Thurs., July 23, 9 p.m., Sophia’s Thai Kitchen, $5
Touring these days is hard for an indie band. Not only are transportation costs high, finding a place to lay your head for a couple of hours is also daunting. Luckily, Los Angeles’ Northern American is on a West Coast tour anyway—promoting its fantastic new album Modern Phenomena which features some near perfect pop ditties. Check out the dreamy and ethereal “Somewhere Out There” or even the album’s strongest track, “Strange Behavior,” which shuffles and soars with its blissful harmonies and Brit-pop leanings. Fans of Travis, Kent or anything close will adore what they hear. Also on the bill are Social Studies and Spectacular Spectacular. 129 E Street, Suite E, in Davis; www.facebook.com/NorthernAmerican.
This event will feature a plethora of talented individuals in an artistic battle. Come root for your favorite hairstyle, makeup or fashion statement. There will be many vendors on hand showing off and selling their wares and it’s a great way to find that new hairstylist you’ve been looking for. If there was ever a trade show worth attending for stylists, fashion and makeup experts—and customers alike—this would be it. $30-$125, 5 p.m. at the Scottish Rite Center, 6151 H Street, www.hairandfashionbattle.com.
The river’s edge: If you’ve never made the brief sojourn down the Garden Highway to visit Swabbie’s Restaurant & Bar (5871 Garden Highway) for an outdoor concert, you still have time this summer. This wonderful little restaurant and bar—one of the area’s worst-kept secrets— is located right along the Sacramento River and hosts some of the best local and regional tribute acts.
Last Saturday’s soiree was no exception as Riff Raff (an AC/DC tribute band), Whoville (a Who tribute band) and the particularly fun sidestage act Two20 (a band that pays tribute to modern rock from the ’80s and ’90s) certainly delivered the goods.
Whoville singer Jeffry-Wynne Prince donned a British flag shirt and got the crowd front and center for most of the set. And although the band was distracted by a couple of technical difficulties, most in attendance didn’t notice any inconsistencies. In true rock ’n’ roll fashion, Whoville brushed it off.
The night’s headliner Riff Raff has been a staple on the Swabbie’s calendar for quite some time and for very good reason. Not only does singer Mike Barnes book the talent at the riverside venue, but he does a great job delivering Bon Scott and Brian Johnson classics.
From the opening notes of “Bad Boy Boogie” through to Johnson-era classics like “Have A Drink On Me” and “Hell’s Bells,” the band exhibited no shortage of enthusiasm. As the able rhythm section held it together, lead guitarist David Chapman worked the large outdoor crowd into a frenzy, aping every cool Angus Young move and then some.
Chapman, who also played with AC/DZ, is known by nearly every working tribute act on the scene for not only being a cool, easygoing dude, but a helluva showman. And while he spent most of the night standing on tables and sitting on fans while playing guitar, his antics left nearly everyone in the crowd smiling.
Sat., July 18, 9 p.m., The Hideaway Bar & Grill, $8
The Scouse Gits, which feature some of the area’s most talented dirty rock and blues purveyors, are back to separate the men from the boys. If you’re into smart, lo-fi fare and want to see ’em at a venue best suited for their style, this one is a win-win. Take a listen to the blues-driven “Anytime” from their unreleased demo on YouTube or watch one of the few full shows they’ve released. Also featured on this wonderfully crafted bill are Drive-Thru Mystics (celebrating their third anniversary), San Kazakgascar and Kicksville Vinyl & Vintage’s Tim Matranga, who has a better record collection than everyone reading this combined. 2565 Franklin Boulevard, www.facebook.com/SactoHideaway.
The Center for the Arts in Grass Valley is producing the 19th annual California World Fest this year and the lineup is better than ever. From Beats Antique to Lucinda Williams to Richard Thompson, it would seem there is no shortage of talent.
As luck would have it, Los Angeles’ Dengue Fever is one of the festival’s many featured acts. Ever since the release of their debut self-titled album in 2003, the band has been shaking up dance floors. From clubs in Southern California to shows abroad, this quirky ensemble has delivered a heady mix of Cambodian pop, garage rock and even psychedelia.
