Blake Gillespie is a freelance journalist. His work can be found in the Sacramento Bee, Sacramento News & Review, Submerge Magazine and Vice.com.
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Is Sacramento’s Music Scene Really Experiencing a Renaissance?
Live music may be growing — but not necessarily to the benefit of local bands
A few weeks ago, Eventbrite posted a blog entitled 5 Unexpected Cities Experiencing A Music Renaissance, which is essentially a press release documenting the company’s ascension as the leading digital ticketing service. Sacramento tops the list at a growth rate of 177 percent.
The Untold Story of Used Records Stores
Sacramento area record store owners balk at talk of record sales’ decline
There was a moment leading up to 2013 when it looked as though the record store would join the dodo on the extinction list. Record sales were plummeting due to rampant pirating, digital sales became the primary metric and the major labels were scrambling to shut down the piracy, while appealing to the modern user. Then, reports began circulating that vinyl sales were up.
Truckin’ to the Suburbs
Food truck events find acceptance and easy rules to operate in cities on the outskirts of Sacramento
SactoMoFo, which had held regular events over the years that opened the door for food trucks in Sacramento, hosted its 10th and final central city gathering at the Railyards on April 29.
Sofar So Good
An international music show has come to Sacramento — but you’ll only find it if you know where to look
Founded in 2010, Sofar’s first shows were in London, but now includes gatherings in 333 cities worldwide — including countries like Switzerland, Azerbaijan, India, Serbia, Egypt, Brazil and Russia. It considers music and musicians as an untapped global resource in the same way that people with a spare bedroom are replacing the hotel establishment.
The Cost of Doing it Yourself
Artists and promoters say if Sacramento’s mayor wants the ‘raw energy’ of an art scene to thrive, then the city needs to rethink its permit policies
The mayor is putting aside $500,000 to be distributed in the city’s eight districts. The money is intended to activate arts innovation hubs and programs, but many in the arts community don’t see the funding as an aid if entertainment permit policy demands they hand the money back over to the city.