My home, Sacramento—a forever “up and coming” city—is sometimes just the vacation I need. A weekend at home consists of catching up with friends who I see far too little of, a little rest and relaxation and an obligatory jaunt in the wilderness. The city rings with live music, breweries and coffee shops, local events and art. This two-day itinerary barely scratches the surface of things to do in Sacramento, but it is my attempt at providing a varietal sample of our sweet city.
Sacramento street art
Friday Evening: I’m taking it easy this weekend by starting it off with a beer and a slice (or five) of pizza from The Federalist Public House (2009 Matsui Alley). With or without friends, finding ample people to chat with, or to observe if you’ve had a really long week, is never an issue.
Other dining options I consider as a chill night out:
Midtown’s Cantina Alley (2320 Jazz Alley)
Tres Hermanas (2416 K St.)
Grange (926 J St.)
Empress Tavern (1013 K St.)
Katherine Verseman and Riley Kleeman learn to throw pottery at Sincere Ceramics
Saturday Morning: Welcome the morning with a free yoga session at McKinley Park (601 Alhambra Blvd.) at 9 a.m. (other local options are Maidu park near the library in Roseville, Lions Park near the community center in Folsom, and Community Park near the library in Davis). A short walk over to Temple Coffee (2829 S St.) or Old Soul (812 21st St.) leads you to two Sacramento-famous cafés with a host of caffeinated drinks, snacks and local food (also nearby, you can find Tiferet Coffee House and Identity Coffee, both of which are also fantastic. Again, Sacramento is a coffee capital).
Saturday: Pack a picnic and take a tour of Sacramento’s parks. Beginning with California State Capitol Park (1300 L St.), where there are far too many rules but majestic groves of trees, enjoy a packed lunch on one of the well-watered lawns. Make sure not to throw a frisbee, climb trees, or set up a slackline. For that, we move on to another park: Southside Park (2115 Sixth St.). A part of Sacramento culture is the homeless population, which you will most likely find here, though I have yet to encounter anyone I haven’t gotten along with. Here at Southside Park, throw a frisbee, climb trees, practice your slackline skills, take a walk around the pond and do whatever public park activities you enjoy taking part in. Just keep ‘em legal.
Saturday Evening: Check the schedule and head on over for an hour or two at Sincere Ceramics (5931 Power Inn Road, Ste B). Learn how to throw clay to create bowls, cups or vases, or if that college ceramics class paid off, create something lavish. Used as a meditation by many, Vogue claims, “Pottery Is the New Yoga!”… take that as you will. To finish off the evening, head to Shady Lady Saloon (1409 R St.) for Southern fare and live music at what to me feels like a popular speakeasy.
Flower bouquet from the farmers market
Sunday Morning: Wake up and slowly rise anytime from 8:00 a.m. to noon to catch the Farmer’s Market (Eight and W streets, under the freeway). Fresh and local food, flowers and other goods take over the large open space. Bonus: If it’s raining, the entire market is covered by the bridge.
Sunday: With all the events happening in Sacramento recently, check online for what’s going on this weekend. Whether it’s a brewers festival, a fermentation festival or live music and good food, something is happening. If none of that sounds interesting, go for an outdoor jaunt in Auburn (Cronan Ranch), head up to the Yuba River, wine taste at the Old Sugar Mill (35265 Willow Ave., Clarksburg), or rent a boat (Sacramento Boat Rental) and cruise the Sacramento River while the last bit of summer sticks with us.
Sunday Evening: Wrap up the day with a full relaxation routine from either Capitol Floats (3513 Broadway) or Asha Urban Baths (2417 27th St.). At Capitol Floats, submerge your body in a tub filled with warm water and epsom salts, and observe gravity, temperature, touch and sound fall off your radar as the body’s senses are calmed. Asha Urban Baths is a less intense version of relaxation, filled with warm tubs, hot tubs, cold dips and massages to bring your mind and body back to stasis for the coming week.
Fresh cherries from the farmer’s market
Pack the calendar with all sorts of activities or choose one to become re-introduced into the beauty of Sacramento. Rest, relax and adventure on.
**This piece first appeared in print on page 13 of issue #274 (Sept. 12 – 26, 2018)**
We all need that extra push at times. Every person on this planet knows what it’s like to need encouragement to put themselves out there. That’s what Rik Krull, lead vocalist and guitarist for local indie-folk band Güero needed to put his music out into the world. If it wasn’t for friend and eventual bandmate Wes Davis giving Krull the push he needed, Güero wouldn’t exist.
“It took a while to get Rik interested in playing out,” said Davis. “It’s like, ‘Let’s take this out somewhere!’”
The friends and then roommates decided to play some open mics around the city and the band finally got started in the early 2010s.
Since Davis gave Krull that initial nudge, Güero has grown into a five-piece, and the band’s music has carved out a unique niche for itself.
Today, Krull and Davis are joined by Mike Ruiz on drums, Russell Volksen on bass and Shea Ritchie on keyboard. They are set to release their self-titled debut album and are celebrating its release Oct. 13, 2018, at Old Ironsides. It took some time for the music that appears on that record to be ready for wide release. The band had to go through a few changes that were nearly a decade in the making.
