Saclights.com wants YOU!

I've spoken with a few people at The Bee, including the online folks, and most of them haven't even HEARD about saclights.com. The suspicion is that it was cooked up somewhere abroad - that is, beyond the Grid, or at least outside the Big Brick at 21st and Q - and is being "customized" for tie-in with The Bee. Sort of a "your picture here" approach to t-shirt fashion.

But no one I spoke to knows much about it. I guess they want to surprise us? My understanding is that what the site boils down to is not really a newspaper online; instead, it's a site like Yelp.com, which will depend largely on readers/posters to create content. Saclights.com will link to content already created by the newsroom and already posted on sacbee.com, but will not involve much in the way of original work by reporters or columnists.

Here's what you find when you go to saclights.com

If you can't be bothered to click, I'll make it easy for you: It's a placeholder, promising "local" - they use the word six times - and they're probably right. (Rick Rodriguez told me "it's all about local" as he told me he was shipping me out to Roseville.) But as Marketplace just told me (on KXJZ), social networking is the new email. That is, ubiquitous. And McClatchy - which is really what we're talking about here, not just The Bee - wants to "own" that social networking in Sacramento. Of course they do!

Meanwhile, Saclights.com promises (inelegantly) that "Nothing is too big or too small. We and you provide the – photos, videos, event listings, blogs, reviews and more. SacLights is into what you're into."

That sounds pretty "hep" - and it may work. But I like Yelp and I'm not at all sure that The Bee - or the corporation - can execute it any better. It'll be interesting to see what it looks like.

And if you're not very interested in what McClatchy has for your social networking needs, Saclights.com WILL give you a chance to win an iPhone. And we all want one of THOSE, right? They understand us! Sign me up!

I hear that there will be a launch party sometime next week, perhaps Dec. 6 or so, at Whiskey Wild...so if you want to know "where it's AT"...well, it might be there...

I'm still here...and so are they...

A few days off of blogging is a necessary thing. I spoke with a friend here in town who does a great photo blog, and he says he tries NOT to post more than 2 or 3 times a week, that people don't want to hear more than that from anyone. And I feel remiss if I don't post five or six times a week. Takes all kinds, I guess. My question is: How often do you look at a blog?

Or, for that matter, a website? Above is the logo for the Bee's new nightlife website, SacLights.com, which should launch sometime in early December from what I hear. The funny thing is, even people in the Bee's entertainment department don't know anything about it - but then, keeping employees in the dark is a Bee specialty. Still: Who's writing this thing?

And who came up with the tagline? "Places to Go. People to Do." DADDY LIKE! But seriously, I would have been shouted down if I'd suggested such a RISQUE slogan (and I would have). So, who's in charge over there? This can't be Scene management!

Appetites enhanced!

OK, so I forgot one thing to be grateful for about Sacramento: the weather! Yesterday was just perfect for the several hundred people who turned out at the Towe for the 20th Appetite Enhancement Ride. It was cool and sunny, the cider was great (and still free, despite claims to the contrary) and there were visiting rock stars and cuddly bear-lettes. A few kids, even!
It was harder to win a prize in the raffle, but we weren't there to accumulate - in fact, we didn't even hear the numbers called, so busy were many of us in talking to folks we hadn't seen in awhile. It was fun.

Not the crazy fun of four years ago, when a competition ensued in which riders (some nekked) rode their bikes into the frigid waters of the Confluence, to see how far in they could ride before falling over. That was wild; this year's ride was as mild as the weather. But it was still absolutely beautiful...

Thankgiving for Sacramento!

So, I NEVER thought I'd be grateful to live in Sacramento.

I grew up here, in the neverland between "Sacramento" and something called "Carmichael," but honestly, I couldn't see any difference: they both seemed like nowhere to me. And I couldn't wait to get out.

So, I did. I've lived, for periods of a few months usually, in London, in San Francisco, in New York, and on the road for six-month long stretches that took me all over Europe, to Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Morocco, Brazil, Argentina...all along thinking that I would find some place that I would feel would be the right place for me, someplace to call home...with pride.

Sacramento never seemed like a possibility. Where was the pride in that?

But during all those years, I was doing other things, things I didn't think much of: I was building relationships, buying and remodeling a house or two, falling in and out of love, working at writing, loving and learning music, exploring the ocean and mountains and deserts around me, taking care of (and being taken care of by) the people who matter to me. And while I was doing all that, despite my best - or at least most fervent - intentions, I was doing something I intended NOT to do: I was making a life in Sacramento. Dumb ol' Sacto.

