Update 3:23 p.m.: The victim has been identified, The Bee reports:
The victim was identified by the Fresno County coroner as Eric Catlapp, 32.
Police say Catlapp was a member of The Hashtag, a 24-hour work center for local professionals in the 1200 block of North Wishon Avenue.
Original post 9:54 a.m.:
Photo by Jim Guy/The Fresno Bee
Sad news to report this morning: Police are investigating a fatal stabbing in the Tower District, which apparently happened on Wishon Row near the Hashtag. Here is a link to The Bee story, which doesn’t have many details at this point but should be updated today with more information.
I’ve seen a lot of longtime Beehive readers express concern, dismay and anger about the events in social media this morning. I too am saddened by this news. There’s no reason for such needless violence and my thoughts are with those affected by this crime. I really hope this doesn’t deter the business owners on this row who have really tried to make something nice for the people of Fresno, or keep people from visiting these businesses.
Owner Osry Tsudama at Tsu Tsu Boutique. Photo by Mark Crosse.
Tsu Tsu Boutique just celebrated its first anniversary, so it’s not exactly new, but I have a feeling some shoppers haven’t discovered this little consignment shop in the Tower District.
The store sells gently used women’s clothing, jewelry and handbags and is at 727 E. Olive Ave., next to Bobby Salazar’s. It’s similar in concept in Plato’s Closet, buying clothes outright from sellers and reselling them at a discount. Unlike Plato’s though, Tsu Tsu (pronounced “su su”) doesn’t focus on teeny boppers and tank tops. Instead, it sells clothing geared toward women their 20s, 30s and older. The clothes are trendy, but not too skin baring.
The boutique does lots of business in high-end jeans. Owner Osry Tsudama found there was a market for selling such jeans after shoppers who spent hundreds of dollars found they just didn’t fit right after the first wash. Brands such as True Religion, J Brand and bebe denim run between $35 and $59 at Tsu Tsu.
The store also sells used Coach handbags and other high-end purses. The jewelry sold at the store is new.
And shoppers will also find Osry’s collection of modified denim shorts. She dyes them, adds swaths of fabric, studs and other embellishments. Keep scrolling for more photos of what the boutique sells.
That’s how manager Saúl Aguilar describes Das Bierhaus, which is finally up and running in the Tower District, across the street from Spectrum Gallery.
“You can come in and drink it here, or you take it home,” he says of the beer sold at the bottle shop.
Das Bierhaus (yes, it means “the beer house” in German) has two coolers full of craft beer. Customers can pop open a cold one there for a $1 corkage fee (the department of alcoholic beverage control requires that) and drink it at one of the tables or bars. Or, they can buy bottles and take them home. A “build your own six pack” lets customers mix and match beers for $9.99.
The business specializes in craft beers and keeps prices low on local beers, including Riley’s and Tioga-Sequoia. Das Bierhaus gets lots of craft beer fans who have discovered something new on tap at places like Spokeasy or Fresno Brewing Company and come to Das Bierhaus looking to buy some to take home.
The bottle shop concept is new to the central San Joaquin Valley, but it’s one that’s becoming popular in larger cities. Because it’s not truly a bar, nor just a retail store (there will be beer on tap in the coming months, by the way) the business got a little tangled up in red tape before opening. But it’s here now and if you want to check it out, my former colleague Mike Oz is having an Ozmosis Happy Hour at the place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. tonight. More photos below.
The 9th Annual Fresno Film Festival kicks off tomorrow night at the Tower Theatre. The festival, presented by Fresno Filmworks, runs the full weekend, with five feature-film presentations, more than a dozen short-film screenings and a number of post-screening discussions and other fun stuff for all you cinephiles.
Our movie critic Rick Bentley screened two of the features (“Paris-Manhattan” and “Blancanieves”) and word around the office is they were stellar. You can read his reviews in tomorrow’s 7 Section.
In the mean time, we have tickets to festival to give out to couple Beehivers (that’s you). Because the festival starts tomorrow, this is a quickie. Leave a comment on this post. Tell us why your love Fresno Filmworks (or haven’t yet been introduced). We’ll pick two winners at random. Contest will close at 4 p.m. today and winners will be notified by email. NOTE: These are actual physical tickets, so winners will need to come down to The Bee’s front lobby by 5 p.m. tomorrow to pick them up.
