The following is the Nov. 6 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.
Cultural Capital is back in these post-Halloween days, surrounded by spent wrappers of fun-sized Snickers and Sweet Tarts. The good times continue with a run of live music, indie cinema, pop-up shopping and a taste of a holiday favorite for another action-packed week of local arts and entertainment.
Pass one more pack of Twizzlers and let’s jump right in.
Mosh and cheer for wrestlers in a fight against cancer
The details:
- Where: Old Ironsides, 1901 10th St. (tonight), Corner Spot, 6432 Tupelo Dr., Citrus Heights (Friday), The Press Club, 1119 21st St., Sacramento (Saturday)
- When/Price: Various times and cover charges. All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society.
To see Danny Reynoso riffing full-speed on guitar and leaping around the stage with The Moans, you might not realize he was in a fight for his life just a few years ago. In 2017, Reynoso was diagnosed with a brain tumor, a potentially fatal blow to a beloved local punk musician. He’s thrown a series of F— Cancer shows since the early 2000s in honor of a friend who was battling the condition. Though Reynoso’s tumor was non-cancerous it made the benefit feel more urgent, a little too close to home for the musician and luchador wrestler known as El Flaco Loco.
The 2025 edition of F— Cancer continues through Sunday, with the tagline, “NorCal is Stronger Than Cancer.” Tonight, pop-punkers Dog Party headline at Old Ironsides and Friday’s benefit at the Corner Spot Karaoke LeCafe in Citrus Heights is a triple-whammy of a bill topped by The Bonstones.
The grand finale Saturday is a true battle royale that mixes live music and wrestling inside The Press Club. The Moans headline as wrasslin’ from Ugly Dojo Pro Wrestling goes down in a grudge match with Timmy Rogan vs. Michael Sean in the main event.
The fight continues with Reynoso as well. Though radiation shrunk the tumor, he said it left him deaf in his right ear with constant ringing, along with dizziness and a nonstop headache. His mission to rock and fight cancer endures.
“My spirits are high,” Reynoso said in an email. “If keeping busy with music (and sometimes wrestling) inspires my fellow brain tumor fighters, all the better!”
Catch the premiere of a surreal Sacramento film
The details:
- Colonial Theatre, 3522 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento
- 7 p.m. Nov. 8
- $13-$45
Let’s say your cinematic tastes are more aligned with cult classics like David Lynch’s “Eraserhead” than the latest mega-plex monstrosity. If so, head to the Colonial Theatre on Saturday to get your mind blown with the premiere of “Mr. TV Man” by Sacramento director Wes Smith. This short film takes you on a nightmarish trip that poses the question, “What happens when the thing we consume ends up consuming us?” The creepy, claustrophobic vibes also harken to “Perfect Love,” a “one minute movie” from the esteemed avant-garde weirdos The Residents. Three other short films are part of this “Bad Habit Festival” that includes live music from Sugar Pushers and displays of set design pieces from “Mr. TV Man.”
Shop and sip at a hub of Sacto’s cutting edge artistry
The details:
- Demo Art & Books, 2211 16th St., Sacramento
- 11 a.m. Nov. 8
- Free
Demo Art & Books — or, “Demo” for short – is one of Sacramento’s definitive spots for DIY culture and emerging artists. From literary events and live music, to photo exhibits, podcast recordings and chef pop-ups, Demo is a platform for the underground creative communities that are essential to Sacramento’s cultural heartbeat. On Saturday, Demo hosts a collaborative pop-up that includes clothing from such emerging local brands as Rotten Closet, O.Kstan and Kureiji Studio, along with food and drink from Kotu Coffee. Even if you can’t attend, definitely keep Demo on your radar.
Get an early taste of “The Nutcracker”
The details:
- Greek Hellenic Center, 614 Alhambra Blvd., Sacramento
- 3 p.m. Nov. 9
- $67, $42 ages 14 and under
As all-things pumpkin spice welcome fall, any nods to the Nutcracker ballet mean the holiday season is basically here. Get a heads-up on “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” while sipping tea and cocoa in a Sunday benefit for the School of Sacramento Ballet. The event includes the Sacramento Ballet Second Company performing highlights from “The Nutcracker,” photo-ops with characters, a silent auction and more munchables. Highly recommended as a family-friendly way of supporting a Sacramento artistic institution.
Rock out on a school night
The details:
- Harlow’s, 2708 J St., Sacramento
- 8 p.m. Nov. 9
- $32.90
It’s tough to lump Southern Culture on the Skids into one neatly packed musical genre. Is it Southern styled garage rock? Is it surf rock, or rockabilly, or does anyone even care? What is known: Harlow’s is going to be one heck of a hootenanny on Sunday as Southern Culture on the Skids takes the stage. Even if you have an early meeting on Monday or need to drop off the kids at school, this hellraiser show is worth those bleary eyes.
Before I go,
It’s a tough week on the local music scene, given Wednesday’s news about the closure of Goldfield Trading Post in Midtown Sacramento. Also, Sunday jazz sessions at Old Soul Co. are done. It was a prime spot for local jazz notables like guitarists Ross Hammond and Roger Kunkel, drummers Ron Ochoa and Alex Jenkins and saxophonist Tony Passarell (R.I.P.). Let’s hope these sessions find a new home soon and another music venue takes over the former Goldfield space. Who else would love to see Sam’s Hof Brau back in the building?
If there’s a Sacramento-area event or artist that you recommend, drop me a line at christo916@gmail.com.
Chris Macias is a regular contributor, writing Cultural Capital for Abridged.