DJ Epik. July 11’s show features Kauf headlining, a Los Angeles-based electronic musician associated with Cut Copy’s label Cutters Records! Opening that show will be Casino Gold, a popular electro-duo that is also from Los Angeles, as well as local DJs Shaun Slaughter (one of the organizers of THIS) and Adam Jay. Aug. 8’s show will see Oakland-based four-piece indie/pop band Trails and Ways headlining alongside locals Sunmonks (whose 2014 EP In a Desert of Plenty was named Submerge’s favorite release of the year!) as well as Tiaras and a DJ set from Young Aundee. THIS’ series-ender will be on Sept. 12 and will feature prolific Vancouver-based producer Pat Lok headlining with San Francisco singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist 8th Grader providing main support. Locals Joseph in the Well will open that show. All dates are free and start at 4 p.m. Visit Facebook.com/thismidtown for more details and to hear samples from upcoming THIS artists.

Sacto party throwers extraordinaire Shaun Slaughter and Adam Jay, along with Requiem Events and That Thing on Friday, are all coming together to resurrect the much-missed dance night known as “Fuck Friday!” FF first started back in 2004 as a weekly event at Townhouse and over the years became an incubator for emerging music with super fun and elaborate themed parties (think “Circus” or “Prom”), and featured amazing guest DJs, DIY lighting rigs and a balls-to-the-wall crowd that wasn’t afraid to really let loose. “We have this whole ethos and idea of making the dance floor back into a fun place for dance music and not bullshit,” Slaughter recently told Submerge when he broke the news of FF’s return. Fuck Friday will now be just once a month on second Fridays and will be held at at Midtown BarFly (1119 21st Street). An appropriate date to rise from the dead is clearly Friday, Feb. 13, 2015; so partygoers, make sure to mark your calendars because as Slaughter puts it, “the bitch is back!” According to the event’s Facebook page you can expect aggressive, playful music with a fuck-you attitude; massively curated themes; left-of-center guest DJs and live performances; and of course lasers, smoke machines, strobe lights and bad decisions. FF cover is just $5 and doors open at 10 p.m. 18-and-over only.

Submerge is mega-excited to announce that we have teamed up with the infamous party throwers behind Lipstick, one of Sacramento’s longest running and most legit dance nights, to throw a New Year’s Eve bash that will be one to remember (unless you get blackout drunk and don’t remember a thing, which is cool too)! NYE is one of those nights that can easily go from super fun to a cluster fuck in no time depending on where you decide to celebrate. Sure, you could fork out a cover charge upward of $20, $30, even $40 to watch a DJ play generic Top-40 songs in an over-capacity, fancy nightclub with expensive drinks, or you could spend just $8 (in advance, door charge will be slightly more) for our party at Old Ironsides featuring indie/dance/nü-disco jams spun by heavy hitters Shaun Slaughter, Roger Carpio and Adam Jay! The fantastic local band Contra will also be performing a special live set of cover tunes, and there will be a free champagne toast at midnight with our very own ball drop. There will be tons of giveaways and party favors, too. So there you have it, your New Years Eve plans have been made for you. You’re welcome. Pick up your $8 advance tickets at Cuffs, a rad boutique in Midtown located at 2523 J Street, No. 101. Not only will buying tickets in advance save you a few bucks, it will get you priority entrance ahead of the line on NYE. Let’s bring in the New Year together with friends, booze, great music and dancing!

Submerge has got your first look at the lineup for this year’s Friday Night Concerts in the Park series. The 13-week shindig kicks off on May 4, 2012 at 5 p.m. at Cesar Chavez Park in downtown Sacramento. You can see the entire lineup right here. Major brownie points to anyone who can name all of the artists that have been on the cover of and/or featured in the pages of Submerge (hint: there’s a lot of them).

