Many of the finest events in Sacramento and its surrounding areas are hosted by none other than the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau. Folks looking to swig and spit gobs of red and white wine incessantly, while swallowing much more, are hereby summoned to this outdoor shindig, held at Cesar Chavez Park. Expect great drinks and eats from countless wineries, restaurants, breweries and much more. Additionally, there will be some wonderful live music and, hopefully, a delightful breeze to accompany a possibly perfect Saturday night. The event only lasts three hours to avoid any liability and, more importantly, to keep you from dancing drunk on the stage naked with the live bands (I did it two years ago). If you were wondering why the event didn’t happen for a year, let’s just say myriad changes in state and local alcohol laws were addressed and let’s move on. Whether you’re a wine connoisseur donning an ascot or a simple weekend drinker, this ticket has something for everyone. Well, not everyone … 21 and over only. Sorry, kids. Tickets start at $45 online at Farmtofork.com/savemartgrapeescape. Let’s do this!
Until eight years ago, Canada’s Anvil was virtually unknown outside the underground metal community. Then the release of the documentary “Anvil! The Story of Anvil” broadened the band’s fan base. The film’s chronicle of the hardscrabble band’s struggles may have reminded some of the classic mockumentary “Spinal Tap,” but this was no joke.
While most rockers their age would have thrown in their sweaty stage towels — the then-50-year-old guitarist Steve “Lips” Kudlow was a truck driver delivering meals to children to pay bills in between dive-bar shows — Kudlow and his longtime bandmate, drummer Robb Reiner, carried on playing mostly empty rooms, determined to make it big.
A look at an act goaded by a dream of stardom and playing for bigger audiences, the documentary was both traumatic and funny. Since forming in 1978, the group has endured the entrance and exit of five bassists and three second guitarists before eventually becoming a formidable trio in 2007.
Now in their 38th year as a band, Kudlow and Reiner — along with bassist Chris Robertson, who joined in 2014 — are finally making a living doing what they do best: playing heavy metal. Anvil plays San Francisco’s DNA Lounge on Tuesday, May 31.
If anyone needs proof that Anvil still has loyal fans, the band launched a crowdfunding campaign on PledgeMusic, which achieved 114 percent of its goal to pay for recording expenses.
“There’s a lot of business we need to handle ourselves today, and we were all amazed at the fan support. Anvil is a brand name people know, and we offered fans packages ranging from buying one of my guitar amps to having dinner with the band,” said Lips, his preferred surname, in his hometown of Toronto. “It couldn’t have gone any better.”
“I would tell anyone who wants to criticize us that we are exactly where we are meant and want to be,” he added. “Some people expected us to commercialize or sell out, so to speak. They would say things like, ‘Why didn’t you take advantage of the movie and write a f— pop song?’ We’re Anvil, damn it! That is not what we do!”
The band has been releasing a steady stream of records, including its latest, “Anvil Is Anvil, ” on Steamhammer SPV. Propelled by standout tracks that include “Die for a Life” and the up-tempo “Run Like Hell,” the new record should please longtime fans and newbies alike.
While the band is still not a chart-topper in the U.S., playing for a couple of hundred rabid fans a night is more than ample reason to keep going until the wheels fall off, Lips said.
“There’s a large contingency of people that still hate us, which is really quite interesting. … It’s the Internet trolls who have made it hard for everyone to get ahead, no matter how good or bad,” said Lips. “Me? I’ll take the never-ending shows as long as I can get ’em.”
Anvil: 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 31. $15-$18. DNA Lounge, 375 11th St., S.F. (415) 626-2654. www.dnalounge.com
Check out Russell’s exhibit at Harris Center for the Performing Arts from noon to 4 p.m., Tuesdays through Thursdays until July 10. For more info, visit https://ethanrussell.com.
