Hits, misses, shout-outs

Cultural, political, spiritual: Sacramento shows are a homecoming of sorts for Karega Bailey, an emcee who previously lived in town and then spent many years teaching in Washington, D.C. And while he recently relocated to Oakland with his wife, Bailey still manages to get around the country touring. On Sunday he brought his amazing Sol Development troupe to Harlow’s Restaurant & Nightclub.

For the uninitiated, Bailey’s hip-hop fare is steeped heavily in cultural and highly spiritual beliefs with topics that include accountability and humility as well as unnecessary police aggression, seasonal depression and much more. Unlike other emcees who seem to have a limited vocabulary or a band to provide emotive musical swells, Bailey knows how to use his countless years of education—he was also a teacher at a public charter school—with great effect.

Bailey was in particularly good spirits and brought out more than 100 people—no small feat for a show booked less than two weeks beforehand. Then again, as he roamed the stage, it was wholly evident he likely knew at least 99 percent of those in attendance.

After a short intermission, Bailey returned with his band for a more somber and faith-based set. The night culminated in a group circle including nearly everyone in the entire club.

Aided by a rotating cast of wonderful female background singers, a small horn section, guitar, bass, keys, violin and live deejay, Bailey’s set showcased a band ready for anything.

Bravo.

—Eddie Jorgensen

Coming to a screen near you: Deftones fans rejoiced this holiday season—the band’s long-lost documentary was finally going to see the light of day. Sacramento native Andrew Bennett announced that he’d release Entertain Me: A Film About Deftones, originally filmed 15 years ago, on December 26. Well, that didn’t quite happen, but we’re still expecting the film to make its way online any day now.

Entertain Me gets up close and personal with the Sacramento band. According to Deftones zone, a fan site (www.facebook.com/defzonesite), Bennett was inspired by the Radiohead documentary Meeting People is Easy: real, raw honesty. So why did Entertain Me get shelved? It might have been too raw, too honest.

“The reason behind the wait always baffled me,” Bennett told Deftones zone. “The band always seemed pleased with the final cut, but I think, let’s just call them the powers that be, were scared off.”

At press time, Bennett had these cryptic words on his website: “Despite the unlawful action placed on my legal film, it will be available very, very shortly. Again, you waited 15 years, a couple of more days while I fight the Man won’t hurt.”

Look for the movie on www.entertainmefilm.com. Downloads will cost $10.

Big props: The onslaught of end-of-year lists is finally over, and at least two Sacramento artists got significant nods in the national media.

Doom band Chrch’s debut Unanswered Hymns made it onto at least five best metal albums lists, including those from Noisey and Stereogum. Noisey metal editor Kim Kelly ranked Unanswered Hymns at No. 6, with extremely high praise: “Cosmic, crushing doom that elevates and amazes; the first time I saw them, I knew I was witnessing something special.” From Stereogum: “Chrch feels bigger, greater, more in ways that can’t be defined or measured, like describing vertigo or the vestiges of a dream.”

Meanwhile, rapper Mozzy’s Bladadah landed at No. 22 on Rolling Stone’s list of best rap albums of the year. Rolling Stone called Mozzy “one of the genre’s true shooting stars. … His words are artful, his language creative, his slang unique, his lyrics full of unexpected twists and turns, his verses full of rigorous discipline that never allows for a wasted line. Perhaps his core talent is to convey violence in a way that feels honest, which makes his competition seem mediated, dishonest, even exploitative.”

—Janelle Bitker