Newest articles and comments on The Sacramento Press written by Steven Chea

If you go see Pitbull, you will know all the songs

2013-06-12T07:21:14Z

Hate him or love him, the guy cranks out the hits.

International music sensation Pitbull will be performing live at Sleep Train Arena this Thursday, June 13.

The Miami-born entertainer has had number one singles in more than 15 countries. There's no doubt you've heard - and maybe gotten sick of - several on the radio, in a movie, or on TV.

"Rain Over Me," featuring Marc Anthony; "Give Me Everything," featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer; "International Love," featuring Chris Brown; and "Feel this Moment," featuring Christina Aguilera, are just a few of his poppy club anthems.

His seventh studio album, “Global Warming,” also features the hits "Don't Stop the Party" and "Back in Time," the lead single from the “Men in Black 3” soundtrack.

Supporting Pitbull will be Australian multiplatinum dance and pop music stars Justice Crew, along with special guest DJs Jump Smokers.

Singer Ke$ha, who has been providing the main support on this tour, is not slated to appear in Sacramento.

Tickets range in price from $39.50-$125, and can be purchased here. The show starts at 7:30 p.m.

Editor’s note: Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right on time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

Photos: Black Veil Brides at Ace of Spades

2013-03-08T07:09:48Z

Hollywood band Black Veil Brides performed at Ace of Spades on Wednesday night in support of their new album "Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones."

The air was thick with anticipation as support bands Overwatch and William Control played their sets. When Black Veil Brides finally took the stage, the packed venue erupted with the defeaning squeals of teenage girls and made me very thankful I had brought hearing protection.

I can say with complete confidence that it was an entertaining show.

Want to see what shows are coming up at Ace of Spades? Click here.

Pretty in black: Black Veil Brides to play Ace of Spades

2013-02-27T21:46:21Z

Don't let the party stop after you've had your fill of beer and fashion this week, Sacramento!

How do tattoos, black face paint, and tight, black leather sound?

Good? Then check out Hollywood rock band Black Veil Brides at Ace of Spades next Wednesday, March 6.

While seemingly more known to some for their visual aesthetics than their music, these wild-haired bad boys in eye shadow are continually refining their musical style and have seen it evolve from screaming heavy metal to a more anthemic rock sound.

They're making a play for the big time with their third album, "Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones," an ambitious rock opera à la My Chemical Romance's "The Black Parade."

BVB will be joined at Ace by William Control and Overwatch.

General admission tickets are $18 plus a $3.95 service fee. Doors are at 7 p.m. and it's an all ages show.

Editor’s note: Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right on time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

Hot Water Music, La Dispute at Ace of Spades

2013-02-09T05:25:20Z

If you didn't make it out to Ace of Spades last night to catch the Hot Water Music tour, you missed some great performances.

Critically acclaimed group The Menzingers kicked off the night right with a set of rough, blue-collar punk.

Vocalist Greg Barnett mentioned that it was the band's first time in Sacramento. Mission accomplished on making a good first impression.

After finishing a set that included fierce songs like "Nice Things" and "Irish Goodbyes," the crowd hoped to hear more, chanting "One more song!" which doesn't happen very often with supporting bands that no one cares about.

All signs (my past experience) pointed to second support act La Dispute putting on a passionate, entertaining show, and that's what happened.

Starting out in fine fashion with "The Most Beautiful Bitter Fruit," the set also included songs "Harder Harmonies," "Andria," and "New Storms for Older Lovers," which vocalist Jordan Dreyer dedicated to headliners Hot Water Music.

The songs played like confessional diary entries; spoken and shouted-word lyrics accompanied by minor-chord harmonies. The crowd would finish some of Dreyer's lines by shouting out lyrics which added another visceral element to the show.

Dreyer mentioned playing a "pizza place" in Sacramento before, recalling a 2010 show at Luigi's Slice and Fun Garden with Touché Amoré, Loma Prieta and A Lot Like Birds.

The band ended with the excellent "King Park," which draws you in and paints a picture of a drive-by shooting and its aftermath in intense detail.

Unfortunately, La Dispute didn't allow any photography, so my overall experience was soured a bit. You'll just have to use your imagination to get a visual.

Headliners Hot Water Music wrapped up the night with a set of raw, butt-kicking organic rock.

The Gainesville, Fla., band has a catalog eight albums deep going back to 1995, and they dipped into a little bit of everything.

Their set included the songs "Remedy," "Mainline," "Trusty Chords," "Giver," "State of Grace" and "Paper Thin."

The band came back on stage for an encore of "True Believers," a Bouncing Souls cover, and "Turnstile," from 1997's "Fuel for the Hate Game."

Check the Ace of Spades website for information on upcoming shows.

Photos by Steven Chea.

Editor’s note: Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right on time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

Andrew McMahon to perform at Ace of Spades

2013-02-01T08:22:22Z

Ladies, prepare to swoon.

Fresh off some dates opening for Fun., singer and songwriter Andrew McMahon will be in Sacramento to headline at Ace of Spades on Friday, Feb. 8.

McMahon was the vocalist, pianist and primary songwriter for now-defunct bands Jack's Mannequin and Something Corporate, and now performs solo (with a full backing band).

Expect the seasoned and energetic pianist to reach deep into his catalog and belt tunes from his previous bands in addition to his new solo work.

Next up for McMahon? Four more dates opening for Fun., and then a continuation of his North America headlining tour through April. He also plans to release a new EP in February.

Tickets are $22.50 plus a $3.95 service fee. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and it's an all-ages show.

Editor’s note: Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right on time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

Hot Water Music to play Ace of Spades

2013-02-01T01:41:13Z

Florida's Hot Water Music has been refining a brand of gravel-throated rock somewhere between punk and post-hardcore (or whatever you want to call it) for nearly 20 years now.

On Thursday, Feb. 7, they bring it to the best live music venue in Sac, Ace of Spades.

Led by guitarist and vocalist Chuck Ragan and featuring a very tight and complex rhythm section, HWM is touring behind 2012's "Exister," their eighth studio album and first album of new material in eight years. A live album, “Live in Chicago,” was also released in late 2012.

Joining HWM on the bill are the indisputably excellent Grand Rapids, Mich., band La Dispute and The Menzingers, from Scranton, Pa.

The Menzingers' "On the Impossible Past" was recently voted the number one album of 2012 by AbsolutePunk, Punknews.org, and Rock Sound.

Do yourself a favor and get there early for La Dispute and The Menzingers!

Tickets are $18 plus a $3.95 service fee. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and it's an all ages show.

Editor’s note: Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right on time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

Disclosure: I have seen La Dispute perform before and I was VERY impressed.

Steven Chea on "Tyreke Evans on the missing ingredient so far - the jump shot"

2012-11-20T07:47:19Z

Nice color from Jimmer too.

Steven Chea on "Lowbrau beer hall to open in Midtown early December"

2012-11-15T18:52:14Z

Props for vegan sausage!

Photos: !!! !!! (Chk Chk Chk) at Harlow's

2012-10-06T00:49:52Z

!!! (Chk Chk Chk) is back in California for a few days, and they put on a banger of a show last night at Harlow's.

I was hoping frontman Nic Offer would be wearing tiny little shorts and I was not disappointed. His pair on Thursday featured The Rolling Stones' “Some Girls” album artwork.

Guitarist Mario Andreoni and the rest of the band sounded great. The skinny and lithe Offer thrust his pelvis all over the stage, and came down into the crowd a couple of times to get sweaty with the audience. He smelled awful, and freely admitted as much himself when he got back on stage.

If you're wondering about the next !!! album, Offer said they were working on it and it'll be released next year.

Great show by !!! as usual. Impossible not to like, very danceable and guaranteed to put a stirring in your loins.

The show was presented by Concerts 4 Charity and Record Club. Concerts 4 Charity's mission is to help foster a healthy independent music and arts community in Sacramento, and Record Club throws some sweet music-related events.

Photos by Steven Chea.

90's revival with Stone Temple Pilots, Bush

2012-09-25T01:49:28Z

I can't remember the last time there was an all-day music festival in the city limits with some big-name acts, so I was excited to check out the Monster Energy Aftershock 2012 festival at Discovery Park on Sunday.

The bill was a mix of "hard rock" bands on two stages. Performers included FallRise, Stepchild, Oleander, Beware of Darkness, Gemini Syndrome, Hell or Highwater, Escape the Fate, Ho llywood Undead, Theory of a Deadman, Chevelle, Bush, Deftones, and Stone Temple Pilots.

I was especially excited to see Deftones, Bush and STP, since they remind me of being in high school, and they play songs I recognize.

Sacramento bands were well-represented (FallRise, Stepchild, Oleander, and Deftones) and all the bands got a great response from the crowd. Sacramento continues to go crazy for Deftones, and their set sent the crowd into easily the biggest tizzy of the day.

The festival had its hiccups, but everything ran smoothly as far as I could tell. The parking situation was hit or miss; going left took you to a parking area right next to the festival entrance and going right took you to one that was a good deal further away. What I think happened is that the closer lot was originally supposed to be the VIP parking area but anybody who made a left at the traffic light ended up parking there because it wasn't easy to turn around and go to the other lot.

Almost every band's set started later than posted start times. It wasn't a big deal unless you hate standing and waiting. In that case, it was rough.

The main stage and the second stage were close enough so you didn't have to walk too far back and forth, and here was no sound bleed over from the two stages since only one stage was going at a time. The lines for food, drinks and Porta Potties were long, but not ridiculously long. I had an extremely delicious $5 chicken burrito with tomatillo salsa from a Mexican food catering truck. I can't remember the name of the business but I believe they have a restaurant on Northgate.

