Category Archives: Travel

Social, Travel

Weird Al: Bigger and Weirder Tour

https://youtube.com/shorts/XHlLqTc9W1c?feature=share

I went to the Weird Al at SMC (Fresno State’s Save Mart Center arena). It was part of the Bigger and Weirder Tour with Puddles Pity Party as the opening act. Unlike most music concerts I’ve been to, it felt more like going a table-top-gaming convention.

Weird Al and his band sang in sync to projected footage of his music videos. Visually, his concert was somewhat underwhelming, leaning heavily on projected footage of the music videos of his songs. Al’s vocal abilities are often overlooked and underrated, especially his rapping ability. The musical performances were excellent, and the evening was one of the most fun and positive concerts I’d attended.

Sadly I had to cut out some of the footage from my videos because of Copyright limitations.

Social, Travel

Fresno: Puddles Pity Party

https://youtube.com/shorts/it6hjaNhqgQ?feature=share

Like many people, I’ve grown to hate and fear clowns. But one clown has a mesmerizing tenor voice.

Weird Al’s “Bigger and Weirder Tour’s” opening act was Puddles Pity Party. Puddles is a 7ft tall Pagliacci clown and an amazing singer. Puddles is concept performance act created by musical artist Mike Geier. He first gained attention as part of the Aqua Teen Hunger Force Live Tour in 2010. In 2013 his video went viral after fronting Postmodern Jukebox’s cover of Lord’s “Royals”. And in 2017 he appeared on America’s Got Talent.

I still hate clowns.

Travel

Martin Guitar Factory

https://youtu.be/i4B4nFfla5E

The C.F. Martin guitar factory is located in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. They offer tours for a modest cost of $5/pp but the tour groups sell out quickly. Advanced online reservations are imperative, especially for popular summer months.

The guided tours are groups of 12 led through the working factory and meet workers. The tour ends in the Picking Room where visitors can try out guitars on the wall and order them at a modest discount.

You can visit the Museum inside the factory without a reservation. The Museum contains guitars and instruments from the breadth of company history, from C.F. Martin’s first guitars to its 1-millionth guitar.

Travel

The Etruscans exhibit: Legion of Honor SF

I visited “The Etruscans” exhibit at the Legion of Honor art museum in San Francisco. This is the most comprehensive U.S. exhibition on Etruscan culture in decades, featuring over 150 rare artifacts like bronze sculptures, gold jewelry, and the longest-surviving Etruscan linen text.

The Legion of Honor is one of San Francisco’s oldest art museums, located atop a hill overlooking the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge, next to the Presidio.

Travel

NYC Muji Store 5th Ave.

Muji is a Japanese retail brand known for minimalist household goods, apparel, and stationery. Unlike traditional home goods stores, Muji also offers a rich selection of stationary and art supplies. Muji is renowned for their high performance pens, mechanical pencils, and premium paper notebooks.

Travel

NYC Gray’s Papaya

On Broadway, near the corner of 72nd avenue is a modern day legend of cheap eats. Founded by a former owner of Papaya King, this clone was founded in 1973. It serves hot dogs and home made tropics flavored drinks. When I lived in NYC it was known for being a cheap lunch. You could get a drink and hot dog combo for $1.99. Today, its now $5.99 but still cheaper than most lunches you can get anywhere in NYC.

Travel

Tommy’s Joynt San Francisco

Near City Hall, Tommy’s Joynt is an easily overlooked San Francisco landmark that doesn’t show up on most people’s radar. Opened in 1947, Tommy’s is the oldest Hofbrau in California.

Hofbrau’s offer beer and German-American comfort food. Large portions at reasonable prices (for San Francisco, that’s anything not insanely overpriced). Tommy’s is famous for its pastrami, turkey, corned and roast beef, made freshly in-house. 

In addition to honest comfort food, Tommy’s offers a wall full of local and imported beers at its bar. In warm summer days, Tommy’s opens its rooftop biergarten. Opened by local singer and radio D.J Tommy Harris, Tommy’s served late-night grub to musicians finishing their gigs at local clubs and stages.

In 2020, rumors spread that Tommy’s was closed for good. Despite reopening after the citywide COVID shutdowns, viral social media posts still circulated that Tommy’s was closing or that the property would be sold to developers. I spoke to one of Tommy’s owners at the bar, and he completely dispelled the rumors.