Zen and anxiety

Hindsight: In retrospect, it would have been cool to have singer-songwriter Autumn Sky on the same bill as the hyperactive rap crew State Cap., but as it turned out, the two acts (who were booked by mistake on the same night at Javalounge) were split up. State Cap. took the early slot from 6-8 p.m. and Sky went on later.

The scene outside of the coffee shop/venue was energetic and mostly jovial before State Cap. took to the stage. Emcee Random Abiladeze, trying to relax, was prodded (or rather mentally tested) by an annoying hairdresser who took a rubber stamp and repeatedly stabbed him in the neck with it. Random, perhaps one of the most thoughtful people to walk the Earth, did not strike his attacker, but instead displayed a Zen-like inner peace. It was truly a life-changing demonstration of restraint and free will.

Inside, State Cap. played a quick set of mostly songs from the newly released, phenomenal Where is State Cap.? (available at R5 Records and The Beat) to a healthy crowd. Guest spots by emcees Dahlak and Plush Lush turned the mix-tape release show into a full-on party. Javalounge is always a fun place to watch bands play, whether it’s hip-hop or poppy folk, but I still wonder what it would have been like to combine the night’s bills. (Josh Fernandez)

It’s in the water: I’ve been bug-eyed paranoid since 2001, and I have no idea why. Anyway, I showed up in the courtyard of the Atelier boutique for a show last week featuring a trio of bands you’ve never heard of, a.k.a. Fancie, Zecki Am Sun and Adam Lipman. And I got freaked out right away. Uncle Sam obviously had doped all the young artists and Midtown kids with Ativan. The bands muddled through their sets, and the audience applauded from their fluffy little clouds. Not a whiff of dope smoke in that courtyard, yet nothing was really achieved. Worse, everyone seemed content that the show had arrived at ambition degree zero. It’s called psychotropic warfare, and Dick Cheney’s office was surely behind it. (Jeff McCrory)

Show me! There’s an amazing event coming up this Friday, August 29, at the Sac State Alumni Center. The show features performances from Live Manikins, Random Abiladeze, the Slangbangerz Crew, Flexible Flav, Xposed Dance Co. and more. Plus, there’s supposed to be an extra, supersecret special guest that’s not to be missed.

Plus, MindSpeakers clothing company will be on site showcasing some brand-new designs. MindSpeakers was also at the Rock the Bells show in Mountain View, and let me be the first to tell you that their new shirts are truly insane. Tickets are $20 ($10 for students). Proceeds from the show benefit the Emergency Book Fund. Doors open at 7 p.m. (J.F.)

Is Monday night the new Tuesday night? Club POW! continues to offer solid entertainment on Monday nights at The Press Club, and for a mere three bucks. DJ Mike C played smooth jams (Dwight Twilley) and smoothed ruffled feathers (Margaux McFetridge, the singer of Touchez, was almost denied entrance because of an ID problem) while rocking a Jimmy Buffett style that I already claimed as my summer look (he’ll be hearing from my lawyer). Touchez is composed of members of the Feeling and !!!, with the addition of the lovely Margaux on the mic, and while the comparisons to Orange Juice are inevitable (not a bad band to be compared to!) they put a fresh spin on it, and Margaux’s distinctive voice melds well with James William’s breathy vocals. The brothers Andreoni are the rhythm section, and they were locked in a tight groove in a way that only blood brothers can be. There were deejays afterward from all over the globe, but I snuck out because, after all, it was still a Monday night. (Becky Grunewald)