SAMMIE's 2000

Background - What is this "SAMMIES" Thing?

For those of you outside of the Sacramento Area, the "SAMMIE's" (Sacramento Area Music Awards) is the local music scene's autoerotic love fest. Sacramento does indeed have a thriving local music scene with nearly a dozen different clubs and theaters for groups to play live original music - and there's nothing like stroking yourself over it.

Ok seriously, sponsored by the Sacramento News and Review, the SAMMIES is a benefit for an "At Risk" Teen Center. It's a Reader and Critic choice award show that has grown considerably in it's stature locally - if not yet nationally. At 11:00 on the day of the show, Sacramento's Vice-Mayor declared it "SAMMIE'S DAY" on the steps of City Hall. I'd been tipped off about this little pre-event and seeing as I live just a few blocks from downtown - popped on over. While there, I ran into Allyson Seconds - rythm guitarist and backing vocals for the local group Go National, which is fronted by her husband Kevin Seconds. Allyson also does a lot of photography for local bands and is pretty well known, besides being an extremely nice person. She said "Hi" when she saw me, since we've met several times before at open-mike performances and at the Capitol Aids Walk sponsered by local 'zine "Alive and Kicking" a few months previously.

Also at the pre-ceremony was Mike Blanchard of Tattooed Love Dogs, and Mike Farrell of the popular local band Sex 66. While the local news camera's filmed the Vice-Mayor making her announcement, I was standing almost directly behind them - with Mike (Blanchard) just to my right. After the ceremony the local news interviewed both Mike's, and Allyson - while I -- stood by and bemusedly watched the goings on. Tattooed Love Dogs have won several SAMMIES in the past, usually for Best Rock Band, however this year they are nominated for Best Country Band - a fact that puzzled Mike, but after hearing the Love Dogs and their Alta-rock/country stylings myself last week - I could understand perfectly.

Part of the irony of this situation was that most of the people there who knew me, we're familiar with me because of my open-mike acoustic performances, not performances by Planet X. In fact, I'm pretty darn sure none of them have even heard or seen Planet X live, even though we've done nearly 40 performances in the area. Now, part of the reason for that is because we're a Hard Rock band, and they are all considerably softer - either more pop, or punk or country in style, so our paths normally wouldn't cross.

Besides Allyson and Mike the only person at City Hall who knew me was an old friend of our guitarist Darryl named Todd, who runs the Sacramento News and Review's website. He complimented us on our site, and on how I'd utilized images on the page of SN&R new Scene and Heard section for local bands. Anyway, I was content to just watch, rather than be watched. I really didn't mind being ignored - this time - personally I find how the media stalks and hunts down fame - with the ultimate goal of killing it --to be perversely fascinating. I know, I'm sick.

The Ugly Twin-Headed Beast of Politics

I haven't spoken much about Sacramento Music Politics in the past, but that seems pretty unavoidable when discussing the SAMMIES. I've tried to stay nice and diplomatic, but F#ck-it, I'm gonna say what I think and people that disagree can just make an issue of it on our message boards if they want - or have the guts to.

Basically there are two or three very different scenes in town. For the most part from my perspective, the town is overrun with Punk and Post/Punk/Alta-Pop. That's one scene.

The second scene is Acoustic-Folk, which I've been directly involved in via the various Open-mike shows around town. On any given week there are 4 or 5 places just in the downtown area where you can walk in with an acoustic guitar (or keyboard, or turntable or bullwhip and shaving cream) and people will watch and listen to you.

The third scene is the Metal Scene, which is mostly populated by either Metalcore/Rap acts like Shortie, Speed Metal groups like Dementia and a couple Industrial bands like Luxt, H.u.r.t. and G.I.M.P. -- (No, I don't know what's up with the four-letter names...) -- and lastly us, the lone PURE Hard Rock band left in town, Planet X.

Technically there is also a blues scene and a R&B scene, but they seem to limited to a just a couple clubs apiece. From what I've seen the Punk/Pop and Folk scenes are very supportive -- but the Metal/Rock scene is very competitive and distant. Sure, younger and hungry Hard Rock bands like us, and Proon are very supportive of each other - but those bands who have reached a certain local plateau are pretty aloof IMO. We've gotten more support among the downtown crowd of Alta/Pop/Folk people and bands - than elsewhere, even though we don't technically FIT into their scene. Not that we're gonna let that little detail stop us.

At any rate the city seems to revolve around several key movers and shakers -- or "hot spots". Clearly the hottest club to be associated with is Old Ironsides. The hottest promoter/publisher is Jerry Perry of Alive and Kicking. Once your in a favorable position with those two outlets - you have the potential to RULE THE TOWN.

