Newest articles and comments on The Sacramento Press written by Chelsey Vorst

Colonial Theatre packed full of heathens for ‘The Devil’s Carnival’

2012-05-14T04:18:36Z

Friday night “The Devil’s Carnival” came to the Colonial Theatre for a sold-out night of sin and debauchery.

The Sacramento stop on the tour of the newest short feature from the creators of “Repo! The Genetic Opera,” proved to be just as musically and aesthetically pleasing as the trailers promised.

The film tells the tale of three souls who get sent to the Devil’s carnival to fend for themselves. On their adventures, they each meet a collection of humorous, spooky and entertaining characters played by a range of different rock musicians and well-known B-movie actors.

Hosted by Sacramento’s own Stephanie Hyden, star of many local trash films, and sponsored by The Sacramento Horror Film Festival, the night kicked off with a dance performance by Jeslen Mishelle with Mr. Dagger. Mishelle emerged on stage in a typical carnival, burlesque ensemble atop a pair of stilts. She danced to a few different songs and was eventually joined by Mr. Dagger, who coerced Mishelle into stripping down to just a pair of panties and pasties in typical burlesque fashion.

Knowing that many of the people in attendance were “Repo!” fans, the “Carnival” team prepared a pre-film behind the scenes short on the creation of “Repo! The Genetic Opera.” Fans were treated to footage of their favorite “Repo!” characters preparing for scenes and goofing around on set.

Victorian Goth musician Emilie Autumn, who plays the Painted Doll in the film, was overjoyed to judge a costume contest. Because fans of “Repo!” and “The Devil’s Carnival” are not shy and definitely very good at dressing up, it was a tough choice for Autumn to pick a winner. However, in the end, a gentleman dressed up as The Devil from the film won over the crowd and Autumn with his giant horns and red face paint.

“The Devil’s Carnival” film itself was worth waiting for. Terrance Zdunich, who plays the Devil in the film and also wrote the feature, was in attendance, along with Darren Lynn Bousman, who directed not only “The Devil’s Carnival” and “Repo! The Genetic Opera,” but also a handful of the “Saw” series as well.

Staying true to the spirit of how Bousman believes movies “are supposed to be watched,” fans cheered, screamed and called out humorous things as the film played, making for a more interactive movie-watching experience. The Devil himself seemed to get the loudest cheers, with Autumn following closely behind.

Directly following the movie, Bousman, Zdunich, Autumn and Joseph Bishara, music producer of the film, took the stage and hosted a Q&A session that lasted approximately 20 minutes. Humble, yet still commanding, they all explained how the movie came to be and that this was just the first in a series of films to revolve around the topic of heaven versus hell.

Packed full of unique characters, a creative storyline that allows for future episodes, and a score that can hold its own next to gems such as “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “The Devil’s Carnival” did not disappoint a theater full of raucous fans.

'The Devil's Carnival' troupe travels to Sacramento

2012-05-05T04:07:04Z

The Colonial Theatre has been home to many fun and interactive events put on by the Sacramento Horror Film Festival including shadowcast performances, film festivals and even concerts.

On Friday, May 11, the Sacramento Horror Film Festival will sponsor, “The Devil’s Carnival,” a traveling musical horror film that will be playing at the Colonial Theatre.

“The Devil’s Carnival” is the next project from the minds of Darren Lynn Bousman, director of several of the “Saw” films and “Repo! The Genetic Opera,” and Terrance Zdunich, co-writer of “Repo! The Genetic Opera.”

“The Devil’s Carnival,” which began its tour of the U.S. on April 5, tells the tale of three types of people as they tour a carnival run by the devil himself.

The flick is sure to appeal to a niche audience of horror film and macabre musical fans. In addition to subject matter that should tease any horror fanatic’s senses, it features musicians such as Nivek Ogre of Skinny Puppy, Emilie Autumn of the group Emilie Autumn, and even “Clown” Shawn Crahan of Slipknot.

Fans of Zdunich and Bousman’s past rock opera, “Repo! The Genetic Opera,” will also be pleased to know that many of the film’s actors will be returning to play new characters. Paul Sorvino, Bill Moseley, Jessica Lowndes and Zdunich himself all have starring roles in “The Devil’s Carnival.”

“The Devil’s Carnival” may be a new release, but it has already acquired a cult following. The film’s Facebook page shows that devoted attendees show up dressed as their favorite characters and have even made the effort to see the movie more than once at different locations.

In addition to watching a unique and devilishly fun flick, locals who attend the show can expect the film’s creators and stars to hang around afterwards to sign autographs and answer questions.

A full touring schedule for “The Devil’s Carnival” can be found on the movie’s website.

Chelsey Vorst on "Local costume shops offer Halloween necessities"

2011-10-26T13:48:12Z

Great roundup! As a last minute costume shopper, I really appreciate this one! :)

Chelsey Vorst on "Skinny Puppy "Hands Over" another great album"

2011-10-11T13:43:03Z

The full video interview with Ogre can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/user/FarTooFrailChez?feature=mhee

Skinny Puppy "Hands Over" another great album

2011-10-11T04:19:57Z

Industrial powerhouse Skinny Puppy’s vocalist Nivek Ogre was in Sacramento at the Colonial Theater on Saturday to support a local performance of “Repo! The Genetic Opera,” a film in which he played a major role. Ogre also discussed Skinny Puppy’s fourteenth album entitled “hanDover,” which is set to be released at the end of this month.

Cevin Key, Nivek Ogre, Ken “Hiwatt” Marshall, and Mark Walk have all teamed up once more to bring electronic music fans another album that crosses the borders of experimental territory and moves into the surreal.

As a whole, the record conveys a sense of sadness, melancholy, and hopelessness. Tracks such as “Ovirt,” “AshAs” and “Cullorblind” set a slower pace for “hanDover,” and hearken back to the sounds of “The Greater Wrong of the Right,” released in 2004.

“It’s written from the perspective of someone who doesn’t have apathy necessarily, but is resigned to what’s happening,” explained Ogre. “It’s a bit hopeless. And it’s a bit how we feel as a band really. It’s a bit jittery and unsure of what’s next.”

“Brownstone” is an interesting tune that marks a departure from Ogre’s signature discordantly dark and synthetic vocal style. The stream of consciousness raving is not only spoken in a higher pitched tone, but carries the same sense of pleasant incoherence that is reminiscent of some of the chants on the OhGr record “Devils in My Details.”

“It was a one-take rant,” Ogre said. “There was no editing on the vocals. And really even that many vocal effects on it. It was all a weird voice that I got in to. And then a stream of consciousness rant, which I was very happy with.”

According to Ogre, “Brownstone” the song marked the conceptualization of Mr. Brownstone, the character of his creation. While "Brownstone" as a song is still as mysterious as Mr. Brownstone the character, Ogre did offer some interesting insight as to his inspirations behind the track.

“I used to love a song off the Velvet Underground album ‘White Light White Heat’ called ‘The Gift.’ Basically it’s the story of a boyfriend sending himself to his girl in a package. And when he arrives at the end, she’s so excited that she punches it open with a big pair of scissors and it goes right through the box, right through his head and into his brain. And the last thing is little blobs of blood floating out of the box. So it was very much in that spirit.”

Another song of note is the deliciously angry and pulsing “Village.” Its catchy chorus and raging energy set it apart from “hanDover’s” calm and collected tracks and give it the feel of a musical tantrum.

“I think in a lot of ways there’s a sense of impotency in the anger because no matter how much anger one puts in, it’s only negating what’s going to happen further in a lot of ways,” Ogre elaborated. “It’s allowing the negation to continue. ‘Village’ is a bit scornful and a bit condescending in the sense of, ‘Ha ha ha. You asked for it. You got it.’”

Like most other Skinny Puppy records, the lyrics require careful attention to decipher. They often seem to not make any sense, but at the same time, they make perfect sense within the context of the song.

“I went back into more stream of consciousness lyric writing,” Ogre said. “What I used to do as a child was sit down and just write a page of words and then pick out phrases and put those together. So I kind of went back to that for this record. Which again kind of gave me the jittery feeling, so I didn’t know if what I was writing made any sense at all ultimately. But it did. To me anyway.”

Skinny Puppy is set to tour in the spring of 2012. According to Ogre, the band will be going “farther than we’ve ever gone before,” which means Sacramento could be on the roster, although he did not give any solid details on cities the band would visit.

Buckets of blood at the Halloween Sacramento Sweets 'Repo' shadowcast

2011-10-10T03:40:10Z

Halloween arrived early this year.

Saturday night at the Colonial Theatre, people showed up dressed in the their best Halloween finery for the Sacramento Sweets shadowcast production of “Repo! The Genetic Opera.” They were in for an evening of blood, gore and theater, not to mention special guest appearances by Nivek Ogre, who plays Pavi Largo in the film, as well as Joseph Bishara, who worked on the film’s score and is also well known for being the evil lipstick demon in the recent horror flick “Insidious.”

The evening kicked off with a concert by a female-fronted industrial band i:Scintilla, who performed at the Colonial last June for the Sacramento Horror Film Fest’s first concert series.

After a chaotic blowing out of the stage power in the middle of their first song, order was restored and “Repo” fans were able to enjoy an energetic hybrid rock/industrial set. i:Scintilla played songs such as “Ammunition” and “Swimmers Can Drown,” which the group recently released a music video for.

Before the headlining act, there was a special screening of a short film directed by Staci Layne Wilson, “The Key to Annabel Lee.” The narrator in Wilson’s interpretation of Poe’s classic poem is played by Ogre, one of the special guests in attendance.

The Sacramento Sweets have been reenacting the cult classic film “Repo” for two years now, but the theater troupe manage to keep their performance fresh and fun by adding some Halloween twists. It was probably the group’s most humorous (but bloody!) show to date.

A number of silly scenes were spliced into the Sweets’ rendition. Dr. Frank-N-Furter of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” fame was loudly applauded as he emerged onstage to sing his trademark song, “Sweet Transvestite from Transsexual Transylvania.”

At another point, Amber Sweet and her cronies burst into Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” dance after a scene where Amber literally loses her face.

Another scene in “Repo” that is supposed to be a serious ballad about money and death was made into a silly dance number when the actor pulled out a golden ticket and proceeded singing the famous “Golden Ticket” tune from “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.”

Some famous horror icons also made cameos throughout the evening. Michael Myers, Freddy Kruger and even the Lipstick Demon of “Insidious” all showed up at one point or another to steal the scene.

Special guest Bishara said the Halloween aspects of the show were “a nice touch.” “It’s pretty nice to see Michael Myers running around the ‘Repo’ stage,” he said.

While the show definitely had a more humorous edge, it did not forget that the film is grounded in the horror genre.

The Colonial was splattered in fake blood by the night’s end. It was a night of killer squibs. People in the first few “splash zone” rows were given ponchos, and people sitting in the back of the theater were still hit by stray blood droplets. Even the light fixtures on the ceiling got sprayed.

Fans were welcome to stick around after the show to get autographs from Ogre and Bishara. Both were happy to answer questions, take photos and socialize.

“Interacting with all the people is the best part about these events,” Ogre said. “I’ve found that all these people are wonderful people. The horror community in general is very soft-spoken and a very unique group of people. I always embrace outsiders and we’re all outsiders, broken toys.”

Ogre, who came to see the Sacramento Sweets perform last year, liked the show just as much the second time around.

“I had a little more of an expectation of what was going to happen, but there were still enough unique experiences within the production that made it wonderful,” Ogre said. “It’s a very complex stage show, and it’s a lot of fun. It both pays tribute to, makes fun of, gets you to laugh along with it, as well as laugh at it, but at the same time you don’t laugh at yourself.”

Bishara also seemed to enjoy himself.

“I had a blast,” he said. “There were a lot of unexpected things like cutting in the deleted scenes and breaking into ‘Rocky Horror.’ It was a good show.”

The Sacramento Sweets troupe will continue to perform “Repo” shadowcasts, but they also have other tricks and treats in store for fans of film and theater. Sac Horror Film Fest founder and producer Tim Meunier said the team is in the creative process of putting together a production of “Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World.” Posters plastered all over the Colonial indicate that a “Rocky Horror” shadowcast is also in the works.

Evil disco takes over Ace of Spades

2011-09-29T04:24:06Z

Ace of Spades was lucky enough to welcome Wayne Static Tuesday night on the first date of his world tour to promote his new album, “Pighammer.” The venue was converted from bar to metal madhouse as Static, Eye Empire, Kyng, One Eyed Doll, Gemini Syndrome, and Damage Over Time each took the stage.

All the opening acts were different from one another, making for a night of interesting and diverse sounds.

Most notable of the five openers was One Eyed Doll, the only female-fronted group of the night. Singer and guitarist Kimberly Freeman possessed enough charisma, attitude and overall stage presence to headline the show herself. With her wild attire, off-the-wall energy and humorous stage antics, she stole the show and held the audience captive.

One Eyed Doll’s most darkly amusing song of the night was “Nudie Bar.” Freeman introduced the song with an anecdote about it, starting with a girl whose boyfriend frequented said “particular” nudie bar slightly too often, and ended with the “particular” nudie bar burning to the ground. Freeman’s “who me?” attitude about the arson coupled with her raging vocals made it a performance to remember.

Damage Over Time was another act with an edge. With their intense metal sound and spiked gas masks and military garb, the band packed the mosh pit.

Wayne Static opened his set with an old Static-X favorite off the band’s first album, “Wisconsin Death Trip,” called “Push It.” Considering that “Push It” was the song that made Static-X big in the ’90s and epitomized Static’s evil disco sound, it was a fitting way to get the crowd pumped for the rest of the show.

Although clean of hard drugs, Static still likes to encourage a party-hardy atmosphere at his shows, and last night’s performance was no exception.

“My name is Wayne Static, and I’m an alcoholic.” This was Static’s way of letting the crowd know he planned to take shots throughout the evening to keep things lively.

Although he played tons of oldies but goodies off “Wisconsin Death Trip” and “Machine,” such as “Permanence,” “Cold” and “Love Dump,” Static also introduced his fans to a few songs off of “Pighammer,” which is slated to release Oct. 8.

The new album’s first single, “Assassins of Youth,” was a real crowd-pleaser. Fans got a glimpse of what it would be like to party with the Static household as three scantily clad chicks (including Static’s own wife) dressed in stilettos, fishnets and the teeniest miniskirts imaginable, emerged on stage. While they danced and performed a few choreographed moves to accompany the song, their real role for the evening was to be eye candy for all the crazy metal-heads in the audience. Nobody seemed to have any problems with that.

Evil disco was resurrected with a vengeance as Static closed the show with encore performances of “I’m With Stupid,” and “This Is Not,” both songs off Static-X’s first two albums.

Even though he has been on hiatus from Static-X for two years, Static proved he still knows how to entertain the masses. Between his massive spiky hairdo, the nearly nude women and the alcohol, Tuesday’s performance was not just a rock concert. It was also one brutally memorable party.

Wayne Static bringing evil disco to Midtown

2011-09-24T03:55:45Z

Wayne Static will play at Ace of Spades on Tuesday to promote his first solo project album “Pighammer.” Opening acts will include Eye Empire, Kyng, One Eyed Doll, Gemini Syndrome and Damage Over Time.

Static, who is known for his work over the years with metal/industrial/thrash/techno powerhouse Static-X (not to mention his insane signature 10-inch spiked hairdo), has taken a hiatus from the band to focus on putting out a record that is purely his own.

“I think (“Pighammer” is) a lot more focused,” Static said of the differences between his solo project and his work with Static-X. “I wrote 99 percent of the music for Static-X, but I had a whole band to deal with, so the whole process was a compromise. On my solo record, I actually wrote and recorded everything myself. It’s very focused and a very pure vision of what I had in my head.”

After taking a two-year break from touring, Static is ready to return to the road and excited for the first stop on his world tour, which just happens to be Ace of Spades.

“We’re going to play a lot of old Static-X material, and we’ll play a few new songs off my new solo record,” Static said. “I’ve got a great new band, and we’ve been rehearsing for several months now. We’ve got three girls who are going to be on stage dancing and doing all kinds of crazy acrobatics and stuff like that. We’re going to be doing shots. I scream ‘cause it’s fun, not ‘cause I’m pissed off. I like to go out there and have a good time and do some shots and just make a party out of the whole night.”

Partying aside, “Pighammer” does indeed sound a lot like old Static-X material, akin to the band’s first record, “Wisconsin Death Trip.” It mixes aggressive vocals, techno riffs and intense guitar licks to form what fans and Static himself call “evil disco.”

“I intentionally really wanted to get back to the roots of the evil disco sound that I created back in the mid-’90s with a lot of loops and keyboards,” Static said. “This definitely has a trancier vibe to it. There are a lot of layers, and there’s a lot of cool things happening with the songs.”

While there are many noteworthy tracks on “Pighammer” — including the catchy “Chrome Nation,” which boasts a return to Static’s signature spit-it-out-super-fast machine gun-like vocals — the first single, “Assassins of Youth,” is a well-chosen representation of what fans can expect. The song is about Static’s descent into drugs and his battle to overcome his addictions.

“I was a drug addict for many years, and I was what I would call a functioning drug addict,” Static said. “I didn’t really let it get in the way of my music, and I always made sure I kept myself together for the shows and that kind of thing. But it gets to a point where it’s not fun anymore and it starts to affect your health. Part of the process of making this record was actually trying to get clean and get off the drugs. It’s not an easy thing to do, but I’m here, and a lot of the new record has to do with that.”

