LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (415E & The Wyld Stallyns) And More Weekend Concert Previews!!

As promised, we're capping off this weekend's hard rock concert previews with this post, though we are leading off with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one on SHORT NOTICE! Yes, I am well aware of a big concert announcement at Soo Blaster, stay tuned for info on that very soon. Now, here's what you should know for those new shows!

Local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will return to The Whiskey Barrel for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only acknowledged the show via their Facebook page earlier today, but the venue had advertised it all month as part of their February schedule announcement, as seen on the shows' collective Facebook event page. I must get better at following The Whiskey Barrel's monthly concert schedules, apologies again! This will be The Elements side project's first concert since playing at LopLops two weeks ago, and it picks up where they left off when they played another Friday nighter at this popular Gore Street restaurant/nightclub last month. No word on why they're not playing on Saturday, but look for more hard rocking and varied covers TOMORROW from The Stallyns! Expect an 8:00 PM start time, no cover, and a 19+ age limit. See above for more details, and here's The Wyld Stallyns live!



Next up, here's a show that the band gave some reasonable advance notice to, as Sault Michigan hard rock quartet 415E will play at The Hilltop Bar in nearby Sugar Island on Saturday, February 29th at that venue's Leap Day party! This is a very surprising announcement in two respects, one being that this is the first 415E concert in a long, long time while that wasn't under the Kewadin Casino umbrella (at least, not that had a public announcement online.) It'll be interesting to see how Dave, Chris, Brett, and Jason are received here! The other unique aspect is the locale, as seeing a hard concert announcement in Sugar Island outside of the annual Music Festival there in August is completely new for us. The Hilltop Bar is a long-time ticket depot for that event, FYI. The pictured cover photo from the bar's Facebook page indicates that said Leap Day party will have a heavy emphasis on their restaurant offerings, but they have yet to confirm 415E as the live music (the band did that on their Facebook page.)

No cover charge is advertised for this event, and while start times aren't advertised either, Hilltop Bar events usually begin at 7:00 PM, and the bar proper opens at 10:00 AM. The address is 5393 Sugar Island Road. 415E's hard rocking covers should go over well at this relatively unfamiliar venue next Saturday, so see above for more details!

Moving to the rest of this weekend's concert previews, let's stay in the E.U.P., as The Hair Scare Live is hitting The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! A special concert named after the popular 1980s metal radio show on Rock 101 on Saturday nights, this is an event that you may want to see in person rather than just turn on your radio, and it will be headlined by former Cinderella frontman Tom Keifer in his first local stop since Cinderella played here in 2011. Tom and his solo band should have plenty of Cinderella classics like "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)" in store, so don't miss out! Support will come via Maryland glam/hard rock quintet Kix and Los Angeles hair metal veterans Faster Pussycat, both in their apparent local concert debuts. Genre fans will surely know many hits from both bands, from "Don't Close Your Eyes" to "House of Pain", so expect lots of throwback action!

As best as I can tell, Hair Scare host and Rock 101 morning DJ Scott Cook will be on hand as the MC on Saturday, which is only logical given the branding. Presented by Meridian Entertainment, this all ages & 7:00 PM concert still has limited standing room tickets available for $25 and premium seats available at higher prices, so visit this link, the in-person box office, or at 1-800-KEWADIN to get hooked up. The Dreammaker's Theater has always been very kind to hair metal, as have fans, so this should be a great concert! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tom Keifer live!



Finally for this weekend, let's wrap up back in Sault Ontario, and if you can't get to The Hair Scare Live, Canadian fans aren't completely out of the woods on SATURDAY NIGHT, as Oshawa-based Bon Jovi tribute band Bon Jovi Forever will return for this headlining concert! Bon Jovi fans are in good hands here, as this tribute is making their third local concert appearance on Saturday, following well recieved gigs here in May 2016 and this past October. With a faithful looking and sounding stage show for fans of their early hair metal classics and newer, more general rock output, you should find something to like from B.J.F. in their third local go-around! Might they already have Bon Jovi's new single "Limitless" in their repertoire? As was the case last year, this is a 19+ concert with doors opening at 9:00 PM, and tickets run for $15 in advance at The Canadian's front desk, $20 at the door. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Bon Jovi Forever live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Most Of This Weekend's Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

Another busy concert weekend is upon us, so we're breaking up our previews into two posts once again! Due to the amount, we're bumping Saturday night's Tom Keifer/Kix and Bon Jovi Forever concerts to our next post, coming either tonight or tomorrow, with other news and/or short notice show announcements rounding things out there. Now, here's what you should know to start this weekend in rough chronological order!

