High Sunn "The Final Bye Bye Tour" at Summer Fox in Fresno

I feel as if people often forget how often “goodbyes” are said in a day. All of those closing “byes” that wrap up dozens of everyday conversations, either through the phone or in person. It becomes a little too easy to say it to anyone until you come across those harder goodbyes.

This hard goodbye was ever so present at High Sunn’s “The Final Bye Bye Tour” show in Fresno’s Summer Fox Brewing Company.

To those unfamiliar, High Sunn is a San Francisco-based group formed by songwriter Justin Cheromiah in 2015. It’s tough to officially pinpoint their genre since they fall under an umbrella of several sounds. According to Bandcamp, they play bedroom pop, lo-fi, and garage rock. On their Soundcloud page, their bio states that they’re “dreamo brightcore,” a description that almost sounds like a PS2 game.

I asked Cheromiah what genre he best identifies with.

“I like to call it brightcore… I guess it’s adjacent to dream pop and shoegaze but more with a different twist,” Cheromiah shared.

When first seeing the show’s flyer on Instagram, several emotions ran through me. Seeing their name brought me back to my teenage self when I first stumbled upon their music on Soundcloud’s discovery page.

It was exciting to see that this niche indie band that I was once obsessed with was going to perform in my town for their last ever United States tour. It felt like an honor that Fresno was chosen to be one of their last spots before Cheromiah moves to Japan.

It was even more exciting to see that he was going to be playing with a stacked lineup.

Once 7:30 hit, a dreamy surf-rock sound filled the venue. Jericho Tejeda, lead vocalist of the alternative rock band 60 juno, hit the stage in front of an energetic crowd. 60 juno is a project that came to life during the pandemic by Tejeda, a Merced local.

60 juno consists of droning instrumentals that pair with low vocals, a sound that reminds me of Current Joys and The Drums. Tejeda played hits “J Song” and “ours,” which were two songs that made it especially hard not to nod your head to the beat.

Whether it was nodding heads, tapping feet, or mosh pits, there were all sorts of movements at this show. It wasn’t really just the rhythm of the music that washed over the room that caused this excitement, but it was the presence of other like-minded attendees that uplifted this energy.

I spoke to a few attendees who shared their excitement about the show between sets.

“Personally, I’m really into alternative rock and even shoegaze. I’ve had the chance [during] college where I had the chance to explore that genre but seeing it in Fresno, I never even knew [this music] existed. Having this [venue] is really cool,” attendee Susannah Diaz shared.

Video by wyatt bible

Junebug was next in line to perform. It was the perfect transition from an indie rock sound to shoegaze, featuring a clear influence of My Bloody Valentine. The overall instrumentation of the group was mesmerizing, but the bassline stood out to me the most.

If there’s one thing about me, I love a thick, velvety bassline that you can feel from miles away. The vibration ran through the floorboards that fully immersed me in the music.

There have been a handful of times I’ve been emotional at a concert before. I remember crying my eyes out when I saw Cafe Tacvba play “Las Flores” a few years back, and the same with Alex G’s live performance of “Gnaw.” It was a culmination of disbelief and awe that swept through me as I witnessed the people who had created some of my favorite pieces of music perform them right in front of my eyes.

When High Sunn performed, I felt a different wave of emotion surge over me. I was transported back to my 16-year-old self staring at my bedroom ceiling while listening to their music through my shitty-sounding iPhone 6s. It was surreal.

I was curious on how the group were going to put their setlist together due to how much content they have. According to Apple Music, they have a total of 19 albums and over 20 EPs, not even including the number of singles on their Soundcloud.

They ended up bouncing around from their Missed Connections album, Hopeless Romantic EP, and a few more collections. It was an amazing blend of their nostalgia and their newer, experimental sounds.

Cheromiah closed out their performance by yelling, “Alright guys, here’s Fortnite Princess,” a play on their hit song, “Ramen Princess.” It was this song that heightened the energy of both the band and the crowd, where they both put their all in this grand finale.

paradise blossom closes the show out as the last act after high sunn's performance. (wyatt bible/ Setlist)

I asked Cheromiah how he felt about this bittersweet finale moment.

“I think it went great, it was one of my favorite performances to be honest. Everybody seemed like they were enjoying it and I felt comfortable upstage,” he stated. “Sentimental tears were coming out. Where I’m from, San Francisco, the [music] scene changed so much and I feel like nobody is that connected anymore. Being here, I feel like everybody feels connected in some way, shape, or form.”

Fresno-based group Paradise Blossom closed out the night at Summer Fox, an indie rock group that featured passionate musicians with a charming setlist. Songs like “forever, with you” and “Run Away With Me” that sound more tame and soothing through their recordings, transition into a fast, exhilarating live performance.

Hamp’s Day Off, a local show promoter, was the mind behind putting tonight’s show together. He invited a perfect mesh of bands, sounds, and people into Fresno’s music scene. For some, it was their first local show. For others, it was their millionth. That night invited a feeling of community, of people coming together to cheer on High Sunn for their last show in the States, while also supporting talented local musicians.

“There’s a big fan and artist separation outside of our scene [in Fresno]. When you pull up to a Paradise Blossom show, we know everybody in the crowd,” Paradise Blossom member Steven Salazar shared. “It’s like there’s a huge sense of everybody loving everybody, like we all support each other here.”

It was a bittersweet moment not only to see High Sunn’s possibly last performance here in Fresno, but to also say goodbye to my teenage years. It’s embarrassing to say that I still go back and listen to my high school playlist and rediscover all of the different artists I would listen to daily.

But it was sweet to see myself in the younger kids that danced along to High Sunn and the other performers, knowing that future generations showed up and showed out to celebrate local music.

the crowd keeps energy high throughout the night, cheering and moshing for every band. (wyatt bible/ Setlist)

60Juno opens the night as the first act of the show. (wyatt bible/ Setlist)