New Videos And More Recent News & Updates!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to send our deepest condolences out to the family and friends of Joni Radford, who passed away early yesterday at the age of 30, after a six year battle with breast cancer. A known punk fan, SMS readers may recognize Joni from her guest backing vocal appearance with local hardcore punk veterans Destroilet on their cover of The Rebel Spell's "Murderers" (as seen on 2015's "Fed Up!" split CD), while this sad news comes just over a year after a benefit concert in her name at The Canadian Nightclub, where Redundant, A Dire Setback, and Stegadeth took the stage to help raise money for medical expenses. I didn't know Joni well, but her courage, determination, and positivity throughout her illness was wonderful to see, especially in light of family health issues I've experienced in recent years, and I'm sure she fought this horrible disease as long as she could. Our best goes out to all that knew her, and stay tuned to local news media for information on services when appropriate. R.I.P. Joni!

Now, today's post is otherwise a catch-up one, with just some assorted recent stories to touch on, starting with a new video from local/Thompson, Manitoba hard rock solo artist Mike Haggith, as shared to his Facebook page yesterday! Shot in "selfie mode", Mike made this video to acknowledge milestones and his already highly eventful month of January 2019, which included his debut music video, his first FM radio appearance, and nearing 500 likes on Facebook, and he encouraged viewers to follow along on social media for what he hopes will be a big year. Nice video that outlines his recent successes, so give it a watch below, and stay tuned at the end for outtakes!



Next up, here's a couple of long overdue hard rock cover videos posted onto local classic rock cover band Obsession's YouTube channel two years ago! We cover this veteran band (featuring singer Valerie Powley, bassist Jim Michaud, and drummer Steve Porco) on the SMS when footage of them tackling heavier songs turned up, and I do apologize for these having to wait so long for coverage on here. Back in January 2017 at The Water Tower Pub, the band made their first concert appearance with ex-That's Chester guitarist Gabe Tessaro, and six videos were posted from that show, including Nick Gilder, Bob Seger, Janis Joplin, and Elle King covers. The other two are heavier, including renditions of Heart's "Barracuda" and, as embedded below, Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz". Audio can be a little muffled, but Obsession sound lively and proficient on these covers, and Valerie's singing is as strong and passionate as ever! Give these and more a look 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 or event name:

• The Fishbowl Festival will indeed return for a fourth year next month, as per their new Facebook page! The Pisces-timed arts & concert festival was a staple event at the now-closed Gore Street Cafe from 2016-2018, and while a host venue hasn't been confirmed for this year, remember that organizer Nicole Dyble and her promotion company Dryer Fire have been highly active since then at the MS Norgoma museum ship. Will we see hard rock or punk concerts back between February 20th & March 20th after being absent last year? Stay tuned for updates, and the festival is now linked with other festivals on the SMS!
• Local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades' 2014 debut EP "The First" was belatedly reviewed by Jon Dunn of the blog Outlaw Review last week, where he positively commented on it's "well placed harmonies with a fast paced driving sound", and he recommended it for people "with eclectic tastes looking for something new but familiar." It's great to see Jack Spades' first album still making fans abroad five years later, so read the whole review at this link!
• After taking a public hiatus from music updates since June 2018, local hard rock solo artist Mike McCleary announced on his Facebook page this month that he is writing and recording again, and apparently already has another EP ready, possibly named "Propaganda Model." He also shared two new songs from his Soundcloud page, namely "The Hand That Feeds" & "Opposite Opus", which both explore heavier metal territory than we've seen from Mike. These sound promising and have a nice fast pace with brutal riffs, but will these be on said EP, and how far along is it? Stay tuned for updates at the above links!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site as the week rolls along! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Dave Evans & Soundcheck), Plus New Videos!!