Whether you’re an aspiring photographer or just appreciate a good image, you should be familiar with Ethan Russell’s body of work. The legendary rock ’n’ roll photographer made a living when photography was a highly revered (and lucrative) profession, taking an interest in it as a UC Davis student in the 1960s. Now, at the ripe, young age of 70, Russell’s impressive list of subjects includes the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Traffic, Cream, the Moody Blues, Janis Joplin and Linda Ronstadt. The photographer’s work is currently on display at Harris Center for the Arts, giving us the perfect excuse to get his insight on classic photography, acid and monkeys with Blue Cheer and whether that was real urine on the cover of Who’s Next.
How would you describe your experience at UC Davis?
I was a completely unconscious kid who thought I wanted to be a vet. I later switched from veterinary science to English, and then again once more to art. Davis was a huge experience for me and, at the time, the school had only 5,000 people attending. The art department was only a subset.
What specifically do you recall about that time period?
When the British music invasion first happened, I was actually still a sophomore. I remember when [President John F.] Kennedy was assassinated, I was on D Street in downtown Davis. I heard it on the radio and later went to a friend’s house to hear more. When I was born, there was no television and Elvis was only 13 years old. Also, rock ’n’ roll was a really big deal.
How much was your tuition?
Honestly, I don’t know because my father paid for it all. I really have no idea about the cost of things, as I came from a wealthy family and was one of four kids. I have three siblings: Two passed away and one is still living.
Are you familiar with the late rock ’n’ roll photographer Jim Marshall? Your work echoes some of his subject matter.
Thank you. And yes, I know his work well. I never really wanted to be a photographer until I saw the movie Blow-Up by Italian film director Michelangelo Antonioni. It changed my life. Music was everything to me, but I didn’t know how to play anything. I learned how to develop black-and-white film from my roommate soon after. My brother, Jeremy Russell, was the manager of Blue Cheer. The band had a monkey in their house and they all took acid. I remember walking with them in the Haight and photographing them when I heard a voice behind us yelling to “get the fuck out of here” and that [the Haight] was his territory. That was my first encounter with Jim Marshall.
This is getting rather hairy. What next?
I traveled abroad and soon met a friend named Jonathan Cott … also a London-based stringer for Rolling Stone magazine who was just coming up at the time. He asked me to photograph his next interview and that was Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones. I was scared at first, but very excited and the pictures came out great. In hindsight, it was so unlikely. Two months later, he asked me to go on the road with them.
What books caught your attention at an early age?
I really enjoyed a book called The Family of Man, edited by Edward Steichen. It was also featured at the Museum of Modern Art in the 1950s and features many photographers, including the popular “Migrant Mother” image by Dorothea Lange.
Does the camera make the photographer or the other way around?
Of course, it’s not the camera, but rather the person taking the picture. There are a whole group of people still, however, who think the camera makes them.
Did the members of the Who actually urinate on the Who’s Next cover image?
I had been hired by the Who and we were driving back from a gig. Pete [Townshend] drove like a madman at nearly 100 mph and we suddenly saw three odd shapes. I had him go back and we stared at the pieces wondering what to do next. All of a sudden, I turned around and noticed Pete had pissed on it. I grabbed some film cans, filled ’em with water and made what looked like several streams next to his.
Do you feel professional photography is overshadowed by Instagram?
No, is the short answer. I think it’s like being pissed off that the world changes.
Any advice for the young sprite who think he or she knows it all?
Young people always think they know it all. I know I did when I was younger.
Sumac’s latest, What One Becomes, doesn’t come out from Thrill Jockey for nearly two weeks after this show, meaning Sacto is one of the lucky cities that gets a sneak peek. An amalgamation of other bands, singer-guitarist Aaron Turner of Isis, Brian Cook of Russian Circles and drummer Nick Yacyshyn of Baptists form one trio hellbent on playing live and spreading the gospel of post- and sludge-metal fare. One listen to the 11-minute juggernaut “Rigid Man” should be more than enough impetus to pony up the cover for one helluva show. Bring earplugs and get ready to smash some stuff. 1517 21st Street, www.facebook.com/sumacband.
