Hey kids. It's Friday, you know what that means, right? Yes, the rodeo. Or not. Actually, I'm going. My girlfriend digs that kinda stuff. Me? Never been. Been once to rodeo grounds, but never to an actual rodeo. Should be ... ummm ... hyphy?!?

Anyway, besides the rodeo there are a LOT of things happening this weekend. I can't recount them all, because I already did that once this week, it's called the Music Roundup and I'm going not doing it again. What I will do is give you my top five.

FIVE SHOWS TO GO SEE
1. El Olio Wolof, Same Shape, No Cello and Julia Dawn @ Fagan's
Fagan's makes one of its first efforts to bring in the younger crowd tonight. The hipsters should come out for fab alt-folkies El Olio Wolof and the return of No Cello (wonder if they still have their swagger?). Same Shape is loved by the we-hang-out-at-Stones rock fans. Julia Dawn brings the singer/songwriter element. All in all, good times. 8 p.m. $5.

2. Return of the MC @ Fresno State
There ain't been this much rapping in town since Christmas. (Sorry for the bad pun). Saturday night marks the Return of the MC, a big ol' hip-hop event at Fresno State's Satellite Student Union. There's gonna be performances by Diego Redd, Aesop, The Havenots, Populus, The G.I.M., Sole Profit and all kinds of other people who tend to just show up at those kinds of things. 7 p.m. $3.

Much more of my ramblings after the break ...

Dear Best Week Ever:

I know that you think Jessica Alba or, perhaps, pirates are having the Best Week Ever. How wrong you are! Fresno, in fact, is having the best week ever.

You know Fresno, right? Raisins? K-Fed? That one IBM help desk commercial with the lost truck driver? Yeah, that's us.

In case you haven't been paying attention -- and really, it's OK if you haven't, I know there's tons of Tom Cruise shenanigans to keep track of -- a lot has happened in Fresno this week to make people around the nation pay attention to us.

If you've ever spoken to Fresno DJ/producer Hecktik, then you might know two important things about him:
1. He's hard-working, with his hands in a lot of projects. 2. He likes to talk. A lot.

With that in mind, I picked Hecktik's brain about what he's got on his plate these days, about the big hip-hop show Saturday night at Fresno State, about Diego Redd, the local rapper he manages and produces and about what it's gonna take for Fresno to make some noise in the hip-hop world.

Of course, he had lots to say.

Question: So Heck, I know you're quite a busy dude, splitting time between L.A. and Fresno, what projects are you working on these days?
Answer: Well, I got a few things on my plate as we speak, but I am currently working for G.O.O.D Music (Kanye West's Label) working on GLC's album. Myself and Diego Redd have been recording out in L.A. getting ready for his upcoming album. I just finished up few projects back home. The first one is "Diego Redd Presents: The Underworld Rebellion, Above the Law," the other is Aesop of the Living Legends "Living the Dream While Awake" and another that should be out the first of May is a young talented kid named Fashawn, it's called "Grizzly City."

Oops, she did it again.

As if she's not having enough trouble caring for little Sean Preston, Fresnan-by-marriage Britney Spears is allegedly already carrying baby No. 2.

So says one of those exclusive reports from U.S. Weekly, which claims poolside pictures from her Las Vegas jaunt last weekend prove that a second child is expected for Ms. Toxic and Mr. PopoZao (that's our hometown hero Kevin Federline, if you have luckily missed the monstrosity that is his rap career).

Sure, it's early to start thinking about names, but how about a little Fresno love for this half-Fresno seedling? William Saroyan Federline? Has a ring to it.

Fresno, meet Free Cone Day.

You may not know this, because we only recently got a Ben & Jerry's 'round these parts, but every year the ice cream shop holds a free cone day.

All you have to do is walk in to participating Ben and Jerry's locations and choose a flavor, and you get a free ice cream cone. It's that simple.

And it's today.

So you have until 8 p.m. to get over to the Ben & Jerry's at Piazza del Fiore at Champlain Drive and Perrin Avenue and get your free ice cream.

Maybe it'll get some new foot traffic into that struggling shopping center.

Every summer needs its nostalgia concert tour.

Last year it was Loggins & Messina. The year before that it was Simon & Garfunkel. Here's this year's -- another of the ampersand tours.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young announced their "Freedom of Speech 06" tour, with a date at the Save Mart Center in the mix.

The tour will stop July 23, with tickets going on sale in the coming weeks. According to press release from Live Nation, the show promoter, ticket prices will range from $35-$125.

It will be the rock 'n' roll supergroup's first tour since 2002. They'll start the trek in Philadelphia on July 6 and continue into mid-September.

