by Steven Sanchez
We had a lot to be thankful for during the month of November because of the variety of events offered. People rushed to them as if they were a Black Friday sale. They ranged from Fresno State football, to holiday themed concerts, to a jersey retirement ceremony. With the holiday season approaching, these events were great gifts for all those that attended.
BULLDOGS FOOTBALL
On November 4, the Fresno State Bulldogs faced the Boise State Broncos, beating them in a close conference game by a score of 37-30. The Bulldogs claimed The Milk Can, the prize the two rivals fight for each year.
Malik Sherrod was the hero of the day with 132 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. The most exciting and impactful play of the night was when he ran a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at the end of the first half with only three seconds on the clock. The junior running back finished the game with 255 total yards. 
Playing in front of a sellout crowd of 41,031, the Bulldogs wore custom helmet decals for the game, honoring Native American Heritage Month. A local tribe performed a powwow dance during halftime. The Bulldogs had good spirits with them throughout the game delivering a solid defensive and offensive performance.
Their overall record after the game was 8-1 and 4-1 in the Mountain West conference, and they’re now ranked #25 in the Coaches Poll. They were poised to sweep the conference, but with an away loss to San Jose State, a home loss against New Mexico, and an away loss to San Diego State, they are currently ranked sixth in the conference and are out of the rankings with an overall record of 8-4.
The end result may not have been what the Bulldogs and the fans wanted, but this season had several silver linings. Out of the G5 (Group 5) conferences in college football—this includes the American Athletic Conference (AAC), Conference USA (C-USA), Mid-American Conference (MAC), Sun Belt Conference (SBC), and the Mountain West—the Bulldogs were the number one attendance leader in the nation with 39,939. The Red Wave was strong this season with the highest attendance since 2001, and all six home games were sellouts, garnering the Bulldogs the highest student attendance ever.
In addition, five players from the Bulldogs squad—#2 Carlton Johnson (defensive back), #5 Devo Bridges (defensive lineman), #6 Levelle Bailey (linebacker), #7 Morice Norris JR (defensive back), and #51 Mose Vavao (offensive lineman)—were voted into the All-Mountain West Second Team. Honorable mentions included #1 Mikey Keene (quarterback), #3 Erik Brooks (wide receiver), #22 Malik Sherrod (running back), #69 Jacob Spomer (offensive lineman), and #84 Tre Watson (tight end).
The Bulldogs played in the New Mexico Bowl on Saturday, December 16, against New Mexico State and won 37-10, finishing the year with a record of 9-4. That makes five straight bowl games the Bulldogs have won. Quarterback Mikey Keene finished the game 31/39, throwing for a new career-high of 380 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. Running back Sherrod finished with 90 yards and 81 receiving yards. The defense did a great job of stopping the Aggies, who were ranked 11th in the country in rushing yards and held them to just 135 yards. Keene was the offensive MVP and linebacker Bailey, the defensive MVP. It was good for the seniors to go out on a high note.
Unfortunately, head coach Jeff Tedford was dealing with a personal health concern and wasn’t there to coach. Taking his place as the interim head coach was assistant head coach and linebackers coach Tim Skipper. The victory was in Coach Tedford’s honor. Let’s wish him a speedy recovery.
This concludes our coverage of Bulldogs football. Looking forward to next season. Go Dogs!
BLUE OCTOBER
The rock band Blue October came to Fresno Wednesday, November 15 at Tower Theatre, Their entertaining show was sponsored by radio station New Rock 104.1. The Texas band has made coming to Central Valley a priority. This will be the third time this publication has had the privilege of covering their shows. The first was in 2018 at Warnors Theatre, and the second, in Bakersfield at the Fox Theater in 2019. They just keep the momentum going every time.
The group consists of Justin Furstenfeld (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) Ryan Delahoussaye (violin, mandolin, mandocello, keyboard, guitar, backing vocals), Jeremy Furstenfeld (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Matt Noveskey (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Steve Schiltz (lead guitar, bass-guitar, vocal, backing vocals). Every time I’ve seen them they each display equally great instrumentation, but Justin’s stage presence, charisma, and connectivity to the audience can’t be denied. He is a great showman.
Blue October
Their songs were hits in the 2000s when I was in high school with platinum singles like “Hate Me” and “Into the Ocean.” The lyrical content deals with addiction, mental health, and how, and how through the darkness we can overcome it to achieve salvation. The heavy feelings personified in Justin’s music are why his fans relate to him and his music so deeply, and that was evident as the night passed. He enjoyed interacting with the crowd so much, that in the middle of a song he went out into the crowd and started hugging audience members and taking selfies with them. I was front-row center and assisted in bringing a kid, who had a sign that read “I want a hug,” next to the stage where Justin warmly embraced her. Those were definitely the night’s highlights.
