We have a wide variety of genres here this week and all sorts of interesting options.

I hope one of these shows intrigues you!

Monday, August 31st: Tori Amos at SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center - There’s a good chance that you are already familiar with Tori Amos and her music. She has been around since the early 90’s making really good music! Raw and emotional lyrics, and a beautiful mezzo-soprano voice. She was actually, in all earnestness, a child prodigy, able to recreate any song on the piano after hearing it only once…when she was five.

This is basically a legacy pinnacle show, if you go to this, the real music-heads will know you’re serious. If you need more convincing, Bartees Strange is opening, and Bartees makes some of the most introspective and genre-blending music I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. This guy can mix trap beats, R&B vocal deliveries, guitar riffs, and techno rhythms, all while gaining the collaboration of Hayley Williams, Phoebe Bridgers, Samia, ScHoolboy Q and more.

• Tickets to Tori Amos

Tuesday, September 1st: Lightnin’ Luke at Cafe Colonial - Now for this artist, maybe you aren’t aware of him, and to my knowledge he wasn’t a child prodigy, however, he still has the chops! Playing fiddle, both classical and electric has given Lightnin’ Luke a very successful and eclectic career spanning over 20 years. Not only a solo artist, one of his other projects is a group (Bridge City Sinners) that mixes Prohibition-era jazz and Appalachian death folk. Sorry, I just really couldn’t resist writing that all out.

If you want to boogie at the hootenanny, go to this show!

• Tickets to Lightnin’ Luke

Wednesday, September 2nd: HAYLA at Ace of Spades - Ready for the week to get crazy but it isn’t Friday yet? That’s ok, because we have one of electronic music’s most prominent vocalists to disrupt our weekday lull. If you enjoy EDM and have wondered about beautiful vocals on a particular song, there’s like a 40% chance it’s HAYLA. So prepare for probably a mixture of some of the powerhouse vocals you’ve heard on songs by John Summit, MEDUZA, Kygo and others and the newer, more vulnerable and evocative music she has put out herself. Probably going to be very vibey.

• Tickets to HAYLA

Thursday, September 3rd: 12th Annual Behind the Barre: Outdoor Arts Festival at The CLARA - Join audiences as they are able to see 6 different world premiere dance performances, live music, open studios, a Maker’s Mart, plus food trucks and beverages. It’s a whole night dedicated to the arts, all the arts, music included so I am putting in this blog because that is my perogative!

• Tickets to 12th Annual Behind the Barre

Friday, September 4th: k?d at The Rink Studios - For Friday, we like to dance this week! Also it is pronounced “kid” despite the spelling. Enjoy melodic bass, synthwave, and generally uplifting EDM. Praised for his ability to create a vibe by some elder EDM artists like Illenium, Steve Aoki, and Seven Lions but also getting interest in remixing music from artist like Hayley Kiyoko and The Weeknd, k?d seems to be able to make it fun wherever he goes. Might be a great way to decompress from the week!

• Tickets to k?d

Saturday, September 5th: Jazz Gitan at The Side Door or Forever Goldrush at Torch Club - Two options for Saturday! First one, coming right up.

Jazz Gitan is an acoustic jazz ensemble that makes jazz manouche style music. This style was invented by Django Reinhardt and Stephané Grappelli in France in 1934. What makes this ensemble unique is that there are no drums. The rhythm guitars use a special percussive strumming style called "la pompe" to keep the beat. This music mixes Romani folk styles with 1930’s American swing. Unique and fun, hard not to dance to! Put on your chapeau and get down there.

If you’d not ready to immerse yourself into the smoky Parisian underworld then head to Torch Club to see Forever Goldrush. Forever Goldrush makes Americana-style music but really, it’s Californicana, a mixture of bluegrass, folk and rock & roll, alongside lyricism that comes to life, and almost feels like poetry. Torch Club is a great space to see them in.

• Tickets to Jazz Gitan

• No tickets necessary for Forever Goldrush, music starts at 9 PM, $15 at the door

Sunday, September 6th: The Deslondes at The Starlet Room - Ok, we are finishing off the week strong here! Head to The Starlet Room to see a triple bill that’s worth seeing everyone on it! Desiree Cannon, a folk musician from Norcal will open the show, using her guitar and sweet voice to ask questions and make you ponder. Then, Shana Cleveland, vocalist & lead guitarist of La Luz will amaze you on stage with her skills, I assume a couple songs might be from La Luz discography but be ready for her solo stuff as well! It won’t all be noir surf rock.

Then to cap it all off, The Deslondes, an everything band (that’s what I call a band who blends influences from folk, rock 'n' roll, bluegrass, R&B, American roots music, blues, gospel, country, and zydeco) that will blow the top off the building if given the chance. Hailing from New Orleans, The Deslondes will represent the troubadours of old they love with style and grace. Gonna be a cool show!

• Tickets to The Deslondes

That’s it for this week! I am all out of recommendations. September is around the corner, and with it, better weather, lots of activities and concerts and the year keeps on rolling doesn’t it?

More to come as always, but enjoy this! Go out and see a show!

Welcome back to the music ‘sletter. I still don’t know if I like that term but I do see it now and again ha. We have a great week of music coming up, something for everyone and every taste!

As we get closer and closer to fall, the offerings will increase, immensely! Just bide your time, wait out the heat of August and wait for the windfall!

Monday, August 24th: Courtney Barnett at Channel 24 - Australian rockstar Courtney Barnett will grace Sacramento with her presence, touring her new-ish album Creature of Habit, a bright, intelligent and instinctual grouping of songs all about stopping being your own worst enemy. She is without a doubt one of the best guitarists around right now. It’s simple, she rocks. This one will be a great way to start off the week!

• Tickets to Courtney Barnett

Tuesday, August 25th: Nox Novacula at Cafe Colonial - Gothic deathrock, a very solid encapsulation of what this band is like. Roughly translated, the name in Latin means night razor…you can kind of gather what it’s all about even from these brief descriptions! They make music that is dark, moody and brooding, truly gothic in it’s appreciation. We’re basically in pre-Halloween, so you might as well embrace it.

• Tickets to Nox Novacula

Wednesday, August 26th: Black Marble at Harlow’s - Black Marble. One of my OG favorite bands, I am so happy they are coming to Sacramento! Black Marble makes music that feels like an Escher drawing at times, but is also hopeful and buoyant, despite sounding like unemotional coldwave music. Picture lots of reverberating baritone vocals, drum machine bass lines and striking lyrics. DO NOT MISS THIS if you’re remotely a fan of this genre, or adjacent genres.

• Tickets for Black Marble

Thursday, August 27th: J. Cole at Golden 1 Arena - Please check out my fellow Aquarian J. Cole as he triumphantly embarks on a full world tour for his most recent studio album. Now I wasn’t always a very big J. Cole fan, I thought that his fans hyped him up a bit too much by claiming he was writing much more intelligent lyrics than contemporary rappers but I did listen to this album and J. Cole doesn’t sound the same to me. Don’t get me wrong he still has contemplative lyrics that echo his patient and developed psyche, and he still manages to create clever rhyme schemes. But he said this was his final album so there’s some newness to it as well, some humor and edge I hadn’t picked up on before. Probably worth it to see him if it’s indeed his last album. Wait until right before the show starts or so if you want a cheaper resale ticket via Ticketmaster.

• Tickets to J. Cole

Friday, August 28th: Mother Venom at Lucid Winery and/or chokecherry at The Starlet Room and/or Blackwater at Powerhouse Pub - Lots of options for a Friday! And technically because of timing, you could attend the first one then choose either of the other two and have an extremely productive and enjoyable evening! Or you could be bold and try to do all three.

If you want to start your Friday as a relaxing and classy evening with some wine, some friends, and a general fancy feel for the end of the work week, head to Lucid Winery to check out Mother Venom do a whole set while you enjoy the wine and the nibbles. Mother Venom is a multi-hyphenate artist located right here in Sacramento. This artist can dance, do comedy, MC an event, sing, rap and freestyle all within a 10 minute period of time. A truly captivating performer, I can’t recommend this event enough!

Next! You have options. First, chokecherry! After the duo met on Hinge and realized the partnership they needed was in the studio and not romantic, chokecherry started to make amazing music! Alternative grunge shoegaze, incorporating aspects from the myriad counterculture sonic options of The Bay Area, and really driving home that being an empathetic human is not only important but also makes you rock! Amazing lyrics, great sounds that change on a dime, high energy. Match made in heaven.

Now if you would rather go a bit more outlaw country rock with the evening then there is another option! Head out to Powerhouse Pub and check out Blackwater, a 5-piece band with heavy guitar riffs, can’t help but dance groove, and powerful vocals. This is rock as you imagine it from the 90’s. These guys were there!

Plus the food at Powerhouse is good. This band will be playing on the early side as well, 6:30 to 8:30. So technically you could actually do all three events but that’s insane. Who would attempt that?

• No tickets necessary for Mother Venom at Lucid Winery, show starts at 6:30PM, buy a drink though!

• Tickets to Blackwater

• Tickets to chokecherry

Saturday, August 29th: Raq baby at The Rink Studios or Imaginary Tricks at Slither Art Gallery - More options!

Raq baby blends Atlanta new rap sensibilities with the intensity of Chicago drill to create something uniquely his. Witty and dramatic bars pair well with the insane beats Raq baby manages to coax into becoming actual songs. This is a relative newcomer on the scene but I think he’s one to watch out for. Seems like a really good time! Plus The Rink Studios is a genuinely nice venue, so probably will be a party in there!

But if you have other ideas about what you want to do with your Saturday night, then head to midtown to Slither Gallery to check out a cool little show! We’ve got Reno band Honey Plant, and New York City indie band Imaginary Tricks to round out the bill. Enjoy eclectic music surrounded by amazing works of art. I always like a show with an alternative venue.

• Tickets to Raq baby

• Tickets to Slither Gallery

Sunday, August 30th: DJ Pauly D at West Lot - And to finish up the week if you’re still interested in partying, the lot behind Bar West turns into an event space at times and DJ Pauly D will perform there. I actually think I already recommended a show from DJ Pauly D in a past blog but ultimately expect classic 2000’s and 2010’s hits mixed with EDM and mashups. Imagine you’re at a pool party in Vegas, that’s what it will feel like. Close out the week on a high!

• Tickets to DJ Pauly D

That’s it for this week! I have given you a ton of options! Please enjoy at least one of them! I usually try to throw in a free thing if I can find it but I’ve done that less so recently, so I will try to find some more affordable options as well for future listings.

Go out and see a show, stay cool and talk soon!

As Louis Dudek once said “There is no original sin. It’s all been done before.”

As Ecclesiastes 1:9 said “It has all been done before; there is nothing new under the sun.”

We can gather, almost ironically, that many people have come to the same conclusion. As the sentiment goes, there is no original thought, idea, action, impulse, song, dance, story and on and on and on. We as humans simply derive new stories from the same old tired garbs our ancestors donned.

The point I am trying to make is that it’s interesting that in music, it feels like we are reaching ever deeper into new terrain…and yet. And yet! We are also reminiscing always, and the youth seem to be digging up the old skeletons to dance with again.

Take, for example, two artists. Contemporary artists! One, DJ Dave and another The Womack Sisters.

