Sacramento-natives the Deftones played to a sold-out house at Ace of Spades Tuesday night. The Dillinger Escape Plan and Le Butcherettes joined them for a concert where all ticket proceeds were donated to the Chi Ling Cheng Special Needs Trust. The goal of the show was to raise money to help cover medical expenses for Deftones bassist Chi Cheng, who survived a near-fatal car accident in 2008 that left him in a coma. Cheng is now being treated by doctors in New Jersey who specialize in conditions like his. According to the One Love for Chi website, he is in a “minimally conscious state.” “Chi’s progress is very slow,” drummer Abe Cunningham said. “We were through there last month, and we

Any fan of the Deftones knows that the band got its start here in Sacramento. However, they might not be aware that the members’ hearts are as large as their music is loud. Tuesday, June 14, the Deftones will return to their hometown to play a very special show to support the recovery of their bassist, Chi Cheng. Chi, as he is affectionately known to fans, survived a very bad car accident in November 2008 which left him in a “minimally conscious” state. Cheng’s friends and family all want him to receive the best medical care, which, unfortunately, does not come cheap. The Chi Ling Cheng Special Needs Trust was set up in order to help cover the medical expenses that insurance would not ta

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

The second annual “Yoga for Chi” class will be held Jan. 22 to benefit Chi Cheng, bassist for Deftones, who has been in a coma since November 2008. “It’s an hour-long free yoga class for all ages, and it’s open to all skill levels,” said Julie McKechnie, who will be hosting the class from 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Jan. 22 at American River Crossfit, 1512 Howe Ave. Students are encouraged to make donations, which will help Cheng’s family raise the money needed to transport him to New Jersey to see a specialist. Cheng, who has lived in both Sacramento and Stockton, was in a car accident on Nov. 3, 2008, and though his family says he is improving, he has yet to regain consciousness, according to o

The music scene was alive and kicking in Sacramento this past weekend. Saturday’s Sammies Block Party presented by the Sacramento News and Review was held at the R Street Corridor. Adam Saake and Tais were masters of ceremony and did an excellent job for this venue that has been hosted by the Crest Theatre the last few years. On Sunday another awards event was held at the Tropicana across from the Arden Fair Mall. Various awards were given in different categories. Several bands took the stage with Dance Gavin Dance closing out the show. A packed house rocked for several hours on Sunday night as favorite Sacramento area bands played to the delight of the packed house at the Tropicana dur

Since the release of their first studio album, “Adrenaline,” in 1995, Sacramento natives the Deftones have managed to create a sound that harmoniously blends aggressive guitars and percussion with undeniably beautiful vocals. Throughout the 15 years the group has been making music, the Deftones have built up a dedicated fan base that includes devotees of metal, experimental, hip-hop and alternative sounds. To date, the Deftones have released six complete albums (not counting the 2005 B-sides and rarities CD), and each one delivers a different sound than the last. “Adrenaline” is filled with all the emotion and raw material that should constitute a band’s first album, while their softest a

Last Sunday, the Yoga Solution studio was filled with the relaxing sound of "namastes," "oms" and a meditation gong. But what spoke the loudest, perhaps, were three chants of "Chi." On Oct. 4, 10 people came together to practice yoga and send "chi," or life force energy, to Chi Cheng, bassist for the Grammy-award-winning Sacramento band, Deftones. Cheng has been in a coma since Nov. 4, 2008, after being involved in a motor accident. The event was organized by yoga instructor Julie McKechnie, who normally teaches classes for members of the Gold River Racquet Club. Her friend Jennifer Sadugor, the owner of Yoga Solution, 887 57th St., allowed her to use her studio for the fundraising gathe

As you have read from this storyline, Deftones bassist and good friend Chi Cheng was ejected from a car and seriously injured, resulting in a coma, a state he remains in as I write. Even though comas have been known to last as long as several years, they rarely last more than 2 to 5 weeks. Chi has been in his for over four weeks now. To augment the amazing medical care he is receiving, a band of brothers and sisters came together in Sacramento on Tuesday, December 9th to raise some much needed funds and send some positive chi to our good friend Chi. Benefit shows are a strange thing. On one level, you have a friend lying in an uncertain state, hopefully healing his way back to this world.

I don't get out as much as I'd like, and judging from the numbers of people usually out to hear music on a Tuesday night, neither does anyone else. But not this Tuesday! I didn't get to everything, but there were two big shows that drew very respectable crowds out into the fog and damp. The one where I spent most of my evening was at the Jonathan Richman show at the Blue Lamp. For those who know him - and most of the crowd of 100 or so seemed to - it was like old home week. For those who didn't, at least two were talked into going in when they were told that Richman was the random musician who popped up from time to time in the film "There's Something About Mary." That was Jonathan's one

Tuesday, November 4th was to be like nearly every other Tuesday in my life. Head into the office, do some email, make some connections, then get picked up by my best friend Abe Cunningham for our weekly lunch at Tuli Bistro. But when Abe called fifteen minutes before our meeting time, I wasn't prepared for the news he would deliver. Chi Cheng, our good friend and brother, was in a severe car wreck in Santa Clara and is in a coma. For those of you who know him, you know he's a man mountain of positivity and all smiles all the time. For those of you who don't, Chi is a native of Stockton and Sacramento, a poet, a musician, and a father. As the bassist for Deftones, he's helped elevate Sacra