Friday at the Fungarden

I don’t get out to shows as much as I used to. Maybe I’m just getting old, but sometimes it can seem like a challenge to get excited about the prospect. I find myself asking myself, do I really want to slum through a collection of amateurish bands just to hear to some artist I somewhat like?

Honestly, the answer is usually yes. I don’t mind that at all. The real problem is finding a place that will host a steady stream of bands I can get behind.

Enter: Luigi’s Fungarden.

After the unceremonious departure of Fool’s Foundation, Sacramento seemed a little less exciting for me personally. The area lost a great venue for unheard music. Outside of the random house/basement show or a sojourn to the Bay Area, gone was that consistent fix for the immaculate amateurs, the wobble-voiced folk singers, the dirty garage punks, noise provocateurs and other assorted loonies.

So when the Fungarden sprouted up back in late July-August, I was instantly intrigued. The lineup of shows was diverse and tapped oddball locals as well as smaller touring independent artists without the draw to get booked at some of the larger venues in town. Throw in the fact that the Fungarden is tied to Luigi’s Slice, a fine proprietor of pizza pies and beer, and the place seemed too good to be true.

It took a couple false starts, but I made a visit in early August to see Oakland no-goodniks Nobunny and was thoroughly impressed. Not only was this place bringing intriguing artists to town (at a reasonable 5$ a show), but it was also a highly organized operation headed up by KDVS stalwart DJ Rick. There was a sound guy, lighting and even someone taking money at the door. While those things might sound like par for the course for a music venue, these are things one does not take for granted at the typical underground show.

As an added bonus, the venue welcomes that oft-ignored segment of the music loving audience, the underage crowd. The choice puts Fungarden in stark relief to most music joints, given Sacramento’s dearth of all-ages venues. A few pepper the suburbs, but most in the city proper disappear far too quick.

So on Friday, a couple children ran around between sets by locals San Kazakgascar and Portland-based Eternal Tapestry (pictured). Both bands dabbled in mutated forms of the stoned, psychedelic rock formula, doling out guitar harangues and heaviness without blinking an eye. Probably too loud of the little ones, but perfect for most of the audience, who bobbed in approval of both bands. Eternal Tapestry was especially impressive, ending their show with a full on freak-out, tossing implements off stage and breaking guitar strings left and right.

U.S. Girls, the evening’s headliner, was somewhat anti-climatic in comparison, or at least a 180 from the sweaty, masculine charge of her openers.

Though pluralized, U.S. Girls is just one gal, Meghan Remy. Remy's work takes off on a tangent from her work as drummer for defunct noise mavericks Hustler White. As a solo entity, she plumbs the vast gorge between the dreamy ambiance of Arthur Russell and the abrasive performance art of Diamanda Galas.

"Experimental" is the cliched tag bandied here, so, uh, naturally, she covers Kinks and Bruce Springsteen tunes. Indeed, it was her version of Springsteen’s “Prove It All Night” which first caught my ear and dragged it away, kicking and screaming.

In spite of her narcotic delivery, Remy was as loud as either of the bands that proceeded her. Yet the tunes lulled as much as they did irreparable damage to the hearing. She requested complete darkness on the stage, so by the light of a LED keychain, she turned out a seamless string of songs to a crowd of entranced and (a few) perplexed listeners. Yelps, found sounds and a steady wave of distortion.

Since it’s in the heart of midtown, Fungarden will hopefully avoid some of the issues that plagued similar venues. Zoning laws, fire code violations and noise complaints shouldn’t be an issue since the place is wedged between a couple of clubs and is housed by a reputable business.

And interest seems respectable: on Friday, the narrow room boasted at least a good 30 to 40 people at peak wandering in and out. That might not seem like much on a Friday night, take in consideration the brand of entertainment.

While I'd love to see this place packed, right now, the intimacy works fine for me. I'm not a fan of the big crowds. But then again, I'm getting old.

Luigi's Slice and Fungarden is located at 1050 20th Street, just off of J Street in the MARRS building.

U.S. Girls' Introducing on Siltbreeze records.