THE FRESNAN

Downloaded: Tokyo Death March

Dudes we totally have some really good instrumental bands in town. Racelegs being one and another being Tokyo Death March. Recently TDM released some demos for fans (Yo!) to download and we thought we'd pass a couple along for you so you can Fresno-fy your iPod (actually they're from Reedley but whatever).

Download or play: chupacabra.mp3
Download or play: Pamparamp.mp3

We highly recommend seeing them live as it heightens the Tokyo Death March listening experience greatly. You can catch them tonight at a house party (if you think you look young enough to get away with walking into a house party):

Or if the possibility of a being pulled into a kegstand competition scares you, wait until January 12th when they play Starline with new local band Otis (formally Murdoc). For now, let's just watch some TDM... at a house party, actually:

Win Tickets To An Advance Screening Of: YOUTH IN REVOLT

IN THEATERS JANUARY 8

Again we've got some payback for wading through this blog with a chance to win a pair of tickets, this time to an early screening of YOUTH IN REVOLT (Rated R). The screening is Monday, January 4th at 7:30pm at Regal Manchester 16.

Winning tickets this time out doesn't require commenting. You go to www.gofobo.com and (after quickly registering) enter the extra super special Fresnan RSVP code FRESD09A in the screening section. Then some computer magic happens and you find out if you won and get to print your tixs right then and there (you're a Fresnan reader, totally savvy enough to figure it out).

Let's scope the trailer and synopsis, cause it'll be awesome:

Starline Tonight: Aesop Fables, Iceman and Some Dude Called 'The Grouch',

We have to admit we're out of our normal posting-about-Indie-Tuesday-at-Starline element, what with this Grouch show tonight. So we will direct you towards the more knowledgeable Mike Oz who has a great article about Fresnan, Aesop Fables, who is a big part of tonight's show, so that's awesome.

Hey, Facebook is fired up about the event, what more do we need to know!?

World Class Fresnans: Teresa Flores

Teresa Flores is a Fresno artist and filmmaker and, we think, some kinda hotshot at Fresno Filmworks. We recently found a short she did a while back called "Joy". It's about a young girl talking about the shootings that happen in her neighborhood... and chalking her complex's sidewalks:

Teresa is also involved in social justice type issues around Fresno and is helping organize this event in January that's creatively raising awareness about Fresno homeless:

Teresa Flores: Just another Fresnan being world class.

Monday Morning Hangover: Fresno Music Is Damn Fun

Saturday's show at Audie's Olympic was just plain cool. When you get to see a reunion of an awesome Fresno band like Pinkeye (complete with Airborne Toxic Event drummer Daren Taylor), you can't lose:

More video (but with less quality) from Saturday's show is after the jump:

Fresno: Home of the Bloggiest Moment Of The Week

Fresnans. We love to hear our name mentioned. Doesn't matter if it's negative or not, it gives us a woody every time. Unfortunately, it's usually negative.

Take the USA Today article on Monday. It was a write up on Fresno creating its own brand and how we're marketing ourselves to Fresnans and the world. Cool, this sounds like we finally got a positive piece about us.

Nope.

The writer [Valerie "Fresno Hater" Gibbons] manages to keep it negative, depicting Fresno as hell on earth and ignoring our positive qualities. Shit.

Well dammit if that doesn't create a bloggy storm of posts from Donald Munro to this guy and Barry Falke and James Collier and so on. Then us Fresnans started getting a sense of humor about the whole branding thing (kinda like we and still do about being ranked #55, making us the dumbest city) and started making our own brand tags.

Our choices:

"Fresno: Your Dad Got Laid Here Once"
"Fresno: We Eat Corndogs And Jump Off Shit"
"Fresno: California's Creepy Uncle"

Other folks were coming up with better ones on Twitter all week but we just can't take the time to find them right now. Leave them in the comments if ya got one, we love hearing them.

*Photo stolen from JillStanek.com

Bandgeek: Post Christmas Music For Fresnans

So obviously this weekend will be on the light side for bands. But, with the holidays comes the natives rolling back into town, which can sometimes produce reunion shows and Saturday has a good one. So, if you've still got family in town and you want to get their ass out of the house, why the hell not see a band? We humbly suggest you try this stuff:

FRIDAY

YOUR MOM'S: Uncle Bob, again, trying to play some lame Christmas song after the family dinner. "Hey! Uncle Bob! You can't fucking play guitar OR sing. Stop ruining Christmas!"

