The Soapy Smell of Failure

I'm into activism. That doesn't mean I'm going to throw myself in front of vehicles or stop eating for a week. I consider myself a bit of a feminist. That doesn't mean I don't believe in shaving or dating men, so long as they're respectful. I often feel like there's really no "scene" I belong to. If nothing else, I suppose I belong to the Fresno/Central Valley DIY scene, if such a thing really, truly exists. It isn't much of a scene; it's just a few disjointed individuals and groups who rarely come together all at once, especially from different cities. I don't consider myself a punk, a hardcore kid, a hipster, an activist... Sometimes it's insane how people try to keep all of these groups seperate. It's like a plate of delicious food has been served to the city of Fresno, but Fresno (or the people in it) won't let any of the items touch. Now and then you'll see hardcore kids and punks at the same show, but you almost never see all of these "subcultures" at the same time and in the same place. There's very little unity here, and it seems to go against everything the punk and hardcore communities stand for.

I wasn't quite going anywhere with that, in case you were wondering. Just saying.

I recently started making soap (melt and pour, since I don't have easy access to all of the supplies I'd need to make it from scratch right now) in hopes of pulling in a little cash. So far, nothing. I listed some stuff on eBay and have seen some considerable interest, so I may be able to afford a couple more shows; I'm getting really low on cash and have no job, so driving to and from Fresno all the time and going to shows is going to get really difficult. I'll find a way, though; it's all I really have heh. 3SN is all but done, otherXcore zine may never happen... It's disappointing to see so many of my ideas kind of crash and burn. I'm a creative person, but that creativity tends to be a bit unfocused, so it rarely goes anywhere or does anything for me. I'm supposed to start doing shows in Madera soon (which is something I've always wanted to do), but we'll see how that goes. I can either be ridiculously DIY and break into semi-abandoned buildings (which is quite risky, since I'd rather go to college than jail), or I can shell out a ton of money to rent a space. I hate to say it, but the second option sounds slightly more favorable. We'll see how that goes. In the future, I'd love to do some kind of fest, sort of like Madstock and Fresno Fest, but I don't see myself having the money, time, or connections anytime soon. Ideally, it'd be a couple days long, have a bunch of bands from all over the area, and maybe from elsewhere, have workshops, and be a really cool unifying experience for everyone, but eh. Maybe that's just wishful thinking.

Side note: I'm pretty sure absolutely no one reads this blog, but I bet that if I had a tumblr, people would suddenly be interested. (Blogspot is for real bloggers. Unlike myself. I'm not bad enough for tumblr, though.)

SXR

Nothing New

So, while some people were at Coachella, getting drunk in the ridiculously hot sun, I was doing cooler, more productive things here in the 559. Friday night, I stopped by C.A.F.E. Infoshop for the Microcosm Publishing Post Punk Extravaganza Tour, which was a good time. Good people, good vegan food, a cool documentary, an interesting exhibit, and lots of radical zines and books. Everyone who didn't go missed out. On Saturday, Kelly and I helped our friend Tiffany with her CVAQ event, during which I got a crazy sunburn on my wrists, the back of my neck, and the backs of my calves. Not fun. After that, we stopped by Vintage Days at Fresno State, then made our way to the Tower District, where we ate at Loving Hut, which is basically still Au Lac hah. I'm getting good at navigating around Downtown Fresno and the Tower District, by the way. After lunch/dinner/whatever, we went to the Vulgar/Velisha/Destruct show. Kelly interviewed me and Chris for her English project and we had some fun discussions, as usual. CYC and people like Kelly, Chris, and the infamous Batlord are the reason I'm not killing myself over the fact that I'm not moving to the Bay Area this summer, truly.

The documentary we saw ("If It Ain't Cheap, It Ain't Punk") definitely inspired me to pick back up on a few projects I'd been working on and planning, including a documentary I've been talking about doing for months now. Since I'm stuck in the Central Valley for at least two more years, I figured why not start up on it now? I'm in the process of planning it all out and trying to get the logistics down right now, but I hope to start doing some really bad filming within the next couple of months. The shittier, the better, right? DIY for life.

Speaking of which, I encourage everyone who stumbles across this blog to really pursue any great ideas they have, no matter how limited their resources might seem. Whether it's writing a zine or book, opening a venue, throwing an event or show, starting a club, or creating some form of art or other media, it can be done! Gather your resources, find help from friends, and don't give up! Through hard work and a lot of DIY mentality, anything can be done.

Me and my strange virus are off to work on that documentary now. Good night, all.

SXR

Fresno Fest '09

Just for the sake of having something to do, I thought I'd post some videos from Fresno Fest '09. Good times were had.

(This was how I mutilated my pinky nail.)







See what you missed out on? Shame on you. Say what you will about Fresno, but it's got one of the liveliest scenes I've ever come across. True, a lot of kids don't go out to shows very often anymore, especially just to see local bands, but those that do are passionate about seeing local DIY music and organizations thrive, and that's something to be rewarded.

SXR

Good Times

Fresno Fest was an absolute blast. Jeremy did a fantastic job putting it together and managing an event that took place in two different venues. I somehow managed to break my pinky nail almost right away, so now it's got blood underneath it and it's kind of messed up, but it's all good. I was already sore from working at the food bank on Friday, but now I'm even more sore. It's kind of good, though, to feel like I've been doing something.

I think that since I'll have time over the break, I'll do a sort of step-by-step picture blog of my screen-printing process. I know my prints aren't amazing, but maybe when people see what I'm working with, they'll understand why heh. At the very least, I should get some real mesh and stop working with curtains, but I have to do some shopping and find good prices first. I'll get better in time, especially once I can invest in some better materials.

On that note (sort of), I'm extremely proud of Fresno's DIY scene, especially because of the number of girls who participate in it. Since I started going to CYC, I've seen more girls involved in shows than I ever have before, and more and more of us are trying to start businesses or play in bands, which is great. The scene has always been dominated by males, and although I don't have a problem with that, necessarily, I think it's important that more women get involved and try to make it on their own. I just wish Madera had something like Fresno does. We have no venues, few bands, and few kids who can get leave a party long enough to realize that there's more to life than meat, drugs, and whatever religion their parents have forced them into. The world is an amazing place full of different ideas, and few of them have ever tried to explore it.

Now to plan a trip to Oakland on New Years Day...

SXR

You Need to Know

First off, I'd like to say that anyone who happens to be reading this should purchase a 3SN "Sink With California" tee from me so I can afford to go to college. None of your friends will have one, so you'll seem much more in-the-know. To get one, go to http://3sn.bigcartel.com or http://www.myspace.com/threesecondsnoticeowns. I'd be happy to take your money.

Secondly, I forgot what I had to say, but I believe it had something to do with bands you should check out. Assuming that was what I was, indeed, going to talk about, here are some links to some great bands.

Hallowed Ground- Hardcore/punk from El Paso, Texas and now East Bay, California. These guys are amazing. End of story.

Hudson Criminal- More East Bay hardcore/punk. Ex-members of Scattered Fall.

Wolves and Thieves- Even more East Bay hardcore/punk. Ex-members of Dispute.

SXR