The 14th Annual

It might be odd to start an introduction to the 14th annual Sacramento Area Music Awards by admitting our mistakes, but hey, we’ve been around the block, and we’ve learned a thing or two. Case in point: After 14 years, we’ve finally figured out that musical geniuses like Mike Farrell and Zach Hill are never going to retire. They’ll keep playing in dozens of bands and blowing everyone away with their musical prowess for decades to come. So, for the first time in the history of the Sammies, we’ve decided to let individual musicians into the Hall of Fame, rather than just bands. These performers transcend the appeal of any particular music group, and it’s high time they were honored.

We’ve also finally come to accept what the people who run the Oscars, the Emmys and the Grammys have yet to understand: Awards shows are boring. Sure, they’re exciting for the people who win—for at least the three minutes while they’re onstage accepting their awards—but what about the rest of us poor schmucks in the auditorium? Previous Sammies shows have topped three-and-a-half hours with banter, suspenseful envelope opening and thank-you speeches, leaving only a fraction of the show for live music. No wonder the majority of the audience chose to hang out in the lobby drinking beer and socializing!

This is the year we get smart and shake things up. If the people want to party, socialize and see live music, then so be it! When the doors open at the Empire Club at 8 p.m. tonight, that’s exactly what will happen. The Sammies winners have already been revealed in the very program you have in your hands, obliterating the need for drum-roll announcements during the evening. The winning musicians already will have received their awards at a special, pre-show VIP reception, so all that’s left for you to do is to congratulate them and join the party.

We’ve booked three incendiary acts from this year’s impressive roster of Sammies-nominated bands: Th’ Losin Streaks (including 2005 Hall of Fame inductee Mike Farrell), Crazy Ballhead and Deathray. Shaun Slaughter, two-time winner of the Critics’ Choice Sammie for Best DJ, will keep the music flowing between bands and straight on until 2 a.m. All you have to do is dance with your friends and feel grateful that you live in a town so full of musical talent.

Congratulations to our winners and to all of us for being smart enough to skip straight to the good stuff.

The 14th Annual Sammies
Event schedule

Thank you
This year’s SAMMIES wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the following

Lifetime Achievement
David Houston

Readers’ Choice winners

Critics’ Choice winners

Hall of Fame