LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (A Dire Setback), Info On Their New CD, And This Month's Poll!

We're back with a new news post on this Saturday night, which is devoted to two topics: Our first 2019 retrospective poll of the year, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT concerning an upcoming CD release concert, and all of the pertinent details on the album in question! Here's what you should know!

Local alt-punk trio A Dire Setback will release their long awaited self-titled debut CD on Saturday, March 28th at a release party concert at LopLops Lounge! This will be A Dire Setback's first show of 2020, and of course, this will be your first chance to buy their album before it goes on general sale the following day. Albums will be on sale for $15 on March 28th, with online copies on CDBaby currently advertised at $9.99, though local store availability is to be announced. It's great to see Chris, Matt, and Nick's hard work finally paying off! This is the cover artwork, as included on the Facebook event page and the album's CDBaby page. The originally announced openers were planned to be a one-off reunion of The Din, returning the favour after A.D.S. opened for their 2018 "Dinunion" at LopLops, but they had to withdraw for unannounced reasons (remember that Mike now lives out of province.) Instead, "no genre" trio Handsome Sandwich will open on March 28th!

Fresh off of their return to the stage last week, they should provide an intriguing compliment with their diverse array of covers and sense of humour, so don't be late for their set! At least one additional opening act is to be confirmed. This self-promoted event will feature sound by Crank Sound Distributions, plus Shaw TV's Christian Lemay will be filming (presumably for an OnStage episode), while CD producer Dustin Goodall will be recording the show live, purpose not yet clear. The concert proper will be a 19+ affair with a 10:00 PM start time and a $10 admission fee, though if you pay $20, you will get a $5 discount on the album and CD combined. Tickets can be bought online at this link and at the door where available. As for the album proper, CDBaby features preview samples of all 9 tracks, which include their self titled song, "Everlasting" (no "Despair"?), "Kicking & Screaming", "Drop Dead", "Catastrophe", "Faded", "Forget This Memory", "Endless Dream", and "Nightmares".

Conspicuous by it's absence is "Wasting Away", despite still being in their live setlists. As one of their earliest and most recognizable originals, it would have been nice to hear a studio copy! I'm not 100% sold on the cover art, but this is an exciting time for A Dire Setback, so follow the above links to get more details on the album and CD over the next two months! Before we move on, the guys shared the full studio copy of "Drop Dead" to their YouTube channel on Wednesday, marking our second full look at an album track. Bouncing VU meters aside, this is just a still image. I'll hold thoughts pending our full CD review in the spring, but check out "Drop Dead" below!



We'll close today with our first "favourites of 2019" poll, as we dust off our voting booths for another year! As usual, we will start with this question: What was your favourite new local metal, hard rock, or punk band of 2019? Last year was relatively lean for newcomers in our covered genres, but enough notable names turned up to keep this poll worthwhile! To be included, bands must have made their public launch and played their first local concerts in the 2019 calendar year, which notably excludes St. Ignace's Heavy Lies The Crown and the now-defunct Sault Ontario death metal project Black Cloud, who both launched in 2018 (plus, H.L.T.C. have only played live downstate.) As has always been our criteria for show announcements, open mic nights do not count as live concerts, so Fort Creek did not make the cut either, but you can vote for these or other new-ish bands via selecting "Other". Now, here are your final choices in this month's poll!

The Guitar Gangsters: Local fans were surprised in the fall when this new Volbeat tribute band debuted in time for J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween Party, with a star studded lineup including a non-Belleau reunion of Garden of Bedlam alongside Jack Spades and Papa Fogals Chair alumni. Their one local show to date was very well received, as was their Sudbury trip in late November, but was this enough to win the poll to you?

Mackinaw Trail: One notable yet familiar sight in the E.U.P. was Mackinaw Trail, an originals-focused side project from 3/4ths of existing classic/hard rock cover veterans Highway 63. While ostensibly a studio act, Mackinaw Trail do play live sporadically for bookings when H63 guitarist Nathan Switzer is busy with Heavy Lies The Crown, leading to their live debut at The Rapids Lounge in October. Have Mackinaw Trail piqued your interest the most here?

