The Suicide Machines show last night was lots of energy and spit and a total blast (literally spit was hanging from the ceiling). They're on tour opening for No Use For A Name and Pennywise, but made a stop here to headline without them. Luckily, Fresno's finest got to open for them and the show was an all around good time.
It was an all ages show at the Belmont (formerly Big Game). The folks over there have done some good work giving kids in this town a place to see some pretty major acts; last year I saw the Polysics, Guttermouth and the Vandals with crowds of teenagers I would have died to be a part of when I was in high school.
The caveat had to be the parking situation. I ended up in a dirt lot down the street because Richard's, the adjacent restaurant, has posted no parking signs all over the lot. The patrons at the Belmont resepcted the signs and filled up whatever space they could find that wasn't marked but there had to have only been 8 people in the restaurant (I know this due to a liquor license snafu the Belmont is still booze free and I was able to show off Richard's soft-core glory to my newbie friends). Hopefully the owner (with his name on both establishments) will make some kind of change to accomodate show-goers in the future. But since I ended up actually patronizing Richard's I should have just moved my car to where I rightfully belonged.