Tiny Moving Parts, Action/Adventure, Greywind - 11/11/24 - Fresno, CA

11/11/24 - Strummer's

The club side at Strummer’s was once again alive last night with the up-tempo, high energy sounds of masterfully executed emo pop-punk.

Greywind, travelling all the way across the Atlantic from Ireland, got the night off to a great start. While their set was short, their delightful chord progressions and hooks and soaring choruses, which are characteristic of the genre, put the crowd in a wonderful mood right off the bat. And, judging by the large number of people trying to get pictures with the band at their merch table, their efforts were very much appreciated by the attendees. They surely made some new fans in Fresno.

Up next was Action/Adventure from Chicago. Described elsewhere as being comprised solely of BIPOC, they are much more than a novelty act. They are a great rock band in their own right, and were the largest group of the night with a vocalist, two guitarists, a bass player, and a drummer. All five members brought their A game and put on a wonderful show. Their stage presence was as high energy as their music, with every band member dancing and rocking out.

Their sound was stereotypical pop-punk, at times veering to something that sounded more like hardcore. It was clear they were having an amazing time on stage, and their enthusiasm for the music was infectious. They were having the time of their lives and it was impossible not to smile along with them. The vibes were immaculate.

Headliner Tiny Moving Parts closed the night out, and did not disappoint. They brought more of the standard fare of the night, the high-tempo, the fun chord changes and hooks, the plaintive choruses that are hallmarks of the emo genre. But they are more than a stereotype. At times they sounded like a prog rock or math rock unit, including what seemed like some time signature changes. This was an unexpected treat and brought thoughts of Polyphia to the mind this blogger.

Guitarist and vocalist Dylan Mattheisen’s fingers were a microcosm of the rest of his body, bounding and leaping around the fretboard the same way that he was bounding and leaping around the stage. The mosh pit, which had started earlier, continued to swell as the night grew longer, with more and more concert goers joining the circle. At one point getting so large that attendees had to hug the wall if they didn’t want to get sweaty. Throughout their set, the room echoed with the united voices of the audience singing along to their favorite songs, and Mattheisen played off it perfectly, simultaneously encouraging the audience to join him, thanking them for doing so, and still giving them the performance they came to see.

Overall, it was another great night for live music in Fresno. Even though it was a Sunday and Richie’s was closed.