BeatNonStop A Weblog by Chris Macias Bee pop music critic Music geek (n. myü-zik 'gEk) 1: A person who proudly wore KISS commemorative pajamas in third grade. 2: A person who owns multiple copies of the same album, still buys vinyl and has a room dedicated to 2,000 or so CDs and records. 3. A person who wrote a five-part series about traveling with a local band in their stinky van - and loved every minute of it. 4: Chris Macias, the Bee's pop music critic, serving Sacramento's music scene since 1999.

BACK TO THE BEATNONSTOP HOME PAGE

« August 2007 | | October 2007 »

---

September 28, 2007

Righteous track

"Sunday Single" gets down with one of the best hip-hop songs that’s come this way. It’s a track called “What’s a Man” by the local rap group Righteous Movement. The instrumental loop and beat thump with a warm but mournful feel, while the rappers muse on thoughts of masculinity. Think of it as rap’s answer to “Real Men” by Joe Jackson.

RIGHTEOUS MOVEMENT
Song: "What’s a Man"
Style: Conscious hip-hop with an edge
Members: Tais, Pheek, Skurge, S.O.L., DJ Tofu
Influences: “You’ve got to start with the foundations,” says Tais. “KRS-One, Rakim’s a heavy one for us, De La Soul. But we’re even influenced by the new school crews like Little Brother. Our sound, it’s a little bit of old and new school. A lot of people think hip-hop is dead, but there’s cats like us that are still doing it and staying true to the elements.”
Story behind the song: “We got the beat and it has so much emotion to it,” says Tais. “During that time I was just thinking about all the elements that society deems about being a man. There’s positive men out in the world and don’t get proper representation - ‘You can’t cook, you’re unemotional, you’re dogs.’ On this one everyone dug deep to pull this one out.”

Click on the button below to hear "What’s a Man"

On the Web: www.therighteousmovement.com

Posted by cmacias at 3:13 PM | Comments |

---

---

September 27, 2007

Man, that (Dylan) show was lame

Last week I offered the question: what's the worst concert you ever paid for? And apart from a couple votes for Smashing Pumpkins at Lollapalooza - James Iha's rapping apparently gave new meaning to "wack" - it turns out that Bob Dylan has really let down some fans over the years. Turns out that his show at the old Cal Expo Amphitheatre is especially infamous, so let's hear some more, shall we?

From Scot Siden, Sacramento:

Hands down, it was Bob Dylan sometime back in the late 80's ... at the old Cal Expo Amphitheatre. I remember the opening band (the Alarm, I think?) came out and just blew everyone away with their dynamic performance. Then we sat and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited. Then we waited some more. FINALLY, Bob and his band came out, rushed through the most listless, un-energetic 30 minutes of music imaginable with his trademark mush-mouth delivery (though even LAZIER, if that is possible), never uttering a single word to the crowd between songs. Then he left the stage without so much as a goodbye or even a wave to the audience, as if he had something more important to do. The crowd cheered and cheered, thinking we could bring him back out, but it was not to be. Finally, the crowd turned ugly, booed their heads off and slowly left the grounds. I've not been to a Dylan concert since, and probably never will. I STILL haven't forgiven him.

From George Kostyrko, Sacramento:

Probably the worst Sacramento concert experience I remember was when Bob Dylan played at the Cal Expo Amphitheatre in June 88 or 89. GE Smith was the backing band (the prior tour Tom Petty’s band had backed him.) ... To say Bob Dylan was disappointing is to put it mildly. It seems like the band was only on stage for 75 minutes total (with encore) or so with a number of bizarre and strange arrangements of songs that were somewhat recognizable. Bob’s singing was unintelligible. Then they stopped playing and left the stage. After what appeared to be much reluctance, most of the band, minus Bob showed up on stage and played on encore. Bob came out after a minute or so of the band playing, and half-heartedly participated. The song finished and they were off the stage. Despite a good 10 minutes of clapping and feet stamping, the fans finally realized the show was just over. That was the first concert I could ever remember in the summer that ended while the sun was still fairly high up in the sky with no sign of sundown.

