The official schedule for this year's Rotaryfest Second Stage has been announced, and after a one year absence, metal & hard rock is back! Not as much as the "Bring Metal to Rotaryfest" campaign from this spring was likely hoping, but what we're getting is notable in itself, so here's who's on tap! The festivities begin on Friday, July 20th, and the co-headliners are the newly reunited local blues/hard rock quartet Sailor's Tongue! The talented local band (originally active from roughly 2005-2009) are advertised as returning for on the Second Stage this year, which may be their first show in almost three years! We actually didn't have Sailor's Tongue on the site's band links before, probably because I figured they weren't heavy enough, but after listening to their material again, they definitely warrant a spot on the site with their bluesy take on hard rock originals, and it made me remember when I saw them a few times locally during their initial run! As you may remember, Sailor's Tongue were fronted by prolific local musician Kyle McKey on vocals & guitar, and he was joined by fellow Turner Up alumnus Jeff Brown on guitar, bassist Blake Jackson, and Kyle's brother Dean on drums, though whether this exact lineup is reuniting or not isn't clear, especially as their online pages haven't acknowledged the reunion yet.
Sailor's Tongue are advertised for an 8:30 PM set on July 20th, right before the headliners, Juno nominated Ottawa indie rock quartet Hollerado at 9:30 PM. The Friday lineup, which is shorter than the Saturday roster as usual, is rounded out by local rockers The Craig West Band (last seen on the second stage in 2010) at 7:30 PM, local indie rock quintet The Tenagens (who recently resurfaced last month) at 6:30 PM, and local solo artist (and original Stillbroke member) Joseph Kargiannakis opening things at 5:30 PM. As always, admission is FREE & ALL AGES for the Friday portion of the Tenaris Second Stage, and like last year, the stage should be set up on Queen Street East outside of The Grand Theater, and not far from the new Case's Music either. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Sounds like a talented lineup, and definitely more local leaning than last year's Friday lineup, so keep the first night of the Second Stage in mind! As for Sailor's Tongue, their Aerosmith-inspired sound has a lot of nice hard rock flourishes and tons of catchy rhythms, and though Kyle's voice as a lead singer doesn't always flow with the material, his range is definitely fitting of their talents, and I'm surprised I've missed featuring them on the site for this long! They're here now though, and don't miss their return at Rotaryfest on July 20th!
As for the Saturday portion of the Tenaris Second Stage, metal is definitely back, as Garden of Bedlam are returning to the outdoor Queen Street stage on July 21st! This will be their second headlining slot at the Second Stage, having headlined in 2010 as well, and just like then, they'll be the absolute last band rocking out on the stage outside of The Grand Theater, and it adds to a notable stretch of concerts next month, joining their Anvil support slot at The Canadian 4 days afterward! Garden of Bedlam will headline this FREE & ALL AGES concert on July 21st with a 10:00 PM timeslot, with 8 local and out of town bands opening for them, so here they are in descending order: Local blues/roots trio Al Wood & The Woodsmen will return from last year to play second last at 9:00 PM once again, while the highest slotted out of town band will be British Columbia folk/indie quintet Shred Kelly at 8:00 PM. A band that I can find nothing on called Paul D & The Double Down are up at 7:00 PM that night, so I'm not positive on their genre, hometown, or members, but if I find out, I'll be sure to let you guys know! North Bay alternative/folk trio The Faraway Neighbours and local solo artist Kelly McGillivray will follow them at 6:00 & 5:00 PM respectively.
The Saturday lineup is rounded out by local roots rockers Frank Deresti & The Lake Effect (another returning band from last year) at 4:00 PM, folk/country standouts Porter (also back from 2011) at 3:00 PM, and ex-Blackwater frontman Cody MacMillan (now of The Moves & The Vig) opening up that day's entertainment at 2:00 PM. The admission details are the same as Friday (sans the timeslots), but check the above links for all of the current details and to check out the bands! It's great to see Garden of Bedlam back, and a nice presence of newer talent from previous years amongst the full lineups! The Facebook event page hypes that 8 of the 14 bands are new to the Second Stage this year, which is nice for some diversity, and I'm glad to see more local bands than some years have had! Also to note, the event page also mentions that there will be after parties at LopLops Lounge (seconds from the stage) featuring some of the out of town bands after the outdoor entertainment wraps up, so check the above links for details on that. This should be another successful Second Stage, so definitely keep it in mind, whether it be for the heavier bands or the whole shebang, and I'll have updates if and when they roll in!
Now, with the Second Stage lineup officially announced, supporters of the Bring Metal To Rotaryfest movement & Facebook group may be wondering what will become of that, now that the only heavier bands are the two mentioned above and potentially some heavier cover acts on the main stage, whose lineup has yet to be announced. Well, when I inquired on the Bring Metal To Rotaryfest Facebook group last night, Bear Hunters/Borderline Divine guitarist Mitch Sirie (who spearheaded the movement) commented that he has some things in mind and will try and scramble something together, though whether it will have official Rotaryfest branding or be a separate intentionally timed event is yet to be determined. Some fans may remember the Sinister Stage at the former Foggy Notions last summer that Frightlight, Machines Dream, and Greg Callaghan played at concurrently with Rotaryfest down the road, so the idea of an unaffiliated show isn't foreign, but we'll have to see what happens. Metal deserves a wider presence at our local summer festival, and hopefully, if nothing else, a big metal show somewhere can go down while Rotaryfest itself takes place, so I will of course keep you guys posted on any metal-related bands and shows over the July 21st weekend in Sault Ontario!That's all for now, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews this morning or afternoon, including another new show! Thanks everyone!
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