LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck, Double Down, And Generations), And More!!

This month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post has been bumped to tomorrow in order to get a bunch of newly announced LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS covered on the SMS, while also addressing a way that you can help a prominent local drummer through a shocking medical diagnosis.  With all of that said, here's what you should know!

For the first time since revealing their January-March schedule online at the beginning of 2023, The Esquire Club has revealed their concert schedule for the last third of the year via this poster on their Facebook page! No word on why they never revealed a schedule online for bands playing between April and this weekend, but these schedules are viewable at the Second Line West nightclub. Also, no word on who is playing there on the last two weekends of the year, and while the Christmas/New Year's timing is noted, the applicable holidays are not on a Friday or Saturday this year. The first new dates that cross the SMS' radar come on Friday, September 15th & Saturday, September 16th, when newer local classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down make their first ever Esquire Club appearances!

Last seen at Rotaryfest in July, I'm not sure where Double Down have been over the past two months, but hopefully Joel, Adam, Brad, and Ric have a fun weekend of hard rocking covers in store when they make their way to a new-to-them venue in a couple of weeks! These are 9:00 PM gigs with 19+ age limits and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more on Double Down's Esquire Club debuts later this month!

Next up, we'll leap ahead two weeks for fellow local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck's return to The Esquire Club for shows on September 29th & 30th, before returning there on December 7th & 8th! Soundcheck last hit the stage here in June for two shows that included their special gig featuring three of Obsession's frontwomen, but the shows ahead appear to just be normal concerts (the band's lack of advertising for them yet acknowledged). Hopefully Soundcheck (no space) deliver strong tunes for hard and classic rock fans (and even country fans) in the west end later this month and in three months! Like with Double Down above, all of Soundcheck's upcoming Esquire Club dates are 19+ affairs with no cover charge and 9:00 PM start times. See above for more details!

Lastly for the heavier new dates (unless The Red Right Hand Band on October 7th prove otherwise), classic/hard rock fans can also enjoy newer local quartet Generations back at The Esquire Club on October 13th & 14th! Their first shows here with new guitarist Tony Kajnar, fans will have last seen Valerie, Pierre, and Tony S. on stage there back in May. Fresh off of the Thanksgiving weekend, hopefully you'll have worn off your turkey comas in time for Generations' cover rock attack next month, so don't miss out then either! Once again, these shows start at 9:00 PM and have 21+ age limits with no cover charges. See above for more details on Generations' Esquire Club return this fall! Just as a reminder, we already knew about & covered Silent 9's debut there over Halloween weekend on the site last month.

Finally for today, long-time readers will know that I try not to cover the personal lives of musicians unless it directly affects their music career, but at the same time, I know that I can help get the word out when a musician that we cover is in need, and this is one of those cases. Earlier today, a fundraiser of sorts was launched for veteran local rock drummer Chris Johns and his partner, folk rock singer/guitarist Catherine Taddo, due to Chris recently being diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer that has spread to his liver. Chris will be starting chemotherapy soon, while Catherine's mother is also fighting cancer, so they reluctantly agreed to a campaign on the crowdfunding site MealTrain that allows friends and supporters to donate prepared meals or gift cards to be delivered to the Johns/Taddo family over the fall season. Click here for full details on how you can help (this is not presently a financial campaign, just so they don't have to worry about preparing meals short term and can focus on everything else).

Best known as the long-time drummer of Frank Deresti & The Lake Effect, punk fans will recognize Chris behind the kit for Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide's final run from 2018-2020, after previously being one of their fill-in drummers in the mid-2010s, while he also drummed for Jonesy Land's live dates in mid-2021. Having had both of my parents go through cancer in recent years, I know all too well the strain that this can put on someone, and I can only hope that Chris and Catherine get all of the support that they need as Chris hopefully beats this thing. Stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post next, and get well soon, Chris!