DJ Dave, an insanely talented DJ, who makes music out of computer code. Not AI, not just beeps, this is music that has a soul but is literally coded. You can watch her code live to make songs. It’s absolutely unreal, especially considering how good the music is! If you cannot imagine what I mean, I included a video below.

As you can see, she is …performing(?) live! She is live-coding and her coding makes actual music. This is like future shit people! Don’t get it twisted, she’s getting the recognition she deserves, this isn’t a cry for more attention on her music, I am simply pointing out that if even 20 years ago you had brought this kind of idea up, only a handful of people in the world would have been able to visualize what that product/art might look like.

Her system is a complicated one, using multiple channels from the DJ equipment, and an additional channel coming right from her computer. She live codes, which produces the sound from her computer and she mixes the channels together live to generate the completed sound. The visual effects are just the cherry on top, with many audience members appreciating being able to see the code and the DAW in visual form, so prospectively, you could emulate it on your own. I wouldn’t even know where to begin, but I do know the music is good! I want to dance to it. This kind of music has been dubbed “algorave”…

I am not sure how to feel about that. But I am conflicted in general about genres—if you have read some of this blog before, you’ll have seen that sentiment come up before—but let’s come back to that point.

DJ Dave is making music from the furthest reaches of technology as far as I am concerned. I am certain we are going to see more of this. And in general, we seem to producing more and more of this kind of music, music that is rooted in EDM but is expanding the sounds of what once was a sort of dependable and easily recognizable genre. It is now an expansive and incredibly diverse genre. Frost Children, DJ Dave, Slayyyter, Snow Strippers, Twoshell, Underscores, Ninajirachi, the list goes on and on…

Star Trek shit, we’re in a new frontier. And yet.

And yet! As we simultaneously reach far, far into the future, with music that comes from 0’s and 1’s, we also seem to be digging and clawing back into the old earth for what feels familiar.

Have you heard of The Womack Sisters? If you have not, you better start investigating, post haste. The Womack Sisters are actual sisters, a trio, related to Bobby Womack, godchildren of Sam Cooke, and have the actual pipes, lyrics and harmonies to be compared to the return of classic 1960s soul and retro girl groups reminiscent of the Motown era.

This music is good, it’s soulful, it’s evocative, and it sometimes gives me chills! These sisters have been in the game for a while, but with the release of their newest album (on Friday 8/14, so new is very accurate) they have been catapulted to a new level. With write-ups on Bandcamp, Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, and other venerated publications too many to note here, these girls are on the rise. I mean, they opened for Al Green at the Hollywood Bowl!

This trio is far from the only artist/group who brings something older and more golden to the musicscape of today. While EDM and other related music seems to be all chrome and electrical currents, this resurgence of soul-esque music seems to come from a more gilded and afternoon sunlight place. The Womack Sisters are one of many. To name a few more, Leon Bridges, Thee Sacred Souls, Baby Rose (who actually sounds like Nina Simone at times, I kid you not) even to a point Lola Young, who seems to be inhabiting the Amy Winehouse mantle from across the pond.

There’s something there, the smooth rhythms, the voices that carry both a heaviness but also a velvety quality, the twinkles in the background. The music feels good even when the lyrics are despairing.

So how can we explain this phenomenon? This schism that seems to be a neverending ouroboros, a snake eating its own tail in perpetuity. While we seem to be racing ahead to make music out of circuitry, we also seem to be reviving and even revitalizing a genre once thought of as ended. At least the golden era was thought to have been over.

What makes these two things possible at the same time? Well, humans are full of contradictions aren’t they?

At times, it feels like a tension in the industry. It isn’t really, but genres don’t help really do they? Humans desire to categorize goes far beyond music, it is a biological imperative, we classify and codify everything we see and encounter.

But if it sounds like soul but gets put into pop is that a bad thing? If the song is algorave but gets put into EDM, does that damage the song or the artist? No, not really.

I recently watched an interview with Ravyn Lenae, a pop artist (who just released an album recently, called Blue Island, really good! Give it a listen) who talked very candidly about how the music she made was different from what they expected from a black girl so they called it alternative R&B but in reality she makes pop music, it’s simply pop music, but because she is black making pop music, the industry doesn’t really want to call it pop, because she is black. It must be an offshoot of R&B, because black people can’t make pure pop.

Obviously this is incorrect. But I understand the genre-defining problem. This is an insane metaphor but the one that came to my head first.

Imagine you are in a room, with let’s say 5 barrels, each barrel has some existing water in it but also room to be filled. There are also some materials in the corner to build more barrels. You are instructed to go a tap on the side of the room, and put your hands out in a cupping motion so you can carry some water to a vessel. You realize the water won’t stay in your hands forever, but instead of building new barrels, you simply pour the water from your hands into any of the existing barrels because you don’t want to lose it. The water should be put into new barrel but you don’t have the time, inclination or desire to build a lot of new barrels (genres) for each handful of music…I mean water!

There’s just too much water (music) coming out of the tap too quickly for you to be able to transport it to the right barrel (genre) in time. Plus what you really need is a barrel for every genre, but you don’t have the time or the inclination to build new barrels while the water is coming out of the tap, so in an effort to preserve and categorize the water (music), you put it into a preexisting barrel. Maybe the music is really hyper pop but because the barrel doesn’t exist yet you put it into the EDM barrel.

Luckily as time moves on, more barrels do get made. New genres are codified.

See, it’s an insane metaphor but it makes sense to me and hopefully to you. We as listeners and consumers, really want to put a category to music. But sometimes it’s just music. Really good music that bridges many aspects, eras and sounds.

And what does this have to with DJ Dave and The Womack Sisters? Well not much. But in my desire to try to understand how we can be simultaneously so far ahead and also actively twisting backwards, it came to me that by trying to define things so specifically, I was probably putting limitations on my listening. And certainly the music industry does.

We’re not really looking back into time or moving into the future. We’re doing what we always have, which something that’s been done time and time again! We doing it because it’s all been done before.

I guess this started as one thing but ended as another entirely. Pretty common in the music world.

Now I am just personally looking forward to more listening!

Thanks for joining me again this week. Apologies for the no blog last week, I left Outside Lands to go up to South Lake Tahoe for a work thing and spent about 48 hours in a frenzy of motion, music and sleepiness. Some weeks it just doesn’t come together. Luckily, I made a promise to myself this week that I was going to buckle down and really commit again, and well, here we are.

Two notes.

1. Consider checking out Encore, an app built by former Spotify employee Adam Offitzer. I got offered a sneak peek into the site, which hopes to become a sort of Lettboxd for concerts. If you’re one of those people who has a running list of all the concerts they’ve been to then this is the app for you. It also allows a sort of social media effect but without the worry of brainrot. You’re still seeing people’s actions (.i.e concerts they’ve gone to) and are able to interact a bit, see who shares your taste but you’re not obligated to do anything but log your shows. If you are someone who wants to recall those nights well spent, this could be a good option. Got to be honest, I think it’s still in beta mode, but consider reading about Encore in these articles! Then consider downloading it when it comes available to all users.

2. Is anyone more familiar with what’s going on at Press Club right now? I have seen some stuff online that they’re shorting artists who are touring there, or at least not paying what they should…anyone got the scoop? I do have a show listed below that will be there but the band is very cool so I wanted to highlight it. However, I don’t want to support a venue that isn’t supporting the community. Fill me in if you know!

And now the music!

Monday, August 17th: Knight & Gallow at Cafe Colonial - Fantasy-inspired heavy doom metal. At first glance maybe these things don’t go together but in actuality they very much do!

You know the orcs and the Uruk Hai from The Lord of The Rings? Well if they weren’t so busy doing the bidding of Sauron and Saruman, and instead had time to make some music, this is what it would sound like…to me. Epic and loud, with clashes of drumming and thundering guitar. The songs thrash around like a beast that’s been beheaded and isn’t dying. If this is your thing, check these guys out, they’re from right here in Sacramento.

• Tickets to Knight & Gallow

Tuesday, August 18th: MS.BOAN at The Starlet Room - If you like synth-driven, sexy and dark music then you simply must go to see MS.BOAN at The Starlet Room. Fresh off of the Dolores Stage at Outside Lands complete with disco balls, pole dancers and a fired up crowd, MS.BOAN is going to shake up Starlet just the same. These guys make amazing music that makes you feel like you’re the getaway driver in a movie like Drive but a bit sexier than that if you can imagine. This one will be fun!

• Tickets to MS.BOAN

Wednesday, August 19th: Honestav at Ace of Spades - Honestav makes music for the people in LA who are fed up with the other people in LA! A talented guy when it comes to pointing out the raw emotionality of living life, and the annoyances that come with being around uninspired and vapid people. A common thread in music if we’re being honest (pun intended)! The music is a mix of rap, alternative rock and acoustic guitar. This one is for the people who used to love Asher Roth. I think this guy is the inheritor of the crown.

• Tickets to Honestav

Thursday, August 20th: Omari Tau w/ Jacam Manricks at The Sofia - Mix talented saxophonist Jacam Manricks with the fluid and dynamic vocal stylings of Omari Tau and you get a show that allows you to hear songs that blur the lines between jazz, blues, folk, and soul. This is a classy one, if you have a date to impress this one might do it. Early show and a later show too for all those jazzy night owls.

• Tickets to Omari Tau w/ Jacam Manricks

Friday, August 21st: Desario at Press Club - Indie rock rooted in 1990’s Britpop, shoegaze, dreampop and post-punk, what more could you ask for?! Desario was formed a couple years ago right here in Sacramento and they absolutely rip! They have a very atmospheric sound, and you can hear all the layers that go into each song, sometimes even hearing new things after many listens. They remind me of Interpol a bit. Very exciting!

• Tickets to Desario

Saturday, August 22nd: hellogoodbye at Channel 24 - If you are around my age then you are familiar (most likely) with the song “Here In Your Arms” by hellogoodbye. I’d like to first say that this song is an actual bop! Like I would dance to this song to this day. This song and so many others, and then by extension the bands that made them were so important to people in their early teens at the time. The scene/emo/pop punk phase was not a phase Mom! I say do it for the absolute nostalgia, and the knowledge that if we moshed at Warped Tour now, we’d throw out our necks. Dance in comfort in the A/C instead. Bring out the scene bangs!

• Tickets to hellogoodbye

Sunday, August 23rd: Tropidelic at Goldfield Trading Post - Blending funk, reggae, hip-hop and more into its own special thing, Tropidelic manages to create energy from sheer sound and willpower. I’ve seen dead dance floors fill up as soon as a song comes on. The positivity that is shown in the lyrics from this band is impressive. A lot of being present, and being grateful. Seems like a nice way to end the week. Dance a little and love a lot.

• Tickets to Tropidelic

That’s it for this week! As per usual, here are my thoughts. I am working on finishing some interviews and hopefully will be more present in that part of this blog. Everyone I know works hard and has a life! As they should! Which brings me to my next point.

Make sure you go out and have some fun! Go see a show because honestly it really will cheer you up, 9 times out of 10. I’ve had the benefit of seeing a lot of amazing music recently with plans already being made to do more silly adventures later this year.

It really helps me stay even-keeled within this crazy life we’re all living. It’s good to have things to look forward to! So if you can, go see a show.

