If I Look Strong, You Look Strong Concert Preview, Plus New Treble Charger & Din Videos!!

As promised, today's post is being led off by a preview of a rare Tuesday night punk/metal concert, but to round things out, we have some new videos, one of a local band shooting for a new milestone, and two from a recently reunited band's most recent concert! Here's what you should know!

A special Tuesday night concert goes down TONIGHT at The New American Pub, where three different touring bands will take the stage for a night of punk and metal intensity! The lineup will include headlining Calgary noise/experimental trio If I Look Strong, You Look Strong, a curiously named though very talented twosome who have some aggressive elements in their progressive sound, so don't bypass I.I.L.S.Y.L.S. tonight! Also playing at The New A are Zaum, the Moncton, New Brunswick "Middle Eastern mantra doom" outfit best known locally from headlining Haggith's final concert at The Rednecks Saloon back in May 2015. Good to see Zaum back in our area after over 2 years, so prepare for some dark chanting-laden originals from them also! The other touring duo tonight are Ottawa/Pembroke hardcore punk rockers Flying Fortress, who'll bring aggressive but also somewhat more accessible originals to the stage, so don't be late for their set either! Apologies for earlier promotion hyping the three above bands as being duos, the headliners have since confirmed that they're currently touring as a three-piece.

Tonight's local openers are new local indie/hard rock trio Vol. (featuring 2/3rds of The Pixo Control's mid-2015 lineup), who will get a very intriguing show to make their public concert debut with, so come early to hear how they sound! Promoted by Six, Two, Oh., tonight's "Saul St Marie" stop has a 19+ age limit, 9:00 PM start time, and $7 cover charge. This is shaping up to be a nicely varied but constantly aggressive night of music, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details on tonight's concert, and here's If I Look Strong, You Look Strong live!



Next up, we have some new videos of local/Toronto indie/punk veterans Treble Charger to share on here, but not from last month's return show at LopLops! Though not visibly advertised on the band's few active online pages, they continued their teased tour run with a set at the third annual WTFest in Brantford on Saturday, July 29th, where they were among the openers for Our Lady Peace and Collective Soul at Lions Park. Looks like a solid event with a great turnout from what I've seen of WTFest, and hopefully their whole set was a hit! As best as I can tell, two YouTube users posted videos of Treble Charger's set, including wisptubeify, who filmed their rendition of "American Psycho" and posted it to his channel later that same day. The guys sound good on this punk-era classic of theirs, but they seem to be a bit restricted in movement given the stage setup, and the camera can have some blurry moments. Check it out below!



The other known YouTube video of Treble Charger's Brantford set last month comes via user Dure Yeah, who posted this video of their early hit song "Red" to his channel that same day as well. This softer Bill Priddle-sung original is very well done here, which will please fans of Treble Charger's first albums, and though the camera angle isn't as centered or close, it's actually clearer overall! Give it a look below as well, and see more from this year's WTFest at the above links, on YouTube, or via Brantford-area news media!



Finally for today, here's the latest from local alternative/hard rock trio The Din, so what have they been up to lately? Alongside continued studio demo recordings, a new photo shoot with Josh Pace, and a "HUGE surprise" relating to the impending one year anniversary of their debut studio album "Give In To The Din", the band has also been actively trying to reach 700 fans on their Facebook page. As part of that goal, this comedic new Facebook video was posted online on July 30th, and while I do apologize for the delay, at least it's still relevant to share, as they sit at 697 fans as of this writing. The nearly 6 minute-long video is a "field record", where drummer Brandan Glew proposes that, if the band launches rockets into space, that might be enough to push them over 700 fans. I won't spoil the details on the rockets, launches, or aftermath, but there is humour to be had throughout, plus a surprise ending! Give it a look below, and like The Din if you haven't already so you can help them shoot for 700!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes this week, plus this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (If I Look Strong, You Look Strong), A New Local Band, And More!!

Here's another new news post for your Sunday afternoon, as we continue to get caught up following one extremely busy weekend of concerts! Today's post features some assorted recent updates, a new solo cover video, and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month, but leading off, here's initial details on a debuting local band playing that very concert!

