I didn’t keep officially tally, so I can’t say exactly where 2023 fell in terms of how many live music events I made it out too, how many I reviewed and how many I skipped and then regretted.
On feeling alone, though, this was a good year.
That’s especially true for fans of Regional Mexican and Latin music, who saw some of the biggest names roll through town. That’s both the established acts (Los Tigre del Norte, Banda MS) and the up and comers (Peso Pluma played Chukchansi Park as an opener weeks before he really blew up).
There also seemed to be a bigger cut of low- to mid-level touring acts coming through (High on Fire, Descendents, Built to Spill, Kurt Vile and the Violators, Southern Culture on the Skids, Melvins). That’s not to mention the massive number of underground shows that were happening each week at places like The Great Room, Destructive Warehouse, Shallow End, Sour Milk and others I’m not hip to.
Here is my top 10 list for live music events for the year.
It is arranged here by date and based on 1.) stuff I attended 2.) what I can remember. It is obviously skewed by my tastes, so please feel free to fill me in on what I missed.
Daiistarr/Sleepover Disaster /Brother M, Feb. 11, Full Circle Brewing Co.
Daiistarr came in from Austin, Texas, to play what felt like a throw-back; the kind of randomly promoted show that would have been booked at Audie’s Olympic back in the day (the mid 2000s to 2010s).
Or maybe, Tokyo Garden.
It was the kind of show where don’t know much about the headliner, but you go because Sleepover Disaster is opening and you’ve heard good things about the other opener (Brother M, in this case) and it ends up being one of the best nights of music you’ve seen in a long while and you leave on a high and hyped about the local scene.
Side note: Daiistarr shares a drummer with the Austin doom metal band American Sharks, who I recognized just by his playing style.
Tower Porchfest, April 29
On numbers alone, Tower Porchfest is Fresno’s largest showcase of local talent.
It’s also the most accessible, with each stage independently curated and wholly free to attend. So, the thing plays out like a massive neighborhood black party, if all your neighbors somehow happened to be in bands.
That is nice for the creativity and the adventure of exploring (and also debuting) new music, but it can be a bit overwhelming, if you’re trying to jump from porch to porch.
Some 200 musicians participated in 2023. Expect that number to grow for next year’s event, which is already set for April 27.
Audra McDonald, June 25, Warnors Theater
It seems silly to say, but Audra McDonald’s star power gets overlooked because she’s not doing pop music and people (it’s me) just aren’t familiar with the great American songbook.
To prove the point, the Broadway actress/singer was chosen as the grand marshal of the Rose Parade.
McDonald is by far the greatest musical talent ever exported from Fresno (if that’s up for argument, let me know). That was pretty clear during a rare hometown performance at the Warnors Theater in June.
Drac and the Swamp Rats, July 13, The Fulton
Drac and the Swamp Rats is a monster band.
There’s the mummy on bass, wolf man playing guitar and Frankenstein’s monster on drums. The whole thing is led, very deftly, by Drac, a mic-swinging hillbilly Dracula, with a mullet and wife beater.
It’s obviously played for novelty, but the band holds to the schtick, which is impressive. The songs are killer, too (“Fuck the Sun” for one).
Kudos to Zodiac Show for lining this one up.
Don McLean, Aug. 25, Tower Theater
A new management team took over at the Tower Theater in June and immediately started filling up its calendar. One of the first shows it booked was Don McLean, the singer songwriter best known for his remembrance of the Day the Music Died.
For fans of the late ‘50s-era rock-and-roll, the show was more than satisfying.
McLean has a distinct style and his band were in top form running through covers of Elvis, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and others.
Fans of his folkier tunes may have been left somewhat wanting.
Fulton Street Party, Aug. 28
The Fulton Street Party was a music festival in disguise.
The annual celebration, which marks the reopening of Fulton Street to traffic, went heavy on on music this year, with more than 50 bands playing at more than a dozen indoor and outdoor venues along Fulton, from Mono to Merced streets.
The vibe was well curated and harkened back to the days of the Fresno Urban Sound Experience or the first years of the Catacomb Party.
Flogging Molly/The Bronx/The Vandoliers, Sept. 3, Tioga Sequoia
Flogging Molly is a sure bet in Fresno.
The Celtic folk band comes through town every few years (most recently at Tioga Sequoia) and it’s always a well attended, raucous show.
The openers were worth the ticket price on this one.
The Vandoliers came in from Texas and played what used to be called alt-country or before that, cow punk. They could have been signed to “For A Life of Sin”-era Blooshot Records.
The Bronx could be the best rock band playing.
While some would likely throw them into the punk or hardcore category (and the music definitely and aggressively fast and loud enough for it) for me, the songs transcend.
Singer Matt Caughthran is a true front man, who’s not afraid to mix it up with the crowd. As a bonus for the punk and metal nerds, the band features drummer Joey Castillo.
This was my first time seeing the band, and while it did not disappoint, I feel like need to see them headline a show.
Amyl and the Sniffers, Oct. 13, Tioga Sequoia
It’s a mystery how Fresno landed one of three California dates on Amyl and the Sniffers North American tour, but it did and what ensued will likely become one of those concerts people will talk about for years.
Sort of like when Radio Head played at the Fresno State Amphitheater.
The Australian band does a kind of furious proto punk with hints of early-era AC/DC. Singer Amy Taylor is everything you’d want from a woman fronting a snarky, kick-ass, hard-hitting rock band.
Anyone who doubts the state of modern rock and roll would do well to see this band.
Pierce the Veil, Nov. 5, Selland Arena
Pierce the Veil actually came through town twice this year (and will return next year with Blink 182).
Both times, they were met with massive crowds.
The Jaws of Life tour stop at Selland Arena was a quick sell out and had people camping out for hours before showtime. It was the longest line I’ve seen for a show at the venue (or any local venue, really) in years.
Pierce the Veil fans are wild and loud and love to sing along, which made the show extra fun to watch (from a spot not crushed in with the crowd on the floor).
While plenty of those in attendance likely didn’t care, the tout had a strong lineup of openers that would be worth seeing again (especially the post-rock supergroup L.S. Dunes).
The Nitty Gritty releases ‘Heartsick,’ teases debut Ep
Danielle Rondero landed herself one hell of a backing band. Or maybe the Nitty Gritty found itself one hell of a singer.
Either way, the group is stacked with talent.
Rondero has fronted several bands in town, including the Amy Winehouse tribute Back to Black and the ska band King Sugar. The Nitty Gritty features Antonio Montanez (Sun Umbra, Kings of Blackstone, Neptunes, Style Like Revelators, The Jules Winnfield and Fats LaBell), Benjamin Betita (Belmont Sound System), Richard Lloyd Giddens (Burning Ghosts), David Aus, Richard Scroggin,, Frank Zamora and Max Hembd (all well known players around town).
While the group has been performing live (landings opening spots for the like of Trish Toledo, the Sinseers, etc.), it released its first studio single on Friday and is teasing a full Ep, set to drop in January.
“Heartsick,” is out on streaming platforms now.
That’s it for this week. Remember you can hear me on the Homegrown Show Sundays at 8 p.m. on New Rock 104.1 FM and 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