Dengue Fever’s songs are timeless and singer Chhom Nimol often sings in her native Cambodian language, Khmer, in addition to English. The band is rounded out by the talents of keyboardist Ethan Holtzman, his brother Zac (formerly of Dieselhed) on guitars, saxophonist David Ralicke (Beck and Brazzaville), drummer Paul Dreux Smith and bassist Senon Williams (Radar Brothers).
“The original idea of the band was simply doing ‘60s psychedelic rock from Cambodia but soon became something much different. When my brother and I were learning the songs initially, I was playing accordion. Later I picked up a Farfisa [organ made in the ‘60s and ‘70s] after visiting many different vintage shops,” said keyboardist Ethan.
Ethan cut his teeth first learning accordion from one of the greatest names in the industry. “I learned most of the keyboards from playing accordion at first. I studied with a teacher named Milton Mann and learned from his four different books. He was such an incredible musician and I learned a great deal from him,” he said.
Ethan soon realized that the Farfisas needed to be warmed up to work properly. He found out the hard way that the organs were extremely finicky instruments during a visit to Russia. “When we played at a festival in Russia, I brought the Farfisa, but the keys went flat and I had to use a different keyboard,” he said. “It was very challenging trying to re-learn those parts and find those sounds on the fly. I did play a second set later at a club and [the Farfisa] worked just fine.”
These days, he isn’t taking any chances on his equipment. “I ended up buying a Nord Stage keyboard, which I use when we play live now. It has all the sounds that I need and more,” he said.
Ethan’s keyboard parts, however, are not made without much thought and deliberation. “First I try to find a tone that fits the song best. One of the best things about playing keyboards is you have an infinite amount of unique sounds to pull from. I like the variety,” he said. “I just try to find a rhythm and the notes that work around the vocals or other instruments. Once we have all recorded our parts we have listening sessions then we talk about what we like, what clashes and what needs to be changed.”
Dengue Fever’s latest album, The Deepest Lake took some time to record. There was a long break of four years in between full-length albums.
“We started our own record label so that took a little bit of time to get things sorted,” Ethan explained. “Writing is one of those things that takes a little longer with us because we want to get the vocals and the music exactly as we think it should be.”
Curious listeners looking for the lost sounds of the Vietnam War era and the psychedelic sounds of the ‘60s will get lost in wonderful tracks on the new album, like the beautiful “Golden Flute,” which closes the record, and “Deepest Lake on the Planet,” which shuffles and sways with reckless aplomb.
Ethan lists the latter as one of his favorites from the new album as well. “‘The Deepest Lake’ is one of my favorite songs. It feels like we ventured in a new direction. I like the dark moody vibe that the song has and the vocals remind me of Pan Ron [one of the best female Cambodian singers from the ‘60s],” he said.
“’Tokay’ [the album’s lead track] is another song that makes me happy,” Ethan went on to say. “It’s about the Tokay gecko that we see and hear whenever we visit Cambodia. The gecko is really loud and makes funny sounds at night. At one point in the song our singer, Nimol, croaks like the Tokay.”
Whereas most bands signed to labels are saddled with time constraints and deadlines, Dengue Fever had time on their side while recording The Deepest Lake. They had no one to answer to but themselves.
“We were not rushed whatsoever and the release of the new album felt like it was a rebirth of the band,” Ethan said. “There is an excitement now around the band like when we first started to get a big buzz. At that time, we won a handful of awards and even were recognized by LA Weekly as the Best New Band of 2003.
“We were signed to many labels and released records on Real World, Concord/Fantasy Records, M 80 and Web of Mimicry,” he continued. “TUK TUK Records is now our own business and nobody can tell us what to do.”
Although The Deepest Lake was quietly released on their own TUK TUK Records label in January 2015, the album speaks loudly. It includes 10 rump-shaking songs featuring quirky keyboards, horns, shuffling drum rhythms, hypnotic bass lines and some crafty guitar work that is sure to catch fire once the songs are seen or heard live.
“We recorded the new album at our Shoebox Studio, which is owned by our bassist, Senon,” Ethan said. “We pretty much used all of our band money to buy mics, gear, compressors and other accessories to make the recording the best we could this time around.”
Since their inception, Dengue Fever have garnered many fans in the musical community, from The Kinks’ Ray Davies to Metallica’s Kirk Hammett to Peter Gabriel.