We have a new local band to add to our active band links, and they are Vol. (pronounced "volume"), so what should you know on them? Self-describing themseles as an "indie rock" band, they cite Alexisonfire, Queens of the Stone Age, City & Colour, and Dinosaur Jr. as influences, so I would assume that a high volume noise/hard-alt sound would not come amiss when media turns up. Specifically, Vol. indicated on their Facebook page that their sound has "high energy, crispy tones, (and) crunchy distortion", so read into that however you will. Their lineup features original Pixo Control bassist Steve Edwards on vocals & guitar alongside their mid-2015 drummer Matthew Thibert, with their ranks filled out by former Aldous guitarist Shane Storozuk. Solid lineup, and it's great to see that Steve and Matt stuck together following their abrupt Pixo departure! Vol. quietly launched last year, but when can you see them live and on stage for the first time?

On Tuesday, August 8th, for a newly announced New American Pub concert from Six, Two, Oh., that's where! Vol. will debut as local openers for a trifecta of out of town metal duos, including headliners If I Look Strong, You Look Strong (yes, that's their name), an experimental noise rock duo from Calgary. Very creative and progressive sound with punk and hardcore tinges, so definitely give them a listen in advance of this show! Moncton, New Brunswick "Middle Eastern mantra doom" duo Zaum will play the Soo for the first time since their Rednecks headliner in May 2015 as this show's co-headliners, and their blend of dark metal and chanting vocals should appeal to genre fans once again, so don't bypass Zaum next month either! The other touring two man band is Ottawa/Pembroke hardcore punk outfit Flying Fortress, whose sound is arguably the most accessible of the the three groups, but still heavy and relentless, so don't be late for their fast-paced originals either!

A 19+ concert, this show has a $7 cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time. While one would assume that Rotopsy, Them, or Twistory as openers would have fit the two-man-band lineup better, Vol. have a solid showcase ahead for their debut, surprisingly as the night's largest band, so definitely keep this rare Tuesday nighter in mind for August 8th, and visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Next up, here's a new solo cover video from ex-Elipzis bassist Ryan Harrison's YouTube channel on Wednesday, surprisingly his first upload there this year! A cover of "Drown" by the Texas-based modern rock band Fighting Gemini, the well-bearded Ryan sticks to vocals in this cover, and he showcases a solid voice (as old Riot! By Night fans can attest), and it's nice to see him tackle a song that uses more vocal range with such ease! That said, the black and white colouring and the raindrop filter effect can be distracting. Give Ryan's newest solo cover a look below, and hopefully more comes soon!



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

• Following a positive reception for their YouTube video for their song "Straus", local progressive metal project Kraken Mara have announced that all of the songs on their upcoming self-titled debut EP will have a music video made for them, and are fielding fan suggestions for locations to shoot them at. Sounds like a good plan to me, so message Brendan and/or Jacob at the band's Facebook page to suggest filming spots!
• Just as a house-cleaning note, I've replaced the link for local subscription crate company Ma Lady Menace from their website (which is currently blank) to their Facebook page. This company was supposed to promote the ambitious CureCon concert/convention next month, but haven't issued any updates on venue, lineup, or specific details since May when indicating website maintenance, and it's not clear if the company are still actively operating. Ma Lady Menace had promising ideas, and hopefully more comes out!
• If you're wondering why we didn't cover this year's Ride For Sight motorcycle rally and attached concerts on the site, it's because the musical lineup didn't feature a hard rock band for the first time since the local arm of the rally began in 2012. This year's musical entertainment featured country quartet Bone Yard and their acoustic side project The Bearded Lounge, alongside 1960s-themed classic rock band The Peace Vibe playing out at Stokely Creek Lodge over the July 7th weekend. Hopefully everything went well, it's a great event for a great cause!

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

Zaum & Pixo Control Concert Previews, Plus Caym Show Updates & Much More!!

Before we finish uploading our Swampstravaganza videos (the joys of seeing a concert with 9 different bands AND 4 open mic performers), here's a news post for your Monday morning featuring a rarity: two Monday night concert previews! Those lead off today, but we also have the latest from a prominent metal band and some assorted extra notes, so here's what you should know! (Updated at 12:36 PM)

We'll start with our double Monday previews at Cafe Natura, where local alternative hard rock trio The Pixo Control will return TONIGHT as local openers for Winnipeg pop rock quartet Naysa! Visibly an upstairs affair after December's basement show at the Elgin Street venue, The Pixo Control should be in fine form following their set at the Biipiigwan show earlier this month, and hopefully there's a solid turnout at this ALL AGES concert tonight! As for Naysa, while not a "heavy" band, their gloomy pop rock & indie originals have attracted a solid following, and they'll be a nice fit at Cafe Natura tonight, so be sure to stay late to check them out as well! TONIGHT'S concert starts at 8:00 PM, there is a $7 cover charge, and again, this is ALL AGES! For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, don't miss the alt-rock entertainment tonight at Cafe Natura, and here's The Pixo Control live at LopLops Lounge last year!