There was a lot of shade in the park, but boy was it hot.

I heard rumblings that the city would be pushing to have the Aftershock festival return next year, possibly in a two-day incarnation. That would be neat, and great for Sacramento. But can we please get some free water-refilling stations next year?

Photos by Steven Chea

Photos: Wanderlust Festival 2012

2012-08-01T01:38:30Z

Read Casey Kirk's take on Wanderlust 2012 here.

Photos by Steven Chea.

Steven Chea on "2012 Sacramento Electronic Music Festival"

2012-05-08T20:24:28Z

Nice photos, David!

Hyper Crush plays Ace of Spades

2012-05-01T00:53:02Z

Ace of Spades hosted the tour finale of the Glow Sticks for Breakfast Tour Sunday night, featuring performances by Hyper Crush, Benzi, Silver Medallion and Sacramento band Playboy School.

Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz's DJ project with Spencer Peterson, Black Cards, was also scheduled to perform, but the duo had to pull out a few days before the show due to an ankle injury.

Playboy School kicked things off in the early slot with a lukewarm set as people trickled in. Benzi livened the mood up with an electronic/Top 40 set that had a few guys raging, and a while later Silver Medallion came out and grabbed the mic, adding some organic energy to the stage as he ran around, whipping his long hair around and getting the crowd fist-pumping.

Headliners Hyper Crush are an "electrohop" band from Los Angeles, working the ‘80s/’90s retro/synth/neon-clothing angle. They are rapper Donny Fontaine, vocalist Holly Valentine and keytarist Preston Moronie.

They are currently promoting their album “Night Wave,” released in February. They made the most of it on a slow Sunday night with songs like "Werk Me" and "Bad Boyz," which borrows the chorus from the gem "Bad Bad Boys" from ‘90s Swedish group Midi, Maxi & Efti.

Photos by Steven Chea.

Steven Chea on "A Farewell to News"

2012-04-30T18:31:52Z

Colleen is the bomb!

Mat Kearney to play Colonial Theatre on April 10th

2012-04-01T22:24:01Z

Critically acclaimed Nashville-based singer/songwriter Mat Kearney has added West Coast dates to his current tour and will make a stop in Sacramento on April 10 at the Colonial Theatre in Oak Park.

Sounding at first like a solo effort from Coldplay's Chris Martin, Kearney's latest album "Young Love" is a punchy collection of playful, summer-ready tales of love, pain and redemption.

Kearney's current tour has included several sold-out shows at places including the Mayan Theatre in Los Angeles, House of Blues in Boston and Ogden Theatre in Denver.

The second single from the album, "Ships in the Night," was recently performed on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and is the featured music in the promo for NBC's new series “Awake,” which aired during this year's Superbowl and premiered on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 the day of the show. The concert is all ages.

Steven Chea on "SF Outside Lands promoters considering Sacramento expansion"

2012-04-01T22:06:00Z

NoWay Jose is my generation's Pink Floyd. Mark my words, you will be hearing a lot more about those guys very soon.

Steven Chea on "Kings continue Smart play with help from Thornton, Cousins and J.T."

2012-03-22T16:09:53Z

Nice job, Mark

MUTEMATH at Ace of Spades

2012-02-10T02:22:23Z

"We've got quite a set here," announced MUTEMATH vocalist and keyboardist Paul Meany. "We've been around for eight years. That's a lot of songs to choose from!"

Quite a set it was.

Making an unconventional entrance from the back of the venue with instruments and Christmas lights in tow, the New Orleans electro-alt rock band went on to do a little face-melting for the packed house at Ace of Spades Wednesday night.

The Grammy-nominated four-piece put on a sonic and visual spectacle, covering a massive setlist over more than two hours and sampling a bit from all their studio albums and EPs, including all 13 songs from their latest release, 2011's "Odd Soul."

Aided by tons of frantic, colorful lights and visuals projected on a backdrop, Meany channeled Sting and Coldplay's Chris Martin as he banged on his upright pianos, while new guitarist Todd Gummerman and bassist Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas got nasty on their guitars. Drummer Darren King is one-man show, well known for his relentless energy (and ear protection taped to his head) and pounding skins so hard he broke a snare mid-song.

The band took the energy created on stage and brought into the crowd, too. During the second half of the show, Meany and King played their instruments in the middle of the audience on a small "stage," and Meany went for a ride on a black inflatable raft with lights that was passed from one end of the room to the other on a sea of outstretched hands.

The show's uplifting vibe even inspired one fan to jump on stage, do a backflip and dive back into the crowd as quickly as he had appeared.

Heard outside as I was walking back to my car: "That was the most amazing show I've ever been to!"

Steven Chea on "Photos: New Year's Eve with Mickey Avalon"

2012-01-04T06:25:33Z

We talked about some very unsavory things. This is a family publication, but I'll tell you later.

Photos: New Year's Eve with Mickey Avalon

2012-01-03T07:10:46Z

Hollywood rapper Mickey Avalon headlined a New Year's Eve show at Ace of Spades on Saturday.

Supporting Avalon on the bill were 2ME, Richard the Rockstar, and producer Big Chocolate.

Photos by Steven Chea.

Wallpaper. at Ace of Spades

2012-01-03T02:48:13Z

A couple hundred people wanting to get an early start on 2012 partying headed down to Ace of Spades on Friday, where Oakland musician and frequent Sacramento visitor, Wallpaper., headlined an eclectic bill.

Starting the show was Chaotic Fusion, a drummer and DJ duo. DJ Oasis spun radio hits – "Teach Me How To Dougie," "Ghosts 'n' Stuff," "Last Resort" – while Radio 94.7 on-air personality Casey Lewis drummed along to the beat.

Performing next was Oakland-by-way-of-Panama Latin rap duo Los Rakas. Rhyming in Spanish over dancehall and hip-hop beats, the up and coming young pair were well-received by the slowly growing crowd.

Headliner Wallpaper. took the stage next, with the men of the group dressed to the nines in cheap tuxedos.

Wallpaper. is the solo project of Eric Frederic, who performs as Wallpaper. vocalist Ricky Reed.

Frederic received a music degree with a focus in composition from the University of California, Berkeley and now creates poppy party songs with lowest common denominator lyrics.

"That's a grown ass woman with a grown ass," is one example from the song, "Butt2Butt” (feat. Too $hort).

Although his two LP’s are called "Doodoo Face" and "#STUPiDFACEDD," the songs are well-produced and have sharp hooks. MTV uses Wallpaper. songs on shows like Jersey Shore, and sometimes this type of music resonates with everyone (see: LMFAO).

Kicking things off with the song, "Shotgun," Reed worked to establish a connection with the Sac crowd early, referencing past visits to the city.

"We're gonna take you right back to Press Club, Town House, Luigi's!"

Flanked by two drummers, a standing percussionist in the back and a female vocalist/dance partner, Reed and Wallpaper stayed hyphy the whole set and made sure the crowd did too.

At one point Reed lamented the fact that it was the day before New Year's Eve, and had the crowd do a mock countdown before performing the catchy, "Okay."

Later it was a short cover of Prince's "1999," played with a ukulele, before another sing-along ditty, "FUCKING BEST SONG EVERRR."

After Wallpaper. came back on stage for the encore, Reed let the crowd know that the band has a tradition where they finish a bottle of Jameson before coming back on.

Stupid, but fun.

Not bad for New Year's Eve eve.

Photos by Steven Chea

Steven Chea on "Downtown Sacramento Christmas Lights Photos"

2011-12-23T22:19:51Z

Nice shots!

Steven Chea on "The Court Jester - A Smart addition to staff brings lots of experience"

2011-12-14T06:00:42Z

Good stuff Mark

Steven Chea on "Selena Gomez, Gym Class Heroes at Jingle Ball"

2011-12-05T17:32:45Z

Thanks Katie!

Selena Gomez, Gym Class Heroes at Jingle Ball

2011-12-03T02:32:21Z

107.9 The End's Jingle Ball 2011 went down at Power Balance Pavilion on Thursday night.

The concert featured performances by JoJo, Breathe Carolina, Cobra Starship, Gym Class Heroes, and Selena Gomez.

Photos by Steven Chea

Dirt Nasty at Ace of Spades

2011-11-28T05:15:20Z

If you don't know Dirt Nasty (aka ex-MTV VJ Simon Rex), take a look at some of his song titles and you'll know what you're getting into: "Suck My D***," "Baby D***" and "F*** Me I'm Famous."

It was all about the lowest common denominator at Ace of Spades on Saturday, as Nasty rapped for a crowd that was about half full. In addition to genitalia and sex, he also covered themes like cocaine use ("1980") and bestiality ("Animal Lover").

But that’s his shtick, so you were either there for the juvenile party raps or maybe to catch a glimpse of the actor who was in “Scary Movie 4” and an episode of “MTV Cribs.”

"He's hot! I don't even know his music. I came for him!" said Melissa Renee, 19.

Nasty had a lot of interaction with the crowd; making reference to the different drinking sections at Ace of Spades, talking about how drunk he was ("If I throw up on stage don't judge me!") and praising the quality of the females in Sacramento: "There's something in the water. Sacramento's got the hottest women ever. Why y'all have to have the hottest women in the Bay?”

Leaving the stage after a short 30-minute set with his DJ, Killer Cam, Nasty came back for a quick two-song encore, bringing a bunch of guys and girls on stage to dance and finish with the appropriately titled song "My D***."

Opening for Dirt Nasty were DJ Fedi, Status Goes, Richard the Rockstar and Rock & Rhyme.

Photos by Steven Chea

Steven Chea on "Minus the Bear: Ten Year Anniversary Tour"

2011-11-10T04:43:42Z

Thanks Tash!

