LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Darsombra, Mike Haggith, And Fort Creek), Plus A New Video!!

We have a packed news post to check out on this Monday night, including a recent live concert video and, to lead off, some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS over the next two months, so here's what you should know!

Local southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek will return to the stage with headlining concerts at Jay's Piston Broke Pub on Friday, May 12th & Saturday, May 13th! Last seen opening for Kiss tribute band Destroyer at Soo Blaster earlier this month, these shows will be Fort Creek's first traditional nightclub gigs since rocking Jay's early last month, with studio work filling much of their time since then. Good to see the guys back at it, and hopefully sizeable crowds turn up at the former Reggie's West next month for their hard rocking covers and select originals! On Friday the 12th only, they will have an opening act, namely ex-Sense of Truth frontman Cory Murchison, who we last saw in his dormant acoustic duo Short & Sweet. Cory's a talented singer & guitarist, so don't be late on the Friday! No word on possible merchandise giveaways, but these are 19+ concerts with 9:30 PM start times and no cover charges. See above for more details!

Next up, remember how veteran local musician/photographer Brian Tremblay revealed at the end of his interview with Mike Haggith on Rock N' Roll Heaven on The Borderline that they'd be taking part in "a very intimate singer/songwriter evening" next month? Well, the details are finally out on that, as Mike and Brian will join forces for what they're calling Face To Face, a joint concert to be held at The Art Hub on Spring on Friday, May 26th! The second show that we've covered at the relatively new Art Hub (joining the Hails/Chase Wigmore concert last month), this will be Mike's first show in Sault Ste. Marie since Rotaryfest last summer and since his move to Barrie last fall. The conceit of this concert feels very reminiscent of the old VH1 Storytellers series, where performers in a more intimate location play their songs and talk about the origins and backgrounds of them, and some intermingling between the two is implied for their sets.

Sounds like a fun evening, especially with the storytelling aspect that comes so naturally to Brian (a folk rock veteran who fronts The Sinister Hearts) and Mike given the former's radio show and the latter's ample Facebook live-streams and personal lyrics! The show may be recorded for a live album of some kind, and there will be complimentary food & drinks for attendees, so how's that for a bonus? This all ages concert has a 7:00 PM start time, and tickets run for $22.63 (this includes extra processing fees) at this link. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Lastly for new concerts is the only show in local promoters Dryer Fire's mid-2023 slate of concerts with a heavier component, as Baltimore, Maryland psychedelic hard rock duo Darsombra will return to Sault Ste. Marie on Wednesday, June 21st for a rare rock concert at the Bellevue Park Bandshell! I can't think of the last time that a scheduled and advertised metal/punk concert (re: not a pop-up gig) was held there, but it's great to see Nicole and crew giving it a shot! You may recall seeing Darsombra live in 2017 and 2019 via shows at The New A and LopLops respectively, both courtesy of the now-inactive Six, Two, Oh., and if you saw one/both, you'll recall Darsombra's minimalist instrumental sound well, including extended jams and quite a different audio/visual presentation than what you may expect. How will this translate to an outdoor setting? Be there to find out! Local folk punk/metal solo artist Chase Wigmore is slated to open this concert.

Last seen opening for Hails under the Dryer Fire banner at last month's Fishbowl Festival, it remains to be seen how his long gestating "Chaotic Rite" album will play into his presumably unplugged set, but it''ll be good to see him on stage again! Notably, Dryer Fire's six shows from April-June are being funded via an Indiegogo campaign, and backing it for $10 will get you admission to one show, Darsombra or otherwise, but general admission will be low/non-existent if they get $2,100 crowdfunded. Click here for full details on what rewards are available and for full details on what Dryer Fire have planned. Fingers crossed that things go well, as the varied acts are more than welcome, so see above for more details!

We'll close today with a new video from the aforementioned Jay's Piston Broke Pub's Facebook page, as a venue representative filmed fellow local southern hard rock band Bone Yard during their show there on Friday! The video (uploaded on Saturday morning) is short and vertical, but thankfully, it's not a "Reel", so it can be embedded externally, and it features the guys playing an unidentified instrumental section for 15 seconds. Not a lot to comment on, but the band sound good while it lasts, and fans are having fun! Give it a watch below, and stay tuned for more from Jay's!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes in the days ahead! Thanks everyone!