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True BlueIf Sacramento is the River City, then Gregory Kondos has been its most faithful champion. Long celebrated for his local landscapes that employ virtually every shade of blue in the spectrum, the soon-to-be 90-year-old painter is about to get the birthday present of a lifetime—his first solo show at the Crocker in 20 years. Blue skies are here again. |
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Dancing KingHe was a principal dancer for the Boston Ballet, he choreographed the first American ballet in China, and he has performed with the legendary Rudolf Nureyev. On the verge of his 25th anniversary at the helm of the Sacramento Ballet, Ron Cunningham has his own Cinderella story to tell. |
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Foxy LadySacramento singer-songwriter Andy Allo may have gotten her start at an open mic night at Fox & Goose, but after a year touring the world with Prince, she has a new album (produced by Prince) and a solo tour on the way (on which Prince may join her). |
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The Naked EyePamela Anderson dropped her robe for him, Paul McCartney bought one of his pieces, and Claudia Schiffer tried to have his nude painting of her lounging on a hot dog destroyed. Oh, and one of America’s greatest artists says he’s better than Andy Warhol. |
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Bohemian RhapsodyHe’s the first person to rap extensively in the Punjabi language, he’s written songs for Bollywood films (one with Rob Lowe) and almost as many Facebook fans as Missy Elliott. How did an Elk Grove teenager grow up to become the King of Punjabi Rap? |
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The Future’s So BrightA local band goes country strong, landing on Country Music Television and opening for Willie Nelson and LeAnn Rimes. Now Attwater comes home for the holidays with a shiny new Christmas EP and takes Sacramento’s biggest stage |
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Where She Was FromOn the eve of her 77th birthday, Sacramento’s native daughter Joan Didion reflects on the untimely deaths of her husband and daughter, the difficulty of parenting, and why, as a teenager, she really wanted a job at the California State Fair. |
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Comic GeniusArtist Adrian Tomine, who first got hooked on comics while growing up in Sacramento, is now creating covers for The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine—and that’s in his spare time, when he’s not busy reinventing the American comic book |
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Brushes With FameArtist David Garibaldi has been wowing Sacramento crowds for years with his full-throttle live performances. But now this one-time graffiti-loving troublemaker is going global with the world’s largest entertainment company. Meet the man who’s putting the “dope” in Dopey. |
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All About RayCharles and Ray Eames were two of the 20th century’s greatest creative minds, but only recently has Ray received the public recognition she deserves. In celebration of what would’ve been the designer’s 100th birthday, The California Museum honors this Sacramento native with the first-ever museum exhibit that focuses on this remarkable woman and her extraordinary work. |
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The Music ManIn the ’80s, Charlie Peacock was jamming with Randy Jackson in midtown Sacramento and being asked to open for a then-fledgling U2 in Davis. These days, he’s collaborating with the American Idol judge on TV projects and having Bono over to his house for breakfast. This is the unlikely tale of a kid from Yuba City who moved to Nashville to become a Grammy-nominated producer and multiplatinum songwriter, and his journey back home to where he once belonged. |
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From Wags to RichesIt’s a pretty safe bet that Jim Czajkowski, aka James Rollins, is the only licensed veterinarian in El Dorado Hills whose books routinely land on The New York Times best-seller list. With his newest thriller out June 21, the multi-named author discusses his connection with Indiana Jones, Dan Brown and how, after eight novels, his biweekly writers’ group at Coco’s is still kicking his ass. |
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The Bantam MenaceA local fighter steps into the national spotlight in a “hit” reality series |