“Pighammer” contains some interesting artwork. According to Static, the album booklet tells the story of a crazed plastic surgeon who has an obsession with pigs.

“I always loved the ‘pighammer’ word, and I knew I wanted to use it eventually,” he said. “And as I was writing the record, the lyrical content really came to be a transformation type thing about going solo and starting my record label. So I just thought the pighammer would be the surgical tool, and I’d be this mad plastic surgeon who transforms beautiful women into pigs. So it’s kind of this dark, humorous metaphor for transformation.”

Any fan of Static-X should love Wayne Static’s new material. It marks the return to the unique evil disco sound that brought Static-X success in the ’90s. It also sounds like Static’s new band can put on one hell of a rock show, complete with everything every rocker needs: chicks, booze and attitude.

“We’re kicking off the world tour in Sacramento,” Static said. “It’s gonna be the first show in a long time, and I know there are some crazy fans there. We’ve had some great shows in that area. I’m really looking forward to it. Everyone come out and have a good time.”

“Pighammer” is slated for release on Oct. 4 through Dirthouse Records.

Tickets for the show can be purchased through the Ace of Spades website.

Zombies invade the Crest Theater

2011-07-11T17:07:03Z

A mob of the living dead invaded downtown Sacramento Saturday night. The annual Zombie Walk started at Sub-Q and ended at the Crest Theatre, where the zombies mingled with K Street’s club- and restaurant-goers in between munching brains.

The 2011 Trash Film Orgy season kicked off its six-week run of sleazy, gory, trashy movies with “Return of the Living Dead,” a tale of punk rockers, zombies and punk rock zombies.

As zombies and Trash fans entered the Crest’s lobby, they were greeted by a variety of interesting characters and sights to see. Guests could browse movie posters, horror and sci-fi DVDs and zombie comics. There were also games in the spirit of the zombie flick, such as “Pin the Bullet on the Brain” and “Tossin’ Brains,” at the Super Trash Funtime Booth. Hungry zombies could even attempt to eat a brain that was dangling from the end of a string, if they could catch it.

Midnight rolled around and the festivities officially began with a zombie makeup artist contest. Three artists and their zombie creations came up on stage to be judged by the pros from “Callson Manor.” Winner David Ainsworth received a contracted makeup gig for the zombies and ghouls of “Callson Manor.” The loser, however, wasn’t very happy and ended up taking out her aggression on one of the judges by disemboweling him.

TFO’s Mighty Tiki played his role in getting the crowd hyped for “Return of the Living Dead” by telling jokes, introducing the skits and getting everyone to chant “trash, trash, trash” before the movie started.

The movie played out as any other TFO flick, with tons of callouts, jeering and jokes to be heard from every corner of the theater. The ruder and raunchier the comment, the better.

No movie is ever complete without previews, and “Return of the Living Dead” was no exception. “Callson Manor” had a new promo spot, and previews for upcoming TFO attractions such as “Werewolves on Wheels,” “Humanoids from the Deep” and “Heavy Metal” were also big hits.

During intermission, German doctor of evil Viktor Von Ubercoolst and his lovely assistant of doom used their zombie-mind-control helmet to call up the zombies to the front of the theater and make them do the hokey pokey. Luckily for all the zombies, TFO staple Big Pink Bunnyman arrived in time to save them from Ubercoolst. Using metal music, he took down Ubercoolst and took the lovely assistant of doom as his own, freeing the zombies to form a conga line back to their seats for the rest of the film.

For the 10-plus years that it has been around, TFO has always been a late-night sleaze fest, perfect for fans of the weird, cheesy and gory. With everything from giant talking tiki heads to large men in pink bunny costumes, it’s sure to be something oddballs everywhere can enjoy.

“My favorite part of the whole experience was probably the jokes that Mighty Tiki was cracking,” said Jennifer Mueller, zombie enthusiast and TFO fan. “It may have just been the rum he was drinking, but he was in good form.”

Next week’s film, “Humanoids from the Deep,” will start Saturday at midnight. A complete schedule of this year’s TFO movies and activities can be found at the Trash Film Orgy website.

Sac Horror Film Fest's first concert series

2011-06-27T04:59:34Z

Friday night at the Colonial Theater marked the first time the Sac Horror Film Festival hosted its Music By Dark concert series. Festival founder, director and programmer Tim Meunier pulled together four rock and industrial bands for an energetic and fun performance for all ages.

The opening band of the evening, In the Silence, was added last minute to the lineup. The band was missing two members and played as a trio. The lack of members might have made their sound slightly superficial, but their performance was not lacking in spirit.

They opened with “All the Pieces,” a song which can be found on the group’s MySpace page. The long-haired trio’s sound was fairly radio-friendly and warmed up the audience for the next bands to come.

While local industrial group Savi0r was setting up, vocalist Adam Jones told jokes to keep the audience entertained. After telling his joke about Super Mario’s favorite clothing material (“denim denim denim”), the mic was passed through the audience for other people to tell their jokes — quite an interesting way to keep people involved and hyped for the show.

Savi0r’s set was driven not only by their synthy beats and dancey songs such as “Nepenthe Vim,” but also by the fans who have watched the band evolve and change over the years. Fans left their chairs and surrounded the stage, dancing and singing along to their favorite songs, as well as a few songs that had never been performed before.

Savi0r recently created their first music video and official website in preparation for the release of their new album, “Seduced to Nothing.” The band currently has a sampler of three songs out to promote the new record.

Mankind Is Obsolete was third to take the stage. The band’s live sound is quite different from its recorded album sound. MKIO’s albums trend toward synthy, dancey industrial music, but their live performance has a distinct rock ’n’ roll edge to it.

“Usually people who haven’t heard us live but have listened to the CDs tell us we’re very energetic as a live act,” bassist Gordon Bash said. “It’s very much like a higher energy rock band, but it still of course happens to have that base of electro.”

MKIO played songs that ranged from mournful and slow to chaotic and crazy. If singer Natasha Cox was not holding the audience captive with her melodic vocals, she was blasting them out of their seats with her guttural growl.

Bands these days generally don’t like their sound to be categorized easily, and MKIO is no exception.

While guitarist Scott Landes succinctly described MKIO as “hybrid, electronic rock music,” drummer Jon Siren feels differently.

“We take whatever path we decide to go on, and hopefully the musicianship that we have as a band links it all together,” Siren said. “But if you need a specific definition, it’s definitely electronic, synth-based rock. That would be a very generic way of putting it. But hopefully the music is a lot more that that.”

Thus far, MKIO has released three full-length albums and a remix album. The band has been together for 10 years, which is no small feat according to Cox.

“For anybody that’s been in a band, it’s a labor of love,” she said. “There is a lot of sacrifice. There’s an enormous amount of time and energy and money that have to go into it, so it’s one of those things that if you really believe in what you’re doing, then it makes it all worth it. Obviously, for us it’s worth it.”

Clad in all black in true industrial rocker fashion, I:Scintilla, a group from Chicago, was the final band of the night.

Rather then clashing with the rest of the band’s aggressive, intimidating sound, lead singer Brittany Bindrim’s siren-like vocals complemented them nicely. She danced and swayed seductively, treating the audience to songs such as “Worth the Wait” and “Ammunition,” both off of I:Scintilla’s latest album, “Dying and Falling.”

“Our music is metal-infused electronica with female vocals,” Bindrim said. “Our live shows are definitely very guitar-driven, very rock — more like a rock show. There are some songs that are a bit more moshy and some with sequenced electronics.”

The high point of I:Scintilla’s performance was “Swimmers Can Drown,” which the group has just made a music video for. The song is not only catchy but also fun to dance to.

In the future, I:Scintilla hopes to do another full U.S. tour and possibly a European tour as well. There might even be an EP in the works.

Although the concert was not a sold out show, the Sac Horror Film Fest crew deserves props for throwing together a rock show, especially one that is suitable and appropriate for people of all ages. Hopefully SHFF can continue its Music By Dark concert series, but no word yet from Meunier if this will be the case.

Guitars Not Guns for Sacramento's youth

2011-06-21T13:49:33Z

Sacramento has a new outlet for kids and teens who need a way to boost their self-esteem and gain confidence. The Guitars Not Guns music program has opened a Sacramento chapter and is searching for youth to participate and volunteer teachers.

Guitars Not Guns is an organization that aims to keep at-risk teens from making poor choices that could get them into serious trouble. They do this by enrolling children and teens in guitar lessons taught mostly by community volunteers.

“We want to help teach kids how to play the guitar so they can use it as a creative outlet instead of being involved in self-destructive activities such as gangs, alcohol and drugs,” said Barbara Donabedian, president of the Sacramento chapter. “The kids will gain a sense of accomplishment, responsibility and also confidence from the program. We want to stop youth violence and keep guns out of reach of kids while promoting gun safety.”

The organization is still trying to raise the funds to cover its expenses, but local classes will begin shortly.

“Classes will begin as soon as we finish obtaining the funds to purchase the guitars and to print the lesson books,” said Brittany Snelgrove, Guitar’s Not Guns local vice president. “We have many places to hold the classes that are free.”

Children in between the ages of 8 and 18 are welcome to take classes. Because the organization is still in its preliminary phase of development, parents who would like to enroll their children or teens who wish to enroll themselves can contact the Sacramento chapter directly through the Guitars Not Guns website, through the Facebook page, or by e-mailing gngsacramento@yahoo.com.

Guitars Not Guns Sacramento is still in need of teachers. There are many ways to help out and volunteer with the organization.

“To be a teacher, you only need to know how to play the guitar,” Donabedian said. “There is no real age restriction or teaching experience needed. People can volunteer to be more than a teacher. They can help with everything from fundraising to PR or even help teachers with lessons.”

In order to spread the word about their cause, Guitars Not Guns Sacramento is reaching out to many venues and local businesses.

“We are looking to go to Second Saturday this summer with a booth to pass out fliers and try to raise donations,” Snelgrove said. “I’m also looking at getting in contact with Ace of Spades to see if they would be interested in getting bands to sign guitars that we purchase. Then we want to auction or raffle them off with all proceeds going to GnG. We are also willing to help promote with any of the sponsors that want to donate or partner with us.”

The Sacramento chapter of Guitars not Guns encompasses the entire greater Sacramento region. The next closest chapter is in San Francisco.

Chelsey Vorst on "Deftones pack Ace of Spades"

2011-06-19T23:13:17Z

Im this article, I wrote that Teri Gender Bender filled in on "Passenger" at this show, but actually, it was the singer from Dillinger Escape Plan. Gender Bender actually sang with Moreno on "Knife Party." Pardon my mistake!

Deftones pack Ace of Spades

2011-06-16T04:25:29Z

Sacramento-natives the Deftones played to a sold-out house at Ace of Spades Tuesday night. The Dillinger Escape Plan and Le Butcherettes joined them for a concert where all ticket proceeds were donated to the Chi Ling Cheng Special Needs Trust.

The goal of the show was to raise money to help cover medical expenses for Deftones bassist Chi Cheng, who survived a near-fatal car accident in 2008 that left him in a coma.

Cheng is now being treated by doctors in New Jersey who specialize in conditions like his. According to the One Love for Chi website, he is in a “minimally conscious state.”

“Chi’s progress is very slow,” drummer Abe Cunningham said. “We were through there last month, and we got a chance to stop by and see him. He’s in bed basically, so anything that needs to be done needs to be done for him. But these doctors think they can do something for him and it’s not about overnight. It’s definitely long term. I can never write him off because he’s my brother, and he’s a fuckin’ knucklehead, but he’s a stubborn bull, too. It’s all about keeping people aware and keeping love and good thoughts going his way.”

Le Butcherettes began the night’s festivities with a performance that can best be described as quirky with an edge. Lead singer Teri Gender Bender emerged on stage wearing a gingham frock with a white blood-stained apron.

While it’s tough to pin Le Butcherettes into one musical genre, their performance was a mix of indie rock, grunge and punk rock with a hint of sass. Gender Bender’s fearless attitude was a great way to warm the crowd up for the Deftones and Dillinger Escape Plan. She roamed around the venue – climbing the speakers like a deranged spider, crowd-surfing and running around the stage like she drank too much coffee – stopping short only of swinging from the rafters.

The high point of Le Butcherettes’ act was during the finale when Gender Bender whacked her head against the microphone stand and dropped into the crowd as if she were fainting.

The Dillinger Escape Plan followed Le Butcherettes’ funky performance with one fueled by pure energy. Guitarists climbed amps just to jump off of them and the lead singer’s growls and screams got the night’s first mosh pit started. The band members got so into their performance that, at one point, the drummer’s high-hat cymbal was stolen so that it could be used as a “rafter duster.”

To get their set started, Deftones singer Chino Moreno emerged on stage with his daughter to introduce a very special guest performance artist, David Garibaldi. Garibaldi began by smearing paint on a blank canvas hanging from the ceiling while lively music played. As his performance peaked, it became obvious what the subject of his painting was: a portrait of Chi Cheng. As the music transitioned into Rage Against the Machine and the crowd chanted “One love for Chi,” Garibaldi finished his work. The love for the fallen bassist was very touching as his family and friends took the stage and thanked everyone for their support.

The Deftones have gotten a new bassist and moved forward, but based on how emotional everyone was after Garibaldi finished his work, it was obvious that Cheng is still always on their minds.

“Having a man down is the hardest thing, but this is what we do and we decided to keep on going,” Cunningham said. “There’s been a lot of money raised from all across the world, so it’s quite a testament to how much he’s loved.”

By the time it was the Deftones’ turn to take the stage, Ace of Spades was packed full of rowdy fans ready to mosh, dance and rock out in honor of Cheng.

To anyone unfamiliar with the Deftones’ sound, it’s essentially good old-fashioned rock ’n’ roll. There’s crashing guitar, pounding percussion and amazingly diverse vocals, ranging from high-pitched wails to guttural screams.

“It’s good-time music,” Cunningham said. “It’s loud, abrasive, sexy, dirty, clean, ugly and beautiful. It’s all those things, and we like it like that.”

The opening song was the title track off the latest album, “Diamond Eyes.” It was followed by their single, “Rocket Skates,” during which the stage was lit bright red, a fitting backdrop for a song whose chorus is a screaming, “Guns, razors, knives!”

The evening was a rough one for concert-goers. Not a single soul escaped the summer heat. With all the aggressive energy in the room, everybody was dripping sweat. Moshers emerging from the pit looked like they had gone swimming, as did the entire band.

The Deftones performed a range of songs from old to new. Fan favorites off “Around the Fur” such as “My Own Summer (Shove It)” and “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)” were crowd-pleasers. A few slower, more peaceful and melodic songs off “White Pony” like “Change (in the House of Flies)” and “Rx Queen” provided welcome breaks from the insanity.

To the audience’s surprise, they broke out “Passenger,” a song that most fans would probably never expect to hear since the tune is well known for including another very famous vocalist, Maynard James Keenan from Tool. Moreno sang the duet just as beautifully sans Keenan, bringing ~~Gender Bender's~~ Dillinger Escape Plan's vocalist back on stage to fill in for him.

Overall, the night was filled with love for Cheng and all the artists who contributed to the festivities. It was obvious that Sacramento was glad to have the Deftones back home.

“It’s always about good times and positivity, but this show is also to raise awareness for Chi,” Cunningham said. “I just hope everyone puts their seat belts on, because he didn’t. Wear your goddamn seat belt and enjoy life.”

The Deftones to play a benefit show at Ace of Spades

2011-06-07T02:19:09Z

Any fan of the Deftones knows that the band got its start here in Sacramento. However, they might not be aware that the members’ hearts are as large as their music is loud.

Tuesday, June 14, the Deftones will return to their hometown to play a very special show to support the recovery of their bassist, Chi Cheng. Chi, as he is affectionately known to fans, survived a very bad car accident in November 2008 which left him in a “minimally conscious” state.

Cheng’s friends and family all want him to receive the best medical care, which, unfortunately, does not come cheap. The Chi Ling Cheng Special Needs Trust was set up in order to help cover the medical expenses that insurance would not take cover. All proceeds generated from this show’s ticket sales will go to the Chi Cheng Trust.

Updates on Cheng are available through the One Love for Chi website, where visitors can check how much money has been raised as well as purchase merchandise to support the trust’s efforts. Updates on Cheng’s health are also frequently posted.

The most current post on Cheng’s status indicates that he has made it to the International Brain Research Foundation in New Jersey to undergo treatment and be supervised by doctors who specialize in conditions like his.

The Deftones are currently touring to support their most current album, “Diamond Eyes.” There are a handful of American tour dates slated, followed by overseas dates.

Slated to open for the Deftones are The Dillinger Escape Plan and Le Butcherettes.

The Deftones always put on spectacularly emotional shows. Concert-goers will no doubt be moved by the rawness of the music and can also know that they are supporting a good cause. Every dollar raised brings Cheng another step closer to rejoining the band he will always be a part of.

Tickets were available through the Ace of Spades website. The show is now sold out.

Combichrist draws crowd of 'electroheads' to Ace of Spades

2011-05-19T16:55:32Z

Tuesday night Ace of Spades featured a lineup of four hyper-aggressive and extremely animated bands.

Blownload, a Sacramento-based group, opened the set. Although he’s a heftier gentleman, lead vocalist Erie Loch possessed an amazing amount of liveliness. He made concert-goers laugh at his dirty sex jokes and inappropriate gestures, all without stalling the music.