And it is a GOOD life. It's good in large part - almost entirely, really - because of the people in my life who I love and who love me, who are too many to name, and who I am inadequate to the task of praising sufficiently; they know who they are.

But it's also, I have to admit, this town: Though I grew up loathing it, I have grown to love the place. There are a lot of things it's not, as any one of us can point out; but even the things it's not have made me a better person, because it has forced me to make my own excitement, my own entertainment, my own social whirl. And now, it gives me surprises nearly every day, which is what prompted this blog. I hope that you are finding new surprises here yourself, things where you think, "Gee, I didn't know THAT was happening here."

And I love this, above all: That any time I walk out of my house, day or night, and head out on the furry bike, I WILL run into someone I know. I mean, it ALWAYS happens, and I'm always happy to see them, and them, me. And we will talk, and I'll learn something new, and more than that, we'll reinforce a connection that is a year, a decade or even 20- or 30-years-old. Or even just a week old.

We live in a place where those week-old connections CAN turn into 20-year-connections, and that is NOT something that you are nearly as likely to find in New York or (god knows) San Francisco. It's possible, but people in those cities are often rushing to the next exciting thing, or next exciting person or career opportunity, and they too often leave people behind. We don't do that here; our careers matter, but our connections matter more.

It's a way of being grounded that I haven't seen in the cities of my dreams, and I'm glad that I was smart enough to realize it before it was too late.

I recorded a song on my album by a songwriter named Adam Sultan. The chorus goes, "Thanksgiving for every wrong move/That made it right." That, I have found, is how life often works. In this case, my "wrong move" was not striving harder to become a big-city writer or songwriter or whatever I might have been had I "successfully" stayed away from my hometown and "made it." And for that, I give thanks today, and every day, for having landed in the modest, "boring" town that is just about perfect for me. Even without the job that seemed to define me for 25 years, I can say wholeheartedly that I feel that I have "made it" beyond my wildest dreams.

What I have made is a life I love. And you just can't get more successful than that.

Happy Thanksgiving, Sacramento.

Fishing follies...

So, it's Tuesday morning, a gorgeous pre-Thanksgiving day, and what the hell better thing to do than go fishing? Fly fishing, of course. And who better to do it with than Bill Lowe, fishing guide extraordinaire?

OK, OK, so the closest I come to fishing is ordering at Fins Seafood Restaurant and Market at 19th and S (good food, but pretty pricey for a just-this-side-of-cafeteria setting - entrees this expensive deserve white tablecloths!). But I'm working on a story for Horizon Airlines in-flight magazine on all the stuff you can do in Sacramento, and who can ignore the rivers?

Bill's quite the guide, and flattering to boot: He said I had the best casting style he's ever seen on a novice, but then I'm a pushover for a well-aimed compliment. And I AM a musician of sorts, and we've GOT it in the wrist. But seriously, I GET it now...the simple elegance of the line arcing back and forth, the pleasure of standing in the river but staying dry, and the river itself - endlessly rolling, as it does all around the Grid, 24/7, and has, for CENTURIES...

And a chance to forget all the bullshit we're looking at every day, whether we want to or not. I get it. But - and it's a big but - Bill said that at this time of year, we should be able to smell the salmon, and even see them churning the water across the river as they make their way upstream, as they have for, well, CENTURIES.

But not this year. Which is a big bummer. Bill said he doesn't know why, it predated the oil spill in the Bay, but having just heard an NPR segment on global warming and the Sierra snowpack, it felt like even fishing is subject to the ramifications of the bad news.

Meanwhile, here are a couple more shots that I took from the Delta Sea Planes Tour I took from Jenni Martin....First is the deep water channel that brings boats from the Pacific all the way inland to Sacramento. This is so out of sight, we never think about it, but boats that came across the Pacific Ocean pull right up to the dock in West Sac. Amazing. Here it is, sans ships...

Then there's the confluence of the Sacramento and the American Rivers, another great feature of this town that it's easy to forget (especially if you're stuck in traffic trying to get across one of the bridges they necessitate). But still...


And then there are just some wonderful bends in the river, made all the more delightful when you're cruising right up them, undulating with the turns, just a few feet over the surface of the water, except when Martin decides to touch down, which is another thrill entirely. Seriously, if you've got a water buff in the family, you can do a LOT worse than popping for one of Martin's tours.