“Before [Ruiz, Ritchie and I joined Güero], it was Wes and Rik. It was different,” said Volksen about the original iteration of the band. “It was just acoustic and banjo. It had a totally different feel. You bring in bass and drums and it kind of gives it more of a pulse.”
Volksen was the first to join Davis and Krull after Davis kept insisting that Volksen needed to come play bass with them. Then came Ruiz because the three were interested to see what the songs would sound like with drums, and he became vital to the project. Ritchie joined after the four asked him to help with recording their music. He hopped on keys and has been with Güero ever since.
That different feel Volksen mentioned comes from the evolution of these songs. Before the band started, Krull had written a huge amount of songs that were never intended to be heard by anyone else.
“When we lived together, [Krull] brought out this archive of songs that he had written that hadn’t seen the light of day,” said Davis.
The guys in Güero say that Krull has even more—“a book full”—of songs that no one has ever heard. It’s easy to assume that some of the band’s debut is made up of those old songs that Krull has been keeping in his back pocket for years; but according to Volksen, the band is always working on new music. And sometimes, the lyrics are sung in Spanish.
“[Krull] has his degree from UC Davis in Spanish,” reported Davis. “He’s spent many a summer in Barcelona. That’s where the name Güero came from because his nickname was always Güero.”
The term güero is slang used in Mexico used to describe someone who is Mexican and has pale skin.
The song “Camino,” which appears on the album, is a six-minute tale about a Greyhound bus trip Krull once took from Northern Mexico back home to Sacramento. If the song’s description on Bandcamp can be trusted, Krull met a man named Red who used a vacuum to suck the change out of vending machines.
If you aren’t Spanish bilingual, and don’t understand all the lyrics from the band’s Spanish tracks, don’t worry; neither do Krull’s bandmates.
“We understand the meanings of the songs and some of the words,” said Davis.
“It’s funny, [Krull] used to [sing in Spanish] a little more because it’s easier to rhyme because a lot of the words end in a similar way,” said Volksen. “There are a couple of lines in that song that I don’t know what they mean, and I’ve been meaning to ask him. It’s been years now!”
The 11-minute epic “Stamp” is a definite highlight of what the band has released thus far. It’s a lush, vibrant composition and comes with more structure than is typical of the standard jam-band fare. It begs the question of where Güero lies in terms of genre.
Their Bandcamp page tags them as “baroque pop” and “synthpop,” while their Facebook will have you believe that the band plays “indie skate rock,” a term Davis and Volksen are pretty sure Submerge coined in a previous issue. None of that is enough to describe the scope of what Güero is employing in their songs.
Davis plays the banjo and the charango, but they aren’t playing bluegrass or traditional Colombian music. Volksen, like many musicians, played jazz band in high school, but that’s not the only influence on his playing. Krull’s voice has been said to be reminiscent of both Jeremy Enigk of Sunny Day Real Estate and Colin Meloy of the Decemberists.
That’s the thing about Güero; all those influences are evident in what the band creates because every member believes in experimentation and taking their own path. That alone, however, isn’t what defines the music. It has its allegiances in terms of sound and genre, but Krull and company made this music because it means something to them. Davis and Volksen would say that much of the focus for their music is on Krull’s voice.
“[Krull] just has a really unique voice and he has a really good ear for cadence,” said Davis. “He’s just naturally gifted.”
“He’s got such a great voice,” continued Volksen. “It’s pretty mind-blowing if you don’t know what you’re expecting. It’s like, ‘Damn, this guy can really sing!’”
Despite that bravado, Güero is a band full of modest members. The songs may start in Krull’s notebook, but the end result is a group effort.
“[Ritchie] is the most gung-ho out of all of us,” said Davis.
“[Ritchie] just wants to give it his all,” said Volksen.
“It’s funny because we have opposite ends of the spectrum,” continued Davis. “[Krull] is not on social media at all. He’s got, like, zero ego. He’s not trying to self-promote. I have to go over to his work to tell all his colleagues about our shows because he’s not telling them. On the opposite side, you’ve got [Ritchie] who’s trying to do all the promotion and the rest of us fall into the middle somewhere.”
It’s a balance that has become integral to the band. That balance and love can be heard in their tracks.
Like the band wrote on their Facebook page, “doesn’t matter where or when; garage or venue …as long as we are together we will continue to do what we love.”
Catch Güero live at Old Ironsides (1901 10th St., Sacramento) Saturday, Oct. 13 to celebrate the release of their self-titled debut CD! Also performing is Dylan Crawford, and André Fylling. Show starts at 9 p.m. $7 at the door and CDs are $8. Güero also hits the stage on Saturday, Oct. 20 at Bar 101 (101 Main St., Roseville) for free! 9:30 p.m. start time. Check out Facebook.com/guerotheband for more info.
