By Christopher Crone
September 6th was picture-perfect on the Sacramento River at Swabbies. Sunshine, a cool breeze, umbrella-shaded tables, and plates stacked high with good food—my pick this round being the Mahi-Mahi tacos—set the mood for a day packed with unforgettable performances.
Descartes a Kant (DAK) opened the afternoon in style, strutting out in shimmering pink and silver jumpsuits that instantly set a futuristic-retro vibe. Their sound was theatrical, unpredictable, and genre-defying—like a jukebox on warp speed—blending elements of pop, punk, cabaret, and art rock. One moment it was operatic drama, the next a jagged punk riff, then a burst of glitter-soaked disco. The band shaped the theme for the day: bold, offbeat, and irresistibly entertaining. They weren’t just an opener—they were the spark that lit the fuse.
Then came The Schizophonics, and they wasted no time cranking the energy into overdrive. Their set opened with a blistering cover of MC5’s “Black to Comm,” a fearless move that immediately pulled the audience into their whirlwind of garage-punk chaos.
From there, frontman Pat Beers was a human firecracker—channeling the wild charisma of David Lee Roth, the hip-shaking swagger of Elvis, and the boyish charm of Buddy Holly. At one point, he leapt straight into the crowd, disappeared for a beat, and then reappeared—rolling, writhing, and shredding his guitar like a man possessed.
His antics bordered on acrobatics, but the music never faltered thanks to the locked-in rhythm section: Lety Beers pounding the drums with unstoppable drive, and Sarah Linton holding the low end steady on bass. Every song felt like a live wire, snapping and sparking across the stage.
By the time they reached their finale, “Hoof It,” the crowd was already in a frenzy. But then they stitched in a fiery rendition of “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On,” turning the closer into a raucous, floor-shaking party that had the entire audience on its feet. It was the kind of ending that left everyone breathless, sweaty, and grinning from ear to ear—an exclamation mark on a set that was equal parts chaos and precision.
Finally, the day’s headliner, Mac Sabbath, took things to another level entirely. The anticipation hit a fever pitch as the “Employee of the Month” dragged out props to unveil the stage setup, setting the tone for the bizarre carnival about to unfold.
Ronald Osbourne, Slayer MacCheeze, Grimalice, and the Catburglar stormed into view, turning metal mayhem into fast-food parody like only they can. From Ronald blasting the crowd with oversized ketchup and mustard bottles to the absurdly brilliant swordfight with “The Grouper” (a twist on Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper”), the performance blurred the line between rock concert and late-night comedy sketch.
At one point, Ronald even crowd-surfed across the audience atop a giant inflatable hamburger, sending phones into the air as fans scrambled to capture the moment.
Musically, the band was no joke—the riffs were heavy, the grooves tight, and the parody lyrics only added to the fun. It was satire on steroids: lampooning metal legends while paying genuine tribute to them at the same time.
By the end, the audience had been drenched in spectacle—dazzled by costumes, whipped into a frenzy by riffs, and served up a Happy Meal of parody metal that no one will forget anytime soon.
Between the sunshine, the food, and a lineup this wild, Swabbies once again proved why it’s one of Sacramento’s best spots for live music—where unforgettable performances meet riverside magic.
Categories: Concert Photography, mac sabbath, Reviews
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