Quick notes: Camera and The Dirty Sanchez, two local bands rumored to have broken up, emerge as winners in band battles over the weekend. The blues society finds a new home. And ex-Creed frontman Scott Stapp comes to Lemoore.

Take a picture
Camera, a local rock band many thought had split up, came out of hiding to win the Vintage Days Battle of the Bands at Fresno State on Saturday night. After some lineup shuffling, Camera is now playing as a three-piece with no singer. The Argyle Pimps took second place.

Down and Dirty
Over at Crossroads, The Dirty Sanchez -- down a member right now, but not broken up -- was able to taste victory Friday night in the third week of the Battle for Manfest. They advance to the May 5 finals with Absit and Lucid Nightmare. The last of the preliminary battles is Friday night and it should be the most competitive, with LRA, Stoneshiver and last year's winner Grooveyard going at it.

Blues night finds a new home
The Central Valley Blues Society's weekly concert with Ron Thompson and the Resistors has found a home at Crossroads.
With Porky's closing, the weekly Thursday night blues show with Thompson was temporarily homeless.
Starting this Thursday night, the free concerts move over to Crossroads, 3315 N Cedar Ave.

Scott Stapp joins INXS show
Tickets are moving well for the June 13 INXS concert at Tachi Palace in Lemoore, after going on sale Saturday morning. And maybe this will help move some more: Former Creed frontman Scott Stapp has been pegged to open the show.

Happy Friday, folks. As usual, there's plenty of music to be heard this weekend. Below are my top five picks. There's more in my Music Roundup. So check that, too.

I'm also giving a few cool Fresno-related things to check out on the Web as you count down toward 5 p.m. Enjoy!

FIVE SHOWS TO SEE THIS WEEKEND
1. Today's my Lucky day
I might sound like a broken record, 'cuz I've been saying this for a while, but go check out Super Lucky Catz. They are my new favorite band in Fresno. Frontman Robert Barron-Gushel has golden, soulful pipes. If you miss the days when soul sounded like Stevie Wonder, don't miss them tonight at Full Circle Brewing Co. They'll play a duo acoustic set, then bring on a full band for a more rockin' set. Here's a review from the Rogue Festival.

2. Always a Party with the MoFo
One of the best acts in town, time tested, MoFo Party Band plays Full Circle Brewing Co. on Saturday night. Originally, they were supposed to headline a Full Circle-planned outdoor festival, but the threat of rain moved that to the summer. Now it's just the MoFos on their own inside at 8 p.m. It's a benefit for Chinatown Revitalization.

3. More Hype for 40 Watt
Another of the best acts in town, 40 Watt Hype, plays Starline tonight, celebrating the release of its brand new CD, "Strong Feet on the Concrete." Show starts at 9:30 p.m. Go to www.myspace.com/40watthype to hear some songs off the new album. [ more ]

There's much more after the break ...

Ever try to walk around a Clouded Vision show? Then you know they're one of the best draws in town.

They draw so well that they've got a monthly spot at Starline (they're one of the few.) So well that they can win fan-based band battles in San Francisco.

With a sound that's part Sublime, part jam band, Clouded Vision has become the top college band in town. But they still go over well with the hard-rockers and the hipsters, too.

We talked to frontman Kevin Hayashi to get the scoop on Clouded Vision.

Clouded Vision is Kevin Hayashi (guitar and vocals), Kevin Clifton (drums) and Jeff Evans (bass)

Question: So you guys just advanced to the third round of the Emergenza Battle of the Bands, explain what it is and what that's been like?
Answer: The festival is a worldwide battle of the bands with hundreds of bands competing, it has been a great experience playing at the Red Devil Lounge and the 12 Galaxies in San Francisco, two great venues.

More with Clouded Vision, plus links and shows after the break ...

Adele wants your help. And, really, can you say no to her?

Adele, a 23-year-old aspiring model from Fresno, is one of 100 women in the running this week in Maxim's Hometown Hotties contest. She's a Hooters girl, the reigning Miss ESPN 1430 and a freelance model -- "all tasteful, no nudity or adult content," she says -- who is studying to be an esthetician.

She says:

"This contest means a lot to me because it gives me the chance to represent my hometown in the best way possible. Maxim Magazine is a well-known magazine across the whole United States and Canada and most people don't even know where Fresno is. Once I win, Fresno will definitely be on the map!"

Voting runs through Sunday. To vote, you have to pick your 10 favorite women (Adele would be happy if she's one of them).

If she makes the top 10 in this round, she proceeds to the semifinals in the Hometown Hottie contest.

