Sharon Jones – Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, CA)
Eddie
October 2015
Eight Gigs: Scott Weiland & The Wildabouts
Sat., Oct. 31, 7 p.m., The Boardwalk, $30
If you listened to modern-rock radio during the ’90s, there is no chance you haven’t heard of Stone Temple Pilots. And while the band just came through town last weekend at the Aftershock Festival, this weekend’s show features the group’s original frontman. Expect to hear many STP staples as well as his solo material, which holds up nicely against his better-known body of work. The show lands on Halloween night and only has two possible outcomes: It will rule your world and Weiland will make your panties wet, or it will be a catastrophe of epic proportions. 9426 Greenback Lane in Orangevale, www.scottweiland.com.
(SN&R)
Sugar rush
October 30, Candy Land
Need to get the children out of the house? The Franklin Community Library will host a giant Candy Land game in which—get this—kids are the playing pieces. On the quest to find King Candy, children ages 6-12 will ultimately get the chance to experience Candy Cane Forest and Gumdrop Mountain. Free, 4 p.m. Friday, October 30; 10055 Franklin High Road in Elk Grove; www.saclibrary.org/locations/franklin.
(SN&R)
Dust, traffic and sonic bleed
Venue fail: This year’s Aftershock Festival marked its first time at Elverta’s Gibson Ranch, the same spot that held August’s City of Trees Festival. And once again, while the location may have looked good on paper, most attendees will readily agree the dust-laden site at Discovery Park—the festival’s previous and very successful site—was better on many fronts.
Those who made the trek on Saturday, which featured a sold-out crowd of 30,000 strong, experienced wait times of up to two and three hours just to get there, sitting in dead-stopped traffic on the venue’s side-street entrances. Sunday’s attendance, however, dropped considerably and appeared to be half that number.
Once inside the festival, the layout was quite impressive with four stages, local and regional food vendors, a Marlboro tent (target audience?), more Monster Energy drink paraphernalia than should be allowed and even an indoor ring with live wrestling.
In addition to logistical issues that desperately need to be addressed by organizers next year, many music fans were unhappy to find that bands that played concurrently at different stages experienced lots of sonic bleed. Each time a song ended, it sounded like someone’s boombox had been left on at a competing stage.
RavenEye opened the festival. Singer and guitarist Oli Brown roamed the stage like a madman, dragging his guitar behind him and standing on nearly every side-fill speaker whenever possible. The band played songs from its new Breaking Out EP and garnered the kind of applause some later midday acts didn’t even receive.
Those who caught Helmet’s Saturday set were either caught in a whirlpool of dust from a rowdy pit or pierced by the direct sun overhead. Thankfully, these seasoned New Yorkers didn’t let either of the two potential problems keep them from delivering crushing interpretations of their classics, which included “Unsung,” “Turned Out” and the always fantastic “Ironhead.”
On Sunday, Los Angeles’ Failure, the kings of cerebral rock fare, played lots of material from the fabulous new release The Heart Is A Monster.
Sunday’s lineup also featured Jane’s Addiction, which found singer Perry Farrell struggling to stay in key and hit his own, often-complicated high notes. Fans yelled expletives whenever Farrell pointed the mic to the crowd or backed down from important vocal lines.
With any luck, Aftershock will get its many kinks worked out before the next one is staged.