No repeat entries, please. Check your email tonight to see if you’re the winner. Complete rules are on the jump.
The new Cuvée Spirit & Wine Parlor looks more like something you’d stumble upon in San Francisco’s Union Square than in the Tower District. Swanky, I think, is the best word to describe it.
The new wine bar is at 1140 North Van Ness Ave., just south of Olive Avenue. The owners have put a lot of effort into making this spot look nothing like the Hungry Howie’s Pizza and the mixed-martial arts store it used to be.
I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves, but as for the experience, expect modern lounge music soft enough to hear yourself talk and waitresses clad in black, skin-tight clothing.
It’s definitely a different vibe from the more down-to-earth Pinot Wine Bar down the street on Olive Avenue. Different wines too: Where Pinot carries wines from all over the world, Cuvée serves only wines from California and France.
There’s food too, with small plates and appetizers ranging from sweet potato fries to plates of cheese and chocolate. Their wine and food menus are online here.
Starline Grill appears to be the latest business added to the list of recent closures.
Two employees confirmed today that the Tower District restaurant and bar is closed (not to be confused with Starline the club next door, which is still open).
It’s not clear why yet and the owner hasn’t returned our calls, but we’ll update you if he does.
Starline Grill first opened in 2006 as Lipari’s Italian Grill and quickly morphed into a late-night hangout spot, with the outdoor patio and bar a refuge for smokers.
Janet Moos and Jason Kabeary run The Succulent Shack
An unusual shop has opened in the Tower District: A potting bar. No, it’s got nothing to do with marijuana, say the owners. The Succulent Shack focuses on potting plants, specifically small, fleshy succulents.
In the former Twee location at 1302 Wishon Ave., the business lets customers pick out a plant, pick out a pot and do the potting themselves, adding glass or stone top dressing.
There’s pots for sale by local artists and ones the owners make themselves. They also sell the finished product. Their “pot-a-sauruses” — a plastic dinosaurs painted and hollowed out to hold plants — are so popular they sold out.
They sell other items, like the Dirty Bird Birdhouses, birdhouses made from gourds grown by a Tulare County gourd farm. The Succulent Shack hosts potting parties for kids and adults too. Most plants cost $4.50 or less, depending on size, with pots ranging from $1.50 to $25 and potting fees ranging from $1.75 to $3.75.
1. DO SOMETHING HALLOWEEN-ISH
With that unfortunate Halloween-falling-on-a-Wednesday thing, this weekend promises to be full of slutty nurses roaming your neighborhood bar. We’ll be back with a full rundown of Halloween happenings, but here are a few top options. The party at The Standard is pretty big each year. King Sugar‘s Eureka Burger show makes the list off the flier alone — but they’ve got cool ska flavors too. And who doesn’t want to parade their dog around the Tower District?
Two cool things happening this Saturday night that you should start planning for now: this year’s third annual Zombie Pub Crawl in the Tower District and the new-look Sudz in the City, which has to the Fulton Mall and is now more focused on craft beer.
Here’s an interesting project for local theater folks:
J.J. Cobb of Eastern Connecticut State University, who directed a 2007 production of “Othello” at the Woodward Shakespeare Festival, returns to Fresno to put together a Site-Specific Theatre piece about the Tower District.
Cobb writes:
The grant I received to construct the piece was approved on very short notice, so I’m trying to get the word out as quickly as possible … Site-Specific Theatre is based on the concept that theatre can be constructed to illuminate how a location influences events. Over three weeks, members of the cast will help to devise the piece through site exploration, interviews, research, and movement. Rehearsals are M/W/F 7-10 p.m. Performance will be Monday, July 30th.
Auditions are 7-10 p.m. July 11 at the 2nd Space Theatre. For more information go to the project’s Facebook page.