We'll start with the expected continuation of Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished's "every Thursday" arrangement at Biggby Coffee, as we should see them back for another matinee acoustic concert TODAY! Unfortunately, neither the band nor venue have plugged any installments of this series on social media this month, but when the shows don't really change week to week, maybe they don't feel they have to regularly, barring a change or timing perk. "Every Thursday" means what it means unless otherwise stated, I would assume! Look for Alex (and Josh or Nathan?) at the Ashmun Street establishment once again this afternoon at 12:00 PM rocking out for tips and coffee, and as usual, this is an all ages event with no cover. Tarnished have a strong hard rock base and clear talent, so whether this is Alex alone or with company, don't miss out! See above for more details, and here's Tarnished live at Biggby Coffee last year!

Next up, let's take a detour to Sault Ontario, where another weekly run of acoustic matinee concerts continues TOMORROW & SATURDAY at Gliss Restaurant courtesy of prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison! However, that's not all, as Tym will play his second concert at Northern Superior Brewing Co.'s on-site taproom THIS SATURDAY AFTERNOON, so you have three chances to see Tym's acoustic covers downtown this weekend! Tym's Gliss run is long established for fans, but he only just debuted at the 50 Pim Street brewery last month, and by accounts I have read, that show was a hit. Another usually busy weekend is in store for Tym and his fans, so keep all of the action on Pim and Spring in mind for these two days! The Gliss gigs are at 6:00 PM sandwiching Saturday's Northern Superior show at 3:00 PM, and while these don't have stated age limits or cover charges, mind the locales. Visit the Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Tym live!



Also this weekend, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to The Rockstar Bar for headlining concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Not counting last week's fill-in as hosts of Mojo's weekly jam night, this will be their first true concert weekend since rocking the Reggievelt three weeks ago, and this will mark their Rockstar Bar debut with their current lineup, last playing there before Cameron joined. Soundcheck proper have not verified these shows publically, but the venue's Facebook event page has that covered, so look for another strong weekend of hard rocking and increasingly varied covers from this veteran outfit tomorrow and/or Saturday! No word as of yet on Soundcheck's next gigs after this weekend, we'll keep you posted when the band or venues announce anything, hopefully with reasonable notice. As usual for Soundcheck's Rockstar Bar gigs, these shows have 10:00 PM-ish start times, no cover charges, and age limits of 19 or older. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live in concert last year!

Finally for today's concert preview post, we'll head back to Sault Michigan, where Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm will return for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at The Rapids Lounge at the local Kewadin Casino branch! Last seen in the E.U.P. when Scarkazm played at this same venue early last month, this is the second of three straight months where they're coming to the Soo for a full weekend of hard hitting cover action, though their sister band Peril were just in St. Ignace last week (video footage forthcoming.) Adam, Dave, and Jeff should have another great weekend of tunes in store for local fans this weekend, so don't miss out on either night this weekend! As usual for their local road trips, expect Scarkazm to be on at 9:00 PM both nights, with 21+ age limits and no announced cover charges in effect. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Scarkazm live in concert in their own right!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Hair Scare Live and Bon Jovi Forever previews (and more) on the site next! Thanks everyone!

Last Month's Poll Results & Our Newest Poll!!

It's now time to close down last month's poll and launch a new one on the SMS, as we continue our "favourite _____ of 2019" polls! Last month, we posed this question to you guys: What was your favourite new local metal, hard rock, or punk band of 2019? Alas, we only received four votes since January 18th, but there is a very clear result, so how did it break down?