Minus the Bear: Ten Year Anniversary Tour

2011-11-09T02:49:11Z

With the cover art pattern used on their seminal debut LP, "Highly Refined Pirates," as their backdrop, and a light show on acid, Seattle's Minus the Bear thrilled a packed house at Ace of Spades on Monday night.

The band is wrapping up their 10 Year Anniversary Tour, celebrating a decade of music and performing “Pirates,” released in 2002, in its entirety.

The popular math-rockers put on a tremendous performance for a very jazzed audience. Featuring guitarist Dave Knudson's signature complex finger-tapping guitar work - used on every song on “Pirates,” the band combined powerhouse indie band swagger with down-to-earth Northwestern charm.

Songs like "Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse" and "Thanks for the Killer Game of Crisco Twister," which sound good and maybe even a little quirky when recorded, gained heft and intensity when played live. During "'Absinthe," a flashing light sequence kicked in when the verses turned into the more up-tempo choruses. This complemented the music perfectly, although for much of the show, three thin light panels backlighting the band were a bit much and a bit distracting.

"We've been playing our first album across the country," said Snider. "This is the third to last show of the tour. It's been a fucking awesome ten years and thank you Sacramento for being a part of it!"

Opening for Minus the Bear was Santa Rosa's, The Velvet Teen.

Photos by Steven Chea

Steven Chea on "Uptown Fashion Night in East Sacramento"

2011-11-08T06:41:27Z

Great coverage, David!

Thrice tour stops at Ace of Spades

2011-11-08T06:40:20Z

It was a nearly sold-out show at Ace of Spades Sunday night. Thrice, hailing from Irvine, Calif., headlined an excellent post-hardcore bill.

Opening for a healthy-sized audience was the band, Moving Mountains, an intriguing group of musicians who captured the room's attention immediately. With a complex and multi-layered sound, their atmospheric rock songs set a great tone for the rest of the night.
Atlanta-based O'Brother was musically in the same vein; a melodic three-guitar sonic assault marrying the atmospheric with the distorted. A solid showing, but when they went ambient, they went ambient. At times they seemed to meander as some songs drifted slowly past the five minute mark.

Main support was La Dispute, a very impressive five-piece band from Grand Rapids, Mich.

"It's been about a year since we've been out to the West Coast, and that's an absolute crime, because I don't know if there's a place where we have a better time," said appreciative vocalist Jordan Dreyer.

Fist around microphone and microphone cable wrapped around fist, the barefoot and constantly moving Dreyer shouted his spoken-word style lyrics with raw intensity, complemented perfectly with delicately explosive rhythm and powerful, technical guitar work.
A comparison to defunct frenetic El Paso, Tex. band, At The Drive-In, is easy to make because of Dreyer's voice, delivery and the chaotic harmony of the music. On the other hand, the easier-to-swallow guitar melodies and Dreyer's realistic, confessional lyrics are a couple of areas that set this band apart.

"It’s only temporary, that fleeting feeling of warmth. Just a flash before the line gets blurry. Between a longing for more than what the body wants now and what the body wants now more than anything."
Thrice has been around for thirteen years and has a serious and passionate following. To a new fan, the anticipation was thick in the air and when the band took the stage the release from the crowd was palpable.

Opening strong with lead track, "Yellow Belly," from their new album “Major/Minor,” their set was heavy on critically well-received new material, including "Promises," "Call It In The Air" and "Treading Paper." They also played a number of tracks from 2009's “Beggars;” among them, "All The World Is Mad," "The Weight," "In Exile" and "Circles;" taking the audience on a journey through the different styles and nuances the band has experienced lyrically and musically up to this point in their career.

It was clear the older material was held in high regard; the frenzied crowd and their pumping fists were jolted with energy when the band played tracks from 2003's “The Artist in the Ambulance.”

Fans come and go as bands experiment and mature, and after hearing the music and speaking with some fans, Thrice is doing a good job of continuing to delight as they evolve musically.

"The music, the beats, everything," said Sara Molina, 25, of Dixon. "Everything meshes together; their music is amazing!"

The guys in Thrice are also humanitarians, and took a moment to raise awareness about Invisible Children, a group they support and one that is currently on tour with them.

Invisible Children is a movement seeking to end the conflict in Uganda and stop the abduction of children for use as child soldiers. The band specifically asked for support in building radio towers in the Congo for communication directly with the child soldiers in an effort to bring them home. Kudos to Thrice for using their platform to inspire change and educate others about a worthy cause.

Photos by Steven Chea

Steven Chea on "Movement: A photo essay of the Sacramento Valley Station"

2011-11-07T18:55:43Z

Tight shots!

Photos: Foo Fighters at Power Balance Pavilion

2011-11-03T01:24:42Z

After an original Oct. 20 show date that had to be rescheduled, alt-rock powerhouse Foo Fighters performed at Power Balance Pavilion on Tuesday night for about 10,000 fans.

Opening the show was fantastic L.A. punk band The Bronx, playing as their alter-ego Mariachi El Bronx, which is less a gimmick than you might think.

What started as a lark for the punk band has grown into a love that has seen the band release two mariachi albums and gain a following, and, yes, they stay true to the authentic mariachi style of music as well as wear black charro suits.

The band performs in a variety of ways, sometimes incorporating mariachi into their punk set, sometimes performing as a punk band and mariachi band on consecutive nights, and sometimes having one band open up for the other.

Following Mariachi El Bronx was Cage the Elephant from Bowling Green, Ky. The band found success with their 2009 single "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" and have been touring constantly since then. Vocalist Matthew Schultz is known for stage diving at Cage performances, and this night was no exception.

"Promise me one thing," Schultz told the crowd from the stage. "If I jump into the crowd and get knocked unconscious, I want you to promise to keep passing my body around and having a good time!"

And then it was time for the rock.

With seven studio albums and tons of singles to their credit, the Foo Fighters had plenty of popular material to draw from.

Excited fans in the house received a high-energy 23-song rock 'n' roll set that lasted over two hours and was worth the wait.

Photos by Steven Chea.

One Scary Nite 3

2011-10-29T04:40:07Z

After a slightly flawed but excellent nonetheless One Scary Nite 2, expectations were high for the third annual installment of the "Deon Taylor Enterprises presents: One Scary Nite" Halloween party, which went down at the California Auto Museum Thursday night.

Familiar attractions returning this year included "Mad Scientist" Jack Sparx with his Tesla coil, huge propane fireballs and deranged laugh, stilt walkers, fire dancers, go-go dancers and many bloody, gory "staff monsters" and zombies who shuffled around the venue with a vacant look in their eyes, grunting at passing partygoers.

Absent this year were the red carpet and arrivals, the national musical act (last year it was Bell Biv Devoe), the haunted house, the massive 7,100-pound fire-breathing metal dragon and the long, snaking lines of people waiting to get in.

Notable attendees this year included filmmaker and emcee Deon Taylor wearing an inflatable ostrich costume, former Sacramento Kings player/current regional scout/player development coach Bobby Jackson dressed as Blade, NFL free agent Ephraim Salaam dressed as Master Chief from Halo, and comedian and co-host Tony Roberts in costume as Fred Sanford.

Entertainment included sets by DJ Charlie Ramos and former NBA All-Star Cedric Ceballos and live performances by Sacramento acts I2W, Kumandae and Bueno.

Maybe last year's party was a lot to live up to, or maybe it's the economy, but this year it just didn't come together to be "bigger, scarier and better than before" as promoted. At one point Taylor had to light a fire and get the party on track, grabbing a microphone and ordering the lights turned down more, the go-go dancers back on their boxes, and people onto the dance floor.

Whether it was the light attendance or lack of starpower, Thursday's party just felt scaled down and a little "dead."

Will there be a One Scary Nite 4? Let's hope so, and let's hope it's reborn in a big way. One Scary Nite 2 was a blast, and it would be great to have Sacramento's biggest Halloween dance party back in full force.

All photos copyright Steven Chea

Steven Chea on "Ryan Adams grows up — well, kinda"

2011-10-21T20:05:52Z

GREAT piece, loved it.

Panic! at the Disco performs at Ace of Spades

2011-10-12T00:54:16Z

Although the band lost its original guitar and bass player in 2009, it doesn't appear that Las Vegas' Panic! at the Disco has lost any fans.

Performing for a sold out crowd at Ace of Spades Monday night, handsome lead singer Brendon Urie and company had fans in a tizzy from the get-go as a steady stream of clothing landed on stage after the first song.

"Wow. Thank you!" said a surprised Urie.

Panic!'s set focused mainly on their debut album, "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out" and 2011's, "Vices & Virtues."

They played only two songs from 2008's well-received album, "Pretty. Odd." They included "That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed)" and "Nine in the Afternoon."

The Panic! pop was a bit of nostalgia for some.

"The twelve year old in me is so excited to see Panic!" said college student Amy Lane, 19.

Providing main support was Patrick Stump from on hiatus-Fall Out Boy and his ambitious new self-titled solo project.

Almost unrecognizable from his Fall Out Boy days, Stump strutted out in a neat powder blue suit and bow tie, a cropped blond haircut and black, fingerless gloves.

At times channeling both Prince and David Bowie, Stump tore through an R&B-flavored set that included a cover of Phil Collins' “In the Air Tonight.”

If you're a fan of Fall Out Boy, the new material feels like a departure and at the same time seems completely expected and natural for Stump's next direction. His solo debut "Soul Punk" drops next Tuesday the 18th.

Opening the show and setting the bar for the rest of the night were the crazy characters of Cincinnati rock band Foxy Shazam.

