Raley Field home of the Sacramento River Cats baseball team also hosts music events during the summer and early fall. The stadium is located in West Sacramento and is a short walking distance to the waterfront and Old Sacramento. It has nice views of the downtown area from the stands that add to a great atmosphere for concert fans. On Monday, August 25th Dave Matthews Band will appear with Robert Earl Keen. They will finish their North American Summer Tour in two weeks with three sold-out shows at The Greek Theatre in Berkeley. They will also travel to South America in mid-September and play at several music festivals in Brazil and Argentina. The band and DMB fans got very sad news that founding member saxophonist LeRoi Moore passed away on 8/19 from injuries he sustained in an ATV accident in June. More musical events this season include Annual Rhythm & Ribs - Music Festival and Rib Cook Off from Friday, September 19th - Sunday, September 21st. Click on Raley Field in Sacramento for a listing of all events or go to Ticketmaster.com.
The California State Fair will run from Friday, August 15th - Monday, September 1st. Events for over two weeks will feature an expanded kids park, motocross and car shows, horse racing, all kinds of vendors, crafts, and food. Mid-way carnival rides for the entire family, a beautiful California Wine tasting garden, and a great concert series line-up with a variety of popular artists. The cove concert arena has been improved to include VIP seating and is great for outdoor shows. It has seats that face the stage and a grass area with wide steps off to one side. Most concert events have advance seating Gold Circle reserved seat sales. Otherwise general seating includes the price of fair admission. Alternative rock group Smash Mouth will appear on opening night of the fair August 15th. More artists scheduled for the concert series include: Natasha Bedingfield - Air Supply - Jessica Simpson - Gary Allen - Al Jarreau - Chicago - Vanessa Hudgens and many more. Go to BigFun.org for a complete listing of California Sate Fair events.
Music Circus - presented by California Musical Theatre in it's 53rd Year now takes place at the Wells Fargo Pavilion. The awesome 12 million dollar facility kept the circular stage of the original tent, added great lighting from above the stage, and a new roof minus the old obstructed views. The venue is located in downtown Sacramento with a parking garage next door and a variety of restaurants and bars to enjoy before and after shows. The annual summer series features some of the best Broadway musicals from July - September for music fans of all ages. The 2008 Music Circus series will end with Hairspray from August 19th - August 28th. Coming this fall Broadway Sacramento will begin their 2008-09 series in October featuring some of the most popular musicals currently on Broadway in New York.
Bay Area Venues hosting concerts NOT coming through the Sacramento area:
Sleep Train Pavilion has been hosting concerts and music festivals in the east bay area since 1975 and features a variety of musical acts every year from April - October. Two sections of reserved seating and a comfortable grass area give fans an intimate experience with a capacity of just over 12,000. On Wednesday, August 27th Sheryl Crow will appear with James Blunt and opening guest Toots and the Maytels. Their summer tour has traveled to over 20 cities in the U.S. so far and will continue through the end of September. Sheryl Crow is also scheduled to appear in Lake Tahoe at Harvey's Outdoor Arena on Saturday, August 23rd, and James Blunt will continue to tour across Europe this fall. More concerts coming soon to Sleeptrain Pavilion that are not scheduled to pass through the Sacramento area include Mary J Blige & Robin Thicke - Maroon 5 & Counting Crows - Al Green - Gladys Knight - Dennis Edwards & Temptations Review - Santana. Click on Sleep Train Pavilion for more concerts scheduled this summer or go to Ticketmaster.com.
The Mountain Winery Concert Series in Saratoga will begin in July and run through September. The annual series features a variety of artists in an incredible setting at a beautiful winery located in the silicon valley near San Francisco. New concerts continue to be announced and many shows sell-out fast. Go to Ticketmaster.com for more information on the concert line-up.
The SF Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival will take place in San Francisco at Golden Gate Park from August 22nd - August 24th. The featured headliners are Radiohead - Tom Petty - Jack Johnson in addition to a huge line-up that includes Beck - Wilco - Manu Chao - Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals - Cake - Widespread Panic - Primus - Steve Winwood - Regina Spektor and many more. 3-Day and Single Day Tickets available now on Ticketmaster.com
More links for Sacramento/Bay Area/Lake Tahoe/Reno Concerts: Abstract Entertainment - Sacramento based concert promoter for great indie shows at venues in the downtown area.
Live Nation - (Formerly BGP in Northern CA) National concert and venue promotions that include links and information to most major venues in the NorCal regional area. Information for many venues and shows in Sacramemto the San Francisco Bay Area and in Lake Tahoe/Reno.
Another Planet - National concert promoter located in Northern CA that promotes major concert events and independent artist shows. Listings for Sacramemto the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe/Reno.
