FresnoBeehive.com

It’s a few days before Rick Ross announces he’s coming to Fresno’s Save Mart Center. I’m talking to my buddy Sam. Some synth-heavy indie rock song is booming overhead, but for some reason I’m thinking about Rick Ross. Raaaawssssss! (Sorry, can’t resist).

I ask, totally serious, “Does anybody actually like Rick Ross?” What I mean specifically is this: Are there diehard Rick Ross fans? People who wear Rick Ross T-shirts or put things like “Rick Ross is my favorite rapper” in their Twitter profile. Do these people exist? Because I don’t know them.

I know people who say they like Rick Ross because he’s on the radio a lot. Because he’s on the top rappers in the game — whatever that means in 2012. Or because he does songs with Drake. Or because he raps about money and fancy cars and yachts.

Fast forward to right now. Tonight, Ross and his goon squad clique bring their Maybach Music Group Tour to town. This includes star-in-the-making Meek Mill, perpetual bridesmaid Wale and Machine Gun Kelly, a white dude that Puffy signed who notably went nuts in a Microsoft store. There was a Groupon for tickets last week, so it’s not exactly Bieber Fever up in here. Tickets cost $46.75-$66.75. Does Fresno like Rick Ross that much? Does anybody? Yeah, we’re back to that again.

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UPDATE: The Rick Ross concert was officially announced today. Tickets are on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. with tickets costing $39.75, $49.75 & $69.75.

ORIGINAL POST, 9/27: Country legend George Strait and hot-rapper-of-the-moment Rick Ross are Fresno-bound, according to new tour announcements from each artist.

Strait announced 2013 tour plans at a Wednesday news conference at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. Strait said the tour, titled “A Cowboy Rides Away,” would be his last. Strait will perform Feb. 1 at Save Mart Center. The tour includes Martina McBride. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Oct. 12. They’ll cost $72.50 and $92.50.

Meanwhile, rapper Rick Ross announced his Maybach Music Group tour would stop at Save Mart Center, too. Tour dates tweeted by the rapper include a Nov. 29 show in Fresno. That tour includes Ross labelmates Meek Mill, Wale and Machine Gun Kelly. Save Mart Center has not confirmed the Ross date, nor have ticket details been announced. Watch for those in future updates.

Also: Superstar DJ Tiësto has postponed his October concerts because of a back injury. His Fresno show, originally Oct. 17, has been rescheduled for March 6. Tickets from Oct. 17 will be honored at new date. But refunds are also available.