Sacramento News

Local Teams Gearing Up for Race Across America

2012-05-23T16:25:55Z

For competitive cyclists, Race Across America (RAAM) is a cross-country race that separates the boys from the men. Our city’s paved trails and greater Sacramento’s hilly rural routes have served as a training ground for two local teams representing Sacramento, Team Sac PD and for first time, an all youth team, “Believe and Achieve.” On June 16, 2012, these local teams will compete in RAAM against 95 other teams from around the nation and world.

RAAM is the toughest bicycle race in the world. It is incomparable to the Tour de France; RAAM is a non-stop, 24 hours a day relay race. This 3,000 mile cross-country bike race starts at Oceanside, Calif. and ends in Annapolis, Md.

In the history of RAAM, Team Believe and Achieve is the first ever all-youth team to compete in the week-long race. Team members Alex Benton, Adam Sevy, Troy Knox, Michael Hahn, Savannah Ellison, Colin Cook, Scot Benton, Jasper Hodgson and Connor Ellison are fundraising for Team Donate Life (TDL), a non-profit organization promoting organ donation and transplantation.

Jared Ellison, their coach, has competed for the past three years; he now shares his training regimen with the youth team.

“My goal and my belief in training is to put them through every type of element possible so they’re not surprised or shocked. In RAAM you are going to experience all kinds of weather, fatigue and sleep deprivation, which are going to make most people want to quit. I have challenged them through everything.”

Two years ago Connor Ellison competed in RAAM with his father on a team dedicated to him, Connor’s Journey. He was the youngest to race then and is still the youngest now on a team of eight ranging from 14 to 17 years old.

Connor races for awareness. He was diagnosed at a young age with liver disease, and competes in RAAM to challenge himself and raise awareness for Team Donate Life. Now in his second year competing, 14-year-old Connor will take his experience and well-earned wisdom on the road with the other youth cyclists.

When asked about his fears, Connor spoke of experience. He speaks highly of the training technique from his father, 3 a.m. wake ups and riding in cold weather. Connor sounds confident about his conditioning for RAAM and is enthusiastic about the upcoming race.

“The first year I was nervous. Now that I know what I am getting myself into, it’s a lot easier. I know what can happen out there,” Connor said.

Connor also spoke about his race-time habits, citing his favorite racing snacks as Clif bars and honey stinger waffles, the latter of which he was only recently introduced to.

As one would expect, Connor said that his training has affected his social life.

“When I am training it’s hard to have a social life. Usually over the weekends I just train. But it’s nice with this junior’s team I am always with kids my age now.”

When asked if he had advice for other youth cyclists, Connor advised them to “Push through the pain, it will be an awesome experience and they will never forget it.”

Team Sac PD, another RAAM competitor, races for awareness too - every 50 hours somewhere in the United States a Law Enforcement Officer dies in the line of duty protecting his or her community.

This is the second year Sac PD will be competing in this race representing all of Law Enforcement. Team Sac PD was formed to support the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Wash., D.C. where those fallen are memorialized. The eight members on the Sac PD team are Chief Rick Braziel, Capt. Neil Schneider, Lt. Don Davis, Sgt. Brian Ellis, Sgt. Dan Nutley, Officers Mathew McPhail, Orlando Morales and Skyler Baldock.

Since August Sergeant Brian Ellis has logged close to 7,000 miles on the bike to prepare for RAAM. He now shares his personal training regimen, as well as the struggles preparing for RAAM.

The Sacramento Press: What is your training regimen like?
Sgt. Brian Ellis: Currently I ride anywhere from 200-275 miles per week. I try to consistently ride six days per week. Two long rides (+3 hours), two hard rides (sprint or hill repeats for 2-3 hours) and two active recovery days of about 30-35 miles each.

SP: Do you ever go faster than the driving speed while on a bicycle? By the way, is that legal?
BE: Well, I would like to take the fifth on that one, lol. All kidding aside, you have to make sure that you stay alert on the bike at all times. There have been plenty of times that a car pulls out in front of you thinking that you can’t be going that fast. There have been some close calls. Safety over speed every time.