It was also a test of sorts, and I am sort of glad I did it because, happily, I missed writing the blog! I missed the communication and the research. To me that’s actually great because that means I want to continue doing this project. Some weeks it’s tough to pull it all together but it challenges me and inspires me to do so.

So I am happy you’re here and I am excited to get back into it all. Without further ado, let’s talk about music!

Monday, August 3rd: False Flowers at Cafe Colonial - Friends of blog and hometown heroes False Flowers will be putting on a show on Monday! Dark and moody, their music has an eerie quality that feels appropriate for a Monday. Expect synth, guitar, emotional lyrics and a punk rock attitude. Express your frustrations about life, love, the heat and everything else at this one. False Flowers will be joined by Bleakness, Eyes Out and Rose Lyon on the bill.

• Tickets to False Flowers

Tuesday, August 4th: Paris Jackson at Harlow’s or Don Toliver at Golden 1 Center - Options, options, we got options babies! Two very different artists but talented in their own respective ways.

Paris Jackson, yes, daughter to Michael Jackson, makes music in the indie, grunge inspired category. She has released music for years now, and critics have praised her melancholic lyrics and raw emotion that come across from her tunes. Kind of a fun one.

If you want to get hyped up instead of toned down then head to Golden 1 Center for an explosive night watching Don Toliver perform the Octane Tour. Don Toliver makes a special blend of R&B and rap that materializes into a cinematic experience. This is a guy who knows how to craft a vibe. He also has an almost instantly recognizable voice. For a song that helps you understand what I mean, check out “No Pole.”

• Tickets to Paris Jackson

• Tickets to Don Toliver

Wednesday, August 5th: Megan Moroney at Golden 1 Center - Self-labeled the “Emo Cowgirl”, Megan Moroney present country music as pop forward and unabashedly in touch with its feelings. Having received accolades from other country artists, plus the endorsement of Rolling Stone, Billboard and more, she’s someone to watch as the genre of country slowly unfolds and changes as the younger artists claim more of it back.

• Tickets to Megan Moroney

Thursday, August 6th: La Luz at Harlow’s or The New Era at Starlet Room - Options! We still have them! And conveniently so, they are in the same building, just stacked on top of each other.

If you like layered vocal harmonies, a surf rock edge, all women bands, Seattle or any combination of these, then you must see La Luz at Harlow’s. They put on a good show, and they sound good doing it. Picture The Shirelles rocking out but still singing like angels.

However, if you are in more of a rambunctious mood, head upstairs to The Starlet Room and check out The New Era, A.K.A. local rappers Butane Baby and Brandon Mack, alongside special guests Joe Lakota, Rated R and James Droptop. This is a show where the verses are rapid fire flowing, the surprises don’t stop and the energy is high. Come support young rappers in this town!

• Tickets to La Luz

• Tickets to The New Era

Friday, August 7th: Michelle Lambert at The Side Door - Virtuoso violinist Michelle Lambert is ready to make you question everything you thought you knew about the violin. She’s genre-defying if we’re being honest, and is a very good performer. She makes musical stew, taking everything and anything from pop to classical, mixes it all together and makes it all sound wonderful. This one will be fun!

• Tickets to Michelle Lambert

Saturday, August 8th: Man Man at Harlow’s or Benefit for NorCal Resist at Cafe Colonial - And more options! I do like to keep you guys on your toes.

Experimental rock band Man Man is made up of…a guy! Lead vocalist, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter Ryan Kattner does all these things but on tour is surrounded by an eclectic and ever-rotating group of other multi-instrumentalist musicians and vocalists. Kattner has a long history of making interesting music but also acts and most recently was a writer/actor/composer/music supervisor on AMC's critically acclaimed TV show The Vampire Lestat, which I just finished and it was quite good.

If you want to do something good for the community, head to Cafe Colonial for NorCal Resis Benefit featuring multiple bands like Ante, Dayhike, Straggler and Chisme. NorCal Resist is an amazing grassroots organization that helps our community members in need through a variety of offerings, including hosting educational events and trainings, organizing actions and protests, and maintaining a variety of resources and programs that provide support to those in need. This organization has done much to help those in our city so we should help them too.

• Tickets to Man Man

• Tickets to NorCal Resist Benefit

Sunday, August 9th: Princess Ida at Sierra 2 - To end this wonderful week of music, we’re going in a slightly different direction than we normally do! Go see Princess Ida, one of Gilbert & Sullivan’s most interesting comic operas with one of their most intrepid heroines. Watch shenanigans unfold at this staged adaptation with a live orchestra.

• Tickets to Princess Ida

That’s it for this week! There’s more to come but it all takes time :) Some shows I am looking forward to in the future!

-Suite A, Mother Venom & Jakhari Smith at The Starlet Room on 8/14/26

-Chokecherry at The Starlet Room on 8/28/26

-Hayla at Ace of Spades on 9/2/26

-Molchat Doma at Channel 24 on 9/19/26

Go out and see a show, and protect yourself from the heat!

I am confident that if you listen to music nowadays, or read the news about pop culture or watch social media clips about current events, then you’ve seen the headlines.

It’s being referred to as Blue Dot Fever. It’s been referred to as a financial crisis. It’s being bandied about as a reason for why fans have a less and less rewarding relationship with the artists they revere.

All this to say, artists are canceling tours with faster and with greater abandon than practically ever before (of course, data was much harder to come by when concerts were at their zenith or even pre-zenith, so we are simply extrapolating this).

Blue Dot Fever refers to the blue open dots that represent open tickets on many ticketing sites, Ticketmaster being the primary one. So Blue Dot Fever, which is not some fearsome pirate plague like I thought at one point, is a sprawling phrase to explain why oh why in this age of excess, are so many famous artists canceling their tours?

The Pussycat Dolls, Aerosmith, Neil Young, Post Malone, the lists go on. Many famous artists have given up their hopes of a 2026 tour.

It’s not so confusing when a smaller group or artist makes the tough decision to cancel a leg or an entire tour. It’s extremely expensive to tour, from the gas prices nowadays, to logistics like hotels, vans, buses, parking permits, food costs, merchandise costs, equipment rentals, and those are the factors I can think of off the top of my head. That means there’s probably about 50 other things I cannot think of that would raise costs for a tour. That doesn’t even account for visas and international travel if you’re not located in the United States.

But when big names, very established and famous names, start canceling tours, it makes people think. It makes me think!!

People cite many reasons for these cancellations. I’ve already listed how expensive it is to tour as a reason. Poor ticket sales are another scapegoat—not to imply that scapegoats aren’t legitimate—because tickets are…what? Expensive!

Concert tickets in this day and age have never been more expensive, and a lot of people have never had less money despite there being more wealth in the world now than ever before. This isn’t an unfounded statement, this is a very well-researched subject.

A ticket for a small show, non-resale, online purchase could be about $35 bucks. That’s not terrible.

But let’s say you want to see a big name, maybe Young Miko at Chase Center, or Don Toliver at Golden 1 Center, or J. Cole at Crypto.com Arena.

A ticket for Young Miko, in the third ring of seats, far up near the rafters, goes for $100 and that’s pre-fees. A ticket for Don Toliver, in the second ring of seats, removed from the floor goes for $174.45, pre-fees. J. Cole tickets, resale at this point (meaning price is set by the seller, not the venue or artist) goes for over $100 at the further back seat you can imagine.

This isn’t to say that these artists aren’t worth the money, more so pointing out that artists have rising costs and so do customers, and choosing to spend $145 on a concert ticket or feeding yourself and buying essentials for a week isn’t actually that tough a call to make.

Have we lost trust in these artists? Do we feel that the products we are getting in exchange for the money is worth the spending? Does the Gildan heavyweight black band t-shirt with minimal design seriously cost $50 bucks? Does the well vodka soda at the venue bar really cost $16.94 pre-tip? These aren’t sums I’ve made up, these are real prices I’ve seen recently.

But to price it down like this eliminates the non-tangible benefits we get from seeing live music from artist we love. But you have to feel the artists themselves are feeling the pinch as well. We’re in a parasitic circle here, where they need us to buy and we need them to sell. We both feed off of each other. We both lose nutrients (money) to each other.

I don’t have a solution unfortunately. With the rise of AI music-generating services, there are worries we will lose actual music, that performances won’t happen. I am not worried about that, people will always want to see actual human beings perform. But as small venues get squeezed relentlessly and even bigger venues get subsumed by Live Nation and corporatized, it’s not alarmist to say that we’re entering a danger zone.

The only things that seem to help are the anarchist, DIY, make art however kind of mindsets that seem to have inspired music in the first place. Guerilla spaces, combining music with art shows in warehouses, shows at houses and on porches, hand screen-printed limited runs of merch, Costco runs for seltzers and sodas for donations. These actions add up.

The digital age has brought much to media. The recent Youtube livestream of Fred Again and Latin Mafia where they started the stream to make a mixtape live and wouldn’t finish it till the mixtape was completely done, mastered and released , alongside announcement of a show in Mexico City just 4 days after starting the livestream was an interesting case to study. I watched, alongside 10,000 other people as Fred Again and Latin Mafia merged the ideas of performance, music engineering, advertising, fun and and an audience seamlessly together.

Should we be heading more in that direction? Should we encourage artists to tour less? Do we decide as a nation that we need to create some sort of framework for more support for musicians, like in Europe or in Asian countries? Do we need a Ministry of Music?

Probably so…I am not optimistic with this regime in charge but perhaps somewhere in the future.

Please don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying not to spend your money on concert tickets. In fact, I am encouraging you to do so. But also don’t be discouraged. What better solution could there be than to get involved? We need all our brightest minds on this.

The good news is, that music continues to be made, every minute of every day. I have seen artists that are bucket lists artists for me, and I have spent the money to do so gladly.

But I have also been disappointed by cancellations, and poor offerings, or even badly organized events.

We need to make sure that the artists we love know we love them. But we also need to maintain financial responsibility. Concerts are not just for rich people. Music is not to be enjoyed by only the upper echelon.

It is a public service. Let’s get to brainstorming!

Welcome back to the blog! The newsletter. The ‘sletter as people on Substack are keen to coin it. I don’t particularly care what it’s called as long as some people read it and enjoy it.

We’ve got a great week of options, just some words of advice: stay hydrated! If you’re trying to have a good time in Sacramento, in the summer, and you’re going to these older venues, it will be hot! They don’t have good A/C’s!

It’s hot outside!

I don’t know how else to say it but in the vein of community care, look out for yourself!

Enough advice! Let’s talk about the music.

Monday, July 20th: Struggle Jennings at the CA State Fair - Maybe you’ve never heard of Struggle but he comes from a legacy music family. His grandfather raised him after his father died, grandfather being Waylon Jennings—country music icon—and there’s more lore. Struggle’s mother is the daughter of Duane Eddy, famous guitar player. Struggle is also the nephew to Shooter Jennings, another country star. Struggle tends to go country rap, if we had to classify and was on the roster of Yelawolf’s Slumerican label roster along with Bubba Sparxxx. If you like rap/country/outlaw type stuff, then this is your night. Additionally, this is a FREE SHOW, as long as you attend the fair.

• No need for tickets! Free concert with purchase of admission to the fair, music starts around 5PM.