His music and story make him beloved by his fans. I’ve mentioned this before, but his music inspired the author Stephanie Meyer while she was writing the Twilight series. His atmospheric songs evoke emotions that help fans accomplish important things.
Blue October
For me, what stood out was when Justin, alone on the stage with acoustic guitar in hand, belted out, “Better Man.” There wasn’t a dry eye in the crowd. He sang with so much passion you felt as if he meant every word of the lyrics. Throughout the night he requested everyone to have a good time. They sure did. The band concluded the night with “I Hope You’re Happy,” and by the crowd’s response, it was evident that they were.
New Rock 194.1 has brought great acts to town, we’re looking forward to seeing who they bring next year. Blue October is one of the first major acts to perform at Tower under its new management. If they follow up with shows like this one, we can’t wait to see what they have in store.
Blue October
SET LIST: “Kitchen Drawer,” “This Is What I Live For,” “Say It,” “Oh My My,” “Into The Ocean,” “Home,” “Hate Me,” “Spinning The Truth Around,” “Sway,” “Completely,” “Don’t Say It Wasn’t Love,” “Where Did You Go,” “Shut Up IWYTLMB,” “Down Here, Waiting,” “Moving On,” “Better Man,” “Fear,” “I Hope You’re Happy”
LINDSEY STIRLING
Electronic violinist, dancer, and artist Lindsey Stirling sleigh rode her way to Fresno on Saturday, November 18 at Saroyan Theater for her North American Snow Waltz 2023 Tour, in support of her incredibly successful Christmas album, Snow Waltz. We had the privilege of covering her back in 2019 at Warnors Theatre, and she brought the Christmas spirit with her once again. She’s consistently made her way to the Valley, and with the crowd’s response to the show she puts on, she shouldn’t stop.
Lindsey Stirling
When I say it was a show, I mean it was show! This amazing lady can do it all. Not only does she play her trademark violin, but she sings, she dances, and is the only entertainer I know able to play violin while performing trapeze and aerial work in mid-air—without missing a note. She’s a true artist and entertainer.
Last year, she released her enchanting Christmas album, Snow Waltz via Concord Records and performed her own renditions of holiday classics like “Sleigh Ride,” “Deck the Halls,” “Joy to The World,” and “O Holy Night,” in addition to originals like “Snow Waltz” and “Ice Storm.” All songs were performed live. The Saroyan stage was transformed into a Winter Wonderland and the stage pageantry was exquisite. The trees in the background looked like a fairy tale forest. Fun fact, she creates the costume designs for herself and her backup dancers.
Lindsey Stirling
What won me over again and again, and I can speak on behalf of her fans on what keeps them coming back, is her likeable personality. Her humor is hilarious. One moment she can do a moving instrumental and then get on the mic and tell a funny story. She talked about her time on Dancing with The Stars, and how much she loves Christmas. She could celebrate year-round, and believes it’s never too early to start celebrating the holiday.
She introduced Erich Jackson, her tour manager, who was wearing a Christmas tree costume. He’s become famous for being a mascot for her holiday themed tours. Throughout the night, he made multiple appearances.
The audience got into the act early in the show as she involved them in dancing for a TikTok video, much to their delight. Later, she posted it on her social media.
For me, there were several highlights. The choreography of her dance numbers while she was playing the violin and moving in unison with her backup dancers was extraordinary. She gifted her band mates with toy keyboards and drum sets and played Christmas songs on them. Her drummer challenged her to play “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” on her toy violin, and she did. Her version of “Feliz Navidad” was sweet and her rendition of “O Holy Night” was majestic.
Lindsey Stirling
Lindsey wore a glittery blue dress that make her appear like an ice princess. The wind blowing against it gave it a more epic feel. Her version of “Sleigh Ride” was magical and emotional, with her backup dancers in flowing white costumes and moving as if they were angels. All performers wore ballet attire and danced to “The Nutcracker.” Lindsey, minus her violin, sang and danced to “Santa Baby” while doing acrobatics in the air. I deeply enjoyed her version of “Carol of the Bells.”
This tour has major significance as $1 per ticket sales goes towards Lindsey’s Upside Fund charity, which has helped relieve over five million dollars in medical debt for people who could not afford to pay.
Violinist, singer, dancer, songwriter, internet sensation, author, and philanthropist—all of this makes her stand out from other entertainers. She is a force, and the praise and statistics prove it. Her co-headlining tour with Evanescence was named one of Live Nation’s best-selling amphitheater tours of 2018. Her tours have sold over one million tickets and her live-streamed Christmas special in 2021 sold more than 15,000 tickets and was seen by over 100,000 people. Her performance was a much-needed present to her fans and a fantastic way to kick off the holiday season of great shows in the Valley,
AARON JUDGE AND MIKE BATESOLE JERSEY RETIREMENT CEREMONY
Two great local baseball legends recently returned to Central Valley on November 19—former Fresno State baseball player Aaron Judge, and former head coach Mike Batesole—for their jersey retirement ceremony. These two really don’t need introductions because their success speaks for itself.