At this particular moment in time...we are not in that position. We've only played a single off-night gig at the Old-I, and even though Jerry Perry knows who we are - he has yet to see one of our shows, or hear our music as far as we know. All of this puts the fact that we were nominated for a SAMMIE in proper perspective. We honestly didn't expect to win it. We we're shocked that we we're nominated and The Council wasn't, in the first place. I suspect this occured because we have a strong internet presence, but who knows really?

The other bands nominated in the SAMMIE's were a veritable who's who of groups that either frequent Old-I and/or the cover of Alive and Kicking. Bands like Go national, Beer Dawgs, 100 Acre Wood, Forever Goldrush, The Skirts, and H.U.R.T fit exactly into that description.

MUSIC AS A COMPETITION

I'm well familiar with the argument that music is not a sport, and shouldn't be a competition. But the fact is...that it is. Whether it's two similar bands trying to get people to their shows on opposite sides of town, or checking for chart position on Billboard, it's all a competition. I agree that you can't truly measure quality based on popularity -- you can't. What popularity does tell you though is where the mind of "Joe Public" is at, in a general sense. There are reasons why people like and gravitate toward certain bands, usually because those bands reflect and reasonate on some emotional, personal or cultural level with their own values and ideas about life. Finding what it is that you have to say musically in that context, and finding ways to effectively convey it -- is the eternal challenge before all musicians. Whether people like it or not -- the "popular" groups are succeeding at it, even if unintentionally in some cases.

For me at least, it's not how many people you touch - but how deeply you touch them.

Knowing this helps to keep everything in perspective.

Anyway...enough background, what happened at the show?

On to the LIVE PERFORMANCES

I'm going to keep this part short. The Bear Dawgs Ruled, but they managed to take three songs and make them last 40 minutes. Their guitarist Steve Wall is outstanding, and using a guitar synth unit pulled of flawless harmonica, moog and trombone solos all by himself. Moving from Swamp Rock to Zydeco to Parliament infected Funk - the BD's are a great group.

The world beat group Akimbo! was a lot of fun, even though they also seem to have songs that averaged 15-20 minutes, they were still cool. Sometime's you just have KEEP dancing.

H.U.R.T. was L.O.U.D., which was no big surprise. They have a great look and a great sound -- too bad most of it belongs to Trent Reznor circa 1992, except that Trent has a talent for melody and his songs each sound like different songs. Of all of the local industrial bands, I like Luxt the best. Sorry guys, I call 'em like I see 'em -- and what have you done for us lately anyway!! We've only played together with H.U.R.T once, that was a year ago at Cheerleaders and they didn't even hang around to hear us, even though we we're up first.

But I'm not bitter.

I'm not. Really. They did let us use their P.A. for that show and we appreciated that.

Still neither of those facts would change my opinion of their performance...or shut me up about it for that matter!

Anyway, King Bradley Fisher group performed some smooth R&B - which, with the right producer, could be up there on the charts with previous Sactown break-outs, Tony Toni Tone.

Sex 66 was Rolling Stones-lite, -- tastes stale/less rocking.

And lastly The Skirts were....on second thought I better not say what I think of the Skirts first performance -- that I've seen -- with their new bass player in print, it might get nasty. I'll just say "Go Go's without the fun part" and leave it at that. Maybe things will improve with more practices...

Side note: Y'know, when I went to the Artistdirect Online Music Awards at the House of Blues in L.A. last October - they had caterred platters of shrimp for everyone. At the SAMMIES I had to buy my own hot-dog. So although I do think the SAMMIES are cool...they don't neccesarily blow my mind with their "coolness". (Then again, the SAMMIES is a fund raising benefit - while Artist direct was simply using their awards to promote their websites and record label - different purposes, different techniques)

The *REAL* performances - Smoozing in the Lobby

While in the Lobby I saw Jerry Perry - who said "Hi" and asked how I was doing. I don't recall my answer. The various members of Luxt, one of whom recognized me from our last Big Shots show and congratualated us on being nomiated as well as wished us luck - and I returned the "good luck" blessing. Mike Blanchard from the Love Dogs was there, in a red cowboy shirt and matching hat. (What was that about not being a "Country" band?) Kylee Brooks, a radio Dj for 98 Rock was there - we spoke briefly, where I reminded her that we'd previously met when Sevendust had played the Crest a few months back. I had hung out in front of the theater playing my Acoustic in order to promote an upcoming Planet X show. I chatted briefly with Grub Dog, and waved at Ace from The Brody's.

