Rotaryfest 2026 Fallout (Part 4), Plus More From Soo Lens!!

Today's post finally sees us put our recent coverage of an annual summer concert festival to bed (famous last words), with a chaser of photos from a photography company who wasn't just present for this event in 2026. Here's what you should know on this Sunday afternoon!

Let's wrap up our Rotaryfest fallout coverage today, after only a month+ after the Sault's summer festival ended for 2026! When we left off this past Monday, we only had three Stage 2 bands left to acknowledge public videos from, but alas, I don't believe external videos from Eden Plague's set were uploaded by the band (not counting Johnny's update video during Brendan Hodgson's set) nor other attendees with public channels or pages. Stay tuned for more from the former Bear Hunters in the fall! Moving to the co-headliners, indie/country rock quartet Eli Russell & The River Fools did post a highlight video from their set to their Facebook page, as filmed by former Chunks of Manh/Soo Fighters bassist Max Ambeault. The video quality here is really nice, which makes the vertical orientation, short runtime, and lack of raw audio just as disappointing. What we get is solid with some nice views of the crowd though!

Still, I can only imagine what all Max shot for raw footage at Clergue Park last month, but click here to see Eli & crew in action regardless, if for 35 seconds! We'll finally close our Rotaryfest Stage 2 fallout by looking at this year's headliners, namely death metal trio Pillory, who drummer Bret Shuttleworth captured the entire set of via a stationary camera mounted beside 705Live Sound Co.'s tent, with the full video then being uploaded to his YouTube channel. In their last concert before a teased break to write for their next album, this 37 minutes-long set features Bret, Robert, and Devon playing their usual "End Of Small Sanctuary" intro track before diving into "Specimen Of Egotism", "Abhorred Apprehension", "The Curse Of Eternal Sickness", "The Angst Of Existence", "The Passing", their newest song "No Beyond", "A Drop Of Shame In An Ocean Of Guilt", and "The Stalker", before closing with a cover of Death's "Pull The Plug".

The resolution isn't super high, but everything sounds nice and brutal with a solid crowd turnout near the front of the stage, and it's still something of a trip to hear death metal on the Second Stage! Note the colour changing Pillory logo in the top left, but it's not in an intrusive place. Also, don't be too picky about the slightly crooked camera angle, remember that the tripod was mounted on the lawn. Give Pillory's entire headlining set a watch below!

Finally(?) from Rotaryfest, Bret just uploaded one more video from Pillory's set to his channel, featuring an attendee's footage of them playing "No Beyond" and "A Drop Of Shame In An Ocean Of Guilt", albeit with dead air removed in between. Note that Bret said in the description that this video was of "us debuting our two newest songs", even though "A Drop Of..." has been played live multiple times before last month. The video quality is much crisper, aided by the filmer being close to the stage, but the audio is definitely more muffled, so keep that in mind. Not a bad video of their recent material regardless, so give it a watch below!

To end things, we'll close today with a page that we alluded to in this past Monday's Rotaryfest post, namely local photography company Soo Lens, who snapped photos of Zed's headlining set on Stage 1 last month, but they actually debuted at Rotaryfest last year. Across photos and highlight videos (with dubbed audio in post in all cases) on their Facebook page, you can see their photos from Billy & Elton: The Legends, Bourbon Blue, and Who Made Who's 2025 Stage 1 sets, a number of performers at last year's Northern Vibe Festival (including HeadFirst on the Friday, multiple local bands on the salvaged replacement stage on Saturday after the storm, and a Roost River Stage DJ), September 2025's My Son The Hurricane concert, Mike Haggith's "Under A Moonlit Sky" concert at The Downtown Plaza, Afrofest at Soo Blaster, Silent 9 at Bon Soo's opening ceremonies, and Stones & Crows at Beck's Bar in June.

Soo Lens' photography is excellent and captures some great (if largely vertical) shots from the above concert events, which are the bulk of their content so far. Highlighting them in videos is a novel way to increase exposure beyond just individual photo albums, but remember, Soo Lens' videos are mostly slideshows with dubbed over audio rather than raw concert audio. A common opening lets us see their owner's arm outstretched pointing the camera at the stage, which still leaves me wondering what kind of videos they're filming with the second camera, and if there's anything there worth sharing. See above for more from Soo Lens, look for them at future local concerts, and here's their "Under A Moonlit Sky" video!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for a new news post on the SMS tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Rotaryfest Stage 2!!)

It took a few extra days, but the complete lineup for Rotaryfest Stage 2 has been announced via their website! Sponsored once again by SooToday, this is the tenth installment of the Second Stage since the "Redirected" era kicked off in 2015, and will once again occur at the pop-up stage beside the Art Gallery of Algoma at the festival's Clergue Park homebase. As has been the case since the pandemic hiatus ended in 2022, Stage 2 will take place on two days, starting with the Friday Night Blues lineup on July 17th, curated by the Sault Blues Society. This lineup never has hard rock or punk acts, but the Facebook event page does list many familiar names in the given bands! Newer local blues rock band Sunday & The Broken Hearts will debut on Stage 2 as the 8:30 PM headliners, while veteran local blues/jazz musician Rusty McCarthy (again billed as "Rusty McBlues") will co-headline at 7:30 PM.

This will be Rusty's fourth Friday Night Blues set, and his sixth solo headlining set of any type on the Second Stage, tying Machines Dream for the most ever. The debuting Jay Scali Band (featuring Zak's All-Stars alumni) are up at 6:30 PM, preceded by the third straight Stage 2 set by by veteran blues rockers Mudfoot Mike & The Muckrakers at 5:30 PM. The day will be kicked off at 4:30 PM by Josh "The Preacher" McNally, though unlike his festival debut last year, he will be backed up by his Jackleg Band. As for the longer program on Saturday, July 18th, this takes a turn from what you may be used to sonically from any era of the Second Stage. With one exception, this year's Stage 2 bands on the Saturday don't lean towards alternative, indie, and/or folk rock. However, while only one Saturday act is a returnee from past Stage 2 lineups, that isn't necessarily strange, as 2024 only had one returning Saturday band as well.

Honestly, the big surprise to me this year is that there are two death metal bands playing on the Second Stage this year, including death metal trio Pillory as the headliners at 8:30 PM! While we have seen Robert Sartini here with All The Tired Horses, The Peach Thieves, and in The Preacher's Jackleg Band, he finally takes center stage next month on Stage 2, so prepare for face melting brutality! Co-headlining at 7:30 PM are Eli Russell & The River Fools, the new southern rock band from (former?) Sylo frontman Elijah Russell and former Wild Iris bandmates Steve Myers & Courtney McDonald. They've been making some waves at headlining gigs this year so far, so keep The River Fools in mind, and we'll let you know if Sylo's status is clarified! Eleven years after launching a petition and fan campaign to get added to the Rotaryfest lineup in 2015, the former Bear Hunters have finally secured a spot on Stage 2 next month!

