LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Total Chaos, Handsome Sandwich, And Cory Murchison!!)

After taking May 31st off for my birthday (I always do, past posts on that day were scheduled auto-posts), we're kicking off June 2024 with a post devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS and related updates for shows in the next few months, so here's what you should know!

A Friday night concert series has been announced at Soo Blaster for the summer season, so what should you know there? As advertised on SooToday and their online/social media accounts, the Queen Street East venue/nightclub will be hosting acoustic-leaning musicians, usually solo artists or duos, every Friday through the end of August, though be advised that the schedule does list some shows as taking place on a Saturday rather than Friday. I'm unsure if "every Friday" is a generalization for promoting the schedule, or if Soo Blaster erroneously listed some of these shows a day later. There are many familiar faces playing at Soo Blaster this summer, including former Phatstick frontman Jason Taillefer (I'm not sure if his solo shows lean to what his old bands played), but two are 100% in our coverage range, including Bullet Train/ex-Sense Of Truth frontman Cory Murchison on June 28th!

While we have yet to see Bullet Train live, Cory's live music work in recent years had largely been via acoustic shows (including in Short & Sweet and as "Cory Daniel"), so look for some entertaining hard rock covers from him in four weeks! This and all other shows in Soo Blaster's Friday concert series this summer has an 8:00 PM start time, likely 19+ age limit, and no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more details!

The other show that would definitely cross our radar comes on Saturday, August 10th (as far as Soo Blaster's schedule says, we'll let you know if they did indeed mean Friday the 9th). On that night (whichever night it is), Soo Blaster will deviate from their string of solo artists and duos by hosting local alt-hard rock quintet Handsome Sandwich and their new sister folk/bluegrass band The Golden Scoundrels! While we will see Handsome Sandwich beforehand at the Go North Music Festival (and perhaps elsewhere), this is their first announced show in city limits since opening for The Hazytones in April, so fans of their tasty originals will want to keep this August date in mind! Of course, The Golden Scoundrels (who play their first show tonight at The Whiskey Barrel) feature Handsome Sandwich bandmates Brandon Ruch & Johnny Belanger alongside ex-Shit Liver frontman Josh Penno and fiddler Todd Webb.

If you liked Josh's old St. Catharines band Dirtfight, you should take to The Scoundrels, and it'll be interesting to see how the genre contrast goes over with the two bands in August, both at Soo Blaster and at The Northern Vibe Festival at month's end! Yes, The Golden Scoundrels parted ways with ex-Gnaeus bassist Matt Fronzi (who Brandon replaced) earlier in the spring, and the band took down any media featuring Matt after he left. Hopefully things are amicable and it's just to signify how they'll really be launching! Back to Handsome Sandwich for one more new note, as they'll be hitting the road for another tour run this fall, including a set at this year's Gussapalooza Music Festival in Cookstown (outside of Innisfil in Simcoe County) over the September 13th weekend! They'll be one of 40 acts playing that weekend, with Sudbury grunge/hard rock quartet The Fortunate Losers as the advertised headliners.

Local fans may recall seeing The Fortunate Losers here opening for Monster Truck in 2019. Hopefully things go well for Handsome Sandwich at Gussapalooza this fall, as well as at a teased Ottawa date on September 12th! The show at Soo Blaster on August 10th (9th?) is advertised to have an 8:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no cover charge. See above for more details on Handsome Sandwich's summer and fall plans so far!

Finally for today, here's one more new show announcement, and it's a big one, as Pomona, California hardcore punk legends Total Chaos will make their long awaited return to Sault Ontario on Thursday, September 12th at The Distraction's downstairs space The Stellar Door! This will be Total Chaos' first local concert since headlining at the former Oddfellows Hall way back in 2010, and the show comes one day before they share the stage with Spades GT in Toronto to open for The Exploited there. It's hard to compare Total Chaos today to how they sounded here fourteen years ago, but it'll be awesome to see Rob Chaos and crew back in town for what should be a hard hitting night of hardcore punk classics! Ottawa "post street punk" band BALM Squad will open in their local debut, and they should be a fine compliment with their intense original songs and stage presence, so don't miss out on the action this fall!

Suprisingly, there are no local openers advertised (at least not yet), but we'll let you know when/if any are added. Like The Ripcordz' show here on August 10th, Total Chaos will set up shop downstairs from The Distraction at The Stellar Door, the bigger but still intimate basement floor that is now being opened for select gigs. This is an all ages show starting at 9:00 PM, and limited advance tickets are on sale via Distraction co-promoter/prolific local punk musician Mikhal Muto for $25. At the door, it will have a "pay what you can" model, with $20 being suggested. This should be a great night for hardcore punk fans, so see above for more details, and stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post next! Thanks everyone!