December 2005

At your own risk

Eddie December 29, 2005 0 Comment

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 0 Comment

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 0 Comment

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 0 Comment

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)