The now-renamed Eden Plague will finally play at the "Redirected" Clergue Park stage at 6:30 PM,  and while Mitch & Johnny have played Stage 2 since in lighter projects, it will be huge for them, Nik, and Justin to finally brutalize Stage 2 next month! After playing the last two years with HeadFirst, drummer Anthony Boudreau will return with his new local blues/hard rock trio Stones & Crows at 5:30 PM, just three weeks after their live debut. Twenty years after playing at the second annual Second Stage, veteran local folk musician M.D. Dunn will be this year's only returning Stage 2 act at 4:30 PM, in his first set here since 2023 and fifth total. Local country musician Brendan Hodgson will perform at 3:30 PM, and while this will be his Stage 2 debut, he previously performed on Stage 1 from 2021-2024, making him just the eleventh credited act to play both stages. Newer local blues/hard rock quartet The Reeves will debut at Rotary at 2:30 PM.

We'll have more on them soon, but you may recognize them as the Haze/Long Shot successors who publically debuted at Toystock last fall. Surprisingly, Stage 2 will be kicked off at 1:30 PM this year by an open mic block, and while I don't know if this is due to low artist applications or just trying something new, this will be the first Saturday lineup with only seven Stage 2 bands since 2018. This isn't entirely unprecedented, as the last two Swampstravaganzas in 2014 and 2015 also opened with open mic performers, so hopefully some talented folks step on stage to kick off the action by the waterfront! Stage 2 remains a FREE & ALL AGES event as part of another stacked weekend of the Soo's annual summer festival, so visit the above links for full current details on what to expect on Rotaryfest Stage 2 in its 19th installment, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the SMS soon! Thanks everyone!

Late & Loud - "Late & Legends Season 2 (Podcast Soundtrack)" Album Review!!

It's now time for our 183rd monthly CD review, and in a slight change of plans, we're looking at inactive local classic metal quartet Late & Loud's third album (fourth if counting reissues), namely "Late & Legends Season 2 (Podcast Soundtrack)"! This is their second album/score of songs from the Dungeons & Dragons podcast Late & Legends that the guys have been working on remotely since 2020, with instrumental music recorded by band members at their home studios. This second soundtrack release from September 17th covers songs included in season 2 episodes of Late & Legends from 2021, and features current Convergence guitarist Brendan Christie as the primary songwriter this time out. Guitarist Jonathan Tiberi returns in a reduced role compared to "Late & Legends 1", and bassist Benn Garside gets credited for contributing on a song here where he did not last time. Drummer/game master & audio editor Josh Hatherley is again not credited as a performer for this soundtrack album.

You can buy "Late & Legends 2" on Bandcamp for $8.99, and it is streamable for free there as well, but consider buying it to support the guys and the podcast! Like when I reviewed the first soundtrack, just a reminder that I don't play physical RPGs like D&D, and I am cognizant of the fact that D&D players (and listeners of the podcast) will have far more context into how these songs slot into the storyline as Giovanni, Val, and Mordechai continued their adventures in Renlan. Also, don't go into this expecting "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal 2". If you want to hear the podcast so far, click here or listen in on your preferred podcasting host services. With 12 songs running for only 20 minutes, let's begin this review!

This soundtrack leads off with "Late And Legends Theme", which is exactly what you think it is. This is a short 62 seconds-long metal instrumental with galloping guitar and an ominous overtone befitting a fantasy story, though given how the song ends with some guitar squeals that seem to hint at a longer composition (if not a solo), it ends before it really gets going. A good theme song, but an unfinished Late & Loud song, if that makes sense. "Bombastic" follows with a more grandiose, orchestral composition that feels much more like something from a video game rather than a metal band, The title is apt as a result, and while it has the epic qualities that would would assume Renlan to harbour, there's not a lot of guitar here, so adjust expectations accordingly. Third is "Battle Ready", which is the only song on the soundtrack that specifically credits Benn on it's Bandcamp link.

Despite that, this is way closer in spirit to "Bombastic" as a composition, but with dramatic percussion and themes that definitely evoke that an important battle is incoming. It's a cooler piece of music for me, but at the same time, did the last 50 seconds of 98 seconds-long piece need to just be the drumming? I'd have cut that down a lot, but the song is well done while it lasts! Track #4 is "The Rising Tide" (no apparent relation to inactive local band Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide), which is one of just three songs on offer to exceed 2 minutes in length. A slower number with some striking keyboard work and good clapping percussion early, the relatively longer composition has lots of room to breathe and show off different tempos and instrumentation, and for lack of a better word, it feels the most "epic" of the songs so far! A far cry from Late & Loud's original band run, but very solid! Note that this song ends with 18 seconds of silence.

That's followed by "The Darkness Is Here", which is a shorter and suitably dark orchestral piece that gets in and out without dragging on for too long, and basically sums up a low point in the storyline well. Not a ton to say here compared to prior tracks, but if you like how Brendan has been composing these numbers, you'll take to how big this feels in scale despite its short length! Speaking of short length, song #6 is "Run For Cover", which runs just 60 seconds total. Given the title and the stakes in the podcast, you'd assume for a song faster in tempo than this, let alone not as heavily structured around percussion and spare piano playing. Not bad at all, but based on my assumptions for a fantasy story, this is not what I would assumed a song about running for cover would sound like. The second half of "Late & Legends 2" begins with "The Storm", which reminds me a bit of the Lower Brinstar theme from Super Metroid.

Isolated piano key strokes and background thunderstorm effects combine for one of the most unique songs on offer, but it ends kind of abruptly and it really felt like there was more of a song here had it ran for more than 74 seconds. A cool piece while it lasts though! The next two songs do not have any individual writing/performance credits at all, but the first of them ("Back At It Again") is arguably the first song since the opener to really feel like something that a band worked on. Not a metal band, mind you, as it has more of a Renaissance fair/campfire vibe (I was reminded of both), but it works for how the story was progressing, and the percussion is well contrasted with the isolated guitar playing! This song also ends with a long silent stretch (well, seven seconds). Ninth is "No Time To Wait", which is the only song on offer to exceed 3 minutes in length, and not by much. The keys lead the way on this composition throughout its runtime.

