Are you a fan of “Dancing with the Stars”? Do you enjoy glitzy Broadway musicals or old movies with Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire? Do graceful dancers in tuxedos and swirly sequined dresses make you swoon? U.S Women's Standard Champions Citabria Phillips, left, and Zoe Balfour perform in the evening show. It was all that and more when ballroom dancers from around the world gathered in Sacramento on Sunday. The Ballroom of Sacramento hosted the third annual Dancing in the River City Same-Sex Dance Competition, followed by an evening dance show. This year’s show was “Over the Rainbow in the River City,” and featured performances by The Dancing Dorothys, the Vima Vice Squad, the Magical

"Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time: the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love." - Martin Luther King, Jr., Nobel Prize acceptance speech, Stockholm, Sweden, December 11, 1964.   The words of Martin Luther King, Jr. continue to inspire decades after his departure. Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration was a day to remember one of America’s greatest heroes. Monday commemorated the 25th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s Holiday. March

The taco is the world’s most perfect food. Fact. Personally, I think the taco is the single most perfect thing, food or otherwise, in the universe. I'm willing to bend on this stance, but I don't expect to. Feel free to nominate something else, but it has to be a physical thing. I will not accept "love" or "a summer's day" as viable submissions. Some have called me taco-obsessed. And, if getting 50 tacos mailed to me in New York from California on dry ice for my first collegiate care package makes me obsessed, then, well, maybe. If picking up a duffel bag full of tacos and burritos during a 45 minute layover at SFO is wrong, I don't want to be right. The point is, since I discovered th

Harlow's Nightclub was at the center of a perfect storm Monday.  Headliner Orgone brought in a decent crowd of folks looking forward to a unique brand of SoCal soulpowerfunk. Local reggae act Zuhg opened the show, bringing a sizable and impassioned young fan base looking forward to high-energy NorCal Jazzreggaejamrock. Many of those who came for Zuhg weren't all that familiar with Orgone. Most of those who came to see Orgone weren't all that familiar with Zuhg. The beauty of this scenario is that if one were to draw a Venn diagram representative of the people who would like each of these acts, it would be very close to a single circle. What ended up happening was the crowd for both ac

If God did not intend for us to eat animals, then why did he make them out of meat? - John Cleese. In a given year, the average American consumes 73.6 pounds of poultry, 62.4 pounds of beef, 46.5 pounds of pork and 16.1 pounds of shellfish. (visualeconomics.com) That adds up to almost 200 pounds of animal flesh consumed, per person, per year. And really, those numbers are skewed by the rapidly growing number of vegetarians and (groan) vegans who are running around these days, averaging zeros across the board.  If you are afflicted with vegetarianism, and for some reason the quote at the top didn't send you running, feel free to stop reading now. As for the rest of us, if you're like me

10,000 honored Dr. Kings Dream on Monday, Jan. 17.2011 in Sacramento. Thousands in our community marched today from two locations honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It took 30 minutes for the mass of marchers to pass by me as they made a right hand turn from Sutterville Rd. (above) onto Sacramento City College as they made their way to the Convention Center downtown. They formed at Oak Park Community Center. These marchers, coming from Grant High School, marched south on North 12th St as they travelled to the Convention Center downtown. Democratic Senate leader Darrell Steinberg and Democratic Assemblyman Roger Dickinson took part in the event. Hundreds participated in

Before tipoff you had a smoke machine introduction, a choreographed dance routine, a head couch riling-up the audience, trick shots and amazing dunks – now that is the way to start a game of basketball. The Globetrotters bring more of a sense of purpose in the first five minutes of being on the floor than many sports do the entire night. Although you know the night is choreographed, it’s obvious that it is about the kids and about making those kids believe in who they are. For 85 years the Globetrotters have brought their fast-paced, high-flying and antic filled game to the world and what a world it is. As approximately 5000 thousand young kids and their families packed Arco Arena, the Ha

