Dennis Newhall has been the organizer and curator of the Sacramento Rock and Radio Museum since 2000. The museum, which houses a wealth of local concert memorabilia, only opens for the public on Second Saturdays. It's located at 911 20th Street, next door to what used to be a hot local band venue called the Oasis Ballroom. Dennis himself played a role in the local music and radio scene, working for radio stations KZAP, KSFM and KROY. The museum showcases his vast collection of concert posters and donated memorabilia of mainly the 1960s through 1980s, but also includes later artifacts. On Saturday night, May 11, Dennis and I did a video interview for SacTV.com about the museum and how it ha

7 p.m. The doors to Ace of Spades are to open soon and the line of eager fans wraps the length of the R Street block, twice. Sunday’s all-ages show sold out within days after going on sale. But the venue isn’t just packed with teens dressed in Thunder Horse’s cropped shirts and jean short cut-offs. The 900-person capacity room has plenty of 21 and over attendees squeezed into its small side bars and patios. ∆ (pronounced Alt-J), first to mark mainstream media in early 2012, has shortly since been packing concert halls and music venues across the country, all the way to the other side of the pond, where they call home. Within a year of releasing its first full-length album, the British-bas

Don't let the party stop after you've had your fill of beer and fashion this week, Sacramento! How do tattoos, black face paint, and tight, black leather sound? Good? Then check out Hollywood rock band Black Veil Brides at Ace of Spades next Wednesday, March 6. While seemingly more known to some for their visual aesthetics than their music, these wild-haired bad boys in eye shadow are continually refining their musical style and have seen it evolve from screaming heavy metal to a more anthemic rock sound. They're making a play for the big time with their third album, "Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones," an ambitious rock opera à la My Chemical Romance's "The Black Parade.

Two bands brought encouraging and positive vibes to Ace of Spades on Friday. The alternative rock band, The Reel, opened the night with their inspiring sound and lyrics, and was a great, positive opener for the headliner, Andrew McMahon. Formerly part of the bands, Something Corporate and Jack's Mannequin, singer and songwriter McMahon shared his talents with the crowd. With over seven albums worth of material, he performed a wide range of material from all of his past albums and solo projects. Taking the stage with a pink button-down, smoothed back blonde hair and a bottle of Sierra Nevada on top of his piano, McMahon was set to give an unforgettable performance. Interactive with the

If you didn't make it out to Ace of Spades last night to catch the Hot Water Music tour, you missed some great performances. Critically acclaimed group The Menzingers kicked off the night right with a set of rough, blue-collar punk. Vocalist Greg Barnett mentioned that it was the band's first time in Sacramento. Mission accomplished on making a good first impression. After finishing a set that included fierce songs like "Nice Things" and "Irish Goodbyes," the crowd hoped to hear more, chanting "One more song!" which doesn't happen very often with supporting bands that no one cares about. All signs (my past experience) pointed to second support act La Dispute putting on a passionate, en

Florida's Hot Water Music has been refining a brand of gravel-throated rock somewhere between punk and post-hardcore (or whatever you want to call it) for nearly 20 years now. On Thursday, Feb. 7, they bring it to the best live music venue in Sac, Ace of Spades. Led by guitarist and vocalist Chuck Ragan and featuring a very tight and complex rhythm section, HWM is touring behind 2012's "Exister," their eighth studio album and first album of new material in eight years. A live album, “Live in Chicago,” was also released in late 2012. Joining HWM on the bill are the indisputably excellent Grand Rapids, Mich., band La Dispute and The Menzingers, from Scranton, Pa. The Menzingers' "On the

Muse came to the Sleep Train Amphitheater in Sacramento Tuesday night to an almost sold out crowd. This was one of several stops in California to kick off their North American Tour. Band of Skulls opened for Muse. They were a great compliment to the headliners. The same old school rock and roll music quality that Muse has in some of their songs is mirrored in this band. The songs focused on instrumental solos and well played transitions almost as much as the lyrics. While this is a relatively new band, having only formed in 2009, I don't think it will be long before they are headlining their own show. They have a raw quality and a unity to their music that makes them special. Muse has be