The 20th Appetite Enhancement Ride...

OK, so MY bike is always ready for the Appetite Enhancement Ride, which will take place for the 20th time this Thursday morning, a.k.a. Thanksgiving.

If you're not familiar, this is the BEST holiday celebration in the Grid, and it's gotten so big that it has necessitated ANOTHER move, the second in two years. Last year, the Ride was moved from its longtime location in the Alfa Romeo garage parking lot on 18th between K and L, which is now in the shadow of the new lofts/retail monster across the street. But last year's move to Dave Dave and Trish's Brick House Gallery in Oak Park didn't take, as it was too big even for that. So this year, the party starts at the Towe Museum by the SacRiver on Front Street, just north of Broadway.

The fun starts at 9 a.m. So, you may ask, what IS it, exactly? Well, it's a lot of interesting downtown people on all manner of bikes, mostly-decorated or otherwise tricked-out, with people in big hats, anti-fashion duds, and dogs in drag - or whatever you like. Let it suffice to say that the puritanical Pilgrims would not have approved (they might have had to waterboard some attendees), but the Indians would have rolled with it.

There's food, drink (feel beyond-free to contribute) and a raffle for some excellent prizes (tickets $1 each, $20 for 25), and all the proceeds benefit the hungry and homeless, of whom there are quite a few around The Grid these days.

I already loved Thanksgiving - gratitude is the highest form of worship - but the Ride makes me look forward to it (though I rarely feel that my appetite is enhanced afterwards).

Anybody got some good pictures of past years?

The World Moves On A Woman's Hips...

OK, so, yes, I DO believe that Men Who Dance Will Save the World...

But it's the women who dance who make it MOVE...

For Ultra's Big Birthday, we took over Rhino's downtown loft - the old school, funky, you-mean-that-guy-lives-here? kind, not the $600k-$1 mil concrete box, choose-yer-upgrades kind - and were visited by the women of the Unmata modern belly dance troupe, and they just ROCKED the place. Beautiful women, all confidence and grace and strength and look-you-RIGHT-in-the-eye. The females in attendance were vibrating sympathetically, and the guys...well, you know how guys are...

Fantastic!

And happy birthday, Ultra...even in this crowd, you were the ultimate!

BTG ROCKETS up the charts: Sacramento Top 25

OK, so I really don't know how this works, but BloggingTheGrid is now No. 10 on the Sacramento's Top 25 sites. There are two blogs with more visits. I tout this, yet I have no idea what it means. We're no sacbee.com. But that's good, right?

Thanks people, for checking in with BTG. I'm so happy, I think I'm going to go dance (see previous post).

Men Who Dance Will Save the World!

So, after my interview with Ozomatli on KXJZ Thursday afternoon, I had to go check them out. I saw them several years ago at the Crest, but that was it, so it was time. And while I really hate the hotel ballroom that is the CSUS Student Union venue - it's cold, it's boring, and it sounds awful, and Unique Productions seems to do nothing much to make the place interesting to look at - but it was OZO, so what the hell. And they didn't let me down.
OK, so the photos ain't much, but perhaps they communicate the joy and energy of the band, which loves this venue (with a caveat about the sound), and declared Sactown "our second hometown," which is pretty damned cool, considering that these guys played Nepal, India, Egypt and other exotic locales this year.

The show was opened by SambaDa, who play excellent Brazilian music, heavy on the percussion, and who joined Ozo by the show's end, when the Ozos jumped off the stage and gathered in the center of the room, pounding out rhythms that the crowd answered with chants of "oh-zo-mat=li" over and over. It was fantastic. And it was fantastic despite lame sound and a half- or slightly-better-than-half capacity of 900 or so. It was fantastic because it was what the best "rock" shows (what does that mean anymore?) are fantastic: They create a sense of community.

This is what Springsteen and U2 and the other great bands do. They let us know that we are not alone. They free us. They get us out of the little boxes we call "home" - damn, people, get out of your fucking houses! - and remind us that we're part of a community, and that we are all the same in our myriad differences, especially if we can dance.

Dancing. I love to dance, and I do it as often as I can. And I watch people who DON'T dance, and I wonder why. How can they not? Is it about being so self-conscious, or so out of touch with the boo-tay, that you can't just feel that basic, primal, human THANG? Are you afraid you're going to look too silly? Or GAY?