I won't bother giving the full results here as usual, as all 4 voters gave us a unanimous result, with new local punk quartet The Sick Sons receiving all of the selections. I'm not surprised that they won, given their live prominence in the back half of 2019, but even in our low voted polls like this one, usually there's at least one dissenter! That all said, 2019's was a light year for debuting bands, with The Guitar Gangsters & Stoned To Deaf only playing live once each publically, while Mackinaw Trail and Tarnished were disadvantaged by Sault Michigan readership being lower than Sault Ontario's. In hindsight, I should have included The Uncanny Valley in the poll, given that they did technically debut live in 2019 (December 31st), but I didn't know what they played before this poll launched, and no one voted for "Other" anyway. In any case, The Sick Sons are deserving winners, following their well received sets at the Random Killing and Ripcordz concerts, with LopLops support gigs ahead, and don't miss them at A Dire Setback's CD release show next month!

Thanks to everyone for voting! As for this month's poll, I am posing this question to you guys: What was your favourite new local metal, hard rock, or punk album released in 2019? While there wasn't a lot of high profile heavier CDs released locally in 2019 with wide physical distributions or big launch parties,  we still got a lot of new paid album releases in this 12 month span from a wide array of local talent that you can pick from here! To make the poll, an album or CD must have been released for sale between January 1st and December 31st of 2019, with paper sleeve demos, free downloads, and albums exclusive to YouTube or Facebook videos excluded. Given the relatively unique occurrence of two qualifying albums being released and pulled from the marketplace last year, I will include them here as they were on sale at one point, though their current status is worth noting when you're deliberating your choices. Of course, "Other" is back as usual if your preferred choice isn't here. Now, here are your final options in this month's poll!

Alex Traynor - Crazy World:  The debut solo EP from Tarnished/ex-Banned frontman Alex Traynor, and a rare album release from a live concert-playing Sault Michigan-area hard rock act in the 2010s, "Crazy World" received a positive reception from local and downstate fans with it's modern rock energy and songwriting, but would you pick it as your favourite of last year?

Either of Awokest's debut albums: A busy 2019 for prolific Sault Ontario solo musician Chase Wigmore notably featured the paid debut albums from his experimental/death metal project Awokest, including his compilation debut "Enter The Nightlands" in January and the all-new studio alhum "Solving The Human Condition" in April. Mixing techno influences with extreme noise metal, Awokest made a strong first impression as a paid album act, but would you vote for them?

Black Cloud - Abstract Sounds: The experimental metal solo project from local guitarist Peytan Andreola, their debut demo "Abstract Sounds" was released on Bandcamp in June, before being taken down during a brief hiatus late last year. The project quietly resurfaced last month, complete with the demo returning on YouTube, but not in paid form. A work in progress with clear promise throughout, would you cast your vote for Black Cloud's debut?

Either of Chase Wigmore's formal debut albums: After years worth of free EPs and loose demos, the aforementioned Chase Wigmore finally released what he calls his debut folk/punk studio album "Songs To Punch Yourself In The Face To" in December, and just two weeks later, he followed that with another digital album, the death metal-focused "One Last Act of Defiance". Harbouring lots of intense material for fans on both sides of the coin, would either earn your vote here?

Crucify the Whore - Crucifiction Inquisition: Capping off a quiet but escalating late 2010s, the local goregrind solo project put out the aforementioned 5 song lo-fi EP last February, featuring more of the brutal minimalist grind that Blood Shed Productions followers have known and loved over the past decade. C.T.W.'s newest solo release won't win over the unconverted, but would it get your vote in this poll?

Heavy Lies The Crown - Scatter Brain: Despite still not playing a public concert in the Eastern U.P., new St. Ignace progressive metal band Heavy Lies The Crown have had a steadily rising profile downstate in 2019, and that peaked in September with the release of their debut EP "Scatter Brain". Featuring some early 2000s nu-metal influences and a solid musical base, H.L.T.C. are on the rise, but can you vouch for "Scatter Brain" in this poll over the rest?

Mike Haggith - Ashes of K (Official Motion Picture Soundtrack): The postponement of his "Bridges" album meant that local/Thompson, Manitoba hard rock musician Mike Haggith released no new studio albums in 2019, but he did release the soundtrack to the 2018 Windsor, Ontario independent film Ashes of K on his Bandcamp page last year! Featuring 7 solo songs and 4 from The Din, the music holds up, but would a soundtrack compilation be enough to vote for over the competing CDs?

