Comeback Kid Give Hometown Fans A Treat Before Hitting Road

02/16/07 6:30pm

by Jen Zoratti (CHARTattack)

Comeback Kid are ready to unleash their new album — and they plan on doing it right.

The Winnipeg-based hardcore outfit will unleash Broadcasting... at a blistering hometown CD release party at the Garrick Centre on Saturday night. It's a date that's long been penciled on the calendars of scenesters eager to snag an early copy of the explosive new record, which officially comes out on Feb. 20. Fans will be able to grab a copy of the disc (which is included in the $16 ticket price) and get a chance for them to see a hot hometown favourite before they tour the hell out of their third outing.

"To be honest, it's a mission to do a show in Winnipeg," singer Andrew Neufeld says. "It's hard to get any cool bands to play with us. We thought it would be a good idea because we knew we'd be on tour for a while."

Broadcasting... was recorded at The Blasting Room in Colorado in November and should pique the interest of fans who've been with Comeback Kid since their inception in 2002. Neufeld took over vocal duties when original frontman Scott Wade amicably left the band last March. Guitarist Jeremy Hiebert, drummer Kyle Profeta and bassist Kevin Call enlisted Minneapolis-based touring guitarist Casey Hjelmberg to gig with them so that Neufeld could focus on perfecting his scream during shows.

Although there have been minor blips of backlash from hardcore fans who claim that Comeback Kid just aren't Comeback Kid anymore, most of the early feedback has been thumbs up. But the band, who had jitters about heading back into the studio, are more than pleased with how the record turned out.

"It definitely exceeded our expectations," Hiebert says. "I went into it feeling quite nervous.

"I mean, it was a new songwriting approach and new frontman. It's not so much that I didn't have faith in Andrew. Andrew is such a versatile vocalist. You're going to see a lot of that in the record. I think he did a great job."

Comeback Kid will play a few headlining shows in Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands before teaming up with Alexisonfire for six dates in U.K. in late February and early March. The quintet will then take their frenetic live show across eastern Canada later in March.

Here are Comeback Kid's Canadian tour dates:
Feb. 17 Winnipeg, MB @ Garrick Centre w/Sick City, Regret, Dirty Work
March 8 Toronto, ON @ Kathedral w/This Is Hell
March 9 Ottawa, ON @ Babylon w/This Is Hell
March 10 Montreal, QC @ Foufounes w/This Is Hell
March 11 Quebec City, QC @ Imperial w/This Is Hell
March 12 Trois-Rivieres, QC @ Makisart w/This Is Hell
March 14 Sydney, NS @ Sydney River Fire Hall w/This Is Hell
March 15 Charlottetown, PEI @ The Arts Guild w/This Is Hell
March 17 Halifax, NS @ The Pavillion w/This Is Hell
March 17 Halifax, NS @ The Attic w/This Is Hell