If you combined ‘50s oldies and '80s punk, and if the eccentric filmmaker John Waters was looking for a band to put in a movie, or to provide the soundtrack to his retro esthetic, it would most definitely be Shannon and The Clams. They look and sound like they’re from another era, and they for sure live up to it.
Kings River Life had the privilege of covering the Fresno Monsters hockey team for the 2022-2023 season. It was hockey at its finest. We’ve covered the sport before, but something was different about this team. There was excitement, the fans craved watching the games after the pandemic, and through witnessing the wild finishes and the perseverance of the team, it was a very solid year.
For years, the Speakers Forum held at Fresno City College has brought high-profile names to grace their stage. There was the actor Taye Diggs, the philosopher and activist Cornell West, author Max Brooks, and Sheryl Underwood who is an FCC Graduate and Co-host of The Talk on CBS … just to name a few. These events are for the students and are free to the public. Those who attended these events walked away with knowledge and lessons learned, no matter who was the speaker.
The wait is over! The Fresno Grizzlies 2023 season has arrived. The season will mark the team?s 21st year in Downtown Fresno and 25th baseball season since their inception in 1998. Last year they had 83 wins and 49 losses in the league’s North Division. They led the league with 911 runs, including 162 home runs. The team clinched a playoff berth for the second straight season, winning both the first and second halves. It was the first time in the team’s history that they made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. They are the affiliate of the Major League Baseball team the Colorado Rockies.
On Saturday, March 11, at the William Saroyan Theatre, Pink Martini, the band that is a performing jukebox of multiple genres, entertained a Central Valley crowd in a collaboration with the Fresno Philharmonic Orchestra. All those musicians on one stage playing a plethora of different musical styles was unique to witness. The orchestra was conducted with preciseness and gravitas by Rei Hotoda. It was a United Nations of musical numbers that were presented ranging from different cultures, years, and languages.
Classic rock legends, REO Speedwagon, rolled through Fresno on Monday, January 16, at the Saroyan Theatre, and just as usual, it was another great display of their longevity, and with over fifty years of rock stardom, they still got it. Kings River Life had the privilege of covering them a few years back in 2020, before things went to you know what, but from that point till now, with that gap in between, there’s been no difference or decline with their overall energy and their love of playing music.
Thrilling. Exciting. Electric. Bewildering. Amazing. These are just a few adjectives I could conjure up when witnessing the spectacle before my eyes that was the Trans-Siberian Orchestra performing at the Save Mart Center on December 1. The heavy metal/theatrical/operatic hybrid musical act is primarily known for the single, “Christmas Eve / Sarajevo,” which has become a staple of holiday radio for it thunderous guitars with the melodic string accompaniment that’s filled with Christmas joy.
Chris Daughtry, with the name of the band being Daughtry, who is remembered as being a finalist on the fifth season of American Idol, came to the Tachi Palace Casino & Resort in Lemoore on Saturday, November 19, and completely rocked the joint. The American Idol alum may not have taken the award, but since then he’s released six studio albums and an EP, several chart-topping singles, and platinum record sales, proving that he forged a path all on his own.
The rock band, Scorpions, rocked the Fresno audience like a hurricane on Friday, October 7, at Save Mart Center. Kings River Life had the privilege of witnessing it. The German rockers have been at it since the early '70s but achieved their greatest success in the '80s, but on this night, they proved that they’re still going strong.
This past year, ever since events have been taking place since the pandemic lockdown lifted, there hasn’t been too many options for the metalhead crowd in the Central Valley for live entertainment. Then lo and behold, on Tuesday, October 4, at Selland Arena, the prayers of local headbangers was answered when Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage, along with Motionless in White and Fit For An Autopsy came to town and tore the stage up. This breed of metal is known for its dark themes and ear pulsing beats, so it was fitting that this show took place in the beginning of October to kickstart the Halloween season.