The second half of today's downtown Monday hard rock concert action goes down TONIGHT at The Rednecks Saloon, as Moncton, New Brunswick "Middle Eastern mantra doom" duo Zaum will make their Sault Ste. Marie debut! A unique band that mixes doom metal with dark ethnic chanting and moods, their familiar yet creative sound should find a solid audience with local metalheads! German experimental/jazz duo The Jealousy Mountain Duo will join them tonight as well, and while not a heavier band, their own intriguing hybrid originals should make their own mark amidst the varied sounds to be had at the former Nicolet Tavern tonight! Local support will come via local hard rock quartet Haggith (in their second show with their current lineup and first at Rednecks in 8 months), so if you missed Caleb's return to the band on Saturday, here's your makeup date (and look for "Apocalypse II" as well!)

The new openers tonight are Jack Spades bandmates Johnny Belanger & Jesse Cook in an acoustic cover set, replacing local progressive rock quartet Mannapool (who were confirmed to have dropped out yesterday via promoter Mitch Sirie on the Facebook event page, likely for similar reasons as their Swampstravaganza exit.) Johnyy & Jesse should set a good tone, so come early! This 19+ show has FREE ENTRY, and a 9:00 PM start time is listed, but promoters are aiming to end early given that it's a Monday night. For more details on this diverse and intriguing concert, visit the above links, and here's Zaum live last year!



Next up, we have some big changes to announce for THIS FRIDAY'S Caym-headlined concert, which has been moved from The Oddfellows Hall to The Algonquin Pub! The show, now fully promoted by J.D. Pearce again, will now be the kickoff show for his and Tidal Records' Gonqshow concert series there, so there's all the more reason to check out Caym's first headlining date in the Soo on Friday night! To go along with the venue shift, the cover charge has been halved to $5, but sadly, this is now a 19+ event. This all confirms that Heavy North Entertainment are no longer involved with this concert, with planned local openers Them also removed from the bill for similar reasons. J.D. alluded to the changes on the Facebook event page by saying that "someone dropped the ball", but you can read into that however you want. This should be a great show either way, so stay tuned for our full preview later in the week!

Finally for this post, here's three shorter news stories from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• Local rap/metal band The Apocalypse Afterparty have parted ways with drummer X (a.k.a. Steve Mozarowski), as confirmed to me by Steve at Saturday night's Swampstravaganza. Allusions to internal tensions in the band (often of a cryptic nature) have been made on Facebook in recent weeks, but we won't get into any details here. Best of luck to Steve in the future, and stay tuned for more on The Apocalypse Afterparty as we hear it!
• Local doom/death metal band Giwakwa have quietly confirmed the addition of Beaumont Avenue's Mitch Sirie as their new bassist AND lead singer, replacing both Nolan Rainville and Mitch's Bear Hunters bandmate Josh Stephney. Surprise announcement to be sure, but Mitch is a talented multi-instrumentalist with a lot of band experience, so he should fit in well! Our source is the band's Facebook page, but more details are forthcoming.
• We have moved local hard rock quartet The Side FX back to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity. The band featuring Garden of Bedlam, Papa Fogal's Chair, and Elements alumni haven't made a public statement since playing at bassist Mike Bird's stag & doe over a year ago, though keep in mind that guitarist Alex Walls lives out of town. Hopefully they turn up again, and best of luck to him, Mike, Rob, and Derek in the future! 

That's all for now, but keep posted on our Facebook page for the rest of our Swampstravaganza videos, with our review guaranteed to come afterwards! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Zaum & Stiffler's Mom), An Older Punk Band Discovery, And More!!

As the news keeps coming in and piling on, let's get a post up on this Saturday morning, so what's on tap? Today, we have assorted recent updates, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the spring, and first, a new-ish band discovery that we honestly should have touched on in last summer's initial punk band integration, so here's what you need to know!

We have a defunct local punk band to add to our band links, and they are Stealing Kisses! Their lineup featured singer/guitarist Kevin Koprash, bassist Kevin D'Orazio, and drummer Nick Kainula (who all formed the 2009-2010 metal band Losing Ground with Late & Loud's Jon Tiberi after going on hiatus), while some MySpace photos indicate that they had a lead singer briefly as well (likely Mike Palarchio, source here.) Primarily active in early 2009, Stealing Kisses did play a number of concerts during their brief run, including opening for The Artist Life that May, and also playing with the likes of RedD Monkey and Caddy Street Avenue before going on hiatus later that year due to school commitments. Kevin D'Orazio and Nick did achieve far larger success with their early 2010s death metal band State of Misery, but they too had a brief main run. The band still has a Facebook group and MySpace page, the latter of which containing 6 songs, so how do they sound?