SATURDAY

CHINATOWN YOUTH CENTER: It's gonna be totally hardcore at the CYC with Albuquerque band Dead Hours and San Fran's Until Your Heart Stops. [Doors: 5:30 Cost: $?]

STARLINE: Fresno welcomes back the entertaining asses of the Argyle Pimps, with Fresnan favs and leaders of the 'punk brown' sound: Beandip. And rounding things is Robopop. [Doors: 9 Cost: $6]

AUDIE'S OLYMPIC: Ohhh man, this is going to be cool: Pinkeye is playing. Yes! A Fresno band we really liked but never got to see live and they're reuniting for this show. Same could be said of Sparklejet. They rarely play (if at all) anymore and they will be there. Plus, new Fresno supergroup The Quiet Americans and as added bonuses, Gypsy Cab and Wheels Of Fortune. [Time: 9 Cost: $5]

SUNDAY

Alright, that's what we found. If you've got something for us we missed or want to talk about or review something listed, please be awesome and leave a comment. Or, for drawing our attention to future shows, email: mike@thefresnan.com

Enjoy Fresno this weekend!

What You Missed Last Night: Patrick Contreras Band Helping Homeless

It just took a day (an hour really) to put together but the result was about $5,450 in cash and two big ass loads of clothes and toys for Fresno's homeless kids. Pretty impressive showing for the friends of Patrick Contreras.

A "Purple Hazzy" PCB video highlight:

A later jam session with Rob "The Voice" singing and Brian Kenny Fresno playing Patrick's Violin:

Fresno Heads Up: Patrick Contreras Playing For The Kids Tonight At Audie's Olympic

This year, Patrick Contreras has done it all. Played everywhere there is to play a dozen times. If you haven't seen him and his violin at some point then you haven't been out enough. Patrick has done so much, we think it's safe to say he's Fresno's Musician Of The Year (but, there is that Fashawn kid though...hmmm).

Well tonight he's adding to his 2009 resume by putting together a benefit show for homeless kids in Fresno and it's happening at Audie's Olympic. Patrick (like the Hive said) read this story in the Bee and had the idea for the show. About an hour later, the event was pretty well set. That's how you do in Fresno.

It's going to be a big jam session of local musicians, Patrick knows a lot so who knows who will show. All they're asking is that you bring down some clothes, toys, blankets, flashlights and/or some good old fashioned cash, to help the cause. If ya don't feel all beer and music-y, just stop by and drop something off because you're awesome.

Sounds pretty Christmas Spirit-y to us. Hope to see ya out there.

Focused On Fresno: 'You'll Love It At LeVitz' edition

We know it's old news about the the Levitz being closed, but the other day we spotted Fresno Neon Sign Co' up on the gigantor sign, removing the neon. Dare we say the biggest sign, neon or not, in Fresno? It's been there forever, we know that much. At night you could spot that thing while waiting at the light at Van Ness Extension.

We'll miss that Highway City beacon... gezz, this post is starting to sound like it belongs in the famous Lost Fresno thread.

Indie Tuesday: Heavy Young Heathens, Blacq Shampoo, Audrey Road

Do you remember the band Fig? The Spies, maybe? These are both Fresno bands the current members of Heavy Young Heathens used to be in (pretty sure). Well, they are hotshot LA people now and are giving us a holiday treat by coming back (again) to play the Starline tonight with a new Fresno group, Blacq Shampoo, along with Audrey Road.

Fresno Haters Are Just A Bunch Of Idiots And Racists

We've grown very weary of battling Fresno Haters through the bloggy years. We remember some titanic ones on Fresno Famous - sadly we can't find them anymore to link to.

So, we were feeling like not bothering posting about the poorly written USA Today article. But did you read the comments from the online version? Holy shit, there are some racist mother fuckers around.... and Republican Bashers, Christian Haters, People That Don't Trust Branding, Arm... Pit... Not Likers?

And here we thought all the Mexican haters had all moved to Boise and Portland at this point.

You know who doesn't hate Fresno or Mexicans (probably)? Lars from Metallica. It's kinda random, we know, but just check this out for the first few minutes:

We say, write all the negative articles you want. Call us any body part that comes to mind (We say Fresno is the "Gut of California" - think about it). Don't care. That's because we know how awesome it is, flaws and all, and no weakass reporter or Jay Leno joke is ever going to change our opinion on that.