Although she’s traversed across the United States before, this Friday marks singer-songwriter Katie Herzig’s first trip to Sacramento. And, she’s looking forward to discovering a good restaurant while she’s here (we’re sure she’ll be able to do that!). Abstract Entertainment is bringing her to the Blue Lamp Lounge along with special guest, fellow singer-songwriter, Andrew Belle. Sacramento365.com was able to squeeze in a few quick questions with Katie in between her touring schedule. Check them out below, and be sure to take a listen to her music here. 1. Describe your music in 6 words or less. Dynamic, rhythmic, cinematic, intimate, honest, mysterious. 2. Who was the first artist to ge

A group of college friends conceived of an idea based on a passion: produce concerts that give back to the community. Formed in 1999, Concerts 4 Charity (C4C) obtained official 501(c)3 nonprofit status in 2002, and has since expanded from its humble beginnings in Worcester, Massachusetts to several locations across the country, following the initial founders as they dispersed after graduating. Along with Worcester, chapters are now present in Portland, Maine; Ashland, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; and Sacramento, California. The Sacramento Chapter, run by founding member Clay Nutting, focuses on causes he is devoted to: music, arts education, and supporting the local music community.

“If you missed the opportunity to see Johnny Cash perform live before he passed, seeing the Cash Prophets is the next best thing,” said Cash Prophets manager and longtime friend Michael Perry. Cash fans throughout Sacramento can soon make their own judgements, as the Cash Prophets will be returning for their fourth performance at Blue Lamp at 1400 Alhambra Blvd. Saturday The Cash Prophets is a tribute band to famed American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. The three-piece band is made of father Bobby Dickson, lead singer and rhythm guitar, and his two sons, Nate Dickson, upright bass, and Bobby Dickson Jr., guitar. Perry, a big fan of Johnny Cash, said he met the band members three years

A lively group of local music lovers gathered at Blue Lamp Thursday night to take in a riling show. Local band I'm Dirty Too opened for the all-female group, Girl iIn a Coma, while Michigan-natives The Detroit Cobras finished off the night. A hip animated crowd shuffled into the venue around 8 o'clock, anticipating the night's stellar performances. The laid back crowd consisted of casual-cool music fans who mingled, ordered drinks and visited the merchandise table before the show. As the audience patiently awaited the opening act, members of Girl in a Coma sipped energy drinks at a back table as they met excited fans and graciously posed for photos. Jenn Alva, the band's bassist, admit

Fear not, Rundown Nation…we’re back! Rundown Headquarters had to be shut down for a little while, while yours truly was tending to a three week gig as a substitute molder of young minds – and it is wrong that I got a little misty-eyed when five or six of them gave me the “oh Captain, my Captain” send-off, “Dead Poets Society” style on the last day of class? If it’s wrong, I don’t want to be right! But now that summer is in full swing, let’s get rolling… School’s Out for Summer Fest with Alien Ant Farm – Any way you slice it, there are eight youngs bands out there who will always be able to say that they opened for Alien Ant Farm – not a bag nugget for the ol’ rock and roll resume when

Trust me, fellow Sactowners…in about six or seven weeks, we’re going to be yearning for this. It’s June 5, and in what should have been our first full official weekend of summer, everyone seems to be deadlocked in collective melancholy over the “WTF!” of late season rains (for these purposes, “WTF” will be officially dubbed as “weather that fails”). We will get our sun. We will get our heat. And it’s summer, which means, we will get our shows. Here’s a look at some of the summer’s can’t miss shows in Sacramento. Cheers! Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt – You can say whatever you want about Lyle Lovett, like his ballyhooed relationship with Julia Roberts or the fact that he bears a slight rese

It seems like all eyes are on Raley Field this weekend – and amazingly, it’s not because of the Riverkittys. Country superstars the Zac Brown Band (one of the few popular “country” stars these days with the guts to actually sound like country) are getting after it on the field on Thursday night, setting up the stage for Friday’s night’s Brew Fest, and Saturday’s you-knew-it-had-to-happen-eventually “Sactopalooza” party, which features cover bands of the following artists: Journey, Beastie Boys, U2, Dave Matthews Band, No Doubt, Van Halen, Sublime and INXS. Coverpalooza? And no, we are not even "going there" with EndFest, we're just not. So, when you’ve wrapped up the beer tastings and p

