Battle Of The Bands Rewind Profile: The 2016 Speak Easy Battle Of The Bands

At last, let's tackle our final installment (until a year after the next battle) of our Battle of the Bands Rewind Profile Series! One day removed from our look back at last year's second VM Radio Battle of the Bands, let's reflect on the other March 2016 battle of the bands that also entertained local music fans during this busy month. Like our prior installments of this series, this is strictly an informational feature with trivia, facts, and results, and no personal criticism or reviews of the competing bands. Now, here's what you should know on last year's second local battle of the bands!
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The 2016 Speak Easy Battle of the Bands (March 10th, 2016)

Background: Following the success of the Battle of the Bands at Algoma University's campus bar The Speak Easy on March 5th, 2015, organizers at the Algoma University Students Union indicated plans to hold further battles on at least a biennial basis, announcing a planned second installment for November 2015, though it was postponed due to unspecified "sponsorship issues". Instead, the second battle took place on March 10th, 2016, just over a year following the previous event. Like in 2015, seven competing acts played 15 minute sets each, and results were determined by a fan vote with no formal judging panel.
  
Prizes: Winnings were identical to 2015's Speak Easy Battle, with $400, $200, and $100 respectively going to the first, second, and third place bands.

Competitors: Two of 2016's competing acts were returning from 2015, those being alternative/hard rock trio The Din (who dropped "Mike Haggith &" from their name over the winter) and local/Toronto indie rock musician Jesse Merineau. The other five bands were all newcomers to a local battle of the bands, and they included alt-electronic project Aldous, former Coverfly bassist Bryan Brown in  a rare solo set, modern hard rock quartet Eclipse, punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, and reunited death/thrash metal trio Pillory. Impressively, all of the confirmed bands from the original November date were still able to compete in March.

Results: Fans at the battle selected Jesse Merineau to win the 2016 Speak Easy Battle and the $400 top prize. The Din came in second place to win $200, while Eclipse claimed the $100 third place prize.

Aftermath: Jesse Merineau rode the momentum of his battle victory to work on his upcoming solo CD (scheduled for release this summer), while he also returned home for a handful of notable concerts last year, including one with runners-up The Din opening at LopLops in September. The Din and Eclipse would both go on to finish in identical spots in that month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands, with The Din releasing their debut CD in the summer and continuing their upwards momentum well into 2017, and Eclipse playing steadily until suddenly disbanding for four months in November, though they will return to the stage next month. Pillory and Jack Spades remain familiar sights on local concert stages, with the former in pre-production of their second CD, and the latter teasing their new lineup's debut and first gigs since the fall in the near future. Aldous remain active in studio, but haven't advertised a live show since August, and Bryan Brown hasn't been publically advertised since as a musician, though both have indicated that they're now based out of town.

Some Notable Performers' Newer Bands (Metal/hard rock in italics, ex-members noted with an *):

The Bear Hunters (Justin Lam & Johnny Belanger from Jack Spades)
The Elements (Jesse Cook from Jack Spades)
Great Chamberlain (Anthony Marcello from Jesse Merineau's backing band; Based out of Ottawa)
Handsome Sandwich (Jesse Cook & Johnny Belanger from Jack Spades)  
Heavy Head (Jesse Cook & Johnny Belanger from Jack Spades and Daniel Horton from Eclipse) 
Project 421 (Curtis McKenzie, Daniel Horton, and Chris Thompson from Eclipse)
The Steeltown Girls (Tammy Hill from The Din)
Stegadeth (Tiffany Stocco from Jack Spades)
Winkstinger (Jesse Cook from Jack Spades)  

Trivia:

