Although “Smooth Operator” singer Sade doesn’t tour these days, fans can rejoice and revel in her music again at singer Ariel Marin’s upcoming show. The daughter of a professional rock singer, Marin spent much of her youth in the company of countless Bay Area royalty. As evidenced by her four-octave voice, she can tackle pretty much any genre.
Her upcoming shows will feature music from Sade’s storied back catalog, including (but not limited to) ‘Diamond Life,’ ‘Promise,’ ‘Stronger Than Pride,’ ‘Love Deluxe,’ and ‘Lovers Rock’ with a band led by powerhouse producer James “Jae E” Earley.
Expect to hear hit songs and fan favorites such as “Smooth Operator,” “No Ordinary Love,” “Paradise,” “Is It A Crime,” “Your Love Is King,” “Sweetest Taboo,” and much more.
For the uninitiated, The Ariel Marin Band has played all around the area and has 30 years of combined performance experience between the members. Once more, they’ve excelled at playing Motown, Top 40 classics, rock, pop, folk, country, R&B, gospel, & jazz.
We caught up with Ariel during preparation for her upcoming show in Napa.
Bohemian: What about Sade’s music inspired you to embark on a tribute?
Ariel Marin: I’ve been enamored with Sade since I was a child. Her unique smoky tone, timeless sound, and stunning features had me at hello. Since I favor her physically, serendipity stepped in and I was offered the opportunity to honor her in concert. I graciously accepted.
Bohemian: How long has this tribute been playing live?
Ariel Marin: I launched it in 2020. Originally we had a live show planned, but quickly pivoted to a streaming concert. Needless to say it was a hit! Once the world re-opened, the show has been booked regularly at premiere venues including Yoshi’s (Oakland) and the Blue Note, as well as various festivals and resorts.
Bohemian: Do you have more shows planned in 2024?
Ariel Marin: Absolutely! We’re expanding the tour nationally. Locations are in the works as we speak. We’d love to bring it to Sonoma County.
Bohemian: Have you and the rest of the band actually seen Sade live when she toured?
Ariel Marin: Short answer; Yes! My viola player Keith Lawrence toured with Sade & John
Legend as well as Amy Winehouse. My percussionist is Juan Escovedo (Sheila E’s brother) from the famed Escovedo family. They’ve toured with Prince and countless other world-renowned artists. My musical director, James “Jae-E” Earley, was a multi-Platinum producer for MC Hammer. He also produced En Vogue, One Voice, David Bowie, and my most recent single called “Supa Supa.” The video is on YouTube now. We’re completing my premiere album this year. My sax player Jimmie Weaver toured professionally in Japan for years and my current drummer, Pierre Parker, tours with Lenny Williams (Tower or Power). This show at Blue Note will be epic.
Ariel Marin’s tribute to Sade plays Friday, January 19, at Blue Note located at 1030 Main Street in Napa. The early show starts at 6:30pm and the late show kicks off promptly at 9pm. Tickets range from $35 to $65 advance and can be purchased at www.bluenotejazz.com. Ages 8 and over are welcome.
Local promoter Brian McKenna, a.k.a. Abstract Entertainment, has been bringing Mike Dillon to the Sacramento area since the late 80s, lighting up stages at the now-defunct Cattle Club as well as The Crest Theatre. This Saturday’s show carries on that tradition by bringing Dillon’s Punkadelick project to the intimate Torch Club.
Bandleader Dillon – an adept vibraphone, ma-rimba, Prophet 6, congas, and bongo player – has released a number of records through the Royal Potato Family label that showcase his vibraphone magic and more. His current instrumental rock / funk / acid jazz / jam band trio – the Punkadelick project – features a veritable who’s who of amazing players. This includes multi-instrumentalist Brian Haas (Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey) and drummer Nicki Glaspie (Beyonce).
For those that don’t know, Dillon has played locally with Billy Goat, Clutch, Critters Buggin’, Garage-A-Trois, Hairy Apes BMX, Les Claypool’s various side-projects (Bastard Jazz, Fancy Band, Frog Brigade), Mike Dillon’s Go Go Jungle, Primus and the Chocolate Factory, and Rickie Lee Jones. By default, Dillon has a devoted legion of Sacramento- based fans.
