LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Fort Creek) & Two Inactive Band Notes!!

Today's post is split into two camps: SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this weekend from a recently prominent cover band, and a pair of bands moved to our inactive band links following a year+ of online silence and no concerts. Here's what you should know!

Local southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek will return to The Rockstar Bar for a concert TOMORROW NIGHT, followed by a special set at the Fundraiser For Injured Riders outside of United Floors on SATURDAY! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced TOMORROW'S show via their Facebook page on Labour Day, but SATURDAY'S event was quietly announced there on August 20th, so apologies in letting that slip through the cracks until now, especially given it's scope and charitable intent. This weekend's shows will be Fort Creek's first since rocking The Rockstar Bar last month, and since an unspecified health issue forced them out of their Reggie's West gigs two weeks ago, so I'd assume the band member is rested ready to go once again! TOMORROW'S Rockstar Bar show is a normal one for them (complete with a requisite merchandise giveaway), but what should you know about SATURDAY'S set?

The Fundraiser For Injured Riders has been set up to help three area residents who were seriously injured in motorcycle accidents, with proceeds going to help them with long term expenses. Wonderful cause, and hopefully Eric, Savi, and Pierre get lots of help at this time of need! Taking place outside of United Floors at the corner of Second Line West and People's Road (same building as Surplus Furniture), Fort Creek are the musical entertainment playing in the parking lot, while attendees can also expect a car show/shine, prizes, a 50/50 draw, and refreshments. Sounds like a fun time, so keep all of these aspects of the fundraiser in mind for SATURDAY! The Rockstar Bar show TOMORROW is the usual 10:00 PM and 19+ affair with no cover charge, while the Fundraiser For Injured Riders is an all ages, family friendly event starting at 2:00 PM (I don't know when Fort Creek's sets are, but the event runs until 9:00 PM, so they may be at the later end of the schedule).

There is no advertised cover charge on SATURDAY unless you're entering the car show. Of course, it goes with out saying to please be mindful of social distancing regulations at The Rockstar Bar and mask up where required, and while an outdoor charity fundraiser will presumably have less red tape re: the pandemic, use common sense to ensure everyone has a safe time, especially as this is a family event. Visit the above links for more on Fort Creek's busy weekend, and here they are live at Reggie's West!

Next up, we have two notable bands to reluctantly move to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity, starting with local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades. The band has not updated their Facebook page since a condolence post in July 2020, and while you can easily blame the pandemic for their silence in the past year+, frontman J.D. Pearce has since moved out of town for work reasons, which would understandably impair the band's activity level. Jack Spades made their live debut in May 2013 and would become a live favourite in shows through the fall of 2019, often at concerts J.D. promoted. You may recall seeing Jack Spades open for notable bands like Anvil, Random Killing, and The Ripcordz, while also touring as a support band a few times in Ontario, and playing multiple Spiderfests in Meyersburg, not to mention their 2014 EP "The First" & their involvement in 2015's "Fed Up!" split CD.

A break was slated to end in May 2020 at the long-since-cancelled Anti-Queens concert, complete with teased lineup changes (Tiffany & Daniel had both already moved out of town), but the pandemic obviously ground short term plans to a halt. As we did see Frightlight back in Ophir last month, a Jack Spades reunion could theoretically happen at any point if J.D.'s in the Soo with a full lineup ready, but it is sad to see such a prominent band fade out, especially given their energy blast of hardcore punk and metal intensity at every gig! Best of luck to J.D., Tiffany, Daniel, Rob, Johnny, whoever joined their 2020 lineup, and their prior bandmates in the future!

Finally, the other big band moved to our inactive band links is local punk trio Stegadeth, coincidentally also featuring Jack Spades guitarist Tiffany Stocco and drummer Johnny Belanger. Like Jack Spades, Stegadeth have not posted on their Facebook page since July 2020, and had not played live since 2019 (in their case, at that year's Oh!No Festival), and while the pandemic is an obvious factor, Tiffany moved out of town beforehand in the fall of 2019. Punk-centric successors to early-2010s metal quartet T-Rex Manning (even carrying over that band's lone original "She Banged The Mayor"), Stegadeth debuted on stage in November 2016, and would become a fan favourite sight at various concerts over the next three years, including sets opening for the likes of The Ripcordz, K-Man & The 45s, and Speaker, and appearances at both Joni Radford's benefit & memorial concerts.

While they had no albums to show for it, and Tiffany didn't have the more forceful vocals for the genre, Stegadeth delivered the punk goods for fans here and in Southern Ontario in the late 2010s, and hopefully we'll see them back in some form when Tiffany comes back home and the pandemic eases up! Best of luck to Tiffany, Bill, Johnny, and Daniel in the future, and that's all for today, but stay tuned for more news on the site soon! Thanks everyone!