It's poetry week in Fresno. It usually happens the third week of the month, but since April is National Poetry Month, there's even more happening than usual.

If you're a more aggressive poet, you can slam over at the Beat Down Slam, which holds down its monthly post tonight at Starline. Doors open at 8 p.m. $3 to watch and $5 to slam, with the winner taking home the pot.

On Thursday, a couple world-traveling poets are coming to Amazon Lounge at Samba Brazilian Steakhouse, 6737 N. Palm Ave, for a night that highlights the poetry and music of Arab-American artists.

Elmaz Abinader and Dima Hilal are the guest poets. It starts at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $10, or $7 for students. Musical artist Tony Khalife adds to the evening.

On the other side of town, there's the old faithful Inner Ear Poetry Jam, where local poets can come and share their work, plus listen to music from DJ Jordan and enjoy some drinks at Full Circle Brewing Co. It starts at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $3.

Looking beyond the poets, to the musicians, here's a look at what's going on this week:

There's more after the break...

Official word from the Save Mart Center is that tickets for Rascal Flatts' July 21 concert will go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday.

News of the concert leaked a few weeks back, around the same time at the flurry of Madonna madness.

Now, Rascal Flatts can enjoy their time in the spotlight. The popular country trio's new album "Me and My Gang" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart last week.

Next, they'll be hitting the road May 26, for a more-than-40-show stretch that will end in September. Gary Allan has been pegged to open the tour.

Tickets to the show cost $51.50. They can be purchased at the Save Mart Center box office or at Ticketmaster locations, including many Save Mart supermarkets, and Tower Records, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (559) 485-8497.

Back with another round of happenings for your Friday fix.

As always, go check out my Music Roundup from today's paper for a detailed account of what's happening this weekend. I'm heading home for Easter, but if I were here, here are five cool things worth a peek:

1. Super Lucky Catz
These guys are totally my new favorite band in town. Super Lucky Catz play as a soulful duo, or a rockin' full band. And let me tell you, frontman Robert Barron-Gushel has some pipes on him. They're playing Saturday afternoon at Yoshi Now's flea market/music festival, then Saturday night at Tokyo Garden.

2. Dance, dance, dance
It's a totally dance weekend at Starline. There's Bounce on Saturday, then Lush on Sunday, both next-gen Fresno parties. Local DJ Ezra Osborn will be spinning and celebrating his birthday at both.

3. Mistah F.A.B.
Animated Oakland rapper Mistah F.A.B. (that's him, to the right), ya know, the guy's always talking about going hyphy, gettin' dumb and riding the yellow bus (if all that was lost on you, just continue to No. 4), performs tonight at Star Palace. He's a disciple of Mac Dre and E-40. So you know his rhymes are on-point. [ read more ]

More stuff to do and some cool links after the break ...

Like Pinkeye and Montecore before them, Rademacher is hipster gold in Fresno these days.

Their enjoyable indie sound -- catchy melodies, danceable riffs, haunting, harmonized vocals -- has spawned legions of lo-fi admirers who pack out Rademacher's regular shows at Tokyo Garden, and their occasional Starline dates.

One problem: At the pace they're moving, they won't be Fresno's little secret for long. This week, they hit the road for the Northwest part of a two-week run of shows that will include a couple local dates, then wind to a close in San Francisco.

We questioned drummer Rebecca Teruko Asami to find out just why Rademacher is so cool.

Rademacher is Brad Basmajian, guitar; Greer McGettrick, bass; Malcolm Sosa, vocals and guitar and Asami, drums.

So you guys are on the road this week, hitting Arcata, Portland, Olympia and Seattle. What are your hopes for the tour?
We are anxiously awaiting the unexpected.

Continue reading for more Questions with Rademacher, plus a bunch of links ...

Welcome to another installment of what's going on this week in Fresno.

A few tidbits before we get into this week's happenings:
- Lucid Nightmare pulled off a very close upset at Crossroads Friday night and advanced to the finals in the Battle for Manfest. Only five votes separated Lucid Nightmare, Speakers for the Dead and Toxic Sunset.

- Local music blogger Mitch On Speed gives us a rundown of Friday night's Pinkeye reunion show/CD release party/farewell show. If you dig Pinkeye its worth a read.

Now, moving on to what's happening this week:

WEDNESDAY
Trippy electronic hip-hop group Mad Happy makes a tour stop at Tokyo Garden, with the Argyle Pimps. [ more ]

Also, there's a night of metal at The Belmont, with Stych-Social, Caipt, Thracia, and Mister Meaner. [ flier ]

Keep reading for more of this week's happenings...

