LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Northern Vibe Festival) And The Ballot Burner Concert Preview!!

Before we look at Emergency Festival fallout and more recent news, let's dive right into a big LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for two weeks from now that we've missed to cover on here for way too long, but there's also a Monday night concert preview at post's end to look at! Here's what you need to know!

Local punk/country quintet The Billy Bastards will make their long awaited return to the concert stage on Saturday, August 29th when they perform at the first annual Northern Vibe Festival on Poplardale Road in nearby Ophir, Ontario! Yes, that is the former site of Hempfest when it was held in the Soo, as the guys over at Planetary Pride are trying to jump back into the summer concert festival game for the first time since their last of 11 Hempfests in 2009. Encouraging to see, we can use more summer festivals in the area, but what should you know about this one?  Hyped as an end-of-summer bash over two separate stages, one will be the "Beach Stage" for DJs and club musicians (locally based and out of town alike, click here for the full lineup there), while the main "Forest Stage" will feature live bands and solo musicians. A full listing of set times is not out yet, and the band orders on the official poster and the above links are very different, but Burlington reggae rockers (and past Hempfest favourites) The Killin' Time Band will headline this new festival.

The other out of town band is Kitchener folk quartet Drew Leith & The Foundation, while the extended local roster (featuring many Second Stage alumni) will include, in no guaranteed order, local/Toronto folk musician Cody McMillan and his band The Soft Shoe Shufflers, local roots rock collective Frank Deresti & The Lake Effect, the aforementioned Billy Bastards, local alt-folk favourites The Boot Hill Crooners, blues rock veterans Al Wood & The Woodsmen, and veteran local soul/funk sextet The Hustle Brothers. As well, the festival website lists veteran jazz/folk singer Britta Wolfert, local/Wawa keyboardist & busker Spider Fingerz, and local cover rock quartet Changing Lanes as performing also, but note that they're not on the poster (we'll treat them as on the lineup unless said otherwise.) The only full punk band on the lineup (with their blast of outlaw country blended in for good measure), this will be The Billy Bastards' first public concert since December 2013, so if you've missed The Billys, keep their return in mind at month's end!

Also, note that The Billys will be playing as a quintet for the first time in a long while (guitarist Paul Michael Stos lives out of town and doesn't play at some shows as a result), so if you've missed the full lineup, here you go! Might some of the band's long-teased new material be unveiled as well? Now, there are still some questions about the schedule, as the festival will take place from Friday, August 28th through Sunday the 30th, but festival organizers have yet to post a full itinerary or set times for bands, so keep posted to online pages for details on that front! In any event, tickets for the full weekend are $125 for the full weekend, including camping, so come prepared, as there does not appear to be single day rates for the Northern Vibe Festival. Tickets can be bought locally at Planetary Pride on Queen Street East or online at this link, and it is a 19+ event, but under special, absolutely necessary circumstances, kids and pets can come with an adult attendee if you follow the protocols at this link (which includes full info on what you can and can't do at the event.)

And yes, there will be food and drink vendors on site, plus art installations, yoga, and hula hoop and fire spinners, and keep in mind that this isn't explicitly a marijuana culture event like Hempfest, it's more about the music, so make of that what you will. For full current details, visit the above links! I apologize for this being later on here than it should have been, but it's great to see the original Hempfest minds back for another summer festival in Ophir, and while tickets are expensive, you've gotta start somewhere. Keep it in mind for month's end, whether you missed the Billys or want one last summer party with plenty of talented bands!

Finally for today, here's a preview of a special Monday night concert going down TOMORROW NIGHT at The New American Pub, as Regina crust punk trio Ballot Burner will make their local concert debut as headliners! Possessing a grimy, intense, and attitude-fueled blend of originals, Ballot Burner sound like what would happen if Destroilet and Shit Liver were blended together, and it'll be very interesting to see them on the local stage tomorrow night! A pair of local two-man bands will open the proceedings, including grunge/hardcore duo Bad Back (in their first show since their quiet album recording sessions concluded) and newer local alternative hard rock duo Infinity Grinder (in their third local concert and first at The New A), so come early for the heavy duo action! The latest concert from Six Two Oh, there is a 19+ age limit and $5 cover charge in effect, while the doors will open at 9:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

Sounds like an explosive night of punk and alternative music that fans of the included genres won't want to miss, especially for a double shot of the recent influx of duo bands in the area, so be at The New A TOMORROW NIGHT for all of the action, and here's Ballot Burner live last month!



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

BALLOT BURNER PREVIEW

Two New Local Bands, Plus Much More Recent Updates!!

After our first off day of the year, we're back in swing of things with a packed news post, and yes, this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles are coming either tonight or tomorrow! For now, we have plenty of assorted news items and not one, but two new local bands, so here's what you should know!

One new-ish band to add to our band links are Orange, a post-punk/rockabilly duo featuring Telephone & Address frontman Chris Shoust! Also referred to as Orange: The Band in some instances, this project appears to be a revival of an earlier run at an undisclosed time, with a posting on Chris' other two man band The Red & Black's Facebook page last month implying that they're "now defunct." Orange united Chris on drums with guitarist Matt Zook (now living in Toledo, Ohio), who jammed in a series of "Sunday sessions" that took place in a local church "at the end of East Street" (do they mean St. Andrew's?) Orange's Facebook page was launched on December 29th, where they revealed that they will have an album released this year, though it's not established there whether it will be the split album with The Red & Black that they teased last month, or if Orange's album plans have drifted away from the split concept. In any event, four "Sunday sessions" tracks can now be streamed on Orange's Soundcloud page, so how does everything sound?

Very lo-fi like Chris' other recent bands, this music is reminiscent of some Telephone & Address work, but it's all instrumental. His drumming fits Matt's guitar playing, which has raw qualities and some melody, as well as a punk bite, and while it looks like Orange's revival is mainly to put out old material, at least they're getting more of a profile! I don't have a clue on when they were first together. Give Orange a listen above!

The other new band to add to our links today is Ten Kings, a new Sault Michigan hard rock quartet with some familiar faces! Just launching their Facebook page on Thursday, this new band (whose name is inspired by conspiracy theories involving a "New World Order")  haven't done much publically yet, but Nixxon Dixxon fans may want to pay attention, as their singer Brandon Carr is making his long awaited return to a local band with Ten Kings! We haven't heard much from Brandon since Nixxon Dixxon broke up in 2010, so it's great to see him back in the saddle! Their lineup is rounded out by former Bottom Line bandmates Joe Jenkins (also of Exiled) and Will Storey on guitar and drums respectively, while ex-Scofflaw bassist Barney Gravelle is also on board. Very solid lineup so far, but what will Ten Kings play? All that they've said so far is that they'll play modern & classic rock covers, so if you recall what Nixxon Dixxon & Exiled have played, Ten Kings shouldn't stray too far.

It's obviously too early to comment on how Ten Kings sound, but hopefully they establish a local foothold, as the talent is obviously there! Stay tuned for more as we hear it, and like Orange, they're now in our active band links!

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

• This is overdue, but I've moved Sault Michigan bar and occasional concert venue The Back Door to our "Other Sault Michigan Links" section due to their recent closure after their final New Year's party. Facebook postings have indicated that The Back Door was bought by new owners, but it's not yet publically known if the venue will remain as a nightclub or not, let alone any other changes.  For now at least, we won't consider it as an active concert venue, but if the new owners keep things going there, we'll let you guys know!
• Frasiers frontman Charlie Derrer is once again looking to start a new band, this time confirming an intended genre of pop punk, as per his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post on Tuesday. It'd be great to have more punk bands in the Soo, so message Charlie above or at this link for more info!
• New local goregrind duo Das Skalpell Kampf posted a new song named "Handing Out Headshots" onto their Bandcamp page on Tuesday! Sludgy and lo-fi, it sounds like it should be a lot longer than it's 52 second runtime, but if you love similar Blood Shed acts, give the song a listen above, especially as it may be on the upcoming 11-way split!
• Sault Ontario cannabis culture store Planetary Pride have put feelers out on their Facebook page regarding a possible new summer music festival (more or less, a spiritual successor to Hempfest, which moved 8 hours away to Moonbeam last year.) If they were to put on such an event, tickets would be $150 for the weekend, though other details are to be confirmed. There's some positive feedback already, but comment on Planetary Pride's Facebook post A.S.A.P. to voice your opinion!
• Local doom/punk band The Revolution have announced the addition of Haggith bassist Jordan Leach to their lineup, replacing the already departed Rainey Vincent. The news was announced on their Facebook page on Tuesday. Slightly surprising given how recently he joined Haggith, but this is great news for Jordan, and hopefully he contributes well with both bands!
• Long running Rock 101 morning show Scott & Brian In The Morning finally has it's own official Facebook page! As you may know, Scott Cook & Brian Davie play rock hits, discuss the news and "infotainment", and keep fans entertained on the morning drive from 6:00-9:00 AM weekdays on 101.3 FM, and it's great to see them get their own Facebook page! Become a fan above, and the show's now in our "Other Sault Michigan Links"!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes soon, and this month's Defunct Local Band Profile later today, if all goes well! Thanks everyone!