Not a dramatically opposed song compared to most of its soundtrack-mates, it shares the ambiance and vibes of most of the other compositions here, but doesn't hit as many epic heights despite its length, possibly because the piano leads the way instrumentally. Still a good song when considering the concept! Next up is "The Trap Is Lit", which is both the shortest song on the soundtrack (53 seconds) and the only one to directly credit Jon as a composer. If you recall his work on the first Late & Legends album, he handled half of the songs there, and stuck way closer to metal band territory than on Brendan's songs. That bears out here too, with this brief song being just a metal guitar showcase, and one that ends way too soon. Like on the opener, this feels like the start of a full song rather than a standalone track, but it is nice to hear Jonathan take the lead on a new "Late & Loud" song again, even one this short!

Brendan gets control back for the last two songs, starting with "Mystery", an ominous 2+ minute piece that definitely evokes the feeling of an uncertain future, and given that this was near the end of the podcast's second season, that seems apt! There is more of an intentional unease in how this song proceeds, and it works in the context of the story, but for these compositions, I prefer the grander stuff. The soundtrack closes with "A Farewell To Brothers", which ends the album and season 2 with a mournful and very melancholy composition that definitely feels like the end of a chapter as the characters go their separate ways (for the time being), and while it's not what I musically prefer, it fits in context for how Late & Legends progressed in 2021, and of course, the story didn't end there, so we'll have to see if they release an album for season 3 at some point!

So, what are my final thoughts on "Late & Legends Season 2 (Podcast Soundtrack)"? Based purely on a musical level, I do prefer their season 1 score, but if you preferred Brendan's orchestral compositions on his half of that album, you will be right at home with the sequel! I don't know if Jonathan's decreased involvement in the season 2 score was an artistic choice or a scheduling one, but aside from the theme song and "The Trap Is Lit", there's not much here that would suggest that Late & Loud put this out if you heard the songs blind. Note that Jon hasn't lived in town for over a decade and currently plays in the Hamilton stoner metal band Astral Witch. With Brendan taking the lead, and possibly saving his metal ideas all the while for Convergence, this is mostly a pure score, and certainly a strong one that evokes a fantasy world from a movie or video game, so he definitely shows what he is capable of as a songwriter!

Contextually, this album is best served for Late & Legends listeners, and I do prefer earlier, more optimistic pieces to the darker and sparer later ones, but if you like fantasy soundtracks and scores, you'll have fun with "Late & Legends 2"! That said, if you're expecting anything remotely like Late & Loud, you'd be best served starting with their season 1 soundtrack given that Jonathan's songs for Late & Legends are closer in style, and he was more involved then. Strong work for what this is, so buy or stream it above, and I hope you guys liked this month's CD review! Now, my original plan for this month was to review Sykotyk Rampage's new album  "Waerlogas Saga 1: Konfysion Of Fyck", but I was hoping to have the comic book arrive by now to help in covering the lengthy album. As such, I have delayed the review to next month. In any event, look for Sykotyk Rampage's new concept album as our review next month, and for more news & notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

Sandman Concert Preview, Rotaryfest Lineup Updates, And Tons Of Local Album Uploads!!

We have more news and notes to cover on this Friday evening, including one more known & advertised metal concert preview for this weekend, plus some Rotaryfest lineup updates and a wealth of album uploads from a quite prolific local band, so here's what you should know!

Toronto-based Metallica tribute band Sandman will return to Sault Ste. Marie for a headlining concert TOMORROW NIGHT at Soo Blaster! This concert is basically a rain date for their previously scheduled Good Friday gig in 2020 at The Canadian Nightclub (cancelled for very obvious reasons), and while The Canadian is currently closed, it's great to see Sandman back at long last at a new venue! You may recall seeing Sandman (featuring Helix alumni Rick Van Dyk, Paul Fonseca, and Brent Niemi) at The Canadian in June 2008 and at The Rockstar Bar in March 2015, so we seem to be on a "once every seven years" pattern for Sandman shows here. Notably an officially sanctioned tribute band by Metallica themselves, Sandman's faithful take on Metallica's classic thrash metal hits will be more than welcomed to Soo Blaster tomorrow night, and local southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek are opening the festivities, as they would have done at the cancelled April 2020 concert!

Had the 2020 show went through, that would have been Fort Creek's public concert debut, so two years of experience & original songwriting will only help things in their return from a month long break! No word on if they'll have another merchandise giveaway tomorrow or not. Tomorrow's concert has a 19+ age limit, 9:00 PM start time, and $20 admission fee (on par with the 2020 date), and you can get yours online at this link or at the door. Sandman were the first band I ever saw at a licensed 19+ concert, so I'll always have affection for them, and it's a good thing that they deliver the thrash metal goods, so expect brutality tomorrow! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Sandman live!

Next up, here's some lineup and performer clarifications/updates for Rotaryfest next weekend, courtesy of both online promotions and the physical program that showed up in local mailboxes yesterday! First, there has been a lineup change (confirmed after the program was printed), as new classic rock trio The Sidekicks have dropped out of the Stage 1 bill on Saturday, July 16th for unannounced reasons. Hopefully nothing too serious happened, they have a talented lineup! Replacing them that day at 4:00 PM is a duo set from former Pocket frontwoman (and Stage 1 director) KT Antler and Machines Dream guitarist Keith Conway, who have both played the festival multiple times in other projects. Unexpected pairing, it will be interesting to see how KT & Keith do together! As for program details not documented online, the write-up for local funk/hard rock cover band The Wyld Stallyns implies that they've had two big lineup changes, so what's new?

For one, they have definitely changed drummers, with Garden of Bedlam/Papa Fogals Chair alum Derek Turner replacing Jonas Gasperas. A reason for Jonas' departure has not been announced, but hopefully things were amicable, and that we see Jonas out there again soon! The Stallyns have never listed their lineup on their Facebook page, but Derek apparently played with them at the Great Canadian Roadshow last month, so he's been around for at least that long, and readers should be well acquainted with his ample drumming abilities! However, where one Soldiers of Misfortune alum leaves, another arrives, as the program also lists Alex (or Al) White on bass with The Wyld Stallyns, replacing the already departed Ben Garcia. It's great to see Xander back in a local band, especially teaming up with Jesse again, though with how many of The Stallyns' shows are acoustic, this may not be an every gig arrangement (he's not in their newest live photo).

Also, the program lists Blues Harvest alum Josh Norling as playing saxophone for their Stage 1 set on Thursday night, but as fans will be well aware by now, Josh is definitely a guest performer who only joins them for certain shows. When he's present though, it's usually a big one! Get more on all Rotaryfest bands (except KT & Keith) on the official program online and in your mailbox yesterday, and look for our previews next week!

