Audie’s Olympic – The Fresnan

This Is Not A Local Music Blog

January 3, 2017January 7, 2017 The Fresnan

I miss Audie’s Olympic. Barely seen a band in Fresno since the place begrudgingly closed. I blame Audie’s closing on my lack of seeing local bands play lately, but that is a copout. Still, I miss it.

Yes. Strummer’s is there and still scheduling bands. So is Fulton 55. Frank’s Place does a thing or two, I think. Cool, cool.

There are new local venue things too. Tioga Sequoia Beer Garden has a lot of music. Goldstein’s has music. These are places that were not much of a factor musically when Audie’s was still operating.

And none of these places match up to the true rock club vibe of Audie’s. Nor can they regularly bring to town the kind of shows that Audie’s brought in. Not the touring, fresh, rock bands or mid-level local kind of shows anyway.

What the Fresno Grizzlies are to a professional baseball player, trying to get into the major league’s, Audie’s was to rising touring or local bands.

And, you could just hang out in Audie’s – as long as the style of music was not too grading to you, that is. Just hang and have a beer, sit on a stool, occasionally stop and look to the stage to enjoy a nice set. Didn’t even need to be there with anybody.

NOT THAT THERE IS ANYTHING WRONG WITH A LOCAL MUSIC BLOG

I hesitate to write this post because it personally concerns me. I don’t want to do what I did before and turn the Fresnan into a music blog that is not supposed to be a music blog.

That is what it was when I previously put this blog on ice. Just posts about local shows. Which is fine if you brand yourself a music blog. The Fresnan was not branded as a music blog. I got lazy and complacent.

If you want a local music blog, check out Spanspek or read Joshua Tehee stuff. Do it.

SPEAKING OF LOCAL MUSIC

So Josh Tehee and I just posted a new Flowing With Famous podcast and in it we picked out favorite Fresno music acts of 2016. My pick was The Light Thieves:

Josh picked two. Beastmaker…

…and Sagey. Now Sagey was a new one to me. Josh talked about how these guys have the local buzz right now and I think I get why:

I will keep listening to what Josh has to say about the Fresno music scene because he will find out first when (or maybe if) Audie’s opens again as a new music club.

I might finally be motivated to get back into the local music scene. Maybe see a Sagey show. Sit on a stool.

*I am finally starting up a newsletter. It will augment what you see on The Fresnan with a bent toward local life in general. Sign up below!:

9 Cool Ass Things I [Will] Remember About Audie’s Olympic

March 15, 2016March 19, 2016 The Fresnan 8 Comments

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.

[photo from David Prasad]

BANDGEEK!: Coast Into Summer, Meet Olivia Mancini’s Mates and Clash With Metal’s Titans!

July 6, 2012July 6, 2012 The Fresnan

Your firework hangover should be cleared out by now. Time to get out there this weekend and enjoy some live music. LET'S BANDGEEK!!!

FRIDAY

KUPPAJOE'S: Fresno Coasts Into Summer with Rookie of the Year (NC), Challenger!, Eryn Woods, Clouds like Mountains, & Get Up & Go:

TOKYO GARDEN: Stopping in Fresno tonight, Olivia Mancini "Olivia writes pop songs. Upbeat, melody-driven, and not interested in being taken too seriously, Olivia-the-music is a lot like Olivia-the-person. Likable." There ya go. Go:

AUDIE'S OLYMPIC: Comedy at Audie's? It makes sense when it's Neil Hamburger. Plus Brian Kenney Fresno opens so now we're totally getting it:

FULTON 55: Assless chaps are encouraged at Glam Corbra will be hitting the stage for a FREE event!:

THAI PALMS: Homegrown Fridays returns after a week off with Keep Your Fingers Crossed, 2 Hours Later and Relion:

BANDGEEK!: What Does Let’s Go Bowling, The Soma Holidays and Bang Tango Have In Common?

March 30, 2012March 30, 2012 The Fresnan

Yet another fruitful weekend of music for Fresno. Sure hope you have Saturday morning to recover because Friday is going to be rude. Let's BANDGEEK!:

FRIDAY

FULTON 55: It's not often that one of Fresno's top bands of all time, Let's Go Bowling, plays so this one moves from a show to a EVENT:

AUDIE'S OLYMPIC: If you like the Fay Wrays, then you probably like (or will like) The Soma Holidays. That's 'cause The Soma Holidays are kinda the Fay Wray's grandad… or something. It's a big reunion show for the Holidays (we told ya about this, complete with free mp3 downloads) because it's been seven years since they've played together. Keeping the stage warm for them is Achievement House, The Red Coats and straight from Portland (via Fresno and Nashville) is Kat Jones. Good times. [$8, 9pm, 21+]

BABYLON: Diehardz Music presents The Accident Experiment (with Marcos Curiel from P.O.D) Also doing stuff is Down Word, Outside the Wire, Clockwork Hero (Stockton), Kinship, and S.K.O.P.E:

KUPPAJOE: Sacramento alt rock guy, Josiah James. Plus Quiet Science (Merritt Island, FL), Omotola and My Beautiful Surrender. How terribly awesome is this flier?:

THE CYC: The promoter wisely put an early start time for this one as there are a dump load of bands playing: Brotherhood, Limits, Phoenix Emerge, Head Over Heals, Fatty Cakes, Dependence and Lover Boy:

THAI PALMS: Homegrown Fridays returns with a familiar face: This Planet Prelude. Plus I Do Not Exist and No Cause For Alarm:

STARLINE: It was the late 80s (or maybe early 90s) and Bang Tango was a band. That played. Music and stuff. Well God bless them they're still doing it, and frankly…Why the hell not!? Locally supported by Six Day Truce, Hammerdown Sindrum and Tipsy Gipsy: