Fresno Famous

You can find nice people just about anywhere. 

Of the places Joe Taylor has been, Fresno just seems to have more of them.

Maybe it's not a per-capita thing. Maybe the people are just nicer.

Either way, the people here have been good to Taylor.

"That's what keeps you coming back," says the Canadian-born, New York based singer-songwriter whose live show was named as one of 2012's best by the Los Angeles Examiner.

Taylor is one of those touring musicians that's played Fresno so many times he might as well be a local. He counts it at a dozen since his first gig in 2008. And he's been booked all around town. He played Sequioa Brewing Company in Tower District and Swiggs up on Shaw avenue  (it's where he held his CD release) and at the Tasting Room.

And he's back for a two-night stand this weekend. Friday night he'll play Eureka Burger and  on Saturday will be up at ApCal winery. That show will feature a question-and-answer session and Cd signing, plus some songs and the like. 

Taylor still lives in New York, but is down in Los Angeles working on new music, so it's a short drive to Fresno and a good way to keep building that fan base (he has his own Fresno fan club on Facebook with 258 members) while in what he calls an "exploritory" phase. The songs he's recording might have the making of another album, but he can't say for sure. He does know they will be a little rawer, less polished, a little more like what it's like to hear him live.

"I'm playing around, trying to get a more stripped down vibe," he says.