The following is the Dec. 31 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.
A new year is just hours away, and I hope the holiday season has been filled with good times and many long winter naps. For those who want to get their New Year’s Eve party on but don’t have plans yet, Cultural Capital’s picks are a good place to start.
Arts and entertainment events are going to slow down for the next couple weeks. But don’t fear, Cultural Capital has some options for planning your week, including a poignant art exhibition, jazz that harkens to the 1980s and classic country musicianship. We’ll also look back at some 2025 highlights and hope you’ll chime in with your own.
Let’s say “peace out” to 2025 and see what’s coming ahead in 2026.
Rekindling the spirit of a lost Sacramento neighborhood
The details:
- The California Museum, 1020 O St., Sacramento
- Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. (The museum is closed Jan. 1).
- $8 to $10
In Japanese, kokoro translates, roughly, to “heart.” And back in the early 20th century, Sacramento’s Japantown was pulsing with cultural and community life. This eight-block area near where DOCO stands now was a residential hub that was home to dozens of Japanese American businesses. They were shuttered following the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Further redevelopment in the area made Japantown disappear for good.
“Kokoro: The Story of Sacramento’s Lost Japantown” brings this neighborhood back to life at the California Museum. It’s a fascinating yet somewhat sobering trip through this former neighborhood. It teems with photographs, including a contribution by the great Dorothea Lange, family artifacts like military uniforms, kimonos and more.
This exhibition, which first appeared in 2017, is essential for anyone with interest in Sacramento’s history. Drop by through March 29 and immerse yourself in this once thriving part of downtown.
An homage to Miles Davis in the 1980s
The details:
- Twin Lotus Thai, 8345 Folsom Blvd. #119
- 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Jan. 3
- Make a reservation or join the waitlist at twinlotusthai.com (donations appreciated for musicians)
The 1980s marked a key time for jazz musician Miles Davis’ artistic evolution. He’d spent the last half of the 1970s in retirement due to burnout and bad health. Davis reemerged in the early 1980s with a pop-influenced sound that paired his breathy trumpet lyricism with slick synthesizers and fairly concise song structures.
Some critics and fans weren’t feeling this approach at first, but albums like “Tutu” and “Amandala” stand the test of time for their energy and impeccable musicianship. On Saturday at Twin Lotus Thai, trumpeter Thomas Molina will explore Davis’ electric side from the 1980s, all with freewheeling improvisation and an effects pedal board that rivals those of many lead guitarists.
Country music’s top backing musicians go up front
The details:
- Harris Center, 10 College Parkway, Folsom
- 2 p.m. Jan. 4
- $42 – $57
If you’ve seen the music documentaries “The Wrecking Crew” or “20 Feet From Stardom,” you know how crucial backing musicians are to so many of your favorite songs. “The Hit Men of Country” show on Sunday at the Harrison Center features top Nashville touring musicians who’ve played with the likes of Jason Aldean, Alabama and Lee Greenwood. Plan to whoop it up during an afternoon of classic songs and storytelling.
Before I go,
As the clock ticks toward a new year, I’m thinking of some of my favorite local arts and entertainment moments from 2025. Here are a few that come to mind:
- Deftones at Golden 1 Center (March 1): 2025 marked Deftones’ biggest year in the band’s 30-year-plus career. Its victory lap at a sold-out Golden 1 Center found the band with renewed energy and purpose — and a whole lot of Sacto pride. In all the years I’ve seen Deftones, from their Cattle Club days to headlining Aftershock, this was easily among the finest and most bombastic shows I’ve witnessed from these South Sacramento homeboys done good.
- Terra Lopez, “This is What it Feels Like” podcast recording at Demo (May 3): Terra Lopez is one of Sacramento’s great cultural treasures, both as a musician with Rituals of Mine and her “This is What it Feels Like” project, which promotes empathy through art installations and other media. She celebrated the second season of her “This Is What It Feels Like” podcast with a packed house at Demo and a live Q&A that emphasized community, compassion and creativity. Talk about an event that hit you in the feels.
- Kevin Seconds and Bobby Jordan at Morgan’s Mill (July 25): Kevin Seconds, the longtime Sacramentan and cofounder of punk legends 7 Seconds, also had a banner 2025 with shows around the country and South America. The crowd at Morgan’s Mill in Woodland was treated to a stellar night of songwriting and storytelling with Kevin Seconds and Bobby Jordan, the acclaimed local punk musician who fills in on bass with 7 Seconds, in an acoustic setting. Their deep bag of songs and often hilarious anecdotes was local music magic.
- “Hail Murray” closing exhibition at Verge Center for the Arts (Aug. 10): The late-great Murray Bowles is one of punk’s iconic photographers and called Sacramento home in his later years. For those who enjoy punk artistry, the “Hail Murray” exhibition was like slam dancing down a rabbit hole with Murray’s photos and flyers from his personal collection. The closing reception was a perfect pre-game as Destroy Boys headlined Channel 24 down the street at a triumphant homecoming show.
And how about you? What were your favorite artistic moments from the Sacramento region in 2025? Send me your picks and quick descriptions and we’ll run some of them soon. I can be reached at: christo916@gmail.com.
Happy new year!
Chris Macias is a regular contributor, writing Cultural Capital for Abridged.