And while their new album doesn’t technically drop until January 27, the current run of shows is the perfect set up to get their newfound and longtime fans alike on board with the new material. Written during the pandemic quarantine via online Zoom writing sessions and later during live gigs in intimate venues, the new 10-song platter showcases an instrumental band hellbent on grooving in and around the 1 count and with great effect.
We caught up with Dillon just before the band started their short Midwest and West Coast run.
SN&R: You’ve been playing the Sacramento valley and neighboring areas for quite some time in various incarnations for Abstract Entertainment. What is your fondest memory of playing around here with any of your bands?
Dillon: Brian McKenna is a great guy and the last of the independent promoters. My first show I did with Brian was December 21,1990 at the Crest Theater opening for Primus. That was the first time I encountered Les Claypool. It was also my first tour of California. That whole trip was magical. Cities and states had yet to become ubiquitous placeholders for Starbucks, Best Buy and Whole Foods. For a kid from Houston, Texas, California was a new experience. The music at the Crest embodied what we were doing in Texas, but it was obvious Primus was doing something on another level 33 years ago. The next time I played Sacramento was at the the Cattle Club opening for the Dead Milkmen. Years later it would come full circle when Brian promoted the Frog Brigade show at the Crest in the fall of 2002. I remember battling ‘Fish’ Fisher from Fishbone on the drum/vibes solo Les (Claypool) gave us every night. After the show, I walked off the stage and someone’s wife in the opening band said, “I like his electric door bell machine.”
SN&R: Will there be more Punkadelick dates in 2024 aside from what we see online currently? Any festival or overseas offers yet?
Dillon: We’re talking to a few people at the moment, but nothing to announce just yet. Our Sacramento show comes in the middle of a big West Coast tour. We’ll get back on the road and hit it hard after we release our next album this fall. We are all going to do some festivals this summer and play down in New Orleans during Jazzfest.
SN&R: Were you able to stay busy recording all through Covid lockdown? Any other projects you collaborated with we should know about?
Dillon: I made 10 records during lockdown. There were three which were released by my record label, Royal Potato Family. These records were ‘The Quarantine Sessions: Shoot The Moon,’ ‘Suitcase Man,’ and ‘1918.’ I also made another at the top of 2023 called ‘Inflorescence,’ which is the album we’re (Punkadelick) currently touring behind. I made another in that time period as well with The Dickson Cousins called ‘Argosy’ which I will be selling at the Torch Club with the others mentioned.
SN&R: Any other projects you recently collaborated with?
Dillon: I just did the 2023 ‘Summer of Green and Hunt for Green’ October tour with Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade. I am also a member of Les Claypool’s Bastard Jazz.
SN&R: What about touring do you enjoy most these days?
Dillon: Loading gear (yeah, right) and good espresso.
SN&R: Any hobbies or extracurricular activities on your days off or during show days?
Dillon: I play tabla and take long jogs. I like to keep it simple.
SN&R: Were there extra songs that didn’t make the record or possibly demo’d that will end up on the next Punkadelic record?
Dillon: We are doing a new Punkadelick record that is inspired by Cumbias. Having grown up in Texas, Cumbia and Conjunto music is everywhere. It’s the soundtrack of the neighborhoods I have lived in and has become part of our musical language. We had a few Cumbias I wrote recently and, instead of putting them on the instrumental record, I suggested we do a whole record of Cumbias Mike Dillon-style.
Dillon & Punkadelick play Saturday, January 20th at The Torch Club located at 904 15th Street in Sacramento. Lab Rats open the show. Doors open at 8pm and the show starts promptly at 9pm. Tickets are available at the door. 21 and over patrons only.
Opera fans need no introduction to Fleming and her immense body of work: With a career that started in 1978 performing Copland’s ‘The Tender Land,’ followed by countless opera features in different languages, Fleming is no stranger to taking on the largest of vocal feats.
She’s been featured on record labels that include RCA, Decca, Sony Classical, Philips, Erato, as well as being the subject of countless DVD offerings.
