The End Of A Fresno Nerd Era

Hi Fresnans. Welcome to the last official post on The Fresnan.

We…alright, it’s time to drop the “we” bullshit. I will no longer write new posts on The Fresnan. A little local blog journey, that never felt like it got out of beta mode, has come to an end.

[Actually this little Fresno blog is back, but let’s see where this goes…]

I feel douchey doing a closing post but I always hate it when things I like (blogs, TV and radio shows, whatever) just end without a goodbye or a series finale. So this is for that little group of readers that happen to have liked this blog through the years.

WHY IS IT ENDING?
There are several reasons I feel it’s time to stop The Fresnan. The biggest reason is I’ve blogged myself into a corner, so to speak.

The main content for the blog has evolved, over time, into posts about the music scene. Mostly posts about what show is happening that particular night. This requires me to be writing on a near nightly basis (Friday and Saturday usually being an exception). That kind of blogging schedule is no longer sustainable for me. With work and family, the only time I have to write is late at night. I simply can’t keep up with it any more.

Now maybe changing the format back to the way The Fresnan was in the begining (more posts about general Fresno culture and media) would free up some nights here and there. Problem solved, right? Not really. I seemed to have lost the ability, or energy, or drive, to write about that stuff. Just lost it.

Facebook and Twitter have robbed a lot of that spark blogging once had as well. And that’s a factor. But really that’s a cop-out. Good blog content can still trump social media, I just can’t come up with enough good content to be relevant anymore.

I’ve always wanted to write more things like profiles of Fresno bands and bands that were coming to town. More journalistic style local content of stories that don’t ever reach the media. But lack of skill and time always prevented me from that.

STATS
To those that don’t know, asking a blogger about their exact stats is kind of frowned upon. It is sorta of an un-written rule amongst bloggers.

But since we’re done, I’ll tell you that there are currently 152 subscribers to The Fresnan and the blog averages 156 unique views a day.

I’ve never actually turned a profit doing this. There have been a couple years when links or banner ads have paid for the site, but I have never earned a dollar in my pocket.

The biggest post ever on the Fresnan was when I (in a tounge-in-cheek way) said that we should open up River Park to traffic. It was an attempt to make the argument for opening up the Fulton Mall to traffic, look silly. It got about 750 hits in 12 hours. One of the few things that went locally viral on this blog.

BLOGGER RESPECT
Over the years many blogs have come and gone. I’m not proud to admit it but, I always enjoy it when new blogs come out strong then fade out just as quickly.

I know what it’s like, you get that early little bit of success and recognition, think you’re hot shit, then realize it takes a lot of grinding, day after day, to keep a blog relevant. Then you give up. I guess that’s what I’m doing now, I just grinded it out a lot longer than most.

Much respect should be given to local bloggers Mike Oz, Joshua Tehee and Heather McLane. Through the years they (and some others) have motivated me to be a better blogger. Not so sure the “better” part worked, but they motivated me. They’ve been doing it for as long as me and GET what blogging is. It’s not an article, it’s not a column, it is its own thing. Glad to know they are still out there fighting the good fight.

Bryan Harley needs to be recognised too. He did The Fresnan logo for free and was also part of the Dumb Drum blog that was a motivator as well. Old timer bloggers like Ed Stewart also pushed me. Incredible people and commentors, Blake Jones and Dale Stewart, I really have to stop and say thanks to as well.

In the early years, the biggest motivator and influence for local blogging, for me and for most everybody else, was Jarah Euston and Fresno Famous. This was the beginning of blogging for Fresno and I can still remember her writing a “how to blog” post that I used to teach myself how to actually do this.

BANDGEEK
If there will be a gap left by The Fresnan not posting anymore it’s the end of the Friday “Bandgeek” posts. This one I feel the most guilty about abandoning. It was personally rewarding but took two to four hours to write every Thursday night. It was tough. I remember some times too when I would lose the post (delete it accidentally or have it freeze up and go away) after writing for two or three hours straight, then have to do it all over again.

If you want sources to find out what’s happening in music on the weekends, make sure to check:

There’s more but that will get you started. By the way: SUPPORT FRESNO’S MUSIC SCENE! There is a lot of talent around here, especially for a small city, get out there and see it.

OTHER PROJECTS
Sorry but I will not be off the indie media radar totally. I still love doing the long runing podcast I’m a part of: Dorktown. I will be recording shows like always and posting Dorktown and podcasting related material on the blog.

This is easier for me to do because it can be done when time allows rather than having to make time for it on a nightly basis. Plus, I get to podcast with two of my best friends in the world (Producer Becky and “Bells”) so it’s easy to motivate myself to do it.

I also plan to still use my spot on Fresno Famous (I use the handle “Wiffle”) to post stuff when inspired to and have re-booted Flowing With Famous podcast with Josh Tehee. Additionally I will keep the Fresnan Twitter account active (ironically) by RT-ing and linking to relevant Fresno stuff.

I will keep The Fresnan going in ‘archive mode’ for a while too and try to keep the links updated.