The Sick Sons: Arguably the highest profile new act of these 5 based on concert scale alone, punk supergroup The Sick Sons made a huge splash by opening for Random Killing & The Ripcordz in their first two concerts, before playing two big holiday season sets at LopLops last month. Featuring Bankshot, Downshift, Northwest, and 12 Gauge Ready alumni, The Sick Sons have all the tools to make a further impression, but would you vote for them?

Stoned To Deaf: Though in existence since 2018, the band has yet to launch a public online page, so their May debut concert (opening for Poison Girl at The Rockstar Bar) is enough to qualify them here. A Rage Against The Machine tribute from Elements bassist James White, they seem to have went over well in their first outing, but they've been publically AWOL since. Were you there to vouch for them in this poll over the other bands?

Tarnished: The most prolific of last year's heavier newcomers, Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished succeeded frontman Alex Traynor's prior group Banned last summer, and soon followed with lots of acoustic sets at unconventional locales (primarily Biggby Coffee) and select full band electric gigs, even hitting the road for Mount Pleasant and Toledo along the way. Tarnished have the dates under their belt, but would they earn your vote?

Other: Did another new band get your attention more? Would you side with 2018 newcomers who only played their first gigs last year, like Heavy Lies The Crown or Black Cloud? Did Fort Creek do it for you despite not playing a formal scheduled show yet? Maybe you prefer a band who hasn't played live at all, isn't metal, hard rock, or punk, or isn't even local? Or did I miss a heavier band here? If your preferred choice isn't listed, vote for "Other"!

VOTE TODAY! You have until February 18th to cast your votes, and hopefully we have some decent totals to kick off this round of 2019 retrospective polls, in spite of the lean rookie class. That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tripp 'N' Dixie, The Lows, And Tarnished) & Weekend Concert Previews!!

It's now time to dive into another batch of weekend concert previews, but on the hard rock front, this is a very quiet weekend, with only two heavier acts to speak of playing live in the area (at least, with advance notice.) To round things out, we have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, two for the summer and a pair for later this month, so here's what you should know!

Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished will play their first Kewadin Casino gig of 2020 when they rock The Signatures Lounge in the Soo TONIGHT in acoustic format, but they also have new shows in the works for later this month! While not yet advertised on the band's own online pages, the Banned successors will reportedly return to The Double D Bar & Grill at Dondee Lanes on Friday, January 31st and Saturday, February 1st, as per the venue's Facebook event page. These will be Tarnished's first Dondee gigs in two months, and their first full-band electric concerts of 2020, so don't miss out on their hard rocking covers then! Expect 7:00 PM start times, 21+ age limits, and no cover there, and see above for more details. In the meantime, Tarnished will be at The Signatures Lounge tonight for a Thursday unplugged matinee (no word on if Alex will be playing solo or with Josh/Nathan), so if you like our acoustic hard rock a little Tarnished, you know where to go!

This is a 6:00 PM event with no cover charge and a likely 21+ age limit. For what it's worth, frontman Alex Traynor did in fact play an afternoon matinee at Biggby Coffee this past Thursday (his birthday), as per the coffee shop's Facebook page, though it was announced on short notice, Tarnished haven't advertised a Biggby show since December 12th, and no one has publically confirmed that Alex/Tarnished is still playing there "every Thursday". If you want to see if he'll be there, visit between 12:00 & 2:00 PM, and my apologies for missing last week's gig! Now, for a preview, here's Tarnished live!