Credited to albums named "One Little Peck" & "Shit Happens" that I don't believe were ever released, these were at least partly recorded with C.S.A.'s Adam Fortais at Room Fire Studios. While a far cry from the metal that Kevin D. and Nick are best known for, they had a good consistent sound that captured pop punk well, with Mark Hoppus-esque vocals at times and some catchy riffs! Give Stealing Kisses a listen above, and stay tuned in case we find more archive punk bands on MySpace!

Next up, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the spring, starting with local party hard rock cover trio Stiffler's Mom, who will headline a chili cook-off fundraiser for Ride For Sight at the Garden River Community Centre on Saturday, March 28th! Last seen at The Rockstar Bar last month, this is a natural fit for Greg, Mike, and Jon, as Stiffler's Mom (and Greg's other bands That's Chester & Bone Yard) have all been very active in supporting Ride For Sight, the annual motorcycle rally at Searchmont that supports and raises funds for blindness prevention, and I imagine at least one of Greg's bands will be playing at this year's installment over the July 10th weekend. Before then though, Stiffler's Mom will provide musical entertainment at this chili cook-off in Garden River, with raffles and prizes also planned, and you may recognize some familiar faces among the cook-off's competitors, including Greg's wife Kerry, and Redundant frontman Justin Langlois!

This (presumably) all ages event at 7 Shingwauk Street will take place at 5:00 PM, and there is a $20 admission fee, but organizers are requesting that you buy your tickets at either Scotiabank branch in the Soo, as both are matching the sale of each ticket for Ride For Sight, which is awesome of them! You can likely pay at the door as well if you can't get to a Scotiabank in the next month. For more details, including on the chili-cook off itself, visit the official Facebook event page! Great idea for a great cause, so keep posted above and here for possible updates!

Also in the realm of new concerts, a very unique selection of out of town bands will hit The Rednecks Saloon on Monday, May 11th, with Moncton, New Brunswick "Middle Eastern mantra doom" duo Zaum headlining! An intriguing band who merge doom metal with ethnic chanting and dark overtones, they're definitely not something we see a lot of in town (unless you lump them with the recent spread of 1-2 man metal bands), so don't bypass them in May! Joining them are The Jealousy Mountain Duo, a German experimental/jazz duo that (though not a heavy band) will bring their own interesting sounds to the table in under two months! Local support will include local grunge/alternative quartet Haggith (in their first set at the former Nicolet Tavern in almost 8 months) and a band to be announced, though note that The Elements have expressed interest, and Mike Haggith & The Din were suggested before their sister band was officially confirmed.

A rare non-Bear Hunters concert promoted by Mitch Sirie, this show will take place at 9:00 PM on May 11th, this is a 19+ concert, and admission costs are yet to be announced. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and apologies for the week's delay to get this on the site! This is definitely a different sort of concert given the genres of the out of town bands, but that makes it all the more interesting to check out, so stay tuned for more updates as we hear them!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter updates from the last little while, and these are in alphabetical order by artist, event, or venue name:

• Remember how Docks Riverfront Grill became a Chinese buffet restaurant named Waterfront Legend last fall, but recently welcomed blues band Mojo there for a run of jam nights? Well, we now know more about the new band setup, as they opened a new live entertainment area of the building named Club 89 in January, which will once again host live bands in the upstairs playroom and DJs and dance parties in the downstairs lounge. How this all integrates with the buffet isn't clear, but stay tuned for updates on if heavier bands play at Club 89!
• Local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades have revealed on their Facebook page that they'll be opening for Toronto metal legends Anvil once again at a local show on Wednesday, April 1st! No word yet on the venue, admission fees, other openers, or anything else, but I can confirm that this is not an April Fools joke. When more is announced, we will definitely let you know!
• A full lineup has been finalized for next month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands on each Wednesday in March at The Canadian Nightclub, and promoter J.D. Pearce will announce the last 2 bands and complete lineup for the semifinals on March 4th, 11th, and 18th this coming Monday! Our source is the Facebook event page, where J.D. also noted that there may be special guest performers of some kind, which could be like the out-of-competition set that T-Rex Manning played at the Battle for the Blood that he promoted in 2012. Stay tuned on Monday for much more info!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more updates to come, plus this month's YouTube Channel Profiles TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!