With no currently announced Friday night hard rock concerts in the area for the St. Patrick's Day weekend, and two Sunday nighters taking place on said holiday, I'm postponing this weekend's concert previews to tomorrow so that we're slightly closer to what has been announced. Stay tuned!
Instead, let's continue playing catch-up on local/Barrie crossover thrash band Spades GT's recent activity, and we're winding back to late 2023 for some performance and interview footage that they shot! These come from Rye Field Studios, a recording studio out of Brantford that also posts long-form content to their YouTube channel featuring bands that come in to their headquarters, particularly interviews and performance footage. The former Jack Spades aren't even the only band with local ties to be featured in Rye Field Studios content, as St. Thomas metalcore band Prosector (fronted by ex-State of Misery singer Steve Rhodes) got similarly covered in January, so give those a look if you've missed Steve locally! The first of Rye Field's videos featuring Spades GT was uploaded in September, before they ever made the 2 hour drive south to Brantford, and it has concert footage of them in Toronto in June!
The video (one of two compilation videos from Beer Bash 6, the other seen here) features the first five bands that played at Beer Bash 6, with Spades GT's segment beginning about 7 minutes in with introductions by Rye Field's Ben Zander & Shane Briand, who also host much of their YouTube content. Spades GT were introduced as "the first band" despite being the third seen in the 23 minute video, and they were filmed playing their newest album's title track "Sewer City Radio". Strong performance at a nice venue with great video quality (horizontal and multi-camera, at that), but the drum-cam of Tyler is pointed too far out from him. Check out Spades GT and much more from Beer Bash 6 above and below!
On December 8th, a 17+ minute in-studio performance video of Spades GT at Rye Field was posted to YouTube, but before that, two teaser videos were shared to preview the Spades content in the preceding couple of days. One video is a preview of the actual performance so I won't redundantly embed it here, but if they were going to crop it to vertical dimensions (presumably as a "Shorts" video), why not do that before the on-screen text is added? Embedded below is the other preview clip, which features J.D., Daniel, and Tyler (no sign of James) signing a Rye Field Studios banner on the wall there, that other musicians have apparently signed over time. Oddly, the song "Sewer City Radio" is playing in the background, albeit over speakers there and not added in post. Nice gesture to help Ben and Shane commemorate their in-studio sessions, if shot vertically too, so check it out below!
As for the proper in-studio performance (part of Rye Field's "Live In The Whiskey Pit" series), it leads off with Ben & Shane introducing Spades GT, then pertinent logos (the kids saying the studio's name caught me off guard), before we get to the band proper. As noted with on-screen text, Spades GT play "Hands", "Succubus", "Red", "Final Girl", and "Sewer City Radio" here, and at least three different cameras capture the band in action here, two facing the band at slightly different angles, as well as a drum cam that is better positioned than at Beer Bash 6. Very well performed, shot, and edited, so fans of Spades (Jack and/or GT) will be right at home, but the green lighting was overdone to me. Check it out below!
Finally, a 36 minute interview with Spades GT was posted to YouTube by Rye Field Studios on December 12th, so what are they asked about while sitting on "The PodCouch"? Ben and Shane start by asking the guys about how Beer Bash 6 went, followed by the origins of Spades GT. The Soo days and Tyler's old band Caym's shows up here are addressed, but much of it is about how the band came together in Barrie, including insights by James as to how far along songwriting for the "Sewer City Radio" album was when he joined. After briefly discussing the album and practicing, they ask about Anvil (whose drummer Robb Reiner is Tyler's dad) and Spades GT's experiences opening for Anvil last fall, including some notes on working with and hanging out with Anvil frontman Steve "Lips" Kudlow. Their then-upcoming concert plans, including their cancelled winter tour run with The Dayglo Abortions, come up next.
Ben & Shane (who has a great voice) ask about Spades GT's early favourite bands before getting into Tyler's drumming style, the advantages and disadvantages of the internet, their plans to work on new material in 2024, and even James' story about meeting Robert Plant(!), among other topics. This is a fun and laid back interview with great presentation from multiple cameras, and it's nice to hear James so much throughout (he's definitely the quietest member in social media promotions). However, it can be hard to hear some of the conversations with everyone talking over each other at points, especially when things go off the rails a bit. Check the whole interview with Rye Field Studios out for yourselves below!
Lastly, kudos to Ben & Shane at Rye Field Studios for all of their work in promoting metal and punk bands in Southern Ontario, both from their YouTube videos and their actual recording studio work, so give much more from them a look above as well! That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!