• New local hard/pop rock quartet Heavy Head were advertised to compete at this battle, just one night after they finished in third place in the first VM Radio Battle semifinal, but they dropped out the day of this event due to scheduling conflicts for frontman Mike Gaetano. However, the remainder of the band still competed as members of Jack Spades or Eclipse.
• As was the case in 2015, the second Speak Easy Battle was held one day after the first semifinal of last year's second VM Radio Battle of the Bands at The Canadian Nightclub, which again differed by being a multi-band event over multiple nights, though the performer lineup actually fell from 11 competing bands in 2015 to 5 in 2016. The Din (who competed the day before) and Eclipse (who competed the following week) made the finals and finished in second and third place in both events, while Jack Spades played a non-competitive guest set on night #2 of that battle due to frontman J.D. Pearce's promotional involvement. The winner of the second VM Radio Battle was indie rock quartet K.I.C.K..
• After missing the podium in 2015 with a strictly solo set, Jesse Merineau recruited local power pop/glam rock trio Caroline Divine to serve as his backing band for his Speak Easy Battle return last year, which apparently did the trick, giving him some "divine" intervention for his first place victory. While the set was entirely comprised of originals from Jesse's upcoming CD, this was technically Caroline Divine's last publically advertised concert before singer/guitarist Anthony Marcello moved to Ottawa, though his old bandmates joined Jesse & guitarist Mitchell Nielsen when he headlined at LopLops in September.
• Similarly to Jesse Merineau's reversal of fortune from 2015 to 2016, The Din and 3/5ths of Project 421 (in their side project Eclipse) also moved from missing the podium to claiming top 3 placements in 2016, foreshadowing similar improvements in the VM Radio Battle later that month, which they also didn't place at in 2015.
• Pillory's set at this battle marked their return to the stage after a nearly two year hiatus following their final shows as a thrash quartet in mid-2014. The band debuted new bassist Jordan Leach, their trio lineup with no rhythm guitarist, and a heavier, death metal-influenced sound at this event, completely abandoning their older originals from their debut CD "Cringe At The Cross".
• Jack Spades' all-original set at the Speak Easy Battle was filmed by Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie personality (and VM Radio Battle guest judge) Christian Lemay for a feature that aired on channel 10 in mid-late 2016, interspersed with interview footage taken from an Oddfellows Hall concert around that same time. This can be seen as a precursor to Shaw TV's recently-debuted series OnStage, featuring full concert sets from recent local events.
• Twin City Sound & Entertainment were on hand to provide sound for the duration of the battle. Notably, Twin City Sound co-owner Steven Flint was a former bandmate of Eclipse's Curtis McKenzie and Daniel Horton in the short-lived hard rock band Punch, who were the 3rd place finishers in November 2013's Viva La Battle.
• The most notable band from the inaugural Speak Easy Battle to not return for year #2 was defending champions Gnaeus, who won both of 2015's local battles. The post-punk quartet are believed to have missed both events due to the departure of drummer Brendan Garlick over the winter, with his replacement Alex Proulx not debuting with Gnaeus until their Ontario tour run that April.
• While then-Haggith bassist Jordan Leach and experimental musician/Gore Street Cafe co-owner Sam Decter had promotional involvement in 2015's Speak Easy Battle, neither were publically involved with the event's return last year. Jordan did compete in the 2016 battle with Pillory, but as he wasn't promoting anymore, there were no concerns regarding a potential conflict of interest.
• Despite prior hopes to hold further Speak Easy Battles of the Bands at least twice a year, there has been no official public word on a third installment from the A.U.S.U. since last year's event, be it this month or at a different date. A third VM Radio Battle of the Bands also did not occur in March 2017.
• The Din later performed at Landmark Events' Showcase Festival in Toronto in January 2017, which was a competitive event to feature rising young bands to  music industry executives who would judge bands and select ones to get music industry grants. It's not known if The Din progressed any further in this showcase, but they did praise the event and the oportunities it brought afterwards.

Videos:
Shaw TV's video of Jack Spades' set
(No other public videos known; Videos of the top 2 acts from 2015 featured to supplement this section)




Sources/More Info:
Official Facebook event page
Event press release from SooToday
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I hope you guys liked this month's Battle of the Bands Rewind Profiles, and hopefully this series will return next year, saying that someone holds a new local battle later in 2017! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and previews as this week rolls along! Thanks everyone!