1. RE-LIVE THE KRZR DAYS Hard rockin’ Fresno radio station KRZR — which broke the hearts of local headbangers when it flipped formats a couple years ago — is the subject of a documentary that’s premiering Saturday night at Tower Theatre. It’s called “Long Live the Wild Hare,” and it looks at all the hijinks of the era plus puts the station’s legacy in context. Many of the old KRZR jocks will be at the premiere and afterparty. You can read more about the movie here. [Tickets]
For one night, in Fresno’s Tower District, the Jedi and the Sith put aside their differences and gathered for a common cause: a pub crawl! Yes, Friday night — ahem, May the Fourth Be With You — was the inaugural Star Wars Pub Crawl. If you’re like me and you missed it, The Bee’s Craig Kohlruss snapped some pics for your Monday perusal. The event’s beginning included a flash mob and proposal. View the entire gallery of photos here.
If you’ve got more pics to share — and I know you do, because I saw a bunch flying around the Internets — leave a link the comments
1. THE FORCE IS STRONG WITH THIS ONE I’ve been talking about it for a while, but it’s finally here: The Star Wars Pub Crawl in the Tower District to celebrate May 4 (aka May the Fourth Be With You). Ten different bars are in, with signature drinks, games and contests. The whole thing starts at 7:30 p.m. with a gathering of Jedis, Sith, wookies, etc., in the parking lot behind Livingstone’s. Read my column from The Bee for more info. [Info]
Get ready to tour the Tower District, sipping wine, tasting food and interacting with local businesses. Next Thursday, May 10, is the annual Taste & Toast of the Tower.
The event is billed as being like trick-or-treat for adults. We like that. We just hope nobody is handing out Necco Wafers. Here’s a little more from the Tower District’s website:
This is the Tower District’s incredible tasting event featuring four dozen sampling locations and 15 local wineries. Guests stroll throughout the Tower District enjoying tastes of all the exceptional offerings the Tower has to offer on a daily basis. Everything from chicken Caesar salad to cheesecake, Italian sausage to hot dog sliders, penne pasta to pastries, exotic teas to locally roasted coffee will be served up with warm, Tower hospitality. Tickets include a map of all the sampling locations throughout the Tower District. Just follow the map and sample to your heart’s content.
Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased at Tower staples such as Chicken Pie Shop, Sequoia Brewing, Livingstone’s, The Landmark, Irene’s Cafe and the Tower Theatre box office. The event runs 5:30-8:30 p.m.
TONIGHT:Mat Kearney is at Fulton 55. The show was sold out, but a few tickets opened up. No guarantees now. But good for you, Fresno, selling out the show. It’s just the start of a great week of live music. Keep reading.
OH, AND FIREHOSE: Reunited ’90s rockers Firehose play Fulton 55 on Friday night before heading out to this weekend’s big Coachella music festival. Score another for Fulton 55!
I think I speak for every beer-drinking player of video games when I say it’s about time Fresno got a barcade. If you need help with that one: bar + arcade. All on the same page now? Sound great? Then make sure Spokeasy Public House is on your radar.
It’s a new bike-themed pub and arcade in the Tower District — at 1472 N. Van Ness Ave., specifically, just a block or so north of Audie’s Olympic. Spokeasy is big on two things: craft beer and retro gaming. Its “grand opening” is Saturday night, but Spokeasy has already been open evenings this week.
Co-owner Michael Unguez, who opened Spokeasy with Ben Kloos, says you can expect to see the bar open at 5 p.m. weekdays and 1 p.m. on the weekends. It closes at about 11 p.m. on weeknights and stays open later on the weekends.
Spokeasy is serving 12 beers right now, but hopes to have more than 50 eventually, Unquez says. Its early game selection includes a sit-down Galaga, Mortal Kombat and skee ball. There’s also bike-themed decor — like handmade wood tables with spokes embedded.
Rogue Festival 2012 is here. Rogue loyalists have been counting down the days, picking out shows to see and gearing up for a busy weekend of alternative performing arts.
But let’s say you’re brand new to this Rogue Festival thing and you’re not quite sure what it’s all about. That’s understandable. It’s quite the hard-to-tackle beast for a newbie.
That’s why we’ve been putting together our Rogue FAQ for a few years now. It’s helpful for the casual Rogue fan or the wide-eyed newbie to review before heading out to see some shows.
Got further questions? Leave ‘em below and we’ll do our best to help. If you need show recommendations, come back to site, because we’ll have reviews rolling in throughout the weekend. Here are some best-guess picks from Donald and myself to get you started.