So I hear there's some sort of a wedding going on early Friday morning? Yeah, well, we've got some music going on too, just as an FYI... The Builders & the Butchers - In a music scene bursting at the seams with raw, albeit often streamlined indie rock, folk and pop talent, Portland is a hard place to make yourself stand out - especially with the Dream of the '90s still alive. From their jovially twisted cover art to a sound that fits the same description, say hello to Neil Young's journey to Hell's big top. At their hear, Builders and the Butchers are a bluegrass band, but that core influence has been compressed in a vice and inserted into a pegboard of dark folk and inventive indie rock

Looking for something to do this Friday night? Put on your dancing shoes, head over to the Blue Lamp, and support a good cause! Japan XOXO is a benefit dance party, with all profits from the door going to the American Red Cross. Join local DJs Shaun Slaughter, Adam J, Sam I Jam, and Taylor Cho as they do what they love to support an amazing cause. Feel like you could do more about Japan's dire situation? Feel helpless? Japan XOXO offers a very easy solution: COME DANCE. Expect an evening of fun house, bouncy house, hip house, topsy turvy techno, treacherous techno, and some fun indie stuff mixed in the middle keeping the party going all damn night. Plus, enjoy drink specials all night--

NOTE: This story is an opinion piece, based on this reporter's previous coverage of Jackie Greene, which dates back to 2004. At virtually any given time, in any town or city in America, there is a “next big thing.” There is that one musician or band tirelessly performing local shows and trying to make a name, but everyone in town who has seem them play is convinced that they’ve “got it” and are going to go the distance (Sacramento music pun is absolutely intended). Maybe we want it as much for ourselves, so we can say we say them in the small local clubs way back when. Maybe we just like seeing them play some tunes. Whatever the reason, we just know it’s going to happen – and it is a re

Happy Green Beer Day, everyone! Yes, we all know how big the De Vere’s party in Cesar Chavez Park is going to be, and thanks to them for putting it on. But assuming the hangover from Thursday doesn’t drop you like “Two and a Half Men” for the rest of the week, don’t sleep on some fine shows on deck. Slainte! Art vs. Science – Fortunately for people that don’t like techno, the definitions of what actually constitutes “techno” are beginning to broaden - look no further than the fact that many techno acts are starting to employ live drums (read: Pretty Lights), which is one of the tasty elements of Sydney, Australia’s Art vs. Science. They’re generically self-billed as a rock band that hap

Whew! If there are any stories from anyone out there about one of our biggest concert weeks in recent memory here in Sactucky, feel free to share them in the comments section below. Seriously, we want to know who was out gettin’ funky and where (and maybe with who, but keep it clean). Lindol and I took care of you over the weekend reporting back on the Mother Hips gig at Marilyn’s – and we could have done the same about Truth & Salvage Co. last night at Harlow’s, but as he duly pointed out, when it comes to covering that band, our objectivity and impartiality as journalists is somewhere in the gutter next to discarded fliers for the next stage show at Faces, and possibly a used rubber or

Thursday night at the Blue Lamp was the place to be for some really great music. Sweden’s The Concretes made their way to the Blue Lamp and shared the stage with Florida’s Million Young. Both groups will be on tour for a few shows together and both made their way to Sacramento for the first time. Before the show started I was able to talk to members of Million Young. Mike Diaz, Lee Mazurk, Eric Rizzo and David Stephen make up the group. They were outside the Blue Lamp along with one of their friends who now lives in San Francisco. I took some of their time before the show began and asked them a few questions. Million Young volunteered Mike Diaz to be their spokesman but after a bit they

Sweet Jesus, I’ve finally done it – the biggest Sactown Rundown in history. It’s just that kind of a week here in Sacto, friends. With no disrespect to the amount of local talent that pours blood on the stages week in and week out, there were way too many “can’t ignore this” shows coming through town this week – and we’re not even talking about Eric Clapton at Arco or Escape the Fate over at Ace of Spades. Harlow’s is packed, and you’re going to have to pick at least one week night to go to work smelling of cheap hooch and leftover sweat. Did we mention that the initial High Sierra lineup is up? Too much to talk about this week, heads will explode! And much of this coincides with Beer W

