Fresno vs. Mid-State fair; a concert-lineup breakdown.
Plus, regional Mexican music continues to dominate Save Mart Center and Alejandro Escovedo set Tower Theater date.
Here’s something I discovered this week that struck me as odd: Sugar Ray has a Greatest Hits album.
Which isn’t all that weird, I guess.
The band, led by front man (turned TV host) Mark McGrath, was rather ubiquitous in ’90s pop music, with that funk-rock thing was popular at the time. And it did have a run of tunes people know (“Fly,” “Someday,” “Every Morning,” “When it’s Over,” “Under the Sun”).
I mean, if Alice Cooper can have 20 greatest hits albums out, it makes sense Sugar Ray could get one.
This is all prelude of course, to the news that Sugar Ray has been added to the lineup of this year’s Big Fresno Fair. The band plays Thursday, Oct. 3. Tickets are $22-$42 and on sale June 4 (though BBF club members can get them starting tomorrow).
The first wave of 2024 performers was announced back in April and included: country singer Walker Hayes (famous for that time he inadvertently created an Applebee’s theme song); The Righteous Brothers (that’s Righteous brother Bill Medley with Bucky Heard standing in for the late Bobby Hatfield); G-Eazy (the Bay-area rapper that could technically be claimed by Fresno if we were so inclined) and country legend Dwight Yoakam (who is also a more than decent actor).
That leaves space for eight more artist, which will likely include a comedian, a Christian performer of some kind, and at least two regional Mexican or Latin acts.
While we’re on the topic of county fair concert series, California’s Mid State Fair is happening in Paso Robles July 17-28.
Over the years, the fair has become known for pulling some big names.
Cardi B and Blake Shelton played in 2019.
Garth Brooks for a two-night stand in 2017.
This year, the lineup leans heavy into county music with Miranda Lambert (July 17); Brad Paisely (July 20); Zac Brown Band (July 21) and Jellyroll (July 23). There’s also comedy (Nate Bargatze, July 18); a regional Mexican act (Carin Leon, July 22); R&B hip-hop (TLC and Shaggy, July 25); classic rock (Cheap Trick, July 26) and some heavy nostalgia (Sublime with Rome, but minus any actual member of Sublime, plays July 19. Nickleback, the world’s most successful punching bag of a band, plays July 24).
Check the fair’s webpage for tickets. Jellyroll and Carin Leon are already sold out.
Fresno continues to land major Mexican acts
Back in October, I wrote of piece of The Fresno Bee laying out how Fresno has become an almost A Market for Regional Mexican music (and Spanish language music in more broadly).
At the time, the city was landing some of the biggest names in the genre.
That hasn’t stopped.
Much of this is thanks if Live Nation, which has a division dedicated to building and promoting Latin artists. Which is why Fresno is seeing an influx of these groups landing at the Save Mart Center (and to a lesser extent Fresno Convention Center and Saroyan Theatre), while independent promoters are also bringing large-scale concerts to town (to Chukchansi Park, most notably).
Here’s a quick look at some upcoming shows.
Fuerza Regida plays the Save Mart Center, July 7. Then, the area has a break before a massive run of concerts in September. Latin pop singer Chayanne plays Sept. 5, followed by Junior H (Sept. 6), Peso Pluma (Sept. 7), Grupo Firme (Sept. 13) and Grupo Fronteria (Sept. 27).
The Saroyan Theatre has Intocable playing its 30th anniversary tour June 29. Ana Barbara performs Aug. 31. Gabito Ballesteros (a contemporary of Junior H and Peso Pluma in the corridos tumbados movement) plays Sept. 20. Los Alegres Barranco play Oct. 4.
Alejandro Escovedo sets date at Tower Theater
For those not following the Tower Theatre’s calendar (bookmark fresnotowertheater.com) there are a few shows that snuck in among the stand-up comics and tribute acts. See: Trish Toledo, Steel Pulse, Dave Brock’s Doors Experience and … Alejandro Escovedo.
Escovedo has been skirting on the underground since the 1970s, first in the punk rock scene and later in Austin’s alternative county scene (he had a trio of albums on Bloodshot Records in the later 1990s).
No Depression Magazine named him the artist of that decade.
The songwriter plays July 20. Tickets are on sale now.
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 have a conversation with Daze Baby front man Tristan Robison. 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