The band sounds good on record, better live, and their fun show is a kick. Highlights included pianist Sky White standing up on his keyboard and playing by stomping his feet, drummer Aaron McVeigh spitting into the open mouth of vocalist Eric Sean Nally (he asked him to), and Nally later lighting and puffing on a nearly full pack of cigarettes before shoving them all into his mouth and eating them.

Stage antics aside, they play good music.

"It's kind of close to pop cabaret," said Sacramento rock music aficionado and photographer Kevin Graft, 44.

Photos by Steven Chea

Steven Chea on "Crawling the great paper trail "

2011-10-04T23:14:22Z

Nice piece, Amabelle!

Steven Chea on "High-Flying Action at Capital Airshow - Photos"

2011-09-13T05:26:25Z

Great photos, Ron!

Steven Chea on "The Joy Formidable at Harlow's"

2011-09-09T00:52:51Z

I knew I forgot something..

The Joy Formidable at Harlow's

2011-09-08T01:50:01Z

If you're looking for an example of a band in the middle of making it big, look no further than The Joy Formidable.

Formed in North Wales, the now London-based power trio has been riding a monster wave of success this year, touring and playing major U.K. and U.S. festivals – Reading, Coachella, Lollapalooza – and garnering praise from critics and their musical peers alike.

They made such an impression on Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters earlier this year that he took to Twitter to sing their praises: "I would like to personally thank The Joy Formidable for writing the song of the year "Whirring". xxx Dave". The band will open several dates with Foo Fighters in November.

The band has a massive, noisy sound: chunky guitar riffs, overdriven bass, and pounding drums, all laced with the sweet vocals of firecracker front woman Ritzy Bryan. A chance to catch them up close and personal should not be passed.

The Joy Formidable will perform at Harlow's this Saturday at 10 p.m. Tim Reynolds, the ridiculously talented guitarist of the Dave Matthews Band, plays an earlier show the same day at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are a steal at $13.50.

Law enforcement, firefighters box for charity

2011-08-22T05:31:59Z

Law enforcement and correctional officers, military personnel and a firefighter went toe to toe in the boxing ring Saturday night, raising money for charity in the Battle of the Badges Fight Series: Road to the Championship.

Held in the intimate courtyard setting of Liquid Nightclub in Citrus Heights, the well-attended event benefitted charities including the Armed Forces Foundation, Firefighters Burn Institute and Sacramento Sheriff's Toy Project.

Battle of the Badges Fight Series events are a lead-up to the title fight at Battle of the Badges VIII. Last year's Battle of the Badges VII was held in August at Memorial Auditorium.

All bouts had a three-round limit, and on the card Saturday were 10 preliminary matches and one main event, featuring heavyweights Bryan Williams (Fresno PD) vs. Mike Gomez (CDC-CSP Sac).

Highlights of the evening for the crowd included a lights-out KO of David Richardson (CDC Solano) by Chris McElroy (CDC CSP Sac) and a brutal pummeling of Mike Hernandez (El Cerrito PD) by Noel Montes (CDC-CCPOA) that went the full three rounds and left Hernandez's face covered in blood.

All boxers were ranked by the United Combat Association and the matches were officiated by the California State Athletic Commission. Visit the Battle of the Badges website for information on upcoming bouts.

Fight results:

1. Brent Burkhart (CDC-DVI) defeated Gary Mungia (Army)

2. Jed McNamara (Dept of ABC) defeated Jose Hermosillo (Williams PD)

3. Dru McDonald (Sac Fire) defeated Craig Hamblin (CDC Solano)

4. Fracnsico Flores (Stanislaus County Sheriff) defeated Neil Tremethick (Army)

5. Brenden Reavis (CPS) defeated Javier Banuelos (CDC CSP-Sac)

6. Ruben Jones (CHP) defeated Eduardo Barajas (Williams PD)

7. James Davis (CDC-Folsom) defeated Craig Colosimo (CDC - Mule Creek)

8. Chris McElroy (CDC CSP Sac) defeated David Richardson (CDC Solano)

9. Chris Martinez (Avenal PD) defeated Orlando Rivera (Border Patrol)

10. Noel Montes (CDC CCPOA) defeated Mike Hernandez (El Cerrito PD)

11. Bryan Williams (Fresno PD) defeated Mike Gomez (CDC CSP Sac)

All images copyright: Steven Chea

Steven Chea on "Local salons battle in Hair Wars"

2011-08-18T20:04:23Z

I didn't forget, but thanks for your comment!

Steven Chea on "Sacramento Concerts, Music Events, and The Local Music Scene This Week"

2011-08-05T19:45:28Z

New dates for Watch The Throne and no Sac stop on it right now: http://promo.livenation.com/watchthethrone/

Steven Chea on "Uh Huh Her sweats it out at Harlow's"

2011-07-27T06:33:57Z

Thank you, Kati!

Uh Huh Her sweats it out at Harlow's

2011-07-26T23:40:50Z

In a rare all ages show at Harlow's last night, L.A.'s Uh Huh Her performed for a packed room of excited fans ready to make the most of a typically low-key Monday night.

Taking their name from the 2004 PJ Harvey album of the same title, Uh Huh Her is a sultry electro-pop duo made up of ex-Mellodrone bassist and keyboardist Camila Grey (who has collaborated with Busta Rhymes, Kelly Osbourne and Dr. Dre) and musician and actress, Leisha Hailey, formerly of The Murmurs and most well known from her role as bisexual journalist, Alice Pieszecki, on Showtime's, “The L Word.”

While Hailey's resume could suggest the band is an actor's passing fancy, the pair are seasoned performers and multi-instrumentalists to boot, even swapping their bass and guitar at one point.

The flirty stage banter was effortless as they forged a connection with the enrapt, overwhelmingly female crowd.

"We just came from Vegas," said Hailey with a smile, explaining a brief technical difficulty with her synth, "so you can imagine what my keyboard has been through!"

The music Uh Huh Her has put out so far – their 2010 debut, “Common Reaction,” and 2011's, “Black and Blue” EP – could be described as synth-driven pop with electronic rhythm, made all the more dreamy with Grey's and Hailey's melodic vocals.

Seeing the songs performed Monday with a second guitar and live drums gave them a rawness, turning the performance into more of a rock ‘n' roll show than you might have expected from listening to their recorded material.

The only issue seemed to be that the precision of the keys and vocals were overpowered by the accompanying muscle, not that it mattered to the dancing and now sweaty crowd. If anything, the organic live show enhanced the experience of seeing the twosome play, and they weren't the only ones generating body heat.

"I'm sweating balls up here. Balls, I tell you," said a soaked Grey, wiping the top of her chest with a towel to deafening squeals of delight from the crowd. "I don't know what that means, but it's happening."

Songs from their yet-to-be-released second LP, “Nocturnes,” were also being honed on the road. Originally planned for a 2011 summer release, Hailey said she thinks the new album will be out in October.

After a quick show and encore that lasted a little over an hour, the ladies of UHH sent their fans home exhausted and happy, as they stuck around to sign autographs and take pictures for a long line of fans that snaked along the inside of the club.

"They're hot," said new fan Lisa Burns, who found out about the show – and band – through meetup.com. "I've never heard of them but I'm very impressed!"

Photos by Steven Chea

Steven Chea on "Photos: River Cats cause Aces to fold on Friday"

2011-07-26T02:21:55Z

Thanks Mark

Photos: River Cats cause Aces to fold on Friday

2011-07-25T03:31:58Z

The Sacramento River Cats bested the Reno Aces 4-2 Friday night, taking the first game of a five-games series between the divison leaders. The final game of the series is Monday night. Visit the River Cats website to purchase tickets.

Here are some photos from the game:

Uh Huh Her to perform at Harlow's

2011-07-25T01:59:20Z

Taking their name from the 2004 PJ Harvey album of the same title, L.A.-based Uh Huh Her is a sultry electro-pop duo made up of ex-Mellodrone bassist and keyboardist Camila Grey (who has collaborated with Busta Rhymes, Kelly Osbourne and Dr. Dre) and musician and actress Leisha Hailey, formerly of the Murmurs (and who you might recognize from her role as bisexual journalist Alice Pieszecki on Showtime's “The L Word”).

The pair creates lush, layered synth-driven pop, complemented by soothing, ethereal vocals and driven by up-tempo electronic beats.

The band most recently released their dark and moody "Black and Blue" EP in May and is currently preparing to release their second album, "Nocturnes."

Uh Huh Her will perform at Harlow’s on Monday at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $15.

Steven Chea on "Sacramento Concerts, Music Events, and The Local Music Scene This Week"

2011-07-22T18:23:17Z

Thanks Ann! Update to LAUNCH: Neon Indian has canceled. Added to the bill are Chain Gang of 1974, Ganglians, Free the Robots, ISO50, Who Cares and Sister Crayon. Event info: http://5432launch.wordpress.com/

Steven Chea on "Launch 2011"

2011-07-20T15:48:03Z

Nice interview, David.

Steven Chea on "A former power station, sitting empty and waiting"

2011-07-19T20:45:48Z

Very cool photos.

Steven Chea on "River Cats continue losing streak against Grizzlies "

2011-07-17T01:41:06Z

Great job, Ilian!

Steven Chea on "World Masters Athletics Track and Field 2011 Long Jump W35 Final"

2011-07-12T23:53:10Z

Great shots, D-Money!

Steven Chea on "Folsom Pro Rodeo"

2011-07-07T15:45:56Z

Nice pics David

Steven Chea on "East Sac July 4th Parade Photos"

2011-07-04T22:46:20Z

Love 'em!

Steven Chea on "Elks Tower penthouse to open"

2011-07-02T03:43:36Z

Cool chandelier.

