Two topic post today, including the continuation of our coverage of a major local competition (that'll need a third post to complete), but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for (literally) the end of the year!
Hopefully there won't be a need for the fire department to be called down again like that one time (you had to be there), and that any smoke and heat comes the natural way from their set! I am unsure if LopLops are promoting this one too (they did for the first two 2022 dates), but tickets run for $64.67 at this link, and there is an 8:00 PM start time. No word on in-person availability and a possible age limit, let alone any New Year's Eve frills, but the Saturday timing for that holiday is quite fitting. Visit the above links for more details on what should be a fun & funky way to end the year!
Next up, let's finally continue our look at The Soo's Got Talent's final round coverage from October 21st at Soo Blaster! For our coverage of each finalist's first song and the guest performances, click here or scroll down to our post from Sunday. All six finalists performed a second song for the judges' evaluation that night in the exact same performance order, with the twist being that they sung with Handsome Sandwich (minus Taylor) backing them up! It's not clear from the videos (again filmed by Passion Video Productions) if the songs were limited to things that the band knew already or if they learned them for the finals, and/or if these happened to be judges' picks like in prior years, but props to Jesse, Mitch, Rafael, and Johnny for giving some live instrumental heft! The first full-band performance had Nanette Garcia & Handsome Sandwich covering Patti Smith's classic rock staple "Because The Night".
Nanette does come off a little unsteady here, perhaps not as familiar with this song as others she did in the competiton, but she carries it well, so give her second final round song a watch below!
Next on the 21st was singer/guitarist Colin Gasparelli, who did play acoustic guitar for his song here (as a result, Jesse Cook sat this one out). The theory that the finalists were limited to songs that Handsome Sandwich knew already may be accurate here, as Colin goes way off board for his second song, a cover of "When A Hero Cries" by German power metal band Edguy. The song is slightly re-arranged, but still, very unexpected! "When A Hero Cries" is a ballad, so it better fits Colin's wheelhouse than most Edguy songs, and while I don't think it's the right fit for his vocal range, he puts his all into it and you can tell. Check out Colin & Handsome Sandwich below!
We'll close this post with the third performer in the finals, namely Xavier Pelletier LeBoeuf, who joined Handsome Sandwich (with Jesse back) for a cover of Pink's "Raise Your Glass". Xavier even gave each judge a glass before the song began for them to raise, so points for thinking outside the box! Of the first half of the finalists, Xavier fit in the best with Handsome Sandwich for cover choice and on-stage comfort, and while she did have some shakiness on the choruses, you could be believed if you thought she was their singer for a second. Give their cover a look below!
We'll tackle Ali, Amanda, and M.J.'s final performances with Handsome Sandwich (plus the final results) in an upcoming post, but with weekend concert previews and this month's Defunct Local Band Profile ahead, we may not finish everything off until the weekend. Stay tuned in any event, and weekend concert previews are next! Thanks everyone!