Finally, here's something I've been waiting for over a week to discuss, and now that it is all public, here is is: All SIXTY-FIVE of local blue Chinese metal crash punk quartet Sykotyk Rampage's albums are now available online, in full, no edits, on their Bandcamp page! If there's hosting limits, they're either not met yet or they're on a premium account. Sykotyk Rampage have hosted albums online on sites like Reverbnation, Soundclick, and elsewhere, but this is the first time that all of their "Syko-graphy" is available to listen to or buy from the same source, from 2000's debut "Baked Brain Tumour On Toast" to their newest effort, 2022's "Wyrd Radio 2 -- Kype The Jesus Boots -- Gospels According To Sykotyk Rampage" (what a title!) Album prices vary from $15-$25 in mp3 format, depending on length, and if you really want the whole enchilada, the sale price for all 65 at once is $788! Yes, the albums are all available to stream for free too.

Given that "Wyrd Radio 2" is the only brand new album ("Hell Bent Heaven Sent" is actually from last year), that'll be this month's CD review at the SMS, and brace yourselves, as it is a concept album about the life of Jesus Christ (given Sykotyk Rampage's track record, do not expect Christian rock) with forty tracks, and if it was on physical CDs, it'd be a triple album! That'll be a marathon and a half, but it is new, so strap in later this month! Be they improvised originals, live tracks, or re-recordings, check out hundreds of blues, punk, hard rock, and psychedelic songs from the masters of the crash above, but you might be there awhile!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Rotaryfest Stage 2!!)

After a pandemic-induced two year hiatus, Rotaryfest's Stage 2 will return in 2022, so what should you know about its comeback? Of course, Stage 2-amenable acts were condensed into the 2020 virtual lineup and 2021's drive-in stage at Lowe's Plaza, but it is great to see the full Second Stage back for its fifteenth installment since debuting at Rotaryfest in 2005! If you're familiar with the Stage 2 format after it returned from its 2014 hiatus, it'll mostly be back to business as usual from the mid-late 2010s, with the Second Stage (which they used for the bands at Lowe's Plaza last year) back at its regular Clergue Park location beside The Art Gallery of Algoma. However, for just the second time since the 2015 Stage 2 relaunch, there will be multiple days of music, with the usual Saturday bill joined by a smaller band lineup on Friday, July 15th. Thirteen local acts are scheduled for 2022, so here's what you should know on them!

In a nod to the original Second Stage from 2005-2013, July 15th will be themed "Friday Night Blues", as sponsored by the Sault Blues Society, and while there's no hard rock acts that night, the lineup will pique the interest of genre fans and Stage 2 followers! It will be headlined by accomplished local musician Rusty McCarthy and his backing band at 8:30 PM in Rusty's first solo set on the Second Stage since 2013 and third total, with local blues rock quartet Smokehouse making their Stage 2 debut at 7:30 PM. Blues/folk quartet and four time Second Stage veterans Big Wheel & The Spokes will reunite with some barley soup for the funky-ass soul at 6:30 PM, in their first Stage 2 set since 2011, while online page-less acoustic blues trio The Swamp Cats (featuring Bone Yard's Warren Reville) will play Rotaryfest for the first time as the 5:30 PM openers. As usual, the Friday music is FREE & ALL AGES!

Also, the Sault Blues Society will be taking membership registrations for $25 if this interests you. Blues fans will definitely want to head down to Clergue Park for this solidly talented lineup in just under two weeks' time, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details! As for the Saturday, July 16th lineup, this is basically the continuation of Stage 2 as we knew it from 2015-2019, with an original music-focused lineup of youth-leaning bands, typically leaning to folk and indie genres, but some punk and hard rock stylings are incorporated as usual. Of course, a lot has changed since 2019, pandemic-related or otherwise, so seven of the nine Saturday acts are debuting on Stage 2 this year! Who all can you expect?

The headline act at 8:30 PM is local indie/punk quintet The Northwest in their third Stage 2 set (and first as The Northwest), following support appearances in 2017 & 2019. Still riding high from the release of "All In", this will arguably be their biggest local date of the year, so don't miss out on their skilled original material! Young local classic hard rock quartet The Uncanny Valley (who played on the condensed Stage 1 last year at Lowe's Plaza) will make their official Stage 2 debut at 7:30 PM, while instrumental surf rock trio The Dynowaves will give some seasonally appropriate jams at 6:30 PM. Alternative/punk quartet Handsome Sandwich will precede them with their own varied and hard-to-pinpoint original attack at 5:30 PM, with DJ Seith's hip hop duo project Planet Rock returning for their second Stage 2 set at 4:30 PM, having kicked off the 2019 bill. The remaining Stage 2 newcomers include new local indie rock band The Hollow Heads at 3:30 PM.

I know very little about The Hollow Heads beyond their bio on the Facebook event page, but singer Gabrielle Dumas took part in the Clusterfolk Music Festival's music video series, and the members seem to be around their early 20s. Big platform to launch in front of an audience, hopefully things go well! Fellow Clusterfolk alumni Jupiter Marvelous will bring their pop rock stylings to Stage 2 at 2:30 PM, while another performer at the Clusterfolk concert (but not the videos/album) will precede them at 1:30 PM, namely indie/folk duo Sainte Marie. Punk/alt rock quintet These Magnificent Tentacles will open the day's music at 12:30 PM with their own building profile, and given their experienced lineup, they'll kick things off with a bang! Again, Saturday's Stage 2 music is FREE and ALL AGES, and this all goes down concurrently with Stage 1 closer to the library, so you can easily hop back & forth to see everything if you're so inclined!

Fans of the last five Stage 2s, as well as Clusterfolk and recent Dryer Fire events, will be right at home with the Saturday lineup in two weeks time, and there's a lot of newer talent and established names to take in that day, not to mention with Blues Night the previous evening, so visit the above links for complete details on the return of the Second Stage! That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Rotaryfest Stage 2), Plus Mike McCleary's New Albums!!

Here's a new news post for your Saturday afternoon, and while we have some new album releases to take note of, most of this post is devoted to a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT reflecting the second half of our local summer festival's concert lineup for this year! Here's what you should know!

The full lineup for this year's Rotaryfest Stage 2 has been announced, so what should you know for this year's 13th installment of the all-original stage? While this year's lineup is not following Stage 1 with a "Rewind" theme for the 100th anniversary of the local Rotary Club, this year will actually be a bit of a throwback to Second Stage lineups of the old 2005-2013 era in some respects. Stage 2 will occur on Saturday, July 21st as expected, but it'll also take place on Friday the 20th for the first Friday lineup of the "redirected" era, and there will be Stage 2 bands playing on Thursday the 19th, marking the first time that day has hosted the event since 2006! As announced on Rotaryfest's website earlier this week, 15 acts will be playing on Stage 2 this year (returning once again to the outdoor Clergue Park stage beside the Art Gallery), including an out of town band for the first time since the 2014 hiatus, so who should you look for next month?

