Shaping up for the holidays

The holidays are meant to be shared with family and friends.

That's why The Almighty Rhombus is joining forces with fellow hometown rockers Coast Redwood and the '90's alternative rock group Rusty to bring everyone together under one roof for a night of fun during the Christmas season.

Friends and fans are invited to check out the Boxing Day show, Dec. 26, at the Towne House.

As far as The Almighty Rhombus' drummer Carter Drake is concerned, it's the perfect way to share a good time with good company.

“We thought Boxing Day was pretty sweet,” he said. “On Christmas Eve and Christmas, people are with their families. Boxing Day has always been the day I hang out with my friends.”

In keeping with the spirit of the season, everyone who comes out to the show is invited to bring a gift for the present exchange — something keyboard player Clayton Drake is hoping will get people mingling and getting to know each other.

“It forces people to interact,” he said.

It's part of the plan for encouraging conversations between longtime Towne Housers and new faces, making everyone feel welcome.

“It's intimidating to new people,” Clayton said. “They see it as an exclusive club. Shows are like that in general.”

But that's hardly the reaction they're going for. Clayton said there's no reason why everyone shouldn't enjoy the festivities. After all, the show promises to be a good one.

The Drake brothers, including Cameron, are joined by Mike Kenny and Neil Bednis to make up The Almighty Rhombus. Since last January, the group has come a long way together.

“(The show is) a celebration of our first year as a band,” Carter said.

With 20-some performances under their belts, as well as an EP, The Almighty Rhombus is looking forward to moving on to bigger and better things. An Ontario Arts Council grant will help fund the recording and pressing of their first full-length album, which they plan to begin recording the first week of January at Cosmic Dave's Record Factory.

To apply for the OAC grant, The Almighty Rhombus laid down a specific set of goals they wanted to accomplish in their first year together. Clayton said they unfortunately didn't check everything off the list, but made many steps in the right direction.

The fact that grants are handed out by peer reviewers was a pleasant acknowledgement, too.

“It's somewhat of an affirmation of our abilities,” Clayton said.

The fact that Coast Redwood also received an OAC grant is “rare,” and can only mean good things for the local music community.

“It's indicative of the growing profile of Sudbury's music scene,” Clayton said.
Coast Redwood, made of Stephen Giroux and Sam Cassio on guitar, Emmett Turkinton on bass and Spencer Jose on drums, have a guitar-heavy sound that is “occasionally pretty, but never prissy, with lots of room for pushing each other around and one-upmanship.”

Rounding out the bill Boxing Day is Rusty. The Juno-nominated band, who played the Towne House several times in the '90s, are playing a small Christmas tour as part of a “fun-time reunion.” The band had quite a bit of success in the '90s, with many charting singles and MuchMusic videos.

Tickets to the Boxing Day show are now available. They can be purchased for $10 from the Towne House or members of The Almighty Rhombus or Coast Redwood. Extra tickets will be sold at the door.

Merchandise will also be available at Boxing Day Blowout prices. 

For more information, search Boxing Day Blowout with Rusty featuring The Almighty Rhombus and Coast Redwood on Facebook.