Black Tusk and ASG headline Two Tides Metal Fest
The day after Thanksgiving, rather than fighting large crowds at big box stores, consider taking the family to Two Tides Brewing Co., located in the Starland District, to enjoy some of Savannah’s finest shopping, beers, and metal bands. Call it Black Tusk Friday, if you will.
For the fourth year, Two Tides is hosting a free all-day metal fest with Savannah elder statesmen Black Tusk returning for a third time to headline.
“Two Tides is one of my favorite things to play in Savannah because it’s all ages, it’s early, and it’s free,” said Andrew Fidler, vocalist and guitarist for Black Tusk. “Those are the things I want for Black Tusk playing Savannah shows. We did a decade-plus of playing bar shows late at night. We want to stay in touch with this younger generation of musicians and high school kids, so if we can play all ages shows that would be super cool.”
“And I want my kids to come to the show,” added Fidler, whose children are now 7 and 8 years old.
Black Tusk formed in 2005, rising from the mire of Savannah’s internationally renowned swamp metal scene popularized by legendary bands Baroness and Kylesa. After the tragic death of bassist and founding member Jonathan Athons in 2014, Black Tusk picked up the pieces and continued to tour and release new music.
Black Tusk’s last record, TCBT (Seasons of Mist, 2018), which stands for “Taking Care of Black Tusk,” was a statement of dogged perseverance. The band continues to produce no-BS sludge metal fueled by frenzied punk energy.
Black Tusk are gearing up to release their sixth album, The Way Forward, with their new bassist Derek Lynch, who joined the band during the pandemic. Lynch is a Savannah music veteran who has played in Cray Bags, A Girl, a Gun, and a Ghost, and Greta O & The Toxic Shock. He also produces electronic music as Kola Hak.
The line-up also includes founding member and drummer James May, and guitarist Chris “Scary” Adams, who produced the new record at his Hidden Audio Studio.
“This is the first record as this line-up,” said Fidler. “This line-up has been super smooth, everyone gets along great, and musically we all mesh. It’s a dream. That’s been the thing about Black Tusk—It’s never been a ‘songwriter.’ It’s always been a collaborative effort. That’s why when Derek joined halfway through writing, we went back and made sure that we revisited everything that had been written already to make sure...”
“...I didn’t think it was dumb,” Lynch finished.
“Exactly,” agreed Fidler with a laugh.
Two Tides Metal Fest also features Black Tusk’s former Relapse Records label mates, ASG. ASG are a stoner rock band from Wilmington, North Carolina, that recorded a split with Black Tusk in 2009 called “Low Country.” The band's music, which blends punk with the stoner vibes of Kyuss and Queens of the Stone Age, features heavily in skate and snowboard videos, as well as several video games.
“Black Tusk is really good friends with ASG,” said Fidler. “We’ve known them forever, so we reached out to them, because they haven’t been to Savannah in a long time. They were totally down with it.”
The rest of the Two Tides Metal fest boasts some of the best metal bands in Savannah including The Holy Ghost Tabernacle Choir, Sins of Godless Men, Damned to Earth, and The Maxines, who are fresh off their first road tour.
Coincidentally (or not) most of the bands mentioned recorded their recent music at Hidden Audio Studio, as well. That’s just another example of Black Tusk’s influence on the new generation of Savannah bands.
“We’re excited to play with all of the local bands,” said Fidler. “They’re all super sick. We’re excited to get all those fans together and do a show.”
“It’s during a holiday weekend too, so everyone is off of work,” added Lynch. “It’s a super fun thing. There are vendors setup, so there is all kinds of stuff for people to buy for Christmas presents.”
Attendees can get some of their Black Friday shopping done with local artists and vendors including Titty Bats, Graveface Records & Curiosities, Extra Pulp Vintage, Claw and Clover, and Greg’s Famous Hot Sauce.
Two Tides Brewing will of course have merchandise and a huge selection of signature beers to try out. And Two Tides Crispi will keep attendees fed with smash burgers and specialty hot dogs.
The gates open for Two Tides Metal Fest at 3pm, with music kicking off at 4pm. The event is free and family friendly, so don’t be afraid to bring the whole family. It’s never too early in life to get the kids into heavy metal.
If You Go >>
What: Two Tides Metal Fest 2023
When: 4-10 p.m., Nov. 24
Where: Two Tides Brewing Company, 12 W. 41st St.
Cost: Free
Info: twotidesbrewing.com
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: All-day metal fest at Two Tides is a family-friendly affair
