Club Pow!, stolen gear, MC Rut

Happy anniversary! At the first Club Pow!, Ira Skinner’s Monday night live-music series at The Press Club, DJ Andrew used a cassette-tape player to mix songs in between bands. Last Monday, at a show celebrating the night’s four-year anniversary, DJ Shaun Slaughter mixed CDs and digital tracks. Wow, technology, how you evolve.

Anyway, Club Pow! is a great thing for the scene. Basically, on any given Monday you can hit up The Press Club and see touring bands and locals on the same bill, usually for a cool $3. There aren’t that many sure things in this town when it comes to live music, but Pow! is one.

Sister Crayon played The Press Club for the first time at the March 30 anniversary show, which was a free gig. Nearly 200 people encircled the stage and lined up at the bar. Crayon’s new-look lineup feature two percussionists, who stood à la Animal Collective and pounded away on the kits, complementing Dani Fernandez’s deep, bass-heavy beats. Vocalist Terra Lopez’s soft harmonies aren’t fitting in a bar, but the crowd, while chatty, held strong, and the set ultimately was a strong Press debut.

After Crayon, the New Humans headed up a quick set with Skinner himself sitting in on drums. It was nice to see the band, who don’t play all that often anymore but practice four times a week.

Upcoming for all involved: Sister Crayon plays La Raza Gallería Posada on April 18, New Humans open for the Helio Sequence at Harlow’s on May 7, and the next Club Pow! is on April 6. (Nick Miller)

Stolen-gear alert! The worst thing about writing about music is not having the scene treat you like a knucklehead for telling it straight, but having to report on stolen instruments and gear.

And with that: On Friday, March 27, Idaho musicians Dan Costello and Kelly Lynae had their gear stolen in Old Sacramento some time around 3:30 p.m. from their Honda Accord.

Costello explained to SN&R that the duo had parked briefly in a loading zone on J Street between First and Second streets, just outside of Seventeen. They left the car for 10 minutes, but when they returned, the following items were stolen from the trunk: a Dean acoustic-electric in a brown case, a Taylor acoustic-electric in a brown leather case, a suitcase full of merch, a crate with four microphones and eight effects pedals, and a small lunchbox-style bag with approximately 14 harmonicas.

The musicians already have headed back to Idaho. Let’s help them out so maybe they’ll someday return to Sac. E-mail <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript">{ document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,97,32,104,114,101,102,61,34,109,97,105,108,116,111,58,110,105,99,107,97,109,64,110,101,119,115,114,101,118,105,101,119,46,99,111,109,34,62,110,105,99,107,97,109,64,110,101,119,115,114,101,118,105,101,119,46,99,111,109,60,47,97,62)) } </script> with any information. (N.M.)

Free Middle Class: Just a quick blast on a band that’s increasingly becoming Sacramento’s most popular music export: Middle Class Rut.

The duo, Zack Lopez and Sean Stockham, toured Europe last summer, propelling them to a new level of popularity abroad, according to KWOD 106.5 FM deejay Andy Hawk. And the Killers’ former manager, who started his own label, took notice and now is managing MC Rut. So the band will be going back overseas on April 14 for nine shows, which no doubt will keep the band from gigging Sac any time in the foreseeable future.

But don’t fret: MC Rut will play one last show this Wednesday, April 8, at Powerhouse Pub in Folsom before boarding the plane. The evening, which starts at 8 p.m., is 21 and over and—according to MySpace—a free gig. I guess this means that for those of us actually stuck in a diminishing-middle-class rut, we’ll actually be able to afford going to a show. (N.M.)