Let's get a new news post up on this very cold Saturday afternoon, and it's packed with some big stories, including a new teaser for an upcoming event, new video footage of a new local band, and leading off, here's two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for early 2019 that are big in very different ways!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will be among the performers at the Soo-Lebrity Showcase Saturday concert at The Machine Shop on Saturday, February 2nd! Organized by (Choose) Maxx Entertainment, this intended-to-be annual event will take place as part of this year's Bon Soo Winter Carnival (which begins the previous day), and it will unite local bands, local artists (photographer/promoter Josh Pace among them), and local craft beer for one high profile event. In fact, you could call this a mini-sequel to Toystock (if more adult in tone), as all four of the bands on February 2nd performed at the last two Toystocks, so fans of that event may want to take extra notice! Soundcheck will co-headline Soo-Lebrity Showcase Saturday at 9:00 PM, preceding country rock veterans Bone Yard at 10:00 PM, with their acoustic side project The Bearded Lounge and fellow unplugged country notables The Jeff & Jeff Show kicking things off at 8:00 & 7:00 PM each.

Admission is free with the purchase of a $7 Bon Soo button, and while an age limit wasn't stated, the presence of craft beer may just say it all. It's great to see a local performer-friendly concert back at Bon Soo this year, and while I do think that the outdoor Marquee concerts never lived up to their full potential, everyone can stay warm with the bands while enjoying local art and beer at the same time! Visit the official Facebook event page for more on the Soo-Lebrity Showcase in two weeks' time!

Next up, here's a surprising but very intriguing concert announcement, as original AC/DC frontman Dave Evans will make his Sault Ste. Marie debut on Saturday, May 4th at The Rockstar Bar! Diehard AC/DC fans will know that Dave Evans was their lead singer in 1973 & 1974, and featured on their debut single before being replaced by Bon Scott. While he didn't feature on the vast majority of AC/DC recordings, he does renditions of Bon-era songs live, as well as the two tracks from the above single, select originals, and outside covers. Dave's voice is deeper and somewhat more melodic than his successors, and while he didn't stick around long with AC/DC, it'll be interesting to hear how he handles these classic songs locally! In fact, his backing band will be an actual AC/DC tribute band named Thunderstruck, and while the Facebook event page indicates that they're from Australia, I've seen conflicting posts online about which specific AC/DC tribute named Thunderstruck is playing on Dave's 2019 Canadian tour.

No word at press time on potential opening bands. This 19+ concert has an 8:00 PM start time, and tickets run for $16 in advance at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk, or $20 at the door. Regardless of how long he was in the band, it is very cool to see an original member of AC/DC on a local stage, and hopefully this show is a hit come the spring! See above for more details!

Also today, here's some new videos from new local Tool tribute band Parabol, courtesy of their live concert debut at the aforementioned Rockstar Bar on October 27th during that weekend's Halloween Party! Uploaded to their Facebook page on Wednesday, these feature the then-unnamed band covering "The Pot", "Schism", and as embedded below, "Sober", which we hadn't previously featured here from prior videos shot that night. Camera angles are inconsistent (only "Schism" is filmed in landscape orientation, and the other two can be quite crooked), but their authentic sound and proficiency comes through nicely on each, so give these a look!



Finally, did you notice that the Facebook event page cover video for the Northern Film Showcase on January 27th at Shooters Downstairs Lounge was quietly deleted from our post from last Sunday? Well, organizers McBully Productions opted to replace it with a new video hyping three more music videos to be screened at this special event later this month. As embedded below, it confirms that local death metal band The Bear Hunters' new video for "I Fear No God" will be featured at this event, alongside new videos from solo artists Renee Landry and Britta Wolfert. Nice to see (at least) 8 diverse local music videos on the docket, and get more details at the above links!



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

Our Poll On Your Favourite New Local Metal, Hard Rock, And Punk Bands Of 2018!!

With 2018 now in the rear view mirror, let's try our year-end polls on the site again! Vote totals last year weren't very high at all, but we'll see if things turn around this time out. As usual, we are starting by posing this question:  What was your favourite new local metal, hard rock, or punk band of 2018? Last year was a lean one for debuting bands on the heavier spectrum, but enough launched, especially in the latter half of the year, to warrant this poll returning. To be included in the poll, the band must have publically launched AND played live in the 2018 calendar year, hence why Fluid 5ive (who launched way back in 2016) and Awokest (who dropped out of their sole advertised show last year) missed the cut. It's also worth noting that I can't confirm the genre range of new (and online page-less) Sault Michigan trio Roadhouse, so I opted not to include them. Of course, if we missed your preferred choice, "Other" is back too!

