Archive for August, 2010
Regular MidMo reader Deanna Marquart won a $100 Gift Certificate from Mulvaney’s B&L in July’s ‘Find the Ad Contest‘! We received well over 100 correct entries (and NO wrong entries) by the July 20 cut-off. Art Director Judd Hertzler randomly selected Deanna’s entry in the drawing and we got the certificate to her last week.
Don’t miss YOUR chance to win this month’s Find the Ad contest! Enter by noon on August 20 – Details in the August issue of Midtown Monthly!
Lots going on Thursday/Friday/Saturday- here’s the MidMo guide to your weekend:
Thursday 8/5
The Verge Jumble Preview Party
The Verge Center for the Arts is hosting its first public fundraiser at the new 7th and S location tonight! $15 gets you food, drink, DJIng by Scott Soriano AND first crack at the incredible pile of treasures the Verge has collected for their rummage sale.
Verge Center for the Arts, 625 S Street, 7PM, $15
Friday, 8/6
The Ground Chuck Show
Lovable Midtown screever Ground Chuck started doing standup comedy last year – here’s your chance to catch his act as he hosts a latenight show of his favorite comics at the Comedy Spot. He may have a guitar and amp with him, maybe a drum set, he may play videos… who knows? “This is Ground Chuck doing whatever he wants,” says organizer Keith Lowell Jensen (who’ll do his own set earlier that night). “We’re just giving him free reign and trusting that hanging out with Chuck for an hour or so is going to be a good time.” We can’t think of a better way to wrap up a Friday night.
The Comedy Spot, 1050 20th Street, 11PM, $6
Saturday 8/7
The Zeros, Dungeons and Drag Queens and Blue Diamonds
They’re back! 34 years after forming in a Chula Vista garage, and 33 years after they released their seminal “Don’t Push Me Around” single on Bomp! Records, The Zeros are here to remind you what punk rock and roll is all about. I know, I know, reunion gigs pretty much always suck, but forget all those crappy comebacks you’ve seen from bands who never should have left the nursing home – these guys bring it. I saw ‘em at Gilman earlier this year and they were better than they had any right to be. Here’s some local TV footage from 1977 (starts wobbly, gets good quick).
And show up early – openers Blue Diamonds have a basketful of choice garage chestnuts (including a Fugs cover!) for you.
Blue Lamp, 1400 Alhambra Blvd, 21+, 9PM
We just heard the very sad news that Andy Ekstrom has died. We first met Andy when the MARRS Project was just opening up – Ekstrom was the go-to guy for most aspects of the complex, and he was unfailing in his efforts to help us when we were looking for anything pertaining to the complex, or any other issue related to Midtown/Downtown development.
That was his reputation – a very friendly, helpful guy who always seemed to go a bit further than most to help. Ekstrom was a familiar face in Midtown/Downtown, and was a true booster for the smart development of Sacramento’s core. He will be remembered, as one friend put it, as “a true and honest gentleman.”
We don’t have word on a memorial service yet but will post when information becomes available. [Done -edit]
Does anyone have better junk than artists? Visit any artist’s home or studio and you’re likely to encounter an eclectic mix of books, knick-knacks, music equipment, antiques, tools, and assorted other treasures. For their first public fundraiser, the Verge Center for the Arts (formerly the Verge Gallery and Studio Project) asked artists, arts supporters and the public at large to donate some of their treasures to the First Annual Verge Jumble Sale, Saturday and Sunday, August 7-8, 8AM – 2PM. Judging by the small mountain of donations taking up a significant chunk of floor space, the response has been swell! Having seen all this materiel trucking in (being married to the Executive Director has its perks) I can assure you that a $15 ticket to the August 5 Preview Sale and Party will be a wise investment, even if they weren’t providing food and drinks. This will be the public’s first chance to check out the exciting new space for Verge; in April they relocated from their 19th Street location to a new, much larger spot at 7th and S. They’re still in the process of building out the galleries, but they’ve already got a score of studios built and filled with working artists, with another dozen or so on the way. Ask nicely and they’ll give you a tour of the premises while you’re there.
625 S Street
Preview Party: Aug 5, 7PM
Saturday and Sunday: August 7- 8, 8AM-2PM
By Becky Grunewald Photos by Scott Duncan and BG
The things about Sacramento that are often referred to as “ghetto” or “busted” are some of my favorite things. On that list are South Sac, the bike trail, and the California State Fair. Topping that list is the much-maligned American River. Read more »
By Sarah Singleton photos by Scott Duncan
People wonder how we Saramentans survive the heat every summer. Besides a dunk in a pool or one of the rivers and air conditioning, it’s the knowledge that by 8PM, our beloved Delta breezes will kick in and somewhere, someplace there will be a patio on which to relax, have a drink and maybe get a bite to eat. I spent several days and nights searching out the best of Sac’s patios. It was a tiresome task, but somehow I muddled through. May I present to you the more noteworthy of Sacramento’s outdoor eating and drinking locales. Read more »
By Becky Grunewald photos by Scott Duncan and BG
It might not be apparent to the casual reader, but beneath the sunny surface of Sacramento’s free publications lurks an intense rivalry. The competition between MidMo and SN&R is particularly intense. It is rife with corporate espionage and backstabbing. I’m pretty sure Nick Miller is tapping my phones. Read more »
By Niki Kangas Photos by Scott Duncan
Damn it, it’s that mint green envelope from SMUD again. When the bills start changing colors, you know you forgot, or weren’t able to make, that last payment. Read more »
MidMo Art Director Judd Hertzler is a man for all seasons. He stays plenty busy, with a family, an art/design career, skateboarding obsession, and, as some readers might remember, a recent book, A Moment to Reflect, which captures a good mix of his creative spirit. When we asked Judd if he’d be interested in taking a spin in the Musical Chair he quickly obliged, revealing a side we’d never seen before: gun toting hip hop. What? Read more »