[Note: text written by Natalie Nelson, Director of the Pence Gallery in Davis. Natalie coordinated and moderated the "Arts Grown Locally" panel discussion.] For those living in mostly rural Yolo County, sometimesa town like Davis or Woodland can feel a little isolated. However, it means that you have a world of entertainment choices in terms of options for great art, music, and dance, despite Yolo’s small population of 200,000+ people. This past year of 2012 was a watershed year for the arts in Yolo County. The Nelson Gallery of UC Davis received a large naming gift, and embarked on a campaign to build a new facility. John Natsoulas created a gallery of public art throughout downtown Dav

Alt-rock godfathers and Lollapalooza festival founders Jane's Addiction brought  their "Theatre of the Escapists" Tour to the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts at UC Davis Saturday night. Thenewno2 ("the new number two") opened. The band played a mix of songs ranging from three off of their most recent album, 2011's The Great Escape Artist, to their classic back catalog that prompted many full-throated audience sing-alongs. Their first studio album, 1988's Nothing's Shocking, was well-represented with "Mountain Song, "Ted, Just Admit It...," "Ocean Size," "Up The Beach," and with "Jane Says" played with Dave Navarro (on acoustic guitar) and bassist Chris Chaney sitting in comforta

The Sacramento Press has thorough coverage of the 3rd Annual Bastille Day Waiters' Race here and here, but I happened to be in the area with my camera and took some photos. Ah well: the more, the merrier. Or as the French say, "plus on est de fous, plus on rit" (literally: 'the crazier we are, the more we laugh').        

The Shins (with opening act Gardens & Villa) played Monday night at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts at UC Davis. The show was the last of series of four concerts in Davis in April produced by the Bay Area's Another Planet Entertainment that I started calling "mini-Coachella," since the headlining bands (and many of the openers) also played that desert mega-festival the last two weekends: Explosions In The Sky at the Mondavi, Bon Iver at Freeborn Hall, and Florence + the Machine at the Mondavi. Other recent Coachella stopovers in the region include fIREHOSE at Harlow's, The Buzzcocks at Ace of Spades, Givers at Harlow's, and Mazzy Star at Harlow's. The Shins are touring to suppo

Texas band Explosions In The Sky visited the Mondavi Center at UC Davis Sunday night and provided a pure guitar wall of sound bliss. Their show is the first of a set of four concerts in Davis in April produced by the Bay Area's Another Planet Entertainment (books shows for the Outside Lands Festival (2012 lineup to be announced tomorrow), the Treasure Island Music Festival, The Independent in SF, and the Fox Theater in Oakland, among others) that I am dubbing "mini-Coachella" since the headlining bands (and many of the openers) are playing there both last and next weekend. Upcoming Davis shows are: Bon Iver on Tuesday, April 17th at Freeborn Hall; Florence and the Machine on Wednesday, Ap