2/20/07 Starline (Fresno, Ca)

2/20/07 Starline
Originally uploaded by aaronwall@sbcglobal.net.

Fat Tuesday, a lot of people on a mission to puke before 10pm. The Viper City Brass Band kicked off the night in appropriate fashion with some heavy New Orleans funk. The crowd was ready for the taking. I was in and out as usual and talked to my friend in the alley behind Starline and he says "Did you hear about the 2 cops that got shot down the street?" That isn't what you want to hear before you go onstage while there is heavy debauchery going on all around the streets and in the club. Come to find out that some crazy gun nut with mental problems (guns don't kill people, right?) went down Wishon the wrong way got pulled over and proceeded to shoot 2 cops and an innocent woman in the back before leading them on a 5 mile chase before crashing and getting 80 rounds put into him and his car. But I didn't find all this out until after the show We go on stage and did a number called "Fire on the Bayou" with Viper City before we launched into our set. So I'm thinking 2 cops got shot down the street, who in here is packing heat, and everybody is sloshed and out of control. Thats not a good feeling whe you have to put on the mask of a front man leading the crowd into a frenzy. A while back someone got shot and killed inside Club Fred during a show, so that was on my mind, and I didn't want to go out like Dimebag. I decided not to drink and we made it through the show. It was crazy and out of control like it should be on Fat Tuesday. I never mentioned the shooting during the show, all of the Tower District was taped up and on lock down, except for us inside the Starline setting if off. That shooting could happen anywhere no one should let that keep them from coming to the Tower District, one of the best arts districts Fresno has to offer.