LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Lopstock III) & Darsombra Concert Videos!!

Two topic post on this final day of June, including new videos from a unique outdoor concert from earlier this month, but let's lead off with a big LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month!

After an eight year hiatus, Lopstock is back for a third installment at LopLops Lounge on Saturday, July 29th! As you may recall, Lopstock was a Woodstock-inspired "bohemian conclave" that took place in June 2014 & 2015 thanks to then-Gnaeus drummer Brendan Garlick in cooperation with Ears & Eyes (at least in year #1). A third installment in 2016 didn't take place in part due to Brendan moving out of town for a spell, but aiming to help LopLops post-pandemic return to prominence led to him suggesting the return of Lopstock in 2023, which will also serve as the launch event for his new promotion agency Sault Noir. You can read more about Lopstock's rebirth and how the original events came together at this SooToday article by Chris Belsito, and Brendan offers some interesting insights as to the original Lopstock plans in 2014! One note is that Lopstock bands are asked to play all-original sets aside from (if desired) one cover song.

Ten bands are scheduled in the eight hour timeframe for Lopstock III, and while none are returnees from the mid-2010s, there are some returning artists in different bands. The advertised headliners are online page-less indie rock trio Pointless (led by Treble Charger's Bill Priddle), with local alt-hard rock quintet Handsome Sandwich co-headlining in what may be their post-relaunch debut at LopLops. Fellow Rotaryfest Stage 2 band The Hollow Heads will also play at Lopstock 3 with their indie rock originals, while rappers Ethan Stoneburgh & Sawbé will rock the mic in a joint set next month, and Christian rapper Bold Noize will also add to the hip-hop credentials with a set of his own. As far as bands go, you can also see rising young metal trio The BAG, new-ish local hard rock quartet Far From Fine (in their second show of the year), and pop rock quartet Jupiter Marvelous.

Talented young folk/pop rock solo musicians Hannah Lindsay and Juliana Regan (no word on if Blair St. John will join her again) are the advertised openers. This 19+ event has a 5:00 PM start time on July 29th, and tickets run for $25 (plus processing fees) at this link, though no word on in-person availability or a price hike at the door. Brendan will serve as MC, and Crank Sound Distribution will be on hand. This should be a great time for fans of current original music, including via three hard rock-leaning acts, and I hope this does well for Brendan, LopLops, and Sault Noir, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

We'll close today with some recent concert videos from Christopher Paci's excellent YouTube channel, and while he did film at the Josey Scott's Saliva concert, those will get their own upcoming post given the amount of bands on that bill. Instead, let's head back to the Darsombra-headlined outdoor show on June 21st on what promoters Dryer Fire called the "March Street Stage", so where exactly was that? My assumption that it was at the corner of March and Queen Street East was almost accurate, as the naming was kind of a misnomer. The stage was built in the open patio area beside June & Friends Hair Salon at 485 Queen Street East, so it was close to but not actually held on March Street. Musicians faced the patio seating and the OLG building in the distance, with their backs to Queen Street proper. Chris filmed three videos of the headlining Baltimore, Maryland psychedelic hard rock duo, so what can you see here?

Firstly, I'll have no luck titling the songs on offer given Darsombra's progressive jam approach and theatricality coming ahead of playing the songs as heard on studio albums, but click here and here to see the shorter videos (the longest one, embedded below, runs for over 15 minutes). Their set features a projector screen full of creative visuals, what appears to be a fly mask, and lots of impressive (if drone-friendly) trippy jam rock that won't be for everyone, but you have to admire what Darsombra are doing here, and with zest and energy! Hopefully the turnout was decent, but give things a look for yourself above & below, and stay tuned for more from him!

Lastly, Chris got one video of local folk punk/extreme metal solo musician Chase Wigmore's opening set, and between the daylight, lack of a projector screen backdrop, and Chris' sharper angle of the stage here, you get a better sense of how things were laid out for this unique outdoor concert. Looks like a decent setup that could hopefully be replicated for other shows! In a surprise, Chase actually covered Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" in this video, but he adds his own intense touches and rapid fire guitar flourish along with his distinct vocals, so fans of his folk punk side won't be left out in the lurch! Give Chase's video a watch below!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post of some kind tomorrow! Thanks everyone!