Sizzle. Serenade. Seduce. Puffs of neon smoke cloud my eyes as I slide through the bustling doorway of Harlow’s Sunday night. The room brims with burlesque bombshells of all ages, men in fedoras, pin stripes, faux-leather collars. A woman wearing crimson nurses a gimlet, no ice. Next to her, a man dressed as the late Hunter S. Thompson bumps me with his long cigarette holder while he tucks it nonchalantly behind his ear. He pays no notice as he urges his eyes through the clamoring crowd in anticipation of “Stick ‘em Up!: A Criminal Cabaret,” Harlow’s first show of the year by Sacramento’s only burlesque troupe “Sizzling Sirens.” The Sizzling Sirens, founded in 2008 by Jessica Swanson who

Billed as the "Biggest, Baddest, Bike Show in America" the Easyriders Bike Show Tour came to town this weekend. Custom bikes, specialty motorcycle merchandise, live music, door prize giveaways, fashion and stunt shows were part of this annual event. (Easy Rider motorcycle) The roar of hundreds of motorcycles could be heard Saturday and Sunday all around Sacramento. The ever increasing popularity of the Easyriders Bike Show Tour could be seen and heard all around the downtown area. (Front of Sacramento Convention Center) The line to the ticket box office was long and it stretched halfway around the block. Once inside vendor stations spread throughout the exhibition halls. Over 500 mot

During a foggy morning, a construction worker walks along a steel beam two stories above ground level. Work is in progress on The Anderson Lucchetti Women’s and Children’s Center. This expansion of Sutter General Hospital will be a 242-bed, nine story building that will provide innovative technology in a patient-focused environment.  It also will feature a life-saving helistop near Capitol Freeway, which will allow helicopters to transport severely injured and sick patients for treatment, mostly newborn and pediatric patients. Anderson Lucchetti Women’s and Children’s Center will provide the highest level of neonatal and pediatric intensive care services, pediatric cardiac care, pediatric

AK Promotions put a little fight into Sacramento with an International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) Muay Thai Kickboxing card that made you want to shadowbox your way home. The Doubletree hotel may have seen its fair share of events in the past, but probably not too many that included a thousand screaming fans, a Budweiser bonanza of beer and twenty-eight fighters thirsting for their chance to take the ring. The thousand or so attendees swirled around the ballroom like a calm wind before a storm, eagerly awaiting the start to the mayhem and the chance to see their fighter enter the ring. In Muay Thai both the fighters and fans respect the discipline and the traditions, paying homage to th

The 12th annual Sacramento Film & Music Festival and first ever WinterFEST kicked off Saturday at the historic Crest Theatre. The festival runs through Martin Luther King Day on Monday, when winners of the audience choice awards will be announced. Although the festival is largely international in scope, with 31 films representing nine countries, the focus this winter has largely been on documentaries from Northern California, such as Saturday’s “Painting Bolinas”, Sunday's "My Brother Mike" and Monday’s documentary feature “Sowing the Seeds of Justice,” about Cruz Reynoso, California's first Chicano Supreme Court Justice and member of the UC Davis law faculty. “With the dates coinciding

Arco Arena (soon to be Power Balance Pavilion) was transformed into a dirt arena for the 2011 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Sacramento Invitational on Friday and Saturday night. The first thing newcomers to the PBR must know is that you do not refer to this as a rodeo. No, as Jack Carnefix told me, “rodeos have a few bull rides but mostly include things like mutton busting, calf roping and pole bending.” He continued with, “this two-day event is just bull riding – no gimmicks.” As the night began a group of men came-out to the floor and traced the letters PBR with gasoline. As the fireworks burst and flames shot from the flame guns, the traced letters came to life with fire. With music

This is not a news story. It is not even opinion so much as it is a few words to accompany the photos attached to them. If the old saying has any truth, each shot is worth 1,000 words. The Easyriders Bike Show Tour traditionally makes its annual Sacramento pilgrimage this time of year and unlike last year, the weather did not present any hindrance to the literally thousands of motorcyclists who parked their bikes on J Street and on every other street around the Sacramento Convention Center. Although the show caters to all motorcycle enthusiasts, the vast majority of those in attendance hold allegiance to one brand in particular – Harley Davidson. As one might expect, the majority of the

Skating has returned to Del Paso Boulevard Iceland Ice Skating Rink re-opened today to skaters for the first time since burning down in March 2010. “Such a journey from March until now,” said Terrie Kerth, whose family built the rink in the late 1930s. “So many volunteers who have helped, so many people who care about skating and thanks to them, we’re open.” “Still lots of work to do, but we can skate.” Iceland has played host to ice-skating, ice hockey, and ice shows. Former President and California Governor Ronald Regan skated at the facility, as did former boxer Max Baer. The facility burned down last March following a private party, but the primary structure remained intact. Sinc

The Arden Hills Resort Club and Spa held their first Thursday Night Jazz and Wine event of the year. This event is being held on the second Thursday of the month and features wine tasting and live music. The event at Arden Hills Resort was held in the Mangos Lounge. The lounge is a members only gathering spot that includes a bar, two game tables, a big screen TV, several eating tables and a large fireplace with a sitting area. Several families were on hand to enjoy the evening as well as other resort members and guests. The big screen and another television at the bar played the Philadelphia Flyers vs. the Boston Bruins game and later the Edmonton Oilers faced off against the San Jose S

Crocker Art Museum presented a diverse palette of art and music Thursday night as part of its monthly exhibit and performance series Art Mix. January’s theme, titled “I Hear Color,” celebrated the vibrant watercolor explorations of world-renowned abstract expressionist Paul Jenkins, the sunny, melodic music of San Francisco’s Jake Mann and the Upper Hand, and also featured a playful prism of colorful crafts -- kaleidoscope creation, T-shirt painting, a swatch and color theory tour, and a professional photo booth. The evening exuded a “choose your own adventure” environment where guests could wander at their own leisure throughout the new modern structure of the museum, pockets of color an

Wendy (Kerth) Nugent embraces her brother Rob before Iceland Ice Arena reopened this morning on Del Paso Blvd. It was a happy day for the Kerth family. An arson fire destroyed the historic business ten months ago. The occupancy permit was granted yesterday. Skaters tied on their skates for the first time in ten months in anticipation of hitting the ice once again. Paul Schachder is one of the many volunteers that helped restore Iceland. He says he didn't find out about it until a couple of weeks after the fire. After hearing about the arson blaze in the news, he says he drove by and saw all the people inside with the wheelbarrows cleaning up. "The cleanup was the hard part," he said. "T

The Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series is in town this weekend for its second stop of the 2011 season. In conjunction with the appearance, the PBR held a media hour on Thursday afternoon where I had the opportunity to meet and interview Bull Rider McKennon Wimberly. Also in attendance was Zorro, a 25-year-old, 1,700-pound bull. More on him later. I met Wimberly in the Kings store. The 5-foot-9-inch, 150-pound Cool, Texas, native was wearing a black banded cowboy hat that matched his boots, blue jeans, a light brown vest (that matched the band on his hat) and a collared shirt which read Neckover, a brand of horse trailer, down the sleeve. He looks every bit the professional

All Photos by Barry Wisdom Ian has left the priesthood, taken up with a young woman, is now the father of a baby girl, has completed study to be a therapist and has just hung out his shingle to treat clients. And we learn these are not the only major issues going on in his life. John has recently lost his wife in a tragic automobile accident that has left unanswered questions. He feels guilt for much more than the fact that the love had gone out of their marriage. Seeing the ghost of his wife (real or imagined) has sent him to be one of Ian’s first patients. Not his first choice for therapists. This sets up the question in Irish playwright Conor McPherson’s play, “Shining City” – can so