From Bob Aldrich and Chris Davis, Sacramento:

The absolute WORST concert we've paid for was Bob Dylan at UC Davis
in 2005 (we think that was the year). We're trying to forget, actually. Both of us have seen Dylan when he could sing. Bob saw him at the Concert for Bangladesh, and Chris saw him with Tom Petty at the CalExpo Amphitheatre. But his UC Davis concert was the pits. ("Indeed," says Chris.)

It wasn't the backup band. They were competent and sounded together.
But Dylan mumbled; almost talking his way through songs. He wasn't rapping though; though he may have really invented the genre. Dylan sounded like a bad K-Tel satire or impersonation of himself. If we hadn't have recognized the tunes, we wouldn't have known what he was singing. As it was it still took a couple of verses on a few to even recognize them. Both our spouses hated the show, and the bleacher basketball arena benches with no backs were torture - almost as tortuous as Dylan's singing. He may be a legend, but he was a legend "in his own mind" that night.

Posted by cmacias at 12:51 PM | Comments |

---

---

September 25, 2007

Encore and verdict

It's "Another Song" ... and after all the bombast of "SexyBack" he's ending the show back at the piano. Overall, this show was filled with plenty of razzle dazzle and moves from Justin's teen-pop days. That means the concert was high on the energy meter, but felt overly scripted at times. And Justin's a big enough presence now that he doesn't need so many back-up dancers and clutter on the stage. He pretty much owns it as is, and the focal points of the show get overly scattered at times. But yeah, Justin can move and groove and now he's giving a humble "thank you" speech. So that wraps up the show, and the entire tour as well. Good night from the land of Timberlake!

Posted by cmacias at 11:13 PM | Comments |

---

"SexyBack"

And here it comes ... the red lights are swirling around and Justin's saying, "Sacramento, are you ready?" Yup, it's "SexyBack," but the synth line that everyone knows from this song is being replaced by more of a rock guitar crunch. Justin's vocals are still tempered with that slight robot, vocoder-ish treatment like the record. I always thought this tune sounded like a lost song from the "Party Monster" soundtrack. But this is more of an arena-rock version of "SexyBack," and it's pretty much making the crowd go bonkers. Or maybe it's because Justin's stripped down to a tank top and jeans. Lasers are shooting all over the place and Justin's said "goodnight." But you know there's gonna be an encore, right?

Posted by cmacias at 11:07 PM | Comments |

---

"Lovestoned"

The show's only got a couple more songs left, and Justin just dropped an f-bomb while counting off "Lovestoned." This song's got a lot of choreography built into it, and a bit of crotch grabbing. And now Justin's beatboxing a little bit while a percussionist is going off on some bongos. OK, hurry up and play "SexyBack" already.

Posted by cmacias at 10:58 PM | Comments |

---

"Cry Me a River"

And now for that other alleged diss against Britney ... and now for another gratuitous guitar solo as well.

Posted by cmacias at 10:49 PM | Comments |

---

"Losing My Way"

"This song is dedicated to everyone out there who's lost someone they've loved," says Justin.

This is obviously the "poignant" part of the show. Or the part where you get up to use the restroom ...

Posted by cmacias at 10:42 PM | Comments |

---

"Summer Love"

OK, who didn't hear "Summer Love" about a zillion times on the radio this past summer? But noone here seems to mind.

Ooooh! Justin just did something kind of naughty to one of the dancers. And we'll leave it at that ... but yeah, he's a freak.

Posted by cmacias at 10:37 PM | Comments |

---

"Damn Girl"

Justin's slapping some hands with some people in the front rows. I'm sure a few of 'em are now swooning so hard that they won't wash their hands for a week. (yuck) OK, this song "Damn Girl" is pretty wack. The lyrics aren't much more than a chant of "damn girl, damn girl ..." This is the part of the show where he should've sung "(Bleep) in a Box."

Posted by cmacias at 10:32 PM | Comments |

---

Stop, medley time

Justin's "slowing things down for a few songs" and starting with "Gone" from his 'N Sync days. What, no unplugged version of "Bye Bye Bye?" OK, now he's conjuring images of bear skin rugs and scented candles and going all smooth-guy with "Take it From Here." And now the tempo's being bumped up a little bit for "Last Night."

