The following is the Oct. 16 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.
As someone who has lived in the greater Sacramento area basically my entire life, these are definitely some boom times for local arts and culture. The feeling of wanting to be at two gigs/shows at once is the new normal right now. The FOMO these days can get very real.
Cultural Capital has you covered with guidance to help plan those outings. This week, we’ve got local literary adventures, a must-see Sacramento band, two days of Lego-mania, line dancing to support a roller derby team and a must-attend vinyl fair for record collectors.
Hear local poets rock the mic (and fighting ring) at Sac Poetry Week
The details:
Sacramento Poetry Center, 1719 25th St., Sacramento
7:30 p.m., Oct. 20 (kickoff event)
Free
Sac Poetry Week events run through Oct. 26. Check the website for full schedule.
If your idea of a poetry festival is a bunch of hipsters chin scratching while someone reads from a chapbook, you haven’t checked out Sacramento Poetry Week aka Sac Poetry Week. Now in its second year, Sac Poetry Week changes the usual game by bringing literary activations to the street, the clubs and even the Muay Thai fighting ring.
The series of events kicks off Monday with an open mic at the Sacramento Poetry Center. The finale goes down the following Sunday at the Torch Club (904 15th St., Sacramento) with the local jazz-fusion masters LabRats backing the city’s finest poets.
In between, you’ll find poets gathering Thursday at the corner of 35th Street and Broadway for a literary cypher called The Intersection: A Guerrilla Art Activation. Friday’s event combines slam poetry with a spirit of 1990s World Wrestling Federation as participants gather in the ring at Toro Z Muay Thai (3749 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento) for a battle royale of words.
For Andru Defeye, a former Sacramento poet laureate and founder of Sac Poetry Week, the week is an opportunity to spotlight the city’s creativity and give back to its fellow artists. An event on Tuesday offers a free group therapy session for local poets to support their mental health.
“Sacramento poetry is definitely on an upswing,” Defeye said. “Where else can you go to a Muay Thai gym and see a poetry slam? Where else do you see group therapy with other poets? (Sacramento) maybe doesn’t have as many famous poets as Los Angeles or San Francisco, but our spirit of innovation can’t be matched.”
Top notch Sacto musicianship awaits at The Side Door
The details:
The Side Door, 2900 Franklin Blvd., Sacramento
7 p.m., Oct. 18
$25.63
No, the Senior Dog Appreciation Society isn’t a rescue organization for elderly pets. In this case, Senior Dog Appreciation Society is a local supergroup from disparate parts of Sacramento’s music scene playing Saturday at The Side Door. Neil Franklin was the Keith Moon-ish drummer for hard rock heavyweights Kai Kln, the first unsigned local band to sell out the Crest Theatre. Guitarist Ross Hammond is a longtime force on the jazz/improv scene, and bassist Mike Palmer is a member of the multigenre favorites Mumbo Gumbo and Ten Foot Tiger. Under the moniker Senior Dog Appreciation Society, this groovy power trio harnesses their musicianship to blend jazz, funk, R&B and whatever the heck they feel like into a seamless sound. Highly recommended.
Snap and build at the Lego Brick Convention
The details:
1600 Exposition Blvd., Cal Expo Building C, Sacramento
10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 5 p.m., Oct. 18 – 19
$17 per session, free for kids 2 and under
For decades, Lego bricks have been a staple of playrooms and source of pain for parents accidentally stepping on them in bare feet. These iconic toys are also a staple of pop culture, whether it’s an official movie series or the foundation of The White Stripes’ “Fell in Love With a Girl” video. This weekend, Lego fans of all ages can ogle at massive displays, build their own sets and snag the latest sets at Brick Convention. Bonus points for anyone who creates a Lego version of the Tower Bridge, a Jimboy’s taco or any other Sacramento icon.
Tush push to support Outlaws Roller Derby in Auburn
The details:
Regional Park, 3770 Richardson Drive, Auburn
6 p.m., Oct. 18
$20 for dance lessons, $5 spectators
The Outlaws from Auburn kick butt on the roller derby rink and now you can kick up your heels to support this team. A fundraiser for the Outlaws on Saturday will be filled with tons of fun, including line dancing lessons, a costume contest and beer from Darkheart Brewing. Proceeds from this hootenanny go toward the Outlaws as they head into their season finale and show who the true lady bosses are on the rink.
Go crate digging at Armadillo Music’s Vinyl Fair
The details:
Davis Senior Center, 646 A St., Davis
9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Oct. 19
Free, $5 for early bird 8:30 a.m. entry
The Armadillo Music Vinyl & Music Fair in Davis is a must if you collect records or spend way too much time on Discogs.com. Dozens of vendors will be on hand Sunday with choice vinyl across genres, whether they’re for listening pleasure or bragging rights. Just for the record (pun intended): My favorite recent purchases from this vinyl fair include a vintage pressing of Kraftwerk’s Computer World, a “Rodney on the Roq” punk compilation circa 1986 and a copy of Metallica’s hesher classic, “The $5.98 E.P. – Garage Days Re-Revisited.” Pro tip: The $5 early entry fee is very much worth it to get dibs on choice vinyl before it gets picked over, especially heavy metal and punk.
Before I go,
Let’s not take these boom times for granted in terms of local arts and entertainment. Keep supporting the creative types and the venues who make it all happen and ensure it stays that way.
If there’s a Sacramento-area event or artist that you recommend, drop me a line at christo916@gmail.com.