**This piece first appeared in print on pages 12 – 13 of issue #275 (Sept. 26 – Oct. 10, 2018)**
Tucked along the Sacramento River lies Garden Highway, a hidden road of splendor with not-so-hidden gems along the river shore. As a child, driving home from the Sacramento Airport would sometimes involve a leisurely stroll down Garden Highway. I remember thinking about the name and envisioning apple orchards on the horizon and banana trees hanging above us. As an adult, I can now recognize clearly (or, not as clearly) and see Garden Highway for what it really is: perhaps not a Garden of Eden, but a beautiful stroll along Sacramento’s waterway with good quality food, drink and recreation. Aside from a fantastic motorcycle ride, this adventure can also be done on bicycle or in a car (or Uber/Lyft/taxi if you plan on getting “off yer trolley”). A great choice for after-work eats, summer night hangouts or early morning jaunts, Garden Highway promotes fantastic river views without overpopulation. Below are a selection of the (mostly boozy) places to visit along the highway.
Rafting the flooded park
Discovery Park (1600 Garden Hwy.)
Beginning from North Sacramento, Discovery Park transcends its reputation as a sanctuary for the homeless and exists as a fantastic daytime destination. Throw a hammock up over the river, bring a blanket with some snacks, ride your bike over the Jibboom Bridge (which is currently closed for renovations but re-opens May 31) or if it’s flooded, grab a raft and float through the park. The potential for Discovery Park is vast, yet it currently holds only a handful of festivals per year.
Crawdads on the River (1375 Garden Hwy.)
Moving west, we arrive at Crawdads. By far one of the most lavish stops along the way, Crawdads is a restaurant that features fresh fish, expensive wine and fantastic views of the river.
Virgin Sturgeon (1577 Garden Hwy.)
With perhaps the best pours in all of Sacramento, Virgin Sturgeon prides itself on down-to-earth service and close-knit family vibes. As one of my favorite stops on the highway, I suggest grabbing your drink of choice and heading down to the dock to watch the sunset. If booze isn’t your thing, stop in for brunch on the weekend, sit outside and enjoy the warm spring breeze on your organic potatoes.
The dock at Virgin Sturgeon
Sandy Cove (2005 Garden Hwy.)
A pup’s haven, a human haven, as long as the crowds are low. As the largest sandy beach that I know of near downtown Sacramento, Sand Cove Park Beach provides space for fishing, swimming, sandy yoga, and it’s one hell of a spot for a cup of morning joe. Oftentimes you will find a tent belonging to a family, who, for the past week has called Sandy Cove their home. I have never encountered issues with people there, but it has made me think about what I can personally do to help solve Sacramento’s homeless issue … “Good or bad, hard to say” (great Ted Talk, look it up).
Swabbies on the River (5871 Garden Hwy.)
Swabbies boasts famous tacos, a dock for boats and jet skis, live music on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and endless picnic tables to host large groups. Almost always, you will find at least three motorcycles here, and more than likely a handful of RVs that seem to have been posted there for months. Go to Swabbies if you’re ready to mingle or drink; stay at Crawdads if you’re feeling bougie.
Teal Bend Golf Club (7200 Garden Hwy.)
With blackberry bushes surrounding the course, snacks are available for those of us who tend to lose focus while the rest of the team wraps up the game. Good cart deals are available on the weekdays, and turkeys tend to find their way onto the greens. Depending on your outlook on turkeys, this can be good or bad. Finish off the day on the 18th hole with a tee over a pond onto the green.
Continuing the journey down Garden Highway leads you to a dirt road and the small town of Nicolaus. Here you have the option to jump on Highway 99 toward Yuba City or jump on El Centro Road to head home. The farmlands that run parallel to the highway create a sense of country living only minutes from the city; this can be valuable after a long day in the office with traffic noise and lingering deadlines. Watch for drunk drivers on your way home and call a ride to save a life. Enjoy a bite to eat, a glass of wine, a walk on the beach and try to find a moment to fully embrace our charming Sacramento River.
**This piece first appeared in print on page 9 of issue #266 (May 21 – June 4, 2018)**
Repeat visitors to one of the area’s biggest and best craft beer festivals, Capitol Beer Fest, will likely be excited about a couple of big changes to this year’s event. First, it’s moving back to its prior location on the wide-open and ever-so-beautiful Capitol Mall Greens, after taking place on the way-too-cramped Fifth Street Bridge in 2017 (most people were not stoked on that location, if social media comments are any indicator). Secondly, the event is moving from a Sunday to a Saturday (March 3, to be exact) so that attendees can enjoy the event and still have some of their weekend left ahead of them (and let’s face it, being hungover on a Monday is the worst!). Organizers are expecting more than 120 craft breweries to be on hand, along with 20 food trucks! You’ll want to take a look at the full lists of participants online at Capitolbeerfest.com, but just a couple that we’re really excited about are: Moksa Brewing Company, a brand new and much-hyped Rocklin brewery; Pizza Port Brewing Company, all the way from Carlsbad; Modern Times Beer, one of the best to emerge out of the insanely awesome San Diego beer scene; and more than a couple of our other favorite locals like Knee Deep out of Auburn; Blue Note out of Woodland; Jack Rabbit out of West Sacramento; Track 7 and Device, both out of Sacramento; and so many others. Tickets to Capitol Beer Fest are on sale now and are $40 for general admission, $65 for VIP, and $15 for a music-only-non-drinker ticket (live tunes provided by Red Dirt Ruckus and Humble Wolf). The event runs from 12 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 3, and it’s for 21-plus only. All of the proceeds from this event benefit the Runnin’ for Rhett Youth Fitness Program, so you’ll be drinking for a great cause.