Mike McCleary - Propaganda Model: Prolific local solo musician Mike McCleary has largely been quiet in 2019 amid personal and outside concerns, which included his newest solo album "Propaganda Model" (released in February) being taken down later in the year for planned reworking. While very political in it's lyrics, Mike's solid musicianship and songwriting was on full display, and hopefully he resurfaces with new music in the future! Did you hear this album enough to vote for it?

Other: Did we miss an album you'd rather vote for? Was your favourite new local album of 2019 from a non-metal/hard rock/punk act, a free release, or even unfinished? Did I just neglect to include something? If, for whatever reason, your preferred new album isn't included above, vote for "Other"!

VOTE TODAY!! You have until March 18th to cast your votes, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top here, hopefully after more than 4 votes roll in! That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site soon, including weekend concert previews! Thanks everyone!

Acoustic Heartstrings Concert Videos, Plus A Solo Musician's Return!!

As we did yesterday, this post is largely devoted to musicians who played at Acoustic Heartstrings at the now-closed Room 21 this past Friday night, but in this case, we're actually looking at the show proper, courtesy of videos live-streamed from the venue's Facebook page that night! We also have a video to close from a resurgent local solo musician, but to start, let's relive that Valentine's Day unplugged concert at Room 21, albeit without videos of pop rock quartet Big Mistake. Even if they tackled a hard rock cover, they weren't filmed that night for Room 21's page, alas. We'll start with local punk/alternative trio Handsome Sandwich, who were filmed twice that night, including covers of 'N Sync's "Tearing Up My Heart" (you read that correctly) and, as embedded below, Blink-182's "Aliens Exist". Much more casual than their regular sets, especially in regards to Johnny's drum setup, but the guys are clearly having fun with these renditions, and that 'N Sync one took me a bit to register, so good work on their part! Give these a look above & below!



Next up, Room 21 also filmed debuting local hard rock quartet The Bridge Heads covering System of a Down's "Lonely Day", which won't be a shocking development for fans of these musicians, given that their predecessors Eclipse's last show was as a one-off S.O.A.D. tribute band at J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween party in 2017. A short 78 second clip, this won't be representative of their electric sets to come, but everyone adapts well for the occasion, and they are well dressed too! Unlike Handsome Sandwich's Johnny Belanger, drummer Chris Thompson played his part on a cajon. Give The Bridge Heads' first public video a look below!



Finally from Acoustic Heartstrings, this isn't of any of the actual scheduled bands, but this video was filmed before Big Mistake's headlining set, and it's of Handsome Sandwich bassist James White in a rare vocal/guitar appearance! Here, he and an uncredited percussionist are covering the second half of Alice In Chains' "Nutshell" followed by Rise Against's "Hero of War". The vocals are a little rough, but this has an authentic yet laid back nature despite the heavy lyrics, and it'd be interesting to see James in this mode more frequently! Give both covers a look below, and see more above!



Finally for today, a prolific local progressive/hard rock solo guitarist has re-emerged with new music, namely Mike Cliffe! While his Audiofumes podcast remains on visible hiatus, Mike has quietly been uploading new music onto his Reverbnation page over the winter, and while Reverbnation's usual lack of providing dates on material and posts is one of my pet peeves of that service, the first four listed songs there appear to be new. The songs include the experimental "Space Junk", the self-explanatory "Blues-In-T", and two songs with out of town collaborators. If I had to point to one for hard rock fans, it'd be "BWH1" featuring Washington drummer Bill Ray, but if you recall Mike's diverse influences and technical nature, there will be a lot to like if you crawl through his posted songs, new and old. As well, Mike posted his first new video in almost two years onto his YouTube channel last week, and it's entitled "Rock Funk Fusion", which features four different small windows of Mike recording separate tracks.

I like the funk sound and upbeat melodies here, and this is an easy track to like, but is this just the tip of the iceberg for Mike's return to his solo music in 2020? In any case, he's back in our active band links. Give Mike's new songs a listen above and below, and stay tuned for more from him and/or Audiofumes when any news rolls in!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for last month's poll results and our new poll on the site next!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Anti-Queens, The Apocalypse Afterparty, The Bridge Heads, And Handsome Sandwich!!)