SP: Favorite snacks for fueling during your ride?
BE: Tough question. I am sort of a billy goat. If it has calories, I usually don’t discriminate. Bananas, gel blocks, etc.

SP: How do you mentally prepare for a long distance race like this?
BE: Mental toughness or “Mettle” is something that is definitely a you-against-you sport. Focus on the positive and push the negative out of the mind, repeatedly telling yourself that you are prepared, that it might hurt, but it does for everyone.

Extensive training will prepare each team for this cross-country bicycle sprint. Each team will likely endure physical exhaustion, accompanied by little shuteye; the race will measure each athlete’s endurance and strength to continually race. The adrenaline rush of the open road and no limits is reason enough for these cyclist junkies to compete in RAAM.

“Every finisher gets a medal. First place obviously gets some bragging rights,” Ellis said.

Both teams are ramping up efforts for fundraising. If you choose to donate, visit their websites.

Team Believe and Achieve- https://www.teamdonatelife.com/donate_fundraiser.asp?ifid=225

Team Sac PD- http://www.sacpd.org/teamsacpd/raam/donate.html

"Everyday is Sunday, When You're Unemployed"- The Slackers

2010-04-27T03:55:09Z

In case some of you are unfamiliar with ska music, I am going to try and explain it better than I have been the last week to friends and family.

Ska music was a genre popular in the 1960s. It is Jamaican music combined with American jazz and R&B. Ska has an up-tempo beat with breaks and pauses made for dancing.

As soon as I walked into Harlow’s, I couldn’t help but observe the crowd. Men wore thick-framed glasses and newsboy-style hats, and the women broke out their red-and-black-checkered or polka dot ensemble. To clue you in on the makeup of the crowd, my observant friend commented in the beginning, "All the guys here are balding." Some looked more rockabilly, and others looked more punk and a few wore flip-flops and their surf wear – this was a dynamic crowd that represented the eclectic music.

Kevin Seconds was the first to take the stage, which set the high energy for the Phenomenauts to rock out and entertain the crowd.The Phenomenauts were suited in space attire: One wore a metallic space helmet. Their set was futuristic with lasers and they shot out rolled toilet paper, confetti and smoke to get the crowd pumped for the headliner. The energy was high, and no one was standing still – there was a lot of head bobbing, hair tossing and full-on “skanking.”

Skanking is the style of dancing that goes along with ska, punk and reggae music. It’s an easy dance. The legs do "the running man," bending the knees and running or swinging in place to the beat. The arms are bent at the elbows, with hands balled into fists, and swing outward, alternating with the feet.

In between sets, the people crowded the bar or went out to the patio drinking, smoking and having a good time waiting for the headliners.

Finally, ska veterans The Slackers, took the stage nonchalantly, and with the parting of the curtain, everyone’s attention was back on the stage, as they shuffled their way to the dance floor.

With a trombone set at the center of the stage, the dance party broke out on the floor and didn’t stop until The Slackers’ hour-plus set was finished. I even noticed the previous band's members joined the dance party on the floor. In comparison to other venues, seeing The Slackers in an intimate venue like Harlow’s was amazing, because it allowed them to deliver a powerful performance and take control of the audience on the dance floor. They played many songs off their new album, “The Great Rocksteady Swindle.”

With some research, I found the history of rocksteady. It is like ska – made popular for street dances. However, unlike skanking, rocksteady provides a slower, mellower beat, allowing for more relaxed dancing. Many ska or reggae bands did release at least one rocksteady record during the 1960’s era, and many modern ska and reggae-influenced bands use the rocksteady sound on their albums.

After listening to The Slackers’ live performance and the album, they seem to be keeping the traditional ska sound, yet evolving their musical style for the future.

The biggest highlight for me last night was their instrumental cover, “Ain't no Sunshine,” played by Vic Ruggiero on the organ accompanied by Glen Pine on the trombone. Everyone swayed with the familiar twang from the notes on Jay Nugent’s guitar.

They delivered to a full crowd, and audience members left satisfied with sweaty smiles from dancing so much. The Slackers’ outstanding performance last night showed why they are still maintaining their status and rocking the ska scene through all these years and have the ability to continue, with many years to follow.