AWESOME PHOTO GALLERY See Your Favorite Artists. Check out EMC photographer Charr Crail's Blog for concert reviews and more!! Her incredible art is also on display for 2nd Saturday with a T.V. interview for Channel 13. *New: THE POLICE - JONAS BROTHERS - MAYHEM FESTIVAL - SAMMIES - Cruefest*
Blogging The Grid - Sacramento by former Sacramento Bee music critic David Watts Barton. Great information on whats happening in Sacramento Arts & Entertainment and more. Artist videos and links to other websites and music events of interest in Sacramento and beyond. Also tune into KFBK on Wednesday evenings at 6:15 PM for Plugged-In with David Watts Barton or check out some great tunes and write-ups on David's music Blog
NoisyArtifacts .
Get Out and Support Your Local Music Scene!! The Sacramento area has a variety of *Nightclubs * Live Bands * DJ's* to choose from. On Wednesday:Old Ironsides will feature Open Mic Night with host Lare Crawley, Marilyn's will host Games Night - Guitar Hero and Justin Farren, and The Press Club will host Take Flight w/DJ's Nick Avery & Must.Not.Die. The Blue Lamp will host Kate Gaffney Band, The Torch Club will feature Jimmy Pailer and his Bad Boys, and Fox & Goose will acoustic music with Steve McLane. The Blue Cue will host Blues & Brews and Blue Gecko presents their weekly night of Reggae on the River next to Chevy's on Garden HWY. Fire Escape Bar & Grill will host Karaoke Night, Power House Pub will host live music with East Bound, and Yager's will feature live dance music. Thursday: Crawdad's On The River will host dance band Pop Rocks, Marilyn's will host V101 Presents Home Grown Soul, The Blue Lamp will host indie bands Order of the Golden Mirror - Dusty Brown - Pets, and Old Ironsides and Alive & Kicking present Loren Murrell - Autumn Sky - Jimmy Mazerik. The Distillery will host DJ Epic & Supe, The Park Ultra Lounge will host Hair Wars Fashion Show and DJ Vice from Las Vegas, Cabana will host The Palace with DJ Chris The Rebel, and Fox & Goose will feature Poetic Justis. The MoMo Lounge will host Electro Shock Thursdays, Luna's Cafe will feature their weekly night of Poetry Unplugged, and The Torch Club will host live blues at 5PM with X Trio and Aaron King & the Imperials at 9PM. In Citrus Heights Fire Escape Bar & Grill will feature River City Riot - Anti-Social - The Socially Retarded, in Orangevale The Boardwalk will host Daphne Loves Derby - Hazel and Vine - Heroes Last Mission - Push Push Pull - Tyler Weinrich, and in Folsom Yager's will host live music, and Powerhouse Pub will host country/rock music with Whiskey Dawn.
Friday Evening: Start your weekend at the last Friday Night Concert in the Park this summer at Cesar Chavez Plaza with Mumbo Gumbo and Ricky Berger. Marilyns will host Sexrat - New Hope - Dirty Feet - Sapo Sueno, Old Ironsides and Alive & Kicking present Love Gone South - Baby - The Friendly Creatures, and The Distillery will host live punk rock. Fox & Goose will host Hard Clumpin Litter - Spillit Quikkers - Truck Fight, Pyramid Alehouse will feature live acoustic music with Clay Bell, and Blue Lamp will host Nevada Backwards - Get Right Church (members of Jackpot & Prairie Dog). Faces will host Dancing on Three Floors with High NRG - Old School R&B - Video Dancing all weekend, Empire will host DJ Charlie Ramos, Harlows will feature party band Wonderbread 5 downstairs and DJ Rigatony up in The MoMo Lounge. Other clubs hosting great DJ Events are Park Ultra Lounge with DJ Eddie Edul - Jus James, Image VIP Lounge is a new downtown club with DJ's playing music on two floors, Capitol Garage will host Get Down To The Champion Sound, and in Roseville The Station Ultra Lounge will host DJ Mash Ups & Club Hits. In the greater Sacramento area Swabbies On The River will feature Lisa Phenix, Crawdad's On The River will host dance music with Nothin Personal, Zigatos @ The Clarion Hotel will host live rock & blues, The Kennel Club presents Summer Showdown Finals with Bell Tower Snipers - Bipolar - Underglorified - Scream Bloody Murder - The Stalking Distance, and Silk Bar will host house beats and hip hop mash-ups. On The Y will host live metal with ByPassing Oblivion - Ex Cordos - Tumbleweeds, Aces Supper Club will host live R&B all weekend, and Stoney Inn will host Country DJ Dancing with lessons at Rockin Rodeo and live music. The Boardwalk in Orangevale will host Heavy Heavy Low Low - Mikoto - Duck Duck Goose - iwrestledabearonce - Asphyxiate the Witness. In Davis G Street Pub will host Angel Devil - Nicola, in Rancho Cordova Louie's Cocktail Lounge will host live rock and blues, and in Elk Grove Elk Grove Sports Bar will host live R&B all weekend. In Placerville PJ's will host DJ Smitty, and Cozmic Cafe will host rock and blues band Izabella. In Old-Town Folsom all along Sutter Street you can find a great mix of restaurants, bars, and live music. At Powerhouse Pub check out Notorious, Scarlet's is next door, Yagers will feature live R&B, and historic saloon the Folsom Hotel will host live blues & rock.