Today's news post is 100% devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (all with plenty of advance notice too!), and there are a lot of familiar faces to go around here, from prominent local musicians to previously seen touring acts. Here's what you need to know in chronological order!

Local "no genre" (if alternative/punk-leaning) trio Handsome Sandwich will play a pair of solo headlining dates at The Rockstar Bar on Friday, February 28th & Saturday, February 29th! Fresh off of their unplugged set at the (reportedly) now-closed Room 21 on Friday, this will be a rare advance notice opportunity to see Johnny, Jesse, and James on stage in a weekend bar band capacity with no advertised opening acts. What kind of set will be on display from this curiously named trio at month's end, and will it be as irreverent in humour and cover selection as their other post-return gigs? Be at The Rockstar Bar next weekend to find out! As usual for single band local gigs at this venue, these are both 19+ engagements with no cover charges and likely 9:00 PM start times. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for more from their camp as it rolls in (they even updated their Facebook page for the first time in almost 2 years yesterday!)

Next up, the other two bands from Friday night's Acoustic Heartstrings concert will join forces the following week at the same venue, as new local hard rock quartet The Bridge Heads and acoustic pop rock quartet Big Mistake will rock The Rockstar Bar on Friday, March 7th! Both bands (each featuring Jack Spades guitarist Daniel Horton) made their public live debuts on Friday, so this will be a way for fans to see how both bands are developing. Big Mistake will likely not be too different thematically from night #1, being acoustic by design, but this will be our first chance to see Haggith/Eclipse successors The Bridge Heads with plugged in instruments and a full drum kit. This should be an intriguing way for fans to see two new (yet familiar) bands on stage in one fell swoop, so don't miss out! While this is also a 19+ event, the Facebook event page unfortunately lists a $5 cover charge, as well as a later 9:30 PM start time. Should be an entertaining yet diverse night of music, so see above for more details!

Also new next month, the aforementioned Handsome Sandwich and rap/metal trio The Apocalypse Afterparty will hit LopLops Lounge on Friday, March 13th as the local support for Thunder Bay post-pop mainstay Jean-Paul de Roover and his backing band The Bandaid Solution! Self-described as "alt rock prog pop", the backing band is new to me, but Jean-Paul is no stranger to the Soo, having played here solo at least six times since 2009, most recently at LopLops last October. I wouldn't say Jean-Paul crosses the hard rock line, but he is renowned for his energetic live sets and diverse blend of styles in his original material, including pop rock, acapella, and electronic influences. It's great to see him back in the Soo once again! Of course, the local acts will provide some heavier and punk styles, with Handsome Sandwich getting a tune-up before opening for A Dire Setback there two weeks later, while this will be The Apocalypse Afterparty's first public concert set not affiliated with The Soo's Got Talent since their minimally advertised pop-up gigs in 2017.

No word on if Alice will be back on second bass next month, but this should be a solid showcase for The A.A.'s own energetic genre blending sound! For what it's worth, the Facebook event page lists Jean-Paul and his band in the middle slot, implying that The Apocalypse Afterparty are closing that night, but there's been no elaboration on that front. A 10:00 PM start time is advertised for this 19+ concert, which has a $10 charge at the door (no word on online ticket availability.) This sounds like a fun concert with something for everyone, so visit the above links for more details!

Finally for today's new concert post, all-female Toronto punk/grunge quartet The Anti-Queens will return to Sault Ste. Marie when they headline at the aforementioned Rockstar Bar on Saturday, May 23rd! This will be The Anti-Queens' first local concert appearance since headlining at this same venue back in July 2016, though they headlined on short notice after guitarist Valerie Knox's other band Black Cat Attack had tour van issues. Four years later, The Anti-Queens are the featured headliners from the start, and their hard hitting brand of modern punk should get a solid audience at The Rockstar Bar in three months! While not yet listed on the Facebook event page, it was created through local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades' Facebook page, heavily implying that this will be their first concert since their tour run with Random Killing in September