Most of us have seen one-person shows. Whether it be stand-up comedy, a dramatic monologue, or a musical presentation, it would appear that producing and performing in this simple form of entertainment is a piece of cake. You write and memorize your lines, jokes or songs, practice (maybe in front of your friends and family), then walk onstage to thunderous applause.
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.
There is a black box theatre performance space on Van Ness in the Tower District that has hosted many different groups and gone by several different names since I started covering the arts in Fresno. Last year, something new started there called The Labyrinth Art Collective and recently we chatted with one of the people who run it, Alicia Rodriguez, to learn more about what they do. She runs it together with her partner Matt Comegys.
Reedley College has a great music program and they also have a community band. Recently, we chatted with Christine Keenan who is the Director of Instrumental Music at Reedley College and the conductor of the Reedley College Community Band, and the Reedley College Community Orchestra, to learn more.
Maybe they are the blues, and maybe they are the "blah”s. Whatever you call them, there is something about a let-down, a bit of cold, fog cover, and January itself that make the Central Valley the least attractive time of year for many. I almost shunned the opportunity to move here twenty-seven years ago because I came to explore in the mid-winter, specifically, January.
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.
Looking for that warm, cozy, Christmas-y feeling on a cold, dark night? Head for the historic Redley Opera House and the River City Theatre Company’s Christmas Legends, playing through December 18.
This show is different than earlier Legends shows in Reedley, where performers paid tribute to musical artists by emulating the styles and singing classic hits. This time, you are invited to a slightly rowdy Christmas party where fun is had by almost all, and holiday tunes run rampant . . . with a storyline.
This Valley is filled with talented artists of various kinds--painters, musicians, actors, writers, etc. Here at KRL we enjoy putting the spotlight on them and this week we chatted with Karana Hattersley-Drayton who is the lead singer/keyboard/bodhran and business manager for local band Pipe On the Hob from Fresno, who happen to be performing a Christmas concert at Woodward Library next weekend.
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.