The day’s festivities began with a press conference. The two hall-of–famers were welcomed by Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval and Athletic Director Terry Tumey. Judge and Batesole brought their families to witness the ceremony.
Judge and Batesole made their way to Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium to a swarm of local fans. The ceremony was open to the public and the Red Wave came in Bulldog gear and Yankee jerseys with Judge’s number to support them. The crowd contained a sea of former players who were either teammates of Judge or who played under Coach Batesole. The two honorees signed autographs for fans and had their picture taken with all the players.
Aaron Judge
Leading up to the ceremony, the old broadcast of the 2008 College World Series games that the Bulldogs won were shown. It was a trip down memory lane, and fans were excited to relive such a defining moment. The crowd roared and clapped when Judge’s jersey number 29 and Batesole’s jersey number 44 were revealed. Their names will be synonymous with the great athletes that have played or coached for Fresno State. There was even a celebration during the halftime of the Fresno State home football game on November 18th to thunderous applause and an ovation.
Judge, who currently plays with the New York Yankees, is arguably considered the best player in professional baseball. The Yankees drafted Judge in the first round of the 2013 MLB draft with the 32nd overall selection, and he debuted with the team in 2016. He became a five-time All-Star (2017, 2018, 2021–2023), American League MVP (2022), a two-time All-MLB First Team player (2021, 2022), American League Rookie of the Year (2017), a three-time Silver Slugger Award winner (2017, 2021, 2022), winner of the American League Hank Aaron Award (2022), a two-time American League home run leader (2017, 2022), American League RBI (runs batted in) leader (2022), and a Roberto Clemente Award (2023). During his time with the Bulldogs (2011-2013), he was named to the all-conference team in all three of his seasons in the WAC—in his first two seasons, and the Mountain West Conference (MW) as a junior.
Aaron Judge
Judge and Batesole are now a permanent part of college’s history along with other great athletes in other sports that have worn the red such as football greats like David and Derek Carr, and Davantae Adams.
Judge is proud to be part of that company. “It’s incredible. They all put in a lot of hard work, had a lot of help along the way, but never forget where they came from. They always return. It shows what this town and community and university meant to these players, so to have my number retired and look at the baseball field and see the other names there, it’s a special group. I can’t wait to take my kids here and show what Fresno and Fresno State means.”
Coach Batesole, who served as the head coach from 2003-2022, will forever be celebrated as the man who brought the baseball team’s first and last national championship to Fresno back in 2008. He led Fresno State to six WAC tournament titles: four straight, from 2006 to 2009, and two more in 2011 and 2012, plus five WAC regular season titles: three straight from 2006 to 2008 and two more from 2010 to 2011. The Bulldogs moved to the Mountain West Conference (MW) beginning in the 2013 season. In 2016, the team won the MW regular season title for its first championship in the conference, and Batesole won MW Coach of the Year honors.
Mike Batesole
Batesole credits his support system for helping him obtain this distinguished honor. “It’s the power of we, a solid family, a solid community, the administration. We’re celebrating the power of we, that’s what we’re celebrating today. When my number goes up, it’s for all the people that allowed me to get the life that I got to live.”
Mike Batesole
BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy brought their holiday themed jazz show to the Tower Theatre for their “Wild and Swingin’ Holiday Party Tour” on November 26. They put their own swingin’ spin on holiday classics and it was enjoyable.