May 4
Arden Park Roots (reggae/rock)
Island of Black and White (acoustic/blues/reggae/rock)
The Storytellers (roots/reggae/ska)
Shaun Slaughter (indie/electro/pop)

May 11
Middle Class Rut (rock)
Lite Brite (rock)
Horseneck (rock)
DJ Whores (electro/indie/dub step/alt)

May 18
Nickel Slots (alt-country/Americana)
Infamous Swanks (rockabilly)
Blackeyed Dempseys (Irish rock)
DJ Adam J (indie/dance/alt)

May 25
ZuhG (funk/reggae/jam)
Element of Soul (acoustic/jam rock)
Playboy School (electronic indie/pop)
DJ X’GVNR (pop/top 40/electro/dance/dub step/house)

June 1
Oleander (rock)
Allinaday (rock)
Trackfighter (rock)
Verdugo Brothers (house/top 40)

June 8
Mumbo Gumbo (zydeco/roots/dance)
Todd Morgan and the Emblems (blues/rock/jazz)
DJ Mikey Likes It (top 40/‘80s/‘90s/party groove)

June 15
Relic 45 (blues/rock)
Out of Place (acoustic/alternative/rock)
Sexrat (alternative/rock)
Reggie Ginn (pop)
Shaun Slaughter (indie/electro/pop)

June 22
7 Seconds (punk)
Bastards of Young (punk)
City of Vain (punk)
DJ Whores (electro/indie/dub step/alt)

June 29
The Nibblers (funk)
The Coalition (world beat)
Diva Kings (folk/pop rock)
DJ Fedi

July 6
Full Blown Stone (reggae rock)
Dogfood (alternative rock)
Street Urchinz (reggae/rock)
DJ Nate D

July 13
Another Damn Disappointment (ADD) (punk)
Walking Dead (punk)
A Single Second (punk)
The Left Hand (punk)
DJ Blackheart (house/electro/punk/indie)

July 20
Walking Spanish (blues/indie rock)
Jack and White (alternative/pop rock)
Autumn Sky (folk/pop)
CrookOne (soul/pop/hip-hop/Motown/indie)

July 27
The Brodys (pop/rock)
Early States (pop/rock)
Hero’s Last Mission (pop)
Chaotic Fusion (DJ Oasis & !nkDup) (rock/top 40/dance/mash-ups)

As you probably know by now, this year’s lineup was not booked by longtime promoter Jerry Perry, but instead by a committee of local promoters, musicians and music enthusiasts that go by the name Play Big Sacramento. One committee member, Andy Hawk, who works at Entercom radio stations and promotes Wednesday night shows at Powerhouse Pub in Folsom, recently told Submerge of this year’s lineup, “As a committee we worked with venues, clubs, bookers and musicians in an effort to create a lineup of the best Sacramento has to offer. We have 13 weeks of shows filled with the biggest headliners in town, and have added the most talented DJs in Sacramento to play in the beer garden. Friday Night Concerts in the Park this year will truly be the centerpiece of entertainment in Sacramento this summer.”

Downtown Sacramento does not lack fun things to do on New Year’s Eve, that’s for sure. Allow this breakdown of NYE options to be a bit of a road map to your having an epic night. This surely isn’t everything happening in town, but here are a some great options nonetheless: District 30 (1022 K Street) has DJ Serafin (who is huge in the Los Angeles and Las Vegas club scenes) spinning his seamless integration of house, hip-hop, pop, Bmore and rock. Ace of Spades (1417 R Street) has Hollywood-based rapper Mickey Avalon with openers Big Chocolate and Richard the Rockstar. The Hyatt Regency Sacramento (1209 L Street) has an “Acoustic Lounge” with Quinn Hedges and Ryan Hernandez as well as a bigger/louder party inside their new L on 12 Nightclub with DJ Rated R and the super-fun cover band Cheeseballs. Speaking of cover bands, Shenanigans (705 J Street) has a huge party lined up featuring live music from Departure, a Journey tribute band, as well as 8 Track Massacre, an ‘80s cover band. Old Ironsides (1901 10th Street) has DJs Shaun Slaughter and Roger Carpio for a special NYE Lipstick party. The Blue Lamp (1400 Alhambra Boulevard.) has The Pine Box Boys, an Americana/bluegrass/experimental band from San Francisco along with three opening bands and Marilyn’s on K (908 K Street) has The Mother Hips. This list could easily go on and on, but we’ll spare you. For more NYE party options, click here for our calendar