Lastly, in the poll form proper (on the right of the page), I specified which bands were tribute bands, just as a means of helping readers recall who they were, as upon their debut, only one of them had a publically acknowledged name on social media. Now, here are your choices in alphabetical order!

Coral Fang: Debuting at night #1 of last October's Halloween Party at The Rockstar Bar, Coral Fang are the Distillers tribute band from Jack Spades/Stegadeth bandmates Tiffany Stocco & Johnny Belanger, alongside A Dire Setback's Chris Nielsen and Destroilet's Adam Larocque. The band received positive notices at this show and at their LopLops gig with The Cover-Up last month, but would you agree that they're your favourite new local band of last year?

Parabol: Though they remained unnamed until this month, many fans felt that Parabol stole the show in their live debut at night #2 of the aforementioned Halloween Party with their authentic and proficient tribute to prog-metal legends Tool. Featuring ex-Late Shift bandmates John Barber & Anthony Gagnon alongside Odd Man Out's Steve Myers and Skeyes of Seven's Al Fletcher, this band has the skill level to go far, but did you like them more than the other options here?

Poison Girl: Tiffany & Johnny were very busy on October 26th, as they launched two new cover bands that night, including the HIM tribute Poison Girl alongside Stegadeth bandmate Bill Bennett and Machines Dream keyboardist Brian Holmes. Individual local covers of the Finnish gothic rock standouts are rare enough, so Ville Valo fans certainly ate up Poison Girl's debut last fall, and while more shows haven't yet followed, did you see enough then to vote for them in this poll?

Re:Born: The only poll option that is not a tribute band, Re:Born are the new power rock band from Project 421's Blair Burch & Frank McGillivray, Eclipse's Fred Dunn, and The Din's Brandan Glew, with the now departed Robert Nevitt singing at all three of their 2018 gigs. Sets opening for Archelon & All The Wasted Years gave them strong exposure, and while their 2019 debut with new singer Elly McWatters is up in the air, did their initial shows earn them your vote over the tribute band trio?

Other: Did we miss your preferred new band of last year? Should we have included Fluid 5ive their pre-2018 launch? Did a band that never played live in 2018 impress you more, like Awokest, Hubbard, or Tattoos & Scars? Are Roadhouse a heavier rock band? Maybe you preferred a new band that isn't hard rock or punk based, or even one that's not local? If, for whatever reason, we didn't include the band you want to vote for, pick "Other"!

VOTE TODAY!! You have until February 18th to cast your votes, and it'll be interesting to see which band comes out on top after a quieter than usual year for local metal and punk band debuts. That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes this weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Elements & Chase Wigmore) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

It's now time for another round of weekend concert previews for your hard rock delectation! Barring further late announcements, we have three batches of shows to get to in the area this weekend, but we'll start with two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one on SHORT NOTICE!

Local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements will headline a special karaoke-infused concert at The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this concert only came to our attention via advertising on the venue's physical marquee boards on Wednesday. While Friday karaoke nights have been teased and promoted at varying levels this season at The Rockstar Bar, the Facebook event page for TOMORROW'S concert clearly states that The Elements' set will be married to the karaoke aspect, as attending fans are encouraged to come up and sing with The Elements as the live backing band. One assumes frontman Rob Speers will sing when no one's ready to join in, and likely host in between time. This may call to mind Mourning Wood's brief 2015 run of Thursday jam/open mic nights at The Rednecks Saloon, but unlike those, The Elements will be playing each song, rather than handing off to new performers at unknown times.

In any event, this will be The Elements' first public concert appearance of 2019, and first show since their Chili Peppers tribute turn at the same venue last month. They should be in fine form with their alternative, funk, and metal covers TOMORROW, but who will sing with them, and what? Find out then! There is no cover charge for this 19+ concert, which has a 10:00 PM start time. See above for more details, and here's The Elements live!



Next up, remember that poll that Chase Wigmore's Facebook page ran on January 4th that asked if fans would be interested in attending a free show at The Rednecks Saloon this month? Well, 77% of fans voted in the affirmative, and the show will take place on Saturday, February 2nd! Originally planned for this Saturday before being postponed two weeks "to make thing a little easier", Chase is calling this a "free concert/jam" that will include "various acts", though it's not clear whether they're all intended to be a mystery, or if the search for performers is still ongoing. The presumed headliner is Chase himself, who will perform his rock opera "A Story About A Kid Named Todd" in full for his first public concert set of the year, and if you've seen that in action, you'll know that his intense storytelling will appeal to both folk and metal fans! Of course, we'll let you know if other acts are announced.