Posted by cmacias at 10:25 PM | Comments |

---

"Rock Your Body"

i.e. the best song Michael Jackson never wrote for "Off the Wall" is now up. But the funky guitar riff that drives the song seems a little low in the mix. And here comes Justin, but the energy is a little lower than the recorded version. This should be a part of the show where people are going out of their minds, but the delivery seems more laid back. It's just not rocking as hard as it should.

Posted by cmacias at 10:17 PM | Comments |

---

Coldplay?

The DJ just dropped "Clocks" into the mix, but with Aaliyah's vocals on top. Soccer moms and their daughters can now agree on one thing (besides a mutual love for Justin) ... and now this Timbaland intermission is wrapping up with "The Way I Are." Get ready for another round of Justin-mania.

Posted by cmacias at 10:08 PM | Comments |

---

On one hand ...

The intermission is keeping the energy nice and hyped. A DJ's spinning Michael Jackson and Kelly Clarkson songs and Timbaland's in the middle of the stage doing ... well, not much of anything. He's dorking around with some keyboards but it's hard to tell exactly what he's adding to the music. The crowd doesn't care - everyone's yelling "hoooo!" and dancing away. But right now, Timbaland seems more like a prop than anything.

Posted by cmacias at 9:58 PM | Comments |

---

Intermission!

Well, kind of ... Timbaland's going to do a set while Justin rests, or changes clothes, or puts more pins in his Britney Spears voodoo doll, or whatever it is that he does during this break. But I wouldn't call this much of an intermission. Hardly anyone's going out to snag a King Dog, or plunk down $30 for a t-shirt, or hit the restroom.

Posted by cmacias at 9:54 PM | Comments |

---

"Chop Me Up"

The piano is gone and Justin's stalking around the stage and singing "Chop Me Up." Looks like Timbaland, Justin's producer, is on stage with him.

Posted by cmacias at 9:47 PM | Comments |

---

Play us a song, you're the piano man

Justin's still at the piano and they're launching into "What Goes Around," which we all know (even though Justin's denied it) is his diss against ex-flame Britney Spears. Aww, can't former Mouseketeers just get along?

The song's ending with a gigantic guitar solo and some huge volume - and it's kind of overplayed, if you ask me.

Posted by cmacias at 9:39 PM | Comments |

---

Let's slow it down

It's time for a ballad now. Justin just took a seat at a piano bench and is now singing "Until the End of Time." *sniff sniff* Glow sticks and cell phones are being waved around to add to the atmosphere. Is "Until the End of Time" the "Free Bird" for the pop set?

Posted by cmacias at 9:33 PM | Comments |

---

"Sexy Ladies"

is up now ... Justin just strapped on a keyboard-guitar thing, like the one Herbie Hancock used in "Rockit." Is he going to break into the "Miami Vice" theme as well?

Posted by cmacias at 9:30 PM | Comments |

---

Justin proposes a toast

Justin and the band just took a shot on stage. He says they've done 103 shows on this tour, and tonight's concert is the last one. Salud!

Now they're playing "Senorita." Perhaps Justin and the band were going "18 Dummy" with a shot of Jose Cuervo tequila?

Posted by cmacias at 9:18 PM | Comments |

---

Justin's banter with the crowd

"How we feeling tonight Sacramento? Yeeeeah ... It's Tuesday? And you're all this crazy? I love it ... Alright, so first thing's first, I owe you guys an apology. (crowd flips out). I'm sorrrrry. The truth of it is, if I would've come here last week, it would've all been Barry White covers. And the bloggers - the nerve of the bloggers saying I was hungover. That's not why I postponed. But none of that matters because I'm here right now! And I promise I'll make up for it ... We're here right now and we're going to celebrate."

Posted by cmacias at 9:16 PM | Comments |

---

Now Justin's got a guitar

"Like I Love You" is the second song, and it's all syncopated guitar rhythms and Justin joining in on the choreography. He's looking pretty dapper, with a slim fitting suit and some sneakers. Cameras are flashing all over the darn place. But I think there's just too many people on stage.

And now, with a cry of "Sacramento, make some noise!," they're breaking into "My Love." The dancers are now gone and the uncluttered view is looking better. And now Justin's breaking into some little pop-lock dance moves ...

