Ro-sham-bo

American Fiction will soon be playing the Stork Club in Oakland (they were invited to the gig by The Sabians (www.thesabians.com), who feature former members of Sleep). For those who missed it, the artistic amalgamation known as Those Two Bustahs, featuring Aye Jay Morano and Matt Loomis, did a performance piece to the song “Jerusalem” by the aforementioned Sleep, and the finished work will be displayed at the Senator on Jan. 9, when some of the members of Sleep appear in another band called High On Fire. What’s all the hoopla about Sleep? I couldn’t really tell you; their music is like putting your head in a clothes dryer for about 52 minutes. On the other hand, American Fiction is a good time rock-'n'-roll band from Oroville who will also be playing Tower Records’ new stage on Jan. 5, as well as the Epicenter on Jan. 17 (with Chico’s Lurgee).

Many times over the years I crowed that Chico bands would put this little rice town on the map. Now we all know that it was Sierra Nevada Pale Ale that took that trophy, but in the world of “art” it looks like it will be the medium of film that beats music to the bigger viewing arena. For it is the film The Majestic and its co-star, Chico’s own Amanda Detmer, that is being seen nationally and worldwide. It’s a race to Dave Letterman’s desk between Detmer and the Mother Hips, but the money is on Detmer.

The film’s subplot is about how a community gets involved in saving the local broken-down theater, throwing backbone and greenbacks into the project, scrubbing gum off the bottom of seats, side by side, and having the whole catharsis explode in a final group song under the newly emblazoned marquee. Well at least that’s what I got off the trailer and commercial. The weird part is how closely it parallels what’s been happening at the previously mentioned Senator Theater. So if you want to save the town, find lost Milk Duds and possibly have Jim Carrey kiss you, contact me and find yourself involved in a worthwhile project.