Ok - just moved back here after 15yrs in the northwest. 10 years in Eugene. Still working through the change - the heat, lots of space, big roads etc. Looking for a connection to this place. Live music, art, culture where is it now? Where are all the good times.....Who's gonna show this stranger around? Help me........
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Re: lost in fresno
Tue, August 14, 2007 - 7:10 PMCheck out www.fresnofamous.com There's a pretty full community calendar there.
Also... fresnoundercurrent.net
fresnoarthop.org/
and coming August 16, the Woodward Shakespeare festival continues at Woodward Park... FREE Shakespeare (except for the $3 cost to get in the park). This run, through September, is The Taming of the Shrew...
www.woodwardshakespeare.org/
And, having been privileged to see some SMALL bit of rehearsals, I can tell you it is going to be a LOT of fun. Great cast, great direction, great everything... and they've taken it in a delightful direction. I'm definitely going to see it when I can.
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Re: lost in fresno
Wed, August 15, 2007 - 1:29 AMSo...I can understand that it's been hard to find what you are probably missing here in Fresno-town. Please let me know when you find it though (and share), I'm still looking myself... -
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Re: lost in fresno
Wed, August 15, 2007 - 2:24 PMThank you for your realistic (though disheartening) reply. I have to ask what can we as Fresnan do to correct this. Eugene is a fraction of the size of Fresno but there is always something good going on. Music, seminars, theater, gathering places. Why there and not here? I saw a best of Fresno - it asked for the best Starbucks! Is there a difference? Is it because of lack of support or lack of organizers. Apathy, ignorance, education? I believe there have to be a lot of like minded people in this community. How do we connect? When I lived here 15 years ago it had the same defeatist attitude. Lack of cultural identity. A lost feeling as a city - trying to hide from our world and community through a nicer house, bigger car and consumer crap. I feel a lot of nice people around me here that are starving. It shows in the number and size of the churches. We as Fesnans need a good meal of love, connection and soul. Idealistic ramblings? Yes. I left Fresno and found a life - found what I was hungry for. Not all people here have the ability to leave. i want to bring a little of the Eugene soul and vibe back here. Maybe we need an exchange program.... Anyone out there care to share opinions, history of past efforts? -
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Re: lost in fresno
Wed, August 15, 2007 - 9:04 PMI swear, am I talking in a VACUUM here?
www.mindhub.org
Get on that mailing list. SEE all the like-minded people DOING something, and also find out what's happening, and where it's happening. No, it's not comprehensive, but there ARE things going on here, and people talking about them. And talking about how to do just what you're talking about here.
Oh, like, I don't know, the LARGEST fringe festival on the West coast that happened just this last spring. (Rogue Festival anyone? www.roguefestival.com) And now they're doing monthly events. The next are 8/24 at Ashtree Studio, and 8/26 at Starline. (Greek festival www.fresnogreekfest.com/ that SAME weekend. THAT can be a lot of fun, with the Greek music and dancing in the evenings.)
Then the last weekend in September is another Rogue Year round featuring Tanjora (www.Tanjora.com) and THIS guy:
www.jesusinmontana.com/
(A fantastic one-man show, WELL worth seeing by itself)...
How about the Central Vally Dance Conference October 19 & 20
www.centralvalleydance.com/inde...e.htm
and at the end of October? Rumor has it there will be a Rogue fundraiser with entertainment, socializing, maybe some raffle type things... and, being at the end of October... costumes, maybe?
I know there are other events happening all the time... these are just a FEW I've seen or heard mentioned recently.
Not to point the vitriol at anyone here, it's not y'all, really.
... but I am SICK and TIRED of people talking about Fresno's defeatist attitude (which, yes, is very real)... instead of actually promoting an attitude that is completely different. It's like hearing Eeyore droning on, "No... don't mind me. Nobody loves Fresno. Everybody's a defeatist. They're ignorant and apathetic..." And rather than moving off in a positive direction, or finding something positive to SAY about Fresno, they just plop their butts down in the pasture and stare, all forlorn, at the flowers out of reach.
Sigh.
Even the people talking about the issue... are merely talking about how bad it is here, or how no one cares, or there isn't enough of... whatever.
So it's not here? Make it. That's what happened with more than one ongoing, sucessful, artistic, creative, INTERESTING venture that IS happening in the 'No. I can't even count the number of active theatre companies in Fresno now. Seems like there's always a show to see. That's NOT a bad thing. There's always a band, or soloist, playing somewhere. There are open mic nights. There's the weird "Fresno after 11 p.m." DJ/dance scene that I wander past in the Tower on weekends. (I call it weird because it's not my bag, but a lot of people have a lot of fun with it).
I had a gig a week or so ago, in Tulare, and got back into town late... but I was still starving. Where did I end up? Not Denny's. Million Elephant in the tower. The place was VERY busy at midnight. Food's good, too.
btw... the slick and packaged presentations you see of North Fresno and its ilk are NOT reflective of the true creative hub of this area. Just so ya know. And yeah, it's going to take a LOT of work to convince people that Starbucks is NOT the end all, be all, of a coffee house. (Not to say there isn't creativity North of Shaw. There certainly is. Very fine things can be found nestled in amongst all that consumerism, under the generic, shiny veneer.)
Anyway... the best of Fresno, the TRUE best of Fresno, is probably underground, which means you're going to have to get out, do some research, visit some places, volunteer for stuff, and get directly involved with some of what's going on to really get the "in the know". Or is that "in the 'No" ?
