Three to See: Sacramento entertainment events this weekend
Mumbo Gumbo
Mumbo Gumbo
8 p.m. today
$25/$22 in advance Center for the Arts,
314 Main St., Grass Valley
(530) 274-8384 or www.thecenterforthearts.org
Nothing says spring like a concert by Sacramento's most beloved dance band. And given the rowdy weather of the past week, nothing says spring 2010 like an indoor venue. This show at Grass Valley's Center for the Arts will offer seats for fans who want to savor Tracy Walton and Chris Webster's transcendent harmonies, and a dance floor for those who can't take the band's rootsy rhythms sitting down.
Sacramento International Film Festival's Short-Film Showcase
1 p.m. Sunday
Free. University Union at California State University, Sacramento, 6000 J St.
www.sacramentofilmfestival.com
This free event showcases three Sacramento International Film Festival short-film programs, one of which, "Cine Latino," features a tribute to the late Sacramento Mayor Joe Serna. "It is a preview of the festival," Sacramento Film Festival executive director Martin Anaya said of Sunday's prelude to the official, nine-day event starting April 17 at the Crest Theatre.
Utz! and the Shuttlecocks
10 p.m. Saturday
$12. Harlow's, 2708 J St.,
Sacramento
This cover band composed of young Sacramento professionals was named for, respectively, a brand of bargain cheese puffs and a badminton birdie. Known for their expansive repertoire and can-do spirit, the Shuttlecocks make a triumphant return to Harlow's, site of a career-defining show on New Year's Eve.
Late Sacramento Mayor Joe Serna
Source: www.sacbee.com
It's the world — and whirl — of the Black-Eyed Peas
From left: Taboo, will.i.am, Fergie, apl.de.ap.
Global fame doesn't come easy. It takes persistence, marketing skills and the confidence to proclaim one possesses "lovely lady lumps" and is, in a more general sense, "licious."
Mostly, it takes a willingness to adapt. The Black Eyed Peas, coming to Arco Arena on Wednesday night for a sellout concert, have adapted, expanded and, with their hit-filled 2009 release "The E.N.D.," exploded.
Started as a socially conscious hip-hop trio in 1995, the Peas added bombshell singer Fergie in 2003 and have proceeded to good-time and boom-boom-boom it to sales of more than 30 million albums worldwide.
"We never stayed in the same mind frame (musically)," Peas rapper Taboo said in a telephone interview. "We always have reinvented our sound to keep up with the times and the pulse of the youth."
Here's a guide to how the group, through the cross-pollination of advertising (Pepsi, Target, you name it), solo projects, politics, Internet saturation, frequent touring and good ol' positivity, came to rule the Billboard charts, your gym's spin class and yes, the world.
The Black Eyed Peas released THE E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies) in 2009.
Source: www.sacbee.com
DOMA Ignored
After 10 months of waiting, the LGBT community has yet to see Obama implement the social changes he promised.
Source: the217.com
Hollywood cred, local commitment
Ryan McKinney, right, works with actors Zach Taub, left, Patrick Steichen, Samantha Adair and cameraman Jeffrey Vanacore during acting class at his It Factor Studios in Rancho Cordova.
In a converted warehouse space in Rancho Cordova, two actors attempted to capture the archness and frisson of a scene from the Coen brothers' 2003 film "Intolerable Cruelty."
Linda Henry and Bryan Jackson started at a slight disadvantage. Henry, hampered by the rain, had arrived later than she wanted to Monday night's acting class, and she and Jackson, unlike Catherine Zeta-Jones and George Clooney in the film, are 30 years apart in age.
Neither performers are solely actors, either – Henry, 53, is a state worker from Elk Grove; Jackson, 23, a Roseville resident in between jobs.
Two cameras filmed every expression and, in between takes, Ryan McKinney, the film director and acting coach running the class, offered direction.
They started to make it work.
McKinney helped by coaxing Jackson to recall when a woman he had just met had made him light up. Now, the actors maintained eye contact. Now, they bantered with ease. Now, Jackson's divorce-attorney character and Henry's unhappy trophy wife seemed kind of into each other.
"He is a director, so he is an excellent communicator," Jackson said. "Other teachers will say, 'I want you to be sadder,' but they won't tell you how to get there."
"I believe anybody can act," McKinney said. "They just need to find what they're good at."