(SN&R)
SLIPKNOT’S SCREAM PARK SACRAMENTO • THROUGH NOV. 1, 2015
The quest to find a really scary haunted house is finally over. The band Slipknot will be presenting a limited run of dates for their Scream Park that are sure to scare the living crap out of anyone. Although it’s highly unlikely Slipknot’s members will be on hand each day of the attraction’s installment, word has it there may be a surprise appearance by a few of the guys (most likely around the Aftershock Festival on Oct. 24 and 25, 2015). The three featured haunted houses this year are Prepare for Hell, Clown’s Playhouse and Skin Ticket. The latter is a flashlight only event that is not recommended for the faint of heart or easily scared attendee, however. If fluorescent lights are your thing, you might want to check out Clown’s Playhouse for a dose of pure, unadulterated insanity inside a labyrinth sure to get your blood pumping. Unlike other haunted houses in the area, no expense has been spared to make your first visit a living, breathing nightmare. You are allowed to don a costume as long as it’s not oversized and you’re not brandishing any fake or real weapons. For those who hate long lines, you are encouraged to buy Scream Park’s special Fast Pass and forgo possible long wait times. Advance tickets can be bought at Screamparkcalifornia.com
–EJ
(Submerge)
NIGHTMARE RUN 5K • OCT. 31, 2015
Tired of seeing posts of your Facebook “friends” completing whole marathons before you’ve even woken up? Wondering the best way to get in on the action and hide your identity? The Nightmare 5K Run is the ticket. If you’re really good at disguising yourself, they won’t know you’re there until you pass their stupid asses wearing a Ronald McDonald outfit. This year’s run will be held in five different locations: San Jose, the East Bay, Napa Valley, Monterey and obviously Sacramento (we’re a local paper, remember?). Whether you choose to dress up as Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Kim Kardashian or a seriously erect Lamar Odom makes no difference. Donations will be given directly to the Red Cross along with a smaller portion going to Lake County Wildfire victims. The fabled run of death begins on Halloween night with registration starting at 6 p.m. at the Placer County Fairgrounds in Roseville followed by a pre-party where participants can get doused in fake blood and party like Lon Chaney. Even if you haven’t run in years or done anything but watch Netflix the past year, this is one event sure to put a smile on everyone’s face. Kids 5 and under are free. Come get physical at Nightmarerun5k.com
(Submerge)
DOUBLE THE HORROR AT CREST: A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET AND THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE • OCT. 31, 2015
Trash Film Orgy may not be at the Crest Theatre anymore, but you can still satiate your desire for original movies on the big screen. Halloween weekend’s double-header of classic flicks A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) is certainly no exception. And while the two movies playing couldn’t be any more different in scope or storyline, both somehow oddly work well together in a movie-house setting. There are still many scenes in the original Tobe Hooper-directed Texas Chainsaw Massacre classic that make many horror film aficionados’ hair stand on end. Upon its release, the $300,000 movie was banned in many theaters around the country for simply being too realistic and, more importantly, too damn scary. Similarly, A Nightmare on Elm Street still holds up nicely more than 30 years after its groundbreaking cinematic release. If you live in Midtown, chances are your sorry self doesn’t have any trick-or-treaters. Tickets are only $12 advance and $15 at the door. Tell ‘em Submerge sent you. Advance tickets available now at Crestsacramento.com.
(Submerge)
A do-good opportunity
October 27, Sacramento Food Bank Revolution
In December, the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services merged with Senior Gleaners to become the county’s only food bank center. Tuesday, October 27, the bank will host the Sacramento Food Bank Revolution. It’s a tour of its new facility, and a great opportunity for potential volunteers. Interested? Call to reserve a spot. Free, 11 a.m., Tuesday, October 27, 1951 Bell Avenue, (916) 456-1980, www.sacramentofoodbank.org.
(SN&R)
Twenty years later, Sacramento’s Deftones continue to rock hard and redefine the rules
Drummer Abe Cunningham talks ‘90s nu-metal, touring and life after Chi
Catch the Deftones Sunday, October 25, at the Aftershock Festival. Tickets for the two-day festival, which launches Saturday, October 24, are $114.50-$134.50. It takes place at Gibson Ranch County Park, 8556 Gibson Ranch Park Road in Elverta. For more information, visit http://aftershockconcert.com. For more on the Deftones, visit www.deftones.com.
Of all the bands lumped into the ’90s-era nu-metal diaspora, it seems like few persevered to carve out a distinct path.
Sacramento’s Deftones, however, were one such band—and to great success.
Upon the initial release of its debut album 20 years ago this month—1995’s aptly-titled Adrenaline—the band came screaming out the gate with ferocity. The album may have peaked at No. 23 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart but it ultimately went on to sell more than a million copies and paved the way for its legacy.
Over the years, the Deftones, who play this weekend’s Monster Energy Aftershock Festival, experimented and dabbled with electronics and ambient, among other sounds. The result was a loyal and fervent following and seven very different records, including 1997’s Around the Fur which went platinum, and 2000’s White Pony, which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 album chart and nabbed the band a 2001 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for the track “Elite.”
The Deftones were dealt a heavy blow, however, when a 2008 car crash left the band’s founding Chi Cheng in a coma. Cheng ultimately died from related complications in 2013.
Still, two years after his death, the band’s core remains strong with drummer Abe Cunningham, singer-songwriter Chino Moreno, and guitarist Stefan Carpenter. Longtime keyboard-turntablist Frank Delgado, who joined the band in 1999, and bassist Sergio Vega, who joined in 2009, round out the lineup.
