The official lineup of this year’s Catacomb Party has just been released. It’s got some big names and a couple of surprises for hardcore fans of the scene.
Let’s get right in and discuss.
Headliners: Last year the festival was headlined by Fierce Creatures (it was the band’s party, after all). This year, Nigerian drummer Tony Allen will co-headline the show with Fresno’s own Fashawn. Allen has been making music since the 1960s and is an Afrobeat legend. Fashawn is home-town hero. This alone will secure a crowd.
Out-of-towners: While the lineup is heavy on the locals, there is a good draw of national, touring acts. Most have played the area before, including post-punk band Seahaven (who has established a following), San Francisco indie-band Animal Friend and hip-hop sample-master Diabase.
The locals: Putting Fashawn aside, the local lineup is solid and includes workhorse band like Sahab and Light Thieves, along with the much hyped Le Wolves and Sci-Fi Caper. The big surprise is the reunion of Sleepover Disaster. There is a generation who may have never seen this influential local band. This will be a welcomed introduction.
Again, the whole event takes place July 20 on the Fulton Mall. It will be free and all ages.
In case you’ve forgotten, last year’s Catacomb Party (essentially the Fierce Creatures’ album release show), was a free mini- music festival on the Fulton Mall. It was such a success, organizers decided to run with the idea for another year.
Take a look at the full lineup and tell us what you think?
There are shows that remind you why you love seeing live music.
There are shows that make you appreciate your city’s live music scene.
Last night’s Suuns show at Fulton 55 fulfilled both.
Loverboy: This is not the “Working for the Weekend” Loverboy. This Loverboy is from Firebaugh and describes his music as Fischer-Price Acid Trip Hop. I’m pretty sure that’s a made-up genre, but it seems fitting. The guy sings hunched over a Casio keyboard and makes his music with pedals and knobs and keys. The stuff was mostly mid-tempo and very atmospheric on a “Twin Peaks” kinda level. The guy has a great voice, or at least writes some great melodies, but the vocals seemed intentionally fuzzed out. It didn’t kill the songs, but I noticed.
Either Wiz Khalifa isn’t playing many shows soon or Fresno has some clout, because when the Grammy-nominated rapper was on Jay Leno the other night to perform his single “Let It Go,” Leno gives him a nice intro, which mentioned his May 3 show at the Save Mart Center.
Carrie Underwood is a dazzler. She sells-out shows and wins Grammys and does it all while looking stunning. Seriously, that hair … In Fresno, she’s a staple. She’s played (and sold out) both the Saroyan Theatre and the Save Mart Center and was back last night with her Blown Away tour.
So, were you blown away? Did the elaborate light show and staging do it for you? How about her song choices? And what about the opener, the young up-and-comer Hunter Hayes? We’d love to hear your take.
Make sure to check out the photo gallery from Bee photographer Mark Crosse (that giant rose looks awesome).
George Strait rolled into Fresno Friday night for his “Cowboy Rides Away” tour. And if the traffic backed up on Hwy 168 was any indication, it was a packed house at the Save Mart Center. We’d love to hear your take on his farewell concert, so post a review in the comments. And be sure to chime in on opening act Martina McBride, too. Be sure to check out our gallery of photos captured by Bee photographer Craig Kohlruss. Here’s a taste of how the night went.
JAZZ HOP HOPS TO A NEW DAY Fresno’s Jazz Hop — the monthly celebration of live jazz in dozens of venues — cuts itself from the ArtHop umbilical cord with a new second-Thursday-of-the-month calendar spot. Not much else has changed: still plenty of live music to see for free.
Says Jazz Hop coordinator Kate McKnight: “I’m seeking to highlight jazz music (and other genres) and the musicians by dedicating a night to hop just for music. ArtHop is so big now, and people couldn’t get around to see or experience all that they want to.” Tonight’s Jazz Hop is a bit smaller because of the holidays, she says. The schedule is below.