**This write-up first appeared in print on page 13 of issue #259 (Feb. 12 – 26, 2018)**
The two members of Woodstock, New York-based indie/folk duo Native Harrow are in the midst of their 100-plus date New Year Eyes Tour, and Sacramento is lucky to be on their impressive list of shows. Mark your calendar for this Friday, Feb. 16 and come out to Kupros Craft House (1217 21st St.) for an intimate evening of beautiful live tunes. Vocalist and guitarist Devin Tuel and multi-instrumentalist Stephen Harms surround themselves with a plethora of musical tools on stage, everything from cellos, to drums, to keyboards, to “pawn-shop electrics,” keeping listeners and viewers engaged from start to end. The show is free, kicks off at 9:30 p.m. and is for those 21-and-over only. If you can’t make it to see the wonderful Native Harrow on the 16th, we highly suggest making it a point to check out another live show at Kupros, as it is a Midtown gem, and a perfect place to grab a bite and a pint while kicking back and enjoying some quality music. On Feb. 17 they’ve got Soul Providers, on Feb. 23 the Ross Hammond and Jon Bafus duo will be on hand, and on Feb. 24 the Harley White Jr. Trio will bring the jazz vibes. Learn more about Kupros and their upcoming shows at Facebook.com/KuprosCraftHouse. Learn more about Native Harrow at Nativeharrow.com and be sure to check out their fantastic 2017 album Sorores before heading to the gig.
**This write-up first appeared in print on page 13 of issue #259 (Feb. 12 – 26, 2018)**
“Nowadays, they’ll find any excuse in New Orleans to throw a second line parade,” says Justin Au, trumpet player for Element Brass Band. And that’s because of the energy that hiring a second line band brings. Element Brass Band’s fresh and evolving take on this NOLA tradition combines letting inhibitions go with utmost mastery, adding to a style already rich in history.
Rooted in West African tradition, second line music encourages expression and improvisation. Originating from burial ritual, funeral goers of New Orleans had their own unique way of mourning—marching and singing.
“They would parade down to the gravesite with the body in a slow, solemn march, to lay the body down to rest,” says Byron Colborn, band leader and baritone saxophone player for Element Brass Band, or EBB as they like to hype themselves.
After the procession, funeral marchers would celebrate the deceased’s life and discuss the personal obstacles they’d battled, thus a NOLA funeral showcased a full spectrum of somber music, combined with high-energy partying.
“This was a long-standing tradition that helped develop the second line tradition,” recounts Colborn.
If you’ve ever visited New Orleans, you’re well-acquainted with the brazen energy of improvisational jazz permeating the air, as bands march the streets revving up the people. Usually what you’re seeing in New Orleans are bands-for-hire. It could be a celebration, a birthday, or any kind of event.
“The band goes first down the road, and they’re so loud that you can’t help but hear them, and then the people that follow behind are called the second line. The band is the first line, and the people are the second line,” explains Colborn.
So the crowd is really a part of the band. Collaboration between players and audience is integral to this music style, both in the streets and onstage. Often the body movements that people choose to express also evolved from West African dancing and funeral marches.
“Whenever possible, we try to parade into the club, while Dan banters, and leverages call-and-response, to get the crowd going,” says Au, who began playing with the band in 2012 following grad school, and joined his brother, Brandon, one of the original members.
Dan Smith, their MC, describes the euphoric feeling of engaging a crowd with this music style as a positive feedback loop, and feeling the spirit of the music through the surrounding people.
Yet Element Brass Band is unique from traditional second line music with its infusion of hip-hop.
“Hip-hop is something that’s always been around in our music, especially if you grew up listening to West Coast hip-hop—you can hear a lot of that infused into our music … You wouldn’t really know unless you’re paying attention, like, ‘Did Dr. Dre just come up in that song?’” says Colborn.
When Byron Colborn first joined Element Brass Band, it was about six months in the making, and he replaced the tenor saxophone player who preceded him as a member. Going into their seventh year, Colborn became the band leader because the torch was passed to him. Trumpet player Ryan Robertson, early band leader, moved away to pursue a music career in New Orleans, and Anthony Coleman, also a previous band leader, moved away at the time to pursue academic endeavors. Coleman has since moved to New Orleans, too. They both wanted the band to continue, thus Colborn stepped in to swoop the reigns.
Other members include Gio Antolin (trombone), Brandon Au (trombone), Reagan Branch (tenor saxophone), Ryan Coughran (tenor saxophone), Devoney Dean (drums), Matt Gentry (drums), Billy Maerdian (drums), Courtney Miller (drums), Joby Morrow (trombone), Nick Niebank (trumpet), Jose Ortiz (sousaphone), Brother Perry (trombone), Miss Q (drums), Benwar Shepard (sousaphone and Colborn’s “right hand man”) and Aaron Smith (trumpet).
That’s a lot of players to manage.
