When opinion becomes fact

A Taste of Chico was a great event and shows what can happen when good people put their minds together and work with the city rather than against it. Becky and Katrina of the DCBA along with hordes of volunteers brought a festive atmosphere to the downtown area, with bands, food and alcohol, that will be remembered as the best event of the year. I don’t know what these women are being paid, but it isn’t enough. My question is, what if the DCBA “took over” Halloween and St. Paddy’s Day? If collaboration between the DCBA, the city and the police were to occur, I believe we could salvage these important holidays. Seems to me the real problem is that when you have “unmonitored events” the kids begin to feel like anything goes, and Chico then becomes like a Disneyland where all the security has gone home.

Promoters come and go in this town like gamblers at a craps table, but it should be noted that CSU grad Azariah Reynolds (the infamous “Z") is looking to pull off the biggest show that I have seen in Chico since Sublime played the downtown park (a Greg Kempton Production). Z’s bringing The String Cheese Incident to the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds on Oct. 24, so argue among yourselves about what other show hit the mark on being a critical blast, but SCI is blowing up, headlining the Greek and selling out around the country and is relevant not five or 30 years ago, but NOW!

Also notable is North Valley Productions stage at the Farmers’ Market with a band called Equation. Love live music in the morning, much better than cassettes! Good job Steve Schumann, and if rumors are true NVP may be bringing a certain Ms. DeFranco to town soon, but you’ll have to call him on that one.

Big ups to rapper Empty Mynd and his newly bewedded Princess Ponya. May your bliss extend far and wide. Also be on the lookout for Empty Mynd’s new double CD (the first for Chico?) featuring tracks by E40, Yukamouth and Richie Rich, to name a few. Whatever whatever, this brother is doing it the way it should always be done, in style.