LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Die Mannequin), Dank Fest Lineup Updates, And More!!

Happy April Fools Day, everyone! I have no secret plans or gags up my sleeve (I don't want to decieve readers in case it backfires), so everything below is 100% factual, including a new recent concert video, major lineup changes for an upcoming concert, and a big LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for the early summer, so here's what you need to know! (Updated at 12:12 PM)

Just days after announcing the long awaited return of Random Killing to Sault Ontario in September, local concert promoter J.D. Pearce has done it again for another big Rockstar Bar show this year, as Toronto punk/hard rock standouts Die Mannequin will return to the Soo for the first time in over two years on Saturday, June 14th! Last seen at J.D.'s first Thursday show at the former Roosevelt Hotel in May 2012, this popular and fast rising quartet (featuring Hard Core Logo 2 star Care Failure on vocals) are hard at work on a new album, but they're sure to bring another high energy set of originals back to the Soo on in June, so if you loved Die Mannequin's 2012 local date, don't miss the next one! Two local bands are signed on to open, and both also feature female members, including the Rockstar Bar debut (barring interim announcements) of J.D.'s punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, as well all-female hard rock notables The Danger Cats, and both will be right at home at this show, while also be on the lookout for Jack Spades' EP in case it's out by then!

This 19+ show has a 9:00 PM start time and tickets going for $15 in advance or $20 at the door, and while local advance ticket availability has not been announced yet, tickets are available online at this link, so pick them up there if you want yours before the local on-sale date! (For reference, Random Killing tickets are also available in advance online at this link through the same company, so don't wait until the last minute just in case!) Die Mannequin's 2012 show was a huge success, and hopefully their return in two months is just as big, so stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

Next up, the lineup for the massive Dank Fest all ages festival at The Oddfellows Hall on April 19th has seen it's second major overhaul, as per promoter Tyler St. Amour on the Facebook event page on Friday, so what should you know now? Two bands have dropped out of the event, including local goregrind solo act Crucify The Whore & Borderline Divine successor trio Viva Emptiness, as per their removal from the event page's lineup. Reasons for their withdrawals weren't announced, but Viva Emptiness still have not seen a public acknowledgement outside of event advertising (hopefully we see them live soon though!), and C.T.W.'s Ringsnaps Gibson is still playing Dank Fest with Rotopsy, so nothing bad happened in their camp. Though Viva Emptiness were replaced on the lineup, C.T.W. were not, leaving Dank Fest with 13 bands, so to accomodate the shorter (though still huge) lineup, no bands will have to start playing at 1:00 AM anymore. However, there have been a ton of timeslot switches for reasons yet announced, so who's playing where now?

In a complete reversal of placement, local goregrind duo Rotopsy have jumped from the opening slot at 2:30 PM to the closing slot at 12:30 AM, while classic metal quintet Project 421 are now a timeslot earlier at 11:45 PM. North Bay headliners Thekillingfield & Buried Out Back are each 45 minutes later at 10:30 & 9:30 PM respectively, while local thrashers Pillory have dropped from the 1:00 AM spot to 8:45 PM, and sludge/doom trio AlgomA are the only band remaining in their old timeslot (8:00 PM.) Resurgent death metal trio Brutaly Fatal have jumped five slots into the 7:15 PM timeslot, while hardcore/grunge duo Bad Back fell five slots themselves and are now scheduled at 6:30 PM. Orillia metal band Like Animals and new local alt-rockers The Pixo Control are each an hour earlier at 5:30 & 4:45 PM, while local funk/metal band The Strange Coyotes fell 4 slots to a 4:00 PM start time, and the aforementioned Danger Cats will play an hour earlier as well at 3:15 PM. Viva Emptiness' replacements will indeed be local/Ottawa indie trio Like Father Like Son (who opened for Commencing Human Desperation from the same promoters last month) in the 2:30 PM opening slot, after being confirmed by promoters this morning.

Big changes (again), but hopefully everything works out this time and there aren't any more massive adjustments in time for Easter weekend! If it's added incentive (especially given the length of this show), Tyler did announce that they'll be making sausages and selling drinks behind The Oddfellows Hall concurrently with Dank Fest, though this is pending the weather conditions. Great idea, especially for fans who stay through supper, so stay tuned for more updates on this massive show as they come in!

Finally for today, here's a new video from last Saturday's Who Made Who show at The Rockstar Bar! Filmed by staff member Hayley Warnock and shared on the venue's Facebook group on Sunday, this is of the popular AC/DC tribute band playing the classic "Highway To Hell", and the floor was definitely hopping at this point in the night! The audio's a bit scratchy, and the angle could be better (especially due to fan heads), but it's great to see video of Who Made Who's long awaited local return, so check it out below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes soon, plus this month's "Where Are The New Albums?' post tomorrow! Thanks everyone!