“Leading this band is one of the biggest tasks I’ve ever had as a musician,” says Colborn . “Our band is kind of like a rotating blob. We have a lot of core musicians that stay with us most often, and we some of the best musicians in Sacramento, and California for that matter, who are in very high demand. So in order to play with musicians of that caliber, you can’t expect the same five to seven people to be there every time. You have to be willing to roll with that. It takes a lot of coordinating. And not to belittle people or anything, but a lot of patting people on the back to let them know that they’re appreciated.”
“We all feel like kids waiting for that call, for that gig,” says Smith.
One gig that stands out is the sold out show that they played at the legendary Fillmore in San Francisco, at which they accompanied the California Honey Drops. During intermission, in an effort to keep the vibe going while the headliner took a break, they went down into the crowd with a huge spotlight on them. The energy of the crowd went absolutely wild in the best way with this unexpected “intermission.”
Another gig at Starline Social Club in Oakland, with MJ’s Brass Boppers, was a friendly fight concert that mimicked a battle of the bands.
“That’s the first time we really got into something like what they do in New Orleans,” says Colborn. The bands will be doing their second lines, and sometimes they’ll just come around a corner, and there’s another band. But it’s not an aggressive thing, it’s like, let’s do a musical battle right here. And they respectfully take turns, little snippets. And you get it sizzling, and then the next band goes. So we did that with the Brass Boppers, and it was not just us playing for tips on the corner, this was us playing like they do in New Orleans.”
EBB have got a lot of impressive performances under their belts. They played the March of Science, the Women’s March and Concerts in the Park two years running, where they brought 18 to 20 people onstage as a rare outpouring of EBB members. They founded the first annual Mardi Gras parade in Sacramento with help from the Torch Club (904 15th St.) and other venues. Now in its fifth year, this year’s parade takes place starting at Mulvaney’s B&L (1215 19th St.) on Fat Tuesday. Each year, it has increased in popularity. They also once produced an ongoing concert series called Flow at Assembly Music Hall, in partnership with Jay Siren and Andru Defeye. They also recently collaborated with Defeye, a local poet and activist, for a performance at Crocker Art Museum.
Music is the heart and soul of New Orleans, and second line music is one of its biggest unique contributions to the international music scene. It relies on gang vocals, escalating horns, a fun French influence, flirtatious percussion, crowd collaboration and melody to produce its characteristic mischievous and uplifting sound. It sounds so sweet you can almost taste the beignets.
EBB’s upcoming, free, album release party for their second LP, Cali Got a Brass Band, takes place on Feb. 13, 2018, following the Fat Tuesday parade, at Shady Lady (1409 R St.). The new record features cover art by Sacramento artist Shaun Burner. Vinyl copies will be available at local record stores soon, at which time there will be a separate vinyl release party. In the meantime, you can score the LP online via digital download.
This is a really big deal for the band, as their last album came out six years back, and this one is all original music, recorded with Clubhouse Studios. Burner’s cover art blends a New Orleans color palette and symbology with Sacramento and California archetypes.
Ladies, they marched with us. Let’s march with them. The parade starts at Mulvaney’s at 4:30 p.m., and ends at the Torch Club. The Shady Lady album release starts at 9 p.m. Bring your costumes, beads, feathers and good cheer.
The band is also planning a summer tour to promote their album release. They’ve got a great fan base in Sacramento and they’re ready to take their show on the road.
“It’s not just about getting paid,” says Colborn, “it’s about community. When we lift people up, it makes the music rise higher.”
And no matter where you live, that’s an idea we can all get behind.
March on down to Shady Lady (1409 R St., Sacramento) to celebrate the release of Element Brass Band’s brand new album on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018. While you’re at it, you might as well make a day of it and pre-game with the band at the annual Mardi Gras parade beginning at 4:30 p.m. at Mulvaney’s B&L (1215 19th St., Sacramento). All ages are welcome to the parade.
**This article first appeared in print on pages 20 – 21 of issue #258 (Jan. 29 – Feb. 12, 2018)**
Sacramento Bacon Fest is back for the seventh year in a row! The second week of February will be chock-full of pork-themed events, kicking off the festivities with the Bacon Fest Opening Party at Empress Tavern on Feb. 6, and ending with the infamous (and already sold-out) Chef’s Challenge at Mulvaney’s B&L on Feb. 11. Tickets might go fast for the main events, but don’t worry: there are a dozen other bacon-themed celebrations happening throughout the week. There will be a Bacon Cocktail Competition held at Bottle and Barlow on Feb. 7, and on Feb. 8 you can attend the annual Skee Ball Tournament at Two Rivers Cider Company (which will feature bacon-inspired food and the opportunity to win tickets the the sold-out final event) or a surprise bacon-themed event at LowBrau. On Feb. 9, Revolution Wines is hosting a Bacon and Wine Happy Hour, and the Torch Club will be presenting the sixth annual Kevin Bacon Soundtrack Tribute Show. You also have opportunities to satisfy your bacon craving on Feb. 10, with options ranging from bacon dim sum at Canon, bacon food trucks and brews in Curtis Park, and bacon and beer at Selland’s Market-Cafe and Bike Dog Brewery. And on Feb. 11, you have two bacon-themed brunches to choose from: one at Magpie Cafe and one at Hook and Ladder. With the exception of the events held at bars, Bacon Fest is open to all ages. Find out more about Sacramento Bacon Fest at Facebook.com/SacramentoBaconFest.