Another group called Star Killer came all the way from New York. The group’s sound was a mixture of good old fashioned punk rock and ‘90s metal. They played songs off their new EP such as “The Hunt” and “As the Sky is Falling,” and were kind enough to hang out and chat with fans in between sets.

The third group to take the stage was iVardensphere, a duo from Canada who brought no traditional instruments with them on stage at all. Instead, they donned black leather aprons over white jumpsuits and rocked out at their individual synth stations. iVardensphere transformed Ace of Spades from a rock and roll venue to a goth club instantly. The floor became a mass of dancing people clad in all black, huge boots, and fishnets.

Finally it was Combichrist’s turn to hype up the crowd.

For anyone who has never heard Combichrist’s music or attended one of their shows, suffice it to say that both the albums and the group’s live performances are brutal. The band members, especially lead vocalist Andy LaPlegua, never stop running around stage and the floor-shaking percussion never pauses. LaPlegua says Combichrist is “mayhem,” and that is definitely an apt description.

“I guess Combichrist is a collective of different styles of music,” LaPlegua elaborated. “It’s got bass and electronics but it’s from the metal and hardcore background so it’s kind of like a fusion of percussion and electronics and industrial sounds. There are also dance elements, metal and rock elements with a lot of punk rock attitude and it’s dark as fuck.”

Combichrist opened with a hit off their album “What the Fuck is Wrong With You People” called “Shut Up and Swallow” and quickly launched into a tune off their latest release entitled “Follow the Trail of Blood.”

Fans not only moshed to the music, they danced. What’s interesting about Combichrist is that the versatility of the music allows for that. While LaPlegua might be screaming his lungs out, the drums are always insistent enough and the beats are always catchy enough that if fans don’t find themselves stomping their feet or bobbing their heads like a maniac, they’ve got to be deaf.

“The shows are an interactive experience,” LaPlegua noted. “Our shows are run by energy and we feed a lot off the audience. When the audience is good, it’s a better show. So it’s a give and take thing. We try to keep in touch with the audience as much as possible.”

One of the high points of the performance was seeing “Throat Full of Glass,” the first track off the new album to have a music video created for it.

“Our new video is totally like a sexploitation or grindhouse movie,” LaPlegua said. “I mean it’s really funny because we’re acting all macho and cool and shooting each other and really we we were laughing really hard trying to keep in character. We’re more lighthearted and we don’t take things seriously and trying to make a serious character was pretty funny. I think that added something extra to the video too because it added something almost cheesy to it and made it almost authentic grindhouse. Somebody mentioned earlier that it was like GTA (Grand Theft Auto) but Grand Theft Andy.”

Overall the show was a good mix of older and newer Combichrist. The majority of the songs played came from the band’s last two albums released, although they did play a few older gems like “Blut Royale” and “Today I Awoke to the Rain of Blood.”

When the band reemerged for the encore songs, fans were chanting in unison, “This shit...this shit...this shit will fuck you up,” a reference to Combichrist’s biggest club hit. Sadly (or gladly for some fans who might have heard that particular tune one time too many), LaPlegua claimed that they never play that song anymore. No matter because he quickly turned things around by segueing into “Never Surrender,” Combichrist’s latest club anthem and closed the show with “What the Fuck is Wrong with You?”

For a band with maniacal members that destroy their drum sets just for the hell of it on a regular basis and run marathons around the stage, Combichrist sure can put on a good show.

“You can’t really compare playing in a venue to playing an arena,” LaPlegua said. “It’s like two completely different things. It’s kind of like making love or fucking. Basically you do the same thing but it’s not really the same. Both are great, but it’s kind of a different thing.”

So, now the question becomes did Combichrist f**k Ace of Spades or make love to it? Ultimately the fans who were there will have to be the judge of that.

For the complete interview with Andy Laplegua, click here.

Enveloped in 'unDeveloped'

2011-05-09T03:18:50Z

Even though saying the words “ohGr” and “pop” in the same sentence seems to be a bit of an oxymoron, the new album from ohGr, “unDeveloped,” can actually be loosely described as pop.

However, it’s not pop music in the sense that it is directed to please the general masses. Like all of Ogre’s artistic endeavors — whether it’s the dark and disturbing industrial powerhouse Skinny Puppy, or his side project, ohGr — “unDeveloped” is an album of creepy, yet still melodic, pop songs processed through a filter of mystery and abstractions.

“unDeveloped,” which has a slated release date of May 10, is the fourth album from ohGr in a 10-year span. While it does contain a couple very catchy tunes that are easy to hum along to in the shower, it’s also got its fair share of odd, ambient noises and twitchy but clean synth riffs.

The album starts off strong with a few unusually dancey tracks. One particular song to take note of is “Crash.” The intro to the song is the 911 emergency call placed on behalf of Michael Jackson the day he died. Not surprisingly, the macabre phone call fits right in on an album that is both pop and anti-pop simultaneously.

Via the “unDeveloped” press release, Ogre described in his usual eloquent manner the relationship of the death of the King of Pop and “Crash”:

“MJ ascended like a bacon-wrapped, sub-prime missile; up and up until his world was not even remotely livable. The stunning parallels live alongside the current transference of wealth and lack of sustainability; of both of our natural world and the artificial constructs, both physical and mental, that we worship to follow as we ‘advance along’ and attempt to conquer that which has outlasted it all.”

Tracks like “Bellew,” “Hollow” and “Nitwitz” manage to tell stories and paint pictures in that disjointed, esoteric manner that has become characteristic of Ogre’s lyrics. Furthermore, those stories and pictures worm their way into your skull due to the catchy melodies.

Overall, “unDeveloped” definitely lives up to expectations. With its decidedly upbeat and poppy yet still unusually bizarre and creepy sound, it’s bound to please old and new fans alike. Because the sounds are more focused, clean and single-layered, there’s room for Ogre’s macabre yet curious lyrics and trademark enigmatic voice to shine.

Ogre always manages to create such distinct auditory experiences, whether he’s doing so through ohGr or Skinny Puppy, and “unDeveloped” is no different. Listening to “unDeveloped” (or any ohGr album for that matter) front to back is like scratching an itch you never knew you had: Once it’s been scratched, you feel strangely satisfied, although you can’t quite describe the reason why.

SKOLD's new 'Anomie'

2011-05-09T03:10:47Z

Even though it’s been 15 years since multi-talented Swedish musician Tim Skold released his self-titled first record, “Skold,” fans have stuck by his side. They followed him while he worked with Marilyn Manson, ohGr and KMFDM, always hoping for news of another SKOLD solo album.

And now with a slated release date of May 10, it would appear that “Anomie,” the new album from SKOLD, will live up to that 15-year hype.

“Anomie” is a completely self-indulgent work of art, and Skold is aware of it. He is completely responsible for the album in its entirety. He composed the lyrics, the bass and guitar riffs, played drums and even acted as his own producer. In the latest press release, Skold proudly admits the egomaniacal nature of his work.

“Sometimes I wonder if I've been preparing my whole life for this album,” Skold said. “I'm curious if people will actually 'get it.’ It really is completely self-indulgent wankery, but that goes for just about every record I've ever liked. I don't want people to expect anything from me. I promise only to remain defiantly and completely untrustworthy.”

Tracks such as “Black Out,” “(This Is My) Elephant” and “Angel of Noise” will please fans of old SKOLD with their distorted, heavy, industrial sound. While it’s not hard to see that SKOLD’s sound has matured, these tracks will still remind listeners that SKOLD is essentially good ol’ fashioned rock ‘n’ roll with a slightly more aggressive edge.

“Suck,” the first single, is a great example of what fans can expect to hear. It’s hook and chorus are catchy, but it’s definitely not radio-friendly with it’s snarky refrain of “Down on your knees/ Suck my rock” and its raucous guitar licks.

While “Anomie” possesses its fair share of industrial tracks, songs like “Deserve” and “Tonight” are sure to become club classics with their animated synth-pop beats and pulsing, danceable percussion.

Ultimately, there’s no doubt that “Anomie” was worth the wait. Skold’s gravelly, deep voice is just as prominent as it was 15 years ago and the songs are just as hard to forget. It’s a record that goes to lots of different places musically and certainly will appeal to both old and new SKOLD fans.

Take it from Skold himself, who described the album in these terms in a press release:

“Some of us prefer labeling the whole thing as Anomie. I pull both sound and inspiration from many different places. It is only when I step away and get a broader look at the album I realize just how much stuff is on there. I seized the opportunity and went as far as I could. From an artistic perspective, it is very decadent."

Combichrist to play Ace of Spades

2011-05-08T20:21:03Z

Lace up your corsets and tighten your bootstraps because Combichrist, a band known for its catchy-yet-dark, boot-stomping synthy beats, will be playing at Ace of Spades on Tuesday, May 17.

Although Combichrist’s music is probably not going to be heard in the average Top 40 hits-playing club, it’s not unusual to hear Combichrist tunes at any club with an alternative scene, including Sacramento’s very own Asylum.

For instance, Combichrist’s older club anthems such as “This Shit Will Fuck You Up” and “This Is My Rifle,” a song that features samples from “Full Metal Jacket,” have become goth club classics. Furthermore, 2006 marked the year that another of the band’s popular club hits, “Get Your Body Beat” made its first appearance on Billboard’s Top 10 Dance Singles chart.

Combichrist’s newest album, “Making Monsters,” marks quite a departure from their previous work and delves deeper into frontman Andy LaPlegua’s personal demons. While it still delivers the punch of any Combichrist CD, filled to the brim with hints of violence and sex plus LaPlegua’s signature tortured vocals, there are also many songs that take a step back from the harsh pounding aggressiveness of the club environment.

“Through These Eyes of Pain” is a number that starts off soft with LaPlegua actually singing instead of screaming at his listeners. It’s a mournful tune that tells a story, albeit a depressing one, more than any other Combichrist song. It’s stripped bare of the harsh and thunderous percussion, leaving LaPlegua’s voice as the focal point. He manages to portray emotion, only this time it’s sadness and regret instead of anger and hatred.

The final song of the album, “Reclamation,” also strips itself down. While it’s not quite as soft and disconsolate as the first, it is a fitting end to the album. If “Making Monsters” were a movie, it would be a perfect track for the ending credits. The synth portrays hints of resignation and bitterness but also a sense of relief.

Just because “Making Monsters” has a more serious tone and a couple “slower” songs doesn’t mean Combichrist has gone soft. There is still enough floor-shaking bass to blow speakers out and get blood pumping out on the dance floor.

“Never Surrender,” the first single off the album, is definitely worthy of club stardom with its synth swells and easy-to-dance-to beat, while “Slave to Machine” evokes images of a post-apocalyptic world akin to something out of a “Terminator” movie.

Ultimately, “Making Monsters” is the perfect album to be performed live. There are plenty of brutal drumbeats to keep crowds dancing and moshing and enough screaming vocals to make fans’ throats raw from singing along.

With its spacious general admission floor, it’s safe to say that Ace of Spades is the perfect venue for a band that possesses the energy — and energetic fans — of Combichrist.

Amber's Sweets sing-along weekend

2011-05-02T13:57:09Z

This weekend was a big one for fans of sing-along theater and cinema. The Amber’s Sweets crew, best know for their shadowcast production of “Repo! The Genetic Opera,” put together a two-night extravaganza of acting, singing and audience participation.

Friday night was the premiere night of “Dr. Horrible,” which was originally aired as a series of shorts starring Neil Patrick Harris as the aspiring super villain, Dr. Horrible. With his Ph.D. in horribleness, Dr. Horrible tries to gain entry into the Evil League of Evil, led by Bad Horse, who is, in fact, a horse. In between his evil video blog broadcasts, Horrible vies for the affection of Penny, a girl he meets in the laundromat. Hilarity ensues when Captain Hammer, Horrible’s arch nemesis, also decides to fall for Penny.

Although the production of “Dr. Horrible” was directed by Ashley Porciuncula and produced by Tim Meunier, the same pair who are responsible for the “Repo” shadowcast, the two shows are very different breeds of theater.

“‘Repo’ and ‘Dr. Horrible’ are completely different creatures,” said Keith Fowler, who plays the heroic Captain Hammer. “It’s entirely up to us tonight to make ‘Dr. Horrible‘ great. There’s no looking at the screen or graphic sequence, so it’s an entirely different feel. We actually have to sing. We can’t just lip-synch. It’s more work, truthfully.”

“‘Dr. Horrible’ is different in many ways from ‘Repo,’” said Dani Fontana, who plays Dead Bowie in “Horrible” and Graverobber in “Repo.” “‘Dr. Horrible’ is all about superheroes and super-villains, and ‘Repo’ is all gothic with organs, repossession and whatnot. ‘Dr. Horrible’ is our goody-two-shoes show. It’s more family fun and less blood and gore.”

Anyone who has seen “Dr. Horrible” knows that because it was intended as a series of Internet shorts, it’s very minimalist in set design and budget. The talent of Harris and Nathan Fillion alone make it worth watching. So while it might not be hard to create small sets for a piece that takes place in basically three different locations, it would be a challenge to secure actors talented enough to sing well, make people laugh, and fill the shoes of NPH (as Harris is known to fans) and Fillion, two actors with very devoted fans.

“Yes, I do feel pressure to portray Neil Patrick Harris, but not cripplingly so,” said David “Turtle” Akona, who plays Dr. Horrible. “It is daunting, but it’s a good challenge.”

Even though it was the very first “Dr. Horrible” ever put on by the Amber’s Sweets team, the show exceeded expectations.

Akona’s portrayal of Dr. Horrible was spot on. His singing was phenomenal and he even looked and sounded like the real Dr. Horrible. Akona had Harris’ mannerisms as Dr. Horrible down pat, and it is safe to say he was the star of the show.

The other actors (Fowler as Captain Hammer and Alanna Sowles as Penny) also did a spectacular job. Fowler’s depiction of the puffed-up Captain Hammer was humorous and delightful.

Furthermore, it was impossible to tell that playing Penny was Sowles’ first professional acting gig.

“I was stage managing at Runaway Stage Productions for one of their children’s shows, and people kept on coming in and out of their theaters asking where the ‘Dr. Horrible’ auditions were,” Sowles said. “I went in and said, ‘I have no monologue, I have no résumé, but can I sing for you? Because I will blow you away.’ And about two weeks later, I had the part.”

December 2011 marked the year-anniversary performance of the Amber’s Sweets “Repo” shadowcast. They had big-name guests from the movie such as Bill Moseley and Nivek Ogre in attendance. So what could the Sweets team possibly do to keep their production spicy and new? They introduced a whole new cast by giving the understudies the chance to play the leading roles.

“I think it’s a brilliant idea to give the understudies leading roles,” said Trevor Gjeltema, who played Graverobber. “It’s really kicked up our responsibilities as understudies, and it’s nice that the main actors get to play other smaller parts. It helps everyone be more aware of how the show gets put together.”

After the usual lineup of Sac Horror Film Fest commercials, including the hilarious heavy-metal snack food song, the show got started. This time, to celebrate the premiere of “Dr. Horrible” and musicals everywhere, there were lyrics to most songs in the top of the screen so that, in addition to the usual jeers and calling out, people in the audience could also sing along with their favorite songs.

Saturday’s “Repo” performance also had a few surprises up its sleeve. During a rather serious scene where a character named Rotti Largo sings a ballad (for lack of a better term), the sound suddenly cut out and Rick Astley’s famous ‘80s hit “Never Gonna Give You Up” queued up. The audience had been Rickrolled.

In another energetic scene where Shilo Wallace dances around her room with giant stuffed animals and sings a rebellious tune, Dr. Horrible joined the gang in his horrible outfit of evil and danced around stage with Shilo and her crew.

Finally, another highlight of the show was when Amber’s wig fell off during a rather aggressive dry-humping number. Always the professionals, Miss Amber, played by Alia Omran, stayed in character and fluffed up her own hair, making the wig mishap seem nearly intentional.

The Sweets team has garnered so much attention that there’s nearly always someone special in the audience. Saturday night was no different.

The person in the most spectacular costume (besides the actors) had to be Alex Moore, who the cast dubbed “Mamber.” Mamber and his friends came all the way from Phoenix, Ariz., to see the Sweets team perform, and Moore’s version of Amber Sweet was phenomenal. Yes, it’s true. He was a big dude in a mini skirt with a diamond-studded bra, but he pulled it off beautifully, and rightly so, considering he had the costume specially made for the trip.

“I came all the way from Phoenix, Ariz., to see the Sweets cast,” Moore said. “I saw their videos on YouTube about six months ago. They’re the best shadowcast ever.”

So what does the future hold for the Amber’s Sweets production team?

“We are trying to do (“Dr. Horrible”) much sooner,” Akona said. “The next ‘Repo’ is in October I think, so quite a ways away, but we’re trying to do the next ‘Dr. Horrible’ in like another month and a half or so.”

“We did ‘Dr. Horrible’ last night and I believe we’re going to do more productions of that,” Gjeltema added. “I’ve heard whispers of other things coming up, but I don’t know anything for sure, so unfortunately I can’t say much as of now. I’m told that were supposed to expect interesting things coming up in the near future, and of course I always have a huge amount of faith in Tim Meunier and Ashley Porciuncula to produce amazing work.”

Murderdolls transform Ace of Spades into 'Chapel of Blood'

2011-04-23T14:35:09Z

Ace of Spades served up a smorgasbord of rock ‘n’ roll variety Thursday night. The main act of the night was the Murderdolls, plus five opening bands whose sounds ranged from old school hair metal to rockabilly.

