Seeing Sacramento & Beyond
Exploring a City with a Small-Town Feel and World of PotentialArchive for Downtown
Lights, Camera, Action, Enjoy
Crest's Marqui Being Remodled
Now in its 11th year, the SF&MF has grown quite colorfully to embrace and encourage new facets of filmmaking. Two programs for local filmmakers, both in their seventh year, encourage and support community engagement. Sac Music Seen is a program that matches local filmmakers to local musicians to make original music videos, with almost 150 completed projects to date. The 10×10 Filmmaker Challenge is SF&MF’s own answer to the guerilla filmmaking phenomenon, with teams being allowed ten days to make a ten minute movie.
The Festival also partners with other longstanding community events, such as the Sacramento International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. This year, one evening includes a fascinating pair of documentaries about the dangers to senior citizens in the LGBT community who sometimes find themselves going back into the closet to avoid discrimination in settings like assisted living facilities, and a film about transgendered musicians and singers.
SF&MF’s ongoing relationships allows for further interesting partnerships, including Sony, Rubios, Sacramento News & Review, Capital Film Arts Alliance and Mayor Kevin Johnson’s Arts Initiative. “Our primary mission is to showcase the work of talented filmmakers, but we’re also very much a community arts event and we work closely with our partners…to promote local interest and involvement at all levels.”
www.sacfilm.com
Moon in Your Eye Like a Big Pizza Pie
Camellia Symphony Orchestra
The moon was as round and large as a family-sized pizza from Ricos. It was even more startling since we hadn’t seen the likes of a moon in quite some time. The air had a hint of crispness to it, but not so much that it really felt like winter anymore.
After a cozy visit with drinks and spring rolls at PF Changs, Tom and I ventured just across the street to the Memorial Auditorium for some pre-show wine tasting by Scribner Bend. There was also a silent auction before ‘Charms, Spells and Enchantments’ was set to begin.
The title alone was enough to intrigue me, but the question remained: Would the Camellia Symphony Orchestra’s performance equally entrance us? There was, perhaps, another question I should have been asking myself instead… What is the Camellia Symphony all about?
As it turns out, the CSO musicians are volunteers. It’s been that way for 47 years. And for 47 years, area residents have enjoyed and supported the orchestra in return. I just wish I knew that going in. I also wish I knew this was a one-night only gig. Meaning, the musicians put all that blood, sweat and tears into learning these magnificent pieces… only to perform them in front of a crowd once.
On this night – Saturday, February 27th – the music unveiled a tale that words perhaps could not, but a little background information did help set the stage. ‘Charms, Spells and Enchantments’ was composed of three unusual masterpieces that are not frequently played. Each one is “derived from worlds of fantasy and magic … capable of transporting the receptive listener into realms foreign to customary daily life.” For instance, there’s a wizard’s apprentice who summons up some serious trouble; a broomstick brought to life, a flood of cascading waters and an anarchic world of frenzy (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Paul Dukas). And a beautiful gypsy girl falls in love with a handsome young man, only to be held back from true love by a pursuant ghost (El Amor Brujo by Manuel De Falla). Finally, with Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, the “unrelenting rhythms mirror our darker, more irrational nature” and tendency to sacrifice purity for prosperity.
Although often mesmerized by the movements of the musicians, I had to look at the majesty of the space I was in to fully engage my imagination. What the Memorial Auditorium lacks in acoustics, it makes up for with eclectic and elegant old-world beauty. Built in 1926, the auditorium has welcomed such musical talents as the Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, Melissa Etheridge and Death Cab for Cutie. It is on the National Historic Register.
The Camellia Symphony Orchestra next will present ‘The Great Classics’ on April 17, again at the Memorial Auditorium. Tickets are affordable, the venue is enchanting and the music is moving and soothing to the soul.
Local volunteer musicians and members ensure the orchestra will persevere, making it practically a family affair. When it comes to the survival of art in all forms in our community, it is in large part up to us to stay engaged and continue to try new things. Charms, spells and enchantments ~ Isn’t that pretty much what life is all about?
[On the way home, you might think I was craving a pizza... But what I actually had to have instead was a cold, creamy chocolate milkshake.] ; }
For more information, visit www.camelliasymphony.org.
And thanks to www.SacramentoPress.com for the lovely evening!
Lounging in Style
Rainy Window at Level Up Lounge
The Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau held a networking mixer at Level Up Lounge on Tuesday night, February 23, 2010. The lounge is above Thai Basil Restaurant at 2341 J Street. (There’s a 3rd floor as well, but I think they try to keep that under wraps).
Level Up generously provided beverages and a variety of appetizers for guests, including chicken satay skewers, mango salsa on fried wontons and “beef jerky” on sticky rice pads. In addition, owner Suleka Sun-Lindley handed out coupons for her alluring mid-level space.
There’s something about the decor of this place that I just love. Rain or shine, it’s appealing and comfortable. With its colorful chandeliers, ever-color-changing backdrop lighting and sheer-curtain-covered windows overlooking the lights and action on J Street, Level Up has a unique look and feel all its own when it comes to Sacramento area lounges.
For the literally young, I think it can get pretty hip and hoppin’ late at night. For those of us a little older (but still young enough at heart), afternoon and evenings are always a great time to discover the place, take it over outright or duck into a low-lit corner.
The artist responsible for all the colorful, eclectic artwork currently adorning Level Up’s walls is John Titus Krempel, a well travelled and lived man with much to show for it.
www.LevelUpLounge.com
Office Inspiration – A Break Away?!
The Bread Store, across from OfficeMax
So I took a walk this afternoon to sneak out of the office, suck up some fresh air and soak up some of that late winter sunshine. About halfway, I decided to duck into OfficeMax on J & 17th because I was curious to see what they had.
But because I was also in need of some career comfort, it delighted me to plop down into an office chair that felt almost heavenly in comparison to the one I’ve got. It was black – not my color of choice when it comes to office furniture – but hey, I know I’m the minority in that regard. And anyway, it was just so darn comfortable that I had visions of wanting to sit at my desk all day and write away.
Then I spotted some very attractive journals/notebooks that awakened my sense of all things pretty… and just in time, frankly, because I too was in need of some career inspiration.
And although I walked out empty-handed (to be fair, I didn’t have my wallet with me), I did not walk out with nothing. You see, shopping at office stores is not exactly titillating to me…. but on this day I learned that they can be quite comforting, and even inspiring if you let them.
Brew It Up! Drink It Up! Eat It Up!
Brew It Up!
The Spicy Buffalo Chicken Salad… it’s my favorite of all three things I’ve recently tried at Brew It Up. And when I say “tried”, I generally mean reached over and nabbed a bite of my boyfriend’s entree.
One could say I stay in the safe zone, am a creature of habit… And this could be true to some extent. But then, at least I don’t have the grass-is-greener syndrome ~ always wondering if that sandwich at table 2 is tastier than mine.
Brew it Up is a casual, easy place to dine on delicious food. They’re friendly, they are generous with their portions, and they have (my favorite) Orange Blossom Beer! If you’re a real beer fanatic/connoisseur/activist, you can even brew your own here.
Near the Music Circus, Convention Center and other sweet spots Downtown, Brew It Up Personal Brewery & Grill sits rather massively on the corner of 14th & H, but they’re gracious hosts with lots to offer, including special events, holiday happenings and both early and late night happy hours!
Oh, and they’re not a chain, in case you were wondering and like to frequent one-of-a-kinds.
www.BrewItUp.com
Style & Comfort Meet Location, Location, Location
Looking out the 9th floor window of the Citizen Hotel in Downtown Sac, I immediately see the heart of the Central City, and then beyond it the foothills at the base of the Sierra Mountains. The ornate and looming Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament hoists five golden crosses in the air and six California and American flags wave from various nearby building tops. There’s a blanket of dark green trees to my left (east west) just beyond the stunning Elks Tower (circa 1926), but far and to the right is an even more expansive blanket of lushness softening the perimeters. The city is somewhat unfamiliar from this vantage point and that evokes in me a slight sense of excitement, like perching on the edge of a new adventure.
What’s the history of this long-standing building? I ponder… And are there any ghosts caught in the howling wind outside our door?
[Rates at the Citizen are surprisingly affordable, especially on the weekends. Try a Friday night and walk across the street for the FREE Friday Night Concert series; Walk to one of the nearby clubs or countless eateries; Check out the IMAX or visit the historic Crest Theatre for an independent or foreign film. www.CitizenHotel.com]
The Call of the Wild
The gorgeous dark clouds above are broken up just enough that the streets are dry, and the air warm enough to make this balmy spring storm intriguing. I’m getting impressions of ancient times on this land as I look out the 2nd story window with the bird’s eye view.
The trees are thankful for the recent rains and the people on foot are grateful for the reprieve. This in-between space is mesmerizing – There is work to be done, and yet… nature calls in curious ways.
Sharing Sidewalk Space
SF Mayor Gavin Newsom Preparing for the Lunch Rush?
Armed with camera dangling from my wrist, I head out during the lunch hour on a fine spring day, and immediately see something abstract I’d like to capture. I begin heading toward it when I notice Sacramento’s former mayor (Heather Fargo) exiting Lucca Restaurant from the direction in which I’m heading. Not wanting to be mistaken for the paparazzi and out of respect for the privacy I imagine she might desire, I shift courses and take the long way around.
It seems there’s always someone locally, regionally or even globally-famous heading into or out of Lucca on J Street (Esquire Grill on 13th, Faces on K, The Park UltraLounge on 15th, etc.). And yet, it might be of little surprise that the Midtown/Downtown vortex attracts big and plenty players since it’s so centrally located, so full of good restaurants, so near the Capitol and so loaded with charm.
To me, the 6 degrees of separation between us regular folks and those more blatantly recognizable are closing in. Blame it on the internet, reality TV, the widening of the “celebrity” umbrella… As the world gets more cramped, we’re naturally going to bump up against one another all the more.
What I like about this phenomenon happening in Sacramento is this: It makes everyone and everything seem that much more accessible. It doesn’t discriminate. And instead of feeling like we’re robots walking amongst a bunch of strangers, familiarity is a welcome feeling in a world I had feared was losing its personal touch.
As I head back to the office – my memory card (and belly) full – I coincidentally converge at the corner of 16th and J with someone very well known in my social circle, my friend and co-worker Dawn Brown. We walk back to the office together, chatting about the warm weather and how much easier it will be to get together with friends now that spring has sprung.
There is something special about Sacramento; the rich land upon which she was built, the rivers that flow through her, the bounty around her and the people who make it their home.
Life is good in California’s Capital City for many reasons, including climate and geography, community and amenities, nature and wildlife, and more. It’s hard to imagine a warmer feeling than a sunshine-drenched morning here, an easier feeling than a refreshing spring day, or a more engaging experience than a night on the town after a cleansing rain.
There’s truly something for everyone and every mood, for Sacramento is a shifting entity itself, with four distinct but relatively mild seasons, diverse neighborhoods and people, a ripening food and restaurant scene, year-round events and outdoor fun, and daytime and nighttime adventures. Its magic is a blend of history and tradition, vision and reinvention. And there’s so much pleasure to be had here – with family and friends, food and wine, adventures and experiences – that they’re likely to create the kind of fond memories that might seem so familiar… but aren’t quite like any other.