Posted by cmacias at 9:07 PM | Comments |

---

Heeeere's Justin

Can you hear the screams from your home? Justin's in the middle of stage, singing "FutureSex/Lovesound" while bathed in red light. It's a slow, sort of ominous way to start the show.

"Sac Town, wait a second," says Timberlake, before the chorus kicks in.

And everyone's on their feet ... and here come a troupe of back-up dancers. With the band, there's at least a dozen people on stage - but of course, Justin's right in the middle.

Posted by cmacias at 9:00 PM | Comments |

---

Here we go

The lights are down, a giant curtain's stretched over the stage and red strobe lights are flashing. Oooh, feel the excitement ...

Posted by cmacias at 8:55 PM | Comments |

---

Almost show time

Justin's band is taking their spots on stage and going through a quick soundcheck. The band's vamping on a light, funky groove and the house lights are still up.

BTW, the demographics for this show are great for any single guys out there. It's about a half-dozen girls for every dude.

Posted by cmacias at 8:54 PM | Comments |

---

Uhm, am I at the wrong show?

Now the sound guy/gal is playing Korn. Wrong! Dude, this isn't Ozzfest. How about some Nelly Furtado, or "Lip Gloss" by Lil Mama or even some Donny Hathaway?

Posted by cmacias at 8:17 PM | Comments |

---

Almost show time

OK, I don't know who's playing the pre-show music, but Tesla's "EZ Come EZ Go" doesn't seem quite appropo for this crowd. Anyway, show time is coming in 10 mins. or so. I just got a peek at the setlist, and I'm not going to give any spoilers away, but will say that I'm bummed that one song isn't going to be played tonight. It's called - how shall we say this - "(Bleep) in a Box," which many of y'all probably saw on "Saturday Night Live." And yes, Justin has performed this tune on previous dates of the tour. Step 1, cut a hole in the box ...

Posted by cmacias at 8:13 PM | Comments |

---

Bye Kenna!

House lights are up, and Arco's filled up quite a bit. The general admission floor area looks pretty full, and the upper decks are starting to get packed. "Shining Star" by Earth Wind & Fire is playing over the p.a. and the stage is being reconfigured slightly for Justin's set. The drum set is being tested, and it all feels kind of mellow right now - like the calm before the SexyBack storm.

Posted by cmacias at 7:59 PM | Comments |

---

"This is our last song"

Kenna's wrapping it up, and the crowd couldn't be happier.

Posted by cmacias at 7:52 PM | Comments |

---

"We only have a couple songs left"

Wow, Kenna's preparing to wrap up his set after just 15 mins. on stage. Now he's looking for someone to sing to in the audience. Kenna also made a pitch for everyone to visit his MySpace page and dropped both Justin's name and Pharrell from the Neptunes. Now that's showbiz, circa 2007.

Posted by cmacias at 7:49 PM | Comments |

---

Kenna thus far

OK, Kenna just busted a dance move that looked an awful lot like "the Cabbage Patch." Is "the Roger Rabbit" up next?

Kenna's sound is on the dance-pop side of things, with some rockin' guitar and new wave-y synthesizers for good measure. It's fine, nothing earthshaking or anything. Now it seems like the crowd is turning a bit. There wasn't as much applause after the last song, and the crowd seemded a bit restless. Kenna's really trying to involve the crowd, running and running around the stage, but folks just aren't quite going for it yet.

Posted by cmacias at 7:44 PM | Comments |

---

This crowd is LOUD

Arco is barely filling up, but the crowd that's already here is a loud one. If the cheer they gave to Kenna is a sign of things to come, well, some eardrums are really going to take a beating. WOOOOOO!

Posted by cmacias at 7:33 PM | Comments |

---

Lights just went down

Here comes Kenna ...

Posted by cmacias at 7:31 PM | Comments |

---

Good Charlotte = no go

So before Justin Timberlake backed out on the original date for this gig *cough cough* Good Charlotte was scheduled to open the show. But turns out the Madden twins and company aren't playing on this make-up concert. Kenna is now opening act. He's the Ethiopian born singer known for his connections with the Neptunes and Fred Durst (eww). That's the breaks for the Good Charlotte hordes, but knowing the age of the average Good Charlotte fan, it's going to be past their bedtime soon, anyway.

