Arts & Culture

In the dramatic twist of Randall Miller’s upcoming film Bottle Shock, an intern and the heir to Calistoga’s Chateau Montelena winery make a shocking discovery about a batch of Montelena Chardonnay. The pair, played by Rachael Taylor (Transformers) and Chris Pine (Just My Luck, Smokin’ Aces), head east for some expert advice – at UC Davis.

This weekend, the True Love Coffeehouse in Sacramento will host the first In The Flow music festival, a weekend of modern and improvisational jazz, rock, blues and more. Performances will be held on two outdoor stages throughout the event. More than 15 groups are scheduled to perform, including local and regional musicians of varied styles of music and improvisation.

As long as you don‘t expect Daft Punk,you shouldn‘t be too disappointed.The third album from electro duoRatatatisn‘t as rousing and danceable as one would hope and is generally reminiscent of car commercial background music.That being said,LP3andits exotic,fluttery beats are hard to dislike.

Upstairs in the Pence Gallery,tranquility kisses the walls but as you move downstairs,the mood drifts like leaves.One floor down,loud colors and a beautiful woman dressed in hautecouture fill the lower showroom.

Despite what some believe, karaoke is fit for more than the bar townies or “American Idol” wannabes. According to Raina Lee, UC Davis alumna and author of the newly released Hit Me With Your Best Shot: The Ultimate Guide to Karaoke Domination, karaoke is fun for everyone.

Editor’s picks: All My Pretty Ones, The Beat Nun, Ellie Fortune Sunday, 8 p.m., $3-5 Primary Concepts at 219 E St. Del Castillo Monday, 7:30 p.m., free The Quad

If Green Daywerecool,they’d be The Fratellis.There’s only so far you can go with power chord anthems without sounding like you’re kicking a dead horse. There’s also a certain fullness required to elevate a band’s sound to a higher level,no matter how small a band’s numbers or simple their instrumentation.Social Distortion was never able to get this right,and the White Stripes got off the train a while ago.

Before longtimeart gallery owner Barry Smithopened the new Sacramento Art Complexbetween K and21st streets inSacramento,he looked up the noun “complex” in a dictionary. “It’s an interrelated but separate[group] of intellectually creative entities,” said Smith,who has been an art dealer for25years. “I loved it,so I thought, ‘Hey,what if I had a gaggle of artists around me as this synergetic entity?'”

When Kenyan-born Victor Sila first came toAmerica15years ago,he wanted to be a Michael Jackson orBabyface-style R&B singer.However,he was rejected by every label he approached. “It felt inauthentic,especially with my heavy accent,” Sila said. “I was trying to be westernized,trying to do what I thought was the cool thing to do,but I was miserable and everyone else who heard me could feel it.“

The eighth studio release from the 38-year-old legend is as much a Beck album as any of its predecessors, meaning that you can’t really expect anything in particular. In this case, producer DJ Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton’s funky, electronic beats contrast with Beck’s grave lyrics and themes, creating a dichotomy that is simultaneously danceable and somberly beautiful.

Christopher Nolan gave new life to the Caped Crusader franchise with his 2005 adaptation Batman Begins. His second film about the comic book icon smashes all expectations of the much-hyped The Dark Knight. Serving endless climatic scenes and twisting the imagination with his unsettling use of darkness in the film, Nolan reminds the audience about the stuff heroes are made of.

Editor‘spicks: The Dark Knight OpensFriday at RegalDavisHoliday6onF Street The Zim-Zims,Joe Finkel,Mistlefinger Saturday,8:30p.m.,$3 Delta of Venus