Local salons battle in Hair Wars

2011-07-02T03:18:01Z

Hair Wars is an annual touring event, created in 1991 as a showcase for stylists and salons to create unconventional and elaborate hair styles and fashion, often based around a central theme.

The event has grown steadily through the years, turning into a huge production in multiple cities and making winners of the competition very well-known in the industry.

In Sacramento, there is a local version of the Hair Wars competition that takes place annually at The Park Ultra Lounge. The competition is held over a three-month period, with some of Sacramento's top salons competing on the runway.

In previous years, each night featured two salons going head to head with an overall winner selected later. This year, each night features only one salon that is judged, with overall results to be revealed at a later date. The last showcase takes place Sept. 1.

Thursday's showcase featured hair designs from Jack's Hair Shop by Darlene, located at 2439 Rio Linda Blvd. in North Sacramento.

"Jack's does a good job," said Josie Liles, whose daughter Christie was modeling in the show for Jack's. "They're the bomb."

Jack's showcased a "seasons" theme, with outfits and accessories tied into each season — fall featured costumes with leaves, spring featured flowers, etc.

Models styled with elaborate makeup and body paint and wild costumes strutted and posed on the catwalk as each season was displayed. Judges looked on from a cabana to the side as several photographers flashed away and angled to get the best shots.

"Give me some love down here!" photographer Mike Regan of 5 Finger Photo shouted as he tried to capture the fiercest looks from the models.

After the four seasons had passed, the night ended with a tense skit that featured model Zarah Ragan in a straitjacket getting her hair styled against her will. She eventually broke free of her captor/stylist with a different hairstyle adorned with a large peacock feather.

Count on seeing some interesting hairstyles and fashion and being inspired if you visit an upcoming showcase at The Park.

"I'm a local cosmetologist, and I like to see the different styles to keep my clients looking fabulous," Kay Criss of Sacramento said.

Hair Wars 2011 features a different salon each Thursday until Sept. 1. Visit The Park website for more information on the ongoing competition.

Photos by Steven Chea

Steven Chea on "Davis Music Festival: photos"

2011-06-27T19:15:10Z

Great photos Rik.

Steven Chea on "The Rickey Henderson Chronicles - Part 3 - End of an Era"

2011-06-21T20:33:45Z

Great in-depth series, Mark. I enjoyed reading it.

Steven Chea on "Ace of Spades gets "Jane Fonda" lesson "

2011-06-20T08:37:00Z

Thanks dawg, I appreciate it.

Ace of Spades gets "Jane Fonda" lesson

2011-06-20T04:33:02Z

Hollywood sleaze-rapper Mickey Avalon performed for a huge crowd of die-hard fans at Ace of Spades Friday night, whipping the young crowd into a lustful frenzy with his provocative sing-along raps.

Folsom rap duo Ill Effect kicked the show off with some tight rhymes and beats, sounding the best as they flowed over B.o.B's well-known hit "Airplanes," featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore.

After a 30-minute delay that had everyone wondering what exactly was going on, rapper Ty$ (Ty Dolla Sign) took the stage. Unfortunately there was nothing spectacular in his short set that made up for the long wait. Highlights included some call-and-response about which side of the crowd was louder and boasting about how one of his songs was "everywhere" (it's not).

Next up was L.A. hip-hop/pop group The Divine, who put forward the effort but didn't quite hit the mark for the Sac crowd, getting booed and inciting chants of "Mickey! Mickey!" in between songs.

"His voice was too high,” Folsom resident Andrea Wilson said of vocalist Shane Gelinas. “It sounded like Backstreet Boys behind a beat.”

With a seedy backstory straight off an “E! True Hollywood Story” episode – former male prostitute, ex-junkie and teen pot dealer – Avalon has a lot of interesting experiences to draw from for his rhymes.

He ran through several of his super catchy party raps: "So Rich, So Pretty," "Jane Fonda,” "Mr. Right" and "My Dick," accompanied on stage by his scantily clad dancer, Jillian, who turned out to be extremely flexible.

In addition to his filthy sex appeal, Avalon's strong points are his unique flow, hooky beats and sing-along lyrics: "One, two, three, four/ Get your booty on the dance floor/ Work it out, shake it, little mama/ Let me see you do the Jane Fonda."

Drugs, booze, sex – it's all there. Shirtless and sometimes chugging a bottle of wine, Avalon oozed sexuality as he slinked his way across the stage, using his salacious glances and pelvic gyrations to start a bra collection on stage.

"I like his raw style,” said Frank Cornwall, who traveled to the show from Grass Valley with some family and friends. “He's one of those guys who sings what he wants to sing and doesn't care who he pisses off. He's like a combination of Eminem and Snoop Dogg: smooth and rude."

And for all his bawdy raps, Avalon is actually a soft-spoken, friendly guy and loves his fans. After the show, he stayed until every last person could get a picture taken with him or get their breasts signed.

It's no wonder why they love him back.

Photos by Steven Chea

Steven Chea on "Thunder Down Under roared at Thunder Valley"

2011-06-17T17:30:13Z

Sounds like you had a great time, Marc!

Steven Chea on "Michael Franti mixed it up at MIX Downtown"

2011-06-15T09:38:35Z

Dig the pics Marc

Steven Chea on "Party at Harlow's with Foster the People"

2011-06-05T01:52:18Z

Thanks dudes

Party at Harlow's with Foster the People

2011-06-04T06:24:23Z

You know that song with the can't-get-it-out-of-your-head whistling called "Young Folks" by Peter Bjorn and John that people seem to either love or hate?

Los Angeles band Foster the People has a comparable track called "Pumped Up Kicks" – a sing-along with a cheery melody and dark lyrics about youth gun violence – that has the same effect.

Polarizing song? For sure.

One-hit wonder band? It doesn't look like it.

Without seeming like they had anything to prove, the young group with more buzz than a beehive let its music speak for itself for a sold-out crowd at Harlow's Thursday night.

Support act The Chain Gang of 1974 (aka Kamtin Mohager) from Denver came ready to warm up the crowd with solid post-punk and new wave stylings. Imagine The Bravery writing an album after watching a 24-hour John Hughes marathon.

The Chain Gang had played Sacramento before, and things were a little different this time around.

"The last time we played here was at a pizza place in front of two people," Mohager told the packed house, referencing a November 2010 show at Luigi's Slice Fungarden.

Foster the People is vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mark Foster, bassist and backing vocalist Cubbie Fink and drummer Mark Pontius. Originally called Foster & the People, the new name stuck after the original was misheard enough times and the band warmed to the image it invoked of "taking care" of the people.

The synth-enhanced dance-rock music and Foster's falsetto draw comparisons to Passion Pit and MGMT, but they still find a way to project an identity and make their broad pop sound unique. It took about an hour for the band to run through all 11 songs on their recently released debut album, “Torches”.

Although you would have no problem throwing on “Torches” as the soundtrack to your summer pool party, the songs come alive and breathe when performed live. A track like "Broken Jaw" really shines when performed live, allowing Foster to demonstrate his vocal range and making at least one person in the crowd turn to his friend with his own jaw dropped in amazement as soon as it was over.

The band members had fun as they rotated on instruments throughout the show, taking turns on the various synths and energetically banging on the stand-up bass drum. Can't go wrong with a tastefully used Apache war drum.

Throw in some yellow maracas and a drunk blonde in a black dress from the audience dancing on stage, and you have yourself a very satisfying, high-energy soiree.

With sold-out shows as they tour through October, upcoming performances at huge music festivals (Lollapalooza, ACL Music Festival) and iTunes love ("Helena Beat" was the Free Single last week), expect Foster the People to keep the party going for a while.

Photos by Steven Chea

Steven Chea on "KISS in photos"

2011-06-02T02:02:43Z

Nice!

Steven Chea on "Sac City Rollers: Star-Spangled Splatter (photo essay)"

2011-05-30T21:47:04Z

Good stuff!

Steven Chea on "Civil War Re-enacted at Gibson Ranch"

2011-05-23T17:46:15Z

Sweet photos! Impressive Abe Lincoln.

Photos: Pepper performs at Ace of Spades

2011-05-19T04:44:02Z

Hawaii/SoCal-based bands Iration and Pepper made a stop in Sacramento on May 12, 2011, with each group performing their fusion of reggae, dub and rock for a very receptive audience at music venue Ace of Spades.

The well-attended show was another in a streak of many at AOS, which is quickly becoming the go-to venue for mid-sized artists. Take a look at their site for some upcoming shows, which include performances by Fitz and The Tantrums, Deftones, and Mickey Avalon.

Here are some shots from the Pepper show:

Steven Chea on "Meet our community contributors "

2011-05-11T02:27:27Z

Shout out to Casey for making it all happen!

Steven Chea on "Vélo & Vintage bicycle fashion show: photos"

2011-05-09T20:52:38Z

Great pics!

Photos: Cats beat Sky Sox for 8th win in 10 games

2011-05-08T00:14:47Z

The Sacramento River Cats improved to 18-11 with their 6-2 victory over the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (13-16) on Friday night. The Cats remain in first place in the PCL South Division with a four-game lead.

Visit the River Cats' official site for the full recap. Your red-hot River Cats take on the Sky Sox again Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. for the second of the four-game series.

Steven Chea on "Loose. Foodloose."

2011-05-02T18:43:52Z

The lines were ridiculous but it was a great way to spend a gorgeous Saturday afternoon nonetheless. Excellent writing, Lindol, and great coverage by Rik too.

Photos: Wine in the Park

2011-04-25T06:12:36Z

If you didn't get your ticket early, you missed out.