And as Mike and I watched people, we agreed: Men Who Dance Will Save the World.
George Bush doesn't dance (I bet). Dick Cheney does NOT dance. Rick Rodriguez is very unlikely to dance (I'd be happy to be surprised). People who dance aren't afraid to look foolish, or uncool, or "gay." People who dance feel what it is like to be a human being (right down to the aching knees and lower back, doh!), and they can look at each other and smile and not be AFRAID that someone is going to a) hit on them; b) mock them, or c) ask them for money.
Goddamn.

And it's not about the women in this case. Women are so much freer to dance than men are. Women are EXPECTED to dance, almost. A women who's having a good time can shake her booty; and man who does so is, well, suspect. Fuck that. MEN WHO DANCE WILL SAVE THE WORLD.

Because they aren't afraid to FEEL, and they're not always on guard, to make sure that they can kick someone's ass, just in case. And they're not always THINKING. Or judging.

MEN WHO DANCE WILL SAVE THE WORLD, because they are in touch. That's why God made gay men - to give everyone else permission to stop worrying about how they look, or if they're masculine enough. Straight men need gay men.

And that's why OZO rocks: They are a bunch of unassailably macho/straight/"real" men who dance their asses off. Bassist Wil-Dog would not be called a "pussy" by even the dumbest frat boy, yet he dances his ass off all show long...these guys shake it HARD, and they have a sense of humor about themselves, which the Dance also encourages. After all, you dance, you take a risk of falling on your ass.

OK, end of rant. I love OZO, and I love seeing people - especially men - dancing. It gives me hope. And God knows we need that now...

My Insight gig - for your (not my) listening pleasure

I just finished my gig at Marilyn's - two more weeks to go, skipping next Thursday/Thanksgiving - so please come on down. Tonight, Tracy Walton of Mumbo Gumbo joined me for a few songs - man, I love singing with that woman! And she reprised her version of "Ode to Billie Joe", with yours truly adding some lead guitar...

Now, I'm off to Sac State to see Ozomatli, who I interviewed today on my maiden voyage as a substitute host on Jeffrey Callison's Insight on KXJZ. It was a great experience, I hope to repeat it soon, and the producers of the program were very encouraging.

You can listen to my entire hour - first with novelist Ha Jin, then with two of the Ozos at Capital Public Radio's website.

It's all about me...and Ha Jin, and Ozomatli!

I learned to ride a Segway yesterday, for a freelance story I'm doing. But that's not the deal. Today, it's all about Jeffrey Callison's Insight show, which I will be substitute hosting at 2 p.m. at KXJZ, 90.9 FM.

My guests will be Chinese American author Ha Jin, who will also be at the Crest tonight (interviewed there by Jeffrey), a group of BASE jumpers who are planning to jump off the Silver Legacy in Reno, and Ozomatli, who will be playing Sac State's Student Union tonight (be there if you love funky music). I need to keep preparing, but I wanted to give you all a heads up. If you miss the live show on radio, you can of course hear it later on KXJZ's website.

It's a toss-up who'll be more nervous: the BASE jumpers I'll be interviewing, or me. At least I'm guaranteed to survive. Good thing, too, because I'm building a following playing live at Marilyn's On K between 5-7 p.m. tonight. Come visit!

Dream comes true-ish

Sacramento's nightlife just got a bit brighter tonight (Tuesday) with the "friends and family" pre-opening of Dream Ultra Lounge, the brainchild collaboration of the owners of Ink, Avalon and Cabana. I stopped by last week and took a few shots of the outside patio, which shares space with the Torch Club, which is decidedly not upscale, and proud of it. 

Dream is aiming upscale, and looks prepared to hit it. Tonight's opening was not for review, according to manager Jason, who asked that I not shoot inside, since there's still a bit of work to do. But what's there is, well, pretty flash. I tend to like things a bit funkier myself - or really classy - but Dream is aiming to please the Park/Avalon/Momo crowd, and I'm betting that they will.

 

I was down the street at Capitol Garage enjoying the jazz jam with Marcus Crowder of The Bee - the jam features some great players, including Emerson Cardenez, Santana's excellent bass player, sitting in on stand-up bass - when Dream's facade caught my eye. On closer inspection, it's a curtain of chain mail, lit from above, which gives some dimension and privacy to those enjoying Dream's front patio, creating a trippy fish tank look that looks good from inside as well - or even from down the street. And the fire place is a nice touch.

