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New music festival takes you to the basement

Updated Jan. 30 at 1:15 p.m. The portions of The Big Basement show previously slated to take place at Theatre Cambrian have been moved to Grace Hall at 468 Antwerp St.
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The Almighty Rhombus is just one of the bands playing at The Big Basement show Feb. 28 to March 1. Photo courtesy of by Harriet Carlson.


 

Updated Jan. 30 at 1:15 p.m.

 

 

 

The portions of The Big Basement show previously slated to take place at Theatre Cambrian have been moved to Grace Hall at 468 Antwerp St.  

 

Original story:

A music festival being put on later this winter by the local band The Almighty Rhombus won't exactly have a typical vibe.   

 

 

 


With most of the Feb. 28 to March 2 festival's acts set to perform in the basement of Theatre Cambrian, Almighty Rhombus member Clayton Drake said he's given the festival a “basement” theme — hence its name, The Big Basement show.

In keeping with the theme, the venue will be decked with wood panelling, couches and coffee tables. Festival-goes will be able to play Nintendo on a big-screen television and test out an air hockey table and vintage exercise equipment. Instruments will also be set up so people can jam in between sets.

“The idea is it's supposed to make it feel like you're at a basement show – just in someone's parents' basement, but 10 or 20 times the size,” Drake said. “We're trying to give it that intimate feel while putting on a mid-sized event.”

Unfortunately, with Theatre Cambrian sustaining damage in a flood earlier this winter, Drake has had to look for alternate venues, just in case the building isn't repaired in time.

As The Big Basement's Friday acts were always slated to take place at The Townehouse Tavern, they're unaffected by the flood.

“When you're organizing stuff like this, there's always hiccups, right?” Drake said.

The portion of the festival at Theatre Cambrian is open to all ages, but is also licensed for alcohol to be served, something Drake said is a rarity in Sudbury.


The show came about largely because two of The Almighty Rhombus' members are in school this winter, and were unable to do much touring.

The band instead decided to see what they could do to boost the local music scene. They decided on the idea of a late-winter music festival because it's kind of a “blank” time of year when it comes to musical events.

Working with Northern Lights Festival Boreal, La Slague and the River and Sky Festival, Drake has put the festival together, reaching out to both local and out-of-town bands to play at The Big Basement Show.

Although all of the bands are on “indy” labels, they range musically from garage to pop music.

“It's actually insane that we were able to pull this lineup together,” Drake said.


In keeping with the The Big Basement Show's quirky feel, Drake has also organized a few fun, non-musical activities.

These include a sliding party at Queen's Athletic Field on Saturday and a “punk vest” workshop put on by Myths and Mirrors at Theatre Cambrian on Sunday.

Weekend passes to the festival cost $35, and are available at Cosmic Dave's Vinyl Emporium, The Townehouse Tavern or online at www.ticketbreak.com/event_details/6880.

For more information, search for The Big Basement Show on Facebook, email [email protected] or phone Drake at 705-822-2976.

The Big Basement Show lineup

Feb. 28, The Townehouse Tavern
11 p.m. - Coast Redwood
12 a.m. - B.A. Johnston
1 a.m. - Geyser

March 1, Grace Hall
4 p.m. - Pink Wine
4:50 p.m. - TV Freaks
5:40 p.m. - Crosss
6:30 p.m. - TEENANGER
7:20 p.m. - Strange Attractor
8:10 p.m. - Public Animal
9:15 p.m. - Pistol George Warren
11 p.m. - Echoes The Lion
12 a.m. - Ketamines
1 a.m. - Eye Was an Ion

March 2, Grace Hall
5 p.m. - The Almighty Rhombus
5:50 p.m. - Blonde Elvis
6:40 p.m. - Low Animal
7:30 p.m. - Marine Dreams
8:20 p.m. - The Dirty Nil
9:20 p.m. - By Divine Right
10:10 p.m. - Shotgun Jimmie

@heidi_ulrichsen 


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Heidi Ulrichsen

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