On this foggy Tuesday here are a few ways to wind down tonight:
Vicci Martinez of “The Voice” plays a free concert at The Standard as part of Y101′s Unplugged concert series. Local singer (and loyal Beehive commenter) Danielle Rondero opens. It’s free, 21-and-up only. Doors open at 4 p.m. Music starts at 7 p.m. You might wanna get there early to grab a spot. It’s first-come, first-serve.
December is jam packed with local entertainment options you won’t want to miss. You can go to see lots of theater, check out Christmas concerts and live bands and even see a dragon, among other things. So check out our “Don’t Miss It” guide to December and start filling up your entertainment calendar. View the full PDF below.
Vicente Fernandez’s sold-out Nov. 16 concert at Selland Arena has been canceled.
The Latin music legend — age 72 and on his farewell tour — had a lump detected in his liver and canceled his remaining 2012 shows.
Per his announcement:
Several studies have been carried out on the singer and in the next days Don Vicente will undergo surgery to remove the lump on his liver. Due to the nature of the surgery and the recovery, the concerts programmed for the rest of 2012 will be canceled.
After the operation it is necessary to carry out the pertinent pathology. These results will be communicated to the mass media. Likewise, we will continue to inform the media regarding the state of health of Vicente Fernández as he advances in the procedures.
Ticket refunds will be available starting on Monday at original point of purchase.
One of my favorite pics is the one below, mainly because I can’t help but wonder what The Biebs is looking at. So let’s have some fun. Leave a comment below and tell us what Justin is thinking in this pic.
Leading up to Justin Bieber’s sold-out Fresno appearance on Friday, we’re keeping an eye on all things Bieber. Join us in marveling at the insanity of it all.
You could almost hear the shrieks here in Fresno, as teeny boppers who have been tightly clutching concert tickets for months started to worry that their tiny heart throb might not be OK.
Fear not, Fresno, we’ve tracked down one of the most authoritative sources out there next to Justin himself, his mom, his doctor and Usher. I’m talking about Carly Rae Jepsen. Yes, the “Call Me Maybe” girl. She’s also Bieber’s opening act. We chatted yesterday and she told me:
He’s just fine. I don’t totally know if it was just an upset tummy or what, but what a pro to turn it around as quick as he did. I was really impressed by that. I don’t know that I would be able to do the same. But he was right back up there two seconds later. What a professional.
The Black Keys proved Monday night at Save Mart Center that sometimes you don’t need all the bells and whistles of the modern concert world.
The duo — Dan Auerbach on guitar and vocals, next to drummer Patrick Carney — gave a largely no-frills performance, without much on-stage jabbering or over-the-top gimmickry. Instead, they gave the Fresno crowd a straight-up rock ‘n’ roll show and did a damn fine job of that.
UPDATE: Here’s our final batch of winners: Lisa (Toby Mac), Norma (Kendrick Lamar) and Erica (Grande/Beatty). Enjoy the fair everyone. Thanks for playing!
ORIGINAL POST: It’s just about fair time, which means here on The Beehive it’s also ticket time. The Big Fresno Fair starts Wednesday and runs through Oct. 14. There’s a concert each night, and we’ve got a pair of tickets for pretty much all of ‘em. The good news: We’re giving them to YOU.
Here’s how this is going to work: Leave a comment below, telling us the three shows you’d like to see (in order). If you don’t include a wish list, your entry won’t be valid. We’ll pick four random winners each day at 1 p.m., starting Monday, until all the tickets are gone. So get in quick for the most chances to win.
The first winners will have first choice of tickets. If you win and the tickets you want are already gone, I’ll e-mail you and see what’s next on your want list. So be sure to include a valid e-mail address. All the official rules are on the jump, as is the list of concerts. Good luck!
If you need some fair reading, please check out The Bee’s fair preview story in this Sunday’s newspaper.
UPDATE: Congrats to our winner — Cristina. Enjoy the concert!