The grand opening is Saturday night. The "soft opening" is tomorrow (Wednesday). 

Inside the Railyard

The Bee's big cover story on the railyards and the plans that are about to be approved reminded me of an afternoon a couple of months ago when three friends and I rode our bikes over the railroad tracks at the Amtrak station and right out into the railyard that is the subject of so many dreams these days. 

And it reminded me that, as all this stuff is built in downtown, other stuff is being changed forever. I'm all for shops and restaurants and refurbished buildings that the public can use, but I for one will miss the ghostly old shops with their clouded windows and rusting old hulks of locomotives. So, here are a few pictures I shot, back before bloggingthegrid even existed. Yes, children, there was such a time... 

Here's the downtown from the shops...you could be standing here shopping, and not even SEE downtown from here. Or the place could feature views of downtown. In any case, it's not going to look like this... This is a shot between the shops. It'd be nice if they can keep some of the rustic, industrial surface of the old tracks between the shops, but it could be an insurance nightmare. And finally, the big boys, the beasts for whom it was all built. We actually climbed up inside these things and played engineer for awhile. No one was around, there were no signs or fences keeping us out, and the only signs of life were the scent of quitting time ganga wafting from one of the shops. Perhaps THAT is why this whole thing is going so slowly... 

Barton gains Insight; Blogging The Grid charts!

Blogging The Grid recently charted on John Bressler's Sacramento Top 25 (see link to the right), and while we didn't hit the Top 25 itself, we got to No. 36 on our first time on the chart, which is a start. 

But my BIG news this week is that I just landed a gig substitute-hosting for Jeffrey Callison's wonderful afternoon interview program Insight, on KXJZ/Capitol Public Radio. If you don't listen to this show, every weekday at 2 p.m., you should; if you already do, you know why I'm excited by the prospect. This is Sacramento's version of National Public Radio's brilliant "Fresh Air," and a chance for me to work in a different, and very immediate, medium.

And the gig starts immediately: I'll be hosting a show with National Book Award-winning author Ha Jin ("Waiting," "A Free Life") THIS THURSDAY at 2 p.m. He will be speaking in the California Lecture Series that night at the Crest Theatre. As for Thursday's radio show, there will be another guest, and a great one is in the works, but is not yet confirmed. I'll let you know as soon as I do, and please tune in (90.9 FM) and let me know what you think! 

Soggy Second Saturday

Another posting gap - two trips to San Francisco, a day with the family, a freelance piece to finish and etc - and I have to admit that, despite my hyperbole, it's not ALL about The Grid. 

But we're back: And Second Saturday didn't catch much of a break this weekend, with the Grid basically awash in water more than visitors. You could actually walk around inside Body Tribe, and the usual throngs on the street were replaced by people scurrying from shelter to shelter. And it wasn't even safe to park (if you can't make it out, that's an SUV on 21st wearing a very large branch, with the local cops flashing behind it). 

But we made a few stops, and they were good: First to Lumens at 

21st and K to see co-owner Peter Weight's very inviting and texure-rich paintings. Very evocative, and we have no idea where he finds the time, running a store like Lumens. But that's why we love artists, right?

 

Then down 21st to Body Tribe to catch the tail end of a Ross Hammond/Mike Palmer/Tom Monson gig and the gym/gallery's usual funky art.

But this month's "home" - really, we try to hit everything, but it's completely impossible - was Old Soul Baking Co. on the alley between L and Capitol, 18th and 19th. There's nothing quite as much fun for me as finding a room full of people I know, sorta know, and don't-yet-know, and settling in for the duration. And the place for that this month was Old Soul. The entrance was a barely-fordable puddle, bridged eventually by a well-place shipping pallet, but once we got inside, it was a little slice of heaven. Warm, friendly, and scented by freshly-baked goods. 

Reinhard Hohlwein and Anna Scacel's photos of Turkey (which we enjoyed last month at Momo Lounge) looked even better on Old Soul's big bare brick wall, the music was by the estimable Rusty Zinn (in a rare acoustic appearance) and a Burner gal who goes by Canadian Bacon was rolling out the next day's croissants as people ate cheese and crostini and sipped excellent wine and lattes. I'm glad this blog doesn't have a lot of readers, because I don't want this place as mobbed as it deserves to be. Consider this to be a bonus for "early-adopters" of bloggingthegrid.com. 