With five Grammy awards under her belt and too many accolades to mention, Fleming’s performances are revelatory experiences that showcase a woman whose vocal capabilities know no boundaries. Her soprano voice is also instantly recognizable to her many classical-loving fans across the globe.
The upcoming show in Davis on Jan. 14 finds Fleming diving deep with the genre’s greats with compositions by Edvard Krieg, George Fredric Handel, Gabriel Fauré, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Franz Liszt as well as pieces by Bjork, Howard Shore (Lord Of The Rings), Maria Schneider, and others.
Renée Fleming and pianist Gerald Martin Moore will take the stage at Jackson Hall inside the Mondavi Center. The venue is located on the UC Davis campus at One Shields Avenue. Tickets start at just $27.50 and top out at $125 and can be purchased in advance atwww.mondaviarts.org. Doors open at 6:30pm and the show starts at 7:30pm. All ages are welcome.
Before Slaughter even released their Platinum-selling debut record on Chrysalis Records – ‘Stick It To Ya’ – the band had already garnered the kind of street buzz that no amount of major label money could buy. For those who don’t remember the band’s groundswell and meteoric rise caused by their voracious street teams and crazed fans, there was little doubt the band wouldn’t nab a coveted record deal.
Today the group are firing on all cylinders and 1/2 of the classic line-up are once again playing together. Mark Slaughter (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, piano, tambourine) still leads the band which bears his namesake and the group is rounded out by core member Dana Strum (bass, backing vocals), Jordan Cannata (drums), and Jeff “Blando” Bland (lead guitar, backing vocals). For those who don’t remember, original guitarist Tim Kelly was sadly killed in a car accident in 1998.
And while Slaughter haven’t been as prolific as their hungry fans would have hoped for, they are still a formidable force on the touring circuit and large-scale festivals including (but most certainly not limited to) the Monsters of Rock Cruise, the M3 Rock Festival, and Rocklahoma. To date, they have released 5 full-lengths, 3 live albums, and two Gold-selling home videos. Expect to hear classic songs from the Gold-selling ‘The Wild Life’ record in addition to some wicked covers from some classic bands you know and love.
For those longtime and newbie fans worrying if Mark can still hit the high notes, let’s just say he hasn’t lost a step since the early 90’s and even late 80’s fronting the shortlived Vinnie Vincent Invasion. His multi-octave still continues to amaze on fan favorite and classic tracks such as “Fly To The Angels,” “Up All Night,” “The Wild Life,” and “Spend My Life.”
Slaughter and Great White play Thursday, January 18th at The Hard Rock Live located in Wheatland at 3317 Forty Mile Road. Doors open at 7pm and the show kicks off at 8pm. Tickets start at $39.50 and are available at ticketmaster.com. All ages are welcome.
In the world of both Supercross and outdoor motocross, Geico Honda-turned-Red Bull KTM rider Chase Sexton is one dude you don’t want behind you, let alone ahead.
The now 24-year-old rider from Mendota, Illinois was already a two-time 250cc East AMA Supercross Champion when he became last year’s 450cc AMA Supercross Champion. He also raced as a coveted member of the elite 2022 Motocross Des Nations team alongside fellow riders Eli Tomac and Justin Cooper.
Even with a crash and illness that sidelined him during the 2023 outdoor season, Sexton still managed to place an amazing 4th place overall even after missing several races altogether.
Supercross rider Chase SextonKMT
For the very first time, this Saturday San Francisco’s Oracle Park will host a Supercross event, moving the sport away from its former digs in Oakland and Santa Clara. Additionally, the 17-race 2024 Supercross schedule sees riders visiting sixteen different cities in thirteen states from California to Pennsylvania.
This Supercross season will also feature Jett Lawrence (Pro Motocross season and SuperMotocross World Championship title holder), Jason Anderson, Cooper Webb, Eli Tomac, Ken Roczen, Dylan Ferrandis, Adam Cianciarulo, Justin Barcia, Aaron Plessinger, Malcolm Stewart, Christian Craig, and more.
Red Bull KTM’s Chase Sexton recently caught up with CBS SF for a rare pre-race interview.
CBS SF: Congratulations on signing to Red Bull KTM. Your 2023 Supercross season was nothing short of spectacular and you finished 1st riding a Honda 450. Did Honda not offer enough money?
