Sewer Swampstravaganza II & Destroyer Concert Previews!!

It's time to begin our previews of this weekend's metal and hard rock concerts, but because of the scope of one of the Sault Ontario concerts, we're gonna break them up by country so that the Sault Michigan shows aren't overshadowed. Those are coming tomorrow, but for now, we have two notable metal shows going down this weekend (remember that Caveman Morrison's shows this weekend at The Rosie were postponed until next month), so read on below for what's going down this weekend for metal in Sault Ontario, and check out our latest CASS Cafe video showcase in the post below this one!

First for the previews is the second annual Sewer Swampstravaganza! This RedD Monkey headlined & promoted all ages show will once again see a double digit number of local bands taking the stage at The Oddfellows Hall TOMORROW, and while April's first installment originated to help fund the local classical/punk trio's new tour van, this year's event has another added boon for the guys that was only just recently announced on the Facebook event page. Not only is it the kick off for a Canadian tour run for RedD Monkey, it will also act as a CD release show for their brand new album "All Baroque", so if you enjoy their cello-infused punk stylings, be there tomorrow to see them live and pick up the new album! Like last year, RedD Monkey are headlining at 11:00 PM (in what I think is their first local show since last August), and though the complete band totals are down one band from last year, there will be 10 local acts of all genres to rock The Oddfellows Hall all day long, including 4 metal bands, so here's who else to watch out for in descending order! Three other returning bands from last year's Swampstravaganza will be back to play direct support, including local death metal quintet The Bear Hunters (fresh off of the 3 Inches of Blood show) in the co-headlining 10:00 PM slot, so prepare for melted faces (if the summer heat hadn't done that already) in their co-headlining set!

Preceding them are local hardcore quintet As It Stands (in their first show since May) at 9:00 PM and local extreme metallers Winkstinger at 8:00 PM in their first all ages show with new rhythm guitarist Anthony Orazietti, and both bands should have lots of heavy material in store for their fans tomorrow evening, so don't miss either! The rest of the lineup consists of bands who didn't play last year, but with a wider range of genres represented, with debuting local blues rock quartet The Moves (featuring alumni of The Crossed & Blackwater) at 7:00 PM, and there's a lot of talent in their lineup, and they'll be playing songs from a debut EP they've been working on as well, so keep them in mind! The 6:00-4:00 PM slots have changed from what was originally announced for this show, most notably with a performer change, as local death metal quintet Inhuman Methods have quietly dropped out of this concert. A reason for their withdrawl hasn't been announced, but I heard that a member was going out of town to see family today, so that could be related. Disappointing, as I was eager to see their new lineup live, but they'll be back soon, hopefully! Replacing them on the lineup is local solo rapper Conika Belleau, who has made waves in the local rap scene since her debut this spring, and she does have talent in that genre, so keep her set in mind tomorrow!

With that said, local deathcore quartet The Valentine's Day Massacre (featuring Sativa Rose & State of Misery members from last year's Swampstravaganza) have been bumped from 4:00 to 6:00 PM, with the bands before them (young local rock band Ashes To Dust & Conika) pushed back an hour each to 5:00 & 4:00 PM respectively. The V.D.M. should unleash some nice brutality in their Oddfellows Hall debut, while Ashes To Dust have shown some noticeable talent in their available videos (including hard rock covers), so don't miss them in their first show outside of Superior Heights either! The concert will open with local/Grand Rapids folk trio Ye Olde Mold Pickers (featuring Night Owl Meme Makers alumni) at 3:00 PM and debuting local acoustic indie trio Like Father Like Son (featuring The Moves' Nathan Bouliane and March Into Regression singer Jeremy Hannah) leading off at 2:00 PM, and both have a lot of creativity and talent in their diversely different sounds, so I'd recommend being there early to check them out! Though the full lineup is visibly smaller and much more diverse than last year's metal-heavy lineup, there's a ton of talent present, including 20 returning artists from last year, plus some hard hitting metal bands and a couple others likely to cover metal, so there's not a dull moment!

Admission will be just $5 for this package of 10 local music acts, which is quite a good deal! As you'd expect, it's an ALL AGES show, it all starts at 2:00 PM (though heavier music starts at 5:00 or 6:00), and refreshments and band merchandise will be on sale. For more details, check the above links! This should be a great show, and it's nice to see a more stable lineup than last year's show, which saw 4 band exits before all was said and done. I just hope there's no Friday the 13th bad luck! With no Lion Ride show tomorrow evening to split my duties, I hope to be there from bell to bell to cover all the action, and I hope to see you guys there throughout the day! Check the above links for more details on the Swampstravaganza, and for a preview, here's The Bear Hunters playing "Bloodthirst" at last year's event!



Finally for the known hard rock/metal concert previews in Sault Ontario this weekend is the return of Kiss tribute band Destroyer to Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday night! Promoted as Canada's premier Kiss tribute, they last rocked the Soo in April 2010, but The Rockstar Bar are bringing them back for another night of Kiss classics on Saturday that Kiss Army loyalists should definitely enjoy, especially as this latest show isn't taking place a few months out from the real thing! Destroyer have played numerous high profile concerts all over Canada, including sets at the Canadian National Exhibition and the Calgary Stampede, and their sound and look come very close to the real deal from start to finish, so any Kiss fan would be well served to check out Destroyer at The Rockstar Bar this Saturday! Admission is $10 in advance at The Rockstar Bar or downstairs at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk, but the price jumps up to $12 at the door. You must be 19 to attend, and everything starts at 10:30 PM on Saturday night. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Destroyer will definitely help fill a Kiss need with their show here this weekend, and they have a solid authentic ambiance to go along with their sound, so if you love Kiss, keep their show in mind! For a preview, here's Destroyer playing "Rock N' Roll All Night" in Toronto in 2009!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for Sault Michigan weekend concert previews and more news tomorrow, and I'll see you guys at The Oddfellows Hall tomorrow afternoon for the Sewer Swampstravaganza! Thanks everyone!