The 2016 Speak Easy Battle Of The Bands Preview!!

For the second time in as many days, here's our extended preview of a local battle of the bands, as for a second straight year, two separate battles are taking place on concurrent days! Just one day removed from night #1 of the VM Radio Battle of the Bands, the Algoma University Students Union brings us the second annual Speak Easy Battle of the Bands TOMORROW NIGHT, where 8 acts will take the stage at Algoma University's campus bar for another night of action, with $700 in prize money awaiting the top 3 bands! Postponed from an originally planned November 2015 date due to "sponsorship issues", this year's Speak Easy Battle will largely be similar to last year's battle, with bands playing 15 minute sets each, while winners will again be decided via a fan vote rather than a panel of judges. With last year's podium finishers not back for this year's expanded 8 band event, the field's wide open, but which of the entered acts will win out tomorrow? Here's some extra info on each act before this battle goes down!

Aldous: One of the five acts making their battle of the bands debut tomorrow, Nick Luck's alternative rock project Aldous will break out that strange electric taste that fans may have seen via the recent albums "Change2" and "The Fair", but many recent Facebook postings have been reasonably cryptic. How will Nick and company sound tomorrow, and will they impress fans to secure a podium finish?

Bryan Brown: Arguably the biggest dark horse in tomorrow's field, former Coverfly bassist Bryan Brown will go solo for a set in tomorrow's battle, but I can't confirm much about what he'll be playing on his own. How will his solo performance sound? Is he taking a huge detour from his Coverfly work? Be at The Speak Easy to see how he does!

The Din: One day removed from their third battle of the bands appearance, alternative hard rock trio The Din will look to continue improving on their 2015 battle results, where the then-Mike Haggith & The Din (with Curtis McKenzie on guitar) didn't place in the VM Radio or Speak Easy Battles. With their new sound firmly in place, and with Tammy Hill now on guitar, can The Din improve on last year's run? Show your support via their own Facebook event page for this battle!

Eclipse: This new modern hard rock quartet will be making their battle of the bands debut tomorrow, though 3/4ths of the band competed in both of last year's battles with classic metal quartet Project 421 & The Din, missing out on a podium finish in each. Less than a week out from their own VM Radio Battle semifinal, can the 421 side project channel members' past battle success with Haggith to place in the top 3?

Heavy Head: With just two concert appearances (including yesterday's VM Radio Battle semifinal) under their belts, new local pop/hard rock quartet Heavy Head will look to continue their early surge with a high finish in this fan-voted battle, and with battle winners from The Suicide Kings, The Bear Hunters, and Winkstinger in their lineup, they definitely have the experience to go far... but will they tomorrow? Show your support via following their own Facebook event page also!

Jack Spades: Surprisingly making their battle of the bands debut tomorrow, punk/metal standouts Jack Spades will try to jack the battle as well as the planet in their set, and with battle alumni from bands like T-Rex Manning, The Bear Hunters, and Soldiers of Misfortune in their ranks, don't sleep on them! With a guest set at the VM Radio Battle coming next week as well, will they snag a top 3 position tomorrow?

Jesse Merineau: Joining The Din as the only returning acts from last year's Speak Easy Battle, local/Toronto indie rock musician Jesse Merineau won't be alone for his set this year, as he's enlisted local power pop/glam rock trio Caroline Divine to back him up this year, with songs from his upcoming debut CD expected to be played. Jesse didn't make the podium last year, but will some "divine" intervention do the trick in 2016? Follow Jesse's run via his own Facebook event page!

Pillory: After a two year hiatus from the stage, local death/thrash metallers Pillory will at last return with their new trio lineup for this year's Speak Easy Battle, with last year's battle co-promoter Jordan Leach (ex-Haggith) now on bass, and now sans a second guitarist. Fans are already eagerly awaiting their return and their heavier death metal-influenced sound, but can Pillory surge to the the top of the field tomorrow night?

