The Sacramento Artists Council will hold its Speakeasy Fundraiser, May 18 at the Antiquite Maison Privee in Midtown. It’ll be flapper dresses and fedoras galore at this Prohibition-themed fundraiser for the S.A.C. Snacks, Monte Carlo gaming, and a complimentary cocktail are all included in the price of the ticket. Local swing band the Twilight Drifters will be performing live from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. The Sacramento Artists Council is a nonprofit organization that supports local artists of all mediums. It also generates scholarships for high school seniors, and works to keep art alive in public education through its Adopt-A-School Art/Music Program.   Tickets are $52, but The Sacramento Pre

Bill W. Directed by Dan Carracino & Kevin Hanlon A few weeks ago, the powers that be at the Crest Theatre decided to try a single day’s programming for this film – and the result was so overwhelmingly positive that they brought it back for a regular engagement. And it’s easy to see why so many people would be affected strongly by the story of Bill Wilson, the Founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, a man who’s a hero to so many struggling and recovering addicts – although he would most likely have scoffed at such an idea and described himself as a drunk trying to get through his life. One day at a time. His story is likely familiar to many, not because they know it but because they’ve lived thr

Many a Saturday evening are spent in a bar anyway, so why not liven the experience every third Saturday with the Old Sacramento Speakeasy Tour? Led by Downtown Sacramento Partnership guide Shawn Peter--who developed the tour out of personal interest, and by scouring archives and historical documents--attendees get a glimpse at Prohibition-era life in Sacramento, all while sipping beverages in a few of Old Sacramento's speakeasiest saloons. Tickets are $10, drinks not included. But, never fear: there's time at each stop to purchase and consume drinks of your own. Watch out, though, those cobblestones and boardwalk sidewalks can be tricky! The next tour is Saturday, October 19 October 20,

"Robot & Frank" Directed by Jake Schreier This odd, low budget little movie is probably my favorite of the new releases this week, starring Frank Langella as the coincidentally titular Frank, an ex-burglar who lives alone and has early signs of some form of dementia or memory loss and a diminishing ability to take care of himself. His son Hunter (James Marsden) makes onerous weekly visits to clean the house and make sure he’s OK, while his daughter Madison (Liv Tyler) pursues social justice causes in remote spots around the world. Faced with the possibility of needing to place his ailing but reluctant father into a care facility of some kind, Hunter instead buys a robot that’s programmed

A slice of life in pre-Prohibition Sacramento was on display at the Sacramento County Historical Society’s monthly meeting Tuesday night as saloon ware collector Steve Abbott gave a presentation on artifacts from the 1860s through the 1920s. The Sacramento Press caught up with Abbott Wednesday for a more in-depth look at his collection. “I come from a family of collectors,” the 73-year-old retired English teacher from Rancho Cordova said. “One day I was in Old Sacramento in an antique store, and I saw an old whiskey bottle for $7. That was when I got into it – about 30 years ago.” While whiskey was made back east, in states such as Kentucky, Ohio, New York and Indiana, it was shipped to

Sacramento musicians and their followers are waiting to see whether this summer brings an end to an era of live music at Old Ironsides. Countless local bands broke into the music business at the bar/restaurant known as "Old I" over the last two decades. But there's currently only one weekend show booked for July. Two shows that had been set for next month have been moved to another location, one has been canceled and future bookings have been postponed for now. The family that has owned the bar at 1901 10th St. for 76 years is working to replace a rented sound system that was removed Sunday. The Kanelos family rented the system for about 17 years and was unable to negotiate a lower fee

When the owners of Shady Lady Saloon decided Sacramento needed in on the newest bar craze, Prohibition-era drinks with people who are passionate about their craft, they lit up the Sacramento nightlife in a way that was just whispering through before. An artisan like Matt Nurge, an incumbent craftsmen at Shady Lady Saloon, makes the third bartender showcased in my All-Star Bartender series. The first time I met Nurge he was loaded down with drink orders and making it look like a snap. I don't like to burden bartenders with making labor-intensive drinks when they’re "in the weeds," but we waited a couple of minutes, and he was excited about the idea of making something new, not tired o

Ever wonder who's peer-recognized as the best bartender in Sacramento? Who makes the cocktails that scintillate the palate, dazzle the mind and always keep you guessing? Go no farther than 19th Street: we have a local treasure right here. For the second installment on the All-Star Bartender Series, I'm speaking of Chris Tucker. Tucker has been a Northern California local for much of his life, and after working in San Francisco for a period of time, and learning a great deal about his craft, he decided there was something special in Sacramento worth coming back for. So upon returning, Tucker has been working with L Wine Lounge and moonlighting at Shady Lady Saloon ever since. More than a

“Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.” ~W.C. Fields     The 18th Amendment, which banned the sale, manufacture and transportation of alcohol in the United States, was ratified on Jan. 16, 1919. As a result, drinking in the United States stopped almost completely. Drunk and disorderly behavior went the way of the dodo, crime rates sunk like a turd in a jug and America became an idyllic utopia full of stolid, sober, upright men and women who had finally been saved from that liquid Mephistopheles which had held them captive for so long. "Is this Heaven?" people were known to ask one another. "No, it's just government-mandated Prohibition" s

Tonight, the Shady Lady Saloon will have two guest bartenders, Erick Castro and Owen Westfield of San Francisco's Bourbon & Branch. Bourbon & Branch has a set of house rules that coincide with the simplicity and no-funny-business attitude of the Shady Lady: No use of cell phones No photography No standing at the bar Please speak easy (or quietly)   Don't even think of asking for a Cosmo Please be patient as the drinks are labor-intensive Bourbon & Branch used to be the location of the JJ Russell Cigar Shop which operated as a speakeasy from 1923-1935, complete with a password that needed to be uttered to gain admittance, a trap door that opened and led down to the bar and five s