The following is the July 30 edition of Cultural Capital, an arts and entertainment newsletter written by Abridged contributor Chris Macias. Want it sent directly to your inbox? Sign up here.
Let’s get this Cultural Capital party started with news I’m stoked to finally share: The first episode from “The Stacks” is ready to go!
If you’ve been reading here a while, you know the live concerts began in May. If you didn’t snag a seat, now’s your chance to enjoy the show.
This concert and conversation series is a collaboration between Abridged by PBS KVIE and Midtown’s Amatoria Fine Art Books. It launched this morning on Abridged’s YouTube channel with a riveting performance from Rituals of Mine, featuring LabRats. This gig struck such a chord with Terra Lopez of Rituals of Mine that she mused about a bookstore tour.
Look for new “The Stacks” episodes every two weeks starting today. They’ll include 30-minute performances plus Q&A segments to get even more up close and personal with Sacramento’s local musicians. If you love Sacramento music, these videos are must-sees.
Now, let’s move along to this action-packed week for local arts and entertainment. You’ll find a night of pet-themed storytelling, theater, Colombian music, a groovy sunset dance party and much more.
Let’s get to it. Meow!
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In your inbox every Thursday, Abridged's entertainment newsletter from Chris Macias highlights things to do in the Sacramento region.
Get in your feels with stories about furry friends
The details:
- The Sofia, Home of B Street Theatre, 2700 Capitol Ave., Sacramento
- 7 p.m., July 31 (Friday)
- $34 in advance, $40 day of show
True story: As I’m writing this, our couch is covered with crumbs after the family dog, Toasty, got into a container of cookies for a midnight snack. Another time he downed a whole cheese pizza when we weren’t looking (Toasty was fine in both cases, ugh). No question, pets are always perfect fodder for stories. They make us feel loved, help us laugh, cringe and break our hearts. And sometimes, their companionship reveals what it means to be human.
All of this ground will be covered Friday at “Best in Show,” a night of pet-themed tales at The Sofia in Midtown. This latest edition of the monthly “In a Nutshell” series features five masterful storytellers, including Chip Powell of Sacramento. His story reflects on lessons learned from Salem, a cat with 23 toes, during an especially tumultuous time.
“The local storytelling community is a thriving, vibrant world of people telling true-life tales at open mics, curated shows and everything in between,” Powell wrote in an email. “For those who would never want to get on a stage and tell a story into a microphone, it’s an amazing night of entertainment … And for those who end up thinking, ‘I might like to try that,’ it’s a fairly low barrier to entry into the world of live performance and a whole lot of fun!”
Kick back with sublime Colombian sounds
The details:
- The Shady Lady Saloon, 1409 R St., Sacramento
- 9 p.m., July 31 (Friday)
- Free
One of the week’s most exquisite musical offerings can be found Friday as Alea takes the stage at The Shady Lady Saloon in the R Street Corridor. She’s a native of Colombia by way of the Bronx who weaves cumbia, jazz, folk and other genres into a seamless, enchanting whole. It’s no wonder that Rolling Stone magazine named Alea’s 2021 album “Alborotá” among that year’s best Spanish-language and bilingual albums. Kick back with a White Linen cocktail while Alea sings “Échale Sal” and bliss will be imminent.
A free and fearless theater festival
The details:
- Fat Elephant Theatre Company, 9845 Horn Road, Suite 100, Sacramento
- 7 p.m., July 31 and Aug. 1 (Friday-Saturday); 2 p.m., Aug. 2 (Sunday)
- Free with food donation, RSVP in advance
For more than 50 years, Teatro Espejo has specialized in producing culturally relevant and community-minded theater in Sacramento. Its annual One-Act Festival serves as a training ground for actors, directors and other theater professionals to hone their crafts.
This year’s festival at Fat Elephant Theatre Company includes “Los Vendidos” by Luis Valdez of “Zoot Suit” fame and “Look, a Latino!” by Jorge Ignacio Cortiñas, who received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2018. Don’t miss this opportunity to see works by such high-caliber playwrights performed for free just outside of La Riviera.
Dance those summertime blues away
The details:
- Drake’s: The Barn, 985 Riverfront St., West Sacramento
- 6-10 p.m., Aug. 1 (Saturday)
- Free
The last time we checked in with Shaun Slaughter and Adam Jay, the two DJs were bidding farewell to Sacramento’s long-running Lipstick dance party. Now, their jams are back Saturday at Drake’s: The Barn in West Sacramento for a free, all-ages sunset dance party dubbed “Disco Paradiso.” While Lipstick was more on the indie-dance side, this soiree harkens to the legendary Paradise Garage in New York City with house music, disco and tropical sounds to complete the summer vibe. Can I request “Born to Be Alive” by Patrick Hernandez?
More events you won’t want to miss
- Catch a production of “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” at the Center for the Arts in Grass Valley from July 31 through Aug. 2 (Friday-Sunday).
- Dig into live jazz with the Vivian Lee Quartet at Mills Station Arts & Culture Center in Rancho Cordova on July 31 (Friday).
- Get weepy at a production of Romeo & Juliet at the Winters Opera House on Aug. 1 (Saturday).
- Sing along to “Rock This Town” as The Stray Cats headline Hard Rock Live in Wheatland on Aug. 2 (Sunday).
Before I go,
One of the aspects I appreciate most about PBS KVIE is its longstanding focus on the arts. Growing up in Sacramento, shows like “Austin City Limits” and “Great Performances,” along with the “Koyaanisqatsi” documentary with its mesmerizing Philip Glass soundtrack, were instrumental to opening my mind musically.
The station’s support of visual arts is also a boon for our creative community, including the annual PBS KVIE Art Auction. On that note, I encourage you to drop by the PBS KVIE Gallery at 5 p.m. tonight (Thursday) for an artist reception and conversation with Jian Wang. He studied at Sacramento City College with the celebrated local artist Fred Dalkey and is renowned for his masterful landscape work. Wang’s “Magnificent California Haystacks” series will be featured along with works from Sue Chapman and the late Earl Boley.
Stay in touch at christo916@gmail.com. See you next week!
