THE FRESNAN

Habit Burger Grill Opens Its Fresno Doors

Did ya go Monday? Some other bloggers have already. The Habit Burger Grill in Fig Garden Village is now fully operational. Here's the full menu.

It's counter order style...

The Fresnan Presents: A Dorktown Christmas

Welcome to another episode [#79] of our own crass little podcast, Dorktown. For those that are new to the podcast, be careful where you listen at as it is often naughty.

Download: aDorktownChristmas.mp3 [35.95mb] [39:18] [Episode #79]

Some of what you'll be listening too:

• Christmas Tree lane better than Candy Cane Lane.
• Bullard Knight football kicks all ass.
• A Fresnan secret is revealed.
• A Christmas movie themed OR GAME.
• Dorktown interviews Luke from Brother Luke & The Comrades and Circles & Circles.
• Live clip of Brother Luke playing at Starline.
• Bells and Mikey play Modern Warfare 2 [PSN names: Bells316 and fresnan].
• HIGH HORSE: Don't put nuts in Mikey's junk.
• A "live" report from Christmas Tree Lane.
• Dorktown is on Facebook now, become a fan and junk.
• FONZY EHHS.

Technical issues (because Mikey is bound to jack up something):

• Mikey's mic is too loud throughout the episode.
• Audio suddenly becomes louder a few minutes in.
• Bad feedback coming back from remotes.

Click to download or listen: aDorktownChristmas.mp3

Underrated: Batter Up Pancakes

 

There should never be a morning where Batter Up Pancakes isn't packed. But usually, we walk right in, order something like the drool inducing chocolate chip pancake above, and we're in a wonderful carb-coma a few minuets later.

The pancakes there are amazing and they'll make them with just about anything you want. They even put crazyass things like sauteed spinach and onions and bell peppers in them if you prefer, but we'll just stick with the chocolate chips, thank you. Check out their pancakes page to download the full menu.

Even better, you can get all this for lunch if you want - or a very late breakfast for the hangover people. And yeah, they have other breakfast-y things they'll make to order and sandwiches and salads for lunch, but why would you when you can get something like that pancake up there?!

Batter Up Pancakes is located at the corner of Brawley and the Fig Garden Loop (425 W. Fig Garden Dr.), closed Mondays but open 7am to 2pm the rest of the time.

Disclosure: No, we don't know the owners or even really live nearby the restaurant. We just like to see good, well thought out places, owned by Fresnans, succeed.

What You Missed Last Night: STP Mailing It In

Yeah, this may not be the most popular opinion, because a lot of people out there felt differently, but... we think Stone Temple Pilots went through the motions at the Paul Paul. Yeah we said it.

Set list was awesome. The band sounded great. But, there wasn't much feeling, at least not till the end. It took a jackass running across the stage for the band to wake up a bit. Maybe we're being too critical because we still remember a Selland Arena show STP played where they blew the Red Hot Chili Peppers off the damn stage.

So, a good show that could have used less through-the-motions.

[Photo stolen from DencaLR's feed]

A Random Review: '09 Fresno Film Festival

The Weekend Hangover segment is back with some random thoughts about the Fresno Film Festival while breaking out the fans, sifting through old records and wondering what the hell is wrong with the Diamond Dogs:

A very well planned event, the Fresno Filmworks people put on a good show; Fresno's lucky to have those folks around.

Eva Scow kicked ass at the opening night party - the band had the oldies and younglings rockin' out together - side note: Skills Like This lead actress was very impressed by Eva Scow and the opening night party.

How awesome is the dress (pictured) made up of festival promo fliers?

One of the things Fresno Filmworks or the Tower Theatre need to invest in is a better sound system and screen - due time, I guess.

Attendance decent...not amazing, but good. Considering the state of employment around here, decent is a success.

The Question and Answer portions with the filmmakers may be this blog's favorite.

Nice to see the age group of the festival goers was across the board, from teens to seventies. Though, not as many Tower Folk as you would normally see at a Tower District event...not sure why that is.

Waltz With Bashir seemed to have made the biggest impression on festival goers - Che was liked as well.

Having a random conversation about Fresno with the kneeshakingly lovely Kerry Knuppe, lead actress from the opening film Skills Like This, wasn't the worst thing to ever happen to a blogger...no it was not.