The band is currently in the midst of putting finishing touches on an upcoming new record; Cunningham sat down to chat with SN&R about the new album and tour plans, the impact of Cheng’s death and his enduring love for Sacramento.
There’s been some misleading information in the press about the new album and its release date. What’s the status?
To be completely honest, we still don’t have a title yet. Our label came to us and said we could wait wait until the first quarter of the new year—which works much better for us. That’s the plan right now but don’t hold me to it. We don’t even have song titles nailed down yet. I couldn’t even tell you one now if I tried.
The Deftones stayed with Warner Bros. even after the band fulfilled the terms of its initial contract. Why?
Like any new band that started at the bottom, we had everything good and bad thrown our way. We’ve had ups and downs and had some pretty brutal times on Maverick [the Madonna-helmed subsidiary label of Warner Bros.]. There’s some good people still around in our industry that have been working at the label or distribution forever and we’ve seen regimes come and go. The fact is we have known many people there for years and have developed some great, lasting relationships. We’re a pretty simple, straightforward band from Sacramento and just like associating with good people.
Did you get much pressure to change anything when you first released Adrenaline ?
Believe it or not, our first three records we wrote, recorded and mixed without anyone’s input. It was quite nice to have that kind of freedom which many bands didn’t. It was a great time to be in a band. After White Pony came out and was a big success, the industry was starting to change and we had to learn how to adapt.
What impact did Chi Cheng’s passing have on the band artistically or even personally?
Chi’s passing has, no doubt, had a tremendous impact on us on so many levels. It wasn’t like he was in this accident and was killed. He held on for five years. Seeing him fight for that long and then losing him really put things into perspective. It taught us to be grateful, to be immediate, to respect each other and respect what we have created, to laugh and enjoy, and most importantly to be thankful of the time we have and that we are still able to rock. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of him.
How was this year’s tour with Incubus? The show at the Shoreline Amphitheatre show was sold out—or at least very close to it.
The whole Incubus tour was a killer run. The shows were huge and all the bands on the package including Death From Above 1979 and The Bots were our friends or are now.
The band has many songs in constant rotation in its live sets—any songs you’d like to add into the mix besides new material?
Dude, this is something we talk about all the time that we really need to work on. It’s very easy to get into a groove and play the same stuff over and over: on a run where we’re are not the headliner—such as the recent Incubus tour, you really don’t get to play a lot. It’s definitely time to switch it up and we do once in awhile. I see a lot of stuff on social media of people complaining about not hearing older songs and we definitely don’t want to be that band that just phones it in. What people don’t know is there’s also a lot of different tunings and we’ve finally figured out which blocks of songs work together for a good show flow. Believe me, when it’s our headlining show for the new album and we have much more time, there will be a lot of other songs getting worked in from the past.
What do you do in between the long periods between album tour cycles?
I should be practicing drums a lot more but I’m not. Really, I’m happy just enjoying my sons and my family. I enjoy checking out new places around Sacramento that I haven’t seen or missed and cruising around on my bike. Of course, I still love going to shows a lot in Sacramento and hanging with my buddies.
It’s been a minute since Deftones last played Sacramento at the 2012 Aftershock Festival. Any plans for a local headlining show?
That’s pretty much it for this year. We have a few Southern California shows, one in Vegas and an Arizona date before we head overseas to play France, Germany and the U.K. We don’t ever come here. It’s really odd that we’re a Sacramento band but we rarely play this town. With proper planning, this can and will be attained. We’re putting things together slowly for 2016 and when the new record drops we will be everywhere. At least now we’re able to pick and choose what we want and we most definitely love Sacramento. It will happen sooner than later.
(SN&R)
Eight Gigs: Subhumans U.K.
Mon., Oct. 26, Midtown Barfly, 7 p.m., $12
Sacramento has become quite the destination for seminal touring acts and this Monday’s show is certainly no exception to the rule. If you don’t own Subhumans U.K.’s The Day The Country Died (1983), perhaps you need to update your collection. Singer Dick Lucas can still belt ’em out, as evidenced on their last full-length patter, Internal Riot (2007). Hardcore fans living here can rejoice in a short commute to the venue and, more importantly, an early start and end time. Also on this fantastic all-ages bill are the Bay Area’s own La Plebe and Oakland’s Love Songs. You could do much worse. 1119 21st Street, www.facebook.com/Subhumans-UK-137812882953527.
(SN&R)