May 15^th!  So many nice things happened on this day;  a beautiful lunar eclipse, the Lakers were taught a serious lesson in respect, as they had their championship title brutally ripped away, the Kings had a huge win (which was great that day…but things somewhat changed a couple days later), and last, but definitely not least, we were treated to a rockin’ evening, courtesy of Mama’s Pride and the mighty Judge Unger…deep in the heart of Vacaville, at a nice little venue called Cheers, where everybody knows your name.  (Sorry, I couldn’t resist)

One might not consider Vacaville to be a rock & roll mecca, but how often do folks really give it a chance?  Vacaville does, after all, have things that Sacramento does not.  They have a Mary’s Pizza Shack – home of the greatest pizza!  We Sacramentans are not so lucky.  Vacaville also has Cheers; a nice place, with ample parking, very friendly staff, a cheap door charge ($2.00 just can’t be beat!), weeknight drink specials ($2.00 Kamikazes – also can’t be beat!), and a loyal crowd that is willing to venture out on a Thursday evening to take in some great music.  So what if nobody shouted out my name when I entered the establishment. I won’t hold that against anyone. 

Kicking off the evening was Sacramento’s own Mama’s Pride.  If you haven’t heard of them by now, shame on you!  They recently won their second Sammie award for best Soul/R&B band, which confuses me, as they rock way harder than any R&B band that I’ve ever heard.  I would consider their sound to be rock and roll with a soulful groove.  However you choose to classify them , you can’t deny that they do rock! 

Mama’s Pride kicked off their set with Thin Ice, featuring Vince’s fancy fretwork.  The charming Kiss Me Hello followed, which can also be heard on their three-song CD.  Also from their CD was the rockin’ Wake Him, and Don’t Leave (a personal favorite of mine).  A neat thing about this sibling foursome is their overall musical talent.  For the songs Fallen and Free, Kimberly (bass) switched over to guitar and handled lead vocal duties while her twin sister, Tiffany (lead vocals), switched over to bass.    I urge everyone to check out their website at www.mamaspride.net to find out where and when they will be playing next.  Big things are in store for them, so catch the Pride while you can!

What do a 12-string bass, 7-string guitar, great songs, and the Superior Court of Fairfield have in common?  Judge Unger!  Straight outta Fairfield comes a band that has been playing relentlessly around Sacramento and the Bay Area for quite some time now.  Have you heard of ‘em yet?  If not, consider this your wake-up call.  Straight up, this band rocks!  All four musicians possess a unique gift that perfectly compliments the heavy, melodic music they create. You might ask yourself, “What does a 12-string bass sound like?”  The question should be, “What does a 12-string bass FEEL like?”  because you can definitely feel the low end thumpin’ in your chest.  When Odie (12-string master) plays the high end, you would swear that Frank (7-string master) must have grown another hand.  With a string section like this, you would probably expect the drum set to be a 360 degrees monster.  This, however, is not the case.  Matt plays on a stripped down, nothing but the basics set that SOUNDS like a monster, loud and hard.  Completing Judge Unger on vocals is the charming Star.  Let me tell you, she can sing!  (Or as Lionel Ritchie says, “girl, you can sang!”  Yes, I do watch American Idol, and I’m not ashamed.)  With her use of dynamics, voice control, range, and sheer power, the songs are given a fresh breath of life.

Judge Unger (not to be confused with the Fairfield Superior Judge of the same name) play a style of music that is very melodic, yet heavy and hard-hitting.  Their songs are technical, yet very catchy and easy to get absorbed in.  In fact, if you don’t get lost in them, the vocals will reach out and pull you right in, whether you like it or not!  They started things off with Imitation, and went into Falling Faster and Memories Fade.   They played a song called Rain, which can be heard on their website, www.judgeunger.com.  If you haven’t heard this song, please give it a listen, as it contains just about every element this band has to offer; a beautiful, melodic start, then it soars straight upward and keeps on going.  It is easy to see why it is a crowd favorite.  Other songs played were Today, Rage On, Smackdown (in which Star gets no oxygen – she’s like the Energizer Bunny), Emotions Running, Take a Chance, and Next.  Judge Unger put so much effort into their musicianship, songwriting, and promotion, that it’s a bit odd that they haven’t become a household name yet.  All I can say is…now you know!  No more excuses.

Judge Unger, the band, not the judge, have been tearing up the stage for two years now.  If you haven’t caught them yet, then Judge Unger, the judge, not the band, should be sentencing you to some serious community service.  A great way for you to make amends would be to catch Judge Unger at the Musicians for Recovery benefit show on May 31^st  at the Fairfield Center for Creative Arts.  This way you can support the band and the community at the same time.  Check out the band’s website for more details.