Like last year, TOMORROW'S highest voted band will win the top prize of $400, with second place receiving $200, and third place netting $100. Twin City Sound & Entertainment will be on hand to provide professional sound for each of the 8 competing acts, and while each band only has a short set, expect lots of talent to be on display! For attendees, admission is $5, bands begin playing at 10:00 PM, and while this is generally a 19+ concert, underage Algoma University students may attend the event if they have valid student ID with them. And of course, you can also see Eclipse and (non-competitively) Jack Spades at this coming Wednesday's last semifinal of the VM Radio Battle of the Bands, while The Din, Eclipse, and/or Heavy Head may also be back for the finals on March 23rd, pending how things go tonight & next week. Last year's Speak Easy Battle proved to be a bellwether for the VM Radio Battle results in terms of the common bands' finishes, but will that prove to be the case again in 2016?

Also, note that Heavy Head's Jesse Cook, Daniel Horton, and Johnny Belanger will all be pulling double duty tomorrow, as Jesse & Johnny are both in Jack Spades, and Daniel is Eclipse's guitarist. How will that impact their sets, and can any of them bring both of their bands to the podium? This should be an exciting battle, especially given the wide open field that guarantees one competing act it's first battle of the bands victory, but who will get the honours? Will Aldous' creative genre hybrid take them to the top? Is Bryan Brown's solo sound just what the attending fans are looking for? Will The Din improve on last year's battle finishes? Can Eclipse pick up where Project 421 left off with a higher placement? Can Heavy Head live up to their supergroup lineup's past successes? Will Jack Spades jack the $400 top prize in their first battle? Will Jesse Merineau claim a podium spot with Caroline Divine's help? And will Pillory reclaim their presence in the scene tomorrow?

Be at The Speak Easy TOMORROW to find out, visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and we'll see you at The Canadian TONIGHT for night #1 of the VM Radio Battle! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Banned & Mourning Wood), More Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

Here's likely our last weekend concert preview post on this busy weekend, but we'll begin with a late notice confirmation, as Gnaeus WILL join The Pixo Control for TONIGHT'S LopLops Lounge concert prior to their Rotaryfest Second Stage debuts TOMORROW! Our source is The Pixo Control's Fscebook page, as the official event page oddly doesn't list a second band. Good to see, they're a natural fit, so if you can't make Rotaryfest, head to LopLops TONIGHT! Now, we have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (including SHORT NOTICE shows), the last of our previews, and some more notes, so here's what you should know on this Friday afternoon!

Local classic/hard rock trio Mourning Wood will return to The Rednecks Saloon for concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed the shows via this Facebook event page overnight, marking a rare event page for one of their concert weekends. After a weekend off, it's great to see Terry, Steven, and T.J. back in their usually busy form, with this weekend's Rednecks sets bookending the guys' Rotaryfest debut on Stage 1 at Clergue Park, so if you prefer some all ages afternoon action, be at Rotaryfest at 1:00 PM sharp! On the event page linked above, frontman Terry Eaton also clarified the band's special guests for their Rotaryfest set, with local country singer Mark Tarantini and pianist/guitarist Scott Infanti joining them for apparently the whole set, clearly indicating their country ties, so if you like that side of Mourning Wood, this will be a nice treat! Mark will also join Mourning Wood for a set at Rednecks TONIGHT, so keep that in mind as well, but no word on if the Jeff McNiece guest spot listed in the program will still occur.

Also, if you were wondering about the labelling of the band as "The Woods" in the above photo, that appears to be just a nickname for the individual members and not a name change, as they're still credited as Mourning Wood on the event page. TONIGHT & TOMORROW'S Rednecks concerts are 19+ affairs with no announced cover charges and 10:00 PM start times, so check the above links for more details, don't miss their Rotaryfest set tomorrow either, and here's Mourning Wood live last year!