Once again, there's plenty happening in and around Fresno this weekend music-wise. Read my Music Roundup for the entire rundown. Here are five I recommend:

1. The Battle for Manfest
Local bands will battle out tonight and each Friday night in April for a spot on stage at KRZR's Manfest. At 9 p.m. today at Crossroads, Lucid Nightmare, Toxic Sunset and Speakers for the Dead will play for a chance in the Battle for Manfest finals, May 5. The winner will be decided by audience votes. So get out there and make your voice heard. Tickets cost $5.

2. Andre Nickatina/Bone Thugs 'n' Harmony
Tonight, Bay Area legend Andre Nickatina, once known as Dre Dog, teams up with Cleveland's Bone Thugs 'n' Harmony for a rap show at the Warnors Theatre. Nickatina has a cult underground following that should surpass the almost washed-up Bone Thugs. Tickets cost $30. [ more ]

3. Naked Eyes at Starline
The occasional one-hit-wonders concert series that Big 'N' Small Productions puts on brings Naked Eyes to Starline on Sunday. You know, the "Always Something There to Remind Me" guys. They'll perform, followed by an '80s New Wave Dance Party. Get your hairspray and neon clothes. Tickets cost $15.

Keep reading for more weekend happenings, plus some stuff to check out on the Web ...

It's official. Madonna-mania is here. It's 11 a.m. and her first show is already sold out.

A second show was added for the following day, June 6. Apparently there is something to look forward to on 6/6/6.

Tickets are on sale right now. Same prices as before.

I was just fooling around with Ticketmaster and was able to pull up some good seats. So, get them while you can.

It never stops. Here, I thought we were done with concert announcements -- at least for today -- but, of course not.

Tickets go on-sale at 11 a.m. Saturday for this year's Vans Warped Tour, which will take its circuslike, all-day, super loud, 60-band extravaganza of a music festival to the Selland Arena's parking lot on July 9. Head to WarpedTour.com for a rundown of the line-up. Tickets cost $30.25.

Of course, it's a general admission show, so there's no reason to rush down and get the first tickets.

On Monday, tickets go on-sale to see Mexican ranchero king Vicente Fernandez, who performs May 28 at Selland Arena. Tickets cost $37-$127.

You can pick up tickets to both at Ticketmaster outlets (including some Save Mart Supermarkets and Tower Records), at the Fresno Convention and Entertainment Center Box Office or right here.

I'm off to Art Hop. I'm sure I'll be back with more concert hoopla to report tomorrow.

The Internet loves the Argyle Pimps. First, it was former MTV VJ Adam Curry featuring them on his podcast. Now, their new animated video "Geezers," a playful take on working in an old-folks home, is blowing up all over the 'Net.

Over the next 10 days, the Pimps, a rap duo who proudly lives in the past, are gonna be all over the Valley playing shows, too. This weekend they're doing showcases in Hanford and Visalia and coming back home to Fresno for two nice opening slots next week, then playing at an outdoor music festival downtown next weekend.

We tracked down Boney Beezly, one half of the Pimps, to talk about what's going down in the world of Argyle.

Question: You guys have been getting some nice attention on the Internet with your new video, "Geezers." It's on eBaum's World's front page. Tell us about what went into the video and how the reaction has been?
Answer: The video was the brainchild of Ken-Stollery Jones, the animator/monstrosity from Australia. He slapped it together adding Jamie's ideas to the songs visual lyrics and cameos from our favorite Nick at Nite television stars along with some heavy duty Tom Savini style zombie gore. Since the Ebaumsworld.com exposure we've more than quintupled our internet fan traffic. The best part is people hearing the song from all over the country, until that break we'd really only been heard in Cali. We've gotten alot of people who work in rest homes contacting us and typing LOL a lot.

Keep reading for more about the Argyle Pimps, including links and show dates ...

It has been a crazy week for concerts. And it's certainly not slowing down.

Word from Tachi Palace Casino in Lemoore is that they've just inked a deal for a June 13 concert with INXS, recently re-invented thanks to reality television and new frontman J.D. Fortune. Tickets go on-sale at 10 a.m. April 22 and cost $45, $65, and $85.

And there's more rock from yesteryear, as Tachi Palace is also bringing in '80s rockers Poison and Cinderella for a June 29 date in their outdoor amphitheater. Poison is back on the scene again, with a new greatest hits collection and a summer tour. Tickets go on-sale April 15, costing $45, $65 and $85.

Add this to your calendar, too: Eddie Money performs a free show at the casino on Fourth of July.