First on the agenda was Spider City, a local group. They played songs such as “Unbreakable” and “Love Sick,” both of which were characterized by a heavy sound and screaming, emotional vocals.

Next on the roster was Avenue Saints, a band with few members and a rockabilly sound. Lead singer Dusty Graves put on quite a lively show, playing an upright bass topped with a Nosferatu head and still managing to look spiffy in his hat and tie.

Another local band, Blownload, took the stage next. With a slightly raunchier sound, Blownload is a band that was right at home opening for a vulgar group like the Murderdolls. Lead vocalist Erie Loch had plenty of energy to get the crowd singing along to catchy tunes like “Holy Shit” and “Keep Sex Evil.”

Misamore was a group easily forgotten. Unfortunately, in such an eclectic mix of bands, Msamore’s sound did not stand out as much as it should have. Perhaps because the group’s tunes were somewhat slower and melodic, they just didn’t possess the energy to captivate a crowd full of hyped-up punk rockers.

The final band to play before the Murderdolls was Taking Dawn, whose sound was a mixture of hair metal and good ol’ guitar-driven rock ‘n’ roll. With enough headbanging to knock their brains loose, the long-haired members of Taking Dawn managed to get a tough crowd worked up. At one point the guitarist even jumped into the crowd and ran into the bar, where he jumped up onto the chandelier-lit counter and interacted with fans.

After five bands’ worth of waiting, the crowd was amped to hear the main attraction, the shock rockers they had all come to see: The Murderdolls.

The best way to succinctly sum up the Murderdolls’ sound is horror-inspired punk rock that would make your grandmother faint.

However, lead singer Wednesday 13 describes his music in less simple terms.

“You know I really have a hard time explaining what we sound like,” he said. “We like old music, everything from the Sex Pistols to Alice Cooper and Twisted Sister. We just throw all our influences in and somehow it comes out the way it does. Some people hear Motley Crue, some people hear the Misfits because of the horror references, and we’re just all over the place. We’re just a fun, loud, entertaining band, with lots of swearing.”

It was no surprise that the Murderdolls opened with “The World According to Revenge,” which led into “Chapel of Blood,” considering those songs are the first two off the new album, “Women and Children Last.”

But of course with another album packed full of catchy songs that are the antithesis of pop, there was no short supply of old material. Fans were treated to songs like “People Hate Me” and “Twist My Sister,” both off the Murderdolls’ first album, “Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls.”

Fans were also lucky enough to hear “Drug Me to Hell,” a song on the new album that features Mick Mars of Motley Crue.

“It was great (working with Mick Mars on the new record). It wasn’t a planned thing,” Wednesday 13 said. “We had just finished recording ‘Drug Me to Hell.’ We had everything done on it, but no guitar solo. So we’re sitting there talking and I’m like, ‘What kind of solo should we do for this? I’m really hearing a Mick Mars kinda vibe.’ And our tour manager goes, ‘Well, why don’t you call him up? He lives down the street.’ And I said, ‘Why don’t you call him?’ and he said, ‘Well, if I get him on your record, you owe me a pack of cigarettes.’ So he walked outside and then came back in and said, ‘Mars will be here on Saturday. You owe me a pack of cigarettes.’”

The encore song of the evening was “Dawn of the Dead,” a tune inspired by the famous zombie flick of the same name. Fans were elated to be able to chant along one last time to the lyrics, “We are the dead and we’re coming for you!”

Ultimately, as entertaining as a night full of profanity and moshing might be, the Murderdolls lyrics are definitely not meant to be taken seriously. The music is all about having fun and, even though Wednesday 13 sings about homicide, suicide and zombies, it’s all in the name of rock ‘n’ roll.

What’s next on the agenda for the Murderdolls now that they’ve conquered Ace of Spades?

“We’re trying to figure out what’s next,” Wednesday 13 said. “I never know what Joey Jordison (Murderdolls guitarist and Slipknot percussionist) has got coming up, and he never knows what I’ve got. I know that he’s got Slipknot coming up this summer. When he’s done doing his Slipknot stuff, we’ve talked about maybe doing some more shows in the fall. But we’re just kind of taking it piece by piece.”

View the full video interview with Wednesday 13 here.

Murderdolls to play Ace of Spades

2011-04-13T04:29:39Z

Lucky for Sacramentans, Ace of Spades has booked the Murderdolls, one
of the most vulgar, most energetic bands that your mother would never
want to catch you listening to. They are set to perform on April 21
with opening bands, Misamore, Avenue Saints, Spider City and
Blownload, a group based out of Sacramento.

Frontmen Wednesday 13, who has his own side project of the same name,
and Joey Jordison, who has drummed for bands like Slipknot and Rob
Zombie, have reunited to make the Murderdolls’ second full length
album, “Women and Children Last,” a strong one. Songs such as “Drug Me
to Hell” and “Hello, Goodbye, Die” hold true to their metal-punk-trash-thrash
sound, complete with horror-movie-inspired lyrics.

To promote their new CD, the Murderdolls have recently shared the
stage with both Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper at 2010’s Halloween
Hootenanny concert. Joey Jordison performed double time, playing drums
for Zombie as well as guitar for Murderdolls.

Although the Murderdolls were just opening for Zombie and Cooper at
the Halloween Hootenanny show, the band did embark on their own
European tour, playing with bands like The Black Veil Brides and
Marionette at select locations. According to the group’s blog, it was
their first European tour in over six years.

It’s hard to say what fans can expect at the upcoming Ace of Spades
show, however, one thing is for sure - there will be plenty of
headbanging, swearing, and...well, swearing. Songs such as “I love to
Say Fuck” and “Let’s Fuck,” with easy to chant mantras should be in no
short supply. Also, now that Ace of Spades is officially able to serve
alcohol, there’s no doubt that the show will be entertaining.

Even with just two albums under their belt, at the rate they’re going,
Wednesday 13 and Jordison will make the Murderdolls the shock rock
band of this generation.

Rob Zombie to play at Ace of Spades

2011-02-04T18:33:12Z

Ace of Spades is a new venue, located at 1417 R St., set to host its first concert on Saturday.

The venue has managed to secure quite a variety of artists to perform its opening month, including Badfish, a Sublime tribute band, and Papa Roach.

However, the most surprising group to be featured on the February lineup has got to be Rob Zombie, a band which, in its most recent years, has consisted of a bunch of horror-movie buffs who know how to rock out.

Rob Zombieʼs stage shows usually feature pyrotechnics that can singe fansʼ eyebrows off even if theyʼre at the back of the auditorium, giant walking robot animatronics, and monster (oftentimes literally) kabuki-screen graphics. Unsure what that entails? Just Google footage of Zombieʼs Halloween Hootenanny tour with Alice Cooper and it will all become much clearer.

So when Ace of Spades secured Rob Zombie to perform on February 10 at their 1,000-person-maximum venue, it was somewhat surprising. Where would all the fireworks go?

Guitarist John 5 explained that the handful of scheduled dates in the United States are meant as a return to the basics of rock ’n’ roll, reminiscent of gig rehearsals and practice.

“Weʼre doing really big shows overseas (and) the best way to warm up is to do a show,” John 5 said. “So instead of just going into a rehearsal room and trying to jump around and things like that, itʼs a lot easier if you do it that way. Itʼs just like a fighter going into the ring instead of just sparring with somebody. Itʼs a lot better to just go into the ring and warm up that way, I think.”

So there will be no glittery fireworks and there will be no flashy stage show, but that certainly does not mean that the concert wonʼt be entertaining.

Usually when massively popular bands that normally visit packed arenas decide to play somewhat “secret” and less publicized shows, itʼs because they love getting the opportunity to really connect with fans. It would seem that in Rob Zombieʼs case, things are no different.

“Weʼve been doing so many big shows, so many really, really big shows,” John 5 elaborated. “Iʼm looking forward to just playing on a small stage, interacting with the people and having a good time because we havenʼt done that in so long.”

Another advantage to seeing Rob Zombie at such a small venue is that the performance should be less scripted and choreographed. Since the shows are meant to resemble rehearsals, it only seems reasonable to expect some playfulness on the part of the musicians. Lucky for fans of John 5, that might mean the opportunity to see him demonstrate some of the more difficult techniques he is known for having mastered. For example, John 5ʼs solo instrumental albums are filled with everything from bluegrass songs to tunes completely played behind the nut of the guitar a la “Behind the Nut Love” from one of his earlier albums, “Songs for Sanity.”

“I always try to challenge myself, just to keep it fresh and fun for myself. I keep on pushing it and pushing it and pushing it,” John 5 said regarding some of the difficult techniques he uses. “It really is my love to do that, to keep my mind working and fresh and trying to accomplish greatness, which I donʼt know if I ever will, but Iʼm trying.”

John 5 joined Rob Zombie back in 2005 for the Ozzfest tour and continued to work with Zombie on 2006ʼs “Educated Horses.”

John 5 worked on Rob Zombieʼs latest release, 2010ʼs “Hellbilly Deluxe II,” a record that at times departs from its metal roots and strays into 1960s-era Beach Boys surf rock to create a heavy rockabilly sound accompanied by Zombieʼs signature horror flick-inspired lyrics.

Although local fans of Rob Zombie are no doubt thrilled the group is coming to town, it would seem that the band members are just as happy to be touring near home before embarking on a tour of the U.K. and Australia.

“Honestly, I really, really enjoy Sacramento a lot,” said John 5, who lives in Los Angeles. “I think itʼs beautiful and I love California so much. I really enjoy going to Sacramento and San Francisco and all over like that. But Sacramento is very peaceful, itʼs very nice. Iʼm not just saying that. If I didnʼt think that, Iʼd be like, ʻOh yeah, itʼs great,ʼ but you know, I really do enjoy it.”

Sacramento's Amber's Sweets cast celebrates its one year anniversary

2010-12-14T08:03:01Z

Saturday night the Amber’s Sweets “Repo! The Genetic Opera” shadowcast celebrated its one-year anniversary with a bang by performing in front of a very enthusiastic crowd and several special guests from the film.

In attendance Saturday was Nivek Ogre, who plays the role of Pavi Largo, a character known in the film for wearing other people’s faces on his own as well as his panty-snatching antics. Ogre is also known among “Repo!” fans for his work with the industrial band Skinny Puppy and for his solo project, OhGr.

Actor Bill Moseley (“House of 1000 Corpses,” “The Devil’s Rejects” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre II”) also made an appearance. In the film, Moseley plays Pavi Largo’s homicidal brother, Luigi, and the two form sort of an Abbot and Costello pairing while they fight over which of them will inherit their father’s company.

“Repo!’s” co-creator, Darren Smith, and wife Nancy Long attended the show for the third time. Smith not only came out to meet and greet his fans, but he also came to support his wife, who performed in an a capella trio called “The Cans” along with two other famous people from the “Repo!” world – Corrie Shenigo and Alisa Burket. Shenigo is known for singing the original demo from one of the songs from “Repo!” called “Infected,” while Burket plays an evil henchwoman in the movie.

“It’s really cool to know that we have such an awesome cast and that all the famous people wanna come see us,” said Kirsten Wilkins, who plays Single Mom.

As always, the line to get into the Colonial Theater stretched around the corner, and the parking lot was full.

Vendors inside the theater offered fans everything from nearly impossible-to-find horror DVDs to excellent-quality Amber’s Sweets swag. There were even blue glowsticks available for purchase so that Z-addicted audience members could satisfy their craving for some late-night Zydrate like their favorite characters in the movie.

The Cans were first to take the stage. The trio sang a song called “One Meatball” in the spirit of the Andrews Sisters. This was followed by a rendition of “Thankless Job,” a song in “Repo!” where The Repoman inserts his hand inside the torso of a corpse and makes him talk like a puppet. Smith joined his wife on stage and provided the backing vocals for the “puppet.”

The audience roared its approval when the lights turned off and the previews started. At an Amber Sweets “Repo!” show, even the previews are “Repo!” and horror-movie-themed. The crowd favorite (as always) was probably the metal-singing hard-rock animated snack bar characters. With an evil Nacho on drums, a multi-pierced Dot candy lead singer and a hardcore pretzel playing the guitar, the wholesome and “normal” snack foods got kicked off the screen. Meanwhile the audience got an earful of hilarious death-metal with lyrics such as “Don’t talk. Watch!” and “Your money is now our money!”

Geeks and movie buffs alike cheered while a very creative plot explanation inspired by the beginning credits of “Star Wars” introduced “Repo!” and the show finally started.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that each time the Sweets perform, the show gets better.

“Every show we have special guests, and we do better each time,” said director Ashley Porciuncula.

Since the last show featured a gunshot to the head that sprayed about 15 feet into the air, it would seem hard to believe that the special effects could get any more impressive. However, for every knife slash there was blood that sprayed, and for every organ repossession, there were “souvenirs” tossed into the audience.

The cast members pay attention to detail, especially when it comes to being responsible for their own roles. All the characters have costumes and accessories that match those of their on-screen counterparts. Each of their gestures is timed to match what’s happening on the screen, and if it can’t be reproduced exactly, then the cast comes up with a creative way to portray it. For instance, this time around, for a scene where Rotti Largo rides around in a car with Shilo, Justin Boeser (who plays Rotti) rolled around stage on a little scooter to humorously simulate the motion of a car.

“I think one of my favorite parts was probably Rotti strolling around on his little scooter,” Ogre said. “I like the little things – I like the jazz hands, I like the little parts that they put in that are kind of, not making fun of it, but taking the laugh along with it. I liked the way that they incorporated a lot of the visuals up on the wall. It kind of brings everybody into the scene.”

Another fun aspect to Saturday’s show was the Christmas decorations incorporated ever so cleverly into the scenes and the set. In Shilo’s room, a stocking hung on the wall, and nearly every character wore a Santa hat at some point during the show.

Because it’s part of the experience of attending a shadowcast, the audience might mock and jeer at the characters on stage as well as at the movie, but the actors certainly take their roles seriously.

“We don’t make fun of the production,” explained Elisabeth Evans, who played Amber Sweet. “We don’t mock it. We try to pay homage to it and make it the best that it can be. We want to give it credit and do it as real as possible. We maybe add a little humor here and there, but nothing that would demoralize it or degrade it in any way.”

“We kind of take things to a new level,” elaborated Catt Miller, who plays Shilo Wallace. “I don’t think we’re technically considered a shadowcast anymore. We’re more of a live performance cast.”

Immediately following the show was a very brief question-and-answer session with Smith, Ogre and Moseley. Ogre and Moseley discussed their plans for future projects (more movies for Moseley and new OhGr and Skinny Puppy records for Ogre), and Smith delighted fans by claiming that a special director’s cut of “Repo!” with all the deleted scenes included was in the works.

Following the Q and A, tables were set up where fans were able to get autographs and take photos with all the special guests.

Now that the Sweets have proved they’re here to stay, the next thing on their plate is an understudy performance.

“After this show, we are going to be doing an understudy show, which means the understudies of all the main characters will play the main roles for that show,” clarified Dani Fontana, who plays Graverobber. “So next show you probably won’t see me as Graverobber. So basically, we’ll be like extras or whatever.”

It’s obvious that the Amber’s Sweets “Repo!” cast is not an ordinary shadowcast, especially since so many people involved with the real movie have come out to show their support.

“I thought the whole show was fantastic,” Moseley said. “I’ve seen maybe 10 or 12 different shadowcasts, and this was by far, like head and shoulders above anything I’ve seen. This was amazing.”

Even though the Sweets cast members have had the opportunity to mingle with so many of their personal heroes, it still never gets old for them to know that they’ve brought new life to the film.

“The most memorable moment (for me) was when Darren Smith told me that my performance in ‘Legal Assassin’ was the best he had seen,” said Tim Meunier, who is the show’s producer and also plays Nathan Wallace/The Repoman on stage. “I wear that compliment on my heart and soul."

For more information on the Amber’s Sweets cast, including information on future performances, check out amberssweets.com. For footage of complete interviews with all cast members and special guests, visit http://www.youtube.com/user/FarTooFrailChez?feature=mhum.

All photos courtesy of David Alvarez

Chelsey Vorst on "The Ghost Train offers scares for the whole family"

2010-10-13T12:25:53Z

Scary Halloween horror rides are the best. It's nice to see this happening in the area! I can't wait to go! :)

Kittie & DevilDriver play the Boardwalk

2010-09-17T18:24:08Z

Wednesday night was metal night at the Boardwalk with a lineup including five aggressive, head-banging bands – Hostility, Misery, Kataklysm, Kittie and DevilDriver.

Hostility, which played first, was promoting its new album, “Set in Stone.”

The band’s MySpace page claims “Hostility is all about brutal, honest, in-your-face metal,” and the band’s live performance certainly lived up to that claim. There was enough deep-throated screaming, head-banging and super-heavy guitar riffs to please any metal fan.

While Hostility brought a lot of energy to the stage, since the group did play first, the venue was still fairly empty. The musicians encouraged the crowd to get up and move around, but the response was somewhat lackluster.

However, this should not be taken as an indication that Hostility was a boring band. If more people had arrived in time, Hostility would have received just as much enthusiasm from fans as the later performers did.

The next band was Misery, “a hard-hitting metal band from Long Island, New York,” according to its MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/miseryny).

It was interesting to hear the lead singer speak between songs, because he had a Long Island accent that was as different from his singing growl as a bark is from a meow.

Also intriguing about Misery’s performance were the women in the circle pit. Granted, it wasn’t a very large or particularly menacing pit, but it’s still always surprising to see girls get in the roughness.