A former child actor and Folsom High School baseball pitcher with an even manner, McKinney, 36, knows what he's good at. He offers a four-week course through his It Factor Studios, where classes of 18 or so students, ranging in age from early 20s to about 60, can learn from someone who not only teaches, but does.
He is a veteran short-film director, and his suspense thriller "The Invited," starring Pam Grier and Lou Diamond Phillips, premieres Saturday at the Crest Theatre as part of the Sacramento International Film Festival. McKinney also will receive an award proclaiming him a "Northern California Legend."
"The Invited," shot in Placerville and Apple Hill in 2005, tells the story of a young couple, an old house and a "spirit" board. It is that rare local independent film with a budget in the millions rather than thousands (McKinney won't reveal exact figures). Its Los Angeles producers are working on a distribution deal with a "mini-major" studio, McKinney said.
"Here is a guy who has really come full circle from the early days," said Sacramento International Film Festival executive director Martin Anaya, who has shown McKinney's short films at previous festivals. "In a way, he has been an example for local filmmakers."
"Northern California Legend" might be a lofty title for a guy premiering his first feature film, but less so if one emphasizes the "Northern California" part.
In a still-developing film community that often stresses camaraderie over distribution deals, McKinney is exceptional, if only in that he has worked steadily in the industry since his first short film, "Memorial," wowed the Place Called Sacramento film festival in 2001.
"Memorial," which focused on a Vietnam veteran and the memorial in Capitol Park, later played 30 other festivals.
McKinney, a San Francisco State University film program graduate, followed with industrial films and music videos, and developed films for Green Flash Pictures in Los Angeles.
Those jobs required McKinney to travel between Sacramento and Los Angeles for several years. So did post-production on "The Invited," a process extended by actress Megan Ward's ("General Hospital") pregnancy, which postponed needed extra shots, and by a need to create 400 special- effects shots.
Now married to another local, Susan Anderson, McKinney is back in the area, he hopes permanently. He wanted "The Invited" to premiere in Sacramento partly to show his local commitment.
"I think it is the ideal place to make movies," McKinney said, citing the rivers and foothills, as well as the Fabulous Forties and other neighborhoods that can double for the Midwest.
Plus, McKinney, who also made his short films here, just likes the community vibe.
"When I was making my short films, people kind of opened up their doors and gave me my own personal back lot," he said.
If things work out the way he plans, more feature shoots – his and others' – will happen here. He started It Factor with business partner David Lawlor, he said, to try to elevate the local acting ranks and, in turn, the local filmmaking infrastructure.
The idea blossomed after auditioning scores of local actors for secondary roles in "The Invited" and finding them too green. He had to tap L.A. and San Francisco.
McKinney believes promoting Sacramento for local and Hollywood productions starts with actors.
"Say you have a movie with Matthew McConaughey, and the top roles are him, Kate Hudson and a few other people," McKinney said. "There are still another 30 roles. If they can get cast in Sacramento because the talent is top-notch, it saves the producer money, it saves the studio money and it puts money in the economy here."
McKinney said It Factor classes, which cost $225 for four weeks, represent a business opportunity as well.
But that's not why he is doing it.
"I could make more money writing scripts or doing something else," he said. "And every cent I have earned I have put back in to It Factor."
He and Lawlor started It Factor in October. It holds a living-room set that can double as an office or restaurant, and a soundproof vocal booth McKinney rents to other local filmmakers at reasonable rates.
It Factor also brings in a photographer to shoot inexpensive head shots, and a counselor to help actors deal with the inevitable rejections that come with auditioning.
McKinney also records performances and gives students DVDs to review at home. They play their favorite takes on a big screen at the studio. McKinney, gentle even while using a laser pointer, addresses false notes on faces and critiques their work.
"The way he delivers the critique, you don't feel offended," Henry said Monday. Since she began taking McKinney's classes several months ago, Henry has landed roles in independent films.
She has started to make it work.
That's the goal. McKinney, in talking about Saturday's screening of his movie, reminded his students of the goal.
"Remember to bring your head shot," McKinney said. "Dress to impress. You never know who you are going to meet."
SACRAMENTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
WHEN: Saturday through April 25
WHERE: The Crest Theatre (1013 K St.), California Railroad Museum (125 I St.), 24th Street Theatre (2791 24th St.) and the Delta King Hotel (1000 Front St.)
