{"id":274078,"date":"2026-04-18T11:14:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T11:14:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/274078\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T11:14:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T11:14:18","slug":"things-to-do-around-sacramento-april-17-to-19-music-books-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/274078\/","title":{"rendered":"Things to do around Sacramento April 17 to 19: Music, books, more"},"content":{"rendered":"

The following is the April 16 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

\t\tSign Up for the Cultural Capital<\/p>\n

In your inbox every Thursday, Abridged’s entertainment newsletter from Chris Macias highlights things to do in the Sacramento region.<\/p>\n

Are you ready for the weekend?<\/p>\n

Anyone else counting down to May 1?\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0when this year\u2019s\u00a0Concerts in the Park<\/a> season launches at Downtown Plaza Park (formerly called Cesar Chavez Plaza) and runs through June 26. It\u2019s been a Sacramento tradition for more than 30 years, with free live music and a mighty beer garden to wind down the work week.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s plenty going on in the meantime.\u00a0This week, we\u2019ve got the\u00a0goods\u00a0on a charitable\u00a0music festival run by local high school students, a tribute to a jazz giant,\u00a0poetry, choral music, a kid-friendly rave and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s go!\u00a0<\/p>\n

A\u00a0festival that feeds your ears\u00a0and those in need\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"StudentsMembers of the Christian Brothers High School band prepare to rehearse. (Courtesy of Christian Brothers High School)<\/p>\n

The details:\u00a0<\/p>\n

Christian Brothers High School, 4315 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Sacramento\u00a0<\/p>\n

2 p.m. \u2013 5 p.m., April 18 (Saturday)\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pay what you can, $5suggested donation\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Feed the Beat festival<\/a> is more than an afternoon of music from Christian Brothers High School students and alumni. It\u2019s a lesson in philanthropy, collaboration and community care. Feed the Beat is organized entirely by students, from booking the food trucks and planning the musical program to lining up vendors and securing donations. All proceeds benefit\u00a0Meals on Wheels<\/a> in Sacramento.<\/p>\n

Christian Brothers\u00a0band\u00a0teacher\u00a0Ross Hammond\u00a0says the idea came from\u00a0Eddie Torres, a junior and bassist.\u00a0As the festival nears,\u00a0Hammond believes the student organizers are learning important life skills\u00a0about teamwork\u00a0and\u00a0serving the greater good.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cLearning though experience how to collaborate with one another and coordinate events on their own is invaluable,\u201d said Hammond in an email. \u201cThese are all great things to have in their toolbox as they navigate how to play music after high school.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The musicians are all connected to Christian Brothers, including the House Band that gigs around Sacramento along with the Honors Band and more student ensembles. Some acts feature alumni like Hammond (class of \u201995)\u00a0 with\u00a0the all-star local band\u00a0Senior Dog Appreciation Society<\/a>. Along the way, plan for a variety of musical styles including jazz, R&B,\u00a0rock\u00a0and funk to set the soundtrack. No Sousa marches or traditional concert band literature here.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI love seeing them figure out how to make opportunities for themselves,\u201d Hammond\u00a0said. \u201cHigh school students are\u00a0very busy\u00a0with a full set of classes, sports, clubs, etc. This kind of event is 100% on their own\u00a0time,\u00a0 which\u00a0is limited, and they figured it out.\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0really proud\u00a0of them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Honor a century of Coltrane<\/p>\n

The details:\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, 523 Mrak Hall Dr., Davis\u00a0<\/p>\n

7:30 p.m., April 16 (Thursday)\u00a0<\/p>\n

$45.50 \u2013 $100.50, discounts for UC Davis students\/staff\/faculty and children under 18\u00a0<\/p>\n

