Mayor Kevin Johnson gave full endorsement of the 47th annual Sacramento Greek Festival on Friday, its opening day. In his address to festival-goers, Johnson shared his appreciation of the great music, art and food provided by the Greek community over the course of the weekend’s festivities, which took place at the Sacramento Convention Center. “It’s all about the gyros for me,” Johnson said. “We’ve got a lot of great Greek restaurants in Sacramento, but what’s neat about this event is that they all come here.” With more than 10,000 people attending the three-day event, Johnson clearly isn’t the only Sacramentan in support of celebrating all things Greek. Chefs from some of the best Gree

Rick Spencer Concert at Gold Rush Days, Sunday Sept 5, 4 P.M., Old Sacramento “Tent City” Stage SCHS is proud to sponsor a public historic music program by historical troubadour Rick Spencer, followed by a 5 PM performer reception/discussion (for SCHS members only) in the Eagle Theater. Rick is known internationally for his work as a historian, researcher, singer, songwriter and performer of music in the American folk tradition. Some of his musical selections for this event will include campaign songs written for the 1856 Presidential campaign of John C. Fremont, early California explorer, one of the first two Senators from California, and the first Presidential candidate fielded by the f

 Whimsical ceramic characters that wink as you walk by, domestic and exotic animals who allow you to pet them, a fairy who paints a glittering swan on your face, and musicians whose songs are brand new each time they perform. These are only some of the imaginative artists and activities that await kids and adults at the 4th Annual CurtisFest on Saturday, September 11th. Presented by the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association (SCNA), Curtis Fest will be held from 10am until 4pm in Curtis Park, an eighteen-acre parcel of ground surrounded by quaint bungalows and shaded by heritage trees. CurtisFest was established in 2007 to give local artists a venue at which to exhibit and sell their work

It was a sea of cut-off shorts, cowboy hats, and overalls at Capitol Mall on Sunday afternoon for Country in the Park 2010. KNCI 105.1 managed to turn the intersection on Capitol Mall and Fifth Streets into a country music venue for the day. The gated-off intersection was filled with an estimated 11,000-12,000 country music fans, making this year one of the biggest in it’s 11-year existence, according to Mark Evans, program director at KHTK and KNCI Sacramento. Due to budget cuts Gibson Ranch, where the concert is normally held, was unable to rent out the park to KNCI this year. The singing of the national anthem and “God Bless America” with help from the crowd kicked off the day on a h

After nearly 5 years away from the spotlight, the Goo Goo Dolls are releasing a new album titled 'Some For the Rest of Us' (August 31, 2010). To help promote the new album, the band brought their grunge style to the Park Ultra Lounge were they performed for 100 select fans of the radio station - Now100.5. The Goo Goo Dolls walked on stage at 4:00pm and played for about 20 minutes. They performed three new songs ‘The Sweetest Lie’, ‘Home’, and ‘As I Am’ and an older but fan favorite ‘Slide’. From the bands first appearance to their final song, it was obvious just how much the fans loved them. Between songs, Brian (the night DJ from Now100.5) asked the band non-scripted fan questions and w

Images by: Erin Haight   As Michael Bublé prepared to take the Arco Arena stage Tuesday evening for the Sacramento stop of his 2010 “Crazy Love” tour, projections of overlapping symphony-member images, including a tails-wearing conductor, promised a very formal, if not downright stiffly starched concert event. But Bublé quickly dispelled that notion – along with several other Michael Myths – during his sometimes-serious, sometimes-silly but always unpretentious and completely entertaining two-hour, 19-song set. After opening with his John Barry/James Bond-flavored take on Arthur Hamilton’s ’50s blues ballad “Cry Me a River” and a jazzy, reed-and-brass-boosted “All of Me” (the first two

