Fresnans. This is your culture podcast. It is called Flowing With Famous. Mr. Joshua Tehee of the Fresno Bee and I have been doing this for many years, mostly talking Downtown Fresno and interesting Fresno culture and music stories. This month’s episode is no different.
We revisit the Fulton Mall groundbreaking and our feelings for that day. We stay in Downtown Fresno and talk about the Culture Arts District and if South Stadium is a good name for that area of Downtown.
The Audie’s Olympic era has closed and we reminisce about the historic Tower District music club which leads us into the Band Of The Episode: Let’s Go Bowling.
The playing of Let’s Go Bowling sparks yet another version of the game: What’s The Greatest Music Act In Fresno History?
We then talk about last month’s Fresyes Fest at Tioga and how we may be getting too old and if there a culture shift in Fresno nightlife. Plus Josh saw Justin Beiber… so that happened.
I dunno if you heard about this but Audie will soon no longer be running Audie’s Olympic club in the Tower District. Crazy, right?
Hey, don’t ask me what happened, I’m sure Josh over at Fresno Beehive has something up about it or soon will. Rumor has it that the Audie Camp is saying the owners of the building want to do their own thing there and are pushing him out. The Owners Camp (total rumor, bro, ok?) say they would like him to stay if he met with the obligations of the lease.
Totally not my business. All I know is I have spent a lot of time in Audie’s Olympic. Not as much as of late but I think maybe I’ve gone to… 90? 100 shows there? Yeah, sounds kinda right.
So with that, here are my Ten 9 Cool Ass Things [I Will Remember] About Audie’s Olympic:
The Tub Of Beer: Not every place in town has a horse water trough full of ice and cheap beer cans. Even if you are not hipster enough to like PBR (I apparently am not), you had to order one, just so you don’t stand out too much.
The Chalk Event Board: I am a real nerd about chalk boards. No self respecting craft beer tap room doesn’t have one. Audie’s has one. Checking out the board during band breaks is a classic past-time for me.
The Bathroom Door Sticker Art: I can only assume the girls bathroom is the same but I KNOW the boys has always been covered in band stickers. I really haven’t checked it out close enough to see if they are ever peeled off or if there are years and years of layers.
Audie Chilling In the Corner of the Bar: If you look real close, behind the soundboard, you just might catch a glimpse. Always felt like I was looking behind the curtain at the Wizard of Oz.
The Wall Carpet! Zanny I say (and probably helps with the sound). And all the stuff above the bar. ZANNY!
Pool Table/Merch Table: Of all the years going there, including when it was Club Fred, I think I saw the pool table actually functioning as a pool table, twice. Love picking up merch there so that is ok. Always bring cash for band merch, people, it seriously helps the bands survive.
The Sidewalk Scene: In between bands, more than half the club spills out onto the sidewalk in front of Audie’s. And most aren’t smoking, just getting some air and catching up with folks. Because have you tried having a conversation inside a rock club?
The Couches: It was super rare that I would get the couch in the center of the dance floor. I would occasionally get the one under the control booth. This was always a mistake because you never got up again.
Seeing Rising Bands: Whether it was a Fresno act or a touring act just trying to get noticed. There is no greater pretentious dude joy than to be able to say “I saw that band play at a small club in Fresno before they hit big.” Really this is [was] my favorite thing. And you get to talk to the bands outside during the sidewalk sessions.
Seriously, much love and respect to Audie and what he has done for the music scene in Fresno, it can’t be said enough. Safe travels on his next adventure.
Hopefully the space continues as a rock club. It just has too. Even if the wall carpet has to go.
We are on a vacation. That’s our excuse THIS week for having another limited Bandgeek post. Now you may ask “How DOES one take a vacation from being an unpaid blogger?” Not sure but it’s happening. Anyway, Fresno music isn’t taking a vacation. It’s working hard:
Portland brings the shit with stoner rock band Ape Machine. Plus Fresno's Style Like Revelators and the continuing return of Beastmaker whom have quickly got some good local buzz going.
It's probably a good sign when you are tired after a music festival. Nobody is ever tired after having a boring time. Such is the case the day after FUSE Fest 2012. We're very tired.
There were a lot of cool moments this year: Being moved by the rock of Sparklejet. Discovering Alana Hill has an amazing voice. Seeing Kat Jones reconnect with her Fresno fans. People tripping out on the robot that is Collecto. Light Thieves wowing F55:
Werebear tearing it up the Lampost:
People on Iron Bird Loft balconies enjoying Blake Jones:
FUSE Fest 2012. It all starts tonight with a festival pre-party happening at The Hashtag on Wishon Row. See various FUSE Fest artists doing hella short sets, plus get your festival passes for Friday and Saturday along with FUSE Fest merch.
You can also get a sweet program you can use to start planning your festival routing. It's music nerd stuff and it's fun as hell. If you don't get a program you can start planning with this.
Get hyped by listening to all the pre-festival podcasting:
![audies-olympic-street-1024x678 9 Cool Ass Things I [Will] Remember About Audie's Olympic](https://i0.wp.com/thefresnan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/audies-olympic-street.jpg?resize=840%2C556&ssl=1)
