The Abridged version:
Some Sacramento-area bands have been playing together for decades.
Many local acts cite the city as a fertile ground for artists and musicians.
A handful of local acts, including long-running punk band 7 Seconds, have turned local beginnings into international notoriety.
This story was reported by a member of the Abridged by PBS KVIE Community Reporters program. The Community Reporters program empowers local residents to report stories with guidance and support from the Abridged editorial staff.
On a recent Saturday night, a house party unfolded in a muddy Midtown backyard with a DJ spinning reggae for folks in folding chairs. Longtime local act Sacto Storytellers would be rehearsing soon, still playing after a quarter century.
Peter Harding, a loyal Sacto Storytellers fan, leaned back while sipping a beer and soaking in the scene. He came for another dose of the band’s fluid blend of styles, which fuses upbeat ska and slower, bass-driven rocksteady rhythms.
“It’s a real ‘one love’ vibe that keeps people coming back,” he said.
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Sacto Storytellers. (Courtesy of Sacto Storytellers)
Sacto Storytellers drummer Matt Rodriguez credits the band’s consistency on the scene and longtime friends for fueling the band’s longevity. As the rehearsal kicked in, he also mentioned the group’s conviction as a source of strength. It’s a similar story for other local bands that find Sacramento especially fertile for those that stick around.
The following day, in South Sacramento, the Latin/alternative band Sol Peligro filmed a video for a new song, “Yada Yada.” Frontman Sam Miranda said the band’s enduring following has kept it inspired and going strong for more than 20 years. Staying relevant is another ingredient in the band’s longevity, he said.
Sam Miranda and Sol Peligro shoot a video for their new song “Yada Yada” at Two Rivers Cider Co. on March 1, 2026. (James Smith)
Todd Perez, Sol Peligro’s longtime guitarist, offered this advice to new bands that want to go the distance: “Be open-minded enough to accept the ideas of your bandmates. It’s almost like it’s more important to get along than to make perfect music.”
What are the other secrets to longevity? Enduring line-up changes, the grind of gigs, plus the ups and downs of the local music scene will test any band.
Here’s what other longtime musicians shared about their keys to keeping it going:
Fueled by hugs and community
For more than 20 years, the quirky alternative folk band Be Brave Bold Robot has woven itself indelibly into the Sacramento music scene. Frontman/vocalist Dean Haakenson agrees that it’s a loyal Sacramento following that fuels the band’s sense of purpose. He also says he “likes the hugs.”
Haakenson, a tall, bearded figure, is known for his nimble acoustic guitar work and wailing, soul-bearing voice and lyrics.
Be Brave Bold Robot plays at Porchfest in Sacramento on Sept. 20, 2025. (James Smith)
“Our gigs are lovefests,” said Haakenson in his West Sacramento home, surrounded by original Kyle Larson paintings that became BBBR’s album covers. “We’re mostly word of mouth. Friends, friends-of-friends.”
Whether at Porchfest, an annual neighborhood gig in Boulevard Park, or playing at BrewFest at The Crocker, the band’s longevity is largely driven by a steady gig schedule and Haakenson’s persona. He adds that his mission is to connect and warm to his audiences, another factor in the band’s longevity with Sacramento clubs, he said.
The band’s long success is due not only to fans counting on its consistent performances over the years, Dean said, but by the desire to just to make music.
“It’s a compulsion,” Haakenson said. “An instinctual drive.”
Going the long haul in punk and jazz
Back in 1980, as the Ramones and The Clash led the punk rock charge, a 14-year-old Reno high school kid named Kevin Marvelli picked up a guitar and had an idea. He and his brother Steve decided to form a band, 7 Seconds, while reinventing himself as Kevin Seconds. Now in his 60s, Kevin and the band haven’t slowed down.
Kevin Seconds. (Courtesy of Kevin McCraken).
For more than 35 years, Sacramento has been 7 Seconds’ home, from playing such long-gone local punk clubs as Club Minimal to today’s venues, like Harlow’s. In more recent times, 7 Seconds has toured Europe and South America, and the band played its first show in Mexico City in 2024. But the 916 remains its home base when not on the road.
“Sacramento, it’s just home. I love it,” Seconds said recently over coffee. “(We) never really stopped playing, we toured constantly.”
A renewed interest in punk gave the band a shot in the arm, he added. “When punk rock became a mainstream thing in the mid-‘90s, a lot of younger people started sort of sniffing around for some of the bands that might have been influential. We sort of benefited from that.”
His advice to newer musicians who want to last?
“Play with people that you love,” he said. “But don’t play with people you love…They’re often your worst employees. You can’t fire them.”
While some have survived in Sacramento by playing every gig they can get, the Vivian Lee Quartet has made it for 33 years by “being a bit scarce,” says band leader Vivian Lee.
Vivian Lee at Old Soul Coffee in Sacramento on March 5, 2026. (James Smith)
Lee, 71, is known for her impeccable pacing and elegant delivery of jazz standards from Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan and other legends. But Lee ultimately learned that to survive in Sacramento, she had to cut back on performing. Her audiences were tapering off and she wondered why.
“I had to learn the hard way,” she said, “I was taking gigs at every little restaurant that had jazz.”
A band member revealed a truth to her: “You’re out there too much, Vivian. Let them miss you.”
So, Lee and her quartet proceed thoughtfully with their show schedule. Her quartet plays The Side Door about twice a year and the Sophia once a year. The group has upcoming shows at the Side Door on April 18 and The Crocker Museum on May 28.
And as the years go on, Sacramento remains a place where people plant their roots and build community with fellow musicians and fans. It’s where longstanding relationships are formed and musicians build their legacies over the decades. Sacramento is simply their place to be.
“The city and the amazing people here have influenced every facet of what I do creatively,” Seconds told Abridged in January. “I cannot imagine how different my music and art would be had I moved somewhere else. I just love the place to death.”
James Smith is a member of the Abridged Community Reporters program.