Idunno.
But it CAN be found. I swear. Really. If someone like me can find it... it's very findable. I'm not a hip chick (though I've been accused of being a hippie chick. Or was that just a dirty hippy... hm... I don't remember.) And if not, it can be created. Lack of organizers? Ok. Then organize something.
Pardon my crankiness, but I've been encountering a LOT of "nothing to do" and "Fresno sucks" lately. Thing is, it only sucks if you let it.
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Re: lost in fresno
Thu, August 16, 2007 - 11:34 PMJoy, thank you so much. It seems like every month or so some one come into the fresno alternative tribe or the tower tribe and want to know what is going on in this area and if there is anything to do. I often list a bunch of stuff, then they post back complaining that there is nothing to do. Sure if you sit on your butt watching the world go by, you are going to be bored. But seriously there is so much going on in Fresno, sure you have to cross the "Shaw/Herndon Border" to find most of it. But what's wrong with that. I would rather live south of Shaw any day than be one of the people who are proud of not traveling south of Shaw in years and thinking they are all the better for it.
I am so, I am going on a bit of a rant.
If you want to find something to do in Fresno, it is really not that hard. I just went to a great comedy show at the tower theater on Sunday. It was put on by 95.7 the FOX. Laughed my butt off. But sure keep telling yourself that there is nothing to do in Fresno, and I am sure that you won't find anything to do. -
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Re: lost in fresno
Wed, August 29, 2007 - 6:27 PMHow did you hear about that comedy show?
I signed up for the mailing list Joy suggested. Is that the only resource? -
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Re: lost in fresno
Mon, September 3, 2007 - 9:10 PM<<<How did you hear about that comedy show? >>>
by listening to 95.7 the FOX
what do you mean by is that the only resource?
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Re: lost in fresno
Wed, August 29, 2007 - 1:21 AMJoy, you rock, in more ways than one.
There is plenty to do & it's usually inexpensive. We have fantastically talented musicians, comedians, thespians & fun events from Madera to Bakersfield.
Roughly 10 people came to see Acoustic Highway / Bullet Point this month (most were there by default) & it was NOT for lack of advertising.
The so-called lack of art & soul here is created only by those who refuse to see it. What performer wants to do a show only for their friends?
It's frustrating to hear people who live here complain when wonderful things are happening all around them. It's equally frustrating when strangers make blanket statements about the situation when they have no idea of what's really going on.
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Re: lost in fresno
Wed, September 19, 2007 - 7:43 PMI've lived here for two years and have noticed the same. Depressing.
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Re: lost in fresno
Wed, August 29, 2007 - 12:54 AMRogue year round!
roguefestival.com/ryr/ryr07.htm
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Re: lost in fresno
Wed, August 29, 2007 - 1:41 AMTom,
Welcome to hell.
Unless you enjoy breathing hot air, (filled with pesticides/fungicides/herbicides/auto exhaust small particulates, driving around endlessly on big roads between big box chain shopping destinations with a bunch of phony bleach blonde bible-thumping poseurs), I humbly suggest that you get back to the northwest asap.
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Re: lost in fresno
Mon, September 3, 2007 - 9:16 PMThanks for your negative comments. If you don't like Fresno leave. Otherwise open your eyes and realize there is more to Fresno than big box stores and bible thumpers.
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Re: lost in fresno
Sat, September 1, 2007 - 9:11 AMHere's the thing...
You can look at the glass and think "That glass is half empty! Woe is me."
or you can think "That glass is half full! But... it's full of what I don't like."
OR...
You can say, "Hey... a fuckin' glass, man! What do I have here that I can put in it?"... dump whatever was in there, and make it your own.
eh?
EH??
Fresno is only the hell of bleached blonde bible thumping poseurs when that's all you choose to see. Personally, I don't see many of those, because I tend to not associate with people of narrow mind and heart.
Fresno has a lot of heart... it has a lot of good things going for it... and it has, let's face it, a lot of kitsch.
Embrace the kitsch! Ever been to GranMarie's Chicken Pie Shop? Straight out of the 50s kitsch... but it's authentic, for all it's kitsch-y feel, and damned good comfort food.
Fresno can be, in truth, a surreal place. Think about it... it is absolutely ABSURD that we have the kind of artistic talent residing here that we do, and yet... no one knows... or cares... or even bothers to support it.
Writers and poets of national and international acclaim... amazing musicians... oscar winners... all of these can be found in Fresno.
Yet... nobody knows.
Or cares, I guess. They'd rather complain about the air, and the people who can't see beyond their own back yards. Which is funny, because then that just means that the complainers can't see beyond the NEIGHBOR's back yard...
Can't see the forest for the trees.
Yeah. Let's just give up on where we live. Retreat back into our air conditioned fiberboard boxes that look like all the other boxes on the street. No point in TRYING to make anything of the resources we have here.
Or move, to where other people have already done the work.
It's easier to complain and hope someone else brings entertainment and culture to us on a silver platter.
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Re: lost in fresno
Sat, September 1, 2007 - 12:02 PMNicely put, Joy. But I kind of liked the thought that the last guy was telling people
to get their pasty, whiny asses back home if they can't handle it here. Hehehe.
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Re: lost in fresno
Thu, September 6, 2007 - 11:04 PMChicken Pie Shop? I wouldn't feed that sh..t to my pigs...........
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