Photos: Golden 1 Center Open House at King’s Arena and then Mavis Staples

Sacramento Realtor Elizabeth Weintraub at Golden 1 Center’s Member Open House

When I put on my hoodie shirt yesterday morning to wear to the Golden 1 Center member open house, I noticed moths had chewed several holes near the hem of my frock. No wonder! I thought this was cotton. The garment is made from merino wool. Although I have moth deterrents in my closet, I have not worn wool since last winter.

Summer is over. Temperatures dropped in Sacramento on October 1. The 60’s. Brrr. Still, the holes were not bad enough to warrant changing clothes. I tend to picture defects in my clothing like it just happened, because that makes it OK. It’s an accident. Yeah, there I was walking around a corner when my some doofus flicked a cigarette ash my direction. Instant hole. Would I run home and change? No, I’d keep walking. Perception is everything. Except when it comes to Donald Trump. It’s very clear he is a fascist, narcissist, racist idiot who can’t string two words together without sounding like a clown.

Beautiful architecture 7th Street side of Golden 1 Center.

The exterior architecture is simply amazing to see in person. The walls open up, although I don’t know if they will open for the Paul McCartney concert on Tuesday, where we will be. I wanted to see the $557 million Golden 1 Center during the members only open house on Saturday because, by Tuesday night, we’ll be consumed with finding our seats and figuring out how to use the Sacramento Kings app to order drinks delivered to our seats.

Jeff Koons Coloring Book at Golden 1 Center Sacramento.

After reading so much about the Piglet, I had pictured the $8 million sculpture somewhat wider, rounder and not quite so thin and mirror-ey. You can see reflections of people, but it’s not quite as interesting as, say, The Bean in Chicago. In fact, I can see the attraction to world-class art, but not really this particular piece. What does it stand for? What does it mean to Sacramento?

Jeff Koons Poodle Dog at Berardo Collection Museum in Lisbon, Portugal

On the other hand, here is another piece of art from Jeff Koons, which my husband and I discovered last month during our trip to Portugal. I’m not suggesting a poodle sculpture for the Golden 1 Center, but there is a big difference between this 1991 polychromed wood piece at the Berardo Museum and what’s proclaiming itself as Sacramento art at the Golden 1 Center.

Upper level of Golden 1 Center

From the upper level, you can easily see the suite level above the white Kings banner around the arena. Suite owners also get access to premium lounges, which is how I thought the whole arena would look. I don’t know where I got that impression. Probably from glancing at early illustrations that showed only the nicest areas, showcasing romantic couples dressed in designer clothing.

Fan Cam at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento caught two embarrassed visitors.

Nope, this arena is all about the visitors who come to see the Sacramento Kings play. It’s not about the flicker of red Louboutin soles glimmering up the stairs, it’s about purple-clad fans cheering the home-town team and eating cheese hot dogs.

View from 5th Street side of Golden 1 Center interior.

One of the things that surprised me was the condition of the metal stairs in this section of the arena. You can see some of the finish has been worn away, and there are chips. The stairs seem like metal bleachers and clink from footsteps. Another drawback is the seats are like the hardest canvas you’ve ever touched, and then coated with an even harder plastic finish. You could probably drop an atomic bomb on those seats and they would remain intact.

Slamson the lion is Sacramento King’s mascot.

During the Golden 1 Center open house Saturday, there seemed to be a lot of action on the court. Some young kids were shooting baskets earlier, followed by a film crew. I guess there has to be some sort of entertainment for the guys stuffing their faces with cheese hot dogs, because those who came to the open house could also buy food at the restaurants. The largest by far seemed to be those cheese hot dogs. I heard there was sushi but did not spot any.

Sacramento artist Bryan Valenzuela designed Multitudes Converge, a river of glass balls in shades of blue.

Now this is a gorgeous piece of artwork, and it’s created by a Sacramento artist. As a major metropolitan city where two large rivers converge, it is appropriate to incorporate a river theme in a public building situated mere blocks from the water. This was a common sense decision. Is it a trade-off? I don’t think so.

Sellands Market at Golden 1 Center is an alternative to hot dogs with cheese.

Selland’s Market Cafe is promoting fire-roasted pizza, but I suspect it will offer other popular menu items as well. The line was too long for certain people. I can’t wait until Selland’s Market Cafe comes to 9th and Broadway in Land Park, so we can walk there for meals.

At first, Randall Selland had planned to build another Kitchen in that Land Park spot, and we were over-the-top excited about it. Wine flights, here we come. We can always crawl home, but sadly, no, those plans fell apart; however, the Selland’s Market Cafe will now offer free water and wifi. I wonder how long that will last before the abuse becomes unbearable?

Sacramento Kings’ dancers pose at Golden 1 Center Open House on October 1, 2016.

Check out those million-dollar smiles. Not a crows-feet worry among the gorgeous bunch. Don’t ask me who the guy is in the middle with the kid surrounded by Sacramento Kings’ dancers. Do I look like a reporter to you? Ha, ha. I am just a Sacramento Realtor wandering around the Golden 1 Center with her iPhone 7, a person who cannot pass up a good photo op.

Stairs to the lofts and elevator access to the suites was not allowed.

OK, this was a bit irritating. The Golden 1 Center did not allow any visitors at its open house to tour the suites or loft areas; nor did management provide access to the premier club lounges, either, which was my main reason to attend the open house. We tried the elevator, too, but they had an operator who would not stop between floors.

Living plants adorn the side of the Golden 1 Center

After not finding any sushi, nor any tandoori at Tandoori Place, we wandered outside to talk about where to go for lunch. This is where we encountered the salad bar above. Yum. I wondered if starving passersby will eat them.

The mediterranean buffet at Darna was closed on K Street as was Mother’s. That’s OK, we could drive to Ryujin Ramen at 19th and S Street, which is always incredible. They have a new noodle soup with crab and corn, which I spiced a little with a few dashes of ichimi togarashi that created a delectable hotness. I strongly recommend this soup.

Mavis Staples performed at the Harris Center in Folsom October 1, 2016.

The end of our Saturday, after all of that walking around at the Golden 1 Center, was capped by a wonderful performance by the one and only Mavis Staples in Folsom. She’s older than Bob Dylan, born in 1939 in Chicago. She brought up the Cubs, one of my Chicago-born husband’s favorite teams, mentioning they are enjoying a fabulous year.

My husband, who is usually quiet as a mouse, screamed out, “Don’t jinx it, Mavis. It’s been 108 years.” And Mavis, who seems to thrive on audience interaction, launched into a brief story of the Curse of the Billy Goat. She laughed and laughed. This woman is filled with energy and joy, and it’s infectious. Still doing what she loves and going strong.

She didn’t have an intermission, which is just fine with me. That’s one of the great things about going to watch older artists perform. They don’t make me stay up all night, and I can go home at a decent hour. I prefer an early bedtime these days.