LOWEST OF THE LOW AND ACE OF WANDS REUNITE FOR 2025’s GSKT BENEFIT!
It’d certainly be easy for Lowest of the Low to rest on their laurels, content with their status as much-loved leading lights of the Canadian rock scene for over 30 years. The Toronto-based band was inducted into the Canadian Indie Rock Hall of Fame in 2008. LOTL built a faithful following and a very full dance card on the strength of their joyous live shows, where they perfected their mix of clever wordplay, razor-sharp hooks and airtight harmonies. In 1996, 2000 and again in 2005, Chart Magazine honoured LOTL’s 1991 landmark debut album, Shakespeare My Butt, with spots in the top 10 of the Top 100 Canadian Albums of All Time. The debut became the best-selling independent release in Canadian history at the time. In 2008, Lowest of the Low was inducted into the Canadian Indie Rock Hall of Fame and earned Gold certification for Shakespeare My Butt. This group is made of sterner stuff, preferring to look forward with genuine passion, commitment and energy. That is dramatically reaffirmed with the sixth Lowest Of The Low studio album, Welcome to the Plunderdome, released in Oct 2023 via Sonic Envy Music/Warner Music Canada. This is the sound of a revitalized band dedicated to the cause of delivering melodic yet muscular rock with a deep social and political conscience, one sadly lacking on the scene today. It is six years since bassist Greg Smith (The Weakerthans) and guitarist/vocalist Michael McKenzie joined core members Ron Hawkins (vocals, guitars), Lawrence Nichols (guitars, vocals, harmonica, keyboards), and David Alexander (drums), and frontman/principal songwriter Hawkins couldn’t be happier at how this unit has gelled. “Not since the early days of The Low 1.0 has the band felt so tight as a unit, all cylinders firing in the same direction,” he stresses. “It is just a great hang. Everyone has the freedom to play what they want to play and arrange together, and in our regular Monday rehearsal sessions we are now writing songs together. We go ‘let’s just fuck around and act like teenagers!’” The first advance single from the album, “Hey Kid (You Got Soul!), has already been viewed over 300,000 times on Youtube, and the album is their highest-selling album next to the classic Shakespeare My Butt.” Most of the 12 tunes on Welcome to the Plunderdome were written specifically for the album, but a couple of highlights on a record devoid of lowlights have fascinatingly early origins. “When The Boot Comes Down” dates back to 1983, when teenagers Hawkins and Alexander were in Social Insecurity, dubbed a Marxist punk rock band by Ron. He states that the cut “fits perfectly on this record as it’s about what are you going to do with this turn to the right.” The short blast of sonic fury delivers the message perfectly. By his count, Welcome to the Plunderdome is Hawkins’ 20th album in a discography encompassing Lowest Of The Low, Ron Hawkins and The Rusty Nails, The Do Good Assassins, and his solo releases, the latest of which, Trash Talkin’ At The Speed of Sound, came out in May 2023. “I guess 220 songs means I’ve been working,” he observes wryly. Ron pledges that Lowest of The Low remains his top priority, with another group album well under way. Good news indeed. Long may they plunder!
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Dream rock band Ace of Wands was formed by multi-instrumentalist Lee Rose – compelled by the fiery creativity of the tarot card that gave the name. With bandmates Anna Mernieks and Jody Brumell, the trio creates immersive and intricate soundscapes inspired by gothic rock, punk, and dream pop, with dark and light captured in equal measure. A classically trained violinist, Lee sings, plays violin and synth bass foot-pedals simultaneously, creating a truly unique sound and performance style. AOW channels the tension and dread of a nightmare and the effortless freedom of lucid dreaming in their music. They compel audiences to listen with attention, and not shy away from the dreams that may reveal hidden parts of themselves.
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ABOUT GSKT
On October 31, 1997, at the age of 19, David Angus received a kidney transplant from his father, Ken. This marked a new start in David’s life after living with kidney disease since he was six months old. In April 2016, David was aware that the 20th anniversary of this remarkable event was fast approaching, and he saw an opportunity to use this milestone to give back to others. His idea was to host a charity concert to support Hamiltonians living with kidney disease to raise awareness for the adversity that influenced most of his life. Within a few minutes of running the idea by his father, Ken was on board. By the end of June of that year, David had connected with the Kidney Foundation of Canada to host a concert to support Hamiltonians with kidney disease to vacation at Lions Camp Dorset. This amazing facility was developed for individuals on dialysis to have a family getaway without missing their life saving treatment. With a few ideas thrown around, David’s close friend, Taryn Bastead, adorned this concert’s name as Guitar Strings and Kidney Things. On October 28, 2017, Guitar Strings and Kidney Things was held at Collective Arts Brewery in Hamilton. Headlined by Canadian legends, The Lowest of the Low, and supported by Gauer (formerly as The InBetwe3n) and comedian Adrian Cronk, the sell out crowd on hand raised over $13,000 for the cause. On May 4, 2019, David and Ken returned to Hamilton as Guitar Strings and Kidney Things raised over $27,000 to support St. Joseph’s Hospital’s redevelopment of their Charlton Campus dialysis unit. Their efforts helped to make the unit more patient centered for the over 600 people who receive treatments each week. For David and Ken, there is always more work to be done.
guitarstringsandkidneythings.ca
Link To Tix
A GUITAR STRINGS & KIDNEY THINGS BENEFIT IN SUPPORT OF ST. JOE’S
General Admission Standing Licensed/All-Ages event.
Valid government issued photo ID is required in order to consume alcohol.
Limited seating available. Mobility accommodations upon advance request.
Artists and schedule subject to change.
Event subject to change in support of evolving public health protocols. All sales final; no refunds.
ALL SALES FINAL • NO REFUNDS