Day 8: Sacramento, CA
Welcome
Yesterday we played a show in Sacramento, California.
Our streak of good weather continued in Sactown yesterday and when Tristan and I left the hotel for our morning run the air was still pleasantly damp and cool. We headed along streets that seemed quiet for a Tuesday in downtown and we made our way north, passing the historic California Almond Exchange and the Blue Diamond Growers corporate campus, the brains behind the brawn of California’s behemoth tree nut industry. Across the other side of the American River we found ourselves in a green space that stretched out for miles in each direction, a beautiful riparian recreation area that is known as the American River Parkway: The Jewel of Sacramento. Cycle paths wound through scrub and marshland, and dirt trails broke off to interrogate the woods of twisted vines and dense foliage. We jogged along, enjoying and exploring, until we reached the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers where we turned south, heading back towards the city and passing the old rail yards and a pair of stern looking steam locomotives, coal-black and menacing.
Paul took us to his favourite coffee spot after picking us from the hotel late in the morning. It was an establishment called Temple and they roasted a fine bean and then prepared it expertly with the help of fine spouted kettles and filter papers. I ordered a cheese and chive scone and a ‘The Beam Blend’ pour-over coffee, black and creamless with notes of raspberry, honeysuckle, and limeade, served in a delicate carafe so you could decant your own beverage. There was seating outside on the footpath, and there were dogs, so we sat for a while and sipped our beverages in the shade of a large oak tree.
I picked up a copy of Sactown Magazine, the local bimonthly rag, after being lured in with the promise of a quiz; a chance for glory in the presence of our Sacrementan tour manager Paul. The questions were challenging for an outsider, but I gave it everything, scraping the corners of my mind and relying on pure instinct where all else failed. Luckily it was multichoice so I was in with a good shot. The answers were written right below each question so I covered these with my hand to prevent any accidental cheating. There were several questions which (cleverly and sneakily) had multiple correct answers so for fairness I’ve added in these extra points I could have earned and decided that the score I was aiming for was 64. I walked away with 20, not exactly a B+ but still a respectable mark.
At 2pm our load-in began and it was completely swiftly and decisively. We were back at Harlow’s, a venue we had visited on tour in 2019, although we collectively only carried the tiniest whiffs of memories of that visit. It was a small club, around 400-500 people, and it felt warm and intimate with a wide floor space that brought the audience up close to the stage, close enough to pinch a set list without needing to bend your elbows. There was no room for Bird, our inflatable fish. After a test-inflation in which he tried to expand into the ceiling we moved him off the stage into a corner where he could enjoy more freedom of movement, albeit with a more solitary existence.
We sound checked and although we had to turn the amps down to a whisper everything felt good, and we got the big thumbs up from Gabe. Jess Kallen had arrived while this was all happening. A couple of years ago we had toured with Jess when they played lead guitar in Rosie Tucker’s band and since that time, they have been busy, bringing a wonderful LP of their own into the world, their gracefully titled 2023 debut Exotherm. Jess opened the show at 8pm and the club was already full, a punctual Sactown crowd ready and waiting with an energy that belonged slightly further through the week than the Tuesday we were upon. Tristan, Jon, and I learned one of Jess’s new tunes and we formed their backing band for a short few minutes, joining them on stage at the end of their set like the disloyal mercenaries that we are.
We changed ourselves back into The Beths shortly after nine o’clock and went out again with Liz as our rightful leader, playing our 80 minutes of indie rock music that was shunted along aggressively by the accidentally very spicy Thai dinner we had just enjoyed. The crowd were excellent, very generous when we tried to engage them with Sactown trivia, and even more generous with their applause.
For Izy.
Aftrerwards we packed out quickly and efficiently, Gabe leading the charge with a beautifully arranged pack train, the first of the tour and one that should go straight into the textbooks.