Posted by cmacias at 7:29 PM | Comments |

---

I'm here

Greetings from Arco Arena, where in just a while Justin Timberlake is going to come on stage and about 15,000 folks will lose their collective minds (and hopefully not their lunch from screaming too loud). This show is in the round, with the stage right in the middle of the arena. The Arco folks say the concert is just about sold-out - just a few single tickets are left at the box office. So grab a King Dog and a $7 beer and hold on tight ...

Posted by cmacias at 7:20 PM | Comments |

---

---

September 24, 2007

Federation cancellation

Well technically the show is postponed, but the Federation's concert scheduled for this Friday at the Boardwalk has been pushed to Oct. 5. So you'll have to wait a week to get "18 Dummy" with the torchbearers of hyphy hip-hop.

I interviewed Goldie Gold of the Federation last week, and he pondered the current state of hyphy, plugged the Federation's soon-to-be released 18 Dummy energy drink ("18 Dummy - it's better than water," said Goldie Gold) and also talked about living in Sacramento for a spell and going to school at Valley Hi. Look for that story on Oct. 5 in the Ticket section.

Posted by cmacias at 12:43 PM | Comments |

---

---

September 21, 2007

Monsterously mellow

A CD by Nice Monster came this way earlier in the week, and it sounded good enough to be showcased on "Sunday Single" right away. The song is called “Recipe,” and features a hybrid of folk and indie rock with exquisite harmonies and cool instrumentation. Check out how the song starts to burst toward the end. On a side note, Nice Monster’s album (“Good Times + Sharp Knives”) was produced by Christian Kiefer, an alum of “Sunday Single.”

NICE MONSTER
Song: “Recipe”
Style: “Math folk” (think: folk and indie-rock influences with dense sonics and instrumentation)
Members: Matthew Gerken (vocals/guitar), Jason Roberts (guitar), Greg Aaron (drums), Chad Wilson (bass), Heather Phillips (vocals/keyboards)
Influences: Simon & Garfunkel, Mogwai, Rob Crow (Pinback), Radiohead.
Story behind the song: “It’s basically a song about describing old Southern superstitions,” says Gerken. “And it’s a young person with more of a worldview than older Southerners trying to fit themselves into their family historical background and those superstitions. So it’s about that particular tension.”
See them: Oct. 5 at the G St. Pub (223 G St., Davis)

Click on the button below to hear "Recipe":

On the Web: www.myspace.com/nicemonster

Posted by cmacias at 2:17 PM | Comments |

---

---

September 20, 2007

Not seeing fire, but I see rain

Now this is some weird weather isn't? And speaking of the elements, as in "Fire and Rain," I'm hearing that James Taylor is coming to Arco Arena on Nov. 8 and that tickets will go on sale Sept. 29. Stay tuned for more info., so pack some granola and an acoustic guitar and we'll see what happens.

Posted by cmacias at 1:18 PM | Comments |

---

---

September 19, 2007

Man, that show was lame ...

So I just wrapped up the pop music portion of our annual fall preview (look for it in Sunday’s Ticket+), and I’ve got concerts on my mind. I’ve been thinking about the concerts I’m looking forward to (The Federation at the Boardwalk, and yeah I’ll admit it, the Van Halen reunion at Arco Arena), and shows in general.

So I’m driving into the Bee hive this morning, listening to “Abbey Road” and pondering this: “What’s the worst concert I’ve ever seen?” Now I’ve reviewed some pretty awful shows over the last few years, like “American Idol” disgrace Corey Clark and the Black Eyed Peas, but I decided to limit the question to a concert that I paid for in the pre-Bee days.

The result: my least favorite show was a Who concert in 1989 at the Oakland Colesium. Now, I love, love, love some Who, but this was such a detached and unfulfilling concert experience that I remember being ticked off that I’d driven up to Oakland and back to Sac. to see the Who from about a zillion yards back from the stage. And it wasn’t just the terrible view and intimacy factor of zero. The Who circa 1989 was a really bloated outfit, with way too many backing musicians and the clincher was that Pete Townshend only played acoustic guitar. Tinnitus prevented his usual electric guitar assault, so most of those classic riffs were handled by a back-up guitarist. Drats.