And best of all (from my perspective) was running into not one, not two, but THREE readers of bloggingthegrid! I'm still adjusting to the immediacy and intimacy (and requisite frequency) of this medium, but running into people who're actually visiting makes me very happy. I will keep it going, I promise. 

Cheese and tunes at Marilyn's

Here's another shot from the plane, straight up Capitol Mall, WHICH just happens to be only blocks from Marilyn's On K, (the OTHER Mall), where I will be playing tonight from 5-7 p.m. It'll be a chance to say hello, hear some new songs (hell, they're ALL new to most people), and eat FREE CHEESE! Yes, the cheese is free, and the drinks nearly so.

And the songs are quite tasty as well.

Don't say I didn't tell you!

High in Sacramento

OK, this'll be brief, I'll let the pictures tell the tale.

Got a lift from Jenni Martin from Delta Seaplanes Tours, a company the life-long pilot launched last year to give tours of our area from the air. You might think that, this area being flat as a pancake and all, it'd be a dull ride. Far from it. Martin is fascinated by the area, especially the Delta, and she makes an excellent guide.

Since it's much in the news lately, here are some shots of the railyard, with its piles of toxic dirt and moldering, contested shops. I've also thrown in a shot of the confluence of the American and the Sacramento, just 'cause it's cool.



BTW, have any other bloggers had to deal with this new, non-HTML-style loading of photos? Pain in the ass...

Life is a new cabaret on K Street Mall

All the dire talk about K Street Mall as a "war zone" and the endless ink spilled about Moe Mohanna and his properties on the same two blocks of the mall (which is six blocks, not counting the Downtown Plaza section) overlooks some very cool stuff. The fantastic new creperie at 9th and K, the live music (including local and touring bands) at Marilyn's, restaurants like Three Monkeys, Pyramid Ale House and Ambrosia Cafe, are all worth visits. AND there is work starting on a project that may well transform that whole area: the collaboration on a dinner theatre/cabaret in the old Woolworth's Building at the corner of 10th and K, just across the street from The Crest.
A joint venture between Randy Paragary and the good folks who put on the Music Circus and the Broadway Series of touring musicals, the new venture will feature a 210-seat theatre for touring cabaret (and perhaps homegrown?) acts, as well as a restaurant across a common lobby. The Paragary's restaurant will also feature a bar/lounge in the upstairs portion, with a raised patio (see the picture). The same bar will serve drinks in the theatre.
I spoke to Scott Eckern, the artistic director of California Musical Theatre, and he said that the place should be open in a year, November 2008.
"We’re developing an experience that isn’t available here," he said, "We have a lot of connections, we can bring Broadway performers in, and as a result of that space being available, we can do explorations into new works we otherwise can’t do. We can do staged readings, lots of interesting stuff."
I rode the fuzzy bike down there the other day, and crews are indeed beavering away in the building, which until recently was a boarded up hulk, like a number of storefronts in the area, and not just on K Street.
And the new cabaret/restaurant complex will have ready-made customers from out of town: Nov. 2008 is also the projected opening date for Citizen, the new hotel on 10th and J, just a block away. And Parlare is already drawing people to the area, as is Temple Tea and Coffee, one of the coolest coffee spots in town.
There is a LOT going up in this area - the future looks very bright indeed. That's what I love about what's happening now - the naysayers note that things haven't worked out in the past; the people with vision and money are putting their assets on the line to MAKE it happen.

The Hives live at Arco Arena

The art of live performance is so dominated by "cool" now that it's rare to see an act so eager to make a good impression that they straight up demand our attention. So many artists feel entitled to it that it never even occurs to them to work for it.
The Hives' lead singer, Howlin' Pelle Almqvist, declared his intentions straight away: "We've come all the way from Sweden to entertain you," he said, eyeballing the crowd. "How does that make you feel?"
I was too busy laughing at that to hear exactly what came next, but he basically went on to explain thtat they were going to use their 25 minutes "to turn you into Hives fans." And so he and the four piece band did, even though he admitted "It's going to be an uphill battle."
But he and the band proved up to it. They took the crowd of perhaps 8,000 people from passive bystanders who had come to see Maroon 5 to cheering partisans. Their secret weapon was a fierce tightness among the players, great Kinks-inspired rockers like "Hate to Say I Told You So" and Almqvist's fearless cheerleading and crowd-goading.
Cracking wise at every opportunity, and checking in with the crowd to see if they were going to make his goal a reality ("Have we made an impression?" he asked at one point), he was like the geeky bastard love child of Iggy Pop and your nerdy little brother. He was a charming goof, and he got us to buy in.
The audience they left on their feet may not all go out and buy Hives records (they should), but they were cheering at the end of The Hives set in a way that they weren't at the end of Maroon 5's. And Maroon 5 was good. But they weren't the Hives!