Tuesday, July 21st: Lucas Gunn at Beers Books - The trend of alternative “venues” is not new, and is in fact very punk rock. The idea being that the music can happen anywhere, and to only play at corporate venues removes some of the magic. Well, allow me to ask you a question. How cool would it be to see a show in a bookstore? You’re in luck! Shopping for used tomes and then also getting to listen to some good music is a dream evening for me. Come out to see Lucas Gunn, 12-string guitar player who effortlessly mixes avante-garde ideas with classical sounds. They have lovely A/C in Beers as well.

• No tickets necessary, $10 at the door, music starts at 8PM

Wednesday, July 22nd: Serpentfoot at Cafe Colonial - Serpentfoot take psychedelia and smashes it over the head with garage indie rock. Truly distinctive sounds are hard to come by nowadays, and Serpentfoot has it. Known for energetic live shows, and surfrock-like undertones, the band has gone on record as saying “The main motivation was between trying to make music that makes people feel like they’re on drugs when they’re not, and having fun.”

They succeed on both fronts!

• Tickets to Serpentfoot

Thursday, July 23rd: Gannon Fremin at Folsom Hotel - Gannon Fremin and his band CCREV (standing for Cross County Revue) have been making traditional Red Dirt country-rock music since he was a child. In fact, the original CCREV was his extended family in Walters, OK. Fremin has a distinctive twangy growl that makes his easily distinguishable. The Folsom Hotel feels like a very appropriate venue to hear this kind of music. Wear some boots!

• Tickets to Gannon Fremin & CCREV

Friday, July 24th: 9160_NITE_001 at Press Club or Jade Silver Love Chains at Freestyle Clothing (Liestal Alley) - Ok, as we enter the weekend, we have lots of choices! You could even do both of these if you wanted to, they’re right down the street from each other!

First up, come out and hear some cool local DJ’s and acts, like Soft Culture, Reakper, Pax and more as the 9160 BPM event takes place at Press Club! A smart play on words, with 160 BPM being a common speed for beats on the DJ decks, and our signature area code being 916, I am excited to see what these guys are cooking up!

If you’d rather see your Sacramento alternative indie rock darlings then you’ve got to head to The Alley (Liestal Alley behind Freestyle Clothing Exchange) and see Jade Silver Love Chains, alongside other local heroes My Pet Fossil! All ages show, so be nice. The venue is being tried out for the first time so that will be interesting!

• Tickets to 9160_NITE_001

• No tickets necessary for Jade Silver Love Chains at The Alley, $10 at the door, music at 7:15PM

Saturday, July 25th: DEFEM at The Golden Bear or DJ Lex at Ace of Spades or Dani Thorne at The Rink Studios - Alright! Triple-header for Saturday! We are #blessed.

First up, check out DEFEM at The Golden Bear. They put on an amazing show, always full of energy and really good melodies. Think punk wrapped in art-pop, rolled in rock. Guitar riffs, drum rolls, bellowed lyrics, faultless style, they’ve got it all. This one is gonna get rowdy!

If you want to dance, like groove dance, then you’ve got to head to Ace of Spades to see DJ Lex, who has shared the stage with names like Kehlani and Bryson Tiller. DJ Lex blends of R&B and hip-hop, and manages to create a very cool vibe any time she’s on stage.

If you want to dance but not to R&B or hip-hop, then go see Dani Thorne—coincidentally Bella Thorne’s sister—who makes industrial techno mixed with high-voltage dance energy. Expect the pace to be fast, and the building to be bumping.

• No tickets necessary to DEFEM, $10 at the door, music at 8PM

• Tickets to DJ Lex

• Tickets to Dani Thorne

Sunday, July 26th: Johnny Dynamite at Cafe Colonial - Synth king Johnny Dynamite will be playing at Cafe Colonial and it’s worth going out for on a Sunday night! Like The Drums, Johnny Dynamite music edges around surf-rock, but keeps an electronic edge, and leans into post-punk rock even. This one is super cool and I’ve wanted to see them for a while!

• Tickets to Johnny Dynamite

Shows I am looking forward to in the future!

Don Toliver - Golden 1 Center

Mother Venom, Suite A & Jakhari Smith - The Starlet Room

Muse - Wheatland Ampitheatre

Black Marble - Harlow’s

That’s it for this week! More interviews and things coming. Just takes some time :)

Monday, July 13th: YhapoJJ at The Rink Studios - We’re starting on a high note! YhapoJJ, A.K.A., Jamareuan Macaiah Jones (beautiful name!) will be creating a high energy performance at The Rink Studios on a Monday. Expect beatswitching, drawling and slurred lyrics reminiscent of Young Thug, and a striking emotionality in his verses, pretty much putting it all out there, the good and the bad. Yhap stands for “Young Hearts Ascend Past Orbit” apparently. Keep your eye on this guy!

• Tickets to YhapoJJ

Tuesday, July 14th: Low Cut Connie at Harlow’s - After getting approval from the likes of Elton John and Barack Obama, à la Obama’s Spotify Summer Playlist, it’s not surprise Low Cut Connie is known as “masterfully fluent in the foundational languages of Western pop”—that’s from NPR Music!—and honestly, when you listen to their songs, you can feel that confidence in the craft. They also had the pleasure of canceling a show at the Kennedy Center in 2025, after the failed Trump name change idea was instituted, so they seem to be all kinds of smart and cool. They have seemingly evolved indie garage rock pop to a perfect little home. Definitely attend if you can! The shows are known to be fun, boisterous and sweet.

• Tickets to Low Cut Connie

Wednesday, July 15th: bloodsports at The Starlet Room or Nation of Language at Ace of Spades - Have you ever heard of the genre “theatrical slowcore”? It was a first for me too. I was laughing all the way down the rabbit hole of information that lead me to discovering what those words mean, exactly. Slowcore! Coming about in the late 80’s as a direct result of loud grunge, slowcore is marked by quieted tempos, instrumentation that is as minimalist as it can get, and usually sad lyrics. Think dirgelike. bloodsports agrees they are slowcore but insist that to be slowcore you have to be theatrical and not take yourself too seriously about it, because ultimately it’s a little show isn’t it? These guys are cool, worth it.

If you’d rather see a bit more of an upbeat act, then head to Ace of Spades to see Nation of Language. Known as “mainstays of '20s synth-pop music," (Paste Magazine) Nation of Language is loved by many! They’re sure to design a vibe, and each album seems to create a whole and different dream world. The synthesizer reigns supreme. They’re touring with Death Cab for Cutie later this year so, what more endorsement do you really need?

• Tickets to bloodsports

• Tickets to Nation of Language

Thursday, July 16th: Slow Coast at Cafe Colonial - Do you like The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, The Killers et al.? If you do and you aren’t familiar with Slow Coast, get your game up son! Slow Coast is an indie rock band right out of San Francisco, known for beach rock energy combined with depressing and emotional lyrics. Slow Coast is able to craft a mood that allows you to visualize fantasies but also confront realities.

• Tickets to Slow Coast

Friday, July 17th: moondoggy at Goldfield Trading Post or Babyface at the California State Fair - More options! MORE OPTIONS! Ok, ok. I can see you guys want options. First up, Moondoggy will be playing their kind of indie rock, what feels like a timeless mix between classic rock inspiration and garage rock groove, but…they also have a saxophone, and we all know that adding a saxophone to almost anything is a surefire way to make it better. These guys write, release and record all very independently, and you’ve got to appreciate that in this day and age. Moondoggy feels like someone cherrypicked the best elements out of the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s (gratuitous saxophone anyone?), 90’s and current day music and made a little special band all for me.

If you wanna go classic classic for the night, then you’ve got to head out to see Babyface on the opening eve of the California State Fair! Grab something unhinged to eat, grab a frosé and then groove along to the award-winning singer, songwriter, and record producer, Kenneth Edmonds, A.K.A. Babyface. Now, maybe you know Babyface from the 70’s when he was in The Deele, or maybe you know him from the Grammy-winning duet album with Toni Braxton, Love, Marriage & Divorce? Or maybe you know him from his production work on songs by Sheena Easton, Bobby Brown, The Whispers? Or perhaps you know him because of his co-founding LaFace Records who signed Usher and TLC? In fact I think you must know him because he’s written for Whitney Houston, Madonna, P!nk, Mariah Carey, Backstreet Boys, Bruno Mars, Mary J. Blige, Fall Out Boy, Phil Collins, Zendaya, Kevin Abstract and more. Truly the lists go on. Go see him.

• Tickets to moondoggy

• Tickets to Babyface

Saturday, July 18th: Homegirl by Sister Crayon & Rituals of Mine at Golden Bear AND Club 1BD at The Rink Studios - And more options!

This one I am stoked for! If you play your cards right you could be dancing from 4 PM to like 11 PM on this day, to a variety of music! We’ve got one event starting at 4 PM then finishing around 7 PM, time for a quick bite, then off to the next dance party!

If you want to be in the Sacramento dance scene for real, you know sometimes you must got to Golden Bear. Some of our favorite hometown people play there consistently! This one is the 3rd installment I believe of the HOMEGIRL events, where house, R&B, dance and 90’s bangers reign supreme at the back bar! This is a perfect little get together for those who a) might not want a late night or b) want to start their night early so they can warm up and go nuts after! These events are fun, safe, enjoyable and the music is seriously some of the best. Every song feels chosen with specific care and the fun factor is very high here. If you decide to keep the night going after 7 pm then you head to Club 1BD.

Club 1BD, if you are not in the know, is a little DJ collective project out of NYC, started first by DJ David to showcase POC talent and to create events where the energy feels like a house party, with nostalgic and exclusive DJ sets, The main focus being on being present and enjoyment! Later on, partner in groove, Arty Furtado joined the team, and the roster of DJ’s who would play these elite, small parties grew. See, the gimmick is that it’s staged to look like an actual 1 bedroom apartment in NYC where people would gather, follow a dress code of color shades per show, and actually dance and laugh and have unstaged fun. Seriously, it sounds complicated but I promise you, look up Club 1BD on Youtube, watch a set and you’ll get it. It’s fun!

If I can, I am doing both events.

• No tickets necessary for HOMEGIRL, starts at 4PM at the back bar

• Tickets to Club 1BD

Sunday, July 19th: Tower of Power at the California State Fair - Ok, to finish off our week, if you couldn’t make Babyface, then now you have a shot at redemption! Enjoy your weekend with a finish at the fair! Go on rides, eat something fun, then watch iconic R&B and funk group Tower of Power come right out of Oakland with their legendary horn section to blow your socks off! Pun INTENDED! Honestly can’t think of a better way to end the week.

• Show Link

That’s it for this week!

There’s some amazing choices out there this week! Go see a show! I’ve got more stuff coming but summer has been kind to me and I’ve also been having fun.

Hoping you’re all well and enjoying your weekend! I’ve been enjoying myself with the long weekend, and on Friday, I had the pleasure of heading into San Francisco and watching reality TV star—and I mean star as basically an understatement, because she’s really an icon—Tiffany “New York” Pollard make her DJ debut at Public Works. It such a good dance party put on by Queen Out, so if you ever can catch one of their event, I highly recommend it.

If you’re not familiar with Tiffany Pollard, then I suggest you watch her interview with Ziwe to get a good read on who this highly intelligent and highly volatile celebrity is.

All that is neither here nor there. Let’s talk about the music.

