It's now time for this month's YouTube Channel Profiles, as we once again shine a spotlight on YouTube channels whose content is at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, or punk artists/concerts! For a second straight month, our randomly selected channels number at two, as the first channel only had two videos period, so a channel with a single video was picked to fill things out. Both take us to side projects of familiar local rock frontmen, so here's what you should know!
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Curtis McKenzie (http://youtube.com/@curtismckenzie8665)
Owner: Prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Curtis McKenzie, known from bands like Haggith, Project 421, Eclipse, Mike Haggith & The Din, Punch, Sound X, 20 Pack Of Marshmallows, Restricted Illusions, and Wanko Twist
Channel Timeline: Launched on June 4th, 2013; Videos uploaded that same day
Channel Summary: Curtis' then-official YouTube channel features original audio recordings by two prior/side projects of his, rather than his then-concurrent work in Haggith, who had their own YouTube channel at the time.
Why You Should Watch: As a "what could have been" window into Curt's local music career, this channel is notable to give a listen to his prior projects that didn't get far off the ground as presented, and fans of his will want to give these two videos a look on that basis. Nowadays, Curtis is primarily seen streaming on Twitch, where he plays video games, plays vinyl records, and sometimes actually performs music, so follow him there to see what he's been up to post-pandemic!
Rage Train EP: In early 2012, Curt recorded a demo EP called "Rage Train" featuring him and drummer Zach Day Andre (who produced/mixed the songs) playing "No Cure For Insanity", "Rage Train", and "Wanko (Reprise)", which would all be adapted by the band Haggith on their debut studio album "Dragon Joy Ride" that fall. While these songs would be refined later that year, they still come through really well and they sound like the full Haggith band would have recorded them had you not known!
SOUND X - Disengage: Curt's most popular video here is of his short lived side project band Sound X, which featured him and long-time bandmate Daniel Horton (now in Spades GT) playing music separate from Haggith. Sound X had planned to record an album named "Three Year Relapse" at Paperclip Productions, but only "Disengage" made its way online before Sound X quietly fell inactive by the end of 2013. Featuring Curtis on all instruments aside from Daniel on drums, this song is a solid alt-hard rock number that wouldn't have been amiss in Haggith setlists, though I did note at the time that I felt Sound X should be more distinct from Haggith if the two were to co-exist. Follow Eclipse to hear Curt & Dan's later work!
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Dick Jerkins (http://youtube.com/@dickjerkins983)
Owner: Local folk punk/extreme metal singer/guitarist Chase James Wigmore, also known from projects like The Strange Coyotes, This Is Your Band On Drugs, Them, Project Legion, The Autumn Roots, The Black Lodge Masters, The Coyote Speedfreaks, Manitou, and Squirrelboy & The Smiling Giraffes
Channel Timeline: Launched on August 30th, 2018; Only video posted the following day
Channel Summary: Despite having an eponymous YouTube channel that is still used to this day, Chase launched a separate channel in 2018 under the ribald pseudonym above that he initially used for songs released by Awokest, his industrial-leaning metal project. While Awokest proper have paid release albums, "The Tweakening" ended life as a free YouTube EP, whose songs run from 45 seconds to 2:37 in length. Featuring techno influences, black metal-inspired vocals, and lots of bass in the low end, "The Tweakening" will deliver the goods for fans of this side of Chase's ample solo back catalogue! However, be advised of some 18+ song titles.
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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profiles! As it turns out, our run of profiling multiple channels will continue in October, as the first randomly selected channel this time out only had one video, and the second only has two from the same concert set, so we're tripling up on or around October 26th by looking at the YouTube channels of Sam Mick (featuring a video from Hedley's show here in 2017), NorthernFunko (featuring two Three Days Grace concert videos at the Gardens), and Josh Belleau (featuring a 2012 concert video featuring three local metal bands). Look for these then, and for weekend concert previews and much more on the site next! Thanks everyone!
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