Mea culpa - I'm figuring this out

Just home from a night outside the Grid - Arco Arena for the Hives concert. I mean, for the Maroon 5 concert.

I had a good time, and I will write about it later, but I have a mea culpa to register with you, my larger-than-expected gang of readers.

In reaction to a couple of nasty comments early on, I made comments to this blog "moderated" - which meant I had to approve comments before they were posted. But as a friend pointed out to me tonight, it is perhaps contrary to the open nature of the internet to do so. I was perhaps a tad sensitive.

I'd gotten out of the habit of taking shit off of strangers. I certainly was used to it when I was writing for The Bee - some days, you get it just for showing up to work there, and doing your job. People have a BIG attitude about The Bee, and any big media. As pop music critic, I was hardened. (Hell, I got a death threat my first day in my full time gig at The Bee because I criticized Jimmy Page's guitar work in The Firm. 'Nuff said.) Lately, though, not so much. And frankly, my feelings were a bit RAW when I started this, in the aftermath of my Bee exit.

But as my friend said, "People don't want to be talked at," and I can see that. More to the point, people want to dialog, and that's what this is really all about. What I'd really like to help create with this blog is more of an online community in Sacramento, which was already going on just fine without me. I want to be a part of it, I want to spur it, and I want to learn from it. I'm already learning quite a bit.

So, I have disabled the comment moderation feature. I'm still not dying to be mocked, sneered at, or threatened, but I've had all of those before, and they were no big deal. Better to have the free flow of information really free than my feelings artificially protected. I'd like this to stay civilized, that is, interesting, but I'm open to loose cannons. This could be a big party, and they will make it fun.

Dream coming true Nov. 17

Dream Ultra Lounge has been going up behind plywood next door to the Torch Club on 15th Street, but I got a preview today and wanted to share it with you.

Dream, the brainchild of the guys who brought you Cabana Ultra Lounge (formerly K Bar), Avalon and Ink, will open on Saturday, Nov. 17. It still had a ways to go when I visited, and manager Jason (no last name, please) didn't want pictures taken. But he gave me a tour, and I liked what I saw.

The place is white. Very white. A row of white leather booths, all curves and views of the room, with a wall of white curtains behind it - curtains that will be lit by LEDs in an ever-changing rainbow of colors. So, not so white. The bar, in the same location as when it was the Sky Bar, is all browns and textured wallpaper, and the main dining room area will be veneered with wood that still hadn't been put up when I was there.

The food, by Chris Nestor of Ink, will include a version of Ink's fabulous sliders, but these will go a bit upscale by containing Kobe beef instead of that same old American beef we're used to. There will also be lobster tacos, sear-it-yourself ahi, and a dozen other finger foods. No actual meals here, but it's not about eatin'. It's about drinkin'.

There will be bottle service at all the tables, and DJs will hold forth from a DJ booth in the rear, though there will be no dance floor.

From the street, there will be an outdoor patio (now standard in Sactown, thank goodness), with a fireplace that is visible from outside as well as inside - a nice conversation starter that'll be sure to attract attention from passersby.

Dream is in a great location, and expands the critical mass of the area, at least as regards drinkin'. Within three blocks: The Park (aka Mason's), Avalon, Capitol Garage, The Grand, Spataro, and of course, the best deal of them all, The Torch Club, with the cheapest drinks and the funkiest clientele of all.

You're visiting! You're really visiting!!

Hey gang -

And I say "gang" advisedly: I just signed up for a visit-counting site and - hells bells! - people are stopping in to see the site. A lot of people!

No one is as surprised as I am. I have no idea who you are, unless you comment, but hot damn, you are visiting. Welcome!

I have been remiss on posting to this blog, in part because I wasn't sure anyone was even paying attention. That is obviously a mis-perception on my part.

Even more, though, I have found that blogging is quite different from what I've done for the last 30 years, and I have had a period of adjustment to this new style. That, and I've been a bit unclear about what I'm doing here. That, too, is becoming clearer.

