THE FRESNAN

Bandgeek!: A Fresno New Year's Is About Music.... And Drinking... And Hooking Up... And Sometimes Fog

If you've been OD-ing on liking things this week, you probably need a beer. Several, in fact. And music. You need music. Live stuff. Bands. This post is here to help. Help you blow off 2010 and Walmart related things with bands and beer. Let's get to 2011 already. Let's BANDGEEEEEK!

FRIDAY

AUDIE'S OLYMPIC: Ending one year and begining a new one at Audie's feels right. Especially with 40 Watt Hype and the Viper City Brass Band:

STARLINE: Our most good buddy, Blake Jones (he of Trike Shop fame), also has a Beatles tribute band called The Beetles. They haven't played in a while but are coming back strong tonight as they will attempt to play 40+ Beatles songs. Blake says "...it's actually a perversion of the very last public Beatle gig - Summer '66 at Candlestick Park." Sounds like Ringo would approve. Info:

THE RANCH: The below 21 crowd deserves to celebrate the New Year too. Looks like Elmo Marconi is back - hell and yes. Bridges and Touch Football is there too. Plus there is an after-party.

BABYLON: Party big with Death Alley Motor Cult, Patrick Contreras, Keeney and much more:

North Fresno Having Stuff?: Shiver Fox, Robopop and Kristi Warner

Yesterday it was Eureka Burger and now Twist wants to be a music venue too? Alright, let's see how Pinedale handles Shiver Fox, Robopop and Kristi Warner:

 

Shiver!:

If Anyone Deserves Walmart's Money, It's Fresno

UPDATE: This thing has gotten pretty insane over the last couple days. It's passed the local viralness of the Google Fiber thing at this point. As of 12:37 Thursday morning, Fresno is in the lead over Salt Lake City by about 170,000. But they keep dogging us, plus their comment total is almost matching Fresno's. So keep at it and get commenting... and like-ing... and sharing.

SIDE NOTE: It's been pretty awesome to see Fresno's "small town" pride really pushing this thing and getting us to first (for the moment). And seeing Fresnans helping Bakersfield and Sacramento rise up in the ranks is pretty awesome too.

SIDE NOTE #2: Check out Paula Lloyd's Fresno Bee article in Thursday's edition about the latest (also look to the left of the article for more "liking" tips).

ORIGINAL POST (DEC 27TH):
Walmart is run by a bunch of bastards. Their *cough* alleged *cough* predatory pricing practices have probably put more small businesses out of business than any one thing in retail. Plus they smell. But if they're going to give out some of their dirty money to fight some hunger, we want that. Fresno needs that.

Unless you've been in a self-imposed local media/Facebook blackout, you know about the whole fighting hunger Walmart million bucks thing. Can't imagine there isn't somebody local on F-book that's not "liked" Fresno yet. But if you haven't...

Make sure you're logged into your Facebook. Then go here and "like" Fresno, make a comment, post on your wall annoying telling your friends so they can do the same (even the non-Fresnan ones). Maybe you'll pull us out of 2nd place, re-passing Salt Lake City.

Yeah, Walmart giving a million dollars out is equivalent to you giving a nickle to a Tower Rat. But it's something and would go a long way in Fresno. The "liking" finally ends on Friday.

Fresno Tonight!: Two Basketball Games You Won't Be At

Fresno State's men's team is opening the WAC schedule tonight against San Jose State. You don't care, do you? Not a lot of Fresnans do right now. The Fresno Bee's, Jeff Davis, lays out the reasons why.

What's really odd is how small the student section usually is. Odd because the students represent well at football games. Basketball... not so much.

Really Dogs, just start hitting some foul shots and we'll make it out.

Tonight is a double header with the so-far-disappointing Women's team tipping at 6 against USC. Men tip around 8.

Tonight @ Eureka Burger: King Sugar

Apparently North Fresno has a regular music venue going with several shows happening lately at Eureka Burger. Tonight it's local ska-pop-soul-reggae band, King Sugar:

Not sold on the burgers at Eureka... but the beer is good. Enjoy a taste of King Sugar before you head out:

Incoming! The Opening Of Fulton 55

It's still some time away (Janurary 28th and 29th), but the first shows have been announced for the new Downtown Fresno music venue: Fulton 55. It'll be a good weekend for local music fans with opening night having Patrick Contreras:

And then, the next night, another Local Legend: Let's Go Bowling (with King Sugar):

You can get pre-sale tickets plus a list of future shows at Fan Fueled.

New Venue. Two levels with bars on both. Local music. Touring music. Downtown. Fucking awesome.

Tonight @ CYC: Hardcore Arm Swinging Moshing

If you're totally experimental and looking for live music tonight, the CYC in Chinatown is your spot. Lineup includes locals The Great Conversation, Forever Rising, Carcosa, Those Who Venture, plus San Antonio's Versus Leviathan and Forever I Am. [6pm $TBD All Ages]

Forever, I Am:

TONIGHT!: If You're Going To Eat Dinner, Why Not Contribute To The Local Music Scene While You Do It

UPDATE: We're happy that Nate is able to go to tonight's LTC dinner in our sted. If you're able to go, make sure to get your tixs by going here.

Love The Captive. The music promotion team. If you read this blog at all, you've seen a post about a Love The Captive show. They're good shows (just ask Mike Oz and Joshua Tehee, they'll tell you). Shows that are fun to post about because they're usually with an interesting on-the-rise band that would've never come to town without the help and knowledge of LTC.

They have been trailblazing. But being the first ones to tackle these kinds of shows in a town that is still tuning its ear, can be rough sometimes. Fundage can be tough to come by. So LTC is getting creative and throwing a benefit dinner to recoup from 2010 and to help get things back on for 2011.

