Howling Giant Touring East Coast to Hopsmoker Fest
If you keep up with the Nashville trio via whichever social algorithm offends you least, you may have seen the picture above. Left to right, that’s bassist Sebastian Baltes, guitarist/vocalist Tom Polzine, and — oh, hello — Adrian Zambrano on guitar. The band have been in the studio lately, I think recording an album that I have no idea when they wrote because they haven’t stopped touring behind 2023’s so-rad-I’m-nervous-about-the-follow-up Glass Future (review here), and part of that process has apparently been bringing in a couple guests.
For those unfamiliar, Zambrano is known for his work in Ohio’s Brujas del Sol and a brief but memorable stint in Lo-Pan, and since moving to North Carolina last year released the Discomfort/Disorder EP (review here) with Shadowcloak. To all his work that I’ve heard, Zambrano brings a progressive mindset, technically proficient but not to the sacrifice of soul. He’s the kind of player who makes bands better, and the fact that he’s going to do this tour with Howling Giant on second guitar — not the first time the trio has become a four-piece; they spent much of 2024 on the road with James Sanderson on guitar and backing vocals — is only good news.
Except for the fact that I won’t see it. Check out the poster below — the tour starts April 15 in Louisville and is centered around the occasion of Hopsmoker Fest at Widowmaker Brewing in Braintree, MA (I happened to be there two weeks ago) — and you’ll note that on April 17, they’ll hit Autodidact Beer in Morris Plains, NJ. With New York’s Sun Voyager, no less. No shit, that’s like two minutes from my house. Inarguably the closest heavy rock show that’s ever taken place near where I live. Two traffic lights between here and there. It’s “around the corner,” as it were. I’ll be traveling April 17, and that’s not a hardship, considering, but still. New Kensington, PA, is five and a half hours from here, and I won’t be back by the time they’re in Philly. So I miss out on the closest show that’s ever happened to me. Go fucking figure.
I might send The Patient Mrs. to review the show, though. Fun fact: in 2012, she wrote up a show review for Mars Red Sky (with whom Howling Giant toured this past Fall) that was a hoot, and I already asked her to go to the venue and take the band baked goods — because in addition to all the other sundry ways she’s amazing, she bakes, and who doesn’t want a loaf of homemade sourdough on the road? — so we’ll see. Childcare is the question there, but it’s not like she has to go far to get to the venue. The Obelisk is presenting that Autodidact show, and god damn, I hope they do more in that spot.
From Howling Giant‘s socials:
Hitting the road around Hopsmoker Fest in April! Stoked to get back out and see all of ya as we emerge from our winter studio slumber. Who knows, we might even play a new song or two.
We’re also super excited to be bringing our buddy Adrian Lee Zambrano out for this run to shred dual guitars with us. You may have seen bits of him here already as he was laying down tracks with us at Amish Electric Chair Studios. Everyone wish Adrian a warm welcome to the HG Thunderdome!
4/15 Louisville, KY – MagBar
4/16 New Kensington, PA – Preserving Underground
4/17 Morris Plains, NJ – Autodidact Beer (with Sun Voyager)
4/18 Braintree, MA – Hopsmoker Fest
4/19 Richmond, VA – Richmond Music Hall
4/20 Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie
4/21 Durham, NC – The Pinhook
4/22 Charlotte, NC – The Milestone
4/23 Asheville, NC – Eulogy (with REZN)
Howling Giant are:
Tom Polzine – Guitar and Vocals
Zach Wheeler – Drums and Vocals
Sebastian Baltes – Bass and Vocals
howlinggiant.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/howlinggiant/
https://www.instagram.com/howlinggiant/
http://store.merhq.com
http://magneticeyerecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MagneticEyeRecords
https://www.instagram.com/magneticeyerecords/
Yes!!! Please tell the Patient Mrs. I would love to hang with her there.