**This write-up first appeared in print on page 15 of issue #258 (Jan. 29 – Feb. 12, 2018)**
In case you haven’t picked up our last couple issues or aren’t following us online (which you should be!), Submerge turns 10 years old in 2018! Yes, time sure flies when you’re always on a deadline. It was way back on Feb. 4, 2008, when we distributed our first issue around the greater Sacramento area. To celebrate the past decade of our local music, art and culture coverage, we’re throwing a party on Saturday, Feb. 3 at Holy Diver, an all-ages music venue located at 1517 21st St. in Midtown Sacramento. It’s sure to be a good one, so keep on reading to get to know the artists playing the show, and please come on out.
SCREATURE
Genre: Dark Psych/Goth/Punk
Must Hear: Old Hand New Wave (2018, Ethel Scull Records)
Listen: Screature.bandcamp.com
Bow down. This is Screature’s world and we’re all just living in it. This local four-piece is a force to be reckoned with, and this is their moment—a dark, heavy, powerful moment. Having just seen them live in late 2017, I can say they must be experienced in person to be fully appreciated, as they are very well-rehearsed and firing on all cylinders right now. Their new album, Old Hand New Wave, was released just weeks ago on Jan. 19, and it is a fucking monster. Produced by Chris Woodhouse (known for his work with Oh Sees and Ty Segall, among many others), it is easily one of this local music geek’s favorite albums to come out of Sacramento in a long time.
“Whenever and wherever Sacramento’s Screature take the stage, they bring a 4 a.m. world of dread with them, embodying completely a dark strain of rock music that first sparked in the underground nearly 40 years ago … Play their music in a darkened bedroom, and things begin to crawl.”
— Submerge contributor Andrew Russell in his piece on Screature from issue #257. Click here to read more!
HORSENECK
Genre: Rock/Post Hardcore/Stoner Metal
Must Hear: Heavy Trip (2017, Self-released)
Listen: Horseneck.bandcamp.com
Get ready for a sweaty good time, because local headbangers Horseneck are back and ready to melt faces! Made up of members of notable Sacramento bands like Will Haven, Chelsea Wolfe, Eightfourseven and Red Host (just to name a few), Horseneck are veterans in the scene, yes; but they still rock like limber youngsters. Guitar strings might be broken, drum heads will likely be smashed, there may even be a little blood and ear plugs will most definitely be necessary. Horseneck hasn’t played a local show in many, many months, due in part to their badass drummer Jess Gowrie being out on tour for much of 2017 with the aforementioned Wolfe, so don’t miss them at our party!
“Existing somewhere within the sonic field of Murder City Devils and Red Fang, Heavy Trip sounds like a band unafraid to push the coveted tenets of heavy music to more nuanced volumes.”
— Submerge assistant editor Ryan J. Prado in his piece on Horseneck from issue #232. Click here to read more!
DESTROY BOYS
Genre: Punk/Rock
Must Hear: Sorry, Mom (2017, Uncool Records)
Listen: Destroyboys.bandcamp.com
One of the most exciting and promising young acts to come out of Sacramento in recent years, Destroy Boys are doing things the old fashioned way: playing lots of shows up and down the West Coast, winning over fans with their raw and infectious garage-punk sound, and having fun while giving zero shits. No marketing gimmicks here, folks; Destroy Boys are the real deal. Self-described as, “What would happen if Blondie stumbled into a Misfits recording session,” Destroy Boys even earned a mention in Rolling Stone by Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong in 2016, before the band’s two main members, Alexia Roditis and Vi Mayugba, had even graduated from high school! These days, they are playing as a four-piece, with Enzo from the band MT. EDDY on bass and a “very special guest playing drums.” Rumor has it Destroy Boys has been recently doing some recording in a Los Angeles studio, so we’re beyond excited to see what comes of that.
“Scrambled up, punk-ass garage rock—songs ranging from folky to full of angst and rage … Make no mistakes: The band, however wacky, loud and obnoxious, still wants to be taken seriously. They’re not just a bunch of fuckups.”
— Submerge contributor Josh Fernandez in his piece on Destroy Boys from issue #216. Click here to read more!
SAM I JAM (LE TWIST)
Genre: Electronic/Indie/Dance
Listen: Soundcloud.com/sam_i_jam
Sam I Jam is a local DJ and event curator known for his Le Twist parties inside LowBrau. Through Le Twist, he has introduced Sacramento showgoers to numerous cutting-edge touring bands that it might not have otherwise had the pleasure of being able to see, along with guest DJs and local bands. Whether it’s music, art, fashion, food, whatever, the man has exquisite taste, and we’re beyond stoked he’s on board to play some jams at our party. He’ll be downstairs setting the vibe along with special guests popping in throughout the night.
Come see all these artists and some special guests on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018, at Holy Diver for our 10-Year Anniversary Party! Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and all ages are welcome. While technically a free show, we are asking for a $5 to $10 donation at the door to raise money for a cancer charity in honor of our dearly missed assistant editor Mandy, who passed away in December 2015 after losing her battle with cancer. So please, bring some donations in Mandy’s honor! Follow us @SubmergeMag on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for more.
