Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Brian Kenney Fresno offers marathon concert for the unemployed

Brian Kenney Fresno; World's Most Underrated Musician Offers 12-Hour Marathon Concert To The Valley's Unemployed
Date and Time: June 21, 2009 - 12 PM to 12AM (Noon to Midnight)
Location: Audie's Olympic Tavern - 1426 N Van Ness, Fresno, CA

Brian Kenney Fresno sings modern day rock folk-tales, urban legends, and epics of the absurd, largely about Fresno, and previous works feature vast long form instrumental compositions.

Believing in the healing powers of both music and laughter, Brian Kenney Fresno offers a free 12-hour marathon concert to the people of the San Joaquin Valley. Brian Kenney Fresno will attempt to perform near continuously for 12 hours, at Audie's Olympic Tavern located at 1426 N Van Ness, in Fresno's historic Tower District. The concert will be from noon to midnight, and will span several decades of over 100 of Kenney Fresno's songs. Many special guests will be in attendance, and prizes awarded to anyone who stays the whole time.

Though he is hailed as a conquering hero of the Warr guitar elsewhere, Kenney Fresno's performances have gone largely unnoticed in his namesake hometown. That has not prevented Fresno's modern day troubadour from filling his free weekly three-hour concerts with the same unbridled over the top showmanship and enthusiasm he has become renowned for.

Playing the Warr Guitar is like playing two instruments at once because it is a stereo, 12-string instrument that allows each hand to play independently, simultaneously producing bass, melody, and chords. This innovation is carried to further extremes with the integration of modern electronics, each group of strings processed separately to create specific sound scenes.

Career Highlights:

* 1993 receives a grant from the Fresno Arts Council for performance and composition.

* 1994 First musician to perform as an artist in residence at the Fresno Art Museum.

* 1997 Warr Guitar, given to him by Mark Warr after hearing Brian play.

* 1998 Brian Kenney Fresno banned from performing in Fresno.

* National Tours in 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007

* Regional Tours 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006

* 2001 to Present: performed at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco opening for Willie Nelson, Los Lobos, They Might Be Giants, Judas Priest, David Byrne, Richard Thompson, King Crimson, Ratdog, Ozomatli, Yonder Mountain String Band, Keller Williams, Les Claypool's Flying Frog Brigade, and Yngwie Malmsteen, among others.

* 2004 - 2006 several of Brian Kenney Fresno's songs are featured multiple times on the nationally syndicated Doctor Demento Show..

* Dec 2006, Fresno magazine chose Kenney Fresno as among 150 people in 150 years of Fresno history that have put Fresno "on the map".

* 2007 - July 18 Brian Kenney Fresno resumes playing in his namesake hometown.

* 2008 Brian Kenney Fresno performs three hours for free every Sunday from 5PM to 8PM January - March at Club Fred.

* January 2009 Kenney Fresno resumes his Sunday residency at Audie's Olympic Tavern.

Kenney Fresno has 3 self produced CDs and several DVDs to his credit, and will be embarking on the West coast leg of his "Believe The Hype - Smell The Magic Tour 2009" in early July.

For more info see: www.bonghitrecords.com

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