THE FRESNAN

Bullard Victory A Victory For All Of Fresno Unified

On Friday night, the Bullard High Football team kicked Clovis West's ass. In the process becoming the lone remaining Fresno area team still playing (and still undefeated).

This is a cool thing, but not for obvious reasons like a great year for the players and coach Arax. It's a cool thing because Bullard and the Fresno Unified needed this.

Needed to show all those Bullard, and other Fresno Unified refuges, that maybe they made a mistake. Made a mistake in selling out and moving north to Clovis Unified (Clovis West especially). A mistake abandoning Bullard and Fresno Unified in favor of perceived better football programs and schools.

Much repsect to those parents that stuck with Bullard when they could have taken the easy way out by heading to The NE.

Super Badass Thanksgiving Concerts were exactly that

Gotta hand it to Malcolm Sosa for putting together a killer three day music event. The shows took advantage of folks being in town for the holidays needin' something cool to do at night, and they delivered.

Wednesday night, alright, well, that one we missed. But we were able to catch Friday and Saturday night and fair warning, the quality of audio and video we took is not good and sometimes all sideways-y and terrible. But you've come to expect that here.

Friday was a surprisingly interesting local country band called Badlands - they held up well despite all the indie-ness in Tokyo. Next was the debut of the Quiet Americans. We have some audio of that here and some video of that down there:

Then of course, Rademacher played well as always, which you can check for yourself along with plenty more from the shows after the jump:

Bloggiest Moment Of The Week: A Record Posting Holiday

While you were getting drunk enjoying Thanksgiving with family and friends, not giving Fresno's blogosphere a second thought (like any sane person), the Beehive's H-Mac was busy posting videos for those that had nothin' else to do on the holiday than refresh the Beehive. How nice.

Purposely or not, McLane tied the record for Most Blog Posts By A Fresno Blogger In One Day by posting eight times. She now shares the record with... herself.

That certainly deserves a WTF Moment Of The Day and a Bloggiest Moment Of The Week nod, all at once.

FresGeek Weekend: Buzzbombs, Woodcocks, Quiet Americans and Blake Joneses

On the surface, it's a light holiday weekend for local music, sure. But that can't take away from the strong shows that are happening. 

FRIDAY

TOKYO GARDEN: It's day two of the three day music weekend for Tokyo, tonight has a debut of a new Fresno band: The Quiet Americans - yet another band for local drummer Ely Reyes', who is also in the Fay Wrays and Rademacher. And Rademacher is also playing tonight along with Badlands. [Time: 9:30 Cost: $5]  

AUDIE'S OLYMPIC: Crazy little mix of bands here with the funk/rock/hiphop/latin-y style of 40 Watt Hype and Buzzbomb with the rock of Waffle (we only assume Waffle is rock, we actually have no idea). [Time: 9:30 Cost: $8]

SATURDAY

AUDIE'S OLYMPIC: Lighting Woodcock. Fun to say. And he's one popular dude down at Audie's , which is why he's returning. Also playing is tribute band Turbonerga and the debut of Handlebarz. [Time: 9 Cost:$7].

TOKYO GARDEN: Damn if this isn't one hell of a lienup, check this shiz out: Blake Jones, It'll Grow Back, Racelegs, Trumpet Solo and Wheels Of Fortune. [Time: 9 Cost: $5]

CROSSROADS: It's all about rock and metal with Flaw, Six Ounce Gloves, Grooveyard and more. [Doors: 8 Cost:$12]

BABYLON: Local promoter Art Silva is having a birthday bash with an incredibley large lineup with bands like Synerza and Midnight Scene, check the lineup here. [Doors: 4:30 Cost: $10]

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY IN SANGER

Alright, so that's some highlights. 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 email us: mike@thefresnan.com

Enjoy Fresno this weekend!

Fresno Monsters Battle Idaho All Weekend Long

Show Fresno Natives A Good Time This Weekend!

Heyyyy, happy Thanksgiving and junk, Fresnan reader. And we owe you a big thanks for reading this badly proofread slop all year. We still consider this cityblog to be in "beta mode", thereby giving us an excuse to suck. Thanks for sticking around, one day maybe we'll spring for a logo or some shit.

Hope you have fun with the returning Fresno natives this weekend, whether that's hanging out at Livingstones, Silver Dollar (where they serve Thanksgiving dinner all year long), Audie's (that's Club Fred to you returning Fresnans), Elbow Room, Landmark or all of the above.

We'll be back by Friday morning to give you some ideas on where to bring your returning Fresnans in case you haven't figured it out already. Early heads-up: Monster hockey at Selland and local music at Tokyo Garden will be your best best.

Major respect to all you Fresnans that work in retail, we know how suckass-y Friday will be and how tough you grocery folk have had it the past few days.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, FRESNANS! 

Tonight Kicks Off A Special Music Weekend @ Tokyo Garden

Like Ed said, it's going to be an awesome weekend of music for Tokyo Garden and it starts tonight with Primer Skyline, Circles & Circles and Abigail Nolte. [Time: 9:30 Cost: $5]

No flier but how 'bout some live Circles to warm you up:

*Ed has the full weekend lineup and related podcast so check them out, we'll have more about Friday and Saturday's show in Friday Morning's Fresgeek post.

The Evening Post: Mountain Lion In NE Fresno...maybe

Woodward Park had a possible mountain lion sighting today. Kinda cool actually, knowing that kind of wildlife is roaming the SJ riverbed, right below us (yes yes, as long as it doesn't ATTACK, we know, jezzz). It does make you think twice about going down the SJ river-trail though. 

