Your monthly dump (of Fresno area concerts for July 2024)

Plus, remembering Merlinda Espinosa, who died in June.

Jun 30, 2024

Question before we get into this month’s concerts listing:

On the misery scale, what’s the difference between 114 degrees (the second hottest day on record for Fresno, which we hit in 2022) and 120 degrees (the predicted temp for next weekend, which we kind of all figured was a glitch in Apple’s forecast model )?

Not looking for an answer, really.

OK. Back to your regular Bandgeeeek content. Here is the list of musical happenings around town this month, in a curated, so only kind of comprehensive list, broken up by week for sake of ease.

Feel free to add what I missed in the comments.

Week 1 (July 1-6)

The Dying Suns don’t play in Fresno all that often (comparatively).

When they do, they curate lineups so that are Not. To. Be. Missed.

For example, the band’s upcoming gig at Strummer’s July 5 with Daze Baby and From Flowers to Flies. Tickets are $10, all ages.

Readers of Bandgeeek (and listeners of the Homegrown on NewRock 104.1) should know by now how I feel about each of these bands, so I won’t gush much more than to say each is a treat to see in a live setting.

Beartooth, with Currents, Boundaries, Nevertel, 7 p.m. July 6, Tioga Sequoia. This show is old out.

Week 2 (July 7-13)

Fuerza Regida: Pero No Te Enamores tour 2024, 8 p.m. Sunday, July 7, Save Mart Center. $121-$500+

Blink 182 once played at a barn somewhere in the foothills, opening for Skanking Pickle. It’s the story I always tell because I was there and also I met them at a McDonalds while asking for directions to the show.

Travis Barker was still playing in the Aquabats at the times, I think, but …

Blink 182 returns to Fresno on Monday, July 8, playing the Save Mart Center with Pierce the Veil, which means it should be crazy crowded with generations of pop-punk fanatics. The show is in the round, if that means anything for anyone.

Blink is back with Tom DeLonge, which will be a treat for those who saw the band play with Matt Skiba in 2016.

Glass Spells, Gabi Bravo, 8 p.m. Thursday, July 11, Strummer’s. $21.12, all ages.
Category: Chrome, 9 p.m. Friday, July 9, Strummer’s. $12.88, 21+
Local Launch July, with Darling and The Damned, California License, Side Projects, Sleeping With Strangers, Maria, Purplepops, 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 11, Full Circle Brewery. $10.
Black V. Neck, 8 p.m. Friday, July 12, Fulton 55. $15-$25.
Summer Jam, with Ice Cube, Warren G, Zapp, Xzibit, Amanda Perez, Baby Bash and The Luniz, 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 12, Save Mart Center. $78-$120.
Los Tucanes de Tijuana, 8 p.m. Friday, July 12, Saroyan Theatre. $84-$299+
Good Vibes Fest, with Katchafire, 8 p.m. Friday, July 12, Selland Arena, $50-$159.
Frikitona, a Reggaeton dance party, 9 p.m. Saturday, July 13, Fulton 55. $15-$20.
Maoli, 8 p.m. Saturday, July 13, Strummer’s. $34.51 - $137.51, all ages.
Cole Swindell, Win The Night tour, with Dylan Scott and Restless Road, 7 p.m. July 13, Save Mart Center. $25-$119+
Old School Block Party, with Stevie B., Too Short, Treach of Naughty by Nature, 2 Live Crew, Digital Underground, Trinere, Debbie Deb, Club Nouveau, Nocera, Freestyle and Connie, 7 p.m. Saturday, July 13, Selland Arena. $45-$181.
Jeanette Harris, 2nd Annual ‘Saxy Summer Night,’ with Adam Hawley, 7 p.m. Saturday, July 13, Tower Theatre. $35-$65.
Replaced by Robots, a tribute to darkwave and post punk, 9 p.m. Saturday, July 13, Goldstein’s. Free.

Week 3 (July 14-20)

Count Basie Orchestra, 7 p.m. Monday, July 15, Tower Theatre. $50-$70, all ages.
Fayuca, Skyler Lutes, 8 p.m. Thursday, July 18, Fulton 55. $15-$25.
Doomsday, Forced To Suffer, Bite The Hand, 7 p.m. Thursday, July 18, The Shallow End. $15.

Gilby Clarke is the kind of musician rock-nerds should get off on.

First off, he replaced Izzy Stradlin in Guns N’ Roses (at least for touring purposes) and was later part of Slash’s supergroup Snakepit. He started projects with Slim Jim Phantom and another with Tommy Lee and Jason Newsted and played on tour with Heart and a reunited MC5 (when the band had Handsome Dick Manitoba on vocals). He also has producing credits that includes work with the Bronx (not on my favorite album, but still).

Clarke plays Fulton 55 on Friday, July 19. Tickets are $25-$30.

Sawyer Hill, Never Ending Fall, 6 p.m. Friday, July 19, Strummer’s. $18.03, all ages.
Tribute To Sidhu Moosewala, 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 19, Tower Theatre. $65-$500, all ages.
Back to Black, a tribute to Amy Winehouse, 9 p.m. Saturday, July 20, Futon 55. $15-$20.
Alejandro Escovedo, with James Mastro, 7 p.m. Saturday, July 20, Tower Theatre. $25-$35.

Week 4 (July 21-27)

Fallujah, with Persefone, Vulvodynia, Dawn of Ouroboros, 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 23, Full Circle Brewing. $22.
Be Very Careful, 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 26, Fulton 55. $20.
The Linkin Park Tribute, plus Nirvanna, a tribute to Nirvana, 8 p.m. Friday, July 26, Tower Theatre. $16-$28.
Emo Night tour, 8 p.m. Saturday, July 27, Fulton 55. $18-$25.
Goth Night, with Lovatataxx (from France), Puppet, Paris On Fire, DJ Goth Receptionist and Abraxas Deity 9 p.m. Saturday, July 27, Strummer’s. $10, 21+
Damage Inc., Metallica tribute, with Lords of This World, Black Sabbath tribute, 7:30 p.m. Saturday July 27, Tower Theatre. $27-$40, all ages.
Blazed, From Flowers to Flies, D.A.T.E., The New Them and Fantasy Fields, 7 p.m. Saturday, July 27, Marlo’s. $10-$12.

RIP singer, Merlinda Espinosa-Torres

It’s shocking, almost, the tendrils of connection between people.

Despite its size, Fresno is big-city small-town, and the death of a local musician can ripple throughout the total of the arts community. I say this thinking of Merlinda Espinosa-Torres, who died June 17 at the age of 38.

Espinosa-Torres was a singer and performer who had a long career (even at 38) and an obvious reach, based on the number of people I heard sharing the news.

From Marcel Nunes: “good night, Merlinda Espinosa. a sweet soul... a sweet voice... a stellar person. when I heard you at the very first Rogue Festival your voice lifted me... and never stopped since then.”

MariaOrtiz-Brionez put together a good tribute over at The Fresno Bee, for those who’d like to know more. Nate Butler also dedicated the June 23 Local Show to Espinosa’s music. You can find the archive of that here.

And there is no shortage of video footage of Espinosa-Torres playing. Here is clip from her performance from the short-lived Fresno City Limits Live.

A viewing and a rosary for Espinosa-Torres will be held 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 10 at Page Funeral Chapel in Selma, followed by a Catholic mass, 9 a.m. Thursday, July 11 at St. Joseph Catholic Church (also in Selma).

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

Bandgeeeek!