WE LOVE YA FRESNO

When I go to concerts in Fresno, I love seeing how bands tie Fresno into their show. Some are lame and just say “Thank you Fresno” a few times. Others are creative and come up with some Fresno stories.

A couple big rock acts came through town recently and mentioned Fresno several times: Green Day and System Of A Down.

Here’s a look at how Green Day and System got the Save Mart Center and the city of Fresno involved:

PREVIOUS VISITS
This was the first time System Of A Down played Fresno. Odd given all of the Armenian heritage in Fresno - It was about time.

Billie Joe revisited a time (17 years ago) when they played Fresno, for the first time, with Capital Punishment and then moved on to do a Sacramento show where they were beat-up by some skin heads.

FRESNO RELATIONS
The Save Mart crowd found out that drummer Tre’ Cool’s dad is from Fresno. Also their touring horn player is originally from Fresno.

Although he didn’t say it during the show, I happen to know that System’s singer Serj has a best friend that lives in Fresno and Serj was his friend’s best-man at a recent Fresno wedding.

YELLIN’ AT FRESNO
Green Day singer Billie Joe had to have broken the record for how-many-times-a-singer-has-called-out-FRESNOOOOOO during a show. He must have done it thirty times- Tre cool.

Serj and guitarist Daron Malakian mentioned Fresno many times. The best time was when Daron tied Fresno’s Armenian history in. “Before there was Glendale and Hollywood, there was Fresno!” – Fuck yea! And I’m not even Armenian.

Another cool Fresno stamp, by Daron, was while singing the song “Sugar” he began replacing the title [Sugar] with “Fresno”.

ODD END
A little off topic; Did anyone at the System show notice that the end of the show (after they played “Sugar”) was kinda weird? They (I don’t know who “they” is really) left the house lights off, usually indicating there will be an encore, but the road crew immediately began “breaking down” the stage, ending the show.

THANK YOU FRESNO AND GOODNIGHT!!