5 Things I Will Do at Fresyes Fest [2023]

fresno-street-eat-Fresyes-1024x819 5 Things I Will Do at Fresyes Fest [2023]
(Pic stolen from Fresno Street Eats)

We can debate what our biggest festivals are some other time. But it might be Fresyes Fest. Biggest or not, I PLAN on going (I don’t get out much, so I am cautious with my optimism of leaving the house for something).

Fresyes Fes is this Saturday. It is centered around the Brewery District. Streets will be blocked. Beer will be drank. Music will be played. Tacos will be eaten.

Here are five things I plan to do, maybe you can to:

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Fulton Street Party Is All Fresno Music Goodness!

Fulton-Street-Party-2018-setlist Fulton Street Party Is All Fresno Music Goodness!

Fulton Street Party! Glad that Tioga is around, otherwise this might not have happened.

The Fulton Street Party is Saturday, celebrating one year of traffic returning to Fulton. It won’t be the hullabaloo that was last year’s party.

But thankfully, Tioga Sequoia Brewing pushes for something to happen and is making a day out of it, highlighted by the Battle of the Bands style competition happening all day with all local acts.

The two “best” bands will win slots at next year’s Grizzly Fest.

This will be a great snapshot of the state of Fresno’s music scene and it’s free to check out. Gaze at the flyer above for set times. I definitely have a couple picked out already.

Tioga will also have super fresh Fulton Street IPA (nice and hazy) flowing all day along, with other things going on within the block surrounding Tioga’s Beer Garden. Including the main stage for bands in the lot across the street from TS.

Sounds like a damn fine day to me. Hope I see ya there!

Maybe I’ll finally check out Chicken Shack.

Summer Sweat 2018: The Fresno Thing To Do This Weekend

img_8698 Summer Sweat 2018: The Fresno Thing To Do This Weekend

It’s time for Summer Sweat again!

My favorite music-related event of the year (well, since FUSE Fest is tucked away hiding in a Downtown basement somewhere).

I love Fresno events that fucking own that they are a Fresno event! That’s right, an outdoor event, during the hottest time of the year. Call it Summer Sweat. Bring the damn sweat!

SUMMER SWEAT DETAILS

TIOGA SEQUOIA STAGE

TEZZY RADIO STAGE

I will check in on this in between sets on the Tioga Stage and getting Fulton Street IPAs. But I would be lying if I told you I knew what the hell was going on there.

DJ Burns will be there. I sure hope it’s my friend Doug from 3rd Grade whom we all still call “Burns” and he has secretly been DJ-ing for years. Probably not.

OTHER THINGS TOO

There will be food and vendors of various sorts, check the flyer above for the list. All I need to know is there will be food and I’m cool. I am here for the music and beer.

I’ll try to update this post when I know the set times and if there are any special beer releases Tioga has up its sleeve.

Oh wait, here are the set times:

img_8771-1 Summer Sweat 2018: The Fresno Thing To Do This Weekend

I am definitely centering things around Pinkeye’s set with an eye on Macondo’s.

The thing I like about Summer Sweat above all the other music related events and festivals in Fresno is that it doesn’t get uncomfortably packed with Fresbros or anybody else, it’s about the music, it’s approachable, there is the good beer. Enough said.

See ya out there, sweating and breathing heavy.

 

The Best Time & Place To Watch The Last Jedi In Fresno

img_4571 The Best Time & Place To Watch The Last Jedi In Fresno

NERD ALERT! If you have not been paying attention to this blog, I am a giant nerd! A nerd about Fresno, a nerd about beer, a big nerd about Star Wars.

It would be hard for you to have missed that the Last Jedi comes out this week, Thursday evening to be exact. So it’s time for me to figure out where and when I’m going to see it.

A long time ago in a Fresno far far away, the place to see a Star Wars movie was: Festival Cinemas.

I may or may not be old enough to remember waiting in a line around the building. Now that building is a car dealership or something.

Let’s look through the options for Last Jedi viewings Thursday. Note that I am ignoring 3D showings because 3D is horseshit. Also, note that Clovis is worse than Jar Jar Binks.

Edwards Theater:

img_4575 The Best Time & Place To Watch The Last Jedi In Fresno

They have the most times, including three at 7:00, which is the earliest time you can see it in Fresno. I really like that 7:15 slot. It won’t be as packed as the initial times but you can still get into the theater before you run into people coming out of the theater yapping spoilers.

Maya Cinemas:

img_4577 The Best Time & Place To Watch The Last Jedi In Fresno

There is an 8:00 and 9:00 showing with a “cry room” available. I feel like I may cry at some point so this may be needed.

Manchester Center:

img_4579 The Best Time & Place To Watch The Last Jedi In Fresno

Wow. Not a lot of options. But I have not seen a Star Wars movie there and I know they have good sound.

Broadway Faire:

img_4578 The Best Time & Place To Watch The Last Jedi In Fresno

This used to be my go-to spot for seeing Star Wars prequel films. I think I saw all of them there, in fact.

My pick?: I choose the 7:15 at Maya. I have been going there exclusively lately, why stop now. I likely will also see it at Manchester once AND once at Broadway Faire, for old times sake. After that, only Yoda knows.

Spoiler Free Predictions!

I have managed not to hear any spoilers, outside of what the trailer tells me. I even momentarily stopped listening to all my favorite Star Wars podcasts. The exception being Star Wars Minute as they are covering Revenge Of The Sith right now – love that show.

Will we see a Force Ghost? Yes. I think we’ll see Ewan’s Obi-Wan. If we see Hayden’s Anikan, that would be insane!