This upcoming Sept. 23 marks the 100th\u00a0birthday of John Coltrane, but the celebrations are already starting.\u00a0\u201cColtrane 100\u201d<\/a>\u00a0tonight\u00a0at UC\u00a0Davis\u2019\u00a0Mondavi Center pays homage to this modern jazz titan with a heavy hitting band that traverses Coltrane\u2019s deep repertoire. Saxophonists Joe Lovano and Melissa Aldana will breathe new life into Coltrane tunes along with pianist Nduduzo Makhathini, bassist Linda May Han Oh and the mighty Jeff \u201cTain\u201d Watts on drums.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So many choices of choral music\u00a0<\/p>\n

The details:\u00a0<\/p>\n

First United Methodist Church,\u00a02100 J St., Sacramento\u00a0<\/p>\n

8 p.m., April 17 (Friday); 2 p.m., April 19 (Sunday)\u00a0<\/p>\n

$25 in advance, $30 at door.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fans of choral music can\u00a0plan on\u00a0an action-packed weekend with a focus on requiems. On Friday and Sunday,\u00a0the\u00a0Samantics Choir<\/a>\u00a0will perform\u00a0\u201cIn Paradisium,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0written and conducted by Sam Schieber, of Sacramento. The work references such traditional requiems as \u201cAgnus Dei\u201d and \u201cKyrie\u201d with a few updated and irreverent touches.\u00a0<\/p>\n

To make your choral music weekend complete, the\u00a0Camelia Symphony performs the Mozart Requiem<\/a>\u00a0on Saturday at C.K. McClatchy High School. The performers are\u00a0comprised\u00a0of\u00a0the Sacramento City College choir and the Davis Chorale.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Spend a poetic day in Gold Country\u00a0<\/p>\n

The details:\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Center for the Arts, 314 W Main St., Grass Valley\u00a0<\/p>\n

9 a.m. \u2013 7 p.m., April 18 (Saturday)\u00a0<\/p>\n

$20-$45\u00a0<\/p>\n

April is National Poetry Month so head to the hills of Grass Valley for a full day of\u00a0literary\u00a0prose.\u00a0The Center for the Arts will host the 10th\u00a0annual\u00a0Sierra Poetry Festival<\/a>\u00a0that includes readings and workshops from the greater Sacramento region and far beyond.\u00a0Robert Haas, a Pulitzer Prize winner and former\u00a0Poet Laureate of the United States, will serve as a guest speaker.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dance at a rave for the (all) ages\u00a0<\/p>\n

Goldfield Trading Post, 238 Vernon St., Roseville\u00a0<\/p>\n

11 a.m. April 19 (Sunday)\u00a0<\/p>\n

$29.95\u00a0<\/p>\n

The family that raves together stays together.\u00a0Even if your days of dancing \u2018til dawn in a dusty warehouse are long gone, passing along the principles of PLUR (Peace Love Unity Respect)\u00a0are\u00a0always\u00a0good form.\u00a0Break out\u00a0those old Jenco jeans, load up on glowsticks and head the family\u00a0sedan\u00a0to Goldfield Trading Post for\u00a0\u201cGolden: A K-Pop Kids Party.\u201d<\/a>\u00a0The event\u2019s described as an \u201call-ages rave,\u201d but given the K-Pop theme plan on tracks from the likes of\u00a0Blackpink,\u00a0BTS,\u00a0Twice\u00a0and artists from the \u201cKPop\u00a0Demon Hunters\u201d soundtrack.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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

And the good times\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0stop.\u00a0Let\u2019s\u202fkeep\u00a0going with bonus picks for this weekend:\u00a0<\/p>\n

Before I go, <\/p>\n

Don\u2019t\u00a0mean to\u00a0vaguebook, but\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0looking forward to sharing news\u00a0soon\u00a0about a new way to discover events\u00a0via Abridged. As always, stay in touch\u00a0with\u00a0Cultural\u00a0Capital\u00a0at\u00a0christo916@gmail.com<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Chris Macias\u00a0is a regular contributor, writing\u00a0Cultural Capital\u00a0for Abridged.\u00a0<\/p>\n