The five act lineup on Thursday, July 19th is basically an all-folk lineup, with no hard rock or punk acts in sight (mirroring Stage 1's Thursday bills in that respect.) The 9:00 PM headliner is veteran folk musician M.D. Dunn in his third Stage 2 set and first since 2013, though he'll be backed up by a new backing band named The Innocent Weapon Ensemble. The remainder of that day's lineup is made up of folk/indie acts in their Stage 2 debuts, including Telephone & Address drummer Jackson Reed's solo project at 8:00 PM, Hannah Lindsay at 7:30 PM, Shae Tull at 7:00 PM, and The Autumn Roots (which may now be a solo project) returning at 6:00 PM.

Friday, July 20th's lineup will likely be of the most interest to SMS readers, as it's the only night this year with heavier acts. That night's 8:30 PM headliners are Toronto electro-pop trio Parallels, becoming the first out of town band to play Stage 2 since The House of David Gang closed out the Saturday bill in 2013. Parallels' creative, upbeat electronic sound should find an audience at Clergue Park on the 20th! Local hard/alt-rock quartet Id Iota will co-headline at 7:30 PM, making them just the third band to play the Second Stage in three consecutive years (joining Kalle Mattson and Porter), while alt-punk band A Dire Setback will play their second straight year at this stage at 6:30 PM, and first as a trio. The opener that day will be Christian rapper Tristan "Bold Noize" Goslow in his Rotaryfest debut, and he should give a positive, inspirational performance to kick things off with! Like with Thursday's lineup, this is a FREE and ALL AGES concert event, so don't miss out!

Saturday, July 21st's lineup (while lacking in heavier and punk acts) is the largest of all, and it will be headlined by local/Toronto indie rocker Jesse Merineau and his solo band at 7:30 PM in his second straight Stage 2 set, in advance of his CD release concert on the July 26th. Soft prog rock favourites The Wild Iris will play Stage 2 for the third time in four years at 6:30 PM, while drone/noise rock trio Pointless will make their festival debut at 5:30 PM. Progressive rock quintet Machines Dream will make a rare live appearance at 4:30 PM in their record-tying fifth Second Stage booking (if you count their early run as The Craig West Band, at least), while indie pop duo All Us Others will also return from last year at 3:30 PM, and country/blues outfit The Barn Board Trio will make their festival debut at 2:30 PM. Again, all three days of Rotaryfest's stages are FREE and ALL AGES, so visit the above links for complete details!

And no, The Din's Facebook page teaser of "July 21, 2018" does not appear to reflect a Rotaryfest reunion, unless there's a massive secret being kept, and no one's advertising a special guest timeslot anyway. Of course, we'll let you know what that date entails when announced. This year's 3 day expansion of Stage 2 is more than welcomed, and hopefully this year's lineups get a great reception to encourage the local summer festival to keep it a multi-day event in the future! See above for more on this year's band lineup, and stay tuned for potential updates if they roll in!

We'll close today's post with a couple of surprise album releases, as local hard rock solo musician Mike McCleary has two new albums on sale on his Bandcamp page! One is Mike's previously announced "The Party Album", which was quietly released on May 25th, and while I apologize for the delay in acknowledging it on the site, Mike didn't announce it's release on his Facebook page as it was. Loosely inspired by the Ontario provincial election earlier this month, "The Party Album" features 9 songs, some of which being familiar from prior postings, with Mike sharing it's song 'This Is The Funk To Believe In" via this Facebook video last month. The other new album is a complete surprise, as Mike put out "What You've Done To Me" on Wednesday, which he describes as "a personal and politically charged album" that has "a much different sound than any of my others." Specifically, this album has 7 songs, and this brings his solo discography to five original albums in a year's time, which is an impressive production rate, to be sure!

Both new albums are available on Bandcamp at the above links on a "name your price" model, but consider paying for each album to support Mike's work and talents! In terms of when we might review either album, one could come as soon as August, but with four albums newly released since the spring (not counting "Weight of the World"), I couldn't begin to predict which one we'll review next.  In any event, Mike's talents and increasingly prolific nature are shining nicely, so pick up his new and old albums above, and here's the title track of the latter album via his YouTube channel!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site next week! Thanks everyone!

Haggith - "Apocalypse II" Review!!

Now's a good time for our 98th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, as we're taking a long overdue look at the fourth of five studio CDs from defunct local hard rock/grunge quartet Haggith, namely their concept sequel album "Apocalypse II"! With no major new local hard rock releases, we'll tackle an archive album this month, as tied in with Haggith members' recent sets with The Din, Eclipse, and Project 421. Recorded at & released through Paperclip Productions on May 9th, 2015 prior to their Swampstravaganza V set at The Canadian, "Apocalypse II" was Haggith's final full-length studio album, and the conclusion of their zombie apocalypse concept series outside of their three mainline studio releases. Instrument credits on this album are widely varying, so this is just a generalization of credit for each performer, but Haggith's 2014-2015 lineup recorded this album, with only ex-guitarist Daniel Horton performing on all tracks.

The primary lineup here features Daniel alongside singer/rhythm guitarist Curtis McKenzie, bassist Jordan Leach (in his studio debut with Haggith), and drummer/backing vocalist Mike Haggith, with all but Jordan providing keyboard & synthesizer input on most songs, and Daniel's Project 421 bandmate Frank McGillivray performs guest guitar on the three "Home" tracks."Apocalypse II" is now out of print, but copies sold for $5 during their brief sale period in Haggith's last active months, and while it (and their last EP "XIV") is not available on Bandcamp, the whole album can be streamed at Haggith's YouTube channel, and song names here are linked to those copies. If you want a physical copy, inquire with members on possible availability, and/or check The Rad Zone! Also, as a reference note and spoiler for the end of the first "Apocalypse" from November 2012, songs are primarily wrote here by Curtis & Daniel, with Mike only credited on 4 songs.

In the first album, Mike was the title character, an astronaut who returned to Earth during a zombie apocalypse, finding no hope in the new reality, and returning to space to end his life. His lack of writing credits is a presumed acknowledgement of his character's demise at that album's end, but how does "Apocalypse II" evolve across it's 10 tracks and 40 minute runtime? Read on to find out, but spoilers lie ahead! The album begins with "Apocalypse", which is solely performed and composed by Curt & Dan. A melancholy number, the song basically serves as a re-telling of the first album's storyline and Mike's saga therein, and it's well done on that basis, but Curtis' vocals could be toned down a little to match the symphonic and mid-tempo instrumentation. Not the best showcase of Haggith's full sound, but an effective way to bring fans up to speed who haven't heard the first album at all or in a long while!