Monday, July 6th: California Classics Basketball Game at Golden 1 Center - Come check out the tail end of the California Classics games at Golden 1 Center. The California Classics features exciting matchups with rookies from the 2026 NBA Draft, second-year players, and athletes vying for spots on NBA and G League rosters. Plus they have a host of free activities in the plaza next to the arena, including DJ’s and meet and greets. Tickets are cheap and if you like the Kings, you’ll wanna see some of new additions.

• Tickets to California Classics

Tuesday, July 7th: Love Gang at Cafe Colonial - Good old classic rock and roll! Can’t get enough! Love Gang, hailing from Denver, CO, comes in hot and ready with a three piece set-up and is ready to rip it. It is reminiscent of the purer sounds out of 70’s rock. Think modern day Black Sabbath. Should be a fun one!

• Tickets to Love Gang

Wednesday, July 8th: West End Blues: Sacramento Youth Musicians Series at The Sacramento History Museum - Do you like music? Do you support the youth and programs for the youth? Do you like enjoying the waterfront during the summer? Well then have I got the event for you. Check out live performances, fascinating stories about Sacramento’s musical past, and on this particular evening, the sounds of The New Traditionalists, who primarily play New Orleans-style jazz. This one is a great way to enjoy being halfway through the week.

• Tickets to West End Blues

Thursday, July 9th: EMM at The Starlet Room - EMM is beyond triple threat, as so many younger artists are nowadays. She released a full-length album, Burning in the Dark which she created in its entirety from start to finish, including writing, producing, performing, mixing and mastering. That’s a lot of elements! She makes dark pop that incorporates elements of phonk, gothic rock, and the classical training that she had as a youth from her opera singing father and her classical harpist mother.

• Tickets to EMM

Friday, July 10th: ILUKA at The Starlet Room - Australian turned LA-resident ILUKA has been making music since she was little, after watching her guitar-maker father play on his own instruments and she got interested in songwriting. She’s got a raspy voice, which I always love, and she takes inspiration from Stevie Nicks, David Bowie and Kate Bush both in her melodies and songwriting. She’s a genre-breaker, a real deal. What’s not to like? Don’t miss this one!

• Tickets to ILUKA

Saturday, July 11th: Big Mike Hart at The Sofia or River City Rush Music Festival at Musiclandria or Aesthetic Nites .002 at 1121 Rosa Del Rio Way - We have a big night! Lots of options.

First up! Renowned guitarist Big Mike Hart, plays music that mixes funk, jazz, country, gospel, and soul through masterful improvisation, crazy talent, and soulful melodies. Seeing acts like this at The Sofia is basically ideal, as the seated venue with its comfortable chairs, the classy bar and the amazing sound quality really lends itself well to performances like this.

If you want to indulge your inner child rather than encourage your outer adult, then you have to go to Musiclandria to see the River City Rush Music Festival, Sacramento’s very own (only and first I think too!) Video Game Music Festival! Now, maybe that confused you, video games, music, a video game music festival? Over 10 artists from our area will perform a variety of different kinds of music, like chiptune, interpretations of video game scores and songs, and nerdcore (songs about nerd culture & experiences). This being the inaugural year of the festival, I think if you’re interested in any of these things, you’ve got to check this out!

And if you still are looking for something different, then let me encourage you to check out the event the Purple Lotus Pirates (great name for a collective) are throwing. There will be performances from producers and singers like Sunshyne, Magician’s Day Off, Jacques, Y O U T H, and Fifth P, plus games, vendors and more. This is a night for alternative R&B, rap, free association and more. This is a house party I believe so act accordingly. Behave yourselves!

• Tickets to Big Mike Hart

• Tickets to River City Rush

• Tickets to Aesthetic Nites .002

Sunday, July 12th: Belmont at Goldfield Trading Post - Pop punk prog rock is maybe a tongue-twister but it does sort of describe exactly what Belmont is all about. Belmont has been on the scene since 2014, when the members were in high school, so these guys are really dedicated. This is the 10 year anniversary tour of their first EP Between You & Me and the EP will be played in full at Goldfield. Enjoy!

• Tickets to Belmont

That’s it for this week! Stayed tuned for more updates and things. Enjoy your week and try to stay cool, and remember to go see a show.

Welcome back to the blog-like thing I make every week! We have a lovely week here. Spoiler alert, I did not choose a show for the July 4th entry. Two reasons.

1. I don’t much feel patriotic right now, and ergo I don’t recognize this “holiday” in reality which does make it harder to choose something as most events on the day of are themed rather… American.

2. On the other side of this coin, it is a day to spend with your friends or family or both and eat a hotdog and see some pretty fireworks (though please let’s keep it chill, I will be pissed if we get a lot of wildfires after this day) and as such you should just do whatever plan you already had. And if you didn’t have a plan, just treat yourself to going to the pool or checking out a lot of books at your local library or going to the river. Just enjoy your day.

Without further ado, let’s talk about the music.

Monday, June 29th: Intellectual Decay at Cafe Colonial - Black death metal for Monday! It’s a pattern here. This town loves metal, it’s proven time and time again. Check out Grass Valley young legends Intellectual Decay at Cafe Colonial and start your week off right, with some real energy and intensity. Plus there’s multiple other bands akin to Intellectual Decay on the bill, if you like them you’ll like these other artist as well.

• Tickets to Intellectual Decay

Tuesday, June 30th: Music is Everywhere at Sun House Cafe - This one is a bit different! There will be music, but also a lecture/talk about music from musicologist and lecturer (UC Davis) Tracy Monaghan! This talk is all about how to listen, what to listen to, and how to become better at listening. You’d be surprised at how much there is to hear once you learn how to hear it and how to think about it creatively!

• Tickets to Music is Everywhere

Wednesday, July 1st: The Shed Sessions at Center for Musical Arts - This month the theme for The Shed Sessions is “Summertime”! At The Shed Sessions, anyone can have the opportunity to learn jazz standards in a group setting from professional jazz musicians. This is both a learning opportunity and a time to enjoy hearing what others are creating!

• Tickets to The Shed Sessions

Thursday, July 2nd: Elio Villafranca at The Sofia - Come see Grammy-nominated, Guggenheim Fellowship recipient, and Steinway Artist Elio Villafranca do exactly what he was meant to do! This guy is the real deal, merging Cuban Afro-Caribbean rhythms with New York masterly piano playing. This is different than your standard hard-bop jazz, this is going to have a lot more groove. You’ll hear influences from all sorts of things.

• Tickets to Elio Villafranca

Friday, July 3rd: Turnover at Ace of Spades or BUNT at Ali Youssefi Square - We have our 2 option night! Either way you’re in for a treat. First up, you could go see the stylings of Turnover, who meld emo rock, dream pop, indie rock and soft grunge pretty much effortlessly, and who are on a little tear right now. Could be fun!

If you want to dance instead of get a little pit going, head downtown to Ali Youssefi Square to see BUNT in the round! BUNT creates euphoric dance music and as a one man operation, his energy level and enthusiasm is infectious. His show in SF had amazing reviews so I would expect this one to be pretty fun too though a bit hotter here 😭

• Tickets to Turnover

• Tickets to BUNT

Saturday, July 4th: No shows recommended, do what you want when you want it!

• Just treat yourself!

Sunday, July 5th: Icarus at The Golden Bear - Think younger Primus! That’s Icarus, and they’ll be joining Witch Bitch at Golden Bear, and honestly as a way to finish off the week, it doesn’t sound too bad. Gonna be a bit of a rager.

• No tickets necessary, music at 8ish, $10 at the door

That’s it for this week!

Sorry it’s a bit shorter, I’ve been doing a lot of non-musical activities, who know I had it in me. Either way expect some more fun stuff coming your way. Enjoy your week and see a show!

Welcome back to the blog, the newsletter, the ‘sletter if you will. Happy to have you joining me and very excited to talk about the options this week! I’ll have you know that summer can be very slow for individual standalone booked shows, a lot of artists are on the festival circuit during this season and as such, there are sometimes fewer options to choose from. I will endeavor to still have something if I can for every day of the week!

This week, I found plenty to do :)

You shall not suffer with me in the driver’s seat. Let my insane recommendations help you enjoy this town.

I’ve got more interviews to come and another cockamamie thinkpiece coming from me all about Blue Dot Fever, losing trust in the music industry and probably some more ramblings from yours truly.

Monday, June 22nd: Bôa at Ace of Spades - Hailing from Merry Old London Town, all the way back in 1993 (great year, I was born) Bôa has been making alternative rock for years, and in 2024 came out of a mini hiatus. One fun fact about Bôa, is that two of their band members are the children of famed Bad Company’s vocalist. The music is a wonderful swirl of folk, jazz, rock and the vocals are extreme, emotional and expressive. Great way to start your week.

• Tickets to Bôa

Tuesday, June 23rd: Khemmis at The Starlet Room - DOOM. That’s the vibe when you see Khemmis. Combining classic heavy metal, doom metal, death metal and black metal (believe it or not these are all different and have unique elements all to themselves) Khemmis has successfully toured the world since 2012. Khemmis is named after an ancient city in what is now Egypt, but they don’t seem to incorporate a ton of Egyptian lore into the music, mostly just crazed guitar, death growls, and intense melancholic lyrics.

• Tickets to Khemmis

Wednesday, June 24th: Drake Milligan at Goldfield Trading Post - I wouldn’t usually recommend an Elvis impersonator, but this guy did it in an actual movie, and he also just sings professionally and well. A former contestant on America’s Got Talent and American Idol, Drake has been writing and singing cowboy tunes for years now and has a fair amount of recognition within the industry. Check him out, plus Goldfields atmosphere of stuffed and hunted heads and neon beer brand signs will be very conducive to the clientele and vibe of the show.

• Tickets to Drake Milligan

Thursday, June 25th: Shoecraft at Press Club - In the vein of Sufjan Stevens, Shoecraft lands in Sacramento with lyrics dripping with meaning, evocative chords with interesting rhythms and all sorts of fun and unique sounds. This is quinetessential singer-songwriter vibes, but brought forth to the 2020’s and not stuck in the 2000’s (though it’s all circular isn’t it, it’s coming back, indie sleaze etc.)

This one will be interesting and fun!

• Tickets to Shoecraft

Friday, June 26th: Kamaiyah at Ace of Spades or Kaskade at Heart Health Park - Alright! We have a very busy Friday night in Sacramento. There are many choices. Even some I have not written about here. Something for everyone or if you were very ambitious I guess you could try to hit two of them in the same evening!

First up we have Kamaiyah, American rapper, right out of East Oakland, on what I call a little victory tour as it is the “A Good Night in the Ghetto” 10-Year Anniversary Tour, which unbelievably came out in 2016. She is a Platinum-certified rapper, and we really need all of those lady MC’s that we can get. She also founded KEEP IT LIT RECORDS as “one of the industry’s only labels owned by an African-American female”…so you know give her her flowers and go have fun.