This FREE concert has a 19+ age limit and early advertised start time of 8:00 PM. There's a lot of unknowns as of yet for this concert, but Chase's irreverent stage show and extreme musical diversity alone should be worth your attention next month! Visit the Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

Also, let's continue with this weekend's concert previews by moving to Gliss Restaurant, where prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will continue his long-term weekly arrangement with acoustic matinee concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY! Fans of his unplugged live shows should be in fine company on these two evenings, and if you like your hard and classic rock covers in a more intimate setting, this should be worth a trip either night! Tym's prolific setlist and solid talent should seal the deal, and you can take in all of the action tomorrow and/or Saturday at 6:00 PM. Both shows are free with no stated age limits, but remember that this is a formal restaurant, not a typical nightclub venue. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, here's Tym live, and stay tuned next week for details on his February concert schedule at Gliss and elsewhere!

Finally for this weekend(?) is the 2019 debut of Sault Michigan classic/hard rock quintet Highway 63, as they are advertised to return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Just as a heads up, Highway 63 have not acknowledged these shows on their Facebook page, and have only posted there once in 2019 so far, via photos of studio updates they recently made. However, these shows are still advertised on Kewadin's entertainment page, so we will treat them as on unless otherwise stated. These are Highway 63's first advertised concerts of the new year, and their first at the St. Ignace Kewadin since 2017, and just their second & third gigs since bassist George Belleau, drummer Justin Lawless, and keyboardist Brian Drumheller joined the Switzers in the group. How will the new-look band sound this weekend? Head to The Northern Pines Lounge either night to find out!

As usual for Highway 63's prior Kewadin gigs, expect these shows to have 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 21+ age limits. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Highway 63's old lineup live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site this weekend, plus a new poll tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (OZbourne), Two New Local Bands, A New Album, And More!!

We're back with a new news post on this Wednesday morning, and it includes some assorted recent updates, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, and first, two new additions to our band links, one with a new album, so without any further adieu, here's what you should know!

We have another new band to add to our active links on The Sault Metal Scene, and they are Parabol, the name finally bestowed upon the local Tool tribute band that debuted last fall! Taking their name from the Tool song "Parabola" (though they were briefly known as Lateralus upon their Facebook page's launch), fans will remember this band's live debut at The Rockstar Bar during the second night of last October's Halloween Party, with a headlining encore taking place at the same venue last month. There's very little posted on their page as of yet, but assuming there's been no quiet lineup changes, they are comprised of former Redefined/Driving Dave Home singer John Barber, Wild Iris/Odd Man Out guitarist Steve Myers, Skeyes of Seven bassist (and John's former Fingerbone bandmate) Alain Fletcher, and ex-Groove Committee drummer Anthony Gagnon (who also played with John in Late Shift.)

It's great to see the guys keep this tribute going with a permanent name, and as anyone who saw them at The Rockstar Bar in late 2018 will attest, their brand of Tool covers was extremely proficient and entertaining, and they put in the time to ensure that the songs sounded just right! If Coral Fang and Poison Girl can become actual bands following Halloween, why not Parabol? Become a fan of theirs at the above links!

Next up, here's a surprise: A Chase Wigmore solo album with a paid online release! Rather than his free EP postings and sporadic physical pressings, he has released an apparent paid debut album for his experimental metal project Awokest via their new Bandcamp page, which is sufficient to add them to our active band links as well! Still using the ribald alias "Dick Jerkins" in Awokest, he describes this project as an "experimental metal band (that) shifts between genres", with "old school industrial" cited alongside phases of black metal and grind. Though ostensibly a solo project, Chase/Dick alluded to frequent membership changes, despite never indicating any identities. The album itself is not the forthcoming "12 EPs of Christmas" entry named "The Mostest Awokest", rather a full studio album named "Enter the Nightlands", which features 10 songs, including "The Tweakening", a carried-over title from the free EP of the same name.