My editors at The Bee, when they had a criticism, said this: "Dave, it doesn't have to be definitive. It's only a newspaper story." That goes triple for blogging - I am only one person, and I have limited hours in the day, and frankly, no one can be Mr. Grid, right? Even though it's small, it's bigger than one person. So, my tendency to freeze at the sight of too much information, or too many choices, or to feel too responsible to my readers, has worked against me.

So...I will be posting more often, and more often about my own experience, rather than some definitive guide to everything in The Grid, which I can't possibly cover alone. Which is exciting in itself.

So, I am about to head out on my furry bike to take some shots of all the cool stuff I've been seeing around town in my travels over the last few weeks. And putting it right here.

Because YOU are paying attention!

BloggingtheGrid on KFBK tonight!

KFBK (AM 1530) afternoon host Kitty O'Neill has asked me to come on her show tonight at 6:00 to talk about the new music I've been listening to, as well as Blogging the Grid AND my forthcoming all-music site, still a-fixing, to be called NoisyArtifacts.com. You know the former, you're reading it. But NoisyArtifacts.com will be subtitled "Music For Boomers," and will focus on the music we Boomers grew up with, rooted in the '60s and '70s, but with an ear to new music.

For instance, tonight on KFBK I will be talking about, and playing cuts from, the new Robert Plant/Alison Krauss collaboration, "Raising Sand," as well as the new Springsteen and the two-CD collection of Dylan covers that is the sound track to the new sorta-biopic, "I'm Not There." The latter features everyone from Cat Power and Sufjan Stevens to Eddie Vedder and the Million Dollar Bashers, a house band of sorts that features, among others, such guitarist greats as Tom Verlaine (Television), Lee Renaldo (Sonic Youth), Smokey Hormel (Beck's band) and Nels Cline (Wilco)!

Below is a link to a YouTube promotional video about Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' "Raising Sand." A BIG five stars on this one!

Marilyn's rocks - you shoulda been there!

Yeah, that's me, last night at Marilyn's - if you missed it (and most people did!), don't feel too devastated. I had technical difficulties with my guitar, and the resulting nerves - a rarity for me onstage - had me on the run the whole night. Call it a dress rehearsal. It can do nothing but get better.

I write not for sympathy, but to say that Marilyn's should have been packed last night. Not for me, but because it is one of the best places on the Grid to hear live music. Last night, I was just the happy hour guy - at about 8:30, Richard March and his band took the stage, and rocked the place up with March's brand of traditional honky tonk, bolstered by a great band that is only getting better with all the gigging they've done. March himself has a smooth, authoritative voice, and writes some solid honky-tonk songs.
And guitarist Steve Randall is so good that he had a guitar-playing friend of mine - no slouch himself - swearing he was going to call Randall for lessons.

And March's band was just the opening act (not sure what that makes me): the headliner was a band from L.A. called David Serby and the Sidewinders, who put the honk in honky-tonk, just ripping off one lighter-than-air shuffle after another, right in the pocket and featuring yet another great guitar player. It was great. And there were about 25 people there!

Which prompted a couple of friends to ask: What is UP with Sacramento and live music? Is it THAT hard to get out on a Thursday night? Do people just not know what's going on? Are people THAT scared of K Street Mall? Is television really THAT good? Were there that many other things going on that only 25 people had nothing else to do?

These are questions that have been out there for not just years, but decades. Marilyn's has a great stage, a wood dance floor, a good sound system that doesn't blare and blast your ears into oblivion (thanks, Donny) and a bar with cheap drinks. The parking garage at 10th and K is safe and well-lit and easily-accessed, and Marilyn's validates up to $5! And the cover is cheap, barely more than the cost of a rental at Blockbuster.

Part of what I want to do with this site is let people know what's going on in a way that doesn't feel like a mass of information coming at you from, say, Ticket or SNR. I pick and choose, which means I'll miss stuff, but I also try to give you my honest opinion, as I have for 30 years.

Right now, my honest opinion is this: Live music is a thrill, and there's still quite a bit of it on the Grid. I'm open to suggestions, and I'm open to being off-base, but I'm NOT open to the idea that the best option is to either sit at home and watch the video, go to a movie or eat out. With Old Ironsides, Harlow's, Empire, Luna's and other venues bringing in live acts, I want to encourage you to go check stuff out. There's a lot going on, as Marilyn's proved last night.