Live705 Easter Bash Concert Review!!

Hey everyone, let's get our review of Saturday night's Live705 Easter Bash up on the site at last! Marking the promoters' first ever appearance at The Rockstar Bar, the show was well attended, especially by A Dire Setback's set, though much of the night saw the bands competing for fans' attention with the Maple Leafs game, especially as it went into the overtime periods. The teased giveaways were in the form of door prizes raffled between bands as the night rolled along, with free Domino's Pizzas, A&W gift sets, Tidal Records hats, A Dire Setback buttons, and a "golden ticket" for free entry to 3 upcoming Live705 shows all up for grabs (I didn't win anything, but I was 6 digits shy on a hat/button combo.) A.D.S. frontman Larry Babic even indicated that there were Easter eggs hidden throughout the bar, but I never saw such a thing, so I'm not sure if he was being facetious or just picked good hiding spots. Overall, the show has a nice atmosphere for Live705's venue debut, and there was even pizza on sale for fans to partake in, so things were set up very well!

The opening act and house DJ was supposed to be Douglas "Deejay Elementz" Agawa, but he dropped out of the show on late notice due to "unforeseen circumstances" (no one was any more specific.) Hopefully nothing bad happened, but Live705 found the perfect replacement, as Shane "DJ Seith" Erickson replaced him for the night, reprising his March Mash-Up role without breaking a sweat! Though advertised to begin at 8:30 PM, he more or less began when doors opened at 8:00 PM, mixing tunes for a nice long time for early fans! If you've seen Seith live, you'll recognize some of the songs from prior performances like his "It Takes Two"/Lyn Collins mix, and he did bring back some of the hard rock action missing from March, like Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, and even some sound bytes from the movie School of Rock. DJ Seith was on point despite the short notice, and by set's end, he was getting suitably intense, even mixing songs with his hands behind his back!

Starting after the next set, DJ Seith also played between bands in a house DJ role, setting up his turntables away from the stage. He was fine in this role (we know he's done this before), and it extended the good vibes from his formal set throughout the night. Overall, entertaining for fans of turntable mixing, and Seith continues to show why he's a key performer in this area!

Next was folk rock solo artist Jacob Quarrell, and true to the show's advertising, he only credited himself by his initials J.Q., rather than his established solo project name Shit Creek Survivor. No word on why that name wasn't used, especially as it's still the name of his Facebook page, though for what it's worth, he hasn't posted there in over a month. Regardless of name, Jacob played a quality set for fans familiar with his original material, including tracks like "Swinging", "When This Is Done", and "1,075". Showcasing a natural ease on stage, and a sound bigger than his small guitar would imply, J.Q. has an effective voice and a good casual rapport, though at times, some backing instrumental accompaniment would be an asset at times. Not a bad set to ease early fans into the groups to come, and hopefully we hear more from Jacob/J.Q./Shit Creek Survivor soon!

The night's first band was local punk trio Stegadeth, who played to their usual standards with a fun set of familiar covers and an increasing amount of originals! Tackling classics from acts like The Ramones, GG Allin, and Bad Religion with conviction, the band also showcased their sound on originals like the debuting "The Song Not Called 'The Wire'" and their fan favourite adoption of T-Rex Manning's "She Banged The Mayor", with friends of the band singing along during the choruses. Fun to see, especially with at least one visiting from out of town! Stegadeth continued to showcase their talents and chemistry on Saturday night, with Bill Bennett improving steadily on vocals, though Tiffany Stocco needs to project her own voice a little more, and she and Bill could both stand to be more active and lively on stage. Solid set overall, and hopefully Stegadeth continue to build on things this year!

The Easter Bash hit it'd midpoint with a set by local indie rock quartet K.I.C.K., and if you're anxious to hear their upcoming debut CD, you'll have been happy to hear all of the newer songs that they played on Saturday night! Though the guys were coy late in their set about songs that would or wouldn't be on the album, they still stuck to a set that (by & large) contained songs I hadn't seen them play live before, like "Love/Hate", the unusually heavy "Never Want To See You Again", and "You'll Never Find Me", among many others. The lighting on stage seemed to be getting to frontman Simon Shearsby early on, hence breaking from the band's buttoned-shirt motif, but he sounded good, and he and Tyson Letang handled the guitar work fine on these new songs, with Aaron Dunn keeping up things on the drumming end himself! The Keep It Cool Kids did indeed keep it cool on Saturday, and best of luck as their CD nears completion!