If you’d rather go hard in the opposite direction sonically, then you have to go to the X Games. I know it seems quite random, but the X Games have a long history of intertwining music alongside the customary BMX, skating, and motocross sports that seem to be the basis of the X Games. The X Games hosts athletes, both women and men, who are experts in their… “field” for lack of a better term. Athletes like Nyjah Huston, Momiji Nishiya, Queen Saray, Sora Shirai and more will be showing off and competing for coveted awards. I actually love the sports associated with the X Games so it would be a bonus to see all these sports then to head just some minutes in a different direction then hear the bass thumping because Kaskade is playing! That’s right, Grammy-nominated producer and DJ Kaskade will be pumping people up for the first night, hopefully with of his iconic 2000’s progressive house (that’s the era I like the most of Kaskade) but either way you can expect a full on dance party. I am assuming the concert part is in the track park of Heart Health Park so wear a bandana or shades, as it can be a bit dusty. If it’s not there then it’s on the blacktop area, and hydrate!

• Tickets to Kamaiyah

• Tickets to Kaskade (I included the whole ticketing page, so if you want to see X Games + music, just X Games, no music or just music and no X Games, just choose appropriate option)

Saturday, June 27th: Katie Knipp at Swabbies on the River - Alright folks, we’re gonna leave your evening free and give you a daytime activity.

If you want to eat some delicious food on the river and hear some great music, head to Swabbies to see Kate Knipp. Here’s a fun quote about Knipp that will help you understand her vibe: "If Beck had a bluesy, genre-bending sister, it would be Katie Knipp” out of Blues Matters Magazine. I’ve personally seen Katie perform and she can really hold a room (outdoor patio in this case) she’s very talented at playing guitar and singing. She’s a compatriot of Rick Estrin and other blues icons in town. This is a great opportunity to see her and eat some delicious lunch. Don’t sleep on the fish tacos.

• You can reserve a table at Swabbies for Katie Knipp but it isn’t necessary, she’s playing 1PM-4PM

Sunday, June 28th: Ian Asher at Drake’s: The Barn - To end your magnificent week, you should enjoy seeing Ian Asher, who blends house beats, global influences, and catchy vocals. He is known for creative sampling, which I really enjoy because I like to try to see what I can match it up with, a semi-tedious task if you just wanna vibe and dance! Enjoy pizza, and the full bar that’s been doing very well at Drake’s. This will be a sunset set so the view near the river is sure to be beautiful.

• Tickets to Ian Asher

That’s it for this week! Like I said, I have plenty of other things I am cooking up, I am slow—I’ll admit that but they do eventually turn up! Expect more interviews, unhinged takes, recommendations and who knows what else. Stay hydrated, stay safe and go out and see a show!

Well it finally happened! I simply forgot to get the blog lined up for Sunday evening release. It was Sacramento Pride, I was at a pool having the time of my life, I really could apologize more but I won’t. I have a life too! It’s mostly about music but not all of it. Some of it is about my friends and having fun. Don’t worry, there’s still lots of options for this week.

Monday, June 15th: Motown Monday at LowBrau - Well, Mondays are tough! A lot of places won’t book a show on a Monday because everyone already had fun over the weekend and they don’t wanna have fun again on Monday, they wanna rest! So for this Monday, just head out if you wanna and know that you can dance or just listen to the music from that incredible label, Motown Records.

• No tickets necessary, cover after 9 PM

Tuesday, June 16th: Alex Isley at Ace of Spades or The Lemon Twigs at Harlow’s - Alex Isley is a very talented R&B artist, one of the voices that really stays with you. She has the approval of artists like Tank & The Bangas, Lucky Daye, Terrence Sullivan and more. I was sort of surprised she was playing Ace but honestly she could have skipped us entirely so it would be worth it. Let your Tuesday be soothed.

If you would rather not be soothed, then see The Lemon Twigs with their particular brand of glam/art/jangle rock. The Lemon Twigs have played all over the world, opened for Phoenix and Mac DeMarco, Weyes Blood and more. This is a tough toss up!

Choose wisely!

• Tickets to Alex Isley

• Tickets to The Lemon Twigs

Wednesday, June 17th: Graham Farrow at Torch Club - Farrow’s upbringing in Nevada City, CA lends itself to naturally singing about California, and what Farrow is surrounded by. What you get is a pretty moving and stark singer-songwriter, who’s able to communicate the high’s and low’s of life through some poetic and worthwhile songs.

• No tickets for Torch Club, music starts at 8:30PM, $10 at the door

Thursday, June 18th: Surf Trash at Cafe Colonial or Minor Gold at The Side Door - Come see Aussie indie rock group Surf Trash , who just sold out their Australia & New Zealand tour, and came stateside for some love. They have the classic guitar riffs and the high energy you’d expect from the young guns who are ready to take on the world. Plus local opener Ashley Jaguar will wow as seen in the Concerts In the Park show.

If you’d rather not rock out then head to The Side Door where you’ll be sure to relax to Minor Gold’s “trippy folk wonderment” and enjoy the sounds of a duo who enjoys relaxed vibes and wants to soothe you alongside themselves. This award-winning duo will be a good choice if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed this week. It could happen!

• Tickets to Surf Trash

• Tickets to Minor Gold

Friday, June 19th: Freddie Gibbs at Channel 24 or Fai Laci at Harlow’s - Check out Grammy-nominated (but somehow underground still) rap artist Freddie Gibbs. I still listen to Alfredo quite often, and it’s not just The Alchemist’s production, a lot of the heavy lifting is done via Freddie’s strong grasp of language and ability to make a point about 3 different ways. This is a cool get for Sacramento.

If you want to head in another musical direction, check out Fai Laci, known for a specific brand of expressive lyrics, alongside an intimacy and urgency within the craft of the songs. Definitely a band to keep your eye on, I expect bigger things from them.

• Tickets to Freddie Gibbs

• Tickets to Fai Laci

Saturday, June 20th: Paul Oakenfold & The Crystal Method at Ace of Spades - Extremely famous English producer, DJ and remixer Paul Oakenfold will be blessing the stage at Ace of Spades with his very famous remixes and maybe some tricks up his sleeve. Fun addition is The Crystal Method, early players of the breakbeat genre, who will just about blow the roof off Ace of Spades. This is one for the people who have been listening to electronic music for a while.

• Tickets to Paul Oakenfold & The Crystal Method

Sunday, June 21st: Rhinestone Cowboy by The Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus - Check out the Western hits you love with new boots on, figuratively speaking of course. Come hear classics reinterpreted by the ever cheerful and lovely Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus. It’s quite fun and funny.

• Tickets to Rhinestone Cowboy

That’s it for this week! Sorry it came late, been doing all sorts of fun stuff, and well more cool things to come :)

The interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Concerts In the Park starts at 6 PM and goes till about 9:30 PM.

Zoë: My name is Zoe, and I’m speaking with Casey Groat, also known as Inner Nature - frontman and main creative force behind the band. Casey, I’d love it if you could start with a brief introduction. How long have you been playing music? How long have you been a band in Sacramento? Walk us through Inner Nature.

Casey: Sure. So my name is Casey. I’ve been doing music since before high school — almost 15 to 20 years now. The Inner Nature moniker has been around for a bit. I went under a couple of different iterations, including Fashionista Boyfriend for a while. I’ve been doing music in Sacramento for probably close to 10 years. I was born and raised here, so this is my home. It’s a really cool feeling to be able to play Concerts in the Park. I’ve been on that stage twice before, but not under my personal project, just as a helping hand. So playing this huge headlining event under my own project is really special.

Zoë: So let’s talk about Concerts In the Park! This one is a big deal. Concerts in the Park has really been on their A-game this year. I was really excited when I saw you on the bill for this Friday, June 12th. You’re opening for The Temper Trap, which feels like a full-circle moment, as I’d describe your music as sort of parallel to that genre. That band was at its peak in the indie 2000s, it influenced fashion, culture, lingo. And a lot of people your age and mine grew up listening to “Sweet Disposition.” Do you feel any particular kinship with The Temper Trap? And how do you feel about Julia Wolf being added to Friday’s bill?

Casey: I mean, the show was already guaranteed to be insane with The Temper Trap. Adding Julia Wolf on top of that, it’s like two co-headliners. I told my bass player about it and he went and looked her up and was like, “Oh my god.” I listened through the whole album and was genuinely impressed. And oh yeah, absolutely. I remember listening to The Temper Trap in high school. “Sweet Disposition” is just one of those songs that tugs at your soul and your heartstrings, especially when you were in that era being reckless and dumb and silly. It’s the perfect accompanying song for that time in your life.

Zoë: It’s very evocative music. And I think that’s something your band Inner Nature does really well too. Every song I hear conjures up a scene — there’s a beginning, middle, and end. It pulls out that feeling of being in something, really feeling it. So with that in mind, what are some of your main inspirations for Inner Nature? Because your sound covers a lot of ground: ambient, indie rock, 80s new wave, distortion, and texture.

Casey: For me, there are two or three acts that really inspire me, and I’ve been listening to them since high school. Washed Out is probably my biggest influence. Similar vibe, you’re driving at night with friends, feeling nostalgic and in your feelings. That’s what I try to draw out of people. Not intentionally, my main goal is just to make good music, but it helps when the lyrics land and people can connect emotionally.

Neon Indian is another big one. Neon Indian inspires me because of Psychic Chasms — it was such a controversial album for how lo-fi and gritty it was. When you have that clear of a vision, you don’t compromise it.

Zoë: I remember reading reactions at the time where people felt it wasn’t a finished product — but now that music is referenced with a lot more reverence and appreciation, especially in an era of AI where everything is so pristine and compressed and ready in five seconds.

Zoë: Speaking of AI, you’ve been vocal about being invested in real creatorship. I also know you’re a big video game person. Is there a world where you see yourself doing something related to video game scoring or other video game elements?

Casey: I actually made a music video for “Every Time You Do” off my album Violet Vices entirely in Unity, the game development program. That inspired me to create my own game. I’m actually working on a small project to promote a remaster of my old EP, Tonal — which came out when I was Fashionista Boyfriend. I’m re-releasing it under Inner Nature, and it’s this retro-style first-person game where you descend five floors of an elevator, collecting each track from the album along the way. I wanted it to be as accessible as possible, so it’s mobile-friendly, you see the link, click it, and play with your thumbs. It should be out this summer.

Zoë: That’s awesome. It’s becoming more common to see musicians folding their other interests into their ecosystem like games, masterclasses, synth-building. I think a video game falls really naturally into that. On that note, can you tell me about the River City Rush Video Game Festival?

Casey: My buddy Jeremy hit me up and asked if I’d perform. The event is being sponsored by MAGWest, which is a very big gaming convention. I’ve played a couple of solo sets before where it was just me doing video game-themed stuff on the synthesizer. Playing that kind of music always makes me feel like a kid again.

Zoë: The festival is at Musiclanda on July 11th. The lineup includes Inner Nature, Alice Knows Karate doing a DJ set, Floating Continent, Animated Aliens, all kinds of genres. Very exciting. Are there any other upcoming shows you’re looking forward to?

Casey: We’re playing July 18th in Woodland with a band called Bloom Ritual, they used to go under the name Topograph. We actually played our very first show with them back in the day, so that’s a full-circle moment. And in August, we’re playing a show at Knockout in San Francisco with Parlor Magic – they’re more of a synthwave, 80s pop kind of act. I think that’s August 6th.

Zoë: Parlor Magic is a great band name. Okay, what’s a dream bill for you?

Casey: Washed Out and Neon Indian, for sure. And Toro y Moi as a third. He’s a Nor-Cal lover, very successful, and he’s got that dream quality where he can do something radically different and everyone’s still on board. That’s the dream as an artist, to just do whatever you want and have people love it.