COST: Most shows are $10
TICKETS AND INFORMATION: www.sacramentofilmfestival.com
IT FACTOR STUDIOS
For information on the studio at 11470 Sunrise Gold Circle, Suite 2, in Rancho Cordova, go to www.itfactorstudios.com or call (916) 508-3283.
THIS WEEKEND'S HIGHLIGHTS
"3rd World America": Costa Mantis' documentary about Sacramento's tent city and the search for "safe ground" for the city's homeless population. 5 p.m. Saturday, Crest Theatre.
"The Invited": Ryan McKinney's suspense thriller. 9 p.m. Saturday, the Crest. McKinney will receive his Northern California Legend award on April 25 during the festival's awards ceremony aboard the Delta King.
"Last Days of the Shishmaref": Sunday, the festival moves to the California State Railroad Museum for a American Indian program that includes this documentary about a community of 600 people whose island off the west coast of Alaska is threatened by global warming. 11 a.m.
Source: www.sacbee.com
Sacramento art, music events celebrate Latino rock 'n' roll
Dr. Rock, a.k.a. San Francisco dentist and art collector Bernardo Gonzalez III.
In the early 1970s, congas and timbales brought a dynamic backbeat to rock 'n' roll. Reflecting increased Latino visibility in the United States, Santana's "Black Magic Woman," Malo's "Suavecito" and El Chicano's "Tell Her She's Lovely" took Latin rock to the Billboard Top 40.
This month, Sacramento's La Raza Galeria Posada commemorates the golden age of Latin rock. The celebration includes "Music Revolution!: An Exhibition of Musical Memorabilia From the Golden Age of Latin Rock," from the personal collection of Malo's manager, Bernardo D. Gonzalez III; a collector's talk with Gonzalez on Thursday night; and the Jammin' in the Park concert May 22 at Cesar Chavez Plaza headlined by Malo, featuring Jorge Santana (Carlos' brother) on guitar.
Incorporating the beats of congueros who played in public parks in San Francisco's Mission District, 1970s Latin rock corresponded with "that time period when we came into our own as Latinos," said Marie Acosta, 60, executive and artistic director of La Raza Galeria Posada, an arts and cultural nonprofit.
Latin rock was part of the Chicano Movement, along with the United Farm Workers movement, Sacramento's Royal Chicano Air Force arts collective and other touchstones, Acosta said.
"We could say, 'We're people, too. We have an identity, and look at what we offer and our influences culturally.' "
Rarely overtly political and often performed by multicultural bands, hits from the golden age of Latin rock promoted cultural identity nevertheless. Latino children could turn on their televisions to see Carlos or Jorge Santana wailing on guitar or hear the guys from Los Angeles' El Chicano talk about "the brown sound."
Gonzalez, speaking by phone from San Francisco, recalls a defining moment in his own youth. It came in 1970, with the Woodstock concert documentary and footage of Carlos Santana – like Gonzalez, a kid from the Mission District – performing "Soul Sacrifice" with his band.
"Whatever it was they were doing up on that stage, I wanted to do that," said Gonzalez, now 55. "I no longer wanted to play baseball."
Gonzalez became a dentist, not a rock star. But he plays guitar and drums and always kept a foot in the music scene. He worked security for legendary promoter Bill Graham, and in the '80s produced San Francisco's 24th Street Fair – a gig connecting him to local musicians, and eventually, to Malo's Arcelio Garcia Jr.
Soon after they met, Garcia told Gonzalez he wanted to revive the then-defunct band, with Gonzalez as manager.
"For me, Malo was a big deal," Gonzalez said. "I had all their albums, and listened to them all the time."
Known as "Dr. Rock," Gonzalez gives lectures to community college students about Latin rock, showing them Santana Woodstock footage. "They are 18, 19 years old, and when I say 'Woodstock,' they look at me like the RCA dog," Gonzalez said with a laugh.
They don't know what that dog is, either, but Gonzalez will gladly teach students – or dental patients who want a little rock 'n' roll with their teeth cleaning – about rock history. His Mission District dental office holds decades' worth of photos and posters.
"It started with one autographed picture of Santana," Gonzalez said. "Then I began working with Malo, and you know, 'Here is another poster.' Next thing I know, I had covered all my walls."