Live705's flagship band hit the stage next, as A Dire Setback brought their punk/alternative originals to the stage with an enthusiastic and high energy set of their own! The guys played 8 originals like "Forget This Memory", "Nightmares", and their new self-titled track, alongside their punk cover of OneRepublic's "Counting Stars", and they attracted the liveliest crowd of the night, as seen with the fans on the floor late in their set! If you've seen A Dire Setback live, there won't have been many surprises, but everyone delivered a solid performance, with Larry Babic's singing fitting in as nicely as ever, Chris Nielsen a sparkplug of activity throughout on guitar, and Nick Kainula's drum work was steady and a very suitable compliment! Title track aside, there wasn't a lot new to add, but A Dire Setback delivered a fun set that wasn't a setback for them as a band, and hopefully there's more to come from them soon!

Now, there's a lot of divisive talk about the last two timeslots online today, so this is what I will say about things. On Saturday night, there were huge delays before The Noochin' Lanterns' set, leading to them only starting their set at 1:00 AM, 45 minutes behind schedule. This resulted in their set being chopped to just 4 songs, and Electric Church not beginning until after 1:30 AM. I will not pass judgement on anything else that happened on Saturday, or throw anyone under the bus regarding the set times or delays, other than to say that I hope things can be worked out by all parties.

As for The Noochin' Lanterns set (their first ever at a public concert), they sounded good, and had a fun look also, with everyone dressed in pajamas for their set! If nothing else, they were comfy. If you're not familiar with the former Noochy Lanterns, their sound resembles that of frontman Paul Stanghetta's old band The Fury, just with guitars and more of a power pop style that even featured a bit of rap, and on the closer, a "Pumped Up Kicks" sample?! Paul actually played guitar rather than his usual bass role (Matthew Forster handled that), and he and Tyler Gibson played off each other well, even though this is a huge departure from Tyler's grindcore roots. Also, props to new mom Amanda Brown, who's showing promise on drums! Unfortunately, The Noochin' Lanterns set was cut short before new synth player Amber McKay could play for the set's intended second half, but hopefully we hear from the band's full lineup soon, and despite the hang-ups, it'll be interesting to see where things go for them!

FYI, there was no public reference made to the planned release of sister band The Apocalypse Afterparty's "Bufflesnort" EP on Saturday. It's possible that The Noochin' Lanterns' set's abbreviation eliminated the chance, but The A.A. haven't posted on their Facebook page since then either to elaborate on the EP. In other words, stay tuned for presumed updates!

With the delays, Garden River blues/hard rock trio Electric Church's abbreviated set began later than anticipated, but the crowd chanting their name pre-set indicated that they were still eager to see the guys in action, and they delivered! I couldn't stay for the full duration, but with originals like "Muddy Waters" and "Ain't Got None" in their repertoire, you know that they had remaining fans' interest! Compared to their March Mash-Up set, they largely delivered a similar set, and while I wish the guys showed a little more energy on stage, the late start time may have impaired that. Spencer Pine's guitar skill is still beyond his years, and his smooth voice fits their songs very well, while Elijah Nielsen and Beau Whitfield were solid on bass and drums in tandem, and when you consider how young these guys are, imagine how good they'll be as the years roll along! Solid way to end the night, and hopefully we hear much more from Electric Church soon!

Overall, this was a fun concert, despite the late delays, and everyone played to their strengths for a good night of entertainment! It's worth noting that, in a throwaway line between bands, DJ Seith indicated that this event would be occurring monthly. If that's true, that'll be very interesting, so stay tuned in case that's elaborated on! You can check out our photos from the show at this link or via our Facebook page, and as for videos, here's DJ Seith mid-set, Jacob Quarrell playing "Daddy's Little Girl", Stegadeth playing "Kingdom of Ashes", K.I.C.K. playing "You've Got It Bad", A Dire Setback playing "Everlasting Despair", The Noochin' Lanterns playing "2, 3, 4", and Electric Church playing "Carey Baby"!















That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and this month's poll results and new poll next! Thanks everyone!

