LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Jack Spades & Mourning Wood), Plus Them & Gonqshow Updates!!

Before we get this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post rolling, here's a new news post for your Saturday afternoon, including some lineup updates for upcoming conerts, our first look at a newer band's original material, and LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this summer and TONIGHT!

Local classic/hard rock trio Mourning Wood did indeed have regular bookings for this weekend, as the guys rocked Reggie's West last night and will do so again TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard about the shows via their announcement on SooToday's Soo-To-Do List late yesterday, which the band also confirmed afterwards on their Facebook page. We couldn't rush a third post yesterday to get the word out on yesterday's show here (we plugged it on Facebook though), so our apologies for missing it on here! I wish Mourning Wood would give more advance notice of their concerts, but hopefully last night went well, and don't miss their second show of the weekend at the former Roosevelt Hotel TONIGHT! There's a 10:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no announced cover. See above for more details, and here's Mourning Wood last fall!

Next up, here's one more show for J.D. Pearce and Tidal Records' Gonqshow concert series at The Algonquin Pub that might have a big headliner! To take place on Friday, July 24th, the Gonqshow event page lists local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades and hardcore punk sextet Destroilet as joining forces once again to open for a band "to be announced", and while it remains to be seen who is implied, a $20 admission fee is listed for the event. Given that the Ripcordz-headlined split release show at The Algonquin in October is slated for a $13 door charge, does the $20 fee mean a band of equal or larger stature is headlining here on July 24th? We'll let you guys know as soon as we find out! For reference, this isn't a rescheduling of the Of Tall Tales show, that's still to be determined. Expect a 19+ age limit and 10:00 PM start time, and stay tuned for updates!

Also today, here's the newest from local thrash/grind trio Them, who are apparently working on their debut EP! The band featuring Bring The Misery, Revolution, and Infamous alumni revealed on their Facebook page on Wednesday that they've finished 3 new songs for a planned 6 song EP, and while it seems likely that it would come out through Blood Shed Productions, we don't have 100% confirmation of that yet or when recording sessions begin. Two videos have also been posted there in recent days, one a comical video of frontman Tyler St. Amour pretending to drive to The Oddfellows Hall, and the other our first glimpse of a Them original! Entitled "Moosejaw Boudreau" (presumably referencing drummer Anthony Boudreau), this is a jam session performance minus bassist Rainey Vincent, and Tyler also noted that the song doesn't have lyrics yet (he growls, but there's apparently no official words yet.)

The song has potential and has some technicality from what we do hear, but obviously, the song is unfinished. If you ever wanted to hear Tyler & Anthony's predecessor band Social Suicide (who never posted online media), this might be your closest bet too, as that band played grind in their latter years. Check out their new video below, and stay tuned for more from Them!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter items from the last while, all relating to newly announced local opening bands for upcoming Gonqshow concerts at The Algonquin Pub! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name, and our source for each is recent updates on the Gonqshow event page:

• Local post-punk quartet Gnaeus and new local punk rockers Stereo North will both make their Algonquin Pub debuts on Wednesday, May 20th when they open for Calgary folk/punk band The River Jacks! Good choices, and it should be good exposure for both as they kick off the Gonqshow series, so don't miss out in a few weeks time!
• Local alternative hard rock trio The Pixo Control have been named as the openers for the Destroilet/Jack Spades-headlined fundraiser concert for their upcoming split CD with The Ripcordz on Saturday, May 30th at The Algonquin Pub. They'll fit in nicely to kick off this concert, so be sure to come out at the end of the month to help get this split rolling and released!
• Local classic metal quartet Project 421 have been announced as the local openers for Edmonton hardcore band Elements & Guelph metal quintet Becomes Astral on Saturday, August 1st at The Algonquin Pub! Though it would have been fitting (yet confusing) to see local funk rockers The Elements open, Project 421 are a better genre match, and their classic metal will be welcomed this summer!

That's all for now, but stay tuned next for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post, I guarantee it! Thanks everyone!