That concert also confirmed my belief that most stadium shows aren’t worth the money, unless you’ve got the bucks to get a seat close to the stage. Otherwise, you’re just jammed up with tens of thousands of people and spent part of your paycheck to watch a concert from a video screen.

The good news is that I saw the Who in 2000 at the Sacramento Valley Amphitheatre (now the Sleep Train Amphitheatre) and the band was great, windmill strums and electric guitar heroics from Townshend and all.

But more importantly, what was the worst concert you ever paid for? Enquiring minds want to know, so leave a comment or e-mail cmacias@sacbee.com.

Posted by cmacias at 10:23 AM | Comments |

---

---

September 14, 2007

This one's for la raza

Today marks Mexican Independence Day and "Sunday Single" is ready to kick this fiesta in gear. Check out "O'Ye" a live track by the local Latin group Sol Peligro, and get ready to boogie and maybe whip up a margarita or dos. Here’s more about Sol Peligro and its song:

SOL PELIGRO
Song: “O’ye"
Style: Salsa and cumbia for setting the dance floor on fire.
Story behind the song: “It’s a song conceived by Sol Peligro sax player Brian Plummer and shortly thereafter the rest of the Sol Peligro vatos added the finishing touches,” says Sam Miranda, the group’s founder and singer. “It’s just a song about watching ladies dance. the rhythm behind the song makes folks wanto to dance, and of course everyone knows ladies love to dance and the fellas soon follow.
“The music doesn’t need a whole lot of singing going on since it is very uptempo and the percussion, bass, keyboards and horns are enough to make you wanna get loco on the dance floor,” adds Miranda. “It’s soon to be studio recorded song but the live feel of the song is hard to match on record.”
See them: Sunday at the Cesar Chavez Plaza Tamale Festival (10th and J streets) and Sept. 30 at Cultural Connection Festival (Yolo County Fairgrounds, 1250 E. Gum Avenue, Woodland)

Grab your cha-cha heels and click on the button below to hear “O’Ye”:

On the Web: www.myspace.com/solpeligro

Posted by cmacias at 11:03 AM | Comments |

---

---

September 12, 2007

Setting the stage

Just wanted to make sure you didn't miss The Bee story that ran Monday on A1. Turns out that Raley Field is planning to add an outdoor concert venue at the home of the River Cats. Details are still being worked out, but looks like they're shooting for a capacity in the 3,500 range.

My take on this new venue? I say go for it. Judging by concert attendance, both locally and nationally, the trend is now for shows on the smaller end. Sure, we've got the Sleep Train Amphitheatre near Marysville that fits more than 18,000. But how many bands come close to drawing that many? The answer: very few, and it's little surprise that the amphitheater is currently up for sale. And there's more to be said for a concert on a more intimate scale, versus paying to stand on some general admission lawn and watching most of a concert on a video screen.

This new venue at Raley Field isn't expected to be completed until 2009, and much is still on the drawing board. But if all goes to plan - and especially if the new venue sounds decent - the annual summer music scene might get a nice boost.

Posted by cmacias at 2:21 PM | Comments |

---

---

September 10, 2007

Good to go

The doors to Verizon store are now shut, and the Good Charlotte autograph session is done. A few lookiloos are still outside and trying to get a final look at those Madden dudes. And the two will both be DJing later tonight at the MoMo Lounge on 27th and J streets (behind Harlow's), but it's 21-and-up only. Judging by the demographics of this event, approximately 5.3% of them are old enough for that MoMo gig.

The funny part of this event was that some people were just coming by to pay their cell phone bills, and what not. They were acommodated just fine, it seemed, but just had to wade through the Good Charlotte throngs. And we'll see most of them again on Sept. 25 at Arco Arena, when Good Charlotte open for Justin Timberlake - for real, this time.

Posted by cmacias at 5:55 PM | Comments |

---

Above and beyond

The autograph session was supposed to end at 5:30, but sounds like they're going to stay until every fan's been served with a Sharpie.

Posted by cmacias at 5:38 PM | Comments |

---

Scenes from the signing

One girl was blushing so hard that she told her friend "You go first" when they approached the autograph table. Another fan swooned after walking away from Joel: "I touched his hand!" And another girl was almost busted for taking out her camera (see "rules of the signing").

Manuel Cervantes brought an Epiphone acoustic guitar to get autographed.