The most noteworthy song Misery played was “Social Anxiety,” which can be heard on the band’s MySpace page.

Misery also has a new album in the works, which the group claimed will be released in January.

Kataklysm, a Canadian death metal group, was third to play, and the crowd went nuts, forming a sizable pit in the center of the room.

The band played songs such as “Push the Venom” and “Numb and Intoxicated” off its new album, “Heaven’s Venom,” which was released in August.

The highlight of the show was when Morgan Lander, lead singer of Kittie, came out and sang backing vocals for one song. The entire band (except the drummer) was doing the signature metal headbang where all the performers bend over and swing their hair around in a circular motion to the beat of the music. It’s a classic metal stage move that never gets old.

Kittie, an all-female metal quartet from Canada, did its own stage setup so fans could watch as each band member picked up her instrument and sound-checked it.

While it did take away some of the anticipation that builds while waiting for the first glimpse of the band, it was nonetheless interesting to see the women’s dedication to their craft – each member knew exactly how loud each instrument should be and what needed to adjusted to give the right sound.

Kittie is probably known by most for its breakout album “Spit,” which was released in 1999 when each band member was in her teens. However, the girls have released four albums since, with their latest release, “In the Black,” coming out last September.

The band’s two founding sisters, Morgan and Mercedes Lander, also have a clothing line out called Poisoned Black. Morgan said it was another avenue for the sisters to release their creative energy, especially when they weren’t recording albums.

Surprisingly, Kittie’s set seemed relatively short, or perhaps the women just seemed to play fewer songs that were longer in length. They played a lot of songs off “In the Black” and nothing off their debut release, although they did perform “Oracle,” the first track off their second album.

“It’s been quite a few years since we’ve been here, actually,” Morgan Lander said. “Every time that we’ve been here, it’s been an amazing show. The kids here are usually pretty crazy, and it’s our first time opening up for another band here as well. It’ll be fun to play for a different audience, and DevilDriver puts on a great show too, so it’s going to be fun.”

And Morgan was right. The pits got bigger, and the crowd got crazier for each succeeding band, with the biggest and baddest pit forming when headlining band DevilDriver took the stage.

DevilDriver singer Dez Fafara, who was the singer of another gothy/metal/spooky band called Coal Chamber in the late ’90s/early 2000s, really knows how to get crowds pumped up.

DevilDriver even tried to get the Guinness World Record for the largest circle pit back in 2007. Obviously the Boardwalk doesn’t have the capacity for another such feat, but the pit was certainly aggressive, even if most of the participants are willing to help each other up if they fall down.

DevilDriver is on the last leg of its American tour to promote its latest album, “Pray for Villains.” Next, the band will head to Europe.

Each metal band that played Wednesday night had something unique about its sound and its performance. But one thing they all had in common was the brutality inherent in their music – that special something that just makes a crowd hungry for headbanging and moshing.

DevilDriver and Kittie photos courtesy of Sara Paredes-Baumgartner

Primus plays the Memorial Auditorium

2010-09-16T07:31:42Z

The Primus Oddity Faire tour kicked off in Sacramento Tuesday at the Memorial Auditorium.

The first act to take the stage, a group from Los Angeles, was called El Bronx. The group consisted of a mariachi band decked out in traditional black mariachi suits with a rock-and-roll flare.

The singer brought a ton of energy to the stage, talking to the crowd and encouraging everyone to clap along. Fans of Primus who would normally be moshing in the pit were dancing and having a good time.

At first listen, El Bronx sounded like an ordinary mariachi band, but once the violin kicked in and the singing began, it was obvious that there was something odd about the mariachi tunes.

The subject matter of the music is what made El Bronx unique. Even though the group’s sound is very upbeat and Hispanic, its lyrics deal with everything from prison to political issues. The combination of the darker lyrics and the somewhat-humorous beats of the mariachi sound made El Bronx an act to remember.

Next up was a performing troupe of dancers and contortionists called the Vau-De-Vire Society. Their performance mimicked an old Vaudeville show, minus the slapstick elements.

The first person to take the stage was a lone guitarist who provided the soundtrack for the entire performance. Next, a dancer clad in red and twirling a large python in the air emerged.

Various other dancers came next. The show featured everything from sword-balancing acts to handstands. But of course what made the dances so much more intriguing was the sexy clothing the performers wore – the girls were dressed in bright red lingerie and ripped stockings.

Since no burlesque-meets-vaudeville-meets-circus act is complete without an element of danger, the performance also showcased ascantily clad man who cracked a whip to break roses off their stems from such provocative places as the female dancers’ mouths.

Furthermore, a rebel cowgirl also popped balloons and tipped over cans with a pellet gun from various places on the dancers’ bodies. The high point was when once of the dancers did the splits while in a handstand and a can was placed between her legs and shot by the cowgirl.

Finally, the lights dimmed and Primus was ready to play.

The band opened with the first song off of its album “Frizzle Fry,” entitled “To Defy the Laws of Tradition,” and Les Claypool emerged wearing an absurdly tall top hat.

Interestingly enough, the next few songs played were the next few songs off of “Frizzle Fry,” and it soon became apparent that Primus was going to play “Frizzle Fry” in its entirety.

While “Frizzle Fry” is one of Primus’ first albums and it is very well-loved by fans, hearing the entire album played front-to-back took away any element of surprise from the show. Older fans of Primus who have seen the band live many times probably loved hearing the whole album, but people who were seeing Primus for the first time might have wished for a little more variety. With such an extensive repertoire of songs (20 years’ worth of material) it seemed strange that the band chose to limit itself to a single album.

Now, as Primus fans know, it’s impossible to go to a bad Primus show, and Tuesday’s concert was no exception. Les Claypool and the gang can do no wrong, and certainly there was nothing wrong with hearing such a fantastic album. However, it was very odd that “Tommy the Cat,” probably Primus’ most notorious song, wasn’t played.

After “Frizzle Fry” was finished, Claypool broke the silence he had maintained for all of “Frizzle Fry” to interact with the crowd a little. He spoke lovingly and jokingly about his bass, making everyone who is familiar with his custom basses laugh.

“This stringed piece of furniture is rather a beastly thing,” Claypool said. “I have sort of a love/hate relationship with it. Though it looks exquisite, it’s made with very fancy, exotic wood. And it feels good in the hands … Uh, ‘Jerry was a Racecar Driver’ anyone?”

After his little spiel, Claypool, Ler and Jay did play a few more songs off of other albums, namely “Jerry was a Racecar Driver” and a few songs off of “The Brown Album” (i.e. “Over the Falls” and “Shake Hands with Beef”).

When the show ended, it seemed like Primus would come out for another mini-encore, but, sadly for everyone in attendance, that was not the case, and the show ended with “Shake Hands with Beef,” a song that Claypool claimed the band hadn’t played in quite some time.

Overall, the show was amazing. Claypool always manages to bring together such talented groups of individuals when he tours, and The Oddity Faire was certainly no exception. A fair of odd people the concert most certainly was, and that’s how the Primus and Claypool fans like it.

Club Circuitry featuring Savi0r, Mankind is Obsolete, and Android Lust

2010-09-14T01:28:08Z

Club Circuitry, which usually takes place twice a month, has been gaining popularity and booking bigger special guests to perform.

Last month, Ginger Fish, who used to be the drummer for Marilyn Manson, had a special slot as a guest DJ at the club, and this month there were three live acts – Android Lust, Mankind is Obsolete and Savi0r.

Both Android Lust and Mankind is Obsolete have been touring the United States together on the Animalia tour and, on Friday, they stopped in Sacramento at Club Circuitry.

Savi0r, a Sacramento-based industrial/rock group, was the first to take the stage.

Savi0r has recently updated its lineup to include two new members – Ernst on keyboards/synths and Phil Mohr on bass – giving the band a more organic and raw live sound.

“Our last step that we took was me switching over from keyboard and bass and going to drums and then us finding two new members, Ernst and Phil, to bring in their expertise on keyboards and bass to kind of retool and give kind of a more full-band, organic rock feel to the electronics we had before,” said David Wright, Savi0r’s drummer.

“We think we’ve successfully accomplished that step, and now we’re just going to kind of dominate wherever we can,” he added. “While we still have click tracks and backing tracks, it’s not the forefront of our music – it’s very much just another layer that adds to what were bringing. It’s funner because we get to kind of push and pull with the music, kind of see how things are going ... I think people like it a lot better.”

This year, Savi0r is nominated in Sacramento News and Review’s 2010 Sammies for best industrial/rock band.

“We worked really hard over the last couple of years, and some good bands have won [the Sammies] before, so we’re happy to be nominated,” said Victor La Rocco, Savi0r’s guitarist. “If we could take the prize it would be really cool … People can vote for us on the Savi0r website.”

“It feels great [to be nominated for the 2010 Sammies],” elaborated Adam Jones, Savi0r’s vocalist and front man. “We’ve never been nominated before, and we’ve been active since 2007 so it’s pretty cool to have that under our belts if we actually win that. I think we have a great chance. I think we’re the only industrial band that has a full band to really support us, so I think that that could just work out for us.”

In regards to his most anticipated moment of the night’s performance, keyboardist Ernst said: “I have a lot of friends that haven’t got to see us locally that are going to be coming to the show. They also haven’t seen us since it’s been the five-piece band. I’m really excited to be playing a fairly big show. We’ve got two really great acts coming up tonight and full bands all the way through.”

Savi0r played songs off of its latest release, “Gray Matter,” as well as some crowd favorites such as “Nepenthe Vim” and “Solidarity Service.”

Mankind is Obsolete is a four-piece band from Los Angeles. Its sound is difficult to categorize, but it might be called electronic punk rock with hints of industrial mixed in.

The band’s female lead singer, Natasha, delivers vocals that are scratchy and growly like what would normally appear on a metal album, yet she can also sing just as beautifully as more well-known female rock artists like Evanescence’s Amy Lee.

Mankind is Obsolete put on a very energetic performance. Natasha was especially fun to watch because she danced around stage so much, swinging her ponytail and at times performing a move that can only be described as playing an imaginary guitar. It was easy to tell that she was genuinely excited to be playing, and her enthusiasm was reflected in the crowd’s response.

The final act of the evening was Android Lust, a project that started out as a one-woman band and has since evolved into a full-fledged industrial group.

“For this album I’ve been more inclusive of other musicians, and I’ve collaborated a lot more,” front woman Shikhee explained. “I got a little tired of just working in a bubble and being sort of insular. I started writing parts that were beyond my ability to play. I wanted to incorporate [the other bandmates’] talents and bring that in, so that’s something that’s very different from the other albums that were just me 100 percent.”

Even though Android Lust has often been compared to Nine Inch Nails with a female vocalist, the group straddles so many genres that it’s hard for even Shikhee to describe her own music, let alone how she feels about being compared to such a mainstream industrial group as Nine Inch Nails.

“[My music] is always a difficult thing to describe,” Shikhee said. “I guess ultimately it’s rock and roll. There’s a lot of electronics, but there’s also a lot of live instruments now, and in a way I still call it industrial because I don’t limit myself in what sounds I use – basically anything goes as long as it moves me – and so for me that becomes something experimental or industrial, although some of it is kind of poppish … I think it makes sense [for people to compare Android Lust to Nine Inch Nails] because people always want to reach for something that is within their field of vision. If you say, ‘Hey, I’m a totally unique artist,’ no one’s going to listen to you and it’s just stroking your ego ultimately.”

From a listener’s point of view, Android Lust is a combination of harsh industrial beats, untraditional and somewhat odd noises, synthy bleeps and a remarkably talented and versatile vocal style.

While Shikhee in her sliced-up leather pants was very much the star of Friday night’s performance, the other band members added a more traditional rock-and-roll feel to the show. Bassist Bret Calder and his six-string fretless were particularly fascinating to watch.

Android Lust played older songs as well as pieces off of “The Human Animal,” the latest release from the band, including the much-remixed “God in the Hole.”

For its final encore song, the band brought out members from Mankind is Obsolete to play floor toms and close the evening with a bang.

Even though Android Lust’s sound feels much darker than that of Mankind is Obsolete, the group of friends seemed to be truly enjoying their experience together and were able to give the audience a happy send-off and lighten the mood a little.

Shikhee’s love for her art shows in her passion for performing, and that’s probably why many Android Lust fans will continue to support her future endeavors.

“I just want to play,” Shikhee said. “This is the 23rd or 21st show of our tour, and I find that when I have a day off I’m almost jonesing to get on stage, so I’m just excited to play. I want to keep playing even though we get like four hours of sleep and eat shitty food on the road, and it’s a lot of sitting around in the van. But once I’m actually there and playing, it’s just something that I really enjoy.”

Primus to play at Memorial Auditorium

2010-09-08T02:06:25Z

Primus is probably best known for blending funk-based slap bass riffs and interesting and usually humorous characters and situations into long and often psychedelic songs.

Vocalist and bassist Les Claypool tells tales of fisherman, controlled substances and downright ridiculous antics with a twang in his voice and (usually) a Carl Thompson bass in his hands.

Although Claypool has a number of other musical projects such as Oysterhead, Frog Brigade and a number of albums under his own name, he is reuniting with Primus bandmates Larry “Ler” LaLonde (guitar) and Jay Lane (drums) for a full-blown Primus tour across the states.

In regards to the North American Oddity Faire tour, Claypool’s website claims: “Primus will take to the road this fall as part of the 2nd Annual Oddity Faire. The Oddity Faire is a freak show like no other and this year the tour starts off with a stop in Sacramento, and promises to get really strange with a special two night stand at the Club Nokia in downtown LA. The Oddity Faire will head up through the Northwest and come to Canada for the first time before returning to the states for some dates into October. Primus will be joined by some great bands such as Mariachi el Bronx, Portugal. The Man and Split Lip Rayfield.”

Even though there have been no new Primus albums released for this tour, Primus does have a free download of four songs available through its website.

The EP is from the June 2010 rehearsal and includes four songs – “Pudding Time,” “American Life,” “Duchess and the Proverbial Mind Spread” and “Harold of the Rocks.”

The first stop on the tour is in Sacramento at the Memorial Auditorium, and what that performance holds in store for fans is unclear, but set lists for shows back in August have songs from older albums ranging from “Frizzle Fry” to “Pork Soda.”

One thing is for certain – Primus is playing two nights at the Club Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, and the first night the band has scheduled the entire evening to perform the album “Frizzle Fry” in its entirety.

According to the Primus Facebook page: “As part of our special two night run in LA, the band has decided to play Frizzle Fry in its entirety on Thursday (Sept. 16) and do a completely different show on Friday night (Sept. 17). It's going to be great.”

Primus’ first official album, “Suck on This,” came out in 1989, and to date the band has released six more albums with complicated and tough-to-duplicate bass riffs remaining the star of each.

The band’s latest release, “Antipop” (1999), features song titles such as “Lacquer Head” and “The Ballad of Bodacious.”

“Lacquer Head” is about a boy who uses inhalants such as paint and gasoline, while “The Ballad of Bodacious” tells the story of Bodacious the bull, who famously injured a rider, Tuff Hedeman, so badly that he had to have facial reconstruction surgery.

Claypool is not the only talent behind Primus, however, his name is well-recognized because of the degree of difficulty behind the bass riffs he writes. Not only does he invent wild slap solos like in “Tommy the Cat,” he also uses a custom six-string fretless bass for a sound that is distinctly “Claypool.” His visionary bass playing makes the bass guitar the focal point of the music, even though bass as an instrument is usually relegated to the task of keeping rhythm with drums.

One of Primus’ most recognizable songs can be heard on older seasons of the show “South Park” on Comedy Central. The theme song was written for the show by Primus, and it’s not really surprising considering the affinity for cartoonish humor the band possesses. One need only glance at the clay artwork from any of the earlier album covers to get a feeling for what the music holds in store for listeners.

Claypool also wrote the theme song for another popular cartoon series on Adult Swim called “Robot Chicken,” which can be found on Claypool’s album “Of Whales and Woe.”

The song fits so well with the opening credits of the series that it’s hard to tell whether the song was written for the credits or the credits for the song.

Primus has even had a song, “John the Fisherman,” featured on the popular video game series Guitar Hero, and the band makes an appearance in the film “Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey” during the battle of the bands scene.

Although Claypool is most famous for his bass skills, he is not a one-trick pony. He has ventured out into the world of winemaking and has also written a book.

“As I tiptoe through the entertainment industry, dabbling in mediums beyond the microphone and my four-stringed piece of electric furniture, I once again find myself venturing into a new foray,” Claypool claims on his wine’s website. “What started as an attempt to fill our own personal wine cache has turned into a ‘boutique’ wine venture. Having forsaken some of my past ‘indulgences,’ I found myself becoming an avid consumer of wines from my neighborhood. After kicking the notion around for a year or two with some pals, it eventually came time to dive in and make some ‘fancy booze’ of our own.”

Claypool has developed two lines of wine, titled “Purple Pachyderm” and “Pink Platypus.”

“Purple Pachyderm” is described by the website as possessing “aromatics ... of supple black cherry, ripe red berry, and ginger spice along with hints of spearmint and almond.”

“Pink Platypus” is a less-expensive rose pinot noir. The wines are currently being served in Claypool’s choice wineries and restaurants that he “personally endorses” (http://claypoolcellars.com/index.php?page=Happenings&item=2), several of which can be found in Northern California.

Claypool’s book, “South of the Pumphouse,” takes place in El Sobrante and tells a tale of methamphetamines, fishing and murder.