Next up, here are a pair of new Kewadin Casino concerts for later this year, marking the last of our Rapids Lounge hard rock show announcements from their entertainment page, which is updated for lounge gigs through early July. As you may know by now, the Sault Ste. Marie branch is trying a new "Rapids Sessions" series in 2020, with touring bands (as in, not cover acts from Northern Michigan) playing there on select weekends, like BRKN Love last week. Most of the currently scheduled bands are not hard rock or metal, but two such acts will split the June 13th weekend at The Rapids Lounge, starting with Pontiac classic/southern hard rock sextet Tripp 'N' Dixie on Friday, June 13th! Very old school-inspired sound from this band, who would have been right at home in the 1970s, and they have enough harder edged material to go around while also delivering some down-home soul at the same time, so don't bypass Tripp 'N' Dixie!

Unlike other "Rapids Sessions" concerts this year, Tripp 'N' Dixie are not playing on that Saturday, as the June 14th spotlight will instead fall on Detroit hard rock quintet The Lows, making their own local concert debut here. This group brings a more modern, alternative-influenced sound to the stage, and with distinctive vocals, a solid groove, and strong musicianship, The Lows should attract a good audience of their own on this Saturday nighter! It'll be interesting to hear how these and other Rapids Sessions concerts go, so visit the above links to learn more on the acts from abroad playing at the Soo Kewadin this year! Both Tripp 'N' Dixie and The Lows are on at 10:00 PM each night, with no cover charge advertised, and 21+ age limits are to be expected. See above for more details, and keep these two gigs in mind for your live concert plans this summer!

Finally, we'll wrap things up for today by finishing off this quiet weekend of hard rock concert previews, as prolific Sault Ontario hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will continue his ongoing weekly concert arrangement at Gliss Restaurant with acoustic matinee shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! As usual, Tym will deliver another entertaining weekend of classic and hard rock covers to patrons and fans alike at the Spring Street restaurant over these two evenings, so if you're up for some supper-time acoustic action on the Canadian side of the border, you know where to go this weekend! Like any other week for Tym's long-term run at Gliss, expect both of these shows to have no age limit or cover charge (but mind the locale), and each gig will start at 6:00 PM. For more details, visit this new Facebook event page (covering Gliss shows through March), and here's Tym live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

More Offspring/Sum 41 Concert Videos & More Recent Notes!!

Tonight's punk-centric news post at the SMS is mostly devoted to new concert video uploads, but I also have some assorted recent updates to cap things off. Let's start with those videos, as we belatedly have lots of new public footage to share from November's The Offspring/Sum 41 concert at GFL Memorial Gardens! These come courtesy of prolific local concert filmer Christopher Paci's YouTube channel over the past three days, and while they are two months after the fact, I'll gladly take them now rather than never, especially as he filmed all three bands! As far as public footage went, only one other YouTube user filmed Sum 41, and no one else filmed openers Dinosaur Pile-Up, so extra kudos to Chris for posting these! He uploaded 19 videos from this well received show, including 9 of the headlining California punk legends, where you can see them playing their songs "Americana", "Come Out & Play", "Bad Habit", "Gotta Get Away", "Why Don't You Get A Job"(with invading beach balls!), ...

..."Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)",  "The Kids Aren't Alright", "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid", and as embedded below, their closing song "Self Esteem". Chris was among the mass of humanity on the floor, and he had a generally solid angle of the stage, but fans can get in the road of the camera at times. The videos sound good and lively, but Dexter does struggle on some higher notes. Check out these new Offspring videos above and below!



Next up, Chris shot seven videos of Ajax, Ontario punk quintet Sum 41's co-headlining set, including their renditions of "Turning Away", "The Hell Song", "Some Say", "Underclass Hero", "Fat Lip", the last half of "Still Waiting", and as embedded below, a two song clip with the guys playing "Over My Head" & "In Too Deep". Sum 41 sound great on these clips, and their stage lighting is particularly neat, albeit sometimes to the detriment of seeing the band. If you were hoping for more videos of Sum 41 in November, do not bypass these clips above and/or below to see what went down!