Chase Sexton: No, not at all. I actually made the decision to change it up awhile back, well before winning the title last year. At the time, I was at a place where I was looking for a long-term home surrounded by a good group of people who could support my career, hopefully for a long time. I knew the people involved in the team were a good group who worked well together and had already won a bunch of championships as a team. So when the opportunity presented itself and it felt right, I committed.
CBS SF: How much riding time do you typically get in per week during the off-season? Any practice sessions in between races during your Supercross seasons?
Chase Sexton: We ride a lot. I try to take a couple of weeks away from the motorcycle at the end of the season, but come October to November when it’s time to start testing, I ride a good four days a week and during the racing season ride, two or three times a week between races. During the last two months, I have ridden a lot because changing teams and changing motorcycles takes more work and time to be ready for the start of the 2024 Supercross season. We have been really busy working to get the bike dialed in to my personal style. This will be a work in progress. I will be ready come January 6 [Anaheim opener] to do what I know how to do best.
CBS SF: You endured a concussion during your 2023 outdoor series and concurrently were said to have suffered mono that many thought would sideline you long term. How tough was it to step back and watch the series play out without you?
Chase Sexton: There is so much work that goes into reaching the top and takes even more work to stay there. Your health, training, home, and work/life balance all has to align and be working right in order to pull off a championship win. I was feeling great coming into the start of the motocross season, so when I crashed and got a concussion, it was a major blow to not only my momentum, but my whole program.
Out of precaution, I tested for mono as I was feeling down after that and, in hindsight, actually had a false-positive test result. But once you are forced to sit out several rounds to follow the concussion protocol, it was just a major blow to my momentum and basically took me out of having any chance of being in title contention. I guess I went from the ultimate high to the ultimate low in the space of a few days. It was hard to bounce back from that.
CBS SF: What are your favorite tracks?
Chase Sexton: I really like the Crawfordsville, Indiana motocross track, and the atmosphere of Red Bud. The St. Louis Supercross is a good one given that it’s close to me so the atmosphere around that race makes it extra fun.
CBS SF: Supercross tracks, as opposed to outdoor motocross tracks, always change the most as they’re built and torn down every year. How do you internalize a track having only walked it once — if that — and then getting a couple of practice laps?
Supercross rider Chase SextonKMT
Chase Sexton: Many times, we go back to stadiums and tracks that we’ve raced on before so we have a good idea of what lies ahead before we actually ride them. A big part of our sport is memorizing track layouts and rhythms so that it becomes second nature to us. A track walk in the morning is really important as what you see drawn on a piece of paper ahead of time is not a true indication of what is actually on the floor.
And most times after we have ridden it in a practice session, the track crew go out and make changes to the track for better rider safety. You can visualize what lies ahead of you pretty quickly after just riding the track a couple of laps, but utilizing the race day practice sessions to the best of your ability is really important. If we go to a new track, then it’s a level playing field as everyone is doing the same thing and trying to figure the track layout. We all watch each other and see what the other can figure out and hopefully dial it in each session to have it memorized for the actual night’s show.
CBS SF: What riders have proven themselves hardest to pass? Any internal rivalry with another rider that you haven’t voiced?
Chase Sexton: There’s a few guys that are notoriously hard to pass like [Josh] Friese and [Justin] Barcia, but I just try to put myself in a better spot off the start to hopefully not have to battle with them throughout the race. I’m not the kind of guy who really gets into beefs with anyone. I try to keep it clean and stay out of the drama if I can. Having a rivalry with someone generally only hinders you on the track so I try to keep personal targets away. When you are leading the series, you tend to end up the target of everyone else so it’s best not to add extra pressure by bringing your own to the table as well.
CBS SF: It must blow your mind knowing you’re riding underneath one of the most legendary motocross riders ever, Roger De Coster. Have you had some time to pick his brain about how he attacked a track? Any new insights?
