Issue: May 13, 2010
Frontlines
This week, SN&R contributor James Raia steps up to give SN&R readers a bike-race sponsorship backgrounder in advance of this Sunday’s Amgen Tour of California. Next, Seth Sandronsky tells all about four local women who’ve orchestrated an activist, traveling art show about—drum roll, please—budget cuts. In Green Days, Alastair Bland regards salmon and Violet Cooper gives readers one more reason to love Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine. Finally, SN&R’s bossman Jeff vonKaenel invites everybody—and that means you!—to our upcoming block party.
Feature story
As any Sacramentan who gives a damn about rock music already knows, Far owned the local scene, along with Deftones and Cake, during the early 1990s. The group attracted faithful teenaged fans in numbers unmatched by any Sacto band even two decades since, kids seduced by strident rock riffs and thoughtful, melodic songwriting. Even Sony Music Entertainment fell under Far’s spell, inking the band to a record deal. But then they broke up—and then, 10 years later, they reunited. It was a crazy struggle, but this week they’ve got a new album and a local gig downtown. What the hell happened? Nick Miller reports.
Arts&Culture
Kindle, iPad, online books, the death of print-the world of reading is in flux. This week, Kel Munger chats with author John Edgar Wideman on the future of the written word. Also this week: Jenn Kistler previews Raley Field’s Brewfest, Greg Lucas chows on Peruvian eats at a waffle house, Jonathan Kiefer has the town in a Panic, Jackson Griffith goes ’70s with local troupe Ozzie, Nick Miller hits up opening night at Concerts in the Park-and deejay school, and Ryan Lindow chats with Macramento filmmaker Colby Elrick.
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Far away, so close
Making art is a struggle. Jonah Matranga, Shaun Lopez, John Gutenberger and Chris Robyn of Far know it’s true.
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Bike this way
Like all sports events, the Tour of California relies on sponsors. What happens when Amgen’s ride is over in 2011?
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Art of protest
Four local women launch the “Decimation of Public Education” art show.
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Clearance plants
Last-minute gardening can be a good thing for those who can get the clearance plants.
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Letters for May 13, 2010
Love, hate, indifference—readers express their opinions, sometimes about each other.
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Sick with jealousy
A woman found her Mr. Right, but his female friend next door wants a piece of the action.
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Class, race, tea
Can common ground be reached with tea partiers?
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Party at SN&R
Saturday, May 22, from 1 to 6 p.m., and you are invited.
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How insulting
The Mexican brings you a wealth of anti-immigrant slurs to add to your list of don’ts.
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About self-hate
Another anti-gay holy Joe gets caught doing something he claims is an abomination.
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Editorial Cartoon
This week’s cartoon from the mind of John Kloss.
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Literary lion on demand
Author John Edgar Wideman impacts the future of words.
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Always … Patsy Cline
SN&R reviews a new production at the Sacramento Theatre Company.
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Krapp’s Last Tape and Hughie
SN&R reviews a new production by Actor’s Theatre.
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Gear up for bike fun
The Bicycle Film Festival at Fremont Park.
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Need energy? Try song and dance.
Pepper Von Productions’ Let’s Go! is nonstop singing and dancing.
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Get schooled
A conservative education scholar takes a second look at current policy.
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Have queer, will travel
German writer Christine Wunnicke’s novel of the Old West puts the head lice on the Brokeback-style love story.
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Brothers and baby food
The Koss brothers tell the story of their organic baby-food business, in all its messiness.
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Telling: Sacramento
Sacramento veterans take the stage to tell it like it was for them.
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Dancing on Wall Street
Upcoming shows from the Sacramento Ballet—six of them with beer!
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Saltado and waffles
Greg tracks down the only restaurant inside a restaurant he’s ever been to in Sacramento.
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Science meat
Did you know that the UC Davis Meat Lab is a pretty rad butcher?
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Ozzie, Ozzie, Ozzie
Sacto ’70s rockers Ozzie and The Parabolic Rock reissue.
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Sat, May 15, Vinny Golia
Come check out the third annual In the Flow Sacramento Jazz Festival this weekend.
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Tues, May 18, Fishtank Ensemble
Fishtank Ensemble performs a mix of gypsy jazz, swing and opera. Huh?
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The days were alive and kicking
Far, Cattle Club, Jonah Matranga, Shaun Lopez, John Gutenberger, Chris Robyn, Schwarzenegger, K.J., Brian McKenna, Jerry Perry, Fugazi, Pearl Jam, Jane’s Addiction, Nic Offer, Chk Chk Chk, the Yah Mos, Fishbone, Nirvana, Hole, Tool, Maynard James Keenan.
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Box-office branding
The top-grossing films in the last 10 years reveal an upsetting trend in moviemaking. Soon franchising, sequels, trilogies and adaptations will be all theaters have to offer.
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A place worth visiting
Stéphane Aubier and Vincent Patar’s strange and silly film goes right ahead and establishes its own municipality.
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Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
The film is only tangentially related to Abel Ferrara’s 1992 film, and director Werner Herzog is more concerned with capturing the flavor of post-Katrina New Orleans than in Ferrara’s heavy-handed themes of sin and redemption.
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The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Heath Ledger was shooting The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus when he died in early 2008.
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A Nightmare on Elm Street
There’s something left to say about Freddy Kreuger and his fingernail knives?
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Iron Man 2
Jon Favreau’s film of Justin Theroux’s script is essentially a Marvel Studios trade show.
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Letters to Juliet
A Martian who had never seen a movie could probably predict where this one was going.
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The Secret in Their Eyes
A retired Buenos Aires court investigator (Ricardo Darín) revisits prominent figures from his past.
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