Raley Field was the setting for Infuze Marketing's Wine in the Park wine tasting, featuring a selection of wines from surrounding area wineries, appetizers and a seat to watch the ballgame.

The sold-out event took place in the VIP tented section off the third base line before the Sacramento River Cats and the Tucson Padres started the first of a four-game series at home.

Participating wineries included Sierra Knolls Vineyard & Winery, Abundance Vineyards, Lucchesi Vineyards & Winery, Watts Winery and Mount Aukum Winery.

The event was sponsored by Top Speed Data Communications, Porter | Scott Attorneys and the UC Davis Health System, and a portion of the proceeds will go to St. John's Shelter Program for Women & Children.

The next Wine in the Park event is scheduled for June 11. Visit Infuze Marketing for more details.

Steven Chea on "Las Vegas 51s remain on top, 6-5"

2011-04-15T00:07:09Z

Great shots, Ron!

From Trump Roast to Punch Line: Anthony Jeselnik

2011-04-09T06:35:43Z

You know that comedian, Anthony Jeselnik?

Yeah, me neither.

At least, I didn't until I saw him steal the show during the recent broadcast of the “Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump,” where he created some buzz for himself by deftly skewering the guest of honor and the other roasters on the dais, like Larry King, Snoop Dogg and Jersey Shore's "The Situation.”

I had a chance to see him in action myself Thursday night at the Punch Line.

Fremont's Sammy Obeid was the emcee and first act, mining his Lebanese ethnicity for some killer jokes about being mistaken as Mexican and Indian, as well as plenty of great sex-related material, which appeals to everyone and is always a crowd-pleaser.

Second act Andy Haynes, who has appeared on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” took the stage and gave it up for Obeid:

"Give it up for Sammy, he's better than me!" Haynes said. "I'm used to the emcee sucking!"

Haynes touched on subjects like moving to New York from Seattle and the differences between the two cities, bringing your girlfriend to New York with you ("It's like bringing a warm beer with you to a bar, when all they are serving inside are free, cold beers"), and how he was jealous of people in disaster areas getting free health care from the Red Cross, because as a broke comedian he hasn't had medical insurance in six years.

Great material. I was so entertained by his bits, I almost forgot to take a photo of him.

Equally impressive was his witty, off-the-cuff banter with those in the audience, including a group of guys who drove from Reno to see the show ("Are you guys in a frat at UNR?"), and a 27-year-old loud, drunken woman who was accompanied by her 51-year-old boyfriend, who she said was "still married," slurring her explanation.

Headliner Jeselnik strolled out soon after, looking sharp in a black hoodie and jeans, and started out with a funny jab at the home crowd: "I'm such a big star from the roast, that I'm — in Sacramento."

Some background on Jeselnik: he's done stand-up on a plethora of late-night talk shows, he was a staff writer on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” and he's written for Sarah Silverman.
Jeselnik speaks with a deadpan, clipped cadence, peppering his delivery with timed pauses for effect, with the dark punchline coming after the last pause.

After telling a joke about a dilemma he encountered with a date who passed out when they got home (which the audience loved), Jeselnik said, "It's important to open with a rape joke, to see where the crowd's at. Looks like you guys are with me."

The merciless comedian made quick work of disruptive drunks in the audience, who weren't exactly heckling but tried to finish his jokes occasionally.

During one joke, one woman yelled out what she thought the punchline was before Jeselnik finished the joke. He finished (with a different punchline) and berated the woman: "Like (your punchline), except my punchline was better, because one of us is a professional comedian and the other one is just a drunk chick in a bar." Huge laughs from the crowd.

He ended the show by telling a couple of jokes about Marlee Matlin and Snoop Dogg that were cut from the broadcast of the roast, and he also fielded requests for specific jokes of his from the audience, before letting us know he would be out front after the show:

"I released this comedy album, “Shakespeare,” and if you want, you can come up and buy one and I'll sign it, $10," Jeselnik deadpanned. "Or, if you just want to come up and take a picture, shake my hand, $10."

Anthony Jeselnik performs at Punch Line Comedy Club tonight and Saturday. There are two shows both nights, 8 and 10 p.m. Tickets are $16.

Steven Chea on "One-on-one with Gus Vina"

2011-04-08T06:36:26Z

Intelligent questions, great interview.

Steven Chea on "Chris Robinson Brotherhood!"

2011-04-05T06:14:25Z

Definitely curious..

Steven Chea on "Kings, Cousins take out Jazz, packed house enjoys 106-97 Kings win"

2011-04-05T05:58:52Z

Excellent recap and photos, guys.

Steven Chea on "Eating for the cycle at Raley Field."

2011-04-01T20:15:39Z

Great details and descriptions.

Steven Chea on "Little Sacramento Monsters at Lady Gaga's Monster Ball "

2011-03-27T02:54:47Z

Thanks, Marc. Lighting was great, it was quite the production..

The Soundtrack of Our Lives to perform at Harlow’s

2011-03-24T01:45:29Z

ABBA they are not.

Stop by Harlow’s this Friday to see Swedish psych-rockers The Soundtrack of Our Lives as they make a quick run up the West Coast before heading back to tour Europe.

Influenced by ’70s psychedelia, prog and classic rock, the six-piece from the land of IKEA and Absolut found critical success in the United States with their 2002 release “Behind the Music,” which was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 2003 Grammy Awards.

At the time of its release Noel Gallagher of Oasis proclaimed “Behind the Music” to be “the best album to come out in the last six years.”

TSOOL followed up that success with 2004’s “Origin Vol. 1,” which peaked at No. 1 on the Swedish charts, and 2009’s “Communion,” a double album that some say is their strongest effort to date.

The Soundtrack of Our Lives perform at Harlow’s this Friday at 9 p.m. Tickets are $17.50 plus a $2 surcharge. 21+.

Steven Chea on "View of the Rivers from a Kayak"

2011-03-21T15:57:51Z

Very cool.

Steven Chea on "House of Floyd"

2011-03-14T07:45:05Z

Great review. Sounds pretty cool, might have to check them out at Harlow's.

'Welcome to Hell' tour at Ace of Spades

2011-03-14T07:03:32Z

Music venue Ace of Spades hosted another sold-out show on Friday, the "Welcome to Hell Tour" featuring performances by metal/hardcore bands Whitechapel, Chelsea Grin, I Declare War, The Acacia Strain and Veil of Maya.

I Declare War and Chelsea Grin started things off with lots of growling, screaming and calls for the crowd to get violent.

The circle pits were large and constant the entire night, with sweaty, aggressive men running around in the open space formed in the middle of the crowd, using their flailing body parts to punch and kick whatever happened to be in front of them as hard as they could.

It's the norm at these types of shows, but if you're there to enjoy the music it's annoying having to worry about being punched in the back of the head or side-kicked in the back.

Veil of Maya was third on the bill and continued the heavy guitar assault. There were more melodic flourishes in the guitar playing than in the first two bands, which was nice (although the guitarists from the first two bands were very talented). In this genre of music a sound that sets you apart is a breath of fresh air.

The band really got things going when vocalist Brandon Butler announced, "Our bass player says the first person to get on stage gets a free T-shirt!"

Almost immediately people started lunging over the crowd barricade in an attempt to get on stage, putting the security personnel to work defending the stage.

Eventually a young man made it up and put one of the guitars momentarily out of commission by stepping on and disconnecting a guitar pedal.

"Don't step on the pedals and it's all good!" Butler said.

It happened again a few minutes later, stopping the show while techs came on stage to get things back to working order. A quick test of "Für Elise" by guitarist Marc Okubo, and Veil was back in business.

Taking the stage next was the heaviest band of the night, Massachusetts-based The Acacia Strain. The lights came up for the first song just as vocalist Vincent Bennett spit bursts of water into the air -- a great bit of theatrics.

The Acacia Strain band members had an impressive presence, stalking the stage liked caged animals and glaring at the audience.

The captivating performance progressed and the circle pits continued to be filled with a mindless fervor as those in the audience found a way to release their aggression.

Headliners Whitechapel closed out the show, and while their show was impressive and the crowd loved it, The Acacia Strain set the bar very high with their previous performance.

"Bang your head and do something illegal!" Acacia Strain vocalist Bennett commanded earlier. "I want you to remember this show for the rest...of...your...fucking life!"

Escape the Fate tops Dead Masquerade bill at Ace of Spades

2011-03-08T02:03:07Z

"Escape the Fate! Escape the Fate!"

With appetites violently whetted by the three-guitar screamo attack of the final opening band Alesana, the loud chanting of hundreds of eager fans filled Ace of Spades Sunday night, beckoning Escape the Fate, the headliners of the Dead Masquerade tour.

The sensory onslaught began with appropriately named opener "Massacre," as the Vegas post-hardcore band pounced on the young crowd like a rabid pack of hyenas on defenseless baby gazelles.

The response to ETF's latest Facebook wall posting before the show ("Sacramento Ace of Spades tonight it's on! You guys ready?" – 1,429 Likes and 539 comments at the time of this writing) indicated a large and dedicated fan base, and it was reflected in the enthusiastic packed house.

The young audience was kept rapt throughout the show, obeying readily when vocalist Craig Mabbitt split the crowd like the Red Sea and instructed the opposite sides to run toward each other at the beginning of the next song and collide in what's known in as a "Wall of Death."

When they weren't running into each other, those in the crowd were enthusiastically shouting out lyrics and crowd-surfing, clearly enjoying the ride.

Escape the Fate members are good at what they do – putting on an energetic show with music that combines melody and pop sensibilities with their hardcore/metal foundation, with a little screamo mixed in to round things out. (They worked on their latest LP with Linkin Park producer Don Gilmore, to give you an idea).