Prepare for a night of face-melting riffs and debaucherous rock when Queens of the Stone Age, along with their partners in crime Eagles of Death Metal, come to Sacramento. Since forming out of the ashes of frontman Josh Homme’s former band Kyuss in the mid-1990s, QOTSA has seen its share of band members come and go (including the likes of Mark Lanegan and Dave Grohl), but what has remained true throughout is Homme’s penchant for writing punchy, riff-heavy songs that bear an almost hallucogenic catchiness. The band released its seventh album, Villains in August of 2017, and has been touring the world in support of it ever since. You can check them out live at the Memorial Auditorium (1515 J St.) on Jan. 30. You can purchase tickets through the band’s website, Qotsa.com, or call (800) 225-2277. Just know, you may have to call out of work the next day, what with your melted face and all …
At the dawn of the decade—a blink of an eye ago, and yet seemingly a bygone era—South Florida’s Surfer Blood seized the indie blog zeitgeist with their brand of perpetually sunny, reverb-drenched power-pop, spearheaded by singles like “Swim” and “Floating Vibes,” the choruses of which are still echoing in fan sing-alongs, TV and video game soundtracks.
Since then, however, the tide has turned in on itself time and again, almost on a yearly basis. From being dropped by Warner Brothers Records following their sophomore album Pythons, to lead guitarist Thomas Fekete’s re-diagnosis and succumbing to cancer between their last two releases, Surfer Blood’s trajectory has been constantly re-routing since it first began. On the music front, they’ve faced a similar situation to other bands of an “endless summer” outlook that debuted around the same time (Best Coast, Wavves, etc.), who have had to contend with the storm clouds of the increasingly divergent and sometimes grim-faced modes indie rock has taken.
All of this says more about the capricious whims of the novelty-hungry hype machine than the artistic evolution of the band. The past few years has seen Surfer Blood regroup to produce some of their most interesting, well-crafted statements. It may be a gentler, more reflective, fine-tuned beast than the one encountered in the brazen wash of their first two albums, but the Surfer Blood of 2017 (two original members, John Paul Pitts and Tyler Schwarz plus two new additions, high school friends Lindsey Mills and Mike McCleary) has managed to stake out a new swath of territory to explore, with their most ambitious songwriting to date.
Whatever clouds may have hung over the release of their fourth album, Snowdonia, back in February, the result was a faithfully balmy, yet more melodically complex installment in an oeuvre marked by insuppressible optimism. Aside from a decidedly psychedelic flavor on tracks like “Instant Doppelgängers” and the title track (their longest song at nearly eight minutes), the clearest indication of a change in artistic latitude is the stark, understated Antarctic photography that serves as the album’s artwork. If the group has come to a similar place of icy stillness and reflection, then it is only on the route to warmer climes.
In October, they issued their latest release, an album of cover songs fittingly titled Covers, which showcases every facet of Surfer Blood’s sensibility, and confirms their efforts to embody a mood rather than a genre—the coy romanticism of New Zealand indie band The Verlaines, the unkempt rock exhibitionism of Mudhoney, the hyper-pop surge of Outkast’s “Hey Ya!,” the nostalgic chug of Polaris’ “Hey Sandy” and the latent unconventional inclusions by Pavement and Cream.
On Jan. 20, 2018, a string of West Coast tour dates will bring Surfer Blood (once again) to Blue Lamp in Midtown. In preparation, we recently dropped a line to John Paul Pitts to talk about the role of the band’s far-flung influences, finding solace in a time of tragedy and transformation for the band, and settling into the creative long-run.
I wanted to talk about influences, because the most recent release from Surfer Blood is a covers album. What do these songs mean to you? Had you always planned to do a covers release at some point?
I’d say they’re artists who a lot of them were around during my formative years as a young musician, like The Verlaines and all the Flying Nun Records bands that I got into. Some of the songs we’d already recorded for fun, like “I Melt With You” by Modern English, and over the course of six years or so, they start to pile up, and we realized we had enough material for an LP. Mike [McCleary] the guitarist has a studio space—many of them we had done in band practice before. All of the songs sound really different, recorded at different times in different spaces, with different equipment, with different band members—just sort of all over the place. If nothing else, it’s a nice trip down memory lane.
You’ve said you went to a more arts-oriented high school. Would you say you were introduced to “indie” or “underground music” at an early age? Did you have any older siblings that influenced your music taste?
I think I was into what most kids around me at the time were into—At the Drive In, a lot of emo and some older punk stuff, a lot of the DC hardcore stuff. I was messing around, playing a little bit of guitar. I didn’t have any older siblings, but I did have an older friend who was very influential. He gave me a copy of You’re Living All Over Me by Dinosaur Jr. when I was in ninth grade, and it was like the mother lode, because it still had the same sort of edginess as the contemporary stuff I was into at the time, but it was also sensitive, and the singing was softer. The guitar solos were very melodic and emotional, and I really connected with that. I just started writing songs in that vein. You know, sincere and a little bit sappy, lots of layers of buzzy guitar, fast tempos. This was when all of the pieces connected for me as a songwriter, so I’m very grateful to my older friend for introducing me to such great music. I started taking it all in, and here I am, 15 years later.