Who is Rey’s parents? Han & Leia. I’m hoping for Kenobi though because I’m sure that dude got around, he didn’t have much else to do while watching Luke on Tatooine.

Lead Up To Jedi!

I warned your ass I’m a nerd. Here is the order I have been watching the Star Wars films this week. It’s not exactly the Machete Order (my favorite order to watch Star Wars), but it’s nerdy:

img_4574 The Best Time & Place To Watch The Last Jedi In Fresno

I have not read any reviews but I have seen Tweets from trusted people and they say Last Jedi does not disappoint. Maybe it will be so good it will take me back to Fresno Summers waiting in lines at Festival.

At any parsec, see you at Maya Cinemas, I guess. And May The Fresno Be With You. Always.

Primer For The Foo Fighters Show In Fresno On Friday – Complete With Setlist Hopes!

img_4290-4 Primer For The Foo Fighters Show In Fresno On Friday - Complete With Setlist Hopes!

Fresno is finally getting the Foo Fighters show we have waited the whole band’s career for! That is a long time. Long. Time.

So, since we here in Fresno may be new to seeing the Foo, we might have some questions and even some demands centered around Friday’s show.

Let’s get this out of the way first: Will they play a Nirvana song? No. Dave has always said Foo would not and they have stayed true to that, with the exception of playing a cover that Nirvana played live.

What special Fresno inspired guest could they bring onstage? This is a move Foo likes to pull off from time to time, get some big local guy or just a special big guest to come out and play one or two songs, even if the performer isn’t rock related. As funny as it sounds, I think they could bring out Timmy T and do a rock version of “One My Try”, might sound kinda nasty (in a metal kinda way).

Why do they have three guitarists? Ok, so, you have founder Dave Grohl throughout, duh. Originally there was also Pat Smear (yes, came over from Nirvana) as rhythm and lead guitar. Pat left the band and was replaced by Frank Stahl. Then Frank left and was replaced by Chris Shiflett, who is the still the current lead guitarist. So you got Dave and Chris. Cool? Cool. BUT WAIT! At some point Pat Smear is like “Wow, guys, remember when I was in the band? Yeah that was actually pretty rad, huh? Good times, good times… Hey, I was thinking maybes, you know, it sure would be cool if I was in the band again. Yeah?” And Dave was like “Cool, whatevs bro, come on back.” And so there were three.

What kind of setlist should we expect Friday? Well, I don’t like to peak at what songs a band has been playing on tour before I see them, so I have not looked. A big show like this is kinda like going to see a Star Wars movie or something; I want to know as little as possible.

I do know that they are playing 22 songs on average this tour. So, I have compiled a sorta dream setlist for Friday’s show that I’m about to reveal, I did it on my notebook because that is how you do nerdy rock band doodles. You know, like when you were in high school and stuff.

You’ll notice I mostly left off songs from the new album, making this setlist-wish unrealistic as they are touring to support “Concrete and Gold.” But hear me out on this, DAVE, (I’m talking directly to you, Mr. Grohl): YOU BASTARDS HAVE NEVER PLAYED FRESNO! We deserve a unique set that reflects that.

So here it is:

img_4275 Primer For The Foo Fighters Show In Fresno On Friday - Complete With Setlist Hopes!

I chose “All My Life” as the opener because it would be cool to have that initial single riff playing to a completely dark arena, can’t see the band yet just hear the riff going for an extended time, until you hear Dave (the place is still dark) recite the initial lines and then BOOM! song kicks in all lights on!

Fuck yes, the Foo Fighters are in Fresno!!

For some reason, there are still tickets available. Please leave your must-hear-live Foo Fighter songs in the comments!!

An Open Fulton Street Allows Fresno To Move On

Fulton-Street-Before-1024x669 An Open Fulton Street Allows Fresno To Move On

I didn’t want this. The Fulton Mall open to traffic.

I wanted the mall to be cleaned up. I wanted the art refurbished. I wanted the fountains to be working. But I didn’t want cars. That wasn’t possible.

It became “street or the same”. The same was a bad option. Same was an ignored Fulton Mall with little to no working fountains, forgotten art and too many people not comfortable with parking in garages and lots where they can’t see their car.

So I then begrudgingly became a supporter of traffic returning to Fulton. Better a shiny new sidewalk with working fountains and freshly polished art, than overgrown trees and neglect with no end in sight.

Saturday is the big thing-a-ma-jig to celebrate Fulton Street opening. For me, it will be more of a wake for Fulton Mall. But, it will be one of those fun wakes. The kind where you have a couple drinks and celebrate the life the person lived. Just, in this case, the person is a concrete open-air mall.

At Least Fresno and Downtown Can Move On To Other Things

We have debated what to do with the Fulton Mall for over a decade on Flowing With Famous. It’s going to be weird no longer needing to talk about it. Sure we still need to watch how the shops and restaurants will do now that there’s traffic. But we all get to move on now.

What is next? What should Fresno tackle now? Chinatown maybe? It will (fingers crossed) get a Hi-Speed Rail Station. That could be the push Chinatown needs to start getting some much-needed attention and renovation. It’s my pick anyway. Leave a comment on what you think the next project Fresno needs to tackle.

In the meantime, we have a wake to attend. I’ll see you out there. I hear they’ll have beer and it’s a safe bet it will be tough to get a parking spot.

Shameless Harrison Ford Tangent Ahead!

BTW, the Draggin’ the Main theme gives me yet another chance to use one of my favorite clips from American Graffiti, a movie about life growing up in the Central Valley in the 50’s (Modesto to be exact), so it’s relevant to Fulton Street, mmka?

A movie with, none other than Mr. Harrison Ford. Please tell me Bob Falfa dragged Fulton once:

*Pic was stolen from here.