Lastly from the Gardens, Chris filmed three songs from opening English alt-hard rock band Dinosaur Pile-Up's set, including part of "Round The Bend", their hit single "Back Foot", and as embedded below, "Thrash Metal Cassette". Energetic and often heavy performances here, Dinosaur Pile-Up are rightfully gaining a solid profile, and it's great to see some local videos finally, so check out Chris' uploads above and below!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• In a Facebook page post on New Year's Eve, reunited local punk quartet The Inner City Surfers revealed that they have a Toronto concert in the works for this year, though they did not give a timeline for the release of their new singles. Toronto was the band's partial homebase in their original run, so it'll be great for fans down south to see them again! Hopefully we hear more from their camp in the coming months!
• Local punk trio Redundant will play their first advertised concert of 2020 when they play at night #13 of this year's Bout Music Festival in Toronto on March 27th! While advertised as a "festival", this is more accurately a multi-night battle of the bands, where 95 different musical acts will be competing for a top prize of $12,000, with 6 bands sent to the finals in May. Sounds like an intriguing opportunity for Redundant, and good luck down south! Click here for more on the March 27th concert, which features four other bands.
• Last week, in their first Facebook page posting in over 18 months, inactive local "blue Chinese metal crash punk" quartet Sykotyk Rampage posted a picture of an eye chart with a caption saying "Sykotyk Rampage Live 20/20 Vision Tour January 9th, 2020."  The post seems to be cryptic by design, but in any event, I did not hear of any new band-related info last Thursday, let alone a concert tour. Unless new material or plainly citable activity surfaces from the cave, I'll leave Sykotyk Rampage in our inactive band links, but hopefully they do return in some form!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and weekend concert previews in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

An Inactive Band Note, New Videos, And More!!

Before we begin this post, I'd like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Rush drummer and author Neil Peart, who passed away this past Tuesday at the age of 67, after a three year battle with brain cancer. The news spread quickly around social media and the rock music community, and understandably so, given Neil's impact as one of the greatest drummers of all time, and as a key member of Rush from 1974 through their final concert tour in 2015. Older local fans may recall seeing Neil play live with Rush at the former Sault Memorial Gardens thrice from 1975-1977, shows that received some renewed attention locally in the past week. Neil's passion and skill level was unrivaled, as was his courage to return to music & writing in the wake of his wife and daughter's deaths in the late 1990s. With his drumming ability and classic lyrics, Rush wouldn't have become what they were without him, and he will be deeply missed. R.I.P. Neil!

Today's post otherwise dives into recent video postings and an inactive band note, and we'll start there, as I have moved local extreme metal band Winkstinger back to our inactive band links. The group has not issued a public update since their last announced concert at December 2018's True North Talent Entertainment multi-genre Christmas concert at Soo Blaster (their Facebook page shared archive photos from the early 2010s last year, but it wasn't maintained during their last active run as a band.) After taking a year+ hiatus, Winkstinger returned for a third active run in August 2017, which saw the return of Ryan Sherman on bass and the debut of Twistory's Josh Amendola on vocals, taking the band into full death metal territory as a result. The new lineup played 7 recorded concerts in the latter halves of 2017 & 2018, including sets at the first two Oh!No festivals, the "Trading Faces" split release show, and concerts headlined by The Faps & The Costanzas.

Given their lack of an online presence in their 2015-2018 reunions, it's always possible that Winkstinger are just lying low again, but it's been well over a year since we last heard anything from their camp. Of course, you can still see constant members Jesse Cook & Jonas Gasperas with The Elements, while Jonas frequently guests with Jesse's acoustic band The Wyld Stallyns, so don't miss seeing them there, and best of luck to them, Josh, Ryan, and other former members in the future!

Next up, here's some newly discovered live videos of local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck from one of their Reggie's West concerts earlier this month! Filmed by SaultOnline's Mike Caruso for his YouTube channel, these are the only heavier-leaning concert videos he has uploaded in the past month, but definitely give his channel a look to see other live videos from veteran cover acts as of late! Despite the outdated band photo at the beginning of each video, these do feature Soundcheck with their new singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver. Regarding the covered songs, one has Soundcheck covering David Wilcox's "Riverboat Fantasy" (with guitarist Terry Eaton on vocals), which is particularly notable because it's the full song, rather than the bookends of their Travis-era cover medley. The others have Cameron singing, and they are of The Eagles' "Take It Easy" and, as embedded below, Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son".