Let's get our extended preview of a major returning local concert festival up on the site today, but we'll cap things off with news on the resolution in a long debate that forced said festival's move for this year, so here's what you should know on this Friday morning!
The second annual Emergency Festival goes down TOMORROW! As you may remember, this sophomore music & arts festival is brought to you by LopLops Lounge, effectively replacing their version of the Rotaryfest Second Stage before it's hiatus last year, but due to the Downtown Association's fight for survival (more on that in a bit), the festival has been relocated from Queen Street East to Rocky DiPietro Field near The John Rhodes Centre at 260 Elizabeth Street for at least this year. With the new locale, the event has been somewhat downsized, with the multiple stage format (including bands on the main stage, in LopLops, and at two outdoor sidewalk "clinic" stages) shaved down to one 8 act-stage combining local & out of town talent, but there will still be an Art In The Park installation, refreshments, on-site games, and more for all ages! Bandwise, you might be interested to know that all but two bands are new to The Emergency Festival, while still featuring many familiar faces, but who all's playing, and when?
The set times for the festival were finally announced last week, and it will see Calgary indie rock quintet The Fast Romantics headlining at 9:00 PM, with Toronto alt-country band The Sunparlour Players (who headlined Rotaryfest's Second Stage in 2009) back for The Emergency at 8:00 PM. A couple more recent notables from LopLops events will take the stage in the evening, including Alberta reggae band Tasman Jude at 7:00 PM and Thunder Bay rock quintet The Poor Young Things playing at 6:00 PM. A trio of local punk/alternative bands precede them, including local alt-grunge trio The Pixo Control, who will debut their mystery new drummer in the 5:00 PM slot, will have this very poster available for sale, and have also teased a "special announcement" of some kind. Be there to get all of the news first! Local indie/punk quintet Northwest will play live for the first time this summer at 4:00 PM, while rising post-punk quartet Gnaeus (who played with The Pixo Control at last year's "Shock Stage" of the festival) will themselves hit the stage at 3:00 PM.
The Emergency Festival's music lineup will be opened by Saskatoon country artist Zachary Lucky, and while no other acts are listed, note that early festival advertising did imply there'd be more artists to be announced. With the changes this year, the festival is sadly not universally free like last year, so admission will be $35 for adults (there were discount rates in earlier months) or $20 for students with valid student ID cards, though kids under 14 years old do get in free. Tickets can also be bought at LopLops and through their website, at Case's Music, or at DISH Espresso Bar & Cafe, all conveniently located on Queen Street. For complete Emergency Festival details, visit the official Facebook event page and the above links! Despite all of the debating about the Downtown Association and so forth (coming in one second), it's great to see Stephen and everyone at LopLops keeping things going for year 2! I've heard a lot of good optimism and buzz, so if you're a fan of indie rock and local punk & alternative bands, be at Rocky DiPietro Field TOMORROW, gates open at 12:00 PM! For a preview, here's The Pixo Control live at Rotaryfest last month!
Lastly, we finally have a resolution in the ongoing fight to save and/or abolish the Sault Ste. Marie Downtown Association, so what's the verdict? .....It has been saved! Yes, the business improvement area that was instrumental in numerous outdoor events, concerts, and parties on Queen Street East will live on, as only 67 of 153 eligible downtown businesses voted to abolish the S.D.A., 10 short of the necessary majority, but you can read more details on the specifics about the vote and fallout on local news sites (including these three SooToday articles, here, here, and here.) In a message to association members from new president Duane Moleni, he said that "the numbers are not lost on us", and they know that there are "concerns and displeasure" concerning their work, but they know that business owners have seen that they are working to change and restructure how they do things, and look forward to working towards proving the S.D.A.'s worth and benefits to the downtown sector.
It's way too early to know what this means for concert events that did or might take place on Queen Street, and if ones that were cancelled or relocated will return in 2016, but hopefully this debate will give the Downtown Association a chance to answer critics and make changes while still helping the arts sector and provide special events again! Visit local news media for full coverage of today's decision, and hopefully Queen Street's hopping again next year!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes soon! Thanks everyone!
Barring a late notice Saturday nighter or extremely late notice show tonight, we're closing out this weekend's concert previews today with a big hardcore punk show tomorrow night, but joining it today are updates for a major upcoming Sault Michigan show, a new video from a rising young band, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for August! Read on below for what you should know, and check out this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile in the post below this one!
