The Friday night summer concerts series returned to Cesar Chavez Plaza. Concerts in the Park returned for the first time without promoter Jerry Perry hosting the event. The music played on Friday, May 4 continues to be as entertaining as ever. Just like Fiesta en la Calle did last year this year’s CIP includes a DJ on site. DJ Shaun Slaughter supplied great music for those in attendance. Slaughter, writes and produces music under D.A.M.B., and also performed at the Sacramento Electronic Music Festival Saturday night. Concerts in the Park began on May 4 and runs every Friday until July 27. Many of last year’s bands return to the venue. Another noticeable difference this year is that

It’s almost summer, and with the season comes the return of Concerts in the Park. Sacramentans of all varieties came out to Cesar Chavez Park on Friday for the first in the concert series that will continue through July. The crowd swelled in size as the sun set and music filled the air. Stage performers included bands Storytellers, Island of Black and White, and Arden Park Roots. DJ Shaun Slaughter provided dance beats and announcer Danny Secretion rallied the concert-goers between sets. Check out the free concerts every Friday from 5 - 9 p.m. this summer at Cesar Chavez park.

photographs by Barry Wisdom / The volume wasn't the only thing turned to "11" the evening of May 4, as an off-the-dial number of revel-hungry music lovers descended on Cesar Chavez Park for the 2012 Concerts in the Park season opener. Some 6,300 men, women and children – a record for the 21-year-old free, all-ages concert series – filled the downtown Sacramento venue to celebrate the River City's unofficial summer kick-off. Local musician and erstwhile emcee Danny Secretion hosted the Downtown Sacramento Partnership-sponsored event, offering loving introductions to The Storytellers, Island of Black and White, and Arden Park Roots. The Storytellers, described on the DSP website as a

The 2011 Jammies, Night of Contemporary Music, completion took place at the Crest Theatre on Friday the 13th. Danny Secretion hosted the Sacramento News and Review event and Jerry Perry was the director/producer of the Contemporary show. Finalists at the 9th annual Jammies for the evening were; Smack Jupiter, Jaxx, Into the Open, The Hungry, Southpaw Kings, Zach MacLachlan, Exhale, Conquest and Uncle Tony. A special performance by last year’s winner One Eyed Rhyno was also scheduled that evening. As guests entered the Crest Theatre they were given ballots with all the nominees on it and they were asked to vote for 3 bands. The show was scheduled to start at 8 and when I got to the theat

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

Friday marked the eighth annual Jammies Night of Contemporary Music at the Crest Theater on 1013 K St. The Jammies are a musical competition for high-school-aged musicians who are selected from the a Battle of the Bands concert series. This aligned with the Jammies Evening of Classical Music held Saturday at the Mondavi Center. Musicians from 11 acts ranging in age from 12 to 20 showcased their talent for a packed house at the Crest. From the hardcore metal of Carcerys Vale to the acoustic guitar solo of Julianna Zachariou, the youths put on a fantastic show that really shed light on the next generation of music coming from Sacramento. Danny Secretion, elementary school teacher and memb