Like his song lyrics, the book is very verbose, and the dialogue between characters exists perfectly in the “Claypoolian” world of offbeat and colorful characters.

The book is very much an extension of Claypool’s talent for storytelling, and his literary voice is as strong as the bass solos in his songs.

To find out more about Primus, Les Claypool, and the Oddity Faire tour, visit Primus’ website.

Director of 'Repo! The Genetic Opera' attends Sacramento shadowcast

2010-08-31T03:35:13Z

The phenomenon of shadowcasting can best be described as live theater with the aid of a film being played in the background.

However, unlike traditional theater, audience members are encouraged to interact with the actors and become involved with the production by calling out jokes, jeers and encouragement. The rule of thumb is generally the more boisterous the audience, the better the production.

Although the most popular film to shadowcast to date is probably “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” another film, “Repo! The Genetic Opera,” is quickly gaining notoriety.

Saturday night, Sacramento’s own “Repo!” shadowcast, Amber’s Sweets, put on its third performance this year.

There were many special guests in attendance, including members from the San Diego and Los Angeles “Repo!” shadowcasts, but the guest who really got people’s attention was the director of “Repo! The Genetic Opera,” Darren Lynn Bousman.

Besides “Repo!,” Bousman is known for his work directing horror films including “Saw II,” “Saw III” and “Saw IV.”

“I’m looking forward to performing in front of Darren Bousman and the other shadowcast members from ... L.A.,” said Dani Fontana, who plays Graverobber from the film. “The people from ‘Addicted to the Knife’ … are here to come check us out because they wanted to see us. So I’m looking forward to meeting them. I’ve heard that the whole Southern California cast knows about me, and I’m like, ‘Really?’”

“I’m a little anxious [about Darren being here tonight],” elaborated Jessalyn San Gregorio, who plays Amber Sweet. “It’s been bugging me for a while, but not in a bad way – in a good way. It keeps me on the edge so that I’m really prepared.”

Even though the Sweets crew was excited to have Bousman and his wife (who also has a part in the film) attend their performance, Bousman himself was just as excited to be there.

“I’ve heard from every single person that’s seen this show that it’s amazing,” Bousman said. “I’ve heard from Terrance [co-creator of the film] and Spooky Dan that this is THE show. It took me a while to get out here, but I’m really excited I finally made it. They talk nonstop about it, so I’m excited by that.”

The Amber’s Sweets team is known for keeping its performances fresh and exciting, and Saturday’s show was no exception.

It began with an a cappella performance of two songs by BrieAnn Welch, one of which was “Chromaggia,” from the climactic scene in the movie where the character Blind Mag rips out her own eyes.

The performance would not have been complete without the trailers for the upcoming Sacramento Horror Film Festival and Callson Manor, both of which will be occurring in October. The heavy metal cartoon rendition of the singing snack bar foods also received a lot of audience laughs.

The amount of effort and practice that the Sweets cast put into the performance was evident. Everything seemed to go off without a hitch, even though the show is packed with special effects.

“How did I prepare for tonight’s show? We do weekly rehearsals and performance-wise, being the producer, I gotta stay on top of everything,” explained Tim Meunier, who plays Nathan, the Repo Man. “Usually every night before the show, I always watch the movie at least once or twice, even though I’ve already seen it so many times. I don’t want to get comfortable and cocky and think, ‘I know this movie. I’ve seen it a hundred times,’ and then look like a goof on stage.”

“[I prepared for tonight’s show with] a lot of practice,” elaborated Catt Miller, who plays Shilo Wallace. “I watched the movie over and over again, which I’ve always done, but this time I kinda did it a lot more. I worked on a lot more of my scenes and fine-tuned them and fixed what I was doing wrong.”

The parts that people cheered loudest for were the goriest scenes in the film. During the “Thankless Job” song, one man gets his inner organs ripped out by the Repo Man. The Sweets cast’s own Repo Man, Meunier, not only reenacts the darkly humorous scene, he throws his victim’s intestines, lungs and heart into the crowd.

At another point in the performance, Rotti Largo shoots his doctor in the head after being told that he has a terminal illness. The headshot reenacted on stage surpasses the one in the film - the blood from the back of the doctor’s head shoots literally 10 feet in the air and showers the audience members in the front row.

“I thought the show was awesome,” said Madeline Thompson, an audience member. “My favorite part was where the Repo Man ripped the spine out of the guy. Spines are awesome.”

The gore in the film and the gore in the theatrical production did not bother Bousman in the least.

“I think that the people in the horror genre are the most sane, well-balanced people,” Bousman said. “People that do romantic comedies are fucked up and have all these weird, oppressed emotions. With horror, it’s like we’re the nicest people out there because we put it all up on the screen and it’s over. So I think that we’re able to expel demons that others aren’t able to do. I think that we’re more well-adjusted than a lot of people that are working on dramas or comedies.”

The show ended with a question and answer session with Bousman where audience members were encouraged to come up on stage and speak directly with him.

Discussion topics ranged from his latest project “11 11 11” to his views on the recent release of “Repo Men,” a movie with a premise similar to that of “Repo! The Genetic Opera” and starring Forrest Whitaker and Jude Law.

When asked by a cast member during the Q&A what his favorite thing about his Amber’s Sweets experience was, Bousman said, “I’m not just saying this – everything. Everyone’s been calling me and telling me to come out here and about how fantastic it is and how intricate the production is – and it really is. I guess I wasn’t expecting the head blow to actually really be a head blow, but that was pretty badass.”

Photos courtesy of David Alvarez

Chelsey Vorst on "Literature Festival Draws Greater Sacramento Writers, Readers"

2010-08-03T18:12:15Z

This is so interesting. Once again, I have managed to miss out on a local event that I would have love to have been a part of. :( I'll have to go next year if there's another. It's still really great to know that there are other aspiring writers out there who just love to tell stories and have their work shared, regardless of whether or not it makes them money. I think the best writers write because they're passionate about it, not because they're out to make a buck or pen a best-seller.

Chelsey Vorst on "The Hot Italian story, as told by Fabrizio Cercatore"

2010-08-03T17:51:31Z

I wrote an article on this place for "Edible Sacramento," although it was more focused on the green aspects and the overall feeling of the place. I love that this article focuses on the behind the scenes and the artist behind the culinary creations. :) P.S. The pizza with the truffle oil is delicious!

Chelsey Vorst on "Big Bad Voodoo Daddy delivers killer-diller Harlow's show"

2010-08-02T14:56:52Z

I wish I had known because I SOOOO would have been there! I saw their Christmas performance at the House of Blues in Anaheim a few years ago and it was amazing and FUN. They definitely put on a great show.

Deftones to play at Memorial Auditorium

2010-08-02T03:20:14Z

Since the release of their first studio album, “Adrenaline,” in 1995, Sacramento natives the Deftones have managed to create a sound that harmoniously blends aggressive guitars and percussion with undeniably beautiful vocals. Throughout the 15 years the group has been making music, the Deftones have built up a dedicated fan base that includes devotees of metal, experimental, hip-hop and alternative sounds.

To date, the Deftones have released six complete albums (not counting the 2005 B-sides and rarities CD), and each one delivers a different sound than the last. “Adrenaline” is filled with all the emotion and raw material that should constitute a band’s first album, while their softest and most melodic songs can be heard on “White Pony” (2000).

This year marked the release of the sixth album released by the Deftones, “Diamond Eyes,” as well as a departure from the band’s usual lineup. In the past, the Deftones consisted of Chino Moreno as vocalist, Abe Cunningham on drums, Frank Delgado on the keyboard, Stephen Carpenter on guitar, and Chi Cheng on bass. Sadly, bassist Cheng was seriously injured in a car accident in November 2008, leaving him in a “minimally conscious state,” according to the website devoted to Chi’s recovery. The Deftones persisted and recorded “Diamond Eyes” in the absence of Cheng with Sergio Vega taking over as bassist.

Although devoted Deftones fans continue to hope for Cheng’s recovery, “Diamond Eyes” does not fall short of expectations, maintaining the signature mix of harsh and haunting vocals and guitars. The album can most aptly be described as a cross between the bleak and guttural guitar of “Around the Fur” (1997) and the crisp, clean digital sounds of “White Pony.”

The video for “Rocket Skates,” one of the new singles, is relatively simple. The band plays in a deserted garage, warehouse, or factory of some kind while images of a reddish-colored room with a girl in a red dress flash across the screen. The song begins with the line, “You’re red soaking wet,” and has an easy to follow chorus with Moreno screaming, “Guns, razors, knives!” While the lyrics are as uncomplicated as the video, the imagery they conjure is clearly dark enough subject matter to suit the Deftones’ sound.

Another track of note is “Diamond Eyes,” the first song on the album, as well as the second single to be released. The song starts off with Carpenter’s heavy guitar riffs, but Moreno’s intense vocals, which border on mournful singing and bitter screaming, balance the aggression and make for a tune that is both emotionally awakening and catchy enough to sing in the shower.

To promote “Diamond Eyes,” the Deftones are embarking on a fall tour that begins Friday in Ventura and runs through mid-October. On Aug. 8 the Deftones return to their hometown to play the Memorial Auditorium.

Ultimately, the Deftones newest release should please both old fans and new listeners. Like all the Deftones’ old material, it’s impossible not to hear the emotion pouring through the tracks, and yet “Diamond Eyes” still manages to differentiate itself from all its predecessors.

“We hope that the music speaks for itself,” Moreno said in “The Creation of ‘Diamond Eyes’ (Part 5)” video, found at deftones.com. “That’s what it should do. If you make a good record, hopefully it’ll stand the test of time.… I think all of them have done that … with this one, I would think that 10 years from now it will still be relevant.”

Trash Film Orgy returns with “Cry-Baby”

2010-07-27T04:32:53Z

Last week’s Trash Film Orgy was canceled due to the activation of the Crest Theatre’s fire sprinkler system, but the festival returned with a rockabilly bang Saturday night at the premiere of “Cry-Baby,” a spoof of the teenage rebel flick set in the 1950s.

It might seem odd for a musical movie starring super-celebrity Johnny Depp to be featured at TFO, but since the film is directed by John Waters, the king of trash film, the movie wasn’t out of place at all. People who are familiar with Waters’ work would vouch for “Cry-Baby” as a trash classic – they would only need reference the character Hatchet Face to make their point.

Saturday’s festivities began the same as usual – the line wound down the street past Pyramid Brewery, and once guests entered the lobby they were greeted by the same familiar TFO photo booth, Tiki’s skimpy hula girls and the Callson Manor representatives.
Instead of a trivia booth, there was a game called the Trashwood Derby Chicken Challenge where contestants raced a car down a strip and tried to win prizes. In addition, there was a line to get bunny ear headbands to support the Bloody Bunny, a really large man in a pink bunny suit, who led the Bloody Bunny Hop during the movie.

TFO wouldn’t be its trashy self without an opening skit. The skit for “Cry-Baby” involved Amy Anne, the president of the Johnny Depp fan club, singing a song aptly titled “Johnny Depp” while a greaser accompanied her on guitar.

While the lyrics were only mildly raunchy, the finale of the skit where the Bloody Bunny came on stage and pretended to make out with her got huge laughs from the crowd.

Probably the most original performance of the night was Sid the evil press manager’s “retribution” on the mystery “arsonist” who caused last week’s show to be cancelled.

Sid grabbed an actor from the front row and proceeded to kick him in the gonads and inject him with rabies, squirting the front row with blood. Finally, Sid give him a “free sex change operation” that involved strapping him to a table, sawing at his groin, eating a hot dog, and throwing the remains into the crowd.

Even though there was no actual fire at the Crest last week, the message to the attempted arsonist was clear – don’t mess with the Crest!

Audience participation and calling out are always encouraged at TFO, but “Cry-Baby” was different from the other movies shown so far at TFO because people in the audience were more inclined to sing along with the songs instead of jeer.

The lyrics to all the songs were provided in the bottom of the screen, and the movie essentially morphed into one big karaoke party, with the most popular song of the evening of course turning out to be Johnny Depp’s signature tune, “King Cry-Baby.”

“I love ‘Cry-Baby,’ and the fact that it’s a singalong makes it even better,” said viewer Kristie Brinks. “It’s very exciting. I’ve been going [to TFO] for the past four years, I believe, and it’s always a blast … I love it. They still have all the great, cool attractions that you can participate in and of course the fabulous performances.”

“It’s always astounding to see fan appreciation of that caliber for films that don’t receive praise from mainstream sources,” said Zachary Tole, a TFO attendee. “It gives you hope that there is an ounce of integrity still left in film.”

Trash Film Orgy will return Saturday with the presentation of “Nightmare,” a gory slasher movie. For more information and a complete schedule for this year’s TFO, visit trashfilmorgy.com.

Chelsey Vorst on "Arson cancels "Galaxy of Terror" Trash Film Orgy"

2010-07-20T22:58:44Z

I heard back from Capt. Jonathan Vurgess and he had this to say about the incident: "There was intentional tampering with the sprinkler head. It is currently under investigation. There was no active fire, but an attempt to cause an active fire." So there you have it - an attemped arson that resulted in the activation of the sprinkler system, although there was no actual fire. I hope this clears up any confusion.

Chelsey Vorst on "Arson cancels "Galaxy of Terror" Trash Film Orgy"

2010-07-20T21:09:19Z

I have attempted to contact the Fire Dept. to get accurate information. I left a message and hopefully my call will be returned and I can get the correct information and it can be clarified. Thanks to everyone for letting me and Sac Press know that my sources were mistaken.

Arson cancels "Galaxy of Terror" Trash Film Orgy

2010-07-19T16:37:25Z

At midnight Saturday, "Galaxy of Terror," a low-budget science-fiction horror flick starring Robert Englund and Sid Haig, was scheduled to premiere during the second week of the Trash Film Orgy. Unfortunately, an arson fire in the basement of the Crest Theater canceled the showing .

The fire didn't cause any real damage to the theater, but smoke alarms activated the sprinkler system and the auditorium and lobby were soaked.

“Apparently some jacka** arsonist decided to set the basement bathroom on fire and triggered the sprinkler system and caused a whole bunch of trouble,” said Christy Savage, one of Trash Film Orgy’s managers. “Nobody’s dead or anything like that and the theater will probably be back in business by tomorrow, but the fire marshal has declared that we are shut down for the rest of the evening.”

“I am totally bummed,” said Sara Paredes-Baumgartner. “I’ve been looking forward to this all month.”

Not only was the movie set to play at midnight, Haig was going to sign autographs and participate in a question-and-answer session afterward. He still was on hand for photos and autographs but was noticeably grumpy about the change of plans.

“It just sucks that we don’t get to see the beautiful print of the movie we had or anything like that, but we’ll persevere and we’ll be back next week with 'Cry-Baby,' so that should be a lot of fun,” Savage said.

Haig, who was promoting the release of "Galaxy of Terror" on Blu-ray and DVD, joked that his favorite scene in the film is one of his own: “Of course it has to be one that I’m in. What do you think we’re here for? Actually it’s [the scene]when I basically kill myself … At one point I just really get kind of wacked out and I see my crystals that have now regenerated. I try to recover them and they wind up stabbing me and I cut off my own arm … yes, it’s gory.”

Younger readers might know Haig from his work with director Rob Zombie in "House of 1000 Corpses" (2003) and "The Devil’s Rejects" (2005), in which Haig played Captain Spaulding, a filthy, homicidal clown.

“It was fun [to play Captain Spaulding],” he explained. “He was just so out there that I just had to kind of wind up and go for it … I had a great time working with Rob Zombie – and Sheri [Moon Zombie].”

Haig also is well known for his cameo work on Quentin Tarantino’s "Jackie Brown," which pays homage to the blaxploitation films of the '70s such as "Coffy" and "Foxy Brown."

“It was amazing to work with Quentin. We had known one another for a while before that happened and he knew I was tired of doing stupid heavies and just pointing guns in people’s faces and stuff because that’s stupid. And so he called me one day, and I still don’t know how he got my phone number. ... It’s like you’re Quentin Tarantino. It’s like you’re the CIA … He said to me, ‘I know you don’t want to do that kind of stuff any more. I’ve written a part for you. You will play it. It goes on such and such a day and I won’t take no for an answer.’ So I said, ‘OK boss.’ The guy’s amazing. For the day that I was on that film, he recited almost every line from every movie that I was ever in. The guy’s a true, true, enthusiast.”

Even though the evening was essentially a disaster for Haig and the TFO gang, they made the best of it, remaining outside the Crest to answer questions and to explain to each fan who showed up what had happened.

“It’s a tragedy for sure,” said Stephanie Hyden. “I was looking forward to seeing 'Galaxy of Terror.' Especially when you have a special guest, it’s just heartbreaking to not be able to do the full show.”

Of the perpetrator of the fire, Haig had this to say: “It’s just a punk thing to do. This is the physical manifestation of flamers on the Internet. You know, they’re just there to trash people? And this guy, he just wanted to make everybody’s night miserable and set a fire in the bathroom. The guy’s an idiot. I’d like his phone number and his address to go pay him a visit.”

Chelsey Vorst on "The tenth annual Trash Film Orgy opens with “Evil Dead 2” and 300 zombie fans"

2010-07-13T17:27:02Z

hey guys, i didn't mean that the entire count was 300...just that there were around 300 dressed as zombies. i should have made that clearer. i apologize! 666...what a headcount! :P

The tenth annual Trash Film Orgy opens with “Evil Dead 2” and 300 zombie fans

2010-07-13T01:00:12Z

The 10th annual Trash Film Orgy opened Saturday night with 300 zombie fans coming out to see “Evil Dead 2” – the premiere night for the film festival celebrating gore-filled, sleazy, cult classic movies.

