Your monthly dump (of Fresno area concerts for Sept. 2024)
Plus, Korn guitarist spotted downtown Fresno.
As previously reported in The Fresno Bee (and by extension this newsletter) Latin music has been hitting a stride for the last few years. Mexican music, in particular, has moved out of the clubs and dancehalls and into arenas and stadiums.
Fresno was historically primed to capitalize on the movement. And it has, as is evident by the Save Mart Center’s calendar for September. Of six shows booked for the month, five would be generically classified in the “Latin” category, with country singer Lainey Wilson as the odd standout.
Here’s what’s on tap:
Puerto Rican actor/pop star Chayanne stops at the arena Thursday, Sept. 5 on his Bailemos Otra Vez tour.
That’s followed by a two-day run with Junior H (Friday, Sept. 6) and Peso Pluma (Saturday, Sept. 7). The pair are two of the most popular representations of artists pulling youth culture into traditional Mexican corridos.
Two wildly popular ensemble acts, Grupo Firme and Groupo Frontera, also play the arena this month. Groupo Firme is in town on Friday, Sept. 13. Groupo Frontera plays at the end of the month, Friday, Sept. 27.
Here is the rest of my curated, almost comprehensive list of musical happenings around town this month, broken up by week for sake of ease. Feel free to add what I missed in the comments.
Week 1 (Sept. 1-7)
Black Tusk, Somnuri, Horseburner, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4, Strummer’s. $20.09. All ages.
Bohemian Queen, tribute, 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6, Tower Theatre. $41.92-$134.62.
Cumbiadelic, with Philthy Dronez, 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, Fulton 55. $10 early bird tickets.
Calling All Captains, Good Terms, Mindless Society, Unlikely, Blazed, 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, The Great Room. $10. All ages.
Twist on Taylor, Taylor Swift tribute, 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, Tower Theatre. $26.47-$36.77. All ages.
Week 2 (Sept. 8-14)
Luke Freeman (of Brother Luke and the Comrades fame) has put together the Fresno Family Folk Hour, an afternoon of acoustic storytelling, with eight songwriters playing in the round.
The lineup does an eclectic run down the spectrum of folk (and folk-inspired) music and includes Brother Luke, Jonathan Lo-Fi, Levi Mariano, Steve Key, Ted Nunes, Deep Forrest Drive, New Old Man (for a shameless plug!) and PKD.
The free, all ages event happens Sunday, Sept. 8 at Tioga Sequoia’s Beer Garden. Tunes start at 3 p.m.
Aterciopelados, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, Fulton 55. $55.
Graham Bonnet Band, 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, Fulton 55. $31.
Boots in the Park, with Jason Aldean, 3:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, Woodward Park. $151.
The lineup for this year’s Summer Sweat was announced this week and it’s a doozy. Nearly two dozen bands/musicians will perform at Love the Captive’s annual ode to Fresno heat.
The lineup includes: Sun Umbra, Awahnichi, Sahab, Carl Armada, Marso, Lavish Youth, The Kid Ghost, No Voodoo Here, Daze Baby, From Flowers to Flies, Highupseer, Tyrelle Williams, Sun Tides, Beach Fiction, Mindless Society, Sleeve, Brother Luke and the Comrades, Pansy Party, Hadhvtter, Lowspell, Roman Around and irwin.
Performances will run across two stages at Full Circle Brewing Company, Saturday, Oct. 14. Music starts at 4 p.m.
Tickets are $15-$20 and all ages.
Week 3 (Sept. 15-21)
Ruin, Palmreader, Pumpfake, Sleight of Hand, Full.Clip, 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, The Great Room. $10. All ages.
Richie Kotzen, 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, Tower Theatre. $36.77-$47.07.
Destroyer, Kiss tribute, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, Fulton 55. $26.95-$32.25.
The Monsters of Metal release party celebrates new music drops from Kutie, JNX, War Screams, Exvanom and Permutations.
JNX is releasing a new album, Kutie will have its debut EP and the other bands will all have singles dropping just in time for the show, which happens Saturday, September 21 at the Great Room. Tickets are $10 at the door.
I have tickets I’ll be giving away through the Homegrown Show on NewRock 104.1, but you’ll have to tune in the next few weeks to get the details.
Extended week 4 (Sept. 22-30)
Adolescents, A Wilhelm Scream, Greg Antista and the Lonely Streets, 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22, Strummer’s. $26.27. All ages.
Oceano, with To The Grave, VCTMS, Half Me, Bone Crown, Thrownout, Eternal Bloom and Nothing But Losers, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, Full Circle Brewing. $25-$30.
Tropidelic, 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 25, Fulton 55. $26.95-$32.25.
Zombie, composer’s cut, 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, Tower Theatre. $31.62.
Deicide, 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, Fulton 55. $36.23.
Ragdolls, Aerosmith tribute, 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, Full Circle Brewery. $20-$25.
Boris are kind of royalty among the noise/doom/sludge rock scene.
It was news when the Japanese band announced it would tour playing its debut album “Amplifier Worship,” in its entirety. The album was originally released in 1998, but got a boost when it was reissued via Third Man Records in 2020.
As a bonus (and it’s a BIG bonus), Boris is touring with Arrow de Wilde’s LA rock band Starcrawler, which is a spectacle of a thing if there ever was (that’s sorta an official review from me).
The Amplifier Worship Service stops 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28 at Strummer’s. Tickets are $29.36 and all ages.
Surfer Girl, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, Fulton 55. $18-$23.
Subhumans, Bad Waitress, Cherry Auction, 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 30, Strummer’s. $23.18. All ages.
Spotted: New metal icon at South of Shaw Brewery
This is a notice to pay attention to the little chalk sign board outside of South of Shaw Brewery. It could give you hint RE your chances of meeting a famous musician type.
For instance, Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch, who stopped by the brewery on Saturday (with his mom and dad no less). Welch, who’s been vocal about his struggle with addiction, was in town for a speaking gig at the Hills Church in Clovis on Sunday.
He was given the brewery tour and even got to pour a pint for a lucky customer.
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. 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