From all-female rockers to an eclectic rock duo, there was a rock band for every style this past Wednesday, Jan. 16, at Ace of Spades in downtown Sacramento. If you have any doubt that all-girl rock bands no longer exist, you will be mistaken once you hear Canadian-based rock group Hunter Valentine. Not your sweet and innocent girly group, Hunter Valentine brings a masculine femininity to the rock genre. With a raspy yet distinguished voice, lead vocalist Kiyomi McCloskey, accompanied by Laura Petracca (drums), Veronica Sanchez (bass) and Aimee Bessada (guitar and keyboards) set it off with her band, making a great opening to the night of rock ‘n’ roll. As McCloskey engaged with the c

Sacramento has a deep concert history that spawns many memories. But when I decided to Google search local concert history, I was frustrated that I didn't find the information I was looking for. While it's easy to check upcoming shows, it's difficult to look up shows from the past, unless they happened to be uploaded to YouTube. There is a sense that shows come and go then are forgotten, at least from an internet research perspective. I decided to preserve the history of Sacramento concerts, so I created a special section for listing Northern California shows of the past for my websites SacTV.com and PlaylistResearch.com.  The reason I am suddenly fascinated with concert history is that t

UNIQUE Programs is pleased to present a concert featuring twenty | one | pilots. The concert will be hosted in the Sacramento State University Union Ballroom at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, February 19, 2013. In its purest form, music acts as a conduit of self-expression that's free from the conventions of society. That spirit of fearlessness lies at the core of twenty | one | pilots, an Ohio-based group whose musical vision is completely their own. Over the past few years the duo of front man Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun have built a hardcore following that seems primed to reach a fever pitch with the January 8, 2013 release of their Fueled By Ramen debut Vessel. They were recently names one

Last week I visited with Sacramento independent artist Jay Shaner to do a series of video interviews about the indie music revolution of the 21st century, comparing it with the old music world of the 20th century. These videos can now all be seen on SacTV.com. I chose Jay Shaner for this series because he impresses me as someone who is like the Bob Dylan of Sacramento. I say "like" because there will always only be one Bob Dylan, the songwriter who influenced almost every artist since the sixties in some shape or form, whether they realize it or not, unless they are completely manufactured by corporations. Musicologists will instantly agree about Dylan's place in history, whereas the less

A storm in Sacramento can shut down many things, as we saw the past weekend, with one of the most powerful showers we've seen all year. But it can't stop bike trail enthusiasts from enjoying the outdoor adventure along the American River. The latest SacTV.com video shows how the bike trail at the Watt Avenue Bridge was completely unaffected by rising water levels and the threat of mudslides. The storm had subsided by Sunday after three days of pounding rain and Monday appeared to be a mellow aftermath. Meanwhile, the island at the Watt Avenue Bridge appeared to be almost underwater. History shows that some of the worst storms to ever hit the Sacramento area created levee damage and floodi

Kicking off a series of SacTV.com videos about the history of Sacramento intersections is "Watt & El Camino," which is an introduction to stories about this legendary intersection. It's hard to believe that this intersection is nothing like what it was in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s when Tower Records and Tower Books were the key hangouts on this block. Even though the bowling alley, Country Club Lanes, still thrives and survives as a busy family fun entertainment center, much of the block has gone through a major facelift. There used to be a hair salon where my friend Dotti worked, next door to Tower Books, which is now a health food grocery store called Fresh & Easy. The Goodwill Donation