Overall, these videos sound good, and Cameron seems to be acquitting himself well to Soundcheck so far! His distinctive voice works well on southern rock and country songs, which presumably bodes well for Reggievelt gigs in particular. Alas, bassist Paul Belair was largely obscured by that post on stage once again, I wish they could do something about that. Give Soundcheck's new videos a look above & below!

Finally for today, here's some new drum cover videos from former As It Stands mainstay John Mignacca! These were uploaded to his "Flo McNasty" YouTube channel in the past 6 months, which is otherwise focused on video gaming footage (more or less). John will be most familiar locally from his hardcore drumming, and was most recently seen as Jesse Merineau's new live drummer, but his new covers are largely distant from his band work. Since last summer, John has covered songs by A Day To Remember, Machine Gun Kelly, , Maroon 5, Justin Bieber, and Merkules, but embedded below is his cover of "2001" by Mike Froh, the former frontman of past Oddfellows Hall headliners The Holly Springs Disaster. John's videos are strongly recorded with good usage of multiple camera angles, and he plays with energy and skill, as you would expect! Very eclectic group of songs, but there are some glimmers of metal and hardcore within, so give John's new drum covers a look above & below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Half Stupid

It's now time for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile at The Sault Metal Scene! This monthly feature looks at one or two randomly selected metal, hard rock, or punk acts, in order to spotlight them and their active run for current readers. Our first selection of the year is a talented young group from the late 2000s across the river, so here's what you should know on them!
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Half Stupid

Genre: Grunge/Alternative Rock

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Members:

Zac Crook (Plastic), vocals/guitar
Matt Williams (Plastic), bass
Jordan Gendreau (Twisted Manikin), drums

Audio/Video: Half Stupid reportedly recorded one EP in the fall of 2009 at Power Slug bandmates Bob Helsten & Chris Leask's studio Claustrophobic Sound. The EP featured four songs, but it is long since out of print, and I cannot find a streaming or download copy online. YouTube channel deletions & privatizations haven't helped, let alone MySpace's heavy overhauls in the 2010s, but their posthumous Facebook page does contain 3 live videos from a Big Bear Arena concert in 2009. Here they are playing "Be My Angel"!

Info/Analysis: Launched in 2007 with their MySpace page following in the summer of 2008, Half Stupid brought a 1990s grunge sound to the E.U.P. in their relatively brief run, which saw them play a handful of regional concerts. including Malcolm High School functions and at least two multi-band festivals at The Big Bear Arena. Self-described as sounding like a "melodious racket" and creating "music with some substance", surviving details are in short supply nowadays, but Half Stupid abruptly announced their dissolution in January 2010, shortly after their EP's release. Zac & Matt would later reunite in the mid-2010s alt-rock band Plastic, while Zac has since achieved renown as a solo musician and as the owner of Crooked Music, and teasers have been made regarding posthumous studio material in 2019. Half Stupid delivered their own raw throwback sound with gusto and aggression, and it's a shame that they didn't last longer,as they had real potential!

I really enjoyed their music in their heyday (especially "The Pit & The Pendulum"), and at a time when No Arrow activity on the Canadian side of the border was waning, Half Stupid filled the grunge niche very well, and everyone seemed to compliment each other nicely! That said, Zac has shown more growth and maturity as a solo musician in the 2010s, but hopefully those teasers for new Half Stupid songs do conclude as planned. Check out what you can of Half Stupid at the above links!
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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! This series will return to Sault Ontario for our first Canadian installment of 2020 next month, when our latest randomly selected band will be mid-2010s grunge/hardcore punk duo Bad Back! Look for that on or around February 10th, and for more news and updates on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (BRKN Love, Handsome Sandwich, And Soundcheck), And Weekend Concert Previews!!