So what could Fresno do to make people feel safe from mountain lions roaming our trails? Hire something to patrol Woodward Park that would scare away a mountain lion, that's what.

But who would that be?: Pat Hill's Fu Manchu. 

And we think the confrontation would go a little something like this:

Indie Tuesday: Buffalo Guns, Ghostly Nature, Greener By Color, Dear Indugu

*Sorry for the plain post, are computers have the Miss Piggy Flu
and this is all we could muster.

Wooo Hooo, Party! Yeahhhh! Fresno Goes Late Night

Fresno bars and clubs now have the opportunity to stay open later, even until four in the morning if they're downtown. Problem with that one is, there are only a couple places downtown that could take advantage of that.

*Video stolen from Christine Park of Channel 30.

We're Coming For You, Portland: Fresno A Little More Bike Friendly

Fresno did a cool little thing recently and turned Fruit (from Dakota to Clinton) from a four lane to a two lane, turning the center into a turn lane and creating an uninterrupted bike lane.

It's nice, gives the street a more chill, neighborhood feel and gives bikers an alternative to going down a dicey Palm Avenue. More importantly, it gets us one step closer to being as biker awesome as those uppity Portland fools.

Bloggiest Moment Of The Week: Fresno Magazine Disappoints The Blogosphere... Again

Year in and year out, Fresno Magazine puts out their Best Of Fresno issue and we all look at it and say "What the fuck!?" That's basically what happened after Mike Oz posted this year's list, firestarting a giant comment thread. Hey, there was even a TVLGFH,F episode about it.

What's weird is how much attention we give Fresno Mag's best of list. We all know its content is advertiser driven. We all know it's North Fresno heavy. But yet, every year, we seem surprised that their list is caddywompus. Maybe it's because we want Fresno magazine to be good. We know it can be good (and it does have a moment or two), but it always falls short.

At least we've arrived at the time of year we can place our votes for the Fresno Bee's Choice Awards. It's going on now, click here if you want to cast some votes for your favorite Fresno things - voting ends December 6th. 

FresGeek Weekend: Saturday Will Be Awesome But Don't Count Out Friday

Simply another awesome Fresno weekend is lining up with an insanely active Saturday night. So let's get to it. What are bands doing in Fresno this weekend and where are they doing it at? Fresnans. Let's Fresgeeeek!

FRIDAY

ECHO STREET: Occasionally this coffee shop, across from Fresno High, will have some cool music happening. Tonight is one of those occasions with Brother Luke and the Comrades, Sing The Body and Jonah and the Whale. [Start: 7 Cost: None]

STARLINE: What the hell is 'crunkcore' and where the hell would someone go to hear this crunk coring? That would be the Starline tonight with touring bigshots Brokencyde playing. Find out all about their mockerying of the music world by reading Mike Oz' interview with them. [Doors: 6 Cost: $15]

AUDIE'S OLYMPIC: AC Miles, he of the blues rock family, will be battling his guitar for your amusement. [Time:9:30 Cost:$5]

KUPPAJOES: Fresno favorites, Picture Atlantic, return to the 'no and plays all ages style with PK, Vogue In The Movent, Some Kind Of Wonderful and Jeffery Conway. [Doors: 7:30 Cost: $8] 

CYC: They're hardcore punkers, they're from Maine and they're on a big national tour... their name is Outbreak and they have Soul Control along with them. Plus more hardcoreness. [Doors: 5:30 cost: $11]

SATURDAY

>>>The Ryan Mathews-less bulldogs will be at Bulldog Stadium and will be sharing the Fresno State campus with KISS at the Save Mart Center as Fresno's own Shiver Fox opens up.>>>The Chop Tops and Motel Drive are playing Audie's.>>>God's Of Thunder are doing a tribute to KISS at The Crossroads.>>>Hudson Criminal, Wolves and Thieves and Not 4 Hire at CYC.>>>Midnight Run will be taking a Journey at the Tower Theatre.>>>Patrick Contreras is at the Starline for a mere five bucks [Patrick briefly talks to us about it here].

 

>>>The Dirty Sanchez at Babylon:

 

>>>And lastly, another Black Light Poets night of "Sessions" at Revue Cafe:

What You Missed Last Night: The Muralathon Preview

Awesome night Thursday at Audie's (even if the audio for the mural documentary wouldn't work). We took some video that you'll hopefully enjoy. First up is Rademacher:

Now some It'll Grow Back:

More video will be up on our YouTube channel later today with some Trumpet Solo and Wheels Of Fortune. Unfortunately we missed Patrick Contreras and Yesterday's Chonie's but we'll catch them again when we need less sleep.

Who Needs ArtHop To Have An Awesome Thursday Night?!

There's too many things going on tonight, have fun deciding which one to hit up:

Trumpet Solo: Metal. Yesterday's Chonies: Sweet. It'll Grow Back: Punktastic. Wheels Of Fortune: Indie good. Then you add a preview of the Mural Documentary (find out more by listening to Flowing With Famous), Azazel, DJ I Forgot, local artists and local music lovers mixing it up at Audie's Olympic and you've got a full fledged Fresnan party!

In case that's not enough awesome for you, starting a little earlier is the Inner Ear Poetry Jam at Full Circle with our Bako blogging friend and recent interviewee, Nick Belardes:

Rounding out the packed night is Mr-Opening-For-KISS-with-Shiver-Fox-Saturday, Trey Tosh, at The Standard. Merlinda Espinosa is singing and playing at the Starline Grill. And Down Word is playing at The Babylon.

A good night to get a head start on your Fresgeeky weekend.