Chase certainly knows how to stay busy, doesn't he? Strange Coyotes aside, Bandcamp wasn't on my radar for his studio work, but it's great to see a digital download album of his there, and you can buy it for $7 right now. Also, "Enter the Nightlands" is now the favourite to be our next CD review on The Sault Metal Scene, so look for that later this month! I'll hold comment on the album until then, but fans of his diverse material will want to check it out above or below via a new upload on Chase's YouTube channel!



Also, here's that LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as Winnipeg-based Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath tribute band OZbourne will make their local concert debut on Friday, March 29th at The Canadian Nightclub! To my knowledge, this is the first Ozzy/Sabbath tribute band to hit Sault Ste. Marie since Blizzard of Ozz played at The Canadian in 2011, so fans of the Prince of Darkness have been waiting a long while for a comparable local tribute show, and this should make up for lost time. OZbourne call themselves "The Ultimate Ozzy Experience", and from the videos I've seen, they look and sound the part, and Ozzy lovers should definitely consider a trip to The Canadian in March for their faithful brand of old school metal! A cover charge is not yet advertised on the Facebook event page, but a 10:00 PM start time and 19+ age limit are expected. It's great to see The Canadian hosting a metal tribute again, so visit the above links for current details!

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

• Local alt-punk trio A Dire Setback revealed on their Facebook page two weeks ago that they have finished pre-production on vocals for their debut album, and were getting ready to record the final vocal tracks. They also teased that they'll return to the stage "this summer when it's all done." Hopefully things are on track for the album, and stay tuned for updates!
• Elliot Lake promoters AstroRabbit Entertainment are planning on hosting a major metal concert of some kind at the Elliot Lake Airport in early August, with hopes being to attract 10,000 fans. Elliot Lake is over 2 hours east of Sault Ste. Marie, well past our coverage area, but I mention it here because SooToday did cover it yesterday. There are a lot of unknowns regarding this event, including lineup, ticket prices, and the exact date, but there is clear ambition here, and might this be a spiritual replacement for Rock 'n Roar in Spanish? Follow AstroRabbit for more details!
• Local promoters Choose Maxx (or Maxx Entertainment) posted a photo on their Facebook page on Monday featuring the logo for a teased Bon Soo concert event called "Soo-Lebrity Showcase Saturday", which will take place at The Machine Shop on Saturday, February 2nd, and will feature local entertainment, artists, and brew. No word as of yet regarding the full format, lineup, prices, or Bon Soo frills, but there's already some positive buzz, so visit the above links for more details, especially if hard rock bands are in!

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

A New Local Solo Project, Chase Wigmore Updates, And Much More!!

Here's another new post for your Sunday afternoon reading, and it includes some assorted recent updates, the return of the bumped Northern Film Showcase write-up from Friday's post, and the latest from a prolific solo artist, but let's lead off with a new local act that we recently came across!

We have a new local death metal solo project to add to our band links, namely Black Cloud! Publically launching their Facebook page in November, Black Cloud is led by local singer/guitarist Peytan Andreola, who some readers may recognize from musician searches that he conducted in 2015 & 2016. Public details are minimal as of yet for this project, but Peytan has posted four original demo tracks onto Black Cloud's Reverbnation and Soundcloud pages, as well as three videos on their Facebook page, so what can be said on these? The most unique aspect of these songs so far is their inclusion of Shamanic and trance elements, plus what he calls "world drums", so much so that two of his videos are just of him playing skin drums rather than a traditional kit. You'll even here a flute instrument of some kind at times, and "Fade" & "Count The Calling" are the most experimental in the above regard.

The audio quality of the demos isn't pristine, and Peytan should work on the song structures and vocal clarity, but there's enough unique elements here that Black Cloud already stand out on their own merit, and I'm curious to see what he has in store next! Here's Peytan playing Black Cloud's death metal original "Blood Red Hands", and give more a look/listen above!