This past April marked the 30-year anniversary of the band’s remarkable arrival onto the music scene. The band, co-founded by singer Scotty Morris and drummer Kurt Sodergren, from Southern California, has sold more than two million albums to date. The band’s unique mix of jazz, swing, and Dixieland make the old favorite holiday jingles unique and appealing to a contemporary audience.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
The original core line-up has remained: Scotty Morris (lead vocals and guitar), Kurt Sodergren (drums), Dirk Shumaker (double bass and vocals), Andy Rowley (baritone saxophone and vocals), Glen “The Kid” Marhevka (trumpet), Karl Hunter (saxophones and clarinet), and Joshua Levy (piano and arranger). Scotty, wearing a top hat, was as charismatic as ever. My favorite aspect of the band, and if I can speak for the fans on what they find most impressive, is the horn section. The sound they produce as a unit is sexy, soulful, and full of energy. That’s where the group gets its signature sound.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has released two Christmas albums—Everything You Want for Christmas and It Feels Like Christmas Time. They belted out old familiars like “Jingle Bells,” “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” and “Winter Wonderland.” Their “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” was very bluesy and “Heat Miser” was performed in their own style, but still similar to the special, The Year Without A Santa Claus. They brought a lot of bravado to their renditions of Chuck Berry’s “Run, Run Rudolph” and Lou Rawls’ “Merry Christmas Baby,” and slowed things down for Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas.” They infused a New Orleans style for “Frosty the Snowman” and added a Caribbean flavor for the Calypso, “A Party for Santa.” The band performed a very moving arrangement of “We Three Kings.” They also added their own holiday originals to the Christmas list like “Rockabilly Christmas,” “Last Night (I Went Out with Santa Claus),” “Christmas Time in Tinsel Town,” and “It Feels Like Christmas Time.” They also played their non-Christmas originals, much to the delight of the audience.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
The band has achieved a lot during their career and have spread the interest of jazz and swing across different media outlets. They appeared in the 1996 indie film, Swingers, and their music has been featured in countless films and television shows, including The Wild, Despicable Me, Phineas & Ferb, Friends, Third Rock from The Sun, Ally McBeal, and So You Think You Can Dance. They have appeared live on Dancing with The Stars, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, NBC’s Christmas in Rockefeller Center, The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, made seven appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and appeared on the Super Bowl XXXIII Halftime Show. They even performed for three U.S. Presidents. Kings River Life covered them back in 2019, but it wasn’t a Christmas show. Now you can add Christmas songs to their inventory of accomplishments and musical creativity.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA
The Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) polar-expressed their way to the Save Mart Center on Thursday, November 30 for their winter tour, The Ghosts of Christmas Eve – the Best of TSO & More. They’ve visited the Valley several times, including last year, when I sung their praises. It’s no different this time around.
Their tour is the ultimate spectacle. It’s a combination of rock opera, theatre, choir, orchestra, light show, pyrotechnics, and screen displays. I’ve been to a lot of shows, and I can honestly say there’s no one else like them, although KISS gives them a run for their money. That’s saying something.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
The Ghosts of Christmas Eve, follows the journey of a runaway teen who breaks into an abandoned vaudeville theater on December 24. While seeking shelter from the cold, she’s discovered by the theater’s caretaker who calls upon the ghosts and spirits from the building’s past to turn her life around.
Throughout the night, they played their greatest hits, fan-favorites, and a few surprises. TSO’s music director and lead guitarist, Al Pitrelli, served as ringleader of this production. The guitars were electric, the drums were booming, the vocals were epic. It was a cinematic presentation. Everyone loves “Christmas Eve/Saravejo” which is always played on the radio during the holiday season. The other favorite is the transcendent “Christmas Canon” that was sung majestically by the female trio choir. Each singer had their moment under the spotlight.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
It was hard to not get lost in the ambiance of the pageantry. Two levitating stages that extended out to the audience were the highlight of the show. Everyone in the arena had great views of the band members as they rocked out on stage. One singer performed inside a glass ball. The pyrotechnics going off to the beat of the music was a sight to behold. My personal favorite and the one I was most excited to see was “This Christmas Day.” It’s an emotional build-up song with heavy metal vocals, choir, and a rock beat. along with the orchestra that makes for a sentimental experience. TSO requested the crowd to stand up, clap their hands, and sing along to the song, and all those people moving together and singing in harmony was one moment the audience will never forget.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
But the high point of the show was their encore, a second performance of “Christmas Eve/Saravejo” but this time, since this was the set climax, it was bigger and more extravagant then their first rendition. It featured more lights, more fire, more passion. Everyone was on their feet clapping for joy. What a way to conclude a show!
I’ve said it before, but out of all the many shows I’ve been to, I put TSO on top of that list. They tick all the boxes for presentation, music, and everything else. No matter how you categorize them, they deliver. And their success speaks for itself. They’ve sold more than 12 million albums and DVDs. Since their touring debut, they’ve played more than 2,000 Winter Tour shows to more than 18 million fans.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
They’re also one of rock’s most charitable bands. TSO donates at least $1 from every ticket sold to charity when they’re touring. To date, more than $18 million has been donated by the group. This time they donated $5,540 to The Marjaree Mason Center. On-air personality Teri Ann from Soft Rock 98.9, which plays Christmas music 24/7 during the holidays, announced the check they gave to the charity and introduced the band.
For me, there’s no Christmas gift that can top that show. The Central Valley does have a variety of light shows and holiday themed events that are great, but what this band does is unmatched. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is Christmas, and we’ve embraced them every single time they’ve come to the Valley. We’re most definitely looking forward to next year.
All photos by Steven Sanchez.
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