The second concert weekend of 2020 is drawing near, so let's tackle another busy weekend on the site today! As it turns out, most of this weekend's hard rock/punk shows are courtesy of SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you should know in rough chronological order!

Toronto alternative hard rock quartet BRKN Love will make their local concert debut TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino! Apologies for the short notice, this got held from our recent Kewadin show announcements due to it's timing. While it's nothing unusual to see Canadian bands (Touch of Class) or non-local bands (Peril/Scarkazm) playing at Kewadin lounges, this is different, as BRKN Love are a young original-focused band that doesn't primarily tour in Michigan. In fact, Kewadin have indicated that these shows are part of a series called "Rapids Sessions", implying that more touring rock bands may be heading there, and based on who's coming over the June 12th weekend (more info coming), it'll be interesting to see how these plans develop. BRKN Love themselves have an intriguing modern alt-rock that sound with a lot of bass and an indie sensibility that would be right at home on Rock 101, so don't bypass them this weekend!

Hopefully Justin and company attract a strong crowd at the Soo Kewadin TOMORROW & SATURDAY! A later start time of 10:00 PM is advertised for both shows, which still have no announced cover charge despite the nature of these concerts, but expect these to have 21+ age limits as usual. This is definitely a change of pace for The Rapids Lounge from their usual Michigan cover band focus, and I hope these concerts go well so that the casino brings in more touring acts like this. Visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and here's BRKN Love live!



Next up, let's head north to Sault Ontario, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to The Esquire Club for concerts of their own TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, these concerts were only announced via their Facebook event page on Tuesday. While advertised as Soundcheck's first Esquire Club show(s) of 2020, they just played there two weeks ago, so west end fans won't be lacking for their array of classic and heavier hits. Look for another batch of fan favourite covers here TOMORROW & SATURDAY! 9:30 PM start times are advertised for these 19+ concerts, which have no cover charges. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's a new video of Soundcheck at The Water Tower Pub on New Year's Eve! This was posted onto the band's Facebook page on Tuesday, marking their first official video upload with new singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver.

The video features most of Soundcheck's cover of 3 Doors Down's "Kryptonite", which strikes me as a newer set addition coinciding with Cameron's addition last fall. The cover is solid, and Cameron's distinctive voice is a good match, but the vertical camera angle is unfortunate, and attending fans block most of the band's view (though they are obviously having fun.) Give this new Soundcheck video a look, and don't miss them at The Esquire Club TOMORROW and/or SATURDAY!

Also this weekend, local alternative/punk (if genre-averse) trio Handsome Sandwich will return to the stage on SATURDAY NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! Apologies again for the short notice, this concert was only announced via the venue's Facebook event page on Tuesday. This concert is surprising in many ways, as Handsome Sandwich have not posted a public update on their Facebook page since May 2018, and they have spent the past 18 months only playing sporadically, sometimes in an unannounced jam setting. As a reminder, Handsome Sandwich feature The Bear Hunters' & Jack Spades' own Johnny Belanger on vocals & drums alongside Elements bandmates Jesse Cook & James White, though they are no strangers to guest performances, like when James' Stoned to Deaf bandmate William Wardlaw sang with them in their last public gig in June. How much stage rust will Handsome Sandwich have on SATURDAY? Be there to find out!

You can take in Handsome Sandwich's loose and irreverent set on SATURDAY at 10:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no announced cover charge. While it's odd that the band hasn't newly plugged this show online themselves, it's encouraging to see Johnny, Jesse, and James back with a well-advertised concert date, so don't miss all of the action, and here they are live!

 

Finally for today's weekend concert previews, here's a pair of shows with lots of advance notice, as prolific local hard rock solo musician Tym Morrison will return to Gliss Restaurant on Spring Street for even more acoustic matinee entertainment TOMORROW & SATURDAY! Of course, Tym's long-term arrangement at Gliss remains a successful and steady sight downtown, so if you want some unplugged classic and hard rock hits with your dinner, you know where to go this weekend! As usual for Tym's many, many concerts at Gliss, expect these to have 6:00 PM starting times, no cover charges, and no age limits, but remember that this is a formal restaurant, not a nightclub, so keep that in mind. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Just Heart, The Elements, And Tripod The Dog), And More!!