The setlist drew almost exclusively on ETF's last two albums, 2008's "This War Is Ours" ("Something," "The Flood" and "10 Miles Wide) and 2010's eponymous release ("Issues," "Zombie Dance," "Gorgeous Nightmare" and "Day of Wreckoning"), with "Situations" being the lone song played from 2006's debut album "Dying Is Your Latest Fashion."

Guitarist TJ Bell from supporting act Motionless In White did double duty on the bass for ETF, filling in for regular bassist Max Green, who is at home recovering (he entered rehab for drug and alcohol addiction late last year), Mabbitt said.

Mabbitt made it a point to connect to the audience not only on a visceral level as a hyperactive frontman, but on a personal one as well, at one point encouraging those in the crowd to ignore the naysayers and follow their dreams – "How many people in here are artists? You write, you sing, you draw? You work at Subway, you're a sandwich artist?" – before leading everyone in a middle finger salute directed at those who might have issues with artistic expression, in the food industry or otherwise.

And later: "We want to dedicate this next one to the brave men and women who serve this country," declared Mabbitt, before launching into the first song of the encore, "This War Is Ours (The Guillotine II)." "And also to the greatest video game in the world in my opinion, and that's Halo!"

Escape the Fate top Dead Masquerade bill at Ace

2011-03-03T06:19:08Z

DGC/Interscope band Escape the Fate will headline the Dead Masquerade tour at Ace of Spades this weekend, joined by support acts Alesana, Motionless In White, Get Scared and Drive A.

Las Vegas-based hard-rockers Escape the Fate are touring in support of their self-titled third album and recently released “Issues Remix” EP, featuring remixes of their first single "Issues" done by Jakwob (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Lily Allen), LA Riots (Tiesto, The Ting Tings), Wolves At The Gate (The Cure) and Does It Offend You, Yeah? (Muse, The Raconteurs, Bloc Party).

The band currently graces the cover of Outburn magazine, which declares, “the band’s new album is a compelling modern day masterpiece.”

Bassist Max Green will be returning to the band after entering rehab for drug and alcohol addiction last November.

See all the bands on the Dead Masquerade tour perform this Sunday at Ace of Spades. General admission tickets are $21.95, all fees included. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m. The show is all ages.

Steven Chea on "Welcome back, Papa Roach"

2011-02-28T22:37:35Z

Thanks for the comments! Fun show - they'll always be a draw here.

First annual Brazilian Carnaval in Sac

2011-02-28T07:30:06Z

The Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro is a world-famous festival held before Lent every year, featuring elaborate floats and parades, street festivals, music and dance.

Sacramento held its own scaled-down version Saturday night, the first annual presented by the Brazilian Center for Cultural Exchange of Sacramento.

Held in the very chilly McCulley Brothers parking garage on 1616 I St., the inaugural event featured performances by the Fenix Drum & Dance Company and SambaDá, drumming and capoeira demonstrations by Agua de Beber, and several food and product vendors.

Vendors in attendance were a hodgepodge not restricted to a Carnaval theme, including natural skin cream product-makers Love Down Dog, urban wear designers Go Hard Clothing and DirectTV.

Curiously, there was not a large selection of Brazilian food available, but there was a vendor selling home-cooked chicken, rice and potatoes (described by the cooks as Peruvian) and another booth set up by El Patrón Bar & Grill on Folsom selling tacos and margaritas.

There was a consistently long line for small caipirinhas, Brazil's national cocktail made with cachaça (a liquor made from fermented sugar cane), sugar and lime, which were handmade by a lone person and served in polystyrene coffee cups filled with ice.

Highlights included the Afro dance and drumming of Fenix Drum & Dance Company, the Afro-Brazilian samba stylings of Santa Cruz-based SambaDá, and the drumming and capoeira demonstrations of Agua de Beber, a local arts academy.

It was hard not to enjoy the music and move as SambaDá played. Vocalist Dandha Da Hora interacted with the crowd and brought people on stage to show off their samba skills, and also led everyone on the floor in an organized Brazilian line dance, moving in time to the rhythms on stage.

The Agua de Beber troupe entertained by marching through the crowd, playing their bass drums, atabaques and berimbaus, singing and stopping to perform capoeira and maculele (an Afro-Brazilian dance characterized by two people in a circle dancing and rhythmically striking sticks ("grimas") together.)

Shortcomings notwithstanding, it's great that the first steps toward creating a great Carnaval Brasileiro party and experience in Sacramento have been taken. Hopefully we can look forward to seeing this event develop and grow.

Welcome back, Papa Roach

2011-02-28T06:01:35Z

Vacaville natives Papa Roach certainly know how to make an entrance.

Friday night at Ace of Spades opening bands Track Fighter and Will Haven had just finished their sets. As Queens of the Stone Age's "No One Knows" played on the PA during the set change before Papa Roach came out, something on stage (a light?) blew with a loud pop, giving off small plumes of smoke and triggering the fire alarm. Cue the firefighters walking through the sold-out crowd a few minutes later, but there was no indication that it was anything more than a precaution.

Thankfully it turned out to be a non-issue. The show went on as planned, and guy-linered frontman Jacoby Shaddix and company came out to much love from the international crowd (Shaddix said he recognized people from New York, London and Texas) and kicked things off with "Kick in the Teeth" from their latest album, "Time for Annihilation: On the Record & On the Road."

Years of touring and performing have not slowed down Shaddix. Whether he was revitalized by Sacramento or not, he made his presence felt — fingers pointing, wild eyes, jumping on speakers — as the band tore through energetic versions of "Lifeline," "Blood Brothers" and "Burn."

"Is Sacramento in this motherfucker?" he shouted, egging on the crowd. "Is Vacaville in this motherfucker?”

They were, and they were loving it.

Up next was radio-friendly "Hollywood Whore," and then banger "Broken Home," with its nasty, catchy guitar riffs. Shaddix's voice sounded a little hoarse, but the guys were still setting them up and knocking them down.

"It's great to be here in Sac! NorCal!" Shaddix said. "I've been tripping around the world for the last 10 years, and it's been a long time — a few years — since we've played a club show in Sac. I want to say thanks to Bret Bair and Eric Rushing for buying this venue so there's a proper place to see rock ‘n’ roll here. It's up to you to keep this place open by coming to see shows here!"

The alt-rock onslaught continued with "The Enemy," "Scars," "Getting Away with Murder," "Forever" and "Between Angels and Insects," a well-rounded set with radio singles balanced evenly with those cuts lesser known to the casual fan (who were probably few and far between at this show).

It's always interesting to see a successful band play a homecoming show. There was definitely a heavy sense of electric connection between band and audience in the air, and based on conversation I overheard, the VIP section was filled with family and friends. (I understand Shaddix lives in El Dorado Hills with his family, and guitarist Jerry Horton and family live in the Sacramento area as well.)

The cash-cow of the Papa Roach catalog, "Last Resort," was saved for the last song of the encore, ending a fun night and bringing it all back full circle, as Shaddix announced:

"We're gonna take it back to the fucker that started it all!"

Steven Chea on "A Different Kind of Jack Gallagher"

2011-02-27T22:44:08Z

Nice words and pics, Ron.

Steven Chea on "It's Beer Week! Bottoms up!"

2011-02-27T22:40:50Z

Excellent write-up -- you really know how to make a guy feel like he missed out on something.

Steven Chea on "Papa Roach: Two-night stand at Ace of Spades this weekend"

2011-02-25T21:28:39Z

Update: Both shows are now sold out.

Papa Roach: Two-night stand at Ace of Spades this weekend

2011-02-25T01:01:56Z

No discussion on alternative rock circa 2000 would be complete without mention of Papa Roach and their radio-ready hit single “Last Resort,” especially if you were in high school or college during that time.

The Vacaville band (also known for singles “Scars,” “Forever” and “Lifeline”) broke out of Sacramento and went on to sell more than 10 million albums worldwide. They return this weekend for a two-night stand at the recently opened venue Ace of Spades, touring behind their seventh album, "Time for Annihilation."

More alternative rock than nu-metal now, the band can probably still be counted on to deliver a high-energy rock show filled with heavy guitars, sharp hooks and “guy liner.”

Papa Roach performs at Ace of Spades this Friday (with special guests Will Haven and Track Fighter) and Saturday (with special guests Middle Class Rut and Lonely Kings). General admission tickets are $29.95, all fees included. 7 p.m. doors and 7:30 p.m. start. All ages.

Note: Saturday's show appears to be sold out, but tickets are available for Friday.

Growls, screams at Soundcheck showcase at Ace of Spades

2011-02-21T05:31:52Z

Ace of Spades hosted its second event Saturday night, an "all locals" show called "SacShows Presents: Soundcheck", featuring performances by Oneira, Above The City, Carcerys Vale, Batten Down Your Heart, City of Kings, The Winter Formal and Ten After Two.

The theme for the night seemed to be "screamo," and it was delivered in spades (pun intended) with the exception of maybe The Winter Formal, which leans more toward sung vocals.

The tattooed and skintight jeans-wearing band members whipped their hair through quick 20- to 30-minute sets, cheered on by pierced and gauged teenage boys and girls, while overly aggressive males swung their fists around and ran into each other hard in the circle pit. Heavy, metal guitar riffs and machine-gun kick drums were the standard on stage, and by all accounts it was mission accomplished for Soundcheck.

The new venue Ace of Spades looks like a winner. It's a large, open space that fits nicely between Harlow's and Memorial Auditorium, size-wise. There are lots of places to sit, and the audio sounds good. The venue boasts an busy upcoming slate of Boardwalk-type medium-sized acts, including As I Lay Dying, Travie McCoy, and (hed) p.e.

