Uncovered: Faith No More live at Wilson Theater, 1993

Also, a look at why the biggest Regional Mexican acts keep coming to Fresno.

Oct 22, 2023

If I were to reminisce about anything, it would likely be that span of early 1990s when the Wilson Theater was pulling in midsized rock acts at a pace of about once a month (though I seem to remember White Zombie and the Ramones playing within a day of each other in … 1994).

It’s not that the shows are particularly impressive from a historic standpoint (like the Clash playing Warnors Theatre, or the Police at Radcliff Stadium or Steve Martin at Fresno State’s Amphitheater). But I was teenager at the time, and like, really into music, and my parents didn’t mind driving my brother and I (and usually a bunch of our friends) to the “big city” to see a concert.

So, I was there, you know.

For instance, I was at the Wilson on January 23, 1993, when Faith No More played on its Angel Dust tour, which I was reminded up when a friend sent along this recorded stream of the show.

I was probably pinned up against the front barrier for most of the show, or trying my best to not get demolished in the pit, and also it was 30 years ago, so I don’t remember much.

Apparently, the band played 21 songs, including several of my favorites (the older me would appreciate it all more than I did at the time, I’m sure. Such is life).

Highlights: The growl that Mike Patton does at the beginning of “Midlife Crisis.”

FRRRRRREEEESSSSSNNNNOOOOOO!!!!

The quick chants of Satan in the middle of “Chinese Arithmetic.” That is so ’90s.

The cover of “Let’s Lynch the Landlord,” though its doubtful that I had been turned on to the original, yet.

Of note: Babes and Toyland opened the show, along with Kyuss, a band I loved, having seen them open for Danzig a few months prior (that set was also recorded, apparently).

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Fresno is front row for the rise of Regional Mexican music

Over at The Fresno Bee, I have a piece out today on how Fresno has established itself as almost an A market for Latin music and Regional Mexican music in particular.

Followers of music trends will have noticed a recent rise in the popularity of the so-called Regional Mexican.

This is the generalized catch-all for the associated genres of music coming out of the county and covers old school giants like Los Tigre Del Norte and Banda MS and also young corrido singers like Junior H and Peso Pluma.

It’s all been widely reported (see: Pitchfork, Billboard, NPR).

Of note here is that Fresno is getting these top-tier Mexican acts (and Latin acts more generally) stopping in at the cities biggest venues on what seems like a weekly basis.

In October we’re already seen Banda MS play Chukchansi Park, Ramon Ayala at the Paul Paul Theater and the Bachata singer Romeo Santos and Mexican pop band RBD at the Save Mart Center.

Mexican singer Pancho Barraza also hits the arena on Saturday.

What’s not mentioned in The Bee story is the affect the pandemic had (and likely continues to have) on the availability of venues.

This is a bit of conjecture, but it seems like lot of touring acts in other genres (the pop and country stuff that normally rolls through Fresno) cut their routing substantially in the last three years. They either hit just the major markets or stayed on smaller, regional tours.

That left Fresno venues with available dates. Add in proximity and popularity, demographics and an infrastructure of promoters already working the area, and it kind of makes sense that these acts leveled up to arena crowds.