{"id":216923,"date":"2026-03-12T20:15:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T20:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/216923\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T20:15:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T20:15:07","slug":"live-music-kid-friendly-art-and-theater-in-davis-and-sacramento","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/216923\/","title":{"rendered":"Live music, kid-friendly art and theater in Davis and Sacramento"},"content":{"rendered":"

The following is the March 12 edition of Cultural Capital, an arts and entertainment newsletter written by Abridged contributor Chris Macias. Want it sent directly to your inbox?\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Spring has sprung and the region\u2019s arts and entertainment offerings are definitely blooming this week. Read along for Cultural Capital\u2019s picks including classical music with a rockin\u2019 twist and Pulitzer Prize-winning theater, plus indie-rock and jazz. You\u2019ll also find a family-friendly art outing and more to keep you inspired.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s go! (Allergy medicine not included)<\/p>\n

Hear an orchestra with\u00a0a renegade twist<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Renegade Orchestra aims to make symphonic music relatable for modern listeners. (Frederic Aube)<\/p>\n

The details:<\/p>\n

Veterans Memorial Theatre, 277 E. 14th St., Davis<\/p>\n

7 p.m., March 14 (Saturday)<\/p>\n

$28.52<\/p>\n

To paraphrase Chuck Berry: Roll over Beethoven, tell Grace Slick and Carlos Santana the news! The Renegade Orchestra gives the usual symphonic experience a kick in the tuxedo pants with a repertoire that truly rocks. On Saturday at Veterans Memorial Theatre in Davis, the Renegade Orchestra will pay homage to \u201cThe Sounds of San Francisco\u201d<\/a> with pieces from Jefferson Airplane, Metallica and the Dead Kennedys punk classic \u201cHoliday in Cambodia\u201d among others.<\/p>\n

Cellist Rebecca Roudman says the ensemble\u2019s goal is to make symphonic music as relatable and fun as possible. It\u2019s also an opportunity for the musicians to let their hair down and simply rock out.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the audience, we know that classical symphonies often have a lot of barriers in the way of enjoying them,\u201d Roudman wrote in an email. \u201cThere\u2019s high ticket prices, a formal atmosphere and unfamiliar music. With the Renegade Orchestra, we toss that all aside so that the audience can have casual fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

The second half of the show features rock artists from beyond the Bay. In all, a night to throw horns while experiencing symphonic music in new ways.<\/p>\n

Catch must-see theater before the official opening<\/p>\n

The details:<\/p>\n

Capital Stage, 2215 J St., Sacramento<\/p>\n

7 p.m., March 18 (Wednesday, preview)<\/p>\n

$36-$41<\/p>\n

\u201cFat Ham\u201d<\/a> is one of the season\u2019s most anticipated theater productions, with the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Drama coming right to Capital Stage. It\u2019s a brilliant reimagining of Shakespeare\u2019s\u00a0\u201cHamlet,\u201d in this case set in a Southern backyard barbecue that\u2019s filled with tragi-comedy and complex family dramas. Be one of the first to catch \u201cFat Ham\u201d with a preview show on March 18. Otherwise, the official run kicks off March 21 and continues through April 19.<\/p>\n

Indie-rock \u2018til you drop<\/p>\n

The details:<\/p>\n

Musiclandria, 808 O St., Sacramento<\/p>\n

6:30-9 p.m., March 13 (Friday)<\/p>\n

$15.38<\/p>\n

For fans of ethereal alternative-rock, Musiclandria is the place to be Friday night for a fix of fuzzy, reverb-soaked sounds<\/a>. Sacramento\u2019s Ghostplay will perform as a duo for the first time, with a drum machine driving the band\u2019s dreamy and jangly sound. Fellow 916 musician John Conley, best known from indie-rockers Desario, will perform a solo set and transatlantic band The Lizard Point rounds out the bill. If you\u2019re a fan of Sonic Youth\u2019s \u201cDaydream Nation,\u201d don\u2019t sleep on this show.<\/p>\n

Spark up your afternoon with art<\/p>\n

The details:<\/p>\n

Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, 254 Old Davis Road, Davis<\/p>\n

1 p.m., March 14 (Saturday)<\/p>\n

Free<\/p>\n

If your Saturday afternoon isn\u2019t booked with youth baseball and softball games, take the family to UC Davis\u2019 Manetti Shrem Museum for its monthly \u201cArt Spark\u201d<\/a> event. It\u2019s a free program that\u2019s open to all ages and artistic abilities, with all supplies included. The March edition is titled \u201cSpinning Spiral Sculptures,\u201d where participants create a work in the spirit of \u201cSahar Khoury: Weights & Measures,\u201d<\/a> the museum\u2019s current solo exhibition. Take a walk afterward through the idyllic UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden<\/a>, then drop into downtown Davis for a bite and perfectly inspired afternoon.<\/p>\n

Jazz it up with Thai food<\/p>\n

The details:<\/p>\n

Twin Lotus Thai, 8345 Folsom Blvd., Suite 119, Sacramento<\/p>\n

5-7 p.m., March 14 (Saturday)<\/p>\n

Free with dinner reservation; tipping musicians is encouraged<\/p>\n

Full disclosure: Alison ApRoberts, keyboardist for The Templetons, was once my beloved newsroom neighbor at The Sacramento Bee. Still, I can objectively vouch for her musical skills and the jazzy fun of The Templetons. Look for a set on Saturday at Twin Lotus Thai<\/a> that includes Freddie Hubbard\u2019s \u201cRed Clay,\u201d Horace Silver\u2019s \u201cSong for My Father\u201d and a swingin\u2019 \u201cSatin Doll.\u201d Add a plate of pad Thai and spring rolls, and you\u2019ve got the recipe for a perfect date night.<\/p>\n

More events you won\u2019t want to miss<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s\u202fkeep it going with bonus picks for this week and beyond:\u00a0<\/p>\n

Before I go,<\/p>\n

Anyone looking to explore Woodland? Check my guide to a great day in \u201cThe Woo,\u201d<\/a> including food and drink options, activities and more in a city that teems with history, charm and so much good Mexican food.<\/p>\n

Also, you\u2019re invited to a reception from 5-7 p.m. tonight at the KVIE Gallery<\/a> for \u201cTropical Fantasy\u201d by Judy Knott. She won the still life award in the 2025 PBS KVIE Art Auction and her playful works will be on display through May 4. The PBS KVIE Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.<\/p>\n

Stay in touch at\u00a0christo916@gmail.com<\/a>\u00a0to recommend events and artists you\u2019d like to see in Cultural Capital. See you next week, achoo!<\/p>\n

Chris\u00a0Macias\u00a0is a regular contributor, writing\u00a0Cultural Capital\u00a0for Abridged.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The following is the March 12 edition of Cultural Capital, an arts and entertainment newsletter written by Abridged…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":216924,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[121,123,122],"class_list":["post-216923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sacramento","tag-sacramento","tag-sacramento-headlines","tag-sacramento-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216923","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=216923"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/216923\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/216924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=216923"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=216923"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=216923"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}