A new venue in Tulare? Who's booked for the Zumwalt Amphitheater?
Plus, a check in on the Vina Robles summer series and Papa Roach at Crawdaddy's?
We’ve got a new venue alert.
Apparently, there is a 6,000 capacity amphitheater opening at Zumwalt Park in Tulare. As reported by the Sun-Gazette back in April, it being operated by Spade Entertainment under a contract that will bring 12-15 concerts to the city each year.
That works out to one-ish show a month, though with the summer heat, you can expect things to stack up in the spring and late summer into fall.
So far, there are four dates on the books, starting Oct. 26 with country singer Clay Walker. Canaan Smith and RaeLynn open the show. Tickets are $45 and sale now.
That’s followed by a rock show (Buckcherry and Living Colour, Nov. 2) and a pair of retro-music nights (the Motels, Flock of Seagulls and the Tubes on Nov. 8 and Lou Gramm, Nov. 9).
It’s a decent opening salvo.
Of course, as Fresno learned with installation of its own amphitheater (and also Chukchansi Park, if we’re being honest), that kind of sustained usage can be elusive.
That said, the addition of that Living Colour show is enough to have me interested in following the venue’s calendar.
Happening now: Vina Robles Summer Concert series
Speaking of amphitheaters, Vina Robles continues its summer concert series run with a lineup that is certainly worth looking at (especially seeing as it is less than a two hour drive).
For a decade plus, the venue has a consistent draw of bands playing across genres.
In past years, they’ve had Alice Cooper and Nick Lowe (opening for Elvis Costello) and Devo (to name the bands I’ve traveled to see).
Primus is there tonight.
Cake plays on Thursday and the Happy Together tour (with the Turtles and Cowsills, etc.) is on Friday.
You can check the whole lineup yourself, but let me highlight Nikki Glaser, Aug. 4 (it’s a comedy show, I know); Rick Springfield and Richard Marx, Aug. 11 (but just to hear “Hazard”); Bonnie Raitt, Sept. 18; The Cult, Sept. 27; Bronco, Oct. 4 and the season’s closer King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard, Nov. 3.
Papa Roach plays NewRock Soundhouse
When people ask what radio has to offer, what with the proliferation of streaming services, its stuff like this: New Rock 104.1’s Soundhouse series.
Because the station has connections with industry types its able to bring bands in to play odd little one-off as a gift to their listeners. In the past they’ve had SWMRS, Wilderado, Pierce the Veil.
On Thursday, they’re bringing Jacoby and Jerry (aka Pappa Roach) for a mini acoustic set at Crawdaddy’s in Visalia (the station is big in the South Valley for some reason). The show kicks off at 4 p.m.
The trick is, you can’t buy a ticket. You’ve go to listen. The station is running this guestlist only, giving out spots during the noon and 4 p.m. hours starting Monday.
That’s it for this week. Remember you can now hear me on the Homegrown Show Sundays at 8 p.m. on New Rock 104.1 FM. Tonight I’ll have Dying Suns in the studio to talk about their new album and more. Follow my other writing at The Fresno Bee. If you have anything you think I need to be looking at or listening to, feel free to let me know: jtehee@gmail.com