Oil Kan's Johnathon and Tommy, plus their new drummer Lance (who used to be the singer for Twist of Fate before I joined) - were all there. As of course, was Tommy's Dad, Steve. Todd from SN&R said "Hi" again and wondered how Mike Farrell of Sex 66 had gotten the Critics Choice for "Best Guitarist". While he wondered about that, he also noted that he had an oppurtunity to vote as a "critic" himself and he didn't take advantage of it.

Maybe that's part of the reason Mike Farrell won, you think?

Funniest Comments from THE STAGE

Magnolia Thunderfingers' singer (who've I've since learned is the ever-acerbic Alive and Kicking columnist "Jones") explaining why he was late getting to the stage to accept his award :

"Sorry, I just got done smoking some crack!"

Two local radio DJ's on the Sacto musicians backstage :

"You think you guys are Slackers? Every member of Bachman Turner Overdrive weighs over 300 lbs, now That's lazy. You think your messed up? In 1969 Jim Morrison was singing songs about getting high and doing his mother...how F#Cked-UP is THAT? Every one of your slacker butts should be getting on your knees to kiss the Beer Dawgs ass...."

The Winners: Highlights and Low-lights

Early on in the evening was the Award for best Blues band - which our friends in Oil Kan were up for, but didn't win. That was the first bummer of the evening, but not the last. On the plus side, Xenophilia won for "Best Folk Group" and that was really cool. They're an excellent band, Xeno is like the Eddie Van Halen of the acoustic twelve string. They were all decked out in Tuxes too - which went really well with Xeno's hair which had been freshly dyed yellow-orange.

Allyson Seconds won for best female vocalist and got a hug and kiss from her hubbie Kevin Seconds - (who won for "Best Songwriter" last year), winning seemed to surprise her because she - in her words just "sings harmonies" (to Kevin's lead vocals in Go National). While on the podium she re-interrated a point she had made earlier when she was interviewed in front of city hall -- saying that fans need to not just come to the Crest for the Sammies (which was sold out this year for the first time...) but also go out and see the local bands, because although her band Go National has a strong draw - not every good group does.

Amen to that, Allyson.

The Love Dogs won for best "Country Group". Best R&B went to Funkengruven. Universal Groove was defeated by Kevin's hardcore band - 7Seconds in the Punk category, but Tova Fleming, of U.G. was honored the critics choics for "Best Bassist" which I thought was an accurate reading of her skill. She kicks ass.

Eventually came the announcement for the winner in our category - "Metal".

And the winner was...

LUXT.

Ok, cool... Luxt deserve it, although they deserve it for being the best Industrial band, you take what you can get sometimes. Like I've said many times, we didn't expect to win and would have felt guilty - not to mention confused as heck, if we did. We're still a fairly young band in town - I mean, Magnolia Thunderfinger won for the first time this year and they'd previously been nominated 7 or 8 times.

It was really a neat moment when Luxt won too, they had all these spotlights searching the crowd for the winners - and Luxt was all decked out in their matching "Luxt" jackets, and various style of dreads and mohawks. They really had the "Look" of stars.

While accepting the award the drummer from Luxt tried to point out how hard working all the Metal bands were and proceeded to list all the other groups in the Metal Category, Dementia, Shortie and H.U.R.T, (everyone that is, except PLANET X) as being bands deserving of recognition.

Let me just say that being left out like that really - really hurt. Being ignored like that was like being punched in gut. Being ignored by simple minded media people is one thing...being ignored by fellow musicians is another. It's kinda hard to explain, but I couldn't even think of a more cruel insult under the circumstances. After they accepted their award I went up to the drummer and pointed out that he'd forgetten us...and he didn't even remember me, even though I know for a fact we've met before when flyering the Big Shots parking lot - and frankly, there are *NO* other rock band members in town that look like me.

None.

Anna, their singer had blown us off once - but another member of his band had seen us play Big Shots just a month or so ago and was perfectly cool. It's ok though, I don't know his name either.

Anyway, I don't think it was deliberate -- it was just a brain fart, Rock-Deer-in-the-Spotlights kinda thing. We hugged and made-up in the lobby and it was all good. Not that I'm gonna let them forget it anytime soon... (Yeah, next time I see one of those jackets..."Uh...What band we're you in again??")

Ironically the Sacramento Bee's write up on the SAMMIES' didn't even mention Luxt as among the winners at all, the only Metal band they mentioned was H.U.R.T. because they had performed at the show.

Go figure.

It's cool though, our next show is up in Chico, CA and includes both Luxt and another band nominated in the Metal Category, Dementia. It should be interesting, but it's also ironic that in order to play a gig with these guys -- we had to go all the way to Chico, a two hour drive away where it isn't possible that Sacramento's club politics had any effect on the line-up.

Interesting, no?

Ah well, until next time. Cya.

Add your comments on this show

Next | Previous .

.