I wrote the following last January, after first being exposed to a new local band called DoomBird, and posted it on my blog, The Random Griffith. Clay Nutting, who's promoting a show at Harlow's this Sunday, August 29, with DoomBird, Aaron Ross and Bart Davenport on the bill, asked me if I'd resurrect it by republishing it on this space. I figured that might not be a bad idea, because I'll still stand by this album's greatness. Case in point: Recently, I was driving along listening to the Arcade Fire's summer release, The Suburbs, and I kept hearing these songs come into my head that were better than anything on that album. It took me a little while to figure out what diaphanous melodies I

Two years after winning a Sammie award, fans of The New Humans were wondering when they’d get to hear a full record. After various production hurdles, on August 21st The New Humans will release what fans have been asking for: a surprising and entertaining EP entitled Avalanche. Much of the eight track record is filled with the same heart-pounding synthesizer-driven electro pop that we have come to expect out of The New Humans. Tracks like “All the Kids” and “Tremors” seem like parts of the same explosive song and together they open the EP with a bang.   “Fever,” their first single (now available on iTunes), is still their signature track. This big band-inspired and well-composed dance hit

(Tais and Adam Saake hosts of S&R Third Saturday) This month’s Third Saturday event, as usual, was very entertaining. Adam Saake and Tais once again were the hosts for the event. I said it before, and I’m saying it again, these guys should start a comedy act. Maybe next month, after September’s Third Saturday is over they can walk over to Front Street and take their act to Laughs Unlimited. This Saturday they introduced two musical acts, three fashion designers, a dance group and reminded shoppers about visiting the many vendors who had set up shop on the lower level of the Westfield Galleria downtown across from Macys. Zak Norlyn was the first musical act of the day. Although I only

Fremont Park has put on a few movie nights in the park. On Friday, the delightful 2009 animated Disney-Pixar movie Up was shown to area residents and guests. The Capitol Area Development Authority (CADA) with the help of the City of Sacramento and Friends of Fremont Park held their Movie in Fremont Park screening. The movie was free to the public and had other activities preceding the showing of Up. Lena Wrightsman, former president of Chalk-it-Up, was at work finishing up a chalk drawing of Carl who is one of the main characters of the movie. Around the Fremont Park fountain Lena had already drawn Kevin, Russell (characters in the movie) and as she finished Carl moved on to draw Dug the

Who says summer has to end in August? Well, the organizers of the Crocker Art Museum’s “Jazz At The Crocker” summer music series agree.   In fact, the museum is prolonging the spirit of summer with its “Jazz At The Crocker” every third Thursday of the month beginning at 5:30 p.m. and going to 8 p.m. in the E. Kendall Davis Courtyard. This month, the Crocker featured the renowned Roger Smith jazz band.   The band consists of bandleader and keyboardist Roger Smith, drummer Brian Collier, bassist Curtis Ohlson, guitarist Jeff Tamelier, saxophonist Jon Skinner, saxophonist Tom E. Politzer and vocalist Carol J. Toca.   “The Crocker has been doing this for 15-20 years—it’s a popular series

Finding local bands both past and present has now become a lot easier for music fans. A website called My Hometown Bands, created by Sacramento native Mark Chiolis, has been locally launched in an effort to provide music fans an online venue to engage with songs, photos and biographies from bands in their region. Not only do fans benefit from the new site, but bands also receive a new online tool for sharing and cataloging their musical careers. About two and a half years ago, after rummaging through piles of old music videos and recordings, Chiolis realized he had an invaluable hoard of great music paraphernalia that needed to be shared with others. Chiolis said he believed there had

Consumnes River College hosted the First Annual Banana Festival on August 13, 14 and 15. This was a festival celebrating everything having to do with bananas. It was geared towards families and had lots of banana related food and entertainment concentrating on community and healthy eating. A food court was set up to sell delicious international food many specializing in banana recipes. The event was set up to entertain all ages. A kid zone was stationed on one end of the Consumnes River College football field and at the another end an entertainment stage was situated. Many entertainers performed during the 3 day event. In the middle of the field there were many local non-profit and commun