On Saturday:Blue Lamp will host Shaun Slaughter's IPod Battle Royal II, Marilyns will host Project Hideout - Jeffrey Valentine, and Harlows and The MoMo Lounge will host Summer of Love 2 "2 Clubs 4 Bars Lots of Love". Old Ironsides and Alive & Kicking presents The Angel Devil - Brittain Ashford, The Low Dough Show at VFW Hall on 9346 Greenback Lane will feature punk rock bands Secretions - Left Alone - Final Summation - STD - No Admission, Lunas Cafe will host Richard March - Mister Vague, and Fox & Goose will host A Summer Hootenanny. Azukar Lounge will host DJ Ricardo Rayas, Aces Supper Club will host live R&B, Swabbies on the River will feature Rhythm Union Trio, and Crawdad's on the river will dance music with Nothin Personal. Fire Escape Bar & Grill will host The Voiceless - Odessa - Fear - The Fiasco - Zero for Zero, The Boardwalk presents Dance Gavin Dance with A Skylit Drive - Give em Hell - Lower Definition - Fight Fair, and Kennel Club will host Summer Showdown Finals with Represa - Plex - I Scream on Sundae - Private Criminals - Soul Distortion. In Folsom Powerhouse Pub will host Sex Type Thing, Yagers will host live dance music, and Folsom Hotel will host live music and also has a new back deck, and in Placerville Cozmic Cafe will present comedy and music. In Old Sacramento entertainment takes place at many restaurants and clubs within walking distance. 2 Grand Saloon features live R&B dancing and pool, The Back Door has a Brat Pack and Elvis tribute show every weekend with Rudy Valentino, Fulton's Underground hosts old school DJ music all weekend, and Tunel 21 has hip-hop and DJ house playing Fridays and Saturdays with a nice trendy atmosphere inside. For some great live blues downtown this weekend the Torch Club has Pailer, Taylor and Fratis start things off most Friday afternoons and later on the evening of the 22nd catch The Hucklebucks. On Saturday the 23rs the club will host Volker Strifer. Most Sundays there is a Blues Jam at 5PM and Stacie Eakes & the Superfreakes appear at 9PM.
Sacramento Area Community Music Events Happening This Week:
Wednesday, August 20th: Noon Concert Series will feature soprano Lucy Fritz Gibbons and Ryan McCullough on piano at Westminster Presbyterian Church on 1300 N Street in Sacramento. The event is free. For more information go to WestMinSac.org.
Thursday, August 21st: Fair Oaks Village Park will present live swing music with Shelley Burns at Fair Oaks Village Park on 7997 California Avenue in Fair Oaks. The event is Free and begins at 7PM. Lawn Chairs and picnics welcome. For more information go to FairOaksPark.org.
Thursday, August 21st: Third Thursday Jazz Series at Crocker Park on 201 O Street in Sacramento will feature Ben Luco & the Funky Divine. The event will run from 5:20 - 8PM and is $10.00 for non-members For more information go to CrockerArtMuseum.org.
Friday, August 22nd: Sacramento Downtown Partnership presents Friday Night Concerts in the Park. This Friday Mumbo Gumbo will perform. Events take place weekly at Cesar Chavez Plaza on 10th & J Streets in Sacramento and run from 5:00 - 9:00PM. Free Admission - Food & Bev - Beer & Wine Garden 21+. For more information go to DowntownSac.org.
Friday, August 22nd: Midtown Stomp featuring Stompy Jones playing vintage jazz with East Coast swing dancing lessons. The concert will take place at The Sacramento YWCA on 17th and L Street in Sacramento and begins at 8:00PM - Dance from 9-midnight. Tickets are $10. For more information go to midtownstomp.com.
Sunday, August 24th: Crocker Art Museum Classical Concert Series at Capistrano Hall on the CSUS Campus at 6000 J Street in Sacramento. The event will feature Voices ThreePlusTwo. The event will begin at 3PM and is $5-$12 for non-members For more information go to CrockerArtMuseum.org.
Mid-way carnival rides for the entire family, a beautiful California Wine tasting garden, and a great concert series line-up with a variety of popular artists. The cove concert arena has been improved to include VIP seating and is great for outdoor shows. It has seats that face the stage and a grass area with wide steps off to one side. Most concert events have advance seating Gold Circle reserved seat sales. Otherwise general seating includes the price of fair admission. Alternative rock group 
Music Circus - presented by California Musical Theatre in it's 53rd Year now takes place at the 
Get Out and Support Your Local Music Scene!! The Sacramento area has a variety of *Nightclubs * Live Bands * DJ's* to choose from. On Wednesday: 
Friday Evening: Start your weekend at the last 
On Saturday: 