Next up, here's the latest from local experimental/folk/metal solo artist Chase Wigmore, who posted on his Facebook page on Friday to update fans on his recent studio work. In that post, he admitted that the other four unreleased EPs in the "12 EPs of Christmas" series are complete, but he didn't post them as page likes allegedly dropped while he was posting the first eight, and he apologized to fans who may have been turned off by him posting too much. I can't speak for everyone else, but for someone who covers Sykotyk Rampage and Mike Haggith (two acts who have far more canon albums in their repertoire than Chase), this amount is nothing, and I'm glad to see him pumping out so much new music! Partially thanks to our coverage of the first 8 EPs of Christmas last week (thanks for the positive words!), Chase said that he will get the other four posted, but before that point, he has some teaser material from another EP to share.

As previously hinted, he plans to put out a 27th canon "album" after the 12 EPs series concludes, entitled "Solving The Human Condition", and this (untitled?) teaser track was shared on Friday from it as a Facebook video. The song sounds a little like Chase shredding over top of the sounds of city life and traffic (complete with police sirens), and if nothing else, it's a nice showcase of his guitar skill and soloing! How will the full release turn out? We'll let you know when more goes public, but give Chase's new upload a listen below, and stay tuned for updates, including on the teased Rednecks Saloon show later this week!



Also, here's some information on an upcoming event that has some SMS-relevant content! Prolific local bassist & filmmaker Nathan (Jonna) Bouliane and his local/Ottawa company McBully Productions are hosting their second annual Northern Film Showcase on Sunday, January 27th, and following last year's surreal/fantasy theme event, this year's will be centered around music videos from local artists. The idea is to unite local musicians and filmmakers for networking, collaborations, and exposure therein, and students, filmmakers, and musicians are encouraged to attend. There will be a music video viewing party, live performances to be announced, and some industry experts will speak about the music industry and how filmmaking and video production can play in. The cover video on the Facebook event page confirms that Mike Haggith's video for "The Nature of The Times" will be screened, alongside videos from Mike Mikus, Jackson Reed, Kalle Mattson, and Audiosmile.

No word on if we'll see more videos than these 5, and for reference, Audiosmile are the new EDM/rock project from Anthems vs. Oceans' Dave Hunter. The Northern Film Showcase will be held at Shooters Downstairs Lounge (formerly Breakaway Bar & Grill) at 69 Dennis Street, just down the road from The Oddfellows Hall, and it is a 4:00 PM matinee, with tickets available for $10 at this link & presumably at the door. There are some unknowns yet, but this sounds like an intriguing way to spotlight musicians and video producers alike, and hopefully there's a great turnout in two weeks! Give the full cover video a look below, and see above for more details!



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

• In a post thanking fans for their successful return shows at The Rapids Lounge this weekend, Sault Michigan hard rock quartet 415E noted on their Facebook page this morning that "we'll see you in a month." No word as of yet when or where the presumed show(s) will be, but there are four weekends in February you may want to keep an eye on until a public reveal!
• I have restored Sault Ontario death metal solo project Gorrifier to our inactive band links! As you may recall, this was headed up by Pillory frontman/Id Iota bassist Robert Sartini in 2014, but their initial Reverbnation page was quietly deleted by year's end. Well, Gorrifier quietly launched a new Reverbnation page at some point after Pillory's 2016 reunion, so they're back at last. I don't believe Gorrifier have fresh updates, so they'll remain in our inactive links at the moment, but Rob's six brutal death metal instrumentals are still highly worth checking out at the above links!
• Local/Thompson, Manitoba hard rock solo artist Mike Haggith was interviewed on Thompson adult contemporary station 102.9 CHTM on Friday morning! The interview was conducted by DJ Maxwell Healey, where they discussed "The Nature of the Times" and Mike's upcoming album "Bridges", and his single was also played, marking Mike's debut song appearance on FM radio. No word on if the interview was recorded for posterity, but it's great to see Mike getting more exposure and recognition in Thompson!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (White Cowbell Oklahoma, Soundcheck, And Tym Morrison), And Concert Previews!!

(Updated at 7:12 PM) Before we begin this post, I wanted to note that SooToday's events calendar erroneously lists Reggie's West concerts this weekend from The 3 Day Millionaires, despite that classic/hard rock band's dissolution last summer. Bone Yard have confirmed that they are playing there this weekend anyway, so just a heads up! Now, along with this weekend's previews, let's begin with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, largely on SHORT NOTICE! (To slot in a very late notice announcement without making this post too long, I've reluctantly bumped our Northern Film Showcase write-up to our next post. It will return, I promise!)