The dinner is Monday, December 27th. It'll cost ya $32 (after ticket fees) and its at Veni Vidi Vici's. Really, it's easy to spend that much on dinner at Veni's anyway (always good) so it's a deal. You gotta buy the tickets online, just click here and feel good about helping Fresno's music scene.

But, since we're so appreciative of Love The Captive giving us cool stuff to post about (and go to) and we want to thank you for reading said posts, we're buying one lucky reader's dinner for Monday's event.

Just leave a comment (and place your proper email where it asks) on this post telling us what Love The Captive show you saw this year (or any year) and you're entered. We'd really like it if it's somebody that wasn't going to go because they couldn't afford a ticket. But really, how the hell will we know? The winner will be picked on Friday through our special Name Out Of Hat technology (seriously).

If you can't make it because The Man is keeping you down that night (like us), but still want to put something in for the cause, there is a $10 donation option on the event page.

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank Johnny, Turtle, Conlan and everybody that's been a part of LTC in one way or another over the years. You've definitely made this blog a little cooler during your stint - not an easy task. Those Capistrano shows at Pizzaland seem like a lifetime ago.

Bandgeek: Don't Be Suprised If Santa Chooses Fresno As His Town To Get Shitfaced In

First up: Merry Christmas. Second: Since Christmas falls on a weekend this year, not a ton going on. But, good old Audie's Olympic will be open. Thank you, Santa Audie.

FRIDAY

AUDIE'S OLYMPIC: What's Christmas Eve without a Happy Hour? Empty. So empty. How do you think Santa makes it through the whole night? He hits every town's Happy Hour, that's how. Ev-ery one. Fresno's Christmas Eve Happy Hour is officially at Audie's and Fresno's hippy ambassador, Brian Kenny Fresno, will be hosting. We heard St. Nick "hates fucking PBR" so buy him a Sierra.

STARLINE: Not so much bands but live music of some sort, yes:

VENI VIDI VICI'S: Michael Faeth takes his drum and vocal action over to Veni's for Christmas Eve, probably start around 10:

SATURDAY

AUDIE'S OLYMPIC: You've got family in town. They are big into okie culture and music. What do you do with them after you've spent the day in Clovis? Take them to see Ditch Bank Okies:

SUNDAY

AUDIE'S OLYMPIC: Thursday night had the reunion of Pinkeye and the Christmas return of Kat Jones. Sunday at the Oly has maybe a bigger reunion with the Miss Alans. We consider them the number one Fresno band we've heard a lot about but never hear a lick of music from. Until now.... meaning Sunday night. Super coolass flier:

That's what we got. Feel free to add anything. Have a super sweet and safe Christmas weekend, Fresnans!

Thank You Baby Jesus: Pinkeye Reunion #2, Kat Jones, The Fay Wrays and It'll Grow Back, Tonight At Audie's!

Christmas is nice for long time Fresno music fans because it usually produces a sweet musical reunion or two. This year it's the Miss Alans on Sunday and tonight at Audie's it's Pinkeye (yeah, with that one drummer dude from the big timey band). Plus, tonight features a return of Kat Jones (now a Nashvillian) and current awesome Fresnans: It'll Grow Back and The Fay Wrays.

Pinkeye did a version of this show last year and it looked like this:

 For the North Fresnans, there's something cool going on for you too:

Tonight @ Club Retro: A Show You Sure As Hell Won't Run Into Your Mom At

West Shaw gets brutal tonight with Upon A Burning Body (San Antonio), War Of Ages, Carnifex, After The Burial and Upland death metal band, Winds Of Plague.

Tonight @ The CYC: Lil' Bit Of Holiday Punkyness

From San Jose, pop punk band Stickup Kid with San Antonio hardcore band, Hardside. Plus Blood and Water, Worlds Below and Rise!

This Rain Is So Depressing, Even The Trees Are Suicidal

Heads up: If you own a local orchard, go check on your trees. We bet they're needing some sunshine like us, right about now.

Tonight At Veni's: Free Freeman Playing Free

Random show tonight at Veni Vidi Vici's with Luke Freeman, his brother Not Luke Freeman and his dad Old Luke Freeman. The show is totally Free... man (sorry ... it really is free though).

Luke is from Circles & Circles and Brother Luke & The Comrades. His brother John and his pop, George? Not sure if they can actually play anything. Maybe they'll just stand around the general area of Luke playing guitar, looking on with fondness.

Whatever is happening, it starts at 10 and is 21+.

Bandgeek!: Friday Simply Has Too Much Happening

Holy jeez, what a full weekend of live and local music to enjoy, this last weekend before the big gift giving day thingy. Dude you should just buy your friend a cover charge to a Fresno show, this year. And hey, this weekend, there's even something for the North Fresnan on your list. So bring your fellow music lover out and give them the gift of live and awesome Fresno bandness - throw in a beer or two while you're at it.

First, let's figure out where to go. Fresno .... let's Bandgeek!

FRIDAY

AUDIE'S OLYMPIC: The return of American roots and western swing band Big Sandy and the Fly Rite Boys. With special local guest, Highway City. [$15 9pm]

CYC: It'll be progressively hardcore with The Great Conversation, Aphotic Ritual, Carcosa, I the Deceiver and Forever Rising.

KUPPAJOES: Bako Christian metalcore with Silence O Israel plus Visalia's I Ate The Moon, Dressed In White and Heroes Are Forever:

STARLINE: Rockabilly and rock type of stuff with The Burnouts, Cold Blue Rebels, Thrawtle, Shuvelhead and more:

THE REVUE CAFE: Uber Violinist, Patrick Contreras, joins up with guitarist, Steve Ono, to bring some Christmas to your ears: