Your monthly dump (of area concerts for August 2023)
Plus, the return of Pierce the Veil with rock supergroup LS Dunes.
Another month, another 31 days closer to Halloween (or Christmas or whatever holiday you’ll be looking forward to next).
Here are the Fresno-area concert happenings for August 2023, which I’ve collected into a semi curated, and somewhat, but not entirely comprehensive list (grouped by week for sake of ease).
Shortened week 1 (Aug. 1-5)
Chris Cain, 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3, Fulton 55. $35-$40.
MKC, 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3, Goldstein’s. Free.
Riley Green, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3, Sam’s Club on Blackstone. Free.
Kickin Valentina, 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4, Fulton 55. $20-$25.
Fuerza Regida: Otra Peda Tour 2023, 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5, Save Mart Center. $39.50-$399.50.
Tower Rats, with Mantis Watch and Mindless Society, 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5, Tioga Sequioa. Free, all ages.
Subale, 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5, Frank’s Place. $10-$15.
The return of the Babylon Club was first spotted in April, with the Business Journal reporting the defunct Tower District venue would be reopening in May.
That doesn’t seem to have happened, but it does appear the one-time pool hall/bar/nightclub will reopen Saturday Aug. 5 with a performance from DJ Yella and Lil Eazy-E.
Yella is a founder member of the rap group N.W.A. and Lil Eazy-E is the son of N.W.A. rapper Eazy-E, who died in 1995. The pair will be supported by a lineup of local rappers and Djs, including TA the Handful. Tickets are $35-$150.
The concert benefits the Art Silva Foundation, a nonprofit that supports mental health within the music scene. A companion event (a car show) takes place 2 p.m. on Shaw Avenue in the spot that used to house the Black Angus restaurant.
Week 2 (Aug. 6-12)
Always Loretta, 7 p.m. Saturday, Sunday Aug. 6, Tower Theater. $30-$50.
Gosh, BackHand and Martirio, 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 7, The LAByrinth Art Collective. $10, all ages.
Big Time Rush, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8, Save Mart Center, $29.95-$499.95.
Handsome Dick Manitoba has proto-punk bonafides.
He cut his teeth in New York in the 1970s as singer for the Dictators and was featured on the band’s classic “Manifest Destiny.” He later formed the band Wild Kingdom with Daniel Ray, who was a collaborator with the Ramones and produced three of their later-day albums (and also two of the Misfits non-Danzig album).
In 2005, Manitoba took on the role of Rob Tyner in a touring version of the MC5.
The singer hosted a radio show on Sirius XM Radio and currently hosts his own podcast. He still performs songs from the Dictators (and other punk bands) as Handsome Dick Manitoba and will be in Fresno, Aug. 9 at Fulton 55 as part of West Coast run of shows.
It’ll Grow Back and Out of the Ring open the show. Tickets are $20-$25.
Mikaela Davis, 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9, Strummer’s. $13-$15, all ages.
Cali Summer Dance Party, B Rawcity and DJ DWiggz, 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10, Fulton 55. $10-$15.
Nick Slater, Tulare Dust, 9 p.m. Friday, Aug, 11, Frank’s Place. No price listed.
GAV, with Dropping In, Daze Baby, Cheridomingo and Blazed, 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11, Great Room. $10, all ages.
Heavy Weather, a Santana Tribute, 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, Frank’s Place. Call for tickets.
Monophonics are part of a new wave of psychedelic soul neo-funk bands. It does richly vocaled, groove driven and retro-vibed party music.
The Bay Area band has been playing for more than a decade and been all over the world. They have released a half-dozen albums, including it latest “Sage Motel” (out on Colemine Record).
The band stops in at Fulton 55, Friday, Aug 11, for what will certainly be a packed (if not sold out) dance party. The Morning Drive opens. Tickets are $25.
Babylon A.D., 8 p.m. Saturday Aug. 12, Fulton 55. $20-$25.
Week 3 (Aug. 13-19)
Hail the Sun, The Divine Inner Tension Tour, with Being As An Ocean, Kaonashi, and Origami Button, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 16, Strummer’s. $25, all ages.
Louie the Singer, 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18, Star Palace. $43-$153.
Air Supply, with Little River Band, 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18, Warnors Theater. $60-$285 meet and greet.
Convictions, with Confessions of a Traitor, Lucrecia, Dissident, Red Keep and Prey 4 Reign, 5:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18, Full Circle Brewing. $15-$20, all ages.
Gasolina Reggaeton Party, 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, Strummer’s. $15, all ages.
Catch You on the Rebound, the Last Tour, 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, Selland Arena. $29-$199+
Extended week 4 (Aug. 20-31)
Sagey, with Citrus, Puppet, Shop Dog, 7 p.m. Sunday Aug. 20, Destructive Warehouse. $10, all ages.
California License, with eSex, The Giving Moon, and Jesus H Macey, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23, Great Room. $5, all ages.
Don Mclean’s “American Pie” clocks in at more than eight minutes and is a classic pop-music musing on the loss of innocence and death or rock and roll (or something. There’s a lot of words and rock critics have plenty of interpretations).
It would be easy enough to write McLean off as a one hit wonder, forgetting a slew of other songs (“Vincent,” “And I love You So,” “Castles in the Air”) or the fact that, in his prime, he inspired the song “Killing Me Softly with His Song.”
Strumming my pain with his fingers.
Singing my life with his words.
McLean is on a 50th anniversary tour for American Pie and plays Friday, Aug. 25 at the Tower Theater. Tickets are $55-$90.
Pacific Dub, with Tunnel Visio, 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25, Strummer’s. $16.
Gladys Knight, 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25, Saroyan Theater. $39-$139 +.
Max Styler, 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25, Fulton 55. $15-$30.
Boris and the Melvins, 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, Strummer’s. $30.
The Acacia Strain, 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, Fulton 55. $22.
Fulton Street Party, indoor venues and outdoor main stage, 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, Fulton Street. Free. All ages.
Fresno Punk Invasion Vol. 8, with Acidez (from Guadalajara, Mexico), The Velisha 20th Anniversary show and Kontra, 1 p.m., music at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, Destructive Warehouse. $15-$20.
Souls of Mischief came out of Oakland in the early ’90s, at at a time when West Coast was dominated by gangster rap. The group was part of Hieroglyphics, a larger hip-hop collective that included Del tha Funkee Homosapien.
Its debut release “93 ‘til Infinity” is considered a hip-hop classic and was inspiration for following generations.
The group — Tajai, Phesto, Opio, and A-Plus — is on tour commemorating the 30th anniversary of the album. It stops Tuesday, Aug. 29 at Strummer’s. Tickets are $26 and all ages.
Fulci, Oxygen Destroyer, Elder Devil, Poxx, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29, Fulton 55. $12-$15.
Cyborg Octopus, with Kallias, Centerpath and The Dream Nexus, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30, Destructive Warehouse. $15, all ages.
Ape Machine, 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, Fulton 55. $12-$15.
Otto and Bastardane, 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, Strummer’s. $13-$15, all ages.
Phil Wickham/Brandon Lake, Summer Worship Nights Tour, 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, Save Mart Center. $25-$100.
Piece the Veil’s Jaw of Life tour sets Fresno date
Once again, New Rock 104.1 comes in with a big get for rock fans (though the term “rock” is being used somewhat generically here).
The station announced this week that it is bringing Pierce the Veil through Fresno on the band’s just-announced Jaw of Life tour. They play Sunday Nov. 5 inside the Fresno Convention Center (not the Selland Arena).
This is a all-ages, general admission show.
Tickets went on sale Friday and it looks like they went quickly. The only available tickets via Ticketmaster are verified resale and will cost you $95 or more.
This is a stacked lineup.
Pierce the Veil hasn’t been through town with a full show since 2016 (though they did do an acoustic show back in March that had a line of fans down the block). Here, they will be joined by L.S. Dunes, Dayseeker and Destroy Boys.
L.S. Dunes should be of particular note.
The band is a modern rock super group that features Anthony Green (of Circa Survive, Saosin and The Sound of Animals Fighting), Frank Iero (of My Chemical Romance), Travis Stever (Coheed and Cambria) Tim Payne and drummer Tucker Rule (of Thursday fame).
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 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