There was a surprisingly small turnout for Sugar & Gold and Yip Deceiver, two quality indie acts, at Blue Lamp Saturday night. Maybe the numerous free options of Second Saturday kept folks away, but, despite the numbers, both groups turned out solid performances. Yip Deceiver — featuring Of Montreal members Davey Pierce and Nicolas Dobbratz — took the stage late and kicked things off with their take on experimental electro pop, performing songs including "Sadie Hawkins Day" and "For All the Haters." Pierce bantered with the crowd constantly — "People who know me, who truly know me, know I like two things: karaoke and meth. We're going to do some karaoke, because that's fun for us." — and

Attention hipsters and indie dance music fans! Head on over to Blue Lamp this Saturday to catch indie dance duo Sugar & Gold with special guest Yip Deceiver. Shaking off comparisons to MGMT and Hot Chip, the San Francisco-based S&G weave together elements of funky disco, melodic electro and smooth R&B to create dance-heavy pop grooves with their unique signature. Rated "Best Local Dance Band" in 2007 by SF Magazine and "Best Party Band 2008" by SF Weekly, S&G are known for their energetic, outrageous live shows that will have you sweating in your skinny jeans. Davey Pierce (Of Montreal) side-project Yip Deceiver opens. Sugar & Gold and Yip Deceiver perform at Blue Lamp this Saturday at

“All those doctors and those psychics/ they’re all right and they’re all wrong/ It’s like trying to sing every word/ when you should just hum along.” –Dawes “I fell in love twice/ Once with sex and once with pain.” –Shannon Harney “When a Ford man turns to Chevy/ the angel gets his wings.” –Jonny Corndawg Just another day at the office in Davis, CA – soul snapping indie Americana lyricism with white-hot jams, Its a Wonderful Redneck Life, and sultry hippie chicks who will devour your head after mating (and you will gladly let her). What a night with these three gems at Odd Fellows on Tuesday. Social D who? My partner in crime Lindol French has you covered with a full recap of the show

Don’t worry, Sactown, this week’s Rundown has been crafted so that playoff viewing won’t be a conflict (hangovers notwithstanding). We’ve got some ferociously creative names on deck throughout the remainder of the week, and a ton more brewing over the next few, including a four-concert indoor series out in Davis from the same folks who handle the summer stock at Sophia’s, and a three-day festival at the ToHo. Stay tuned to Sac Press, it’s gonna be a winter party! If you are planning or promoting a concert in the Sacramento area, or just know of a show you’d like to see featured in the Rundown, shoot me an email Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights – Certainly fortuitous timing of today’

Happy Twenty Eleven, Sactown! Last week we took a look back at the top 10 concerts from the last year, now it’s time to start auditioning for this year’s list. It all starts this weekend! First, I will dish you up one from the Department of Shameless Self-Promotions. For the insomniacs out there, Michael Tobias and the Acidic Swamp Band will be doing a Live in Studio A performance tonight on KDVS 90.3, which can be streamed online tonight (Thursday Jan. 7, 11 p.m.). Tobias is poised to go ka-boom in this town behind his new record “High & Low,” and this should be a hell of a good time. Reason I mention it: Yours truly will be the M.C. for the evening. I do indeed have a face for radio. H

Truth & Salvage Co. plus Monophonics at two different venues in one night equals the most unproductive Sunday in history. There’s your Sactown Rundown math lesson for the week. It was a heck of a Saturday evening, with Truth & Salvage Co. throwing down an Americana rock wallop of a set last weekend at Harlow’s. It seems like these six guys from North Carolina have officially earmarked Sacramento as a “must stop” when they head out West on tour, so if you haven’t caught them yet, we’ll be sure to let you know next time they come through. And yes, they did indeed dedicate a song to Sac Press’ Lindol French. Wow. Soulive – There’s no denying that an album full of instrumental jazz Beatles