"It's pretty cool," says Cervantes, who also plays in the local rock en Espanol band Blanco y Negro. "It's amazing to get a rock artist to sign your guitar. I'm gonna go home and play it. Or maybe just check it out."

Posted by cmacias at 5:37 PM | Comments |

---

And here they come

The Maddens have their Sharpies ready to rock, and the first of some 250 fans are inside and getting autographs. There's lots of small talk from Joel ("Hey, how ya doing?" "Nice to meet you"), and both brothers are wearing dark shades. They're scheduled to be here until 5:30 - about 40 mins. from now - which probably feels like a rock star minute to the Maddens.

Posted by cmacias at 4:52 PM | Comments |

---

Rules of the signing

- No pictures
- One item can be signed
- Make it quick

Posted by cmacias at 4:49 PM | Comments |

---

Final song?

Yup, "The Anthem" was the final song. Now they're heading inside for the autograph portion of the appearance. Joel warned the crowd that they're not the most exciting guys to talk to, but I doubt the fans care.

Overheard from a departing fan: "Wow, all that time we waited and it went by so fast."

Let's see how this autograph session goes ...

Posted by cmacias at 4:39 PM | Comments |

---

Third song

... is "The Anthem," way back from 2002. Tiny lungs are singing along.

Posted by cmacias at 4:34 PM | Comments |

---

They'll be back

The Madden twins are talking about how the Justin Timberlake/Good Charlotte show for tonight got postponed. And yes, they'll be back for the rescheduled date (Sept. 25). Yay!

Posted by cmacias at 4:32 PM | Comments |

---

Second song

... is "The River," not to be confused with the Bruce Springsteen track. Now some sing-a-longs are kicking into gear. And there sure are a lot of young people at this show - like elementary school young. Not that it's a bad thing, but has anyone pitched a Madden twins toy set to Mattel?

Posted by cmacias at 4:29 PM | Comments |

---

And for you Perez Hilton fans

So far there are no Nicole Richie sightings. Joel Madden of Good Charlotte is Nicole Richie's baby daddy, for those of you not up on the gossip mill.

Posted by cmacias at 4:24 PM | Comments |

---

First song

... is "I Don't Wanna be in Love." The twins seem a little sluggish. and so does the crowd. Maybe the hot pavement and acoustic guitars have something to do with it.

Posted by cmacias at 4:22 PM | Comments |

---

They're here

The Madden twins are on stage, representing the entire band today. An acoustic guitar is being tuned, and it's just about show time.

Someone just yelled "Good Charlotte sucks!" from a passing car. Ha!

Posted by cmacias at 4:20 PM | Comments |

---

All the way from San Jose

Jennifer Yanez might rank as the most hardcore Good Charlotte fan here at the gig. She traveled all the way from San Jose, just to see a quick set by the band and perhaps snag an autograph. So the 17-year-old has a spot right at the front near the stage, and with her own homemade Good Charlotte sign.

"I've been waiting more than an hour and a half," says Yanez. "And it took a while to get here. I found out about the show on their MySpace page. I've never been this close to them. I'm really excited."

Posted by cmacias at 4:08 PM | Comments |

---

The scene outside

My estimation wasn't far off. The Verizon folks estimate that about 250 Good Charlotte fans have shown up, and right now they're waiting for the band in front of a small stage in the parking lot. A red carpet has been rolled out inside the store, and the Madden twins will sign autographs at a small table inside the store when their set is done. But right now, it's a lot of waiting around and some yelling over a megaphone. Some Verizon promotions are in full effect.

Posted by cmacias at 3:51 PM | Comments |

---

At the Good Charlotte gig

It's the dream of every young band - to one day perform at a Verizon Wireless store. And that's what's going to happen here shortly, with Good Charlotte on board to perform a short acoustic set and sign autographs. It must be part of their contract with Verizon, which is sponsoring the Justin Timberlake/Good Charlotte tour making the rounds (and which was postponed in Sacramento until Sept. 25).

So right now I'm in a parking lot in Natomas. Looks like a couple hundred people are outside the Verizon store, and a few police cars are on hand to make sure everything's in check. Let's check out the action, shall we?

