Essay: Working out the personal and political in paint with Shiva Ahmadi
By Jeffrey Day Shiva Ahmadi’s art encompasses and expresses her personal and political concerns, anxieties, fears and joys. But her art is not polemical nor…
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The bear is back: ‘Ted’ is somehow hilarious again in this Peacock series
By Bob Grimm I had a good time with Seth MacFarlane’s original Ted movie, a profane blast of comedy starring Mark Wahlberg as Johnny—and a wise-assed talking…
The new rising: Davis and western Yolo are helping fuel California agave spirits
By Scott Thomas Anderson New possibilities for a new year: That was the theme of a recent symposium at U.C. Davis hosted by the California…
A new voice under the trees: Viva Corless begins her musical mark on Sacramento
By Casey Rafter The second studio effort from Sacramento folk singer Viva Corless is, according to the young songwriter, her tribute to Sacramento. Released in…
Jared James Nichols begins his US tour at a hotel in old Folsom on Jan. 23
By Eddie Jorgensen At 34, Jared James Nichols’ upward trajectory is a story that most solo artists could only dream about. Ever since moving to…
Sitting down with percussionist and vibraphone extraordinaire Mike Dillon, who plays Torch Club Jan. 20
By Eddie Jorgensen Local promoter Brian McKenna, a.k.a. Abstract Entertainment, has been bringing Mike Dillon to the Sacramento area since the late 80s, lighting up…
Opera chanteuse Renée Fleming returns to Davis on January 14th
By Eddie Jorgensen Opera fans need no introduction to Fleming and her immense body of work: With a career that started in 1978 performing Copland’s…
Creativity in the Capital: ChaCha Burnadette and Danielle Mercado on the importance of venues and lessons from Wu-Tang Clan
By Casey Rafter Without a leader like burlesque dancer ChaCha Burnadette, Sacramento would not enjoy the kind of spice her dance group, the Darling Clementines,…
Folk icon John McCutcheon plays a Sacramento engagement at The Sofia on Jan. 5
By Eddie Jorgensen If you were a regular at the Palms Playhouse, chances are you remember seeing John McCutcheon at both its hallowed and now-defunct…
1850: Sacramento’s most forlorn Christmas
By Scott Thomas Anderson Winter twilights over Broadway often reveal a smoldering rouge on the clouds that’s half-radiating against the blue cold of the coming…
The odyssey of Max Hart: There and back again with Sacramento’s sonic alchemist
By Casey Sexton In the realm of music, there are those who play the notes and those who transcend them – to the point of…
Creativity in the Capital: Dalrymple MacAlpin and The Philharmonik discuss personal transformation, artistic endeavors and finding ‘the great why’
By Casey Rafter Detroit-born storyteller, multi-instrumentalist, composer, playwright and puppeteer Dalrymple MacAlpin has spent much of his life interpreting the vivid images of his dreams…
Season’s streaming
By Juan-Carlos Selznick Some recent highlights from the Stream & Dream Lounge: The Killer (Netflix) David Fincher’s new film, with Michael Fassbender playing a high-priced professional…
‘Tis the season for holiday shows in Sacramento
Performing arts organizations count on revenue from holiday productions By Patti Roberts ‘Tis the season for holiday stories: a time when theater, dance and music…
A director overindulges: Despite a great premise, solid performances and a good ending, Netflix’s ‘Leave the World Behind’ is just OK
By Bob Grimm Leave the World Behind, the new apocalyptic thriller from writer-director Sam Esmail, left me on the fence between “liked” and “disliked” more…
The evolution of a travel writer: For Rick Steves, sojourning is more than escapism – it’s about the future
Rick Steves remembers sitting alone on a stage in Sacramento just before a curtain of chaos began descending on millions of peoples’ lives – and…
A new monster movie classic: ‘Godzilla Minus One’ is the best Godzilla film ever made
By Bob Grimm I’m enjoying the new Godzilla TV show, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, on Apple TV+. (Kurt Russell is god.) The new Godzilla x…