There’s more of a psychedelic bent to Surfer Blood’s latest work. What influenced this change?
I’m always being exposed to new music. When Thomas [Fekete] was alive, I was very lucky to have somebody who was seemingly a bottomless well of knowledge. He could talk with authority about most forms of musical genres and movements. Most of it is just being around people who are smart and have really good taste, and aren’t afraid to tell you what their opinions are. I guess for Snowdonia, I was listening to a lot of Can, which was one of Thomas’ favorite bands. I admire their level of improvisation, which is something I’ve tried to cultivate with this band in the past few years, turning the live show into something more extended, jammier and dynamic.
I think [on Snowdonia] there was a deliberate focus on not coming up with an idea and automatically assuming that it had to be a straightforward pop song, and I’m really happy with the result. When you’re brainstorming, I think it’s probably a good thing to not have too many preconceived plans or notions about the ideas that are coming to you.
The time period of Snowdonia’s recording and release was heavily affected by Thomas’ passing.
It’s definitely put everything into perspective, that life is so short and fragile. You can only take all of this so seriously. At the end of the day, the music has to be fun, and it has to be enjoyable … Now, it’s so clear that everything happens for a reason. If I hadn’t met Thomas, I might still be in Florida working at a restaurant or doing some other job. This was always my passion to be writing and recording music and touring. You know, we got to spend the golden years of our lives traveling around the world with our best friends and playing music together. In hindsight, all the work was its own reward. And I’m really grateful to have gotten the opportunity to be on the level that we’ve been able to.
You’ve said that the idea for “Snowdonia” came from a dream where a muse-like figure—a wintry snow-woman—came to visit you. Why do you think she came to you?
Probably just because I needed to be comforted by something at the time … I was making demos for this album, Thomas had left the band months before for health reasons, and Kevin, who had been in the band for years and who I had known since we were kids, was leaving the band and moving away to have a more stable adult life. I was back in my apartment again writing these weirder songs, wondering if it was a huge mistake, or if I was on the right path. There was something about that dream that tried to help me get the ball rolling, and this long, winding song, “Snowdonia,” came out of it. The character represents the solace, and ironically, the warmth of committing to something again.
What was it like writing songs alone for the first time?
It was extremely hard because, I guess like a lot of millennials, I like to get affirmation super quick as soon as I get an idea, and there was just crickets, you know? But I’ve been trying to stop being so much of a perfectionist and work and rework the same songs over and over, and unfortunately that’s my nature.
After eight years and four albums, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned about yourself/being in a band?
If there’s one thing I learned about this, it’s that maybe I don’t do too well under pressure. When we were on a major label, working with really notable, talented people with lots of experience, I don’t know if that’s great for me, actually. But now, even though this record was challenging, I think things started coming my way. As I get older, I realize I’m more private and introverted than I thought I was when I was younger. Going from 2010, just being a community college student to someone traveling the world and constantly being interviewed, it was more shocking than I thought it would be. I’d been a bit optimistic in thinking I could bite off more than I could chew. The whole thing was a learning experience.
Would you say the current iteration of Surfer Blood has found its footing? Has your approach to music changed?
For one, I’m much older, and probably much wiser than I was when I was young. I can say that now. I try not to set expectations anymore. I think setting expectations is what caused us to sign to a huge label that we had no business being on so early in our career. Now we’re in a zone that’s comfortable, and that’s not a terrible thing. We’re on a label that really appreciates us, has tons of good ideas and is super supportive and helpful—just a great overall place, and I’m sure we’ll continue making music with them. We’re touring in a way where we don’t get too burnt out or homesick, or where it gets too uncomfortable to be fun, and without spending too much money. Right now my bandmates are the easiest people to be with eight to 10 hours a day, I know them all well, they’re super easy-going, they’re not dramatic, and all the stars are aligned to keep doing this in a sustainable way where we’ll be healthy and keep chugging along.
What’s changed in indie rock or music in general since you started out near the turn of the decade?
It’s hard for me to tell. I mean, obviously, the elephant in the room is that record labels won’t stay in business forever. People were complaining about that when our first record came out, and a decade before that. Most people are just trying to make their way in this crazy world where people are over-stimulated with all the content falling in and out of their lives. I know things change, but at the same time, nothing changes.
Finally, what music should I listen to this week that’ll change my life?
There’s this guy named Tony Molina who lives in Oakland who I have gotten really into the past six or seven months. He used to play in this band called Ovens. You can find the album online—it has a black and white cover, all the songs are like 20 seconds long. If you hear it, you’ll definitely understand why someone in Surfer Blood would like a band like that.
See Surfer Blood live at Blue Lamp (1400 Alhambra Blvd., Sacramento) on Jan. 20, 2018, at 9 p.m. Tickets are $14 in advance and can be purchased through Abstractpresents.com. Terry Malts and Honyock will also be performing.
**This interview first appeared in print on pages 16 – 17 of issue #256 (Jan. 1 – 15, 2018)**