To say YouTube sensation Kenny Holland is a big hit with the young ladies is something of an understatement. Yet he’s only just getting started and his online identity keeps growing with every successive play on the heavily populated site. The Michigan native, who later grew up in Arizona, already has more connections in the music and film industry than most aspiring stars will garner after a lifetime. Comparisons to the Beibs are obvious and not out of line, and this super-pop hip-hop seems to be seriously resonating with the youths. Luxxe and the Color Wild are also on the bill. 9426 Greenback Lane in Orangevale, http://kenny-holland.squarespace.com.
Slide-guitar blues player Roy Rogers and his Delta Rhythm Kings will grace the well-worn stage in Healdsburg’s Plaza Park to kick off the popular Tuesdays in the Plaza summer concert series on May 31.
Also included in this year’s fantastic series are Cajun crooners Tom Rigney & Flambeau, Brazilian band Grupo Falso Baiano, local rockers the Sorentinos and Hall of Fame bluesman Charlie Musselwhite, to name a few.
While his latest record is an 11-track barnburner appropriately titled Into the Wild Blue, Rogers doesn’t need to rely solely on current material to draw a sizable crowd, having been a fixture in West Coast rock and roll since the ’70s. For the uninitiated, the blues guitarist and Grammy-winning producer learned much of his slide technique after hearing records by Robert Johnson. He toured with John Lee Hooker for years, featured the late pianist Allen Toussaint on his 1987 Sidewinder release, and even worked alongside Linda Ronstadt and Jackson Browne.
“I use open tuning in my music, and we do lots of improvisation,” Rogers said during a 2012 interview. “These open tunings take various forms and can move music in a lot of places.”
Check him out during this rare Sonoma County soiree, and expect to find Rogers doing some free-form solos. May 31, Healdsburg Plaza, 217 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. 6pm. Free. All ages. 707.433.6935.
Concertgoers who enjoy classical fare with a contemporary twist should know pianist and Ukraine native Vadim Neselovskyi, who will be holding court at Silo’s in Napa this week
Whether you’re well-versed in Vadim’s work, especially his 2013 release Music for September, or have never heard his name is of little consequence. His skills make him a must-see.
While studying classical music and honing his chops by playing in jazz clubs in Germany in 2003, Neselovskyi (pictured) earned a full scholarship to the prestigious Berklee College of Music. After graduating, he began touring internationally, as well as teaching piano at his alma mater.
This concert is the first of a new series presented by Berkeley-based nonprofit group Ridgeway Arts, founded last year and dedicated to developing cultural and educational directives throughout the Bay Area.
Also included on the ticket is Bay Area–based bassist and composer Jeff Denson, whose work in a duo setting on record (and live, both in a trio or quartet) is well documented and revered. The duo will perform new compositions and original arrangements in addition to select solo classical piano pieces. Vadim Neselovskyi and Jeff Denson play Friday, May 6, at Silo’s, 530 Main St., Napa. 8pm. $20 advance; $25 at the door. All ages. 707.251.5833.
Thu., May 26, 9 p.m., Nevada County Fairgrounds, $20-$250
English R&B singer and guitarist James Hunter returns to the area to headline the first day of the annual Strawberry Music Festival. MOJO magazine crowned him “the United Kingdom’s greatest soul singer” upon reviewing Hold On!, his latest release for Daptone Records, and the praise for his album is anything but hyperbole. Also on the weekend’s ticket is the David Grisman quartet, the Wood Brothers, Mavis Staples, Tim O’Brien and Mary Gauthier. Bring a blanket, low-back chair and a smile to one of the best venues within a 100-mile radius. The festival runs through Sunday, May 29. 11228 McCourtney Road in Grass Valley, www.jameshuntermusic.com.
Eddie