1. LAISSEZ LES BONS TEMPS ROULER
It’s Mardi Gras time! Sunday is the Tower District is Fresno’s annual parade. The rest of the afternoon should be filled with happenings in Fresno’s most happenin’ part of town. You can catch tunes at Audie’s Olympic (Dusty Buns will be out there too!) or party it up at Starline later in the night.
I’ll be honest, fellow “Star Wars” fans, I’m not the slightest bit interested in the 3D re-release of “The Phantom Menace” coming Feb. 10. Jar Jar Binks in 2-D was enough for me. I am, however, quite interested in a local event that was just announced: A “Star Wars” themed pub crawl in the Tower District.
It’s from the same people who put together the Zombie Pub Crawl and it’s happening May 4 — aka May the Fourth Be With You. It’s a pretty simple concept: You dress up in “Star Wars” garb and crawl — or roll, if you’re going R2-D2 style — around the Tower District bars.
The atmosphere is a cross between a sports bar and a country club, with big TVs and a pool table, but also some funky decor and old music like you might find at your grandma’s house. If your grandma is classy and cool.
Welcome to 2012. We’ve got a new year that’s pretty much all ahead of us. That means new things to look forward to. So we figured we’d continue in the fashion of our 2011 Rewind series and talk about what we’re looking forward to in 2012.
It could be anything — either related to Fresno or a big pop culture event that’s already circled on your calendar. In short: What’s can’t you wait for this year? Check out our picks and chime in with yours.
HEATHER: Locally, I’m really looking forward to enjoying a glass of wine at the newly opened Pinot Wine Bar and Bistro in the Tower District. I got a chance to sample some of the wines and appetizers during the wine-and-tapas joint’s soft opening in December, and since then I’ve been looking forward to going back. Cool, low-key and reasonably priced, Pinot Wine Bar is the perfect place to grab a glass of wine or beer and a light snack before heading to an event at the Tower Theatre.
It seems like the Tower District’s businesses come and go in waves. If that’s the case, the last few weeks have marked a wave of openings in the neighborhood.
Here’s a list of what’s new:
Pinot Wine Bar & Bistro: It opened yesterday in the old Palomino’s space, offering wine and small plates of food. It’s open 4 p.m. to midnight daily, except Mondays. More on The Bee’s news blog. Can’t wait to see what they do with that great patio.
Tower Cafe: A couple doors down from Pinot is Tower Cafe, which brings new life to the Tower Dogs space. It’s still a late-night destination — serving stuff like chili-cheese tater tots until 3 a.m. It has more sandwichey fare during the day. More from the News Blog.
1. START A NEW CHRISTMAS TRADITION
This weekend brings us a couple of new holiday-themed events that are a little different than the usual Christmas fare. It’s something I wrote about in my Bee column today. There’s the inaugural SantaCon Fresno happening Saturday with people dressed as Santas bar-hopping around the Tower District. Then there’s Fresno’s first-ever festival celebrating the “Seinfeld”-created holiday, Festivus, which is happening tonight at Fulton 55. It’s organized by the Dirty Dowdy Podcast and features local bands and comics as well as many of the Festivus traditions as outlined on “Seinfeld” — the Festivus pole, Airing of Grievances and so forth.
About six weeks ago, a reader e-mailed me wondering what Fresno had to do to get a SantaCon going. We’ve learned the answer: Let a radio station lead the charge.
New Rock 104.1 is organizing Fresno’s inaugural SantaCon on Dec. 3.
What’s SantaCon, you ask? That was my first reaction too. This explains it:
Unless explicitly stated you must assume that every SantaCon event is for adults – where guys & girls of legal age dress up like Santa and go cavorting around town for no better reason than that it’s huge fun.
That having been said, some SantaCons are family friendly, some cater to children, some raise money for good causes and some will even let you bring your dog (dressed as Santa of course)!
In Fresno, our SantaCon is taking shape as a Tower District bar crawl. And if you’ve made it this far and your interest is piqued — better start hunting for a Santa costume.
It’s for Halloween for reals — not to be confused with the week’s worth of Halloween parties that led up to tonight where girls could dress up like as a slutty [insert costume idea here] and guys could try to hit on them.
Sure, Halloween night still has a number of those parties, but it’s also offers the tried-and-true traditions — like trick-or-treating or, conversely, walking up and down the streets of the Tower District aimlessly. The choice is yours.