Zoë: Off your most recent project, Violet Vices, is there a song you feel really ties into Sacramento?

Casey: I think the biggest one is “Doubts”... it’s the second-to-last track on the album. The music video was filmed all around downtown Sacramento on 35mm film, which was a really cool experience. But more than that, the content of the lyrics is about the struggle of being an artist. The song is about that push and pull, the doubts that creep in, the feeling that maybe you should just give up and get a full-time job somewhere. It’s about how hard it is to keep going.

Zoë: That’s a good message for anybody, in any field. Will you be playing with a full band at Concerts in the Park?

Casey: Drummer, bassist — and a surprise appearance from a certain saxophone player we’ve had before.

Zoë: Surprise sax! That is the best possible surprise. The sax is like a cheat code, you gain at least six points no matter what.

Casey: (laughs) Exactly.

Zoë: Any words of advice for people going through their own doubts, in music or otherwise?

Casey: For me, a big part of my doubts comes down to age and I’m only 32. You start to think, “If you’re over 25, forget it.” And that’s just insane. One of my favorite artists is almost 50 and absolutely crushing it: Donnie Benet. His progression is still very much happening. He’s still working hard. There’s no perfect fairy tale.

And the other thing I’d say is: don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone has their own story and their own starting point and circumstances. Be gentle with yourself the way you’d be with a friend going through a hard time.

Zoë: Any local bands or artists in Sacramento you’re tight with?

Casey: King Benny is one of my best buds, really good guy, similar genre, electronic-based but not EDM. Also Pregnant. And Jail Preacher, more country folk, but my buddy Riley plays bass in that band.

Zoë: Last question! Any advice for surviving the Sacramento heat on Friday?

Casey: Start drinking water at 6 AM. Sunscreen, a hat, some sleeves, maybe an umbrella if they allow it. Water, water, water.

Zoë: Casey, thank you so much. Very excited for you Friday.

Be sure to check out Inner Nature this Friday! Hope to see you at CIP!

Welcome back to the blog! Sorry for radio silence, been a very busy week for me professionally and privately ha. Not too much to add here, but be on the lookout for an opinion piece soon. Interviews as well.

Now we can get to the fun stuff.

Monday, June 8th: Open Mic at Fox & Goose Public House - Check out Sacramento’s oldest open mic and enjoy the local talent. You really never know who is going to drop in, and while you’re there, check out the FIFA World Cup Viewing Parties schedule! Might be fun to catch a game if there’s a team you like.

• No tickets necessary, music starts at 7 PM

Tuesday, June 9th: Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Crest Theater or Destiny Bond at The Starlet Room - Since it’s Pride Month, I am including many options here! Be gay, do crime, you know all of that. You can check out Hedwig and the Angry Inch, a classic queer rock star story, about reinventing yourself and chosen family.

If you’d like an actual concert, then head to Destiny Bond at The Starlet Room. If you like hardcore, loud, abrasive punk, you wanna jump around, you wanna let out some of that aggression that comes with understanding that the society we live in right now actively sucks so hard at times! Then yeah, you should head to The Starlet Room to hear Destiny Bond. Punk is Pride, etc. etc.

• Tickets to Hedwig and the Angry Inch

• Tickets to Destiny Bond

Wednesday, June 10th: Agent Orange at Harlow’s - One of the first bands to mix surf music with punk rock, because of course they are from Southern California! The band goes all the way back to 1979, frontman Mike Palm knows how to do it. Consummate performers, and talented musicians.

• Tickets to Agent Orange

Thursday, June 11th: Cole Berliner at Old Ironsides - Come check out fluid, shape-shifting, acoustic-electric arrangements and lineups ranging from folk to jazz. Cole Berliner is gonna play a great show. Adding in Pregnant, a blog mention from the past and we’ve got a great night!

• Tickets to Cole Berliner

Friday, June 12th: The Temper Trap at Concerts In the Park or/and La Santa Cecilia at Harlow’s - Head to Cesar Chavez to see “Sweet Disposition” singers, indie rock darlings, The Temper Trap. Ok, just kidding, they are famous for more than one song! Better yet, catch Inner Nature, friend of blog, perform before The Temper Trap and let the fun Friday Pride Weekend Eve begin!

If you’re up for it, after CIP, head to Harlow’s to check out La Santa Cecilia! La Santa Cecilia blends cumbia, bossa nova, and boleros, among other styles, to create an insanely infectious brand of music. They will have you dancing til you drop!

• No tickets necessary for CIP, music starts at 6 PM

• Tickets to La Santa Cecilia

Saturday, June 13th: Nothing But Losers at Old Ironsides - Nothing But Losers are a versatile Metal/Punk band and you won’t regret seeing them at the intimate Old Ironsides. If you’re on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, then you should go out dancing afterwards! Check out an assortment of events at Badlands, Faces, Roscoe’s, and LowBrau.

• Tickets to Nothing But Losers

Sunday, June 14th: Sacramento Pride Parade or Soft Science at Press Club - Go check out the parade for free around 11 AM, there’s music involved so it counts for the blog! It’s always fun to see the parade!

After go see Soft Science at Press Club! They mix the sounds of 60’s pop and the shoegaze of the 90’s. Those are two of my favorite sounds. They’re great! Go dance and enjoy the day.

• No tickets necessary for Pride Parade, it starts at Southside Park at 11 AM

• Tickets to Soft Science

That’s it for this week! Please go have fun and go see a show! So many options out there and I cover but a small percentage of them. Please g out, be gay, do crime and all that.

Welcome back to the blog. Sorry I’ve been a little scattered, been doing that thing called living life. Recently saw Inji at the semi-newly renovated Castro Theater in SF, great show, high energy but the building itself is gorgeous! A lot of the original beauty is there, with painted elements, stunning fresco-work (or at least appeared like fresco) and all sorts of fun things to look at. In the same weekend—ok actually in the same night…I am not a party animal—saw LP Giobbi DJ at 1015 Folsom which was a blast! She’s so talented, I danced for hours.

I’d love to get LP Giobbi in Sacramento, anybody got a connection?

Anyways, we can talk about SF all day but ultimately this blog is about Sacramento! So let’s talk music for this week.

Monday, June 1st: 31ø8 at Press Club - This guy rocks! Making alternative sounds, statements, music and feeling all come together. Heavy electric guitar features prominently. Kind of a punk attitude mixing with alternative sound. Take a listen here if you’d like to get what I mean. Who knows when 31ø8 will be back, they’re outta the UK.

• Tickets to 31ø8

Tuesday, June 2nd: DECEITS at The Starlet Room - Self-labeled at “passionate post-punk” DECEITS makes pain turn to beauty. This isn’t your cold or detached punk this is gonna be vibrant and intense. Coming out of LA, they have plenty of competition but have really been making a name for themselves recently.

• Tickets to DECEITS

Wednesday, June 3rd: Gershwin’s New Threads at Twin Lotus Thai - Have you wanted to hear Gerwin’s classics reinterpreted by cool guys like Tim Metz, Joe Gilman, and Ben Kopf? Is that too specific of a question? If it isn’t too specific, and you want to hear fresh takes on songs like “Summertime” and “I Got Rhythm” then you should absolutely check out this show and grabs some delicious dinner as well.

• No tickets necessary, but they want an RSVP, do so here, music starts at 6PM

Thursday, June 4th: Head Automatica at Goldfield Trading Post - American rock band Head Automatica is an unlikely pairing. Lead vocalist of hardcore band Glassjaw Darryl Palumbo paired up with Dan Nakamura, producer for Gorillaz and more, and created a band that made bright, electronic-tinged and crisp rock music. Amazing guitar work. This is a band that could be playing a bigger room in my opinion so seem them now. Plus Sacramento band Saint Juniper will open for them.

• Tickets to Head Automatica

Friday, June 5th: Souls of Mischief at Concerts In the Park or ATM Danny at The Starlet Room - Souls of Mischief are a hip hop group from Oakland, California, that is also part of the hip hop collective Hieroglyphics. They are pretty much legendary, and are responsible for the song “93 ‘Til Infinity” which has been sampled in over 50 songs. But they are not a one hit wonder. They’ve got the talent and the discography. This is free and going to be a great concert.

If you’d rather look to the future of rap instead of bask in the past, then head to The Starlet Room to see ATM Danny. ATM Danny is a genre-defying rapper who mixes West Coast hip-hop with electronic influences and house music. The youth are the future and all that.

• No ticket necessary for Concerts In the Park, music starts at 6, Cesar Chavez Park (soon to be named something else, I’ve heard)

• Tickets to ATM Danny

Saturday, June 6th: Silas Lowe Trio at The Side Door or Crankdat at Capitol Mall - Silas Lowe is a very emotive singer from Texas. Lowe’s work bridges traditional American forms with a contemporary lyrical voice. Grounded in folk, bluegrass, blues, and honky-tonk, it’ll be a great show to see Lowe show off his chops. I’d expect him to get more popular.

If you’re more in the mood to groove, head to Capitol Mall to see Crankdat. Crankdat has played huge EDM festivals like EDC and Tomorrowland, he’s been in the music game for a while, and he really knows his stuff and how to craft a beat dropping moment. This one would be a lot of fun if you’re prepared for it to be a little crowded, and wait in some lines. The hardcore ravers won’t care, they’re used to it.

• Tickets to Silas Lowe

• Tickets to Crankdat

Sunday, June 7th: Jerro + Nils Hoffman at Flamingo House - Time to dance again! Daytime dance party at Flamingo House with Jerro and Nils Hoffman, two very talented DJ’s who will go back to back at 2PM for all my people who get worried about having too much fun Sunday evening and being tired on Monday. Jerro is known for melodic house music and Nils Hoffman is known for emotional deep house music. End the week positive.

• Tickets to Jerro + Nils Hoffman

That’s it for this week! We got lots of choices, and there is more out there, go find them! I will have another Weekly Fascination for you this coming week, this one will be about Blue Dot Fever, which if you aren’t paying a lot of attention to the music industry will be interesting and if you do pay attention to the industry then hopefully it’ll be not just the same regurgitated stats you’ve already read.

Have a great week!

Monday, May 25th: Everett Tea at Press Club - Midwest emo mixes with metal influences, alongside indie guitar riffs, creating a great show to catch on your holiday. Start your week of right!

• Tickets to Everett Tea

Tuesday, May 26th: The Last Dinner Party at Channel 24 - Women-fronted English rock band The Last Dinner Party is coming to Sacramento to wow us with their witchy lyrics and incredible baroque pop-esque vibes. Expect a spell to happen tonight.

• Tickets to The Last Dinner Party

Wednesday, May 27th: Magic Sword at Harlow’s or Inner Wave at Ace of Spades - Two for one! I think I actually have recommended Magic Sword before but I shall do it again. If you’ve ever felt like you were on an epic quest, where the fate of the world rests in your shaky hands, go hear Magic Sword, the whole band is based on a D&D campaign style story of a hero who fights against evil using synthwave music.

If you’d rather be in our world, then head to Ace of Spades to hear indie rock group Inner Wave blend their psychedelic sound with Latin beats and and jazz chords. I’ve been listening to Inner Wave for years now, and they rarely disappoint.

