2005

At your own risk

Eddie December 29, 2005 No Comments

Instrumental music is not for everyone. In fact, upon hearing it, certain people have been known to break out in severe rashes followed by bouts of nausea, delirium and finally … death. For those who can endure music that requires a great deal of forethought and patience, one band in the Sacramento Valley delivers the goods and then some. Strike Him Centurion is an underground phenomenon in these parts. The band recently opened for Team Sleep without an album or any merchandise to speak of. Fans of the Kranky or Temporary Residence Ltd. record labels will enjoy Strike Him Centurion’s song selection as well as its insistence on keeping shows word-of-mouth rather than press-driven affairs. (Sorry, guys.) If you’re looking for the perfect elixir for the pre-New Year’s Eve blues, the band’s upcoming show at the Red Square, located at 1121 Alhambra Boulevard, should do the trick. It starts Friday at 9 p.m. with Scene Index and Times of Desperation. Admission is free for all ages, as are the music samples at www.myspace.com/strikehimcenturion.

(SN&R)

Two joints and a partridge in a pear tree

Eddie December 22, 2005 No Comments

From Pink Floyd to U2, the Jackson 5 to the Smiths, it seems that every prominent band has someone around who’s willing to take a stab at covering its body of work. Sublime Remembered is one of the latest tribute bands to take the club circuit by storm. Led by Long Beach native Q-Ball, along with his cohorts Rudy Fya, Wes Register and DJ Vegas Vibe, this cover band does justice to Sublime’s unfortunately curtailed body of work. Although the band was formed earlier this year, it already has headlined (and packed) more than a handful of club and festival shows. Sublime Remembered makes a triumphant return to everybody’s favorite Orangevale haunt, The Boardwalk at 9426 Greenback Lane, on Friday at 8:30 p.m.—just in time for Christmas! Admission is $15, and all ages are welcome. Visit www.boardwalkrocks.com for more details.
(SN&R)

Spike the eggnog

Eddie December 8, 2005 No Comments

Although Christmas has become synonymous with shopping excess and overflow parking at the local malls, there is one annual event that is sure to please everyone and then some. The Christmas Jug Band will perform a run of shows that includes Mill Valley, Healdsburg, Sutter Creek and, of course, Winters. This group of traveling gypsies and working musicians from the Bay Area not only puts its own drunken, comical twist on our favorite holiday classics, but also pens some originals. Forget “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” and prepare to be surprised. With a rotating cast of characters that includes Austin de Lone (Commander Cody), Paul Rogers (Those Darn Accordions), Jim Rothermel (Van Morrison and Jesse Colin Young), Norton Buffalo and more, the group is surely one of the season’s greatest pleasures. The Christmas Jug Band plays the Palms Playhouse, located at 13 Main Street in Winters, on Wednesday. The show starts at 8 p.m. and costs $15. All ages are welcome. Call (530) 795-1825 for more information.
(SN&R)

It’s a power-chord Christmas

Eddie December 1, 2005 No Comments

The death of hairspray rock and the heavy-metal invasion of the ’80s left a plethora of musicians in need of a day, err, night job. Former Savatage member Jon Oliva, keyboardist Robert Kinkel, and producer/musician extraordinaire Paul O’Neill became the core songwriters of one of the longest running Christmas-themed institutions: the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. A heavy dose of rock ’n’ roll, a heaping dollop of classical music and some well-trained opera singers result in one of the season’s biggest-selling live attractions. The touring troupe features a bevy of studio musicians that has included Testament’s Alex Skolnick, Megadeth’s Al Pitrelli and others. Since its inception in 1996, the orchestra has amassed enough material to make last year’s The Christmas Trilogy box set. Now fans of both operatic rock and Santa Claus have something to wax nostalgic about every winter. Trans-Siberian Orchestra plays Arco Arena on Saturday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are $47.75 on the main floor, $27.75–$47.75 for the lower level, and $27.75 for upper-level seats. All ages are welcome.
(SN&R)

Space age for all ages

Eddie November 24, 2005 No Comments

Some Sacramentans complain that live music is boring or stale. Those same folks should take in at least one Phenomenauts show before making any more snide comments. Formed almost six years ago, this Bay Area-based band has earned a reputation as one of the hardest-working bands in Northern California. The group coined the term “rocket roll” to describe its blend of rockabilly, surf, pop and onstage antics. If you’re looking for a band whose attention is dedicated to sci-fi and whose members aren’t afraid to wear commando outfits, look no further. Fans of the Groovie Ghoulies, Devo and old-school surf rock should seek out the band’s albums in addition to making a trek to the newly opened all-ages club Junta. Not since Mark Mothersbaugh revamped the Devo lineup has there been a more exciting live event. The Phenomenauts play Junta, located at 719 K Street, with the Knockoffs, Dynamite 8, the Walking Dead and Ashtray, on Friday at 7 p.m. The cover is $8. Visit www.phenomenauts.com for more info.