Attendees to the Neo-Crocker 2010: A Modern Culture Party will celebrate the opening of the New Crocker with art experiences, DJs, dancing, performances and more. Presented by Bank of America, Neo-Crocker 2010 will be held in the new Teel Family Pavilion, existing Victorian buildings and exterior courtyards on Saturday, October 16, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Acclaimed performer Rjd2 will make his first Sacramento appearance at Neo-Crocker 2010. His latest album, “The Colussus,” was released in January 2010. The artist is well known for his tracks for various films, commercials and television shows, including “Mad Men“ and “CSI.” Additional dynamic activities planned for the event include: a p

Mr. Villa stood on the stage, but the crowd seemed to not recognize the man who was in front of the wall that bore his art.  "Don't graffitti it" he told the young skateboarders that were in the park.  Esteban Villa then sang a song that was the "Bakersfield" sound, "Chicano" in its roots, but Bakersfield in its sound.  Professor Emeritus Esteban Villa was at home while he remembered he was sitting under the trees when he thought of the song "Southside Park". Southside Park on Saturday was like a barbecue with benefits.  Skateboards, pretty women, promotions, music, and the locals walking their bikes and stopping to see what all the music was about.  Nearby, the sounds of powwow drums cou

The last show of the year had 3 bands playing that evening, This Luxury, Phantom Jets and  the Brodys performed Friday night. I got to Cesar Chavez Plaza too late to see This Luxury. Traffic from Folsom to downtown was pretty slow today. Thanks to Jerry Perry for putting on a great lineup week after week. Some of the same people showed up week after week and others were there for the first time, both are included in the shot below. (Mariana, DJ, Amanda, Brendon, Gabe, Damien) The begining of the Concerts in the Park in May signals, to me, the beginning of summer. The last concert of the season likewise may not be the end of summer but for many it's back to shool. Thanks to everyo

As children are about to return to school and the temperature is about to drop, the Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association invites everyone to Curtis Park for its last Music in the Park of the summer of 2010. On Sunday, August 29th from 6 - 8:30pm the eighteen-acre parcel at the heart of the Curtis Park community will play host to rock, rhythm and blues for adults, songs and games for kids, and an assortment of innovative health and wellness ideas. This free concert is part of the season of events of one of the busiest neighborhood associations in the state of California. Making his debut performance at Music in the Park will be singer-songwriter G-Whiz, who will present his unique line-u

  On Thursday August 12, Dane Drewis performed at Crawdad's on the River located at 1375 Garden Highway in Sacramento. Set on a floating stage that connects to a floating venue, the scene at Crawdad's is unique. River wakes cause the place to rock and roll.  Boaters out on the river can pull up and dock alongside the floating venue and join in the festivities. On this night, Drewis and his band were excited. Both Dane and his younger sister Janel are competing in the upcoming American Idol preliminaries being held first in Sacramento at Arden Fair Mall from 10am to 2pm on Tuesday August 17, and followed quickly by a round at AT&T Park in San Francisco on Thursday August 19. The Sacramen

  On Sunday, August 15, SBL Entertainment presents Warm Earth Records internationally acclaimed recording artists Te Vaka at Harlow's located at 2708 J Street, in Sacramento. Te Vaka is an amazing group of twelve musicians and dancers from Tokelau, Tuvalu, Samoa, Cook Islands, and New Zealand. The band performs music inspired by the sounds of the South Pacific. Branded South Pacific Fusion, their music blends the sounds of Polynesia and brings contemporary flavor to traditional island music in a selflessly dynamic expression of love under the leadership of vocal wordsmith Opetaia Foa’i. Te Vaka was recently named “Best Pacific Group” at the 2010 S3 Pacific Music Awards .  They also won

This year’s Fire Spectacular, on Sunday August 8, was slated to begin around seven in the evening. The Fire Spectacular is a festival event where fire, dance, art, and music are celebrated. The event had a small festival type of atmosphere. Several vendor booths were set up to sell goods related to the event. Drumsum, a local world music style band, was on hand to provide musical entertainment. The event started slow but gained momentum as people started to set up their sitting area in front of the Southside Park Amphitheatre. Once the entertainment began on the amphitheatre stage it indeed became a spectacular event. Earlier in the day, as I approached the entrance to the event, three pe