Live705 Easter Bash & Project 906 Concert Previews, Plus An Album Release!!

As promised, here is the remainder of this weekend's concert previews, but with the first concert having a lot to say, and a newly confirmed album release within it, we're extending our preview of it to give everything proper emphasis. I know there's a few other recent topics awaiting coverage on here, but trust me, they (and our preview of Monday's Id Iota show) are coming next! Now, here's what you should know for concerts tomorrow!

We'll start with the Live705 Easter Bash, which goes down TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! Hosting their first ever show at this venue, and breaking from past bi-monthly concert scheduling for one even sooner, Live705 have stacked the deck beyond bands to include giveaways of some description, including band merchandise, A&W paraphernalia, and tickets to upcoming concerts, but what are the specific prizes? Be at The Rockstar Bar tomorrow to find out! A suitably familiar but diverse lineup will be headlined by young blues/hard rock trio Electric Church in their own Rockstar Bar debut, with new local pop/hard rock quartet The Noochin' Lanterns making their public concert debut, as well as their first live appearance since officially changing their name from The Noochy Lanterns for unannounced reasons, and their first set of any kind with new guitarist Tyler Gibson & (in a new confirmation) former Apocalypse Afterparty drummer Amber McKay on the synth.

With a (somewhat) new name and expanded lineup, how will The Noochin' Lanterns do on Easter Saturday, especially in comparison to their private trio sets? Come on out tomorrow to find out! Flagship Live705 alt-punk favourites A Dire Setback will also play tomorrow, joining indie rock quartet K.I.C.K. (in their second show in as many nights) and rising punk/metal trio Stegadeth to round out the evening's band portion. Folk rock solo artist Shit Creek Survivor (promoted under Jacob Quarrell's initials J.Q. for still unannounced reasons) will also perform tomorrow, with Underground Empire Records' own Deejay Elementz mixing tunes to kick things off, so don't be late for all of the action! It's also worth noting as a linked note that local rap/metal project The Apocalypse Afterparty will finally release their debut EP "Bufflesnort" TOMORROW, and copies will be available at this show, given the involvement of their "songwriters" with The Noochin' Lanterns!

Select stores will apparently have stock too, but where will those be, and what formats will the apparently non-CD release be sold in? All will apparently be revealed tomorrow, but it's certainly been a long time coming for "Bufflesnort", especially with The Apocalypse Afterparty not playing live for over two years, so kudos to them for finally getting this EP on sale, and yes, it's very likely for a review on the SMS this month! As for the Live705 Easter Bash proper, this 19+ concert will start at 8:00 PM, and admission is $10, unless you have one of those $2-off vouchers obtained from performers, or found one of the Easter eggs on bulletin boards plastered throughout town (if you have one, you're in free.) The Easter Bash sounds like a fun way to spend Easter Saturday, and with this being a holiday weekend, why not come out and enjoy the music, including a heaping amount of punk and hard rock? Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's a new video of Electric Church in action!

Filmed live and personally uploaded by A Dire Setback guitarist Chris Nielsen, and then shared by the band on their own Facebook page, this comes from Electric Church's set at The New American Pub last week when they opened for Return For Refund. This actually has over 18 minutes of their set from last Thursday, including 4 songs like "Ain't Got None" and a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady". Despite being filmed in portrait orientation, Chris got good audio of this talented trio at their hard edged bluesy best, so check it all out below, and be sure to check them out tomorrow at Live705's Easter Bash!

Finally for today, here's one more concert preview, as Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Project 906 will return to The Strongs Tavern in nearby Eckerman TOMORROW NIGHT! The only full hard rock show of the weekend that we can find in the E.U.P., this will mark the Ten Kings successors' first concert in Eckerman of the year, and first show anywhere in two weeks. Project 906 are continuing to entertain fans as they've entered their second year together, and their hard rocking covers should provide a solid musical backdrop at The Strongs Tavern tomorrow, so don't miss out! A 9:00 PM start time is advertised for this concert, which is a 21+ event, and does not have an announced cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and for a preview, here's Project 906 live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Easter Bash), New Video Uploads, And Much More!!

After two days of Battle of the Bands Rewind Profiles, we're back with a new news post on this Wednesday morning, so if you're wondering where coverage of the LOCAL CONCERT ALERT toplining this post was, here's your answer! We also have some new videos and assorted notes to round things out, so here's what you should know!