Chase Sexton: It’s great to have the opportunity to get to know Roger and hear his opinion on things. He has been around for a long time and seen so much evolve in our sport over the years. Roger is known for being a tough cookie, but I respond to that style. Roger is more involved in the development side of things and he’s not necessarily at the track every day. But when he is there, it’s always interesting hearing his opinion and I try to take what I can into consideration. He has done a good job putting a hardworking group of people together with regards to the Red Bull KTM crew and I’m sure I will see and learn even more as the race season starts and I see him in action at the races.
CBS SF: How’s the new KTM ride? Are you fully comfortable yet?
Chase Sexton: It’s a work in progress! The bike itself is great out of the box, but dialing it in to perform the way I want accommodating my riding nuances and style takes time. We have made a lot of headway in a short period of time to personalize it, but it will take riding it in racing conditions to really dial it in the way I want. As the season goes on, we will continue to develop it to my personal liking. For now it’s going great, so we’ll see where we fare come A1 [the first Supercross race in Anaheim].
The much anticipated second round of the 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, presented by Feld Motor Sports Inc., goes down at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Saturday, Jan. 13. Doors are at 10:30 a.m. with qualifiers beginning at 11:45 a.m. Opening ceremonies kick off at 5pm and the main racing action starts at 5;30 p.m. All ages are welcome. Tickets start at $27.
Huntington Beach’s own (Hed) P.E. have been carrying the flag of G Punk ever since forming in 1994. After myriad shows in the Southern California area, the band grabbed the attention of numerous major labels and eventually landed a proper record deal via Jive Records/BMG. Sacramento area venues have hosted the band on several occasions including Bo Jangle’s, Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, Big Shots Roseville, The Boardwalk, and more.
Although singer Paulo Sergio “Jared” Gomes aka Jahred and M.C.U.D. (“MC Underdog” is the only member left from the now-classic Jive Records line-up, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. At present, he is backed by the able Jeremiah “Trauma” Stratton (drums, backing vocals), Kurt “Kid Bass” Blankenship (bass), and Nathan Javier (guitar) and, if their recent YouTube videos are any indication, they’re still delivering the goods and then some.
Their brand new record on Suburban Noize – a label they’ve been signed to since 2006 – is called ‘Detox’ and already they’ve been feeling the love on I Tunes debuting at an astounding #1 on the rock and metal charts. For those who haven’t been paying attention, the band has been quite prolific since joining the label.
Once more, they’ve been actively touring every year without fail and have yet another run starting in Montana on January 20th and ending on February 1st in Hermosa Beach. Expect to hear some classic cuts as well as a hefty dose from the latest and other Suburban Noize offerings.
(Hed) P.E. play with special guest Johnny Richter X Stacc Styles and Nuts Dip on Wednesday, January 24th at Goldfield Trading Post located at 1630 J Street in downtown Sacramento. Doors open at 6pm and the show kicks off promptly at 7pm. Tickets can be purchased at goldfieldtradingpost.com for $20 advance or take your chances at the door. All ages are welcome.
If you were a regular at the Palms Playhouse, chances are you remember seeing John McCutcheon at both its hallowed and now-defunct venues in Davis and Winters.
This week’s show finds the Grammy-nominated, multi-instrumentalist getting back to what he does best – singing songs from his story book and playing different instruments. He’ll also be showcasing cuts from his deep catalog, as well as his latest record with longtime friend, Tom Paxton.
McCutcheon and Paxton’s aptly-titled album, “Together,” was released back in October. Written over the many Zoom conversations they had during the Covid lockdown, the latest record features 14 songs culled from the astonishing hundred or so they came up with.
McCutcheon is quite the ambidextrous musician, playing hammered dulcimer, banjo, piano, guitar and harmonica.
Even the late Johnny Cash once referred to McCutcheon as “the most impressive multi-instrumentalist I ever heard.”
With forty-four records to his credit, it might seem there’s nothing left for the 71-year-old folks master to prove. Yet, McCutcheon is continuing his annual short run of California shows that starts in Sacramento.
Doors for the upcoming January 5th show at The Sofia are at 6 p.m., with the show getting started at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at www.bstreettheatre.com for $28 advance, plus a $7 venue fee – or you can take your chances at the door and forego the latter. All ages are welcome. The Sofia is located at 2700 Capitol Avenue in Midtown.
Eddie
Punkadelick. Photo by Joshua Marc Levi