Don't forget: Madonna tickets go on-sale at 10 a.m. Friday while Tim McGraw/Faith Hill tickets are available starting at noon on Saturday.

Who knows what's coming next. If I were to be told the Beatles were coming, I might believe it.

We might be seeing the start of the best feud since Nas dissed Jay-Z. It looks like "South Park" is about to start beefing with "Family Guy."

Wednesday's episode of South Park is called "Cartoon Wars." The episode description at SouthParkStudios.com says:

Cartman and Kyle are at war over the popular cartoon, "Family Guy." Kyle loves "Family Guy" and hates Cartman. The two boys embark upon a mad chase across the country and the fate of "Family Guy" lies with the first boy to reach Hollywood.

UPDATE:
After watching last night's episode, I'm not sure what direction the "South Park" brain-trust is trying to take. They made some funny cracks on "Family Guy," but they also furthered their spat with Scientology, and they worked in the controversy surrounding cartoons of the Muslim prophet Mohammed.

As usual, "South Park" is shooting in all directions. Last night's was the first of a two-parter, so we'll have to wait for next week to see who they stick it to the worst.

You remember Kerosene Sky, right?

The band that opened for Bon Jovi in Fresno? The Los Angeles rock band with Fresno-bred guitarist Gabriel Hernandez, who won the radio contest and got to play at the Save Mart Center?

Well, if you dug them when they played in Fresno, they want your help.

As one of the winners of Bon Jovi's "Have a Nice Gig" contest, they're now in the running for a chance for a much bigger prize -- a chance to open for Bon Jovi this summer at Giants Stadium in New Jersey and a demo recording deal.

If you're a fan, just head to http://bonjovi.livedaily.com until Friday and vote for Kerosene Sky. You can vote as many times as you want.

Also, watch for them again in Fresno later this month. They'll be playing April 29 at Club Fred. For more info, go to www.myspace.com/kerosenesky or www.kerosenesky.com.

Day three of concert announcement mania brings news that the Red Hot Chili Peppers will have a summer tour stop in Fresno. The questions are, what day and which venue?

The "Californication" rockers announcedthis morning the cities that their tour will hit, Fresno was listed as a "confirmed stop." The tour is supposed to start in August.

Locally, neither arena is taking ownership for the show. Not all the way at least.

Save Mart Center general manager Steve Tadlock says he's had talks about the bringing the tour to his arena, but not recently.

Meanwhile, Claudia Arguelles, the director of sales and marketing for the Selland Arena, would neither confirm or deny the date. She did say: "It would be really nice if they came here during the summer."

Safe money is on Selland.

According to the Chili Pepper's site, tickets will go on-sale on May 13, but fan club pre-sales on May 7-8. More info on the fan club can be found here.

Keep reading for more on the Chili Peppers date and more concert news, including Rascal Flatts and Huey Lewis/Chicago ...

Big ol' Trace Adkins and his big ol' band brought down the house Sunday night at the little Hanford Fox Theatre with a big ol' night of rockin' honky-tonk music.

Adkins (who stands the same height as Michael Jordan, 6 feet, 6 inches) and his seven piece band (eight, if you count his acoustic guitar) had just about everybody in the building on their feet by the end of 80-minute show, the first of back-to-back sell-out shows in Hanford.

He's an understated performer, but a commanding one.

Combine his thunderous voice, his long blond hair, his how-does-he-put-those-on tight jeans, some well-time pelvis thrusts and he had the mostly female crowd in awe.

Keep reading for more of Trace Adkins' show, including new songs and a tribute to Buck Owens. Click the photo above for more of my amateur photos.

Madonna announced on Monday her plans to tour the world, with Fresno the fourth city on her list.

The Material Girl's "Confessions Tour" will hit the road May 21 in Los Angeles and stop in Fresno on June 5 for a date at the Save Mart Center.

"I'm going to turn the world into one big dance floor," Madonna said in a news release.

Tickets for the show will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, with ticket prices ranging from $55 to $350, according to Ticketmaster. That top ticket price matches the high-dollar ticket for the Rolling Stones show at the Save Mart Center in November.

Pre-sale tickets will be available starting Tuesday to existing members of Madonna's "Icon" fan club.

This will make for a very busy ticket-buying weekend over at the Save Mart Center. Tickets for the Tim McGraw/Faith Hill tour go on sale at noon on Saturday.

And from the We Picked The Wrong Day to Announce a Tour category:
Country trio Rascal Flatts announced their plans for a summer tour this morning as well. According to their publicist, they're stopping at the Save Mart Center on July 21.