Fresno Famous

This Friday, Fresno Famous presents QUIET!, an evening of acoustic music at Fresno's Full Circle Brewery in Chinatown with door proceeds benefiting the city's Poverello House. We managed to drag up five of California's finest singer/songwriter types to perform, and as an added bonus they agreed to answer a few simple questions before the show.

About our heroes: Los Angeles-based Ashod Simonian is the leader, and sometimes the only member, of the Panty Lions and also plays in Preston School of Industry. Malcolm Sosa fronts Rademacher, which the Fresno Bee recently said is "quickly becoming the best band in Fresno," or something to that effect. Visalia's Aaron Gomes sings and plays guitar for Vernal Falls when he's not masterminding the constant stream of great live music at Howie's. Radioactive Cauliflower is well-known as the mouthpiece of Merced's El Olio Wolof, but he also plays solo and with The Jabronskis. You may recognize Sean Duncan as the singer/guitarist of the recently defunct Duncan Booth and the still-thriving Stabone and Demar Rock Group, and we hear he's also got a hand in mysterious new Modesto projects like Saguaro and Kid Mud.

A) First off, tell us a little about you and your band(s). In haiku form, if possible.

ASHOD SIMONIAN:

valium lullabies
haunting the tips of your toes
ghetto fabulous

AARON GOMES:

50finger audio massage,
oboe, whirlitzer, bass, drums, glock, organ,
geetar,vocal chords

SEAN DUNCAN:
There is only one
Stabone and demar rock group
Jolami's the man

RADIOACTIVE CAULIFLOWER:

Tale come in bad dream
Make music to stay alive
Love to be on road

Raised on Marching band
Speak like Silverstein when young
Not good with girls
Winter is the best
Summer is the very worst
Spring is boring time

Vegan is my life
My family inspire me
Tale come in good dream

MALCOLM SOSA:

I hail from fresno
where grapes grow strong, but wine grows
poorly if at all.

B) What's the best part about playing for charity?

SOSA:
The feeling of knowing that poor people will probably have more to eat than me.

GOMES:
Wait a minute...we're playin' for free?

SIMONIAN:
Gloating about making a difference in the world.

CAULIFLOWER:
Actually, playing for charity is always hard because you are always curious about where the money goes, how much of the ticket is for charity and how much goes to "pay for the show." Like when big-named entertainers play for charity, they will still make more money than an average valley artist will make in their career from music. I trust Fresno Famous so it is an honor to play for the cause, and I know that the money will all go to the purpose, and will also help draw more well deserved attention to Fresno Famous through a good hearted deed.

DUNCAN:
Charity has got some tig ol' bitties.

C) How do you feel going up against Gwen Stefani & MIA at the Save Mart Center? How much of a challenge does this pose, attendancewise?

SIMONIAN:
My shit is way more bananas than theirs.

SOSA:
Location, location, location. There's better (and cheaper) beer at the brewery. Also, there's no traffic in Chinatown. I mean that. There's like zero traffic in Chinatown. Unless you count stray dogs.

CAULIFLOWER:
I think that we will lose 1 person to Gwen's show. Can you imagine if all those people came to the Full Circle Brewery instead, all 40,000 or whatever. We would have to get bigger amps. And wear smaller shirts too.

DUNCAN:
It doesn't matter who's going to what show. Anyone in attendance will be going BANANAS!!!! I ain't no holla back girl.

GOMES:
Who's Gwen and MIA? What does grocery shopping have to do with anything?

D) Please, we mean pretty please, explain your relationship with Fresno in haiku form.

SOSA:

desolation stirs
the soul. Makes one hard like a
railroad or a nut.

SIMONIAN:

i am from fresno
richard kiel lives near coarsegold
we are both outcasts

DUNCAN:

two hours away
Mike will buy the Natti Light
Greer will steal my strap

CAULIFLOWER:

Many good heart
Genuine art from people
Drink like pretty fish

GOMES:
I've yet to actually meet Mr. or Mrs. Fresno. But the name is fun to say.

E) How do you think your aforementioned relationship with Fresno will affect this show?

SIMONIAN:
Like Richard Kiel's 1983 smash hit, this show is sure to be "Hysterical!"

DUNCAN:
I will be giving mustache rides if you dig what I'm shovelin'.

CAULIFLOWER:
I don't know...

SOSA:
It is possible I will get drunk before the show.

GOMES:
Anything is possible.

F) What kind of material can the fans expect from your set? Any hot Full Circle exclusives?

SOSA:
Yes. I may cover Sean Duncan's cover of the Golden Girls theme song or Rufus Wainwright's "My Phone Is On Vibrate For You." I will dedicate either/or to you, Kumar.

CAULIFLOWER:
I have this one song that I wrote with Ben Gibbard that I have been wanting to throw out there, and I will probably have a couple of casually and skimpy dressed dancer's. I'll mix some slow songs in there, a couple of make out jams, and I'll sing a kids song called "Down By The Bay."

GOMES:
We're not sure what material we're playin' yet?

SIMONIAN:
My new stuff seems to be unintentionally drifting in a Federlinely direction. This frightens me and will likely frighten you, as well.

DUNCAN:
I don't think any fans will be there since I have none but they can expect mustache rides if you receive what I'm passing.

G) Does the show really end at 11pm? What are you going to do afterward?

CAULIFLOWER:
Does the show really end at 11:00? What am I going to do afterward?

SIMONIAN:
If everybody sticks to their alotted twenty minutes, we can be finished by 10 thirty, easy, at which point I can convince everybody to book it over to Meatball Magic where we can all proceed to get sopping wet on the dancefloor.

DUNCAN:
Going to party like it's 1923 if you reflect what I'm mirroring.

GOMES:
We will follow the most interesting flock of Fresnofamily attendees and participate in their postshow ritual. Come up after the show and lead the way.

SOSA:
I am not 100 percent sure ... I think we're all supposed to meet up with MIA and Gwen at City Lights.