Your monthly dump (of area concerts for March 2024)

Plus, an Artificial Language listening party.

Mar 03, 2024

In this month’s musical happenings, Fresyes Fest is the biggest and most anticipated (especially in terms of purely local performers).

A lineup announcement is expected later today, so you can check y’alls social media, though I’ll be sure to do a proper breakdown before the festival (it’s March 23, btw).

In the mean time, here is a fully curated, almost-comprehensive list of the other concert happing in the area in March, broken up by week for sake of ease.

Week 1 (March 3-9)

Kenny Feidler and The Cowboy Killers, with Casey Shelden, 8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 7, Fulton 55. $20-$25.
Gawp, 9 p.m. Friday, March 8, Fulton 55. $10-$20.
Walter Trout, 7 p.m. Friday, March 8, Tower Theater. $30-$45.
Kalan.frfr, 9 p.m. Friday, March 8, Switch Lounge. $20-$30.
That Indie Rock Covers Show, 7 p.m. Friday, March 8, Strummer’s. $8-$15. All ages.
The Expendables, 7 p.m. Saturday, March 9. Strummer’s. $23. All ages.
Patrick Contreras, noon, Saturday March 9, Riverpark Shopping Center. Free All ages.
Eyes Set to Kill, 5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 9, Full Circle Brewing$17-$22. All ages.

The Rogue Performance Festival runs its second week Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 7-9. This isn’t a music-specific event, BUT, there are no shortage musicians performing. See: Mike Alexander’s, “Oh No! Not Another Sequel!,” Joe Medina’s “Baby Medina,” and the Sump Pumps trio, which is promising a different special Fresno famous guests at each show.

Organizer Jaguar Bennett shared some ideas on how to really enjoy the festival over at The Fresno Bee.

Week 2 (March 10-16)

Elefante y Mikel Erentxun, 9 p.m. Sunday, March 10, Fulton 55. $55.
Slater, 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, Strummer’s. $15. All ages.
The Morning Drive, Primary and See Thru, 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 15, Fulton 55. $10-$12.
Carro Show y Cóndor, 9 p.m. Saturday, March 16, Fulton 55. $45.
Blake Jones and the Trike Shop, 9 p.m. Saturday, March 16, Goldstein’s. Free.
Bed, Paradise Blossom, Brujoz, Blazed. 6 p.m. Saturday, March 16, Great Room. $10. All ages.

Go Ahead and Die is the metal project from Max Cavalera and his son Igor Amadeus Cavalera. Max is the Brazilian musician known for his numerous brutal metal bands (mostly famously Sepultura, but also Soulfly, Nailbomb and Killer Be Killed).

Go Ahead and Die is currently on tour in support of “Unhealthy Mechanisms.” The band plays 6:30 p.m. Saturday, March 16 at Strummer’s. Tickets are $25 and all ages.

Fresno’s Scoundrel opens the show.

Week 3 (March 17-23)

Guitars N’ Stars is a kind of contradiction. It’s a supergroup certainly, but it’s members aren’t household names. Thomas Allen Heath sang for Tommy Tutone. Kenny Olson has rocked with Aerosmith, Metallica, Run DMC, Hank Williams Jr., Sheryl Crow and Faith Evans and was Kid Rock’s lead guitarist for eleven years. Chas West was in Bonham and Lynch Mob; Sean McNabb played bass in Quiet Riot and Jason Sutter currently drums for Cher (when not on the road with Guitars N’ Stars).

The band is at Fulton 55, 5:30 p.m. Sunday, March 17. Tickets are $25-$30.

Rumors ATL, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 17, Tower Theater. $22-$32.
Jorge Lozano H, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 17, Saroyan Theater. $50-$100+
Warbringer, 7 p.m. Thursday, March 21, Strummer’s. $25. All ages.
Blake Shelton, 7 p.m. Thursday, March 21, Save Mart Center. $49-$349+
Local Launch, with Eye Of Aquila, JNX, Permutations, Grudge Race, 6 p.m. Thursday, March 21, Full Circle Brewing. $10-$13. All ages.
Chill X and Calavera Inquiry, 9 p.m. Friday, March 22, Fulton 55. $10-$15.
Remo Drive, 7 p.m. Friday, March 22, Strummer’s. $20. All ages.
Smells Like Nirvana, 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 22, Full Circle Brewing. $20-$25. All ages.
Cook Out, 8 p.m. Saturday, March 23, Fulton 55. $10-$15.
Mercy Me, 7 p.m. Saturday, March 23, Save Mart Center. $25-$75+

Week 4 (March 24-31)

John Clifton, Sunday Afternoon Album release party, 3 p.m. Sunday, March 24, Locked in Sports Bar. Free.
Trish Toledo, 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 27, Fulton 55. $25-$30.
Kyle Smith, 1335, 8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 28, Fulton 55. $18-$100.
Chango, 9 p.m., Friday, March 29, Fulton 55. $5-$15.
Y&T, 8 p.m. Friday, March 29, Warnors Theater. $50-$70.
Full Circle Rock Night, with Running with Scissors, Brujoz and more, 6 p.m. Friday, March 29, Full Circle Brewing. $10-$12. All ages.

John Waters isn’t a musician, but he is responsible for at least two generations of utterly classic cult films and holds rock star status among a certain fan base (as underground as it may be). It’s a “happy family of all-age, cuckoo crossover: hip-hop hippies, pansy punks, queer gangstas, down-low hos, and shit-kicking skeezers.”

So, yeah. He gets included on this list.

Waters does a comic spoken word show 8 p.m. Friday, March 29 at the Tower Theater. Tickets are $40-$57.

Scott Russo, from Unwritten Law, 7 p.m. Saturday, March 30, the Fulton. $15-$20.
Movements, Ruckus tour, 6 p.m. Saturday, March 30, Tioga Sequoia Brewing Co. $30. All ages.
Goth Prom, with Priest, Julien K, September Mouring, Puppet, Seerd, 6 p.m. Saturday, March 30, Full Circle Brewing. $20-$25. All ages.
Michael Cera Palin, Cheri Domingo, Citrus and Lavish Youth, 6 p.m. Saturday, March 30, Great Room. $12-$15. All ages.

Artificial Language listening party at Ragin’ Records

Early this month, Fresno prog metal band Artificial Language released “Skinwalker.”

It is the first single from the band’s upcoming “Distant Glow,” EP and not be confused with the Scoundrel tune of the same name. Upon release, the website Loudersounds listed the song as one of its new Prog Tracks of the Week.

“It follows the release of their debut album The Observer in April 2017 and 2019’s Now We Sleep, and goes a long way to setting the quintet up as ones to watch from the new crop of progressively minded bands emanating from the US at the moment.”

This is a kind of literary metal.

The EP is an unfolding story about “the consequences of choices that are made linger at the surface,” the band says.

“Set during a dust bowl-like event,” the music follows a father and son “tangled in a web of conspiracy.

“Based on coincidental events during his son’s birth, a father must make a choice to believe whether his son is an innocent soul or a harbinger of annihilation.”

The band is doing a listening party at Ragin Records (the Tower location) in advance of the full release. The event is 7 p.m. March 21 and is free.

Bandgeeeek!