Second is "Hands of Death", which is the first full band performance on this CD, and arguably it's only song to have a signficant presence in live concerts. Opening with a solo guitar section from Daniel that sounds like a folksy "Master of Puppets", this song alludes to trying to escape zombies and survive, not unlike "If You Get Out Alive" from the original album, but it is a much heavier song with strong vocals! That said, the production does not accentuate this song's aggression as well as how it came across in concerts, so it sounds a little tinny, and Mike's cymbals are too prominent. Still a solid number, complete with a quality guitar solo, and Jordan asserts himself well on bass! Next is "Immunity", which also has the full band, but it's a complete change in pace, instead being a piano-driven ballad about perseverance and survival in the apocalypse at any cost. Honestly, this is the strongest track yet, harbouring effective and affecting orchestration, better matched vocals, and stronger overall production, helping this track that's very heavy in a different way!

Fourth is the shortest song on "Apocalypse II", the sub-2 minute "Spreading the Disease". Another complete sound departure, this track feels like a country/bluegrass ditty sung around a campfire, with the guys (sans Jordan) even breaking out a hand drum, shakers, and spoons for percussion. The lyrics about the spread of the zombie virus and fate of the Earth obviously are a huge contrast from the music, but the amusing irony alone makes this worth a listen, and for what it is, it's well performed!

The next three songs (uploaded together on YouTube) are parts 5-7 of "Home", concluding the suite of tracks begun on "Apocalypse I" over two years prior, with Mike getting his first co-writing credit for these songs. The first 4 'Home" tracks were about Mike's return to his home, realization of what happened, and tumultuous departure, and these songs follow similar themes, with part 5 themed around actually going home, part 6 featuring ghost-like spoken word from Mike and assorted sampled audio with minimalistic guitar work, and part 7 (the album's longest track, I believe) continuing plans for part 5 as the quest to go home continues. The hard to critique "Part 6" aside, parts 5 & 7 definitely have a Project 421 vibe to them, partially thanks to Frank McGillivray's strong guest guitar performances, and Mike has a nice drum solo during part 3 as well! As a pure classic metal epic, the second half of the "Home" suite does the job nicely and arguably is the CD's peak!

Song #8 is "Tribute to Mike Haggith", which directly acknowledges Mike's character's death at the end of "Apocalypse I", and serves as a eulogy to his character's life, presumably once his fate was uncovered upon the return home. If you can get past the fact that the real Mike Haggith is both alive in reality and a backing vocalist on the track, this is an effective memoriam to his character, who you did get to know throughout the first "Apocalypse", and while not a technical epic like "Home (Parts 5-7)", it does what it sets out to do! The penultimate song on the CD is "We Are The Damned", which opens with a somewhat meandering 90 second-long intro before finally truly beginning as a song where Curtis acknowledges the bleak future in the zombie-ravaged Earth and what the future holds. Another softer number, but with more of a deliberate and dark mood, this is similar to "Hands of Death" in that the production masks some heaviness in the performance, but in Curt's swan song on the album, he delivers his strongest singing yet, and Daniel's a solid match on guitar and bass!

The album closes with it's title track, "Apocalypse II", an instrumental that does not feature Curtis in any way, and has Jordan's only writing credit on the CD (and Mike's only one outside of the "Home" songs.) A medium paced hard rocker with prominent synthesizer usage late, the song has a deliberate, almost swing-like pace that leaves the ending to the album's story in a more ambiguous state than on "Apocalypse I". This song isn't bad, and has a good groove to it, but it lacks the emotion and mood from earlier songs with lyrics. As for the album's over-arching story, it's harder to precisely pin down than on the first CD, especially without lyrics available, but it comes across to me like Curtis (the narrator), Daniel, and Jordan are friends of Mike that are trying to survive in the zombie apocalypse, and are banking on their hometown being a safe haven, but once they discover that it's been hit and Mike is dead, they have to come to terms with life as it now stands. I may be totally off base, but that's my perception.

So, what do I think of Haggith's closer to their zombie concept album saga? Overall, this is an intriguing compliment to the first "Apocalypse" that feels like it's follow-up, but is also very different at the same time! Whereas 2012's album was a rock opera about Mike Haggith's fictional character with his and Daniel's writing as the driving force, he and Curtis McKenzie swapped places here, with Curt taking over as primary singer, narrator, and co-writer, giving this album it's own sound. Like before, this doesn't have the feel of Haggith's mainline trilogy aside from "Hands of Death", with "Home" feeling more like Project 421, and other songs all having their own sounds, be they rich and orchestral, dark and melancholy, or even infused with country! The lyrics of this album are (to me) more open-ended and vague, but the themes of a zombie-infested wasteland are still present, and everyone performs well, with Curt's vocals generally a strong fit, and Daniel Horton handles guitar and bass well no matter the sound!

Jordan Leach's increased bass parts are welcomed here compared to Caleb Cachagee's single appearance on "Apocalypse I", and while less of a presence in story & in studio here, Mike Haggith asserts himself on drums and through backing & spoken word vocals! I still prefer Haggith's debut "Dragon Joy Ride" out of my own heavier music preferences, and some of the production doesn't benefit the moods of the songs, but as a full piece, this is a worthwhile listen to bring Haggith's "Apocalypse" saga to a close, with a little something for everyone, but for my picks, the "Home" suite and "Immunity" are my highlights. Stream the whole album at the above links! I hope you guys liked our long overdue review of Haggith's final un-reviewed studio album (their extra releases "For The Cause" and "Flight 75" are possibilities in 2018), but as for our next CD review, I am 99% sure that it will be "Trading Faces", the fast-approaching split covers tape from AlgomA and Shit Liver, so look for that next month, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the site over the coming days! Thanks everyone!

The Tea Party, Rotaryfest Stage 2, And LopLops Lounge Concert Previews!!

As promised, here's our third and final all-concert preview post for this stacked concert weekend (Darsombra on Monday aside, as it's technically next week), so what lies within this post? The third year of the current version of Rotaryfest's second stage, two linked 19+ shows from bands playing that event, and one more huge all ages event this weekend, so here's what you should know to close this huge weekend of concerts!

