Fresno Famous

We Barbarians are, at heart, a bunch of southern California kids. So, dropping everything and moving across country to dive into the hustle-and-bustle of East Coast life might seem out of character. 

Sure, the band had been touring a decent amount, had gotten lucky and fell in with bands like the Cold War Kids, Local Natives and Passion Pit. But southern California is a slow-paced mellow-kind of life. It’s too easy too get comfortable.

“We thought, if we stay here, we’re going to fizzle out,” says Dave Quon, who plays guitar and sings in the rock and roll trio. “We wanted to make sure that didn’t happen.”

They needed to venture out, find new surroundings, a new mind set. So the band packed up and moved to Green Bridge Brooklyn. They had friends there. Their management is based in New York. Plus, the place is thriving with culture, Quon says. But, mostly it was to see what would happen.

The band quickly settled in, found a studio and started writing and demo-ing songs for a new full length album.

In the midst of all that, they released an E.P. “Headspace” and set off on a national tour with Miami’s ANR. The tour stops at Audie’s Friday. Fresno faves Strange Vine open. 

“Headspace,” was produced by Dann Gallucci (Modest Mouse, Murder City Devils) and collects four songs the band wrote last summer in San Pedro and a newer number — “Strange Overtones” — that they was recorded in Brooklyn. It’s a solid foundation for what you can expect on the full-length, Quon says.

This isn’t the band’s first time in Fresno — drummer Nathan Warkentin is a native — but Quon says fans can expect a longer set and a larger repertoire of songs, both old and new. “We have a rambunctious set,” he says. “Our shows, especially Fresno shows, have been pretty wild.”