ORIGINAL POST: We’re a week away from one of the most anticipated rock shows of the year. The Black Keys hit Save Mart Center on Oct. 1 and you wouldn’t want to be the “lonely boy” (or girl) left out, would ya?
Tickets are on sale now, costing $46.50. But one lucky Beehive reader is going to get a free pair for us. Here’s what you gotta do: Leave a comment below telling us your favorite Black Keys song and you’ll be entered to win.
Deadline to enter is 10 a.m. Thursday. A winner will be picked at random and notified via e-mail, so please use a valid e-mail address and please check it. You’re ineligible if you’ve won something from us in the past 30 days. Complete rules below.
Fans can buy tickets starting at 10 a.m. Friday (Sept. 7) to see Latin music legend Vicente Fernandez in Fresno.
Fernandez, a legend of traditional Mexican music, will visit Selland Arena on Nov. 16 as part of his farewell tour.
Tickets cost $48, $70, $95, $150 or $175. They are available at the Fresno Convention and Entertainment Center box offfice, all Ticketmaster outlets, including select Save Mart Supermarkets, or can be charged by phone at 800-745-3000.
1. SEE TWIN SHADOW You know how The Cellar Door in Visalia gets all those cool concerts? Well, organizers are saying tonight’s is the biggest one of the year. It’s with ’80s-inspired dance-pop act (and critical darling) Twin Shadow and the very groovy Poolside. In fact, I’ve heard people from L.A. and S.F. have been buying most of the advance tickets. Don’t miss out, local hipsters! Read this interview I did with Twin Shadow to get you ready. [Tickets]
Milo Greene just released its debut album and are stopping in Visalia on Thursday night to play The Cellar Door with Fresno faves Fierce Creatures. Go here for tickets and info. Consider Milo Greene one of those “on the rise” bands we’re seeing for cheap that could totally be famous a year from now.
Tonight at Fulton 55, catch Colorado folk/bluegrass band Shel, which is made up for four sisters, ages 18-23. They’re all classically trained, but have enough pop appeal that you can dig them, even if you’re not used to hear the mandolin on your iPod. Tickets here.
TWO: NYC rockers Outernational return to Fresno to headline Fulton 55. These revolutionary rockers get compared often to Rage Against the Machine — just with a little more Latin rock appeal. Probably ’cause they’ve become protege’s of RATM’s Tom Morello. Because Outernational is nice, here’s a free download of the band’s latest single. Find tickets for tonight here.
THREE: Audie’s Olympic has some international metal tonight with Spanish band Calibre Zero. Here’s their song “Muerde La Vida,” which gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect. This ain’t gonna be no siesta, that’s for sure.
Anyhow, you can catch Devin for $20-$22. Notably on the bill is 99 North, a new collaboration between local rappers Diego Redd and Shake Da Mayor.
ELSEWHERE
- The Central Valley Blues Society’s weekly dance party with Ron Thompson celebrates its three-year anniversary at Babylon Club. Thompson’s Thursday night shows have been going for nine years overall, having lives at a few different venues. [More]
This is a bit of a coup for the Fresno music scene tonight: L.A. band Fool’s Gold makes a tour stop at Audie’s Olympic along with local band Sunburns, which is the current project of “Bad” Andy Bunnell, formerly of Pinkeye.
Fool’s Gold plays a fusion of African rhythms with American pop — so there’s a nice breezy, catchy sound to what they do. But this ain’t just some ol’ weird hipster stuff. Fool’s Gold actually toured with Red Hot Chili Peppers last year.
They’ve also gotten love from NPR and PItchfork, plus played dates recently with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. OK, so maybe all that is hipster stuff, but whatever. This should be a rad show.
Get a taste of Fool’s Gold below and listen for them on the new Ozmosis podcast, which should be out soon.
The official lineup of this year’s Catacomb Party has just been released. It’s got some big names and a couple of surprises for hardcore fans of the scene.