A pending liquor license prevented alcohol sales Saturday night, but it didn't seem to be a large issue due to the largely underage crowd (and band members). A bartender said they expect to have a license "hopefully next week."

Steven Chea on "More than one million boxes of Girl Scout cookies delivered"

2011-02-20T01:45:33Z

Nice photo essay!

Monsters of Bass tour brings bass, dub to Town House Lounge

2011-02-20T00:58:06Z

It's dirty, it's grimy, it's nasty.

The two musical genres of bass and dubstep continue to spread through the underground and infiltrate the mainstream. See some of dub and bass music's finest purveyors -- FreQ Nasty, MartyParty and Opiuo -- this Tuesday when the Monsters of Bass North American tour makes a stop at Town House Lounge.

Here's some background on the performers from the Monsters of Bass press release:

A major player in London’s mid-nineties dance music revolution, the enigmatic FreQ Nasty is one of the most influential names on the bass music scene. From his earliest work on seminal UK labels Botchit & Scarper and SKINT, FreQ Nasty has since gone on to release a slew of cutting-edge records while collaborating and remixing a diverse range of artists including Fatboy Slim, Kelis, KRS One, Roots Manuva, Rodney P, and Reggae legend Junior Delgado. Recent years have seen the release of “Creator,” his crossover hit collaboration with MIA producer Switch and Santogold, and the ground breaking, genre-defying FABRICLIVE 42 mix CD which was picked as DJ Magazine’s compilation of the month. He is a regular at the Burning Man festival, where he brings his signature Bass-heavy mix of genres: from Breakbeat to DubStep, GlitchHop to DrumStep. The new FreQ Nasty EP, Dred At The Controls, will be released internationally through California’s Muti Records in January; The A Side is a fusion of lush Detroit strings, skittery 2-step beats, wobble bass with a stupendous glitched-out dub-step breakdown, while the AA Side is a drum-step roller fusing the hyper speed of drum and bass and the half-time swagger of dance-hall.

Born and raised in South Africa, MartyParty (also one half of PANTyRAID) has been coined the Iggy Pop of electronic music both for his energetic live spectacle coined the “Purple Opera” and his own “Purple Music” concept – a hybrid of electronic music, dubstep and hip hop that together forms a totally new flavor of urban beat with the pretty, hypnotic elements of electronic music and the story telling of traditional song writing. MartyParty is releasing several EP’s in late 2010, namely, “Blueberry Kush” (Out Feb. 15), “Skukuza,” “Sour Diesel” and a full length Purple album to support the Monster’s of Bass Tour on April 1.

Imagine a precisely blended concoction of tight irresistible grooves, chunk fueled bouncy beats, luscious brooding soundscapes, dollops of stomach morphing bass, and a bowl of scrumptious glitch. Welcome to the musical world of Opiuo. The highly sought after Opiuo sound is being included in DJ sets from some of the biggest names in the business and features on high profile radio stations including BBC Radio One. His latest full length release “Slurp And Giggle” was nominated for Best Dance / Electronic Release at the Australian Independent Music Awards and reached number 10 on iTunes.

FreQ Nasty, MartyParty and Opiuo perform at Town House Lounge on Tuesday, Feb 22nd. Tickets are $20. 21+. Doors at 9 p.m., show at 9:30 p.m.

Interview with Above The City guitarist Simon Pesely

2011-02-19T01:49:16Z

On the heels of an inaugural show last week featuring Rob Zombie, the first "all locals" show at new music venue Ace of Spades goes down Saturday. SacShows Presents: Soundcheck will feature performances by local bands Ten After Two, Carcerys Vale, Batten Down Your Heart, Above The City, The Winter Formal, City of Kings, and Oneira.

Above The City is a relatively young, currently unsigned band made up of members Davey Sparks (vocals), Simon Pesely (guitar), Taylor Whitehurst (guitar), Zack Lee (drums) and Toby Hart (bass).

The Sacramento Press recently spoke with Pesely, 21, about being in an up-and-coming band in Sacramento.

How did Above The City get started?

We started about nine months ago. I believe it was March of 2010. Taylor and I initially got together and started jamming, and then Davey came into the picture, and and we played with Zach, and then we had another guy on the bass. Things got more serious, so we brought our friend Toby in, and he's been with us virtually from the start as well.

Where does the name Above The City come from?

The name was Taylor's idea. It doesn't have any real particular meaning aside from the fact that it was just a name we really dug, and it was rare and unique and we liked it for that fact, and it just caught on. And it's a simple nickname, and the abbreviation is ATC.

ATC flows well.

Yeah, exactly. It's easy to remember.

How long have you been playing guitar?

I've been playing guitar for about two years now. I initially started out playing the drums and then switched over, and Taylor and I got together and started playing and it just really worked out.

What kind of gear do you use?

Peavey 5150 heads, Schecter guitars, a few different Boss effect pedals. For the most part it's pretty straightforward.

I'm pretty new to the "screamo" genre. How would you describe ATC's sound for someone who wasn't familiar with it?

It's an alternative, poppy sound with the higher vocals and more in-depth melodies, and really heavy, crunching breakdowns. Hardcore, screamo, a little bit of everything in there.

What sets apart a good screamo song from the rest?

I think it's really just being unique and being able to combine all styles — a lot of smooth transitions and just showing your talent and that you can all work as one. Being prolific, you know?

What do you think about the current music scene in Sacramento?

I'd say the scene right now is really strong. There's a good driving force of young teens to mid-20s and older. Everyone's being really supportive. There's so much family for all the bands out there. The scene is this connected web of musical allegiance, I guess is a good way of putting it.

It's great to see the Sac music scene coming about. Eric Rushing is a guy who's doing a great thing by opening this venue, and everyone is working really hard to make the Sacramento music scene better. I couldn't even say it lacks really. There's a lot of great shows coming through here. Ace of Spades is going to open up huge doors.

I'm looking forward to checking out Ace of Spades. It looks like it's going to be pretty cool.

It's definitely going to be, I think, one of the biggest assets to Sacramento's music scene in the history of the music scene, hands down. Large capacity, better sound, better quality, everything.

What local bands are you into?

Ten After Two. They're great guys. They're really young and they got a lot of talent, a lot of good stuff going for them. Carcerys Vale is another really good one. They're great friends of ours, good musicians. They're coming up really big in the world.

What's your favorite venue to perform at?

It's always fun to play at the Boardwalk. There are always a lot of great shows out there. Now, everyone is really, truly looking forward to Ace of Spades. This one coming up is the big shebang for us. We're all really excited and really proud to be playing it.

What can people expect when they go to see ATC perform?

We're really into the music. We have a great light show. A guy named Aaron Muir does lights for us, and he does a really good job at it. We're really solid playing live, and energetic. We're out here doing what we love: trying to spread the word and be as unique as possible, bring the fans out and play good music.

Any plans for a tour in the near future?

We're hoping to by the middle of this year. We're planning on going out and hitting a few dates in Southern California and hopefully a lot more than that. In the next month or so we should have a lot more things set in stone.

What's your ultimate goal as you continue to pursue music?

Our ultimate goal is to hopefully get signed to a record label, and to get out there and tour and spread the word, enjoy the scene and meet new people, and to travel and see the world.

What's next for ATC?

We actually just went and recorded some stuff, and we have some really good news we'll be dropping here in the next month or so. We're really excited we're with Outerloop Management. They're doing a lot of good stuff for us. As of right now, we're just marketing and trying to get ourselves out there more and more. We just released a brand new studio update, our first one ever today, actually — our very first video blog.

As a fairly young band, you guys have made a lot of progress.

Yeah, we work really hard. We dedicated our lives to it. We spend every day practicing, nonstop. Davey lives in Yuba City and Taylor lives in Stockton, so we have long commutes. We put in a lot of miles to come and play every day and make sure we're solid.

This takes 100 percent dedication.You're going to have your ups and downs regardless, and it's about being able to prosper through that, and keep the right mindset and stay on the right track.

Support local live music and see Above The City perform Saturday at Ace of Spades. General admission tickets are $13.95 and include service fees. All ages. 5 p.m. doors, 6 p.m. show.

Steven Chea on "Valentine's Day, doggy style"

2011-02-16T05:32:37Z

Nope.

Steven Chea on "Fargo Fog"

2011-02-14T15:52:49Z

Very cool.

Sugar & Gold with Yip Deceiver at Blue Lamp

2011-02-14T02:48:52Z

There was a surprisingly small turnout for Sugar & Gold and Yip Deceiver, two quality indie acts, at Blue Lamp Saturday night. Maybe the numerous free options of Second Saturday kept folks away, but, despite the numbers, both groups turned out solid performances.

Yip Deceiver — featuring Of Montreal members Davey Pierce and Nicolas Dobbratz — took the stage late and kicked things off with their take on experimental electro pop, performing songs including "Sadie Hawkins Day" and "For All the Haters."

Pierce bantered with the crowd constantly — "People who know me, who truly know me, know I like two things: karaoke and meth. We're going to do some karaoke, because that's fun for us." — and engaged by coming down off stage to sing and dance.

Sugar & Gold continued the disco-funk assault, again with Dobbratz on keys and Pierce (this time on drums) who were joined by Philipp Minnig on vocals and guitar. Minnig shone in his sparkly houndstooth jacket, white Ray-Ban frames and Wham!-era George Michael dance stylings. The group's ‘80s synth riffs, sleazy beats and R&B crooning had pretty much every single person on the floor dancing and having a great time.

"Let's work off those beers," Minnig said. "C'mon, it's sexy time!"

It was a great workout, and a shame more people didn't come sweat it out.