Things have picked up as of late for stories, and with lots of shows to preview this weekend, we're going to have at least 5 straight days of new posts on the SMS, and this is day #2! We're focusing primarily on LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS today, plus some new video postings related to one of these performers, so here's what you should know in chronological order!
Local alt-folk/metal solo artist
Chase Wigmore will apparently be playing a solo set at
Soo Blaster's second
Indie Music Showcase
on November 30th (or, one week from Friday!) Though not listed on
official event advertising yet, Chase has played around with that by
Photoshopping the poster and claiming that "Special Guests" are his new
band, and that "TBA" is a separate act following them. In reality, Chase
has been sharing new songs to
his Facebook page
credited to "Chase & The Bastards", implying that he has
launched a full solo band of that name, but we don't know much about
them beyond his involvement. His set will be at 8:00 PM, and he will be
opening for the reunited veteran rock trio
Wishbone (nice to see Dennis & company back!) and The Blackmagic Bluegrass Band, a new supergroup featuring members of
Tex & The Ride and
A Band Named Soo,
who will apparently play both originals and rock covers in a bluegrass
style. Intriguing shades of Hayseed Dixie there!
Co-presented by prolific local drummer Anthony
Fabiano, this 19+ concert will mark the first Soo Blaster concert
featuring a metal act, and it has a $5 cover charge. It'll be
interesting to see how the second Indie Music Showcase does at this
new-ish Queen Street East sports bar, so visit the above links for more
details, and stay tuned at post's end for Chase's new songs!
Next up, here's two concerts for next month at
LopLops Lounge, both courtesy of promoters/local indie label
Tidal Records, starting with the long awaited
Northwest EP release party on Saturday, December 22nd! As first quietly teased on
their Facebook page two months ago, the indie/punk quintet will indeed release their second CD "Songs From 2015-2017" in just over a month's time, in what is already looking like a bigger and splashier release than their 2014 debut got. While details are slim as of yet regarding the release formats, price, and track listing, the first 50 attendees in the door will get a free download code for the EP, so if that piques your interest, don't be late! Local indie rock quartet
K.I.C.K. will play their first concert in over a year as the opening act, following months of studio sessions, medical mishaps, and work commitments. It'll be great to have the Keep It Cool Kids back on stage themselves, so there's all the more reason to come early next month for all of the talent on display!
A cover charge was not announced, let alone the EP cost, but bring $10 just in case, as $5 for each makes sense. This is a 19+ show, and a 9:00 PM start time is advertised. Indie punk fans won't want to miss Northwest finally wrap up the lengthy album process with a big holiday season party, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for updates on the show and album when they roll in!
Lastly for this batch of new shows, fans can check out local/Toronto Celtic punk quartet
Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide as they return to the stage for a headlining joint at LopLops Lounge on Friday, December 28th! Though they have played live since in Thessalon, this will be The Tide's first local concert appearance since their very rainy set at Rotaryfest Stage 1 in July, and their first where everyone is under a roof since March. It's seemingly rarer and rarer to see Dustin and company on stage, so don't bypass this post-Christmas opportunity, especially given their recent studio sessions! The poster (as shared on
the band's Facebook page) confirms that Lake Effect drummer Chris Johns will be back behind the drumkit, while Barn Board Trio guitarist Liam Seymour is also pictured in the fold. The Tide are still listed as a quartet with Mikey on drums on Facebook, but is this a belated new lineup confirmation? Local country/pop duo
The Steeletown Girls (featuring ex-Din guitarist Tammy Hill) will open this concert, in what should be an intriguing style clash, so definitely give them a look as well!
Also promoted by Tidal Records, this 19+ concert has a $10 cover charge, and a likely 10:00 PM start time. With the holiday season still ongoing then, this would be a fun way to help send 2018 off with a bang, so visit the above links for current details! (Yes, I am also aware of the cover band concert that Tidal is hosting on Friday, December 21st, but all advertising for it that I've seen is via personal Facebook accounts, so I am waiting for public confirmation before covering it here. Stay tuned!)
Finally, let's tackle those new Chase Wigmore songs, as he posted four new videos onto his Facebook page on Sunday featuring new original material, so what should you know there? Three are audio tracks credited to "Chase & The Bastards", including a reworking of his previously pulled original
"Psychic Driving" and new tracks named
"Scabies" (an experimental folk/punk number) and
"Running Out Of Beer" (an eclectic song that reminds me of outlaw country meets Daniel Johnston, if that makes any sense.) Very creative overall, and never boring, hopefully we hear and learn more about the full band! Embedded below is
"A Story About A Kid Named Todd (Episode 1: The Art of Busking)", a
26 minute video of Chase playing largely continuously, which is very impressive alone! As described on
his new Wix website, this is a lengthy conceptual piece about "adventure, desperation, madness and beyond" that has only been selectively performed in the past.
If you love Chase's acoustic alt-folk concerts and material, this is a must watch, and it's very cool to see him seamlessly perform so naturally and casually like this, though it'll be old hat if you see him live often. With his vocal, guitar, and lyrical versatility, and his irreverent storytelling, this is bound to entertain, and hopefully Episode 2 isn't far off (or perhaps an album?) Give it a look below, and hear more above!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews tomorrow morning! Thanks everyone!
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