“We recorded at Peter Gabriel’s studio in Bath,” Ethan said. “It was an amazing place and he let us use any instrument we wished. One room was called the Stone Room and it was rather amazing to stand in that room and take in the architecture.”
One star-studded encounter stood out from the rest, however. “Jello Biafra [of Dead Kennedys fame] came to one of our shows and took literally one of everything from our merch table including vinyl. That was kind of awkward. He then asked if the band would cover ‘Holiday In Cambodia,’ a DK classic at the next show. We learned it for the next show and, of course, he didn’t show up,” said Ethan while laughing.
Additionally, they’ve also found some friends in the film industry. “I never would have imagined that Jim Jarmusch would use a song [of ours] in one of his films. He used ‘Ethanopium’ in his Broken Flowers movie. We also became friends with Matt Dillon who used a song in City Of Ghosts,” Ethan said.
Although very modest, he left out the fact their music was also included in Weeds (Showtime), True Blood (HBO), CSI, The Hangover 2 and many other mediums including documentaries. Similarly, the band has become quite a tour-de-force overseas and have been included on myriad festivals including Treasure Island, Roskilde (Denmark), WOMEX (Spain), Glastonbury (United Kingdom), Bumbershoot (Seattle) and Transmusicales (France), among others.
“We have been very fortunate to have played overseas in the past,” Ethan said. “We’re gearing up to go back in September and we’re playing at both clubs and festivals. In London, we’ve headlined our own shows before, but we’re not big enough yet for a full-scale tour.”
Each and every member are integral for capturing Dengue Fever’s current sound as Ethan is quick to point out.
“Everybody really contributes to the songwriting, and we’ll use ideas from everyone when they make sense. We all consider this band a very important project and put 100 percent into what we’re doing and I think you can hear it,” he said.
“We plan to keep touring and recording new music as long as we can.”
See Dengue Fever live as part of the California World Fest on Saturday, July 18, 2015, at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley. One-day passes are available for the four-day music fest (now in its 19th year) starting at $60. To purchase tickets, go to Worldfest.net where you can also find full line-up information.
Looking for a lesson in medical terminology?Need to get some aggression out in the process? Czech Republic’s Epicardiectomy, named after a procedure that involves the removal of the outer layer of the heart, is here to make your nightmares come true. This wicked trio just released a limited-edition album called Repugnant Hemicraniotomical Ingurgitation. While fans are still trying to ingest the heady stew of furious death metal fare Putreseminal Morphodysplastic Virulency, it would seem the band’s ability to proliferate and inseminate its listeners is top-rank. Openers Party Cannon, Parasitic Ejaculation and Jack Ketch join this raucous all-ages show. 3512 Stockton Boulevard, http://epicardiectomy.bigcartel.com.
La Raza Galeria Posada, the little art collective that could, hosts some of the coolest art events around. This weekend’s La Fiesta De Frida promises to be no exception. Adults and kids are encouraged to participate in the Dress Like Frida! Contest to honor Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. There is a $15 contest entry fee—proceeds directly benefit the center. Contest categories include “Best Traditional,” “Best in Drag” and “Best Frida.” 2700 Front Street, www.lrgp.org.
Janine DiVita plays the role of Rosie Alvarez in the Music Circus production of Bye Bye Birdie.PHOTO COURTESY OF CALIFORNIA MUSICAL THEATRE
If you’ve never seen a Music Circus production before, you really can’t call yourself a Sacramentan. While being a Sacramento Kings fan can be a bummer during the team’s losing seasons, which seem to never end, we have a plethora of talented stage performers coming to the area on a regular basis performing in award-winning musicals. Bye Bye Birdie made Dick Van Dyke a huge sensation and won a whopping four Tony awards. If songs like “A Lot of Livin’ to Do” or “One Last Kiss” don’t move you, perhaps “Put On A Happy Face” will do the trick. If not, perhaps you might want to get your head checked. If there ever was a summer tradition worth experiencing for the first time, this would be the golden ticket. Bye Bye Birdie; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and 2 p.m. Thursday, Saturday and Sunday; $40-$83. Wells Fargo Pavilion, 1419 H Street; (916) 557-1999; www.californiamusicaltheatre.com. Tuesday, July 7 through Sunday, July 12.
Eddie