Local concert promoters Live705 will host their previously teased Easter weekend concert on Saturday, April 15th when they put on their first ever event at The Rockstar Bar! Breaking from their bi-monthly scheduling for their fourth concert, this show will feature giveaways ranging from band merchandise to concert tickets to even some type of items from A&W, which is a unique attraction for the holidays, so keep the added incentive in mind! Young local blues/hard rock trio Electric Church will headline on Easter Saturday in their Rockstar Bar debut, while new local pop/hard rock trio The Noochy Lanterns (featuring Apocalypse Afterparty & The Fury alumni) will co-headline in their public concert debut and first gig, private or otherwise, following their recent break, so come to see how they do on a big stage! Live705's flagship alt-punk quartet A Dire Setback are also lined up for April 15th, alongside indie rock quartet K.I.C.K. (fresh off of their LopLops show on the 14th) and newer local punk/metal trio Stegadeth.

Remaining acts include folk rock solo artist Shit Creek Survivor (listed on event promotion under Jacob Quarrell's initials J.Q. for unannounced reasons) & Deejay Elementz, a veteran local DJ from Underground Empire Records, whom featured A Dire Setback at their YouTube Party last year. Strong & diverse lineup with Live705 favourites and newcomers alike, so don't miss out! This 19+ show has an 8:00 PM start time on April 15th, and while admission is $10, Live705 is again utilizing vouchers for $2 off admission rather than selling $8 advance tickets, so contact performers if you want a voucher. This should be a fun concert, so check the official Facebook event page for ongoing details!

Next up, here's the latest installment of local alternative/hard rock trio The Din's ongoing cover video series (now no longer labelled as being monthly), as posted to their YouTube channel on Sunday! The cover choice won't be surprising for fans who've seen The Din's recent concerts, as this is of their version of The Tragically Hip's "Blow At High Dough", as recorded at Mission Control Studios, where The Din have done studio work at. The wide angle shot of the band isn't optimal, especially as the table the camera is on eats up a lot of that view, but the cover is solid and familiar for fans of The Hip and The Din in equal measure, so check it out below!

Also, here's a new YouTube find from former No Arrow drummer and Faithless Sin guitarist Joe Falco, who appears to have begun work as a solo musician once again! Apart from his former Joe Falco Experience solo project, he has recently been posting acoustic blues originals to his new Reverbnation page, and while his singing voice could be a little rangier, he has talent and adapts well to bluesier tracks, especially on "Malevolent Moonlight", which is asking for full band accompaniment. Over on his new YouTube channel, he's mostly focusing on outlining the specifications of and reviewing his Gibson Les Paul guitar, plus this video where he chats about songwriting, but he did upload one solo performance cover there, where he tackles Live's "Dolphins Cry". Not a bad cover, if very reserved, and Joe should project his voice a little more to improve on his clarity. Give Joe's recent solo material a look above & below, and hopefully he keeps at it!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last little while, and as usual or these brief news groupings, these are in alphabetical order by artist or organization name:

• I have switched the link for local musicians union The American Federation of Musicians, Local 276 from their now closed website to their information page on the A.F.M.'s website. The local union can be handy to help work through legal red tape and paperwork for copyright and playing out of the country, so keep it in mind if your band aspires to do anything that requires paperwork!
• A local rhythm guitarist named Eric Rosset is looking to join a local band that plays rock, punk, metal, or alternative genres ideally, though he'd play anything other than country, and he can do backing vocals too. I'm not familiar with Eric musically, but if you're interested in trying Eric out, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from yesterday!
• Cheboygan, Michigan rock radio station Rock 105 (which gets fringe reception in the Soo) has re-obtained it's former Glen Arbor signal at 95.5 FM, and the station broadcasts as Rock 105 & 95.5 now! This mirrors the then Real Rock two station network from 2009-2013 before 95.5 (then WJZJ, now WGFE) became a simulcast of Onaway adult contemporary station Easy 106.3 as WQEZ. This won't directly affect local coverage of Rock 105 aside from on-air naming, but keep WGFE 95.5 FM in mind if you're driving out to Traverse City!

That's all for today, but stay tuned or weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!