We got crushed with a lot of new LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS on social media today, so let's tackle the non-late notice ones in tonight's post! Look for the rest on Thursday in our weekend concert previews. I also have some assorted notes to wrap things up, but for now, here's what you should know for these concerts in chronological order!

Local ska-punk/hard rock trio Tripod The Dog will play their first publically advertised show of 2020 (that I know of) when they headline at The Rockstar Bar on Saturday, January 25th! After a successful first year back as an active live band in 2019, Mark and the Amendolas should be raring to go with another set full of high energy covers, allegedly by popular demand, so if you missed their gigs last year, don't sleep on this one! Yes, this is advertised as a one-night-only event, though if it's due to a conflicting booking on Friday the 24th, I have not heard about it at press time. As usual for The Rockstar Bar's one local band-only events, this is a 19+ concert with no cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time (though doors open at 8:00.) Whether you recall Tripod the Dog's original run in the late 1990s and early 2000s, or are new to the party, their set always delivers a good time, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details when/if they roll in!

Next up, we're not done at The Rockstar Bar, as local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements will play their own first show of 2020 on Friday, January 31st there! While arguably better known as a support act on multi-band events, The Elements are no strangers to being solo headliners on the weekend nightclub circuit, but there is a frill to note at month's end, as this concert coincides with frontman Rob Speers' birthday. Sounds like a fun way to celebrate the occasion, and hopefully he, Jesse, James, and Jonas deliver lots of hard rocking covers and originals for assembled fans in three weeks' time! For the record, I have not heard who's playing at The Rockstar Bar on Saturday, February 1st (if anyone) as of this writing. Like with the Tripod the Dog show, expect a 9:00 PM start time, no cover, and a 21+ age limit. Visit the official Facebook event page for more information, and stay tuned for more updates from The Elements and/or The Wyld Stallyns!

Lastly for today's new concert announcements (also at The Rockstar Bar), Toronto-based Heart tribute band Just Heart will make their local concert debut here on Saturday, April 11th! Almost six years after the real Heart rocked the future GFL Memorial Gardens, this tribute will hit Sault Ste. Marie with a faithfully attired and choreographed stage show, and from what I have seen and heard, Just Heart should deliver the goods for fans of Ann & Nancy Wilson and company and their long career of classic hits! Potential local openers have not been announced. Once again, this is a 19+ concert with a presumed 9:00 PM start time, though admission will be $20 via advance ticket purchases at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk (it is not clear if the price will jump at the door or not.) Classic hard rock fans won't want to miss this action, so visit the Facebook event page for more details!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, all courtesy of recent postings on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group. As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• On Sunday, drummer Craig Koziar (who recently moved to the Soo) posted here looking to start a new project, citing progressive music and bands ranging from Animals As Leaders & Gojira to Fleetwood Mac & Radiohead as influences. Assuming it's the same Craig, he previously played in Toronto and Halifax-area bands like Forgetting All I Know, Iduna, and Writers Strike, among others. He's a talented drummer from what I have seen, and message Craig at this link or above if you're interested in working with him!
• Jack Spades guitarist Daniel Horton is looking to start a new local band (he is flexible on the genre), citing recent inactivity for his two active bands as a reason for the search. One has "a broken drummer", and the other apparently "doesn't make time to jam", though I'll let you speculate on which is Jack Spades or the mystery newer band of his. If you're interested in working with Dan in a new project, message him at this link or via yesterday's group post!
• Local guitarist Rainey Rancourt is looking for a drummer (aged 13-19 years old) for his current band project, who play "metal/punk." This follows a search he posted here in November for a singer, though it's not clear how far along the band is other than that. Message Rainey at this link or via his group post yesterday for more information on the drummer opening!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and more on the site soon! Thanks everyone!