The memorabilia on loan to La Raza's light-filled 22nd Street gallery includes gold albums from Santana and Malo as well as artifacts demonstrating the tightknit quality of the San Francisco rock scene. Near a display of Gonzalez's many laminated backstage passes hangs a vintage poster for a show by the Grateful Dead, a band not officially part of the Latin rock scene but known to bring in a conga or two.
Gallery visitors will note the intricate detail of the hand-drawn poster, perfect in every way but its misspelling of the band's name as "Greatful Dead."
"That makes it even more valuable," Acosta said.
Latin rock gave way to disco in the late '70s, but interest sparked again with Carlos Santana's hugely successful 1999 album "Supernatural" and Jim McCarthy and Ron Sansoe's 2004 book "Voices of Latin Rock," which traces the sound's origins in the Mission. Gonzalez produces an annual "Voices of Latin Rock" concert in San Francisco that benefits autism awareness.
Long after they fell out of the Top 40, hits such as "Suavecito" and War's "Low Rider" retained life as staples of birthday parties and other park gatherings. Outdoor settings fueled the sound itself, from the lone, influential drummers in San Francisco's Precita and Dolores parks to full bands that put on free shows in the '70s.
Jammin' in the Park is meant to "bring a little bit of that Dolores Park effect here," said Joe Paez, a La Raza board member and coordinator of the family-friendly Cesar Chavez Plaza concert and festival. A fundraiser for the La Raza nonprofit, the event is $10 a pop rather than free, but the spirit is there, Paez said: "It's just people coming together to listen to music they all know."
Joe Paez, a La Raza Galeria Posada board member, is coordinating Jammin' in the Park on May 22 at Cesar Chavez Plaza.
La Raza Galeria Posada, on 22nd Street in Sacramento, will be the site of Gonzalez's talk on his art collection.
Maria Acosta, executive director of La Raza Galeria Posada.
Some Latino rock 'n' roll images owned by Dr. Bernardo Gonzalez III, on display at La Raza Galeria Posada. A May 22 concert at Cesar Chavez Plaza will cap the events.
The dramatic cover of Malo's debut album from 1972 featured an Aztec-style couple.
A Grateful Dead poster, complete with misspelled band name, from Dr. Rock's collection.
Source: www.sacbee.com
PSAs And LGBT Community
Eric takes a look at a few new public service announcements and the effectiveness in promoting a more tolerant community.
Source: the217.com
Sacramento Ballet performance interrupted by bat's entrance
Sacramento ballet fans witnessed an awkward pas de deux last weekend during a performance of "Carmina Burana."
As dancer Richard Porter performed a solo in the sensual, soaringly orchestrated ballet, a spotlight-seeking bat fluttered 5 feet from the dancer.
"I just tried to keep my head in" the performance, Porter said. That proved easy enough, even as the bat re-entered Porter's line of vision and cast shadows by flying in front of stage lights.
"It's kind of funny, really," Porter said. "They're so small."
Porter has seen bats before during the two seasons he has danced with the ballet at the Community Center Theater. The animals' cameos go back even further.
A bat first appeared – spookily enough – during a performance of "Dracula" several years ago, Sacramento Ballet artistic director Ron Cunningham said.
"People asked me how I was able to do that," Cunningham recalls with a laugh. "And I said, 'You have no idea how hard it is to get a bat to come out on cue!' "
Cunningham said that last weekend, a stagehand caught a bat with a net and released it outside. It was an approach far gentler than one taken by San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili when a bat interfered with a game against the Sacramento Kings last Halloween in San Antonio.
When it came within arm's reach, Ginobili swatted the creature to the floor. (The bat survived, and Ginobili received rabies shots and a scolding from PETA).
Tales of bats residing in the wings have become part of Community Center lore. But actual appearances by bats still are rare, theater manager Bryan Chatterton said.
"We do see them a few times each spring when the bugs increase outside," Chatterton wrote via e-mail. The animals visit rather than lodge in the theater, gaining entry through a large door kept open for 'load-ins' of equipment. They fly back outside when given the opportunity.
"They apparently mistake the big, open load-in door for a cave, and then, when the door closes, they get trapped," Chatterton said.
The bat that revealed itself near the stage Friday caused titters among audience members. But the animals have been harmless, Chatterton says.
"They haven't actually touched anyone or landed in the audience," Chatterton said. "They quickly realize there's nothing for them (in the theater), and they go back to hiding."
Source: www.sacbee.com