Next up, we'll head across the river to look at Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned's August concert calendar, as per their Facebook page on Wednesday! Following their previously announced Soo Kewadin shows over the July 31st weekend, Alex, Don, and Wayne will return to The Sugar Island Music Festival in nearby Sugar Island on Friday, August 7th, which will precede a show at The Runway Bar in Hessel on Saturday, August 8th, so if you're up for some Banned action at either this long running local festival or a headlining bar gig, you have options in a few weeks! For reference, The Sugar Island Festival's lineup is very similar to past years, with it's band roster mainly comprised of festival regulars with scattered newer talent, but click here for the full schedule. Following a road trip to Drummond Island on the 15th, Banned will also return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino on Friday the 22nd & Saturday the 23rd!

While nothing past August 1st is announced on Kewadin's entertainment page yet, it's great to see Banned back under the Kewadin umbrella again, so keep all of the above shows in mind! The Runway & Kewadin shows have 21+ age limits, no cover, and 9:00 PM start times, while the Sugar Island Festival is ALL AGES, admission is free for kids & $10 for adults for the whole weekend, with advance buttons available at Grooves Music&& Sugar Island merchants (click here for details!) Banned will be on at 7:15 PM, and are the fourth of eight Friday bands, joining such notables as Retro Troop, Missy Zenker, and headliners 3-Zip. Check the above links for more info, and stay tuned for more on Banned's upcoming shows!

Also today, here's our last of the weekend previews (barring an extremely late notice show), as local glam/power pop trio Caroline Divine and indie/alternative quintet Aldous will join forces after their Rotaryfest Second Stage debuts to rock LopLops Lounge TOMORROW NIGHT! Joining the spate of Stage 2 performers playing extra gigs over the Rotaryfest weekend (like TONIGHT'S Pixo Control/Gnaeus show at LopLops and the Stereo North/Long Shot show at The Rockstar Bar), this will unite two rising young bands at one of their favourite venues, with Caroline Divine's retro yet current take on hard rock and Aldous' fast-rising indie rock originals sure to impress as they round out their busy Saturday, so whether you want an encore or just prefer a nighttime bar concert, you have options! A 9:00 PM door opening time is listed for this 19+ concert, which has no announced cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and here's Caroline Divine's full set at Lopstock II last month!



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

• Edmonton pop punk quintet (and recent Gonqshow headliners) Calling All Captains are looking to play Sault Ste. Marie again on the way back home from their tour, with this Facebook event page hyping a "house/garage show" for Saturday, July 25th, or at least the intent that they'd like to play a show of at least that level next week. Heavy North Entertainment have reportedly expressed some interest in putting this show on, but if you can help out, message Calling All Captains above!
• In late updates to TONIGHT'S Man & His Machine-headlined house party concert at 124 Anna Street, the 11:00 PM headlining slot may not be booked for a local act (though rapper Mikey Thomas expressed interest), while the opening slot by local thrash/grind band Them will be retracted to a duo for unannounced reasons, which presumably means that bassist Austin McCrae won't be featured, even though he's playing tonight with Brutally Fatal. If we get any lineup confirmation, we'll let you know!
• In advance of their local concert debut at The Algonquin Pub this coming Thursday, Toronto metal band Vesperia are the focus of this new Sault Star article by Jeffery Ougler, where frontman Morgan Rider talks about the band's upcoming Wacken Open Air appearance and battle of the bands run at the hailed German metal festival, plus his music background and day job. It's a nice article to hype next Thursday's show, so give it a look at the above links! (Note that the article still lists Fractal Generator as opening, though they've since dropped out of the show.)

That's all for today, but I'll see you guys at Rotaryfest TOMORROW, as I plan to hit at least 4 bands on each stage, so hope to see some familiar faces out and about! Thanks everyone!