As part of the Fresno Urban Sound Experience, three very different bands took the stage in Frank’s Place in downtown Fresno. The audience that came in to see the show throughout the night also varied as much as the styles of music that were represented. The venue was a surprising place for a rock show with its pristine white walls and spotless tile floors, but the setting only added to the feeling of contrast present throughout the night.

Local band “Back in the Valley” kicked the night off with a mix of folksy country-tinged tunes that had a couple dancing and singing along throughout the set. The six-piece band kept the atmosphere loose by switching vocalists for different songs and adding shout outs to different band members during the last song.

The mellow fiddle tunes of back in the valley were in sharp contrast to the Spanish punk ska of Fresno band, Basura. Basura ripped into a set of protest songs with a danceable beat. The five-piece band which includes Fresno City College jazz drummer Edward Fritz, used distorted guitars with ska drum beats and a trumpet to make sounds.

From the start, the band had at least one fan moving near the front of the stage pogoing and making spastic movements along with the music. This seemed to help get the people into the show. Several songs into the 30-minute set, the dance floor had filled up with people swinging their arms and kicking their legs wildly.

The awkward stage banter from the singer of the band in between songs included comments about Michael Jackson, immigration and some confusion on the length of the set. By the end of their part of the show the singer of the band jumped into the crowd and ran around wearing a Mexican wrestling mask.

Following Basura was the headliner of the night, Patrick Contreras playing a solo set on his violin along with a backing track. Contreras came out to the stage in a casual style wearing khaki shorts and a black T-shirt.

By his 10 o’clock set the venue had filled with a variety of people standing on the dance floor and moving chairs to get a better view of the stage. The audience seemed to be a representation of his musical style with the older audience members bobbing their heads while the younger people swayed to the music. Contreras played several covers including a version of the Michael Jackson song “Dirty Diana” and the song “Headlines” by Drake, replacing the vocal melodies with his violin parts.

Contreras relied on the wah-pedal to give his white violin a haunting tone that made a nice combination with the hip-hop beats from the backing track. He yelled, “I need more bass,” throughout the set but really gave no indication of any major problem.

He ended his set with an upcoming show announcement and took a seat near the back of the stage, looking sweaty and exhausted.