Monday, May 4, 2015

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Beaumont Avenue), Haggith's New Release, And Much More!!

Happy Monday, everyone! Today's post is stacked with some big updates, including some assorted recent notes, a surprising drummer exit in the imminent future, and a quiet album release from last month, but first, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the next three months!

Local hard rock quartet Beaumont Avenue are back in business for the summer season, with new Rockstar Bar concerts scheduled for THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, Friday, June 19th, and Saturday, July 18th! The former Suicide Kings only played sporadically over the fall and winter during holiday breaks due to drummer Ben Boudreau's school commitments out of town (most recently in March at The Rednecks Saloon), but with the spring semester over, the 2013 Rockstar Bar Battle winners are back and ready to rock! Each show (all visibly one-nighters) have 10:00 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no announced cover (but bring cash just in case.) For more details, visit each show's Facebook event pages (linked here, here, and here.) It's great to see Beaumont Avenue back finally, so be sure to welcome Ben home THIS SATURDAY, and we'll preview that show later this week as well!

And yes, this Saturday's show is on the same day as bassist Mitch Sirie's set with The Bear Hunters at Saturday's fifth annual Swampstravaganza at The Canadian Nightclub, but there's no conflict, as The Bear Hunters's Swampfest set was moved from the 1:00 AM headlining slot to 8:25 PM to accomodate the Beaumont Avenue show (Gnaeus are now headlining at The Canadian on Saturday.) Mitch has a busy night ahead, so be sure to see him at one (or both?) shows this weekend, and click here for the full lineup!

Next up, local alternative/grunge quartet Haggith quietly released their new EP "XIV" last month! Surprisingly with little hype, Haggith announced that their third mainline studio release was now on sale via their Facebook page on April 17th, and while I got an advance copy around then, the official announcement was under the radar, hence why it's late to the site. Their last recorded album with ex-guitarist Daniel Horton and first released with current bassist Jordan Leach, the four song EP isn't yet on their Bandcamp page, but physical copies cost a low $2, and can be bought through band members or presumably at upcoming concerts (the new lineup debuts at Swampfest on Friday.) The featured songs (all recorded at Paperclip Productions) are "Red" (with Daniel on bass), "Road Rash" (with Beaumont Avenue's Steven Flint guesting with Jordan on bass), "Anthem", and their re-recording of "Rage Train" (both without Daniel).

With that said, is a review of "XIV" imminent on the SMS? No, because we're planning to review Haggith's first "Apocalypse" album this month in honour of the planned release of it's sequel "Apocalypse II" next week, mainly because both are full CDs unlike "XIV", which was released as an EP following Haggith's lineup changes. "XIV" is a solid listen for fans though, and at least we got it out in this form, so stream it at their YouTube channel or buy it through the band A.S.A.P.!

Also today, we have a surprising lineup change to note on here, as local classic metal quartet Project 421 will soon be parting ways with drummer Larry Mousseau. According to a personal Facebook posting by frontman Blair Burch yesterday, Larry will be moving out of town next week, though he will still be playing one last time with Project 421 THIS FRIDAY during the Redneck Rock concert at The Rednecks Saloon. That said, the band is looking for a new drummer, and they're hoping to not have to cancel their scheduled summer concerts, so if you're an experienced drummer that's into classic metal, or know someone who is, message Blair at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group posting! This is disappointing news, especially knowing Larry's talent and extensive band work, but hopefully the move is a positive for him, and come see him at The Rednecks Saloon one last time THIS FRIDAY!

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

  • In one more Swampstravaganza V note before our weekend concert previews, local progressive rock quartet Mannapool have quietly been removed from the lineup for unannounced reasons, as per the Facebook event page and event website. Hopefully all is amicable, and fans can still see them one week from today at The Rednecks Saloon opening for Zaum! There are now just 9 scheduled acts, but the 4:00 PM open mic block has been extended to 2 hours, possibly in their place.
  • Local alternative hard rock trio Mike Haggith & The Din are now a part of this summer's Gonqshow, as they will join The Apocalypse Afterparty as openers for Montreal folk/punk quartet Hard Up at The Algonquin Pub on August 7th! Solid choice to add to another diverse upcoming concert, so visit this link for more details!
  • As recently indicated on event pages & posters, concerts promoted by AlgomA members Jamie Vincent and Boyd Rendell are now being presented under the Six Two Oh banner rather than Oh! Right Arm! Promotions for unannounced reasons, but it might be a move for synergy, as Six Two Oh was already the name that the band was using for Jamie's home recording studio/house party venue. Get more details on upcoming Six Two Oh shows at this link, and Six Two Oh is now in our "Other Local Metal Links"! No word though on the Bardos-headlined show that was teased for this Friday.

That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more from the local metal, hard rock, and punk scenes this week! Thanks everyone!

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