The Slackers Upcoming Show at Harlow's

2010-04-24T20:26:35Z

The Slackers are coming to Sacramento! On their 2010 tour, The Slackers will be performing at Harlow’s Sunday. They guarantee an awesome time, because their style of music has a little bit for everyone: ska, rock, reggae and soul, to name a few. Formed in Brooklyn, NY, this American band has been around since 1991. They are promoting their newly released 12th studio album, “The Great Rocksteady Swindle.” With tracks like “Mr. Tragedy” and “Cheated”, their new album is a collaborative effort that shows their music creativity and longevity in the music scene. Their members are Marcus Geard (slaps the bass), David Hillyard (Sax), Vic Ruggiero (Lead Vocals, Organ), Glen Pine (Trombone, Vocals), Jay Nugent (Guitar), Ara Babajian (Drums), which all have contributed to songwriting for the new album. They have toured around the Sacramento area, but have never performed at Harlow’s. So come support and enjoy their eclectic Jamaican Rock n Roll sound and arrive early so you can catch the opening acts, The Phenomenauts and Kevin Seconds.

For more info go to harlows.com. Don’t miss out on these guys!

Where? Harlow's, 2708 J Street
When? This Sunday, 4/25/2010
Time? 8:30 p.m.
How much? $10 presale (The Beat, Dimple (Arden), R5 Records, www.harlows.com)
$12.50 at the door

Mykal Rose 420 Concert at Harlow's

2010-04-22T03:28:34Z

Last night at Harlow’s was a special occasion – many Sacramentans celebrated their 420 holiday jammin’ to a reggae party hosted by HASO Live. The opening act was the local band SouLifted. They brought uplifting reggae hip-hop music and dedicated a song to Sacramento called “City of Trees,” which had a hip-hop inspired beat boxing intro. The audience had high energy by the time King Hopeton came on, and more people started trickling to the floor anxiously awaiting Mykal Rose. Malika Madremana blew the crowd away with her last song, a soulful sweet rendition of Bob Marley’s “Trenchtown Rock.”

The bar was hardly visited for alcohol. I assume it was to commemorate the holiday, as smoke clouds of ganja set the mood for the concert inside Harlow’s and outside on the patio. Between sets I accompanied my friend to the outside patio for a smoke break, and I ended up sitting around the fire with some chill spectators while I observed their ganja rotation. I asked a guy I met, who went by the nickname of El Niño and who represented a Vallejo reggae radio show, what brought him to Sacramento. He responded, “Mykal Rose, and he will come out on stage when the vibe’s right.”

When Rose jumped on the stage, the audience could not stand still. He had a superstar presence with his white suit jacket and sunglasses. I could tell he was feeling the music while he bounced on stage with his fancy footwork.

Rose, born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, is a veteran reggae artist. He started off as a solo artist, but is recognized as a former Black Uhuru member, which won the first Grammy award for reggae album, “Anthem.” He is a well-rounded artist with a modern style and a reggae root sound. His performance was uplifting and powerful.

There are different styles of reggae music, which come from the Rastafarian culture. The primary style of reggae is the roots reggae, which is the type of music whose lyrics praise Jah (God), includes poverty, racial oppression and resistance toward the law and/or the government. This culture’s overall practice is to bring unity, love and peace.

Last night’s show had a great turnout. The overall experience left the audience feeling Irie (state of feeling great, no worries, the highest). I enjoyed the small setting of Harlow’s as a venue. It is never a letdown. With good vibes and quality sound, this was more than just a show – it was a cultural experience

Upcoming Reggae show at Harlow's on April 20th- Mykal Rose

2010-04-18T01:10:14Z

Attention Sacramento Reggae Fans! This Tuesday, 4/20, the Grammy Award Winner, former Black Uhuru member, Jamaican singer Mykal Rose will be performing at Harlow’s.

Show starts at 9 p.m., doors are opening early at 8:30 p.m. Purchase $17 pre-sale tickets at brownpapertickets.com, harlows.com or the beat record store or they are available at the door for $20. The acts in order are SouLifted, Malika Madremana, King Hopeton, and Mykal Rose.

Don’t miss out on this Reggae Superstar and come support this event on 4/20.