Fresno Famous

Here some quick review of the stuff I did/saw this weekend.

* Miller Brothers at Fig Garden Bookstore
There were plenty of reasons that people could have missed the Miller Brothers book signing at the Fig Garden Bookstore Friday night. But the lack of bodies in the door was still disappointing and a little awkward. Of course it was great for those of us who were there because we were essentially treated to an hour-long one-on-one-on-one-on-one Q and A about all things Miller Brothers. We talked books and baseball, Fresno heat and bad Map quest directions. Watching them in action, there's no doubt these guys are gonna be big. The store has a stash of signed books for those who missed out but still want to know what all the fuss is about.

* Fresno Filmworks "Two Lovers"
This is one of those movies that left me conflicted. I wanted to like it a lot. There was a lot of good stuff there and the first half of the movie was sweet and funny and totally endearing in a way that made me smile (like sub-consciously). But then it swerved off into this whole other thing that seemed to drag on and while the acting was mostly good, I'm not sure I totally believed Gwyneth Paltrow as a loser-ish free spirit. The sticking point for me, and the reason I would say I really liked this movie (as opposed to just liking it) is that the story was not contrived. You're watching Joaquin Phoenix and wondering what the hell he's doing, or rather, why the hell he's doing what he's doing and then you realize that this is just how people are, that sometimes people end up in totally f'ed situations without even knowing how they got there. And that realization to me made the movie worth seeing.

* Fresno Swede Festival
This could be the most exciting artist endeavor happening in Fresno right now. The amount of creativity crackling through Corridor 2122 Saturday night could fry an egg (is that a proper metaphor?). Travis Sheridan's swede of the "Office" had dialog that could have actually been used on the "Office" and Roque and Co's "The Fast and the Furious" was brilliant in its use of cardboard, though the highlight of the show was "La Bamba" with its awesomely sung (and beautiful) score. Admittedly, some of the films were rough to say the least. But those are the films and filmmakers that should be applauded most. Film making is easy and there's little risk if you know what you're doing. It's the risk that makes the Swede festival so fun. Everyone who made a film and/or attended should be patted on the back for making Fresno a better/cooler place.

* It'll Grow Back/Serial Spillers/Rites of Retribution@ Babylon
Be forewarned, this is a bit of a rant and I may sound like an ass. But don't read it wrong. This show was a whole lot of fun to play. It was our first time at the Babylon (in four-plus years) and they treated us well and the sound was really good and once it got rolling the whole thing had a really cool vibe and we appreciate being able to play and would do it again in a heartbeat.
Now...
Note to promoters: Don't try pawning off the evenings final slot as some sort of prize. If you're playing at midnight on a Saturday night it's not the headlining spot. If you're the final act on a five-card bill, you are not the headliner. Sweetening the pot by saying we can play as long as we want won't made up for it, either. Maybe some bands see that as a bonus, but we're a punk band. "As long as we want" is 30 minutes, and that's if we play everything we know (and some songs twice). Look, we don't mind playing last (or first). That's part of the gig and we're happy to do it. You don't have to make us feel better about it.