This year’s Rogue Festival turned out to be another big success. Nearly every show that I attended was filled to capacity. The Tower Theater had a constant stream of customers looking to purchase Rogue bucks.

For the 11th annual Rogue festival, veteran performers challenged themselves like never before. Nearly every performance that I attended was a big success.

Abigail Nolte’s new ensemble, Gayle and the Bowties amazed audience members with their fantastic rendition of 1950’s era music.

The sold-out debut performance exceeded my expectations. They performed eight or nine baby-boomer era songs including tunes from Richie Vallen and Bill Haley. Abigail Nolte stunned audience members with the incredible precision and mastery of her voice; truly one of the very finest Fresno has to offer.

The Bowties were fully prepared for their debut. The communication between the four musicians was flawless. Gayle and the Bowties received an ovation from the audience for several minutes.

Fortunately I was able to catch their final performance the following weekend. Needless to say, Gayle and the Bowties floored attendees with yet another incredible show.

The Songs 4 Pints ensemble returned for their seventh consecutive year. They won over a packed house with old Irish tunes and distinctive harmonies. For their show, A Hair Off the Dog that Humped Ya’, nearly half of their set was performed a cappella while other songs incorporated the use of guitar and violin.

Near the end of their show they strayed from their Irish roots and brought the house down by performing Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance”. During the past year, Songs 4 Pints have remained active by singing in local pubs. The quality over last year’s performance is apparent. In all my years of Rogue, this was the most well received Songs 4 Pints show that I’ve attended.

The Woodward Park Shakespeare staff put on a hilarious performance in Almost Shakespeare. Unlike their Shakespeare in the Park pieces, this was a comedic performance that encouraged audience participation.

Audience members were asked to yell out certain letters nad numbers. The corresponding values would determine their comedy sketch. Their most memorable performance was for their Shakespearian take of Abbot and Costello’s “Who’s on First” bit. Overall, this was one of the most entertaining shows of the festival this year.

Hizz Ya Wizz is a collective of several local belly dancing troops. With each song from this performance, a new group or soloist would take the stage to show off their talents.

Even though most everyone performed well, a few guild leaders did so well that they diminished the performances of most dancers. To the applause of audience members, guild leaders would drift smoothly from one end of the stage to the other without appearing to move their legs.

The sold out sow was a good example of what Fresno’s belly dancing guilds have to offer. However, the contrast between the top performances and average ones interrupted anotherwise smooth sequence of dances.

Unfortunately, not every reinvention was a smash hit. Confessions of a Church Organist fell fall short of the bar set by his previous appearances. In years past, one of the draws to his show was to witness his incredible talents. This year, he decided not to play organ pieces, instead extending his autobiographical monologue into a full hour of storytelling.

As a former organist for the Fresno Falcons and as a part-time organist for Pizza and Pipes, his impact on Fresno’s history is notable. Less notable however was his failed attempt to extend a mildly interesting life into an hour long monologue. This was easily the most disappointing performance.

This year’s festival was perhaps the most entertaining yet. The quality and effort put into these performances is noticeably better than in previous years. This trend is sure to strengthen the quality of next year’s festival.