Every day, thousands of Fresno’s young people try to figure out what there is to do in this town. While many decide to get dinner or hit up some of the local clubs, many take advantage of the growing music scene in Fresno. For the past few years, many young people have been drawn to some of the local punk, hardcore, and indie shows. While many kids are into what is going on now, there is well over 20 years of history involved with Fresno’s music scene.
The modern underground music scene in Fresno can be traced back to the birth of punk music. Over the years, bands came and went, venues opened and shut down, but kids were still eager to see live music even if there wasn’t a huge mass of kids. For many people putting on the shows, these factors did not help.
One promoter, Eddie Numbskull, said he went through almost a decade of horrible shows in Fresno. “Many times, I promised bands a few shows in California and Fresno was one of my only options.” Numbskull said he began booking shows in Fresno in 1993 but said they weren’t very successful until 2001.
Promoting in Fresno has not always proven to be an easy task. Some venues have oddly been more successful than others. This is true with Howie’s & Sons Pizza in Visalia. Aaron Gomes, the promoter of shows at Howie’s, claims he had a hard time looking for appropriate venues. He lost his previous venue abruptly and had about five shows in the works. “I just drove down Mooney Boulevard and scoped out the spots,” Aaron said, describing how he found Howie and Son’s. Today, Aaron is booking hot and up-and-coming bands like Cursive, Silversun Pickups, and Pinback.
In fact, many popular bands have made their stop in Fresno before they hit it big. AFI played in Fresno in the mid-90’s and Hanford right before getting a major label record deal. Unwritten Law played a show in 1995 at Patterson Hall (on Tulare Street) with Blink 182 as the opening band. Green Day also played a small show in the Tower District in the early 1990’s with local band Plaid Retina. Black Flag and The Dead Kennedies played shows at the Belmont Ballroom (which use to be located across from Roeding Park.) Minor Threat also paid Fresno a visit and played a house show in 1982.
Many big bands have also recently been through town. Fall Out Boy played a sold out show at Big Game Studios (now known as The Exit) before they hit it big. My Chemical Romance played to a crowd of 30 kids only months before “Helena” was all over MTV. Aiden played a Fresno house show only a week after signing with Victory Records. Taking Back Sunday played a show at the VERY small, now-defunct venue The Elementz back in 2002 with Yellowcard, Brand New, and Rufio as the opening acts.
Fresno is very unique in the sense that local music lovers are given the opportunity to see their favorite bands in an intimate setting. While Fresno is rapidly expanding, it’s still missing a moderately sized venue for live music.
Many bands use Fresno as a stop in between shows in San Francisco and Los Angeles. When they play these larger cities, they are usually playing in venues that can hold up a thousand people. When these tours roll through Fresno, there is a good chance they will be playing at the Exit, which only holds a few hundred kids. This is what allows fans to get up close and personal with their favorite bands.
National touring bands are not the only ones to take advantage of the local vibes. Many local bands have sprung up over the past years playing a variety of genres. Lately, local kids have been enjoying the sounds of punk, indie, and hardcore music. Local venues like Kuppajoe, The Exit, The Starline, and the Knights of Columbus hall have been catering to their music needs.
Hardcore metal has been an ever-growing genre in Fresno. Local bands like Last Action Hero, Jet Black Horror, and Locked Out are a few of the local bands that have been playing local shows.
Local punk bands have always existed in Fresno and are still present even today. Some of the local talents include Check Raised, Still Honest, Solitude, Empty Eyes, The Velisha, Our Lost Cause, The Skeleteens, and The Martyrs. Another local band, Not 4 Hire, is celebrating 10 years of playing shows this year.
Local indie music has been around for years, but has recently been attracting many kids out to shows. Local talents include Elmo Marconi, World’s Fastest Indian, Buffalo Guns, and It’s An Icicle. Local act Rademacher will be heading out on a national tour in the next few weeks. Some of the stops include the Knitting Factory in New York and a performance at the South By Southwest Festival in Texas.
In the next few weeks, a few noteworthy shows are happening in Fresno. Dance Gavin Dance and Four Letter Lie will be playing at The Exit on March 9th. Ceremony, which was named AP Magazine’s Next Big Thing, will be playing at The Exit with Life Long Tragedy and Graf Orlock on March 22nd. In April, acts like The Nekromantix, Animosity, The Subhumans, Lucky.I.Am, and The Expendables will be playing venues all around town. Kimya Dawson, who is half of the Moldy Peaches and writer of most of the songs on the Juno soundtrack, will be playing Howie & Son’s Pizza on April 26th.
Not sure where to find information about shows? Many local promoters like Numbskull, House Show, and Sound & Vision have Myspace accounts where you can check out their calendars. Many businesses like Rasputins, Valentino’s, SBI, and Teazer have allowed all types of promoters to leave their fliers on designated tables. There are also many sites like Fresno-based Pollstar which allow music fans to search cities, venues, and bands.
Fresno has come a long way with its local scene. Over the years, many people have tried to shut down the venues while big businesses like Hot Topic have only tried to fabricate the underground movement. Fortunately, there are those who have been able to put that aside and let the music speak for itself. If there is one thing that is certain, Fresno has been able to maintain a very organic vibe.

Information Box
-March 16 – Elmo Marconi, Fun, Iraq, Empty Eyes @ House how
-March 22 – Ceremony, Life Long Tragedy, Graf Orlock, Lewd Acts, Anxiety Attack @ The Exit
-March 23 – Broadway Calls @ House Show
-April 1 – The Loved Ones, The Flatliners, Check Raised @ Starline
-April 4 – Katsumoto, Heroshima, Fall Of Enosis, Last Action Hero @ Knights Of Columbus
-April 8 – Lucky.I.Am @ Starline
-April 9 – Subhumans @ The Exit
-April 10 – The Warriors, Elysia @ The Exit
-April 11 – Animosity, First Blood @ The Exit