The following is the Oct. 2 extended 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.
October is off to an action-packed start, especially with Aftershock kicking off four days of metal, punk and hard rock starting Thursday at Discovery Park. Click here for my story on this mammoth music festival and its place in a turbulent market for local music festivals.
But wait, there’s more, including a spooky makers market, a lowrider show with a record fair, a memorial celebration for one of Midtown’s classic characters and a classic concert film with audience participation.
Q&A with Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison as ‘Stop Making Sense’ comes to UC Davis
The details:
- UC Davis Mondavi Center, 523 Mrak Hall Dr., Davis
- 7:30 p.m., Oct. 3
- Regular tickets: $39.50-$69.50, discounts for students, faculty and staff
The screening of “Stop Making Sense” on Friday at UC Davis’ Mondavi Center marks a full circle moment for Talking Heads guitarist Jerry Harrison. Back in 1983, the band performed at the university’s Rec Hall as part of UC Davis’ 75th anniversary celebrations. Less than a week later, Talking Heads filmed “Stop Making Sense” at Hollywood’s Pantages Theatre.
Harrison spoke to Cultural Capital in advance of his trip out West. Here’s an abridged version of what he said about the classic concert film and Talking Heads.
Editor’s note: This interview has been condensed for length and clarity.
Chris Macias (Cultural Capital): In the shows leading up to “Stop Making Sense,” like at UC Davis, did the band consider those a kind of dress rehearsal for the filming?
Jerry Harrison: The show is actually the same. It morphed over the course of the tour and there were certain things that worked. … I would say that Davis was fortunate because those first shows had some wrinkles in them that got straightened out as the tour progressed. But when (the band) got to the Pantages, it was really the same show.
CM: Do you have any particular memories of that UC Davis show?
JH: I remember that we did it, but I don’t remember if it was particularly good or, ‘oh God, (singer David Byrne) broke a string that day.’ I don’t have such a photographic memory of it now.
CM: Overall, how important were college shows in terms of building Talking Heads’ fan base?
JH: I’d say our primary audience was college students to begin with. There was something sort of intellectual about what we did and appealed to an intellectual audience. We were kind of nerd rock.
CM: Speaking of higher education, you have a degree in visual and environmental studies and pursued a master’s degree in architecture. Did those fields influence the way you approach music? After all, songs have a kind of architecture to them.
JH: All of us (in Talking Heads) were involved in the visual arts. A device that was important in 20th century painting was to often have very jarring and contrasting areas of the visual field, but right up against each other. It was not necessarily this sense of easy, seamless transition.
Songs like “Artists Only,” the parts of the song don’t always feel like they have a natural connection so to speak. It was sort of a like jarring change. That is something that I think we took from visual art and put it to rock music.
CM: What parts of “Stop Making Sense” strike you the most after all this time?
JH: I have certain musical things that make me smile every time I hear them. My favorite shot is where (singers) Lynn and Ednah are leaning way back and the light’s coming from below. And (keyboardist Bernie Worrell) and I, you can see these shadows on our face. It kind of reminds me of “up from the crypt” or something.
CM: Why do you think the film is so timeless?
JH: One of the things that was really important is that we didn’t use any ‘80s lighting techniques. We didn’t use things that screamed the ‘80s except perhaps our clothes. I think most of the lights that were used could’ve been done in a 1930s or 1940s theater production. It didn’t feel like we were at the cutting edge of technology. The moving risers were hand built, they weren’t fabricated in some sort of totally high-tech shop. They were built in a barn by some carpenters.
I think that means that you don’t have the interference of a technology that’s sort of come and passed. It was technology that’s been used for a long time and being used in a clever and interesting way. … I also think Talking Heads music still seems fresh. Contemporary isn’t the right word, but it still sort of fits in.
CM: Finally, it’s clear that Talking Heads won’t be reuniting any time soon. What other musical or artistic projects can people expect from you these days?
JH: We’ve been doing these box sets where we look for any performance to either remix or remaster, depending on the format we have. We just released one for “More Songs About Buildings and Food” and we’re working our way through the catalog. We will get to “Remain in Light” and obviously “Fear of Music” is next.
Celebrate a Midtown icon with bands and skateboarding
The details:
- 20th and I streets, Sacramento
- Oct. 4, bands start at 2:30 p.m.
- Free
Charles “Ground Chuck” Thomas is remembered as one of Midtown’s defining characters, a beloved musician who bridged the punk and metal scenes and beautified the pavement with his chalk art. Ground Chuck passed away last month at 56, with the Sacramento City Council adjourning its Sept. 16 meeting in his memory. A proper celebration will be held in Ground Chuck’s memory at 20th and I streets on Saturday with bands that will make you want to mosh and a skateboard session. Bring your board and pay respects to a Sacto legend.
Spooky shopping at the City Cemetery
The details:
- Sacramento Historic City Cemetery, 1000 Broadway, Sacramento
- 1 – 6 p.m. Oct. 5
- Free
If goth is your vibe or you’re just ready to get a jump on Halloween, Mystique Market on Saturday is a must. Stroll through the Sacramento Historic City Cemetery as 70 vendors offer handcrafted goods, art, curiosities and much more that pair perfectly with a Dead Can Dance record. The event is organized by the good folks at The Altar Room, a darkly captivating gallery, shop and events space in east Sacramento.
Hoist a stein at Blue Note’s Oktoberfest
The details:
- 750 Dead Cat Alley, Woodland
- Noon Oct. 4
- Free entry
As the bro in the Sam Adams commercial says, it’s definitely “OK to beer fest” right about now. So break out your finest lederhosen and celebrate Oktoberfest at Blue Note Brewing Co. with German food, live music and a stein holding competition. Your cousin from Boston not included.
Soak in lowrider culture and record shopping at Extra Butter
The details:
- 15th and Broadway (behind Tower Theater), Sacramento
- 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Oct. 5
- Free
Think of Extra Butter as the Sir Mix-a-Lot classic “Posse on Broadway” come to life. (Pop quiz: What Sir-Mix-A Lot song name-checks Sacramento and Land Park?) Lowriders will be in full effect Sunday in the parking lot behind Tower Theatre, just off a signature street for Sacramento car cruises. The all-ages event also includes record shopping via Twelves Wax, clothing vendors and food trucks.
Before I go,
Don’t forget that the 44th annual PBS KVIE Art Auction is underway this weekend! This is a wonderful chance to channel your inner Fred Rogers so you can support the region’s finest artists along with KVIE’s programming and services. We appreciate your dedication to Sacramento culture and public broadcasting.
Finally, the answer to my pop quiz is “A Rapper’s Reputation.” Collect +100 Sacto hip-hop history points if you knew the answer without Googling.
Keep the tips coming! If there’s a Sacramento-area event or artist that you think we should check out, drop me a line at christo916@gmail.com.
See you at Aftershock!