(SN&R)

A dash of aggro

Eddie November 17, 2005 No Comments

Trapt’s first album for Warner Bros. sold an amazing 2 million records. The members of this Los Gatos-bred quartet toured their collective asses off and watched their single, “Headstrong,” become one of 2003’s biggest rock anthems. Even though these South Bay transplants can’t spell correctly, they continue to hit the stages in support of their sophomore album, Someone In Control. Of course, Trapt is already a household name in these parts, since the band cut its teeth playing at The Boardwalk. If you like melodic rock replete with tempo changes and a dash of aggro, you can’t go wrong with Trapt. (Spell check, boys?) The band rocks the Empire Events Center, located at 15th and R streets, on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18.50 in advance and $20 at the door. Also on the bill are Blindside and newcomers Aphasia. All ages are welcome. Visit www.empireeventscenter.com for more info.
(SN&R)

The BellRays toll for thee

Eddie November 10, 2005 No Comments

In the last six months, Sacramento has been treated to a plethora of touring musical talent that rivals most major cities’ concert options. One such band, the BellRays, will do its best to bring back R&B and garage rock ’n’ roll in the same performance this Friday night. Take any R&B diva (Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, et al.) and imagine her singing over the ruckus of an adept garage band (not necessarily an oxymoron), and you’re halfway there. Also on the bill are local legends Sonic Love Affair, whose last full-length reminded us why the major labels have been reissuing the Stooges’ records. San Francisco’s Chow Nasty opens the show. The show begins at 8 p.m., at The Library, located at 7042 Folsom Boulevard. Admission is $10. 21 and over only. Visit www.abstractpresents.com for more info.

(SN&R)

Jello uber alles

Eddie November 3, 2005 No Comments

Ex-Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra endured great hardship in a much-publicized lawsuit against his bandmates (they sued and won rights to the band’s entire back catalog), but he has maintained a steady release schedule on his Alternative Tentacles label. From politically fused releases like Robert F. Williams’ Freedom Archives and several works by Noam Chomsky to albums by Japanese rock-gods Ex-Girl, his label is wholly and utterly unclassifiable. The merger of Biafra with sonic-dissonance kings the Melvins is now captured (again) in all its splendor on Sieg Howdy, the artists’ second commercially released collaboration to date. If the last Dead Kennedys incarnation made you nauseous, a steady diet of this super group should make you smile. On their latest platter, the band tear through a cover of Alice Cooper’s “Halo of Flies” and even manage to update the Kennedys’ classic “California Uber Alles.” Jello Biafra and the Melvins play the Boardwalk, located at 9426 Greenback Lane in Orangevale, on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. Th’ Losin Streaks open the all-ages show. Tickets are $15 in advance and $17 on the day of the show. Visit www.boardwalkrocks.com for info.
(SN&R)

Metal? At the Boardwalk?

Eddie October 27, 2005 No Comments

The ’80s produced much more than A Flock of Seagulls, Spandau Ballet and Kajagoogoo. The Bay Area’s then-burgeoning thrash-metal scene released such heavyweights as Metallica, Megadeth and Testament on an unsuspecting public, but lesser-known bands like Exodus were the real cream of the crop. The band’s first record, Bonded By Blood, is considered a desert-island disc by the most discerning metal aficionados. While Exodus has endured countless lineup changes, the death of its original lead vocalist and multiple drug problems, the band’s releases have always been one step ahead of the metal curve. Guitarist Gary Holt is the only original member these days, but he’s backed by ex-Slayer skins man Paul Bostaph and Lee Altus of Heathen. They’re touring in support of Shovel Headed Kill Machine, an album that echoes the band’s short-lived Capitol Records years. Exodus plays an all-ages show at the Boardwalk, located at 9426 Greenback Lane in Orangevale, on Wednesday with Three Inches Of Blood, Crisis, Watch Them Die and Irritant. Advance tickets are $20, and the music starts at 8:30 p.m. Missing this show wouldn’t be good for your health.

(SN&R)

Cage match: Winters vs. Sacramento

Eddie October 20, 2005 No Comments

The frequency of quality shows coming to the town of Winters these days is enough to make Sacramentans jealous. With an October and November lineup that takes the best bands from Berkeley haunts like the Freight and Salvage Coffeehouse and Ashkenaz and mixes in regulars from San Francisco clubs like Slim’s and the Great American Music Hall, the Palms Playhouse is making quite a name for itself. Next Wednesday’s show features the inimitable Dave Alvin with his band, the Guilty Men, and country troubadour Robbie Fulks in tow. Sure, it’s been a while since Alvin’s old band the Blasters released American Music (25 years in fact), but that’s not the point. His solo material is the real meat and potatoes, and his new album, Ashgrove, surely will please old and new fans alike. If you like folk, blues and a little rock ’n’ roll, Alvin’s live show is a must. Opener Fulks can be quite a funny chap as well. The show starts at 8 p.m., and admission is $20. The Palms is located at 13 Main Street in Winters. Visit www.palmsplayhouse.com or call (530) 795-1825 for more information.

(SN&R)