The Crooked Eye, the film with the biggest local connection (writer is from Coarsegold), this blog liked very much. It was narrated, which is normally annoying, but it worked well with the film because you could really hear the writer's voice in it. Very personal stuff filled with things we all think but never say out loud. And visually interesting, not really seen anything like it, especially in a short film.

Looking at 2010 to have a bigger payday for the annual Fresno Film Festival. And more local films - but you gotta make them so the festival can show them, local film guys.

Fuck Yeah: Downtown Concert Venues Are Buzzing

In case you haven't noticed, this blog is lame at reviewing things. Really it's just better to leave it to the qualified folk, like Fresnan readers and other Fresno Bloggers. And over the weekend there were a couple of cool shows, at lively downtown venues, that warranted reviews: Lamb Of God/Suicidal Tendencies at the Crest and the Solid Gold Doo Wop show at Warnors.

After you jump, Famous blogger, Famous Whitewater, visited The Crest for the first time Sunday (hey, us too!) and gives a spot on review of the show and the Crest theater. And a Fresnan reader went Doo Wop-ing at the Warnors on Friday and tells us all about it:

Music Box Fresno: Bloggers Know Nothing

Patrick Contreras, Fresno's "Music Dude of the Year - 2008" (very coveted title among Fresno musicians... trust me), not only has his own band and is a great local musician, he is also a big fan of Fresno music. When Patrick isn't playing, there's a good chance you'll see him out watching some other Fresno band.

I would trust Patrick's opinion about local music over some dumbass blogger, anyday. That's why I'm jacking a recent Patrick myspace post about local bands he thinks will boil-over this year. Yeah, I know jacking is discouraged this year. Go ahead, call the blogger police on me.

Take it away, Patrick:

I love music​.​.​.​I mean LOVE it.​.​.​its sickening.​ Its a disea​se.​ But its me. And I love local​ music​,​ fresn​o has a small​ but great​ scene​.​ Here'​s some peopl​e that I think​ will break​ throu​gh '09. Not my list of BEST bands​ in Fresn​o.​.​that would​ look diffe​rent.​ But my list of who'​s gonna​ break​ throug​h in '09:

Rademacher​ - indie​ band that has the packa​ge,​ but just needs​ that jingl​e to set them off. They'​ve alrea​dy done resid​encie​s in LA and SF and the best indie​ venue​s.​

Circl​es and Circl​es - you would​ think​ I'm big on indie​ music​ cuz this is the secon​d band I've menti​oned in this genre​,​ but I'm not. I just think​ these​ are some bands​ are on the rise,​ regar​dless​ of my prefe​rence​.​ These​ guys make some catch​y tune with some origi​nal instr​ument​ation​.​ Very inter​estin​g to watch​.​

Fasha​wn - ​dude is on on a rampa​ge latel​y with media​.​ I think​ he just needs​ that catch​y hit as well.​ He's a reall​y talen​ted young​ hip hop artis​t

Eva Scow -​ hands​ down.​.​.​hands​ down,​ Fresn​o'​s most talen​ted music​ian.​ Its not even close​.​.​.​ she'​s been on a break​,​ but I think​ '09 she'​s gonna​ final​ly bring​ it to the world​,​ cuz there​'​s only a handf​ul on here instrument​ that can chall​enge her. And she's only 19.

Super ​ Lucky​ Catz​ - same thing​ goes for the catz,​ 09 will be big for them.​.​.​when they get that cd out.​.​.​.​femal​es acros​s the count​ry are gonna​ forge​t about​ that 20-​something-​acous​tic-​dude they used to liste​n to.

Rademacher releases my indie endorphins

I love posting kinda illegal Fresno music to download for free. This song I got permission for, so maybe it's not as exciting, but it's still cool. It's a new song off of Rademacher's upcoming EP "ERA". It will be released by JAXART Records on Sept. 30th.

The song "If U Know" politely nudges me into a corner where I find myself sitting down to think about what I've done with my life and things that could have been.

See what the song does for you by listening to it here: IfUknow.mp3

You can also listen to band members Malcolm Sosa and Greer McGettrick talk about the upcoming EP release, and playing in Fresno over the years, on the local podcast The View Looks Good From Here, Fresno.