We'll start today's previews at LopLops Lounge for their first of two concerts this weekend featuring Rotaryfest Stage 2 performers, as local indie/punk quintet Northwest and indie/folk quartet K.I.C.K. will join forces TONIGHT before their Second Stage sets! Though the Keep it Cool Kids play later in the evening tomorrow, Northwest are the advertised headliners for this 19+ appetizer, marking just their second local concert appearance of 2017. Might they have some songs to share from recent EP recording sessions? Be at LopLops tonight to find out! As for K.I.C.K., this is their second show in a three day run of consecutive concerts, following their rainy set at yesterday's Downtown Street Party, and they should have some fun indie rock originals as well for fans tonight! A 19+ event, this show has a $5 cover charge and a 6:00 PM start time. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, don't miss out on this Second Stage prelude tonight, and here's Northwest live!

Next up, let's discuss TOMORROW NIGHT'S twelfth annual Rotaryfest Stage 2, which returns to it's "redirected" Clergue Park staging beside the art gallery as a one night only event, so who can you look for? Headlining the expanded 8 band all-original lineup at 8:00 PM is local indie rock artist Jesse Merineau with a full backing band (including Electric Church's Spencer Pine & 2/3rds of the former Caroline Divine), with the aforementioned K.I.C.K. co-headlining in their second Second Stage set at 7:00 PM. Alt-hard rock trio The Din will return to Stage 2 at 6:00 PM as this year's highest placed heavier or punk band, while the also aforementioned Northwest and fellow punk quartet A Dire Setback will rock the 5:00 & 4:00 PM sets respectively. Alternative/hard rock quartet Id Iota (and guest cellist Pete Mozarowski) will hit the festival once again at 3:00 PM, as preceded at 2:00 PM by the final all ages set from pop rock solo artist Mike Mikus before his announced move to Montreal (more on that in a second.)

Opening at 1:00 PM are new local indie/pop outfit All Us Others, featuring two female singers and a full backing band, so come early to hear how they sound! Curated for a third straight year by Chelsie Parayko, this year's Stage 2 action is once again FREE & ALL AGES, so see the above links or click here for full details on the all-original stage tomorrow! With a lot of talented young artists this year (with no bands that played Stage 2 even two years ago), this year's lineup promises lots of entertainment for fans of the recent alternative movement locally, so don't miss out tomorrow night, and for a preview, here's The Din live at Rotaryfest last year!



Also this weekend, here's LopLops Lounge's second Rotaryfest weekend concert featuring Stage 2 acts, as the aforementioned Mike Mikus and Id Iota will join forces tomorrow night for what is billed as Mike's "final show in the Soo"! As first announced last month, the former Pixo Control and Fever Tops frontman is moving to Montreal in the near future, so he's throwing one last headlining concert event before the big move, which will see him, Dustin, and Keeghan play songs from his forthcoming studio album, old Pixo Control favourites, and possibly some surprises. If you've missed Michael's old grunge/hard rock days with The Pixo Control, and/or love his newer poppier originals, here's your last chance for the foreseeable future! Id Iota (and presumably Pete) will also pull double duty tomorrow as openers, and gold star to Dustin Goodall in advance for playing four full sets with Mike and Id Iota in a 12 hour span!

The two acts have been heavily linked since Mike went solo last summer, so who better to open his farewell show than Id Iota? Much like with the Northwest/K.I.C.K. show, this is a 19+ event with a $5 cover and a 10:00 PM start time, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details. If you've followed Michael's music work in the 2010s, you know his move will be a disappointing loss around here, and while I hope he'll come back home for shows on occasion, best of luck to him in Montreal for sure, and be sure to give him a huge send-off tomorrow night! For a preview, let's throw back to The Pixo Control, whose last lineup is identical to Mike's outgoing solo band!



Finally for today's previews, here's a huge FREE show taking place THIS SUNDAY NIGHT, as Windsor hard/world rock trio The Tea Party will make their long awaited return to Sault Ontario with a headlining set at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion! The fourth of 23 free outdoor shows taking place this summer during the Ontario government's ONTour concert series, the Soo's stop on Sunday will see two bands and now two solo artists rock out in honour of the province & country's 150th birthdays, and this is a great epilogue to Rotaryfest weekend, so don't miss out! Of course, The Tea Party are a platinum-selling, Juno nominated hard rock band, and need no introduction for fans of 1990s Canadian rock, but this is their first local stop in nineteen years, so prepare for hits like "Heaven Coming Down" and "Temptation" on Sunday in their long awaited return! Openers will include Toronto drum & bass duo Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker, in U.S.S.' first show here in six years, as well as two Sudbury solo acts.

They include country musician Andrew Hyatt (replacing the re-booked James Barker Band) and, in a new confirmation via the official Facebook event page on Tuesday, Francophone alt-pop artist McLean, who curiously is only listed as having a 15 minute set. Very diverse lineup to be sure, but there's a little something for many tastes, and The Tea Party will satiate hard rock fans and those who haven't seen them locally since 1998 when they rock the big tent downtown! This FREE & ALL AGES show starts at 5:15 PM on Sunday, so check the above links for full details on this show and other upcoming shows in the ONTour series, and here's The Tea Party live!



That's all for today, but we're not quite done with concert previews, as Monday's Darsombra show will be previewed in our next news post, so look for that then, along with other stories! Thanks everyone!

Rotaryfest Stage 2 & Din Videos, New Covers, And Much More!!

After a relatively quiet weekend on the site, here's a new news post for your Monday morning! Today, we have some recent videos relating to a music festival last month and some new covers from a familiar veteran, with some assorted notes to cap things off, so here's what you should know!

We'll start with some new videos referencing last month's all-original Stage 2 at Rotaryfest, with a pair of sources spotlighting the Second Stage and it's importance to the music community! One is the newest episode of SooToday's music webseries Tuned With Donna Hopper, which was posted online yesterday, so what should you know from it? In the episode, Donna interviewed Stage 2 manager Chelsie Parayko at the festival about what to expect at the stage, what it does to help original artists, and future ambitions for the Clergue Park stage, with performance footage from The Din and The Wild Iris' opening sets bookending the interview. In terms of scoops, Chelsie did note that Stage 2 is currently a one day event due to funding concerns, but she hopes to expand it to a longer timeframe in the future, and perhaps to two days (like it was in 2006 & from 2009-2013.) It's not a terribly long episode, but it's good to see more positive press from Stage 2, complete with a nice look at the stage and Tidal Records' merchandise table!

As SooToday's video host doesn't allow external embedding, we can't feature it here, but we can embed this, Rotaryfest's "Talkin' With..." video featuring the aforementioned Din, as posted to the festival's Facebook page just over a month ago! Apologies for the obvious delay, this and The Wild Iris' similar video passed us by until the past week. Joining the earlier "Talkin' With..." videos from Nilah Moss' Vimeo channel (no word on why these 4 clips were never together on the same page), it features the alternative/hard rock trio jamming in studio, describing their live sound and stage show, and noting the perks and benefits of playing on the Second Stage (presumably in part to help the stage's crowdfunding campaign), while also plugging THIS FRIDAY'S CD release show and showcasing their recording setup. It's a shame that Nilah couldn't interview Liam Seymour, Machines Dream, and Id Iota from Stage 2 in a similar fashion, but these videos all gave Stage 2 some positive press, and likewise for the bands that played!

The Din's video is entertaining, and has a bit of the humour you often see in their Facebook videos (more on them this week), with a nice look at how they get their recordings and music down before it makes it's way to our players! Give these new videos a look above and below, and stay tuned for much more from The Din as the week progresses!

Also today, here's some updates from Sault Michigan classic/hard rock musician and Highway 63 frontman Henry Switzer, who happens to have a YouTube channel! Though the Monkey's Uncle/Mama's Boys alum doesn't post live band videos there, he has shared a number of solo covers in the past year that he recorded (though most do include images from Highway 63, these are advertised as solo recordings.) His videos include covers of songs by Foreigner, Steve Perry, Styx, and Journey, plus his entry into The Stone Temple Pilots' vocalist search (him doing "Vasoline"), but embedded below is his cover of Heart's "Alone", which appears to be dedicated to his wife. Not a bad rendition, if a little bit of an adjustment to hear given that most notable versions are sung by women, but you can sense the emotion and intent for the cover! Give it a listen below, see more from Henry's channel above, and don't miss Highway 63 at The Rapids Lounge THIS FRIDAY & SATURDAY!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or promoter name:

• Recently dormant concert promoters Allstar Promotions revealed on their Facebook page this weekend that they "should have a show to announce in the near future", which would be their first since last July's Theory of a Deadman concert at The Dreammaker's Theater. It's been way too quiet lately for major non-tribute bands at Kewadin Casino, so hopefully we get more word soon! Note that this capped off a status where they addressed some confusion about whether they were the promoters of Saturday's cancelled FireHouse show (they weren't), but we won't go into detail otherwise out of respect to all parties.
• If you saw brief mentions on Facebook last week about Sault Ontario funk/hard rock quartet The Elements dropping out of the Big Brother show at The New American Pub on August 20th due to a member's work conflict, then not to worry, as they were quietly re-added to the lineup! It's not clear if the work conflict was a mistake on one end, addressed in some form, or will result in a guest performer, but we'll let you know if anything is stated publically!
• With local post-punk quartet Gnaeus' successful release of their debut CD "Meditations" on Friday, the album can now be purchased digitally via iTunes and the Google Play Store, so you can get it for $8.91 (or 99¢ a song) on both services! Keep both in mind, but if you want a hard copy, head to your favourite local music stores, M&M Meats(!), and/or The Tech on Friday!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates this week! Thanks everyone!

Rotaryfest 2016 Concert Video Showcase, Including That's Chester's Special Guests!!

Apologies for the week+ delay in getting these on the site, but here's a showcase post of YouTube videos from this year's Rotaryfest! Surprisingly, Sault Online's Mike Caruso has not posted any footage of this year's summer festival band lineup, but the always generous Christopher Paci was on hand for the Saturday lineup to film many of the day's bands, as uploaded to his YouTube channel last week, so kudos to him for getting as much as he did! Shaky camera at times, but the audio is consistently good! Going in descending order, we'll start at the covers-only Stage 1, where Chris filmed three songs from co-headlining Paul McCartney tribute band The McCartney Years, including their renditions of Beatles classics "I've Just Seen A Face" & "The Long & Winding Road", plus the Wings song "Nineteen Hundred & Eighty-Five". Not badly done at all, Yuri really does sound like Paul, and the Soo's own Dean McKey is solid on drums! However, Chris didn't film The Ghost Town Cryers' closing set.

The only other main stage band that Chris shot was local classic/hard rock cover veterans That's Chester, who made their long awaited return to the stage at this year's Rotaryfest! The band had teased guest appearances via jam session photos on their Facebook page in the lead-up to the festival, but only formally revealed their identities that evening & later via personal Facebook postings, so who were the guests? Original That's Chester frontman Richard Fullerton (now of the Ottawa cover bands Mothership & Trashed Taxi) came home for the occasion, while the teased female singer was Jeannine Jefferson, who played the Acid Queen in last fall's stage production of The Who's Tommy (in which That's Chester played the house music.) As for the guest guitarist, that was North Bay musician & sound/lighting tech Dan Belanger, who also worked on Tommy, and has jammed with That's Chester in the past. He's a solid player, and while it's tough to fill the late Eugene Orlando's shoes, he fits in nicely!

Chris' videos both feature Dan on guitar, including a cover of Doucette's "Mama Let Him Play", but embedded below is their version of Kiss' "Rock & Roll All Night" with both guest singers joining in (Richard splitting lead vocals with Greg Simpson, and Jeannine on backing vocals.) Attendees heads can get in the way, but That's Chester sound great, and I'm sure Eugene would be proud of their set! If only fellow That's Chester alum Jim O'Leary was available, imagine if all three singers performed together? Check out their Kiss cover below, and see more above!



Moving to the original-focused Stage 2 (also at Clergue Park), Chris filmed every act there except Liam Seymour's solo band and The Wild Iris. Two of his videos were of headlining indie rock quartet K.I.C.K., who were filmed playing their songs "So Long" and this song whose name I can't place off hand. The Keep It Cool Kids sound good and on their battle winning form, so indie rock fans will want to check those out! Post-punk quartet Gnaeus were also filmed playing their mellower original "The Edge", and while it's not one of their more up-tempo songs, the guys play this song nicely as the build towards the "Meditations" release continues, so check it out below too!



Progressive rock quartet Machines Dream's video features them playing (most of) their song "My Ocean Is Electric", and if you're not familiar with their technical and skilled blend of prog originals, do yourself a favour and give them a listen! They're not "heavy", but yet, they are very heavy in other ways! Another video from Stage 2 comes from alternative hard rock quartet Id Iota playing their EP-opening original "California Wasted", and while Dustin Goodall is often obscured behind the stage's lineup banner, Id Iota sound solid on this fun sing-along track, so give it a look below!



Lastly of Chris' uploads, he filmed opening alternative hard rock trio The Din playing their song "Potato (Should Have Known Better)", which was previously known by the longer name "This Potato May Be Used As A Flotation Device". Solid performance from this fast rising band, on what looked like a beautiful day, so give their Rotaryfest video a look below, and kudos again to Chris for the videos!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile tomorrow! Thanks everyone!