Joining his regular ongoing Gliss Restaurant gigs TONIGHT & TOMORROW, local acoustic hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will play Room 21 for the first time this year TONIGHT as well! Apologies for the short notice, Tym only announced this show (and four others in later months) via their Facebook event page this morning. Similarly to his Gliss and Roadhouse Bar & Grill gigs, Tym has already confirmed his concert schedule at Room 21 for the first 5/12ths of 2019, as he'll play one (Fishbowl?) Friday a month at the bar above Low & Slow through the end of May. Of course, due to the amount of Tym's announcedconcerts, we will take these a month at a time, so look for future gigs later, but don't miss his Room 21 return TONIGHT! That concert is sandwiched between his usual Gliss matinees, so look for more unplugged evening rock on Spring Street this evening and tomorrow as well! Those two shows are 6:00 PM matinees with no cover or age limit.

As for TONIGHT'S Room 21 show, expect a 10:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no cover charge. It's great to see Tym staying busy with even more concerts being announced with lots of advance word (TONIGHT aside), so you have ample opportunities to see him in early 2019! Don't miss out at Gliss or Room 21 this weekend, and for a preview, here's Tym live!



Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will reportedly return to The Esquire Club for concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced via singer/guitarist Terry Eaton's personal Facebook page just this evening (and as is unfortunately too common, neither the band nor venue publically announced the shows online that I've found.) This will be Soundcheck's second concert weekend out of three spent with concerts at this popular Second Line West venue, and despite the late notice, hopefully Terry, Travis, Paul, and Glen have a great weekend full of hard rocking classics TONIGHT & TOMORROW! As usual for their Esquire Club stops, these concerts have 10:00 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

Also, Toronto southern hard rock sextet White Cowbell Oklahoma will return to Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday, January 26th when they headline at LopLops Lounge! Fans of W.C.O.'s theatrical & hard hitting blend of originals have been waiting over four years for their return, following their Rockstar Bar show in November 2014, and it's great to see them back for a third go-around in the 2010s! In fact, the band has a direct local tie now, as former Detroit/Maximum RNR guitarist Curtis Faux has been a member of White Cowbell Oklahoma for the past two years, so there's a neat bonus for fans in two weeks! With a new album "Seven Years of Sleaze" and the marking of their 20th anniversary as a band this year, expect a great show for their local return! You can read more on the band and this tour via this new Sault Star article by Brian Kelly with frontman Clem Clemsen, which is an entertaining read for longtime fans, so check it out above.

As of this writing, an opening act is still to be announced, but the above Sault Star article hints that "some form of dance entertainment" is expected during the night. This will be a 19+ concert at 9:00 PM, and tickets are $20 at this link and presumably at the door. The relatively short notice is surprising, but if you like your hard rock with fire, angle grinders, and chainsaws, this is a highly recommended concert to help ring in 2019 with, so visit the Facebook event page and the above links for more details!

Finally, let's wrap up this weekend's previews with the return of Sault Michigan hard rock quartet 415E to the stage after a lengthy hiatus TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rapids Lounge at the local Kewadin Casino! Fans haven't seen 415E on a local stage since rocking the St. Ignace Kewadin in June 2017, and with an 18 month layoff, how has their set evolved? In any event, their lineup has evolved, and while their Facebook page has not confirmed any names yet, personal Facebook postings heavily indicate that bassist Brett Blackwood & drummer Jason VanLuven have joined the band, replacing Mitch Goetz & Tony Hubbard. Fans may recognize Jason from work with recent rock groups like Paradise Excuse, Chump Change, and Bucksaw, and while Brett is an unknown commodity to me, his father Fran was Clownsack guitarist Butter Cookie as well as a familiar musician out of costume.

If nothing else, the pedigree is there for Brett, and I'm curious to see how he performs! Postponed a week due to scheduling conflicts, this weekend's 415E shows are 9:00 PM events with 21+ age limits and no cover charges. It's great to see Dave and Chris bring a new look 415E back after a long break, and it'll be interesting to see and (hopefully) hear how they do in 2019! Visit the above links for more details, and here's 415E Mk 1.0 live!



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