What was your favorite concert in Fresno in 2019? Does it stack up to our list? Vote now

Hundreds of concerts came through Fresno venues in 2019, from packed-out club shows to full-on arena spectacles and everything in between (though we didn’t get a bunch of punk kids moshing inside a Denny’s).

Here are some of the more memorable shows of the year, collected and put to you in an online vote.

So, what was the best concert to come through Fresno in 2019?

Remember, this is a subjective list, based on a number of factors including personal taste and judgments, and is in no way comprehensive. These may not be the best attended or most profitable concerts, and there are surely many (many) performances that got overlooked.

Feel free to make corrections to that in the comments section.

Voting ends at noon on Christmas Eve and we’ll the announce the winner later that day.

Elton John

(Jan. 15, Save Mart Center)

Sir Elton returned to the Save Mart Center on his Farewell Yellowbrick road tour, 16 years after playing the arena’s opening weekend in 2003. He played for nearly three hours and still missed a couple of the big hits (the Disney stuff, for example). It was a rock show. Yes, it also felt like a major cultural event and a great way to say goodbye.

Kiss

(Feb. 8, Save Mart Center)

Kiss set the standard for arena-rock excess in the 1970s. They didn’t let up on their farewell tour (which is still happening – with a stop in Bakersfield in March). The final Fresno show offered little in the way of surprises, but who goes to a Kiss show to be surprised?

Grizzly Fest

(May 4-5, Woodward Park)

Two years into its run at Woodward Park and Grizzly Fest is still causing some stir-ups at City Hall. That’s unfortunate, seeing as the two-day multi-genre music festival continued to establish itself as a viable draw for the entire region, with headliners including (the Fresno by-proxy rapper) G Easy and Portugal. The Man. It was also the place to see a representation of the best local bands, plus up-and-coming national acts like Jessie Reyez.

Carrie Underwood

(May 12, Save Mart Center)

By design, Underwood’s Cry Pretty tour was a show of force. Aside from the massive production, which included a 360-degree stage, hydraulic lifts, plus pyrotechnics and costume changes, the tour featured a powerful lineup of women artists. Their homage to the history of women in country music should have a tour of its own.

Tyler, the Creator

(Oct. 12, Selland Arena)

Over the course of the last three years, Tyler, the Creator has taken himself from street-wise comic nerd rapper to a kind of performance-art provocateur. With his Igor tour, he managed to created a show that was as commercially satisfying as it was subversive. Though judging from the crowd, this was not the scene for those over 30.

Willie Nelson and Family

(Oct. 14, The Big Fresno Fair)

There was some question as to whether Willie would be healthy enough to perform at this year’s Big Fresno Fair. But perform he did and to a sold-out crowd, at that. Nelson is a legend, and over the span of an hour, the 86-year-old proved why he remains relevant, even after close to five decades in the business (it’s not just the weed).

Gwar

(Oct. 23, Tioga Sequoia Brewing Company).

The most NSFW concert of the year, by far, happened in the parking lot of a brewery in downtown Fresno and included gallons of fake blood (and a secondary mystery green fluid). It was also one of the most political concerts of the year, which added to the entertainment value, or not, depending on your views toward President Donald Trump.

This story was originally published December 18, 2019 at 12:00 AM.