Your monthly dump (of area concerts for February, 2024)

Also, RIP to Pollstar co-founder Gary Smith and Bakersfield filmmaker/promoter Nathaniel Berg.

Jan 28, 2024

February is a short month, but it’s a dense one, super-packed with musical happenings, which you can see here, in my fully curated, almost-comprehensive monthly concerts list.

It’s broken up by week for sake of ease.

Week 1 (Jan. 28-Feb. 3)

Twin Tribes, 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 28, Strummer’s. This show is SOLD OUT.
The Trilogy Tour, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30, Save Mart Center.$55-$195+
Eric Bellinger, the Rebirth Tour with Zae France, 7 p.m. Wednesday., Jan. 31, Strummer’s. $25.
Thee Sinseers and The Altons, 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2, Fulton 55. This show is SOLD OUT.
SNBRN, 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, Fulton 55. $20-$25.
The English Beat, 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3 Strummer’s. $28.

Week 2 (Feb. 4-10)

Crooked Teeth, She Grin, Contranistas, Satellites, Charlie Steady, 6 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 4, Great Room. $10, all ages.

G3 is an interesting concept. You have Joe Satriani curating a night a supreme guitar shredding (there’s probably some blues-bending and chicken pickin’ and high-voltage riffage, too). Past tours have included Yngwie Malmsteen, John Petrucci, Robert Fripp, Michael Schenker and Adrian Legg among other.

The current “reunion” tour version features Satriani, plus Eric Johnson and Steve Vai (who once studied under Satriani). It stops in Fresno 7:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 5 at the Saroyan Theater. Tickets are $49-$129+

Diggin Dirt, 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7, Fulton 55. $17-$20.
Witchy Wednesday, with Teddy B, Dark Cloud, Gazey Lacey and VainGlory, 8 p.m. Wednesday., Feb. 7, Strummer’s bar side. Free. 21 +
Toby Mac, Hits Deep tour, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7, Save Mart Center. $15-$22.
Sounds of Mardi Gras Festival, daily programming, Thursday, Feb. 8 to Sunday, Feb. 11. DoubleTree by Hilton. Tickets available at door. No price listed.

Blake Jones and the Trike Shop is gearing up for another trip to the ole International Pop Overthrow festival. It’s the Chicago version and it happening in April. Before that, the band does a free gig at Gazebo Gardens, 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8. They will also play Goldstein’s in March.

Emo covers night, with Running with Scissors, Pansy Party, Kutie the Band and Lucky Pebbles, 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9, Great Room. $10, all ages.
17th Annual Jurassic Rock, 7 p.m. Saturday Feb. 10, Fulton 55. $15.
Fidlar, 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, Strummer’s. $28.
Valentine’s Night Out with Ashanti, 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, Selland Arena. $25-$199+
St. Valentine’s Day Brawl (wrestling and metal fest), 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, Full Circle Brewery. $10-$20, all ages. You can hear Scoundrel on the Homegrown show tonight on NewRock 104.1.

Week 3 (Feb. 11-17)

Tool, with Elder, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12, Save Mart Center. $55-$165+
Shwayze, ThekidGhost, 8 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 13, Strummer’s. $18.
Cigars & Bars, acoustic tour with Sam Grow, 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, Fulton 55. $20-$25.
The Greatest Love of All, a tribute to Whitney Houston, 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Feb. 15, Saroyan Theatre. $25-$75+
Alta Consigna and Banda Renovacion, 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, Saroyan Theatre. $39-$109+
Hugel, 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, Fulton 55, $40-$50.
Valentine’s Super Love Jam, with the O’Jays and The Stylistics and more, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, Save Mart Center. $54.50-$94.50.

Strummer’s has a week’s run worth of of shows, starting with Long Beach surf/garage rock band Tijuana Panthers. The band plays Friday, Feb. 16.

That’s followed by: Jerry’s Middle Finger (Saturday, Feb. 17); Marky Ramone, doing a full set of Ramones classics (Sunday, Feb. 18); the Alabama metalcore band Gideon (Monday, Feb. 19); hardcore band Zulu (Friday, Feb. 23); ska band Save Ferris with the Aquadolls (Saturday, Feb. 24) and industrial groove metal band Fear Factory (Sunday, Feb. 25).

Spellbound is the music of Siouxsie and the Banshees, as performed by a sort of Fresno super-group featuring members of The Miss Alans, The Shroud, Sleepover Disaster and Double Doors.

Story has it, the whole concert was set up as an excuse for The Miss Alans guitarist Manny Diez to be John McGeogh for the night.

McGeogh played with Siouxsie and the Banshee for two years and later with Public Image Ltd. He was generation defining.

The band plays 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17 at Fulton 55. Tickets are $10.

Benise, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, Tower Theater. $29.50-$95.

Week 4 (Feb. 18-24)

Albert Cummings, 8 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 20, Fulton 55. $40.
Lucky Pebbles, 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23, Great Room. $10, all ages.
Collie Buddz, Kash'd Out, DMP, 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, Fulton 55. $27.50.
He Films the Clouds, 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, Great Room. $8-$12, all ages.
Fan Halen, 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, Tower Theater. $25-$33.

Extra 5th week (Feb. 25-March 1)

Proud Tina: A Tribute to Tina Turner, 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 27, Saroyan Theater. $25-$75+
NIIS x Strawberry Fuzz, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28, Fulton 55. $12.
Łaszewo, 9 p.m. Friday, March 1, Fulton 55. $15-$20.
Treaty Oak Revival, 8 p.m. Friday, March 1, Strummer’s. This show is SOLD OUT.

Pollstar co-founder Gary Smith dies at age 77

As pointed out by Mike Osegueda (and others), Pollstar was, for decades, one of Fresno’s best kept secrets. Started in 1981 by the two Garys (Smith and Bongiovanni, respecitively), the concert-industry trade publication was revolutionary and became an industry standard. And it all passed through the magazine’s HQ in a boring looking office park on Shaw Avenue (as did more than a few mega stars … Taylor Swift, No Doubt, etc.).

Pollstar was THE day-job to have for musician industry types in town and it employed quite a few. I am thinking: Tony Martin, John Clifton, Bradley Rogers, Niilo Smeds, Marc Michel.

While the company sold in 2017 and has since moved to Los Angles, Gary Smith had remained a consultant and was very much the face of Pollstar until his death last Saturday.

Smith was a Fresno native who cut his teeth in the concert industry in South California in the late 1960s before coming back to set up shop in his hometown. As his friend, writer Debbie Speer said, he was a Boomerang, before that was a thing.

I wrote up a remembrance for The Fresno Bee.

Nathaniel Berg, Bakersfield, music, promoter, filmmaker confirmed dead

Nathaniel Berg was the kind of guy who makes a scene (double meaning notwithstanding, I never knew the guy, though we talked once before the premier of his Fugazi documentary “Floradora”).

Berg played in the Fresno punk band Sharon Tate in the ‘90s, but is better known for helming the Bakersfield venue Jerry’s Pizza during its heyday. It was a landmark. If you were in the Central Valley music scene at the time, you have at least one Jerry’s Pizza story no doubt.

Most recently, Berg had taken to archival documentation and has created a series of films, including one about Fugazi’s historic show at the Knights of Columbus Hall. He was working on a follow up to his film “Hwy 58: Children of the Bakersfield Sound,” when he died suddenly (and rather tragically) earlier this month.

Bandgeeeek!