Saturday’s screening of Sam Raimi’s low-budget hit “Evil Dead 2” coincided with Sacramento’s downtown Zombie Walk, so there was no shortage of “dead” or evil characters dressed up as zombies in order to get into the spirit.

“I think it’s really a fun crowd, and I can tell there’s a lot of zombies left over from the Zombie Walk, which is really exciting,” said Trash Film Orgy representative Amy. “Evil Dead 2 is really a trash classic, and we have a really fun crowd tonight.”

Not only was the crowd fun, people were also very creative with their costumes. While there were many traditional walking dead, some people adopted themes. There were “prombies” – zombies in prom dresses – the entire cast of “The Wizard of Oz” as zombies and even someone dressed as the rock artist Rob Zombie.

Doors to the Crest Theatre opened at 11:30 p.m., and the line of living dead stretched around the block and behind Pyramid Brewery, even though the movie didn’t start until near 1 a.m.

Upon entering the theater, guests and zombies were treated to a variety of spooky vendors and booths set up to entertain before the movie.
Even though Halloween is still several months away, Callson Manor representatives were there to promote their haunted house attraction in Roseville, which has expanded from last year’s 50,000 square feet to 65,000.

The Manor will feature three main attractions – Callson Funeral Home, Miner’s Revenge, and Vampire’s Crypt, and it gives all horror movie fans something to look forward to this October.

There was a zombie movie trivia booth near the restrooms, and TFO enthusiasts could try their luck at answering horror movie questions to win prizes or suffer the consequences – getting their brains eaten by zombie women. Zombie girls wearing shirts labeled “T,” “F,” and “O” would converge on the losing contestant and ruffle up their hair and pretend to chomp their brain.

The raunchiest segment of the entire evening was the “re-enactment” of “Evil Dead,” the prequel to “Evil Dead 2.” Two actors representing the film’s main characters, Ash and his girlfriend, took the stage and performed a humorous skit to recap the first movie that included the scene where Ash’s girlfriend is raped by a possessed tree.

People cheered when a fake Dio came out and sang a song about the movie to the tune of “Holy Diver,” but they went wild when the Raper Tree, a person in a tree costume complete with a giant prosthetic penis, emerged and “raped” Ash until fake ejaculate squirted out.

“I thought the skit showed dedication to what TFO is all about,” said Kyle Vorst, a guest at the show. “It was raunchy but silly and also really true to the spirit of the event. I felt like it was a good way to start the show because if you weren’t on board and you weren’t sure what you were getting into, that was a good way to gauge whether or not you wanted to stay.”

Before the movie started, there were plenty of trash previews, including one for a locally produced film called “Planet of the Vampire Women,” a movie about a space crew that lands on a foreign planet inhabited by vampire women who can shoot lasers out of their eyes.
There were also previews for upcoming Trash Film Orgy shows such as John Waters’ “CryBaby” and “Galaxy of Terror,” where special guest and actor in the film Sid Haig is slated to make an appearance.

Part of the Trash Film Orgy experience is mocking the films even though they are beloved by the audience.

Most people in attendance had seen the movie many times and knew exactly what would happen next, so as soon as the movie started, so did the jeering and calling. Unlike a traditional movie theater, the more noise people made, the more others enjoyed themselves.

At the end of the night when the movie was over, fan of the Trash Film Orgy and zombie lover Kasi Kresheck said, “It was the best orgy I’ve ever been to.”

'Repo!' shadowcast draws the attention of the film's creator

2010-05-25T05:07:47Z

Repo! The Genetic Opera is a feature film released in late 2008 that is challenging to categorize, although it calls itself a “goth opera.” It features classic horror movie staples such as blood, guts, and murder, but it also holds fast to classical roots by being sung from nearly beginning to end in the style of a true opera.

The Amber’s Sweets crew is a group of artists who get together to reenact the film while it is simultaneously projected onto the wall in a theatrical event called a shadowcast . The Sweets’ third shadowcast performance of Repo! took place at the Colonial Theatre Saturday. Although it was only the third time the cast performed the entire production live at the theater, it seemed as though they had been doing it for years.

The Sweets shadowcast has been steadily gaining popularity, and their last performance garnered the attention of one of the film’s creators, Darren Smith, who performed songs from the movie along with his wife.

This time around, the cast was lucky enough to have the film’s other creator, Terrance Zdunich, who also plays the character Graverobber in the movie, in attendance as a spectator.

“[Having Zdunich in the audience] doesn’t really pressure us so much as give us a goal,” said Jessalyn San Gregorio, who plays Amber Sweet. “It’s like we have a creator here, so let’s do our best to impress him.”

“We’re pretty awesome in and of ourselves, so I think [Zdunich will] be happy,” cast member Caitlin Miller said. “He’s seen us before, but we’ve done a lot of fine tuning, so what he saw before was like the rough draft of the rough draft. So I’m really excited that he’s going to be here.”

New additions to the performance included previews of coming attractions. There was a commercial promoting the upcoming Trash Film Orgy, which will be held at the Crest Theatre in the coming months.

There was also a promo for Callson Manor, a new haunted house attraction. Finally, a commercial parodying the old-time happy jingle snack bar cartoons received a lot of laughs when it was transformed into a death metal anthem about how not to behave during a movie.

The audience was treated to a sneak peak of one of Zdunich’s latest film projects, a short “tutorial” about how to create art called “How to Draw a Straight Line.” It instructs viewers on how to overcome the difficulties of crafting such an important piece of art.

As usual, the film’s reenactment featured plenty of gore and special effects, but the most extreme case was the monstrous spray of blood when a character was shot in the head.

“I think that at the beginning when the doctor got shot by one of the hench girls, blood actually splattered on me and my buddy," Zdunich said. "I wasn’t expecting that. They actually had a more powerful spray than what we used in the film. I’m not sure how safe what they were doing was, but it f***in’ rocked.”

Not only did the special effects improve, but the props and audience participation were over the top. The jeers and catcalls were bawdy at the last show, but at this show they were even raunchier. The “splash zone” was extended to the entire theater since characters threw bloody body parts such as hearts and guts not only on the people seated in the front rows, but those in the back as well. Nobody was safe from getting messy.

“I love the crowd’s reaction,” said Justin Boeser, who plays Rotti Largo. “It’s one of my favorite things to hear in theater. It’s something I’ve loved doing since I was a little kid. I’ve always loved hearing cheers and screams.”

It was not hard to tell that the cast had been rehearsing plenty. None of the actors ever missed a cue and the entire show flowed smoothly, even when the aisles were filled with half-nude dancing extras.

“I’m most excited about the fact that I think we have the best energy that we’ve had amongst our cast since the beginning of this," director Ashley Porciuncula said. "I know for a fact that we are going to bring the audience something unlike anything they’ve ever seen before.”

The production value of the show increased tenfold since the first show late last year. Costumes improved, lighting and sound were perfected and the backdrops and scenery were very realistic.

“We’ve gotten better at things,” said Miller, who portrays Shilo Wallace. “More money means more props and more accuracy. We’ve figured out how to fix problems, added more stuff. [The show has] evolved a lot.”

“In the beginning we had a lot of problems with props and costumes and whatnot, but we managed," said Dani Fontana, who plays Graverobber. "Now we keep putting better things in it and it just makes it fantastic. We sold out at the last show and we weren’t expecting that.”

What does the future hold for the Ambers Sweets Repo! crew? They seem to be working on getting other big-name artists starring in the film to their performances. With stars like Paris Hilton, Bill Moseley and Nivek Ogre of the band Skinny Puppy in the film, it’s open to debate who will be next to make an appearance.

“There are definitely big names in the works," Porciuncula said. "I would advise you to check the website amberssweets.com on a regular basis to find out more information as we receive it.”

Following the performance, Zdunich stuck around in the lobby to sign autographs and take photos with fans. He also gave fans the opportunity to purchase his new comic series, The Molting.

“People ask me a lot if I’m sick of [the Repo! popularity] yet, and the answer is no,” Zdunich said. “I think that the fact that it’s living, breathing art, makes every time I see it different. I actually don’t even like watching the film just as a film because I’m so self-conscious. I feel like, ‘Oh, I could’ve done this different. I should’ve done that different. Oh God, that’s me.’ So watching it with the shadowcast, it’s like a totally different experience. It’s like live bastard theater and that’s what we sought out to do in the first place. And the fact that it’s happening, even without our blessing, is badass. I hope it never stops.”

Photographs by Lost Road Entertainment and Peek Media

Endure the Beheading at the Shire Road Club

2010-04-15T00:11:29Z

The Shire Road Club is a new all ages venue in Sacramento dedicated to promoting indie, punk, and rock music, particularly unsigned California-native bands. Saturday night the Shire Road Club hosted a concert featuring local artists Dressed in White, Beyond All Ends, and Sound of Disaster. Endure the Beheading, a group out of Merced, headlined the show.

The concrete walls and floor of the Shire Club made it ideal for all of the bands’ screaming (and generally profane) vocals, crashing guitars and pounding percussion. The spacious dance floor was also perfect for the energetic arm-flailing and acrobatic kick dancing that accompanies any hardcore show.

Since their first show in 2008, Endure the Beheading has put on over 80 shows and shared the stage with bands such as Sworn Enemy, Rise of Caligula, American Me and We Are the End. They are about to put out their first album and have travelled as far as Las Vegas for shows.

“Our sound is pretty brutal,” guitarist Robin Quinlan said. “We’re about the second heaviest band in the world. Ever. That’s it.”

Drummer Eli Veregge added, “A lot of people might say [our sound] is technical, but it’s really not. We’re pretty heavy I guess. And we’re a pretty hardcore mix and we try to throw in as much metal and tech, faster stuff as we can. I’d say it’s common and then not common at the same time.”

Although the show was not as packed as other venues that they have played, the members of Endure the Beheading did not get discouraged or put any less effort into their music.

“I thought it was a pretty good show,” Veregge said. “I had a lot of fun. I mean the crowd doesn’t always show up, but that doesn’t really matter to us. We’re still going to have a good show. So whether you come or not, we’re still going to throw down and have a good time ourselves anyways.”

“We’re the type of band that moves around even though there’s only one kid out there,” explained Jose Rodriguez, vocalist. “We’ll still get down. We give 110 percent every show. We never give up and we never surrender. We’re not a Christian band – we have nothing to do with that – I just wanted to make that a point. We love playing our music.”

The band’s energy seems to be the element that sets them apart.

“What makes us special? Me!” Quinlan joked. “No, I’m just kidding. We get down no matter what. I hate when you go to see a band and all they do is that thing where they stay still and just bob their heads. We try to get into it as much as possible every time. Every night after we play, I’m dead to the world. It’s horrible. We don’t care if there’s five people in the crowd or 500 people in the crowd, we throw it down every time.”

Veregge added, “A lot of bands can go out and they can have the best music in the world, but if they don’t have the energy, the crowd doesn’t have the energy. And our energy and power influences other people to join bands or just show up and have a good time.”

Because Endure the Beheading’s plans for the future involve releasing an album and going on tour, they are currently trying to perform as many shows outside of Merced in order to gain more fans in different regions of California.

“We want to get signed like any other band in the world,” explained Rodriguez. “We want to play some more big shows and get an actual van [for our equipment]. We want to get started recording and get some groupies (laughs). I also want to have my mom come out to a show.”

“We’re going to try to go as far as we can and play as many shows as we can,” said guitarist Jake Perez.

Endure the Beheading is scheduled to perform at Metal Fest in Dinuba, California at the end of April and they will also be playing the Rockin Roots Festival in Bakersfield, California in June. Their music can he heard on their Myspace page.

March Fourth Marching Band at Necropolis

2010-04-02T06:11:50Z

To say that March Fourth Marching Band is eclectic is an understatement. Although the mobile group consists of the usual marching band staples, including a 12-piece horn section and a 10-piece drum and percussion set, everything else about the group screams circus. Fire-eaters, stilt walkers, hula-hoop dancers and puppeteers are just a few of the elements that make March Fourth an act to remember.

The Portland natives who make up March Fourth performed Wednesday at Necropolis, a club in Old Sacramento.

Necropolis is small, so the performers and musicians mingled with guests at the bar while their equipment was set up. The show started a little late because of trouble with the tour bus -- a 1984 MCI Coach purchased on eBay -- but once it began, things got lively.

Unfortunately, because Necropolis’ ceilings are relatively low and the venue is downstairs, there were no stilt walkers, fire eaters or puppeteers. But that had no effect on the spirit of the performers or the energy of the crowd.

When the black lights came on, the costumes of the group really came to life. The glow from the black-and-white color combinations of the marching band's jackets, vests and hats lit up the room. And the white flags of the flag twirlers and the neon-pink hoops of the hula hoop dancer appeared particularly psychedelic.

The intimate venue allowed dancers to pull guests onto the dance floor to boogey with them. Everyone was encouraged to jump out of their seats and cut a rug.

“I love their junkie, artistic, thrown-together, sort of hodgepodge sound,” said Stephanie Bird. “I actually saw them at Burning Man and when I heard that they were playing here in Sacramento, I just had to go see them again. They really are entertainment for all your senses.”

The crowd at the venue ranged from toddlers to older gentlemen. Regardless of age, the antics of the dancers and the energy of March Fourth Marching Band kept a smile on everybody’s face, even without the more extreme elements of their act.

“The music is all about having fun,” stilt walker Sid Simpatico said. “That’s the most important thing.”

Club Circuitry featuring Anguidara and Shadow Fax

2010-03-29T19:25:42Z

Every fourth Friday of the month, Club Circuitry features live acts. Last Friday, the club presented Anguidara, a Sacramento-based band, and Shadow Fax, an artist from Modesto.

Anguidara usually consists of a complete instrumental lineup. However, for Friday’s show, only two members were present. Frontman David Wright sang, played a floor tom drum and controlled all preprogrammed sounds while Victor La Rocco played guitar.

“About two years ago, I had a live band that consisted of a keyboardist, me, a guitarist, a bass player, and a drummer,” Wright explained. “All of them have gone their separate ways, except for the bass player, who is still going to be able to come back and play for me. … I originally had a full band lined up for tonight, but because of my involvement with Savi0r and the Assemblage show, the amount of time that I was going to be able to dedicate to training a full band and teaching them all the drums, keyboard, and guitar and everything, I had to reinvest into Savi0r. In Savi0r, we’re bringing in a new member for keyboard, so I kind of had to readjust my priorities per se and it was just easier if I sang my part and played a little keyboard. And Victor from Savi0r, he picked up the guitar parts really quick, so it just kind of worked out that just the two of us would perform.”

With his involvement with Savi0r, Anguidara hasn’t been Wright’s highest musical priority. Friday’s performance at Club Circuitry was Anguidara’s first live performance in quite some time.

He talked about balancing Anguidara and Savi0r: “With Anguidara, I would hope that when Savi0r is not touring and we’re kind of prepping for another album, that during that time I can have a live team together to be able to actually play shows. Every once in a while I get the urge to just get up there and grab the mic and sing. So it’s just a way for me to kind of let that out and then still be in Savi0r and be kind of a behind-the-scenes guy playing drums or keyboard or whatever, letting somebody else be the front man. In fact that’s kind of what got me into Savi0r. I was at a point in Anguidara where I didn’t know where I was going with it. I didn’t have a vision and I was kind of losing track of my members. Everybody was kind of doing their own thing. Then Adam came along and invited me to be part of Savi0r. And I thought, ‘Yeah, I’ll just put Anguidara on the side and I’ll go be part of this.’ Now it’s kind of getting back to where I want to get Anguidara going again, but at the same time not take anything away from Savi0r.”

Anguidara’s heavy guitar riffs, screaming vocals and energetic drum beats made the show appealing for heavy metal and industrial fans, but the synths and theremin added elements to the music that bordered on experimental. The band even played a couple of instrumental pieces.

“Anguidara is unique to me because it’s kind of my journal,” Wright said. “It’s something that I experiment with and I think that’s something bands should do. I use a theremin that uses a photo cell and another thing that we used to do as a full band was a complete instrumental piece where we pulled out toms and I had my bass and guitar players using crazy effects. It was kind of a little dance track with interesting layers that everybody brought to the table. I’m doing that again tonight, but it’s going to be a little bit thinner because it’s just me and Victor. But like I said, it’s a type of playground.”

Guitarist La Rocco, added, “There’s not a lot of structure in the instrumentals. I kind of just get to do whatever I want when I play. It’s a lot of fun when you have someone that cool that gives you that much freedom.”

Shadow Fax, a one-man-band/DJ/recording artist, followed Anguidara with a multimedia music and visual experience.

“I think I’m different because I try to put on a multimedia experience,” said Jason Rivers, the man behind Shadow Fax. “My whole set is sequenced to digital visuals. For me, it’s like writing a movie. It takes a lot of time. Like when I try to put on a show, I don’t do it like a typical DJ in San Francisco where there’s no visuals and just one light. So that’s the difference I think between me and other artists. For all the audio, there’s also accompanying visual and I think that makes all the difference.”

Even though he only had two laptops and a projector on stage with him, Rivers varied his set. One of the most memorable tracks was an uptempo song in which scientist Stephen Hawking’s computer voice said “Shadow Fax” over and over while his photo flashed on a screen. To calm things down, Rivers sang a very slow and sad track, giving his computers a small break.