Here's some long awaited venue confirmation on this year's second annual Emergency Festival on Saturday, August 15th, so where's the LopLops Lounge-promoted music & arts festival being held? Well, how does Rocky DiPietro Field at The John Rhodes Community Centre sound? Due to the ongoing debate over the future of The Sault Downtown Association and postponement of their outdoor Queen Street events this summer, The Emergency Festival will move to the football field at 260 Elizabeth Street (not far from the skatepark) for it's second year, which sounds like a good location to keep this successful sophomore event going after another "emergency" affecting the summer concert calendar! No word yet on the band setup, including on if there will be multiple stages as was previously intended, but we'll keep you posted. As previously announced, The Emergency Festival will welcome local punk/alternative bands The Pixo Control, Gnaeus, and Northwest alongside a large out-of-town roster of primarily folk, roots, and indie rock artists, so click here for full current lineup details!
Also scheduled to have a special Art In The Park exhibition, The Emergency will again be an ALL AGES event at 12:00 PM on August 15th, with tickets going on sale at LopLops, Case's Music, and Dish Espresso Bar & Cafe at 740 Queen Street East tomorrow. Oddly, tickets will be $25 until July 2nd, then they'll jump $5 a month until August, so there's incentive to get yours early! Students with school ID will get in for $20, and kids under 14 are admitted FREE. Amidst all of the downtown association struggles, it's great to see Stephen and everyone at LopLops keeping The Emergency going, so check the above links for more details, and stay tuned for updates as they come in!
Next up, here's our preview of the fifth installment of Tidal Records & J.D. Pearce's Gonqshow summer concert series, as London hardcore punk quartet Gatgas will headline at The Algonquin Pub TOMORROW NIGHT! Featuring Saultites Bob Bromley Jr. & Garry Ingram in their lineup, fans may remember their memorable local debut at last fall's Hardcore Homecoming concert upstairs at The Rockstar Bar, but now they're headlining downstairs and should be up to their usual old school hardcore tricks! Local support will come via two of the local openers from last fall, those being local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades and local hardcore/punk sextet Destroilet (in just their third show with two singers), and given the presence of both Gatgas & Destroilet, might we see another Fistmagnet reunion of sorts like we saw at Hardcore Homecoming? It was a crowd pleaser, hopefully there's a reprise of it! Note that the Gonqshow event page still lists newer local metal trio Faceityoureametalband as opening, but they have since been removed from the concert's event page, and are not listed on the show's poster.
A reason for their exit hasn't been announced, but frontman Steve Mozarowski went on a trip to British Columbia this week as per personal Facebook postings, so that could be related. Hopefully we hear from his new band again soon though! Note also that I'm not sure if the presented band order on the poster is accurate (which would see Gatgas sandwiched between the local bands) or if they will indeed be last. This 19+ concert has a $10 cover charge and a 10:00 PM start time, so for more details, visit the above links! It's great to have Gatgas back (and Bob & Garry back home), so keep this show in mind for TOMORROW, and here's Gatgas live earlier this month!
Also today, here's some news concerning the P.O.D./Hoobastank/Fuel concert at The Dreammaker's Theatre at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino this coming Friday, including news of a late addition to the lineup, them being Rochester, New York post-hardcore band Lights Out Paris! Our source is co-promoter John Yeubanks on the Facebook event page on Monday. Currently slotted as the third of now six
bands, Lights Out Paris have an intense modern hardcore sound that
almost sounds like it'd better fit an Oddfellows Hall show, so don't
miss them amidst the hard rock action next week! Also, in terms of the
returning Integrated System of Machines
(who will reunite after a 5 year breakup for this show), their teased
new album is reportedly finished mixing, and sounds close to being done
entirely according to frontman Orb Hearthstone's personal Facebook page!
Remember, I.S.O.M. don't have a new updated online page as of this
writing, we'll let you know if one turns up in the future.
Also, a
separate personal posting confirms that I.S.O.M.'s new lineup will be a
five-piece, with Orb, Chris Leask, Art Dietz, and Bart Rennels joined by
a musician with the first name Jon, though I can't confirm a last name
or instrument role yet (though process of elimination points to either
the guitar or keyboard.) It is great to have Integrated System of
Machines back, and hopefully we hear much more from them soon! Stay tuned
for details on this huge concert, and get your tickets A.S.A.P. at this link!
Finally for today, here'a a light new video from the aforementioned Gnaeus, courtesy of their YouTube channel on Tuesday! It's of the local post-punk quartet watching their Lopstock II YouTube video on TV via a Playstation 3, so we're literally watching the guys watch themselves, though there is a temporary break late when bassist Matt Fronzi arrives with McDonald's food. Light and amusing, so check out Gnaeus' new video below, and don't miss drummer Brendan Garlick filling in with Long Shot TONIGHT at The Rockstar Bar, as per personal Facebook postings!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more this weekend! Thanks everyone!