So please support that stuff and Dorktown Podcast if you’re a supporter of The Fresnan. Support for Dorktown especially would mean a lot! I hope that not posting on this blog will force more creative content on Dorktown. Time will tell.

FRESNAN OUT
So thank you so much for reading this. Fresno is a good city that has potential to be amazing and that’s what I love about it. Support things like Creative Fresno and anything and everything creative in Fresno.

Thank you thank you, thank you.

-Mikey “The Fresnan”

Listen To This: Eating Out Fresno – Dorktown #120

6a00e54ee89e6c8833016768e94e77970b-400wi Listen To This: Eating Out Fresno - Dorktown #120

This one won’t make the Podcast Hall Of Fame but we’re posting in anyway, because, well, we had fun. The Dorktown gang hangs out and talks all kinds of local and what nots:

  • Laser Quest must be a front.
  • Tioga Sequoia Brewing has hooked Bells.
  • A review (sorta) of the Catacomb Party and the Fulton Mall.
  • Forit Or Againit: Bringing the COCO Bobblehead to Fresno.
  • Fresno Home and Garden Show: Horrid.
  • Castillo’s impresses.
  • MUSIC BREAK: Werebear “Night Of The Werebear”
  • Podcaster advice.
  • BEER DORK: Beer mules and Dust Bowl Brewing.
  • REMOTE: Spokeasy’s.
  • FONZY EYYS!

LISTEN HERE: Dorktown120.mp3


More Notes:

Dead In 60’s Catacomb Party video
.
Ear Candy podcast
.
FUSE Fest
.

Support Tioga Sequoia Brewing because they are big supporters of Craft Beer, Downtown Fresno and Fresno podcasts!

Check out Dorktown’s home, leave a kickass review on iTunes, like their Face and Tweet’um… you know… if you have the time or whatever.

Tonight @ Fresno: An Excessive Amount Of Things

Fresno's really showing off now. It's Spring and there's too damn much going on, especially for one shitty blogger to keep up with. ArtHop is tonight with dumps of stuff (artists love it when you refer to their pieces as "dumps of stuff") all over at places like this:

6a00e54ee89e6c88330167660d1f35970b-350wi Tonight @ Fresno: An Excessive Amount Of Things

Also, that blog that has never stopped believing that blogs are popular, the Fresno Beehive, are putting on another Tweetup with the Grizzlies, poolside:

6a00e54ee89e6c88330167660d21d5970b-350wi Tonight @ Fresno: An Excessive Amount Of Things

Downtown Fresno is all into doing stuff on Thursday nights now:

6a00e54ee89e6c88330167660d2715970b-350wi Tonight @ Fresno: An Excessive Amount Of Things

Arthop is so popular it produces bi-product events:

6a00e54ee89e6c88330168eb0f6b11970c-350wi Tonight @ Fresno: An Excessive Amount Of Things

Oh yes, there's the normal during Arthop live music like the Light Theives playing…

6a00e54ee89e6c88330167660d4ea3970b-350wi Tonight @ Fresno: An Excessive Amount Of Things

…And post-Arthop live music as well:

6a00e54ee89e6c88330167660d52bd970b-350wi Tonight @ Fresno: An Excessive Amount Of Things

There's probably a buncha other junk happening too…after all it is Fresno: lot's of stuff happens here.

Do This: Fill Out A ValleyWho Bracket

6a00e54ee89e6c8833016302dacd89970d-400wi Do This: Fill Out A ValleyWho Bracket

This ValleyWho thing by those Beehivers is genius. Like Fresno Famous said yesterday, we're pissed we didn't do this first. But, then again, it looks like it was a lot of work so screw it. Congrats, Beehive.

If you haven't figured it out yet, ValleyWho is a tournament modeled after the NCAA basketball tourney (Go Lady Dogs!) except college basketball teams are replaced by local celebrities. Everyone votes to try and get their picks moved on. Cool shit.

Before we throw our stupid opinions out there, we give a solid fist bump to the Beehive for putting this out there and creating a balanced-as-you-could-realistically-get bracket. That said, we would have like to seen Tony D, Tom Flores, Famous Whitewater, Margie Wright, Henry Ellard and the Guitar Playing Sign Twirller at Shaw & Blackstone up in there.

Some other things we feel like being a dick about:

  • Anthony Taylor a 13 seed? Seriously? That's some friends propping up friends stuff right there. Only us local Internet nerds know Taylor and we don't think he's even been around Fresno for very long, has he?
  • Parker (a 16 seed) going up against William Sorayan is worrisome. The Grizzlies are going to rally around this and probably bump Bill out in the first round. Sadness.
  • Graciela will likely be battling Bubba in the second round. Too damn early for tough decisions like this. That goes for other second round problems like Seaver vs. Radka and Tark vs. Laval.
  • Crazy Bernie is in this? Hasn't he only been around a few months? Plus, the creepy as hell picture of him on his sign and billboards insures that we will never buy furniture in that fuckers place, ever.

A printed version is in today's Bee. Go vote here. This should be fun. Check out our bracket after the jump:

Continue reading “Do This: Fill Out A ValleyWho Bracket”