Posted by cmacias at 3:37 PM | Comments |

---

Justin Timberlake postpones

Sounds like Justin Timberlake pushed himself a little too hard - or perhaps partied too hard - at Sunday night's MTV Video Music Awards. According to a press release, the pop star has postponed his concert tonight at Arco Arena due to "a doctor mandated several day vocal rest prescribed to the artist to repair vocal strain inflicted during his MTV VMA performance and months of rigorous touring." So hold on to those tickets. The rescheduled date is September 25, and tickets for tonight's show will be honored at the make-up date.

Timberlake, who was the picture of party-boy health at the VMAs, also postponed his San Jose concert, which was set for Wednesday. That show's been pushed to Sept. 23. Timberlake should plan to bring some extra sexy back to make up for these postponed gigs in Sacramento and San Jose.

By the way, Good Charlotte's in-store performance at the Verizon Wireless Communications Store (3635 North Freeway Boulevard, Suite 100) is still a go. Good Charlotte, which is opening for Timberlake on this leg of the tour, will perform a short acoustic set and sign autographs. They're set to perform at 4:15, but be sure to get there early if you want to see those Madden twins up close.

Posted by cmacias at 10:29 AM | Comments |

---

---

September 8, 2007

And you ain't got no alibi

This week's "Sunday Single" hits the road with the local band Ugly. The song is called "88 Corvette" and it’s a pedal-to-the-metal tale of two “Thelma and Louise” type characters who are cruising around the country and getting their kicks.
You can read more about Ugly and its song in Ticket+, but first here's a taste:

UGLY
Song: "88 Corvette"
Style: Rock with electronic and hip-hop touches
Members: Adam McIntire-Hull (singer), the keyboardist and bassist known simply as Jeremiah, Elvis Le (guitars), Jon Shidler (drums)
Story behind the song: "'88 Corvette’ started as a beat and Adam put some lyrics to it," says Jeremiah. "We put the song on the back burner a little bit, and then we opened up that old hard drive and said, ‘Let’s go through this one.’ Then we added guitars and drums, and it was like, ‘Oh my God.’ It was meant to be.
"It's a fun song to play,” he adds. “A lot of people see the song as a little trendy song with catchy lyrics, and think it’s just about two girls and how cool they are. But it’s a metaphor for a journey and enjoying the moment."

Click the button below to hear "88 Corvette":

On the Web: www.myspace.com/uglydaughter

Posted by cmacias at 7:29 PM | Comments |

---

---

September 6, 2007

A DeGeneres gig

And in this latest dispatch of news about Antoinette "Butterscotch" Clinton … Sacramento’s own beatbox champion and finalist on “America’s Got Talent” is going to grace the airwaves again. She’s a guest today on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (3 p.m. on Ch. 10, KXTV), and though a chunk of us working folk will miss this spot, I’m sure the clip will pop up on YouTube sometime soon.

It would’ve been cool to call Butterscotch the winner of “America’s Got Talent” and a newly minted millionaire – the show’s grand prize – but the champion of the show was … Terry the Ventriloquist. Diss! I don’t care how great those Garth Brooks impressions were from the ventriloquist. Getting beat by a puppet is so unjust for our Butterscotch, who can sing and beatbox – usually at the same time – like a dream. I’m sure we’ll be seeing much more of Butterscotch in the future, and it won’t be at puppet shows.

Posted by cmacias at 12:01 PM | Comments |

---

---

September 5, 2007

Wondertwin powers, activate

Good Charlotte is opening for Justin Timberlake on Monday at Arco Arena, and those Madden twins have got their Outlook calendar fairly packed while they're in the 916. Benji (he's the guitarist) and Joel (he's the one who got Nicole Richie preggers) and the rest of Good Charlotte are performing at the Verizon Communications store on 3635 North Freeway Boulevard. The slated show time is from 4:15 - 4:30 p.m. That's 15 minutes, kids, so have those cell phone cameras ready to go.

After the Arco Arena show, Benji and Joel are DJing at the MoMo Lounge (2708 J street). Sorry kids - this show is 21-and-up. Only the grown and sexy are allowed - a star tattoo or gobs of eyeliner are a plus - but please, no dancing on the MoMo's couches. Only Nicole Richie could probably get away with that.

Posted by cmacias at 2:54 PM | Comments |

---