LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Rotaryfest Stage 2!!)

Where we covered Rotaryfest's Stage 1 lineup reveal on the SMS yesterday, let's look at Stage 2 today, as the full lineup for this year's originals-leaning stage was released in the last few days! This year's Second Stage (beside the Art Gallery of Algoma at Clergue Park) is the seventeenth total and the eighth since the "Redirected" era began in 2015, but in the biggest year-to-year overhaul for Stage 2 since then, only two bands are returnees from prior lineups, and only one of them played last year! As has been the case since Stage 2 returned from its two year pandemic hiatus, there will be two nights of music for a third straight year, starting with Friday Night Blues on July 19th, as sponsored/curated by The Sault Blues Society. No hard rock or metal bands to speak of there, but the headliners this year are Mudfoot Mike and the Muckrakers (featuring half of Generations backing up their past fill-in guitarist Mike McDonald).

Also scheduled are the new/one-off (both?) That There Blues Band and The Associates, Treble Charger guitarist Bill Priddle's alt-rock trio All The Tired Horses (the only returning Stage 2 band from last year, let alone Stage 1 in 2022), and new local power blues quartet The Eight Seventies. That band shares three members with new pop rock cover band The Rhythm Junction, who themselves play at Stage 1 that evening, so kudos to Marshall, Jaime, and Joe for pulling double duty! Click here for full details on the Friday Night Blues lineup, including the complete lineups for all five bands!

Despite the above promotional image, Mitch isn't playing Stage 2 this year, but nine acts are on the indie/alternative-leaning program on Saturday, July 20th, and the headliners will be new local folk/bluegrass quartet The Golden Scoundrels (featuring Shit Liver and Handsome Sandwich alumni). This is a huge stamp of approval for this new project, so while a big jump from members' heavier work, don't bypass them at 8:30 PM! For the first time since 2019, a touring band will play the Second Stage that night at 7:30 PM, namely The Seth Brown Duo, an Americana/folk act from Crystal Falls, Michigan, which is in the Western Upper Peninsula. Seth and Desiree are been playing all around the region this year, and just played at LSSU in Sault Michigan last week, so their well-tested original folk country material should draw a good reception! Rotaryfest will be their only Canadian tour date this year.

The second and final returning band this year is the surprise reunion of local folk/country band The Crossroad Magdalenes (now apparently shortened to The Crossroad Maggies) in their first announced concert after a four year hiatus, and first Rotaryfest set since rocking Stage 2 in 2019. Good to see The Maggies back after the pandemic lockdowns seemed to stop them in their tracks! They're on at 6:30 PM, while the highest slotted act in the SMS' coverage range precedes them at 5:30 PM, namely the sporadically seen veteran punk quintet The Gambit in their first show since opening for Fuller at LopLops in December. Hopefully the former Sick Sons deliver a fun set of punk originals, and maybe a few covers to boot! Convergence/Rhythm Junction guitarist Jacob Valois will play on Stage 2 at 4:30 with his eponymous Jacob Valois Group, who I don't believe have a social media account to promote themselves with.

As best as I can gather, this should be an extension of his recent live jazz performances (his website also calls this group "The Jacob Valois Quartet"), and it'll be interesting to see what he and his band have in store for Rotaryfest, as he is a talented player across multiple genres! The preceding hour's timeslot is actually broken in half for two solo artists, with folk/indie singer Juliana Regan scheduled for 4:00 PM and Handsome Sandwich/Golden Scoundrels guitarist Brandon Ruch blocked at 3:30 PM. Of course, Brandon has backed up Juliana live multiple times in the past year, such as at Lopstock, so that could recur, but what does Brandon play as a solo artist? I have no clue, but we'll keep you posted! The 2:30 PM slot is listed for "Miss Madii", who I am 99.9% certain is Lime frontwoman Madii Schomogyi, who runs the double herself via playing on Stage 1 with Lime earlier that afternoon.

Madii had posted on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group on Saturday looking for a "female bassist for a girl band", so is this the project in question? If so, how do they musically differ from Lime, and is "Miss Madii" legitimately the band's name or is that a solo placeholder? Stay tuned! The opening band on this year's Second Stage is hard rock quintet HeadFirst, and you can make the argument that they'll be the heaviest band to play on Stage 2 in the "Redirected" era, so don't miss their lead-off set at 1:30 PM! Like with Stage 1, all of the festivities are FREE and ALL AGES. While recent regulars like Handsome Sandwich, The Hollow Heads, Machines Dream, Rusty McCarthy, and Smokehouse are not playing this year, the very fresh lineup of performers across both nights should give attendees lots to enjoy! Visit the above links for much more on Stage 2, and look for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!