Fresno bands are wheelin' and dealin'

I freekin' love this kind of Fresno news: three major Fresno bands have recently made varying levels of label deals. All the bands are solid and deserve everything coming to them - congrats to Rademacher, Mercury Bullet and The Sleepover Disaster.

Eventually, maybe their newly inked deals will help get their albums reviewed by a major music mag, like Spin.

That's what McLane High grad Aaron Espinoza's band Earlimart got last month. Hymn & Her may have got three stars, but I give Aaron's beard five stars.

Monday Hangover: Saki Bombed

Fresno is getting so jammed up with places to get sushi the awesomeness of the 80's are getting involved.

Have you tried Sushi 80's, West Shaw, yet?  You should.  Good food, service, atmosphere, location and laser disc displays.  Other customers disagree.  A quick picture review to kinda-sorta prove our point:

Enough Tasting Already

The Taste & Toast of the Tower sucks for non-winos.  Yeah I said it, big whoop, wanna fight about it?

But I guess it's not meant for the beer folk.  That's in a couple Saturdays.  Yes, there was food and tea too, but when you've already tasted the tower (many times), you just want to sit and have a real meal.

It was still fun though, seeing new and familiar faces roaming the district and enjoying themselves.  Plenty of pics and a small vid'  from Thursday, after the break:

Monday Hangover: Sushi Bunnies

Besides a way too early Easter, some other things happened over a Fresno weekend:

• The Lady Dogs went down...hard.  But at least Fresno didn't catch them in the act.  Comcast blows.
• The Fresnan and Dorktown are losing the Famous Choice primaries and maybe should pullout for the good of the Fresno Blogsphere.  Orrr, there should be an investigation into why the fuck Dumb Drum and Free Thought are leading for local blog and podcast...not bitter, you know, or anything guys...just sayin'.
• Finally went to Mr. Sushi.  Food was fine, service needs some more experience and atmosphere needs some tweaking- uneven lighting is the first thing that needs work.  But I highly suggest you go and check it out yourself. (pics above and a couple below)

Fresno's Webiest Moments

Whether Fresno's big on the world web scene or not, this certainly was Fresno's biggest cyber-year.  So, The Fresnan would like list some of the biggest Fresnet Moments of the year.

With "The Internets" being so vast, this list is sure to miss something.  If it missed your week of tear-jerking Myspace blogs and bulletins about your boyfriend moving away from Fresno and leaving you without a guy for like a whole week, we're sorry and you suck.

Click the link below so we can get this thing started!

Monday Hangover: Jimmy Van Halen in Fresno?

I loved it, Fresno really showed for Van Halen.  A near packed Save Mart Center saw a stellar show.  Dave, Wolfgang, Eddie and Al all sounded great.  Some really sweet, comprehensive reviews have popped up on Mike Oz's blog, so check them out. 

But that isn't the only place talking about the Save Mart show, and Fresno's California reputation to boot.

Even on a David Lee Roth website, people can still manage to rip Fresno and pull out all of the classic "cow town" and "armpit of California".  And people wonder why us Fresnan's even will take offense at lame jokes about us in national commercials.  Fresnans are sick of the bullshit comments from So Cal Asshole Guy.

Oh, wait, we were talking about the VAN HALEN.  Check out the lame sounding, bad seat, video proof of Van Halen reuniting in Fresno:

Finding ways to give Edwards more money

It was only a matter of time before Edwards hit the ten-dollars-a-pop mark for having the privilege to sit in their movie theater.  Ten dollars isn't enough for me though, I need to impress my date by giving Edwards more cash for a flick. 

How can Fresno's Edwards theater help?

Here's what Edwards came up with:  play a non-IMAX movie in the IMAX theater and make me pay a few extra dollars for it. I'm given the same thing I'd see on the ten dollar screen, but as a added bonus, many speakers have blown tweeters, the projector sounds like a cotton gin, you have to look around people's heads to see the screen, and there's only two long lines to get snacks.

So, you do save some money by not getting a chance to buy Cookie Dough Bites and a bladder damaging soda tub.  But that couple extra bones for a ticket isn't worth all the annoyances just to see a movie on a slightly bigger screen.