Another aspect of his work that made Rivers’ set stands out from a disc jockey's was his specialized equipment, which most DJs lack. And he didn't use samples in the traditional manner.

“I don’t use turntables or scratch records,” Rivers said. “I use MIDI controllers and software to do the same thing … There’s so many different manipulations out there.”

Shadow Fax's music is hard to categorize because it doesn't fit neatly into typical musical genres.

“Shadow Fax is my own material, ideas, and samples that I have stuck in my head,” Rivers said. “It’s kind of hard to describe it. I guess it’s like progressive electro trance industrial. Every song is kind of different, but the album is a theme album.”

Anguidara doesn't have any upcoming scheduled performances, but the music is free on their Myspace page.

Shadow Fax is working on a new album. Rivers is touring with his other projects, Rogue Sixx and Narcolepts. His music can be purchased through his web site.

Shadow Fax photos courtesy of Minh Nguyen

Chelsey Vorst on "Stories on Stage brings prose to poetry center"

2010-03-26T18:16:27Z

it's exciting that short stories and fiction are getting more attention in the area for once! :)

Chelsey Vorst on "Store to offer books and wine"

2010-03-18T15:16:13Z

yea for independent bookstores :)

Let Them Eat Cake! - Davis' new cupcake shop

2010-03-04T20:56:29Z

Paulette Coffman and her daughters Chelsea and Brittany are crazy about cupcakes.

They’re so obsessed with baking cupcakes of every conceivable flavor that they opened their own business in downtown Davis called Let Them Eat Cake!

The Parisian-themed shop features three daily flavors. Let Them Eat Cake’s menu describes their red velvet cupcake, Scarlett, as a “scrumptious red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting,” while their chocolate cupcake, the Dubliner, is hailed as a “Guinness Stout chocolate cake with chocolate butter-cream frosting.” Their third daily flavor, called Illegally Blonde, is described as a “fluffy, vanilla cake with vanilla frosting.”

In addition to the three staple flavors, the Coffmans rotate 21 other flavors throughout the week to keep the selection lively and fresh for customers. On Mondays, patrons can find a flavor called Happy Camper, which the menu describes as a “dark chocolate cake, marshmallow frosting and graham cracker crumbs.”

On Saturdays, the most popular cupcake of the week, Cookie Monster, is available. And on Wednesdays, in addition to Aggie Pride, Mini’s PB&J and Pineapple Express, customers can sample the flavor of the month.

“We’re really kind of geared towards childhood favorites,” Paulette said. “We have those in the case every single day. That’s why we keep our three daily flavors. But we’re also a little bit more innovative, a little bit more cutting-edge. You can find your standard red velvet here, but you can also find a margarita cupcake here. And we’re always trying to push the envelope a little bit on those flavors, so we kind of like to show our creativity that way.”

Every Saturday, Let Them Eat Cake! also features a Saturday Surprise cupcake, which is a cupcake flavor that is as inventive and imaginative as Paulette, Chelsea and Brittany.

Regarding the Saturday Surprise flavor, Paulette said, “We like to keep our creativity flowing. [The Saturday Surprise flavor] just lets us play. It’s baker’s discretion. We usually post that on Facebook the night before for our fans … No flavor is out of reach.”

Let Them Eat Cake! also gives back to the community through its custom cakes, available in any of the cupcake flavors.

“I think my all-time favorite was the cake we made for one of the local businesses,” Paulette said. “Their niece was diagnosed with sarcoma right before her 16th birthday, and so her aunt came in and wanted to order a cake for her birthday, and I said, ‘You know what? We’ll handle it.’ So we made this over-the-top, girly, sweet 16 cake that was just draped in fondant and hot pink and pearls and you name it. It was really just a knockout cake. And it was so sweet. That was a fun cake to do. It was a little sad to do but it was really fun also.”
Even the Food Network has noticed the Coffmans and their creative cupcakes.

“We got a call from someone at the Food Network,” Paulette explained. “They wanted us to come down to L.A. for an audition the very next day and bring cupcakes. I was floored. The guy said that normally they would ask for a tape, but they really wanted to see us in person so would it be possible for us to come to L.A.? So I told him the soonest we could make it would be Thursday, [a few days later], and he said that’s perfect.

“He asked us to bring some cupcakes, and then we had to choose which flavors. That was really tough. I think we took maybe six flavors and went down there and had the audition, and now we’re waiting for our call back. So now the suspense is killing us.”

Let Them Eat Cake! might have the largest selection of cupcake flavors in Northern California, but it also possesses something that most other bakeries don’t – personality.

Everything from the shop’s Tiffany-blue walls to the free WIFI makes it feel less like a business and more like a neighborhood café. Guests and students alike are encouraged to stay for a while and enjoy their sweets.

“It’s personal,” Chelsea said. “You come here and we’re family to a lot of the community, and it’s great.”

“Yes, a lot of customers have become not just friends but almost family,” Paulette elaborated. “It’s fabulous … We wanted this place to feel like home for people and to get to know our customers.”

Learn more about Let Them Eat Cake! by visiting their website or dropping by the shop, located at 423 L St. in Davis.

Amber's Sweets 'Repo! The Genetic Opera' shadowcast performance

2010-03-01T04:35:09Z

The second Amber's Sweets Repo! The Genetic Opera shadowcast performance took place Saturday at Sacramento’s historic Colonial Theater. The film was projected onto the stage while actors re-enacted the film using special effects, audience interaction and aerial acrobatics.

However, it was not for the faint of heart or stomach. The movie features scenes of disembowelment, sexual innuendo and nudity, so likewise the shadowcast performance had skimpy clothing, swearing, and blood and guts.

There was also a special performance by the film’s co-creator Darren Smith at the beginning of the set. Smith took the stage with his wife, Nancy, who plays Dead Marni in the film, and sang a medley. He played keyboard while Nancy sang a series of songs that she provided backing vocals for in the film. To finish off their mini-performance, Smith and his wife resurrected a song from one of his older 10-minute operas, “Old Tom’s Bar Room,” called “Folding Three-foot Penis Cards in New York City.” The song told the story of Smith’s struggles as a musician in New York, where he had a job folding massive greeting cards.

As the film's re-enactment began, audience members jeered and called out jokes and crude observations.

Darren Smith said of this behavior, known as "calling out": “This is so much akin to live theater because you have the film as your source material but at the same time people are allowed to do their own thing and I encourage it. Go out, go wild, do things. Sometimes it’s weird because there will be a part in the movie where it’s supposed to be a real sensitive scene, and people will be doing shoutouts and jokes and stuff like that. And it’s kind of like, I’m one of those sick guys who would laugh at a funeral, so to me it’s kind of perfect. I’d probably do the same thing.”

The Amber’s Sweets press release describes the film as “a story set in the not so distant future after an epidemic of organ failures has devastated the planet. Out of the tragedy, a savior emerges: GeneCo, a biotech company that offers organ transplants for a price. Those who miss their payments are scheduled for repossession and hunted by villainous Repo Men. In a world where surgery addicts are hooked on painkilling drugs and murder is sanctioned by law, a sheltered young girl searches for the cure to her own rare disease as well as information about her family’s mysterious history. After being sucked into the haunting world of GeneCo, she is unable to turn back, as all of her questions will be answered at the wildly anticipated spectacular event: The Genetic Opera.”

Although there are about 40 shadowcasts of Repo! going on around the country, Smith said of his involvement in the Sacramento chapter, “It’s been fantastic. This is my second time up here. I haven’t seen the whole shadowcast that they’ve done yet, but I was here for the Sacramento Horror Film Fest back in October and that blew me away, just with the couple of scenes that I’d seen … So I’m really excited. And then the other thing is I really click with these guys. They’re some of my favorite people out of the 40 or so shadowcasts throughout the world. So I’m really happy to be up here again.”

The shadowcast performance allowed fans of the film to see their favorite characters brought to life on stage.

Popular characters such as Pavi Largo, played by Tristan Christ, appeared in full costume. From behind his Largo mask, Christ said his favorite scene to re-enact is the “night surgeon” scene because “it shows how messed up Nathan [the Repo Man] really is. He’s trying to hold back, but in reality he can’t because he’s got a job to do … I just love how all of the characters are so violent. They’re enjoying everyone’s death.”

Probably the most beautiful scene is the one in which Blind Mag, played by Camille Niello, hovers in the air and sings an operatic song. She swings midair from a harness while mimicking Blind Mag’s movements.

“The first time [I was suspended in midair] was crazy because I normally don’t like heights at all,” Niello said. “I’m one of those people who climb halfway up a rock wall and freak. But I was totally comfortable with it.”

Even if the movie is a bit unconventional, the actors are like a family. Their attitude toward the project and each other is reflected in the fun atmosphere.

“It’s been a good experience,” said Dani Fontana, who plays Graverobber. “I’m so glad to be in this, to be involved. All of these people are awesome. The actors are all awesome. It’s been a really cool experience.”

The next Amber’s Sweets shadowcast performance of Repo! The Genetic Opera is scheduled in May at the Colonial Theater on Stockton Boulevard. For more information, visit www.amberssweets.com.

Photographs courtesy of Amber's Sweets Website and Ashley Porciuncula

'Dances' and 'Jointedness' at the UC Davis Mondavi Center

2010-02-15T08:42:25Z

Graduating Master of Fine Arts candidates are performing two new choreographed pieces at the Vanderhoef Studio Theater in the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts at UC Davis.

Nina Galin’s three-part dance/theater/musical piece, “Jointedness,” is composed of two solo performances and a quartet. According to Galin’s program notes, it explores different senses of “joint” through her “long-term engagement with two literary texts: Shakespeare’s ‘To be, or not to be’ soliloquy from Hamlet, and Rilke’s poem ‘Sense of Something Coming,’ translated by Robert Bly.”

Jess Curtis’ excerpt from “Dances for Non/Fictional Bodies” is an hourlong piece featuring five talented performers, a variety of odd costumes and props and full nudity. According to the performance’s press release, Curtis’ piece seeks to “probe the role(s) of imagined societal ideals as a kind of ‘fictional body’ that disables individuals in terms of their abilities to see others, and be seen, as beautiful, empowered, and autonomous.”

On opening night Friday, the audience was ushered into the Vanderhoef Theater, where a series of chairs and large, flat panels sat on the stage. “Jointedness” began in the darkened theater, followed by a spotlight on Galin, who was wearing a blue jumpsuit lacking an arm and leaning against an exit door. She pressed the door open and pounded against it as it shut. She then walked around the theater, smiling, shaking hands and introducing herself politely to a few audience members. Galin’s recitation of Shakespeare’s soliloquy while gracefully jumping onto and off chairs was poignant, but her anguished repetition of various lines while swinging an orange extension cord around her head was definitely the most memorable, and tense, moment of the piece.

The second portion of Galin’s performance involved the audience. People were asked to leave their seats and walk around a set consisting of several tall white panels. Inside the panels were a creaky wooden desk and chair and performer James Marchbanks. At times the room was completely silent, at others several tracks played in the background. The beauty of the piece was created by the swirling effect of the audience milling around the panels coupled with the shadows of the lights against the white panels.

The third and final portion of “Jointedness” began with Galin in a red satin gown singing the “To be or not to be” soliloquy from the theater balcony. Three dancers, dressed in outfits that combined blue jumpsuits with red gowns, swayed to the sound of her voice as Galin climbed down from her perch using a cargo net.

While Galin’s work might not be the easiest for theater novices to interpret, she does offer some enlightenment as to the meaning of her piece. Her notes in the performance program state, “My title refers to my interest in both literal and metaphorical joints. As a dancer and bodyworker, I prize physical articulation. As a philosopher and citizen, I value moments of conceptual jointedness: points of collaboration, transformation and change … I refer to [my pieces] as ‘Presence Tests.’ Presence, meaning a very high level of bodymindspirit awareness in relationship to an audience and a space … Two of the pieces are ‘studies.’ By this, I simply mean that they function as different ways for me to engage with the ‘To be or not to be’ speech, using different tools.”

The second performance for the night was “Dances for Non/Fictional Bodies.” Audience members returned from intermission to four performers lying flat on their backs. The set was a collection of various bizarre materials, ranging from a bathtub to a nude female mannequin scattered all over the stage. The lights dimmed and the sound of breathing was heard as a silver radiation suit bearing forearm crutches slowly crossed the stage. As the piece gathered more energy, the performers on the floor sat up and began working on various tasks. Some undressed completely while others dressed up in outfits such as a yellow rain slicker and roller skates. As the piece progressed, the performers’ movements became livelier and there were even a few musical numbers, including a karaoke rendition of The Doors’ “Light My Fire.” The high point of the performance was when a male performer emerged from the bathtub wearing a child’s pink bunny slipper over his genitals.

Overall, “Dances for Non/Fictional Bodies” portrayed a mixture of emotions. There were humorous moments like when a male performer did a striptease and finally removed a tiny thong to reveal a blue penis sock. People stifled giggles, unsure if laughter was an appropriate response. There were also beautiful moments: Classically trained singer Claire Cunningham sang a piece accompanied by a man sitting on a toilet playing bass guitar. David Toole inspired a feeling of triumph in the audience when he demonstrated the power and elegance of dancing with his arms. There were also distinctly gloomy periods when the lights were dim and the performers’ movements slow and melancholy.

While the mixture of somewhat weird props and costumes might seem odd, the whole point of the piece is to celebrate difference and challenge the way the body and the imagination interact. In the performance program, Curtis claims his piece is all about “a meeting of diverse bodies and performance practices. The range of shapes and styles of training that make up our bodies is broader than in many ‘dance’ based companies. Our differences force us to question how we imagine ourselves and each other and to imagine and negotiate new ways of dancing and playing together, not in spite of, but actually in celebration of, those differences.”

The double feature of “Jointedness” and “Dances for Non/Fictional Bodies” continues Feb. 19-21. Be advised that the performance does contain nudity.

Photos courtesy of Kristine Slipson

The twenty-second annual Winter Wine and Food Fest benefiting Make-A-Wish

2010-02-02T04:38:22Z

Each year the Sacramento Convention Center houses the annual Winter Wine and Food Festival in order to benefit the Northern California chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The goal for this year’s twenty-second annual event was to meet or exceed the $700,000 raised from last year’s Food and Wine Fest. The event consisted of a food and wine tasting portion from 5-7:30 p.m., followed by a VIP live auction from 7:45-10 p.m.

As guests entered the main exhibition hall, they were given a wine glass and a food plate and allowed to roam the floor in search of whatever wine or food that struck their fancy. Over The Edge, a local cover band, played upbeat popular songs in the center of the room while vendors were situated in circular groups of tables throughout the hall.

There were more than 60 local restaurants in attendance proudly showcasing their edibles. Many of them return year after year to show support for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The line to sample some sushi from Tex Wasabi’s (a restaurant in Sacramento owned by Food Network star Guy Fieri) was the longest in the building, making Tex Wasabi’s probably the most popular food vendor of the evening. Another popular vendor was Cupcake Craving, which brought more than 2,000 mini-cupcakes in delectable flavors such as 24K Craving (a carrot cake cupcake) and Red Velvet Rescue to feed food enthusiasts with a sweet tooth. Also a big hit was the Chocolate Architect, whose booth consisted of tiny cubes of “chocolate silk” in many tasty flavors such as rocky road, peanut butter and espresso. However, not all the food was sugary and sweet. Vendors such as Aioli Bodega Española, Boulevard Bistro and Nugget Markets offered savory fare ranging from pasta dishes to cheese platters.

With more than 60 wineries represented, the amount of Northern California wine available to taste was nearly overwhelming. There were smaller wine companies represented, such as Barsetti Vineyards, known for its signature zinfandel grown in the Lodi region. There were also more well-known wineries like Kenwood in attendance. Kenwood is known for its Sauvignon Blanc, a slightly grassy, crisp, light wine that borders on refreshing and goes well with oysters and crab, as well as its reserve Jack London wines that are actually harvested from the famous author’s historic vineyard in Glen Ellen, near Sonoma.

In addition to the numerous wineries, there were also several microbreweries in attendance. Gekkeikan Sake was present, which has opened its first brewery in North America in Folsom. Hoppy Brewing Company is a brewery in Sacramento that directly supplies retailers and its restaurant and brought some of its beers to sample. Sudwerk, a restaurant and brewery in Davis also attended.

The silent auction was set up at two large areas where guests were allowed to browse through the donated items up for auction and bid on them at will throughout the evening. There was a lot of wine up for auction, but there were also unique items such as hand-knit blankets, needlepoint and jewelry made by mothers of Make-A-Wish children. Overall support from the Northern California community was high, as there were so many donated items and services up for auction ranging from landscaping services to a complete Nintendo Wii videogame system equipped with games.

While plenty of money was expected to be raised from ticket sales and the silent auction lots, the live auction in the VIP area was where the big-ticket items were to be auctioned. While many one-of-a-kind items such as an autographed Guns N’ Roses bass guitar were for sale, the item all the big spenders were after was the most expensive thing up for auction – a trip to Costa Rica with business-class airfare valued at $16,400.

Probably the most important guest of the evening was 3-year-old Evan, this year’s ambassador for Make-A-Wish. Dressed to impress in his tiny tuxedo, Evan’s job as ambassador was to take part in the festival by having a film made all about him and his life to be shown during the auction, as well as to come on stage and participate.

Photos by Kati Garner