• Tickets to Magic Sword

• Tickets to Inner Wave

Thursday, May 28th: Camp Ghost at Cafe Colonial - Raw-stripped down acoustics alongside heavy sounds and the juxtaposition between these things is what makes Camp Ghost interesting and fun. Midwest emo with a lot of heart (self-described!) sounds like a great time!

• Tickets to Camp Ghost

Friday, May 29th: King Dream at Torch Club - This week it appears we got a lot of rock. King Dream is a psychedelic rock band who mystifies and entices the audiences with their evertwisting sound, managing to make it sound almost like bedroom pop at times.

• No tickets necessary, King Dream on at 9PM, $15 at the door

Saturday, May 30th: Love Mischief at The Starlet Room - More rock! Jam band style. Local legends Love Mischief are releasing an album and playing a show to celebrate it. Put your comfy shoes on, you’re gonna dance! Other local legends The Gold Souls will be supporting.

• Tickets to Love Mischief

Sunday, May 31st: Danger Force 5 at The Golden Bear - More rock! Danger Force 5 is a California-based surf rock band known for their reverb-heavy, twangy guitar sound. Will be a great show to end the week,

• No tickets for this, show at 8PM, $10 at the door.

That’s it guys! I hope you liked weekly Fascinations #1, got another one coming this week, probably out Wednesday or Thursday! Go see a show!

Last night, I went to see Is God Is at the movie theaters. A unique concept, once a play, made into a screenplay then a movie, all by the same writer. It was a very interesting movie, about the two sides of human nature, specifically when it comes to revenge. I could talk for many minutes about the casting being stellar, I mean it made me hate Sterling K. Brown, and that’s tough. Janelle Monae had maybe 7 minutes of airtime and I was to give her an award. The two leads, Kara Brown and Mallori Johnson, do an amazing job of being “twins” with all that entails, the finishing each others sentences, the looking at each other and seeing glimpses others cannot see. All very good.

One thing that stood out to me was the music supervision. The scoring. The soundtrack. All these terms come to mean similar things to the layperson. But when I see movies, I find that good scoring can make or break a scene. I’m sure others feel the same. Euphoria, a popular hate-watched show, probably wouldn’t have been nearly so successful without Labrinth’s scoring and original music. Lord of The Rings classical backgrounds create battlefield moments alongside peaceful Shire feelings. Old and new, music has always influenced visual media. We’re luckier for it.

Moses Sumney and Joseph Hill together provided the scoring and supervision for the spectacular music of Is God Is. The movie is a take on a spaghetti western, where every character is black, and a lot of it takes place in the south. This all sounds like it would create chaos. But these motifs come together effortlessly, in such a sublime way. When the twins are driving on their “mission”, you hear Death Grips, loud, throttling and toughening music. When the twins are dancing near the state line signs, having the 5 minutes or so of fun the movie allows, we hear Leikeli47’s upbeat and chant-like “Miss Me”. When Janelle Monae’s character is cleaning her whole house top to bottom, and using a spray bottle filled with piss to do it, you’re serenely wafted around hearing “What A Beauty” by Anthony Mawer, creating a Stepford Wives feeling. When the end comes, the end you hoped wouldn’t but does, the end that gives peace and finality to a situation that seems unending, you hear angelic and loving “There’s A Light” by Shirley Ann Lee.

Mixing all these elements together requires a stroke of genius, and music supervisors, when talented, are geniuses in my mind. I’m not sure if others do this but when I listen to a song that grabs me, I pretty much immediately envision what scene I could put it to in a movie or tv show. What characters would be arguing? Which couple would be engaging in consensual naughtiness? Who would be violent, maybe in direct opposition to a song that starts calm. All these decisions come together to create what can be an incredible product.

All this to say…see Is God Is if you can and start paying attention to have music impacts your viewing. You’d be surprised.

Monday, May 18th: My Pet Fossil at 1017 V St - Hey it’s a house show! This is My Pet Fossil’s last show in town before embarking on a international tour to Japan over the summer. This band lets the Sacramento experience speak through their music. Let their alt-rock post-grunge riffs and attitude impress you before you miss them!

• I don’t know the ticketing situation here, I image pay at doors, show at 7:30!

Tuesday, May 19th: The Host at The Sofia - This one is not music. I’m caught! I have interests and ideas that don’t revolve around choosing 7-10 shows a week for you to enjoy. However, this is still a creative project that I appreciate. Come out and watch a pilot screening of a sitcom and a stand up show by Shane Mauss. The Host is a sitcom following two stand-up comedians in Sacramento, CA, Luke (Luke Soin) and Mike (Mikel Nordstrom). Together they produce a comedy show in Luke’s backyard called, “Cornerhouse Comedy.”

I think, if you appreciate comedy, this one will be worth it.

• Tickets to The Host

Wednesday, May 20th: Show Me The Body at Harlow’s - Post-hardcore legends, Show Me The Body will be rolling up and stepping out. This band melds hip-hop, sludge metal, industrial noise music and more to make their special blend of intense and amazing music. The brashness of their music is refreshing! When I listen to Show Me The Body, I feel like I am able to lift a car over my head.

• Tickets to Show Me The Body

Thursday, May 21st: Nick Hames at Torch Club - Watch singer-songwriter Nick Hames weave together storytelling, blues, rock and pop together in a small and intimate room. This will be a show to enjoy yourself at!

• No tickets necessary, on at 9PM, $10 at the door

Friday, May 22nd: In Color at Concerts in the Park - Big loud rock! This is a fun line up for the free concert series that is taking place every Friday at the formerly known as Cesar Chavez Park (not sure they’ve chosen a new name). We’ve got some local acts warming us up, and I am proud to say I’ve already recommended these bands before! Blood sugar and Rosemother will be opening up for In Color, who makes pop take on new shapes with their distinct melodies and signature style.

• No tickets necessary, this is free! Music starts at 6PM

Saturday, May 23rd: Wild Nothing at Harlow’s - Wild Nothing is celebrating 10 years of their incredible album Gemini. Wild Nothing is the indie rock project of Jack Tatum, who like Tame Impala, plays every instrument in his recorded music and there’s usually a couple! Better yet, he writes all of it himself too. The music borders on dream pop, and is very visually evocative. Having had the pleasure of seeing him once, I can heartily recommend.

• Tickets to Wild Nothing

Sunday, May 24th: Sacramento Halloween Show Overtime Shift at The Golden Bear - Well well well, you thought you saw the last of the Sacramento Halloween Show, where bands dress up and pretend to be other fake bands! You were wrong! Check out this fun and semi-secret line up at The Golden Bear and be ready to rock out. Expect kookiness.

• No ticket necessary, music starts at 8PM, $10 at the door

That’s it for now all, expect the new part of this blog thing to launch soon, Weekly Fascinations. Go out and see a show! The weather is getting better so rejoice!

So sorry for the late notice. No formal blog this evening, it’s just been a crazy week.

Here is a list of shows I think you should not miss!

• Monday, May 11th: Clarion at Harlow’s

• Tuesday, May 12th: Cherokee Social at Sac Yard Community Tap House

• Wednesday, May 13th: Megaphonies at Torch Club

• Thursday, May 14th: TOPS at Harlow’s or Lucy Dacus at Channel 24 or Leftover Crack at Goldfields Trading Post

• Friday, May 15th: Andres at Old Ironsides

• Saturday, May 16th: St. Lucia at Ace of Spades

• Sunday, May 17th: La Doña & Buscabulla at Harlow’s

Thanks all!

Monday, May 4th: Terror at Goldfield Trading Post - Hardcore punk music, starting us off right for the week! Terror is based out of LA, and they have been touted as totally influential in the “tough guy harcore” scene. Expect some of their new songs, as they just released their newest album on April 24, 2026. Get riled up for the week.

• Tickets to Terror

Tuesday, May 5th: Snail Mail at Ace of Spades - Indie rock solo project from Lindsey Jordan, Snail Mail, deserves your viewership! Starting at the impressive age of just 15 years old, Snail Mail has impressed bands and fans alike, and their most recent album Ricochet, is really really good! This music makes you feel a bit more in touch with your softer side, will make you understand the churn that we feel inside a bit more.

• Tickets to Snail Mail

Wednesday, May 6th: Sa Yuu at Cafe Colonial - Join Sa Yuu for their first US show EVER! Sa Yuu is a two piece band from Yokohama, Japan, who’ve gained the attention and praise of Ryuichi Sakamoto and Shutoku Mukai. Sa Yuu jokes they are “no wave” but ultimately they play eclectic alternative music and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

• Tickets to Sa Yuu

Thursday, May 7th: Blu & Exile at The Starlet Room or Tastes Like TV Static at Press Club - Blu is a rapper who has been laying down introspective, skilled and complex rhymes for years now. I remember listening to Below the Heavens back in 2007 and thinking that I had stumbled onto the the smartest guy in the game, and I am still not disabused of that notion. Don’t miss this show, and if you need more convincing, read this article that a former colleague of mine wrote about Blu very recently.

If that’s not the vibe for the night, then head to Press Club to see local band Tastes Like TV Static who will play their brand of indie rock with passion and enjoyment for the whole audience to see! The whole aura of the music is like hearing surf rock dreams collide with the slightly droney tones of other mellow tunes. Good one to catch.

• Tickets Blu & Exile

• Tickets to Tastes Like TV Static

Friday, May 8th: beastboi at Concerts in the Park - Is dubstep back? I think dubstep might be back. Or maybe it just never left. Either way, beastboi will be bringing his awe-inspiring soundscapes to Concerts in the Park on Friday. This night brings not only beastboi but also 2dy4, bringing dark mystical dubstep, Shroomi, local Sac groove selector, and other local DJ, Dirty D. This night is going to be one for the books, dress comfortable!

• No ticket necessary for Concerts in the Park, it is FREE, music starts at 6 PM

Saturday, May 9th: Local Music Showcase at Old Ironsides - Come to Old Ironsides to check out the Local Music Showcase, including artists like: Taylor Scott, Tyler Kidd, Banger and Lusafari. Always good to keep your eye on our rising talents.

• Tickets to Local Music Showcase

Sunday, May 10th: Sports at Harlow’s or Pennywise at Channel 24 or LES Play House Sacramento at LowBrau - We’ve got a major Sunday edition. There are many options, and they can continue throughout the day into the evening!

Start your day off right with a slide to LowBrau to check out the fun mini festival put on by LES Play House. You’ll see DJ Shino Smoke, DJ Shroomi (again!) DJ Yama, DJ Keith and a special headlining DJ who is a surprise. For the SF edition it was Austin Milz, who is pretty freaking cool. This is a day party so you’ll have some time to rest, eat and recover, before you make your choice for the evening!

If you want to indulge in some nostalgia for the 2010’s, head to to Harlow’s to see Sports, and listen to their dreamy, playful electro pop anthems. Each one will sound familiar and special.

If you want to finish the week with a bit more grit, then head to Channel 24 to check out legendary punk band Pennywise, in a 4 show bill, including CircleJerks, DFL and H20. Bring your bros to hear “Bro Hymn” or your mom! Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms!

• Tickets to LES Play House

• Tickets to Sports

• Tickets to Pennywise

That’s it guys! Lot’s of options this week, ignore the crazy weather we’re having and get inside to see a show! There’s a lot more cool shows to talk about in the near future so stay tuned. Thanks all!