It was indie night at Ace of Spades this past Wednesday, Nov. 14. From unique female vocalists to experimental post-hardcore, three bands gave Sacramento a great show. Emotion-stricken vocalist Nina Diaz and her band, Girl in a Coma (Phanie Diaz, drums and Jenn Alva, bass), were first to take the stage. All the way from San Antonio, Texas, Girl in a Coma showed a strong and fun female presence. Nina Diaz has a rockabilly style of vocals that, paired with their indie rock sound, puts Girl in a Coma in their own genre. With four studio albums, Girl in a Coma has a mixture of fast-tempo rock songs like “Say” off their first album “Both Before I'm Gone” and slower and more emotional track

Last week the legendary Sacramento freeform station KZAP returned to the airwaves. Instead of its long remembered 98.5 dial position the freeform staton came back to life at 90.3 KDVS, the UC Davis college station. The event lasted over two days from November 8-10, featuring KZAP jocks from the 60s and 70s, when the station offered a wide eclectic mix where almost anything was possible. SacTV.com was there to get clips and interviews of the historic presentation. One of the program directors at KDVS, Michael Taber, explained in a SacTV.com interview how letting a famous station of the past return on the college station is unique and special to KDVS history.  KDVS has a vast library of mus

Sacramento's economic recovery has been slow, but one of the things keeping it alive is entertainment and the world of media production. While a series of big companies have been leaving town, the show goes on for creative people who want to perform for the local scene or distribute their media for professional purposes. Local culture had been stung by corporate interference, but the pendulum seems to be swinging back toward Sacramento establishing its own regional identity, especially when it comes to live and recorded entertainment. While no one claims Sacramento is an entertainment capital, it's still a place that provides growing opportunities for people with show business aspirations

!!! (Chk Chk Chk) is back in California for a few days, and they put on a banger of a show last night at Harlow's. I was hoping frontman Nic Offer would be wearing tiny little shorts and I was not disappointed. His pair on Thursday featured The Rolling Stones' “Some Girls” album artwork. Guitarist Mario Andreoni and the rest of the band sounded great. The skinny and lithe Offer thrust his pelvis all over the stage, and came down into the crowd a couple of times to get sweaty with the audience. He smelled awful, and freely admitted as much himself when he got back on stage. If you're wondering about the next !!! album, Offer said they were working on it and it'll be released next y

A dozen of the top Northern California bands, playing an Exciting, Eclectic, mix of musical genres (Rock, Country, Jazz, Funk, Soul, Big Band, World Beat …of course, Blues, and….wait for it….Yep…Gypsy Swing!) will gather at the Torch Club, 904 15th Street, on Sunday, October 7th, from 1pm to 8pm for the 6th Annual Blues for Life. (Inside and out in the parking lot…two stages!) This popular fundraiser, that has grown every year, benefits Albie Aware Breast Cancer Foundation, which raises money for expensive diagnostic breast cancer tests such as PET scans and mammograms for women in need. At Albie, we like to say, “Your wife, your mother, your sister, your daughter, your best friend... Wh

I can't remember the last time there was an all-day music festival in the city limits with some big-name acts, so I was excited to check out the Monster Energy Aftershock 2012 festival at Discovery Park on Sunday. The bill was a mix of "hard rock" bands on two stages. Performers included FallRise, Stepchild, Oleander, Beware of Darkness, Gemini Syndrome, Hell or Highwater, Escape the Fate, Hollywood Undead, Theory of a Deadman, Chevelle, Bush, Deftones, and Stone Temple Pilots. I was especially excited to see Deftones, Bush and STP, since they remind me of being in high school, and they play songs I recognize. Sacramento bands were well-represented (FallRise, Stepchild, Oleander, and De

Over the weekend I spent some time exploring various indie music scenes around America. Instead of getting in my car and driving around America, I just stayed home and clicked around on ReverbNation, which hosts over a million indie bands worldwide. Of course, besides going to shows, listening online is about the only way to find out about local music scenes because even if you drove city to city, chances are you wouldn't hear much indie music on the radio. You either have to go to a bunch of dive bars in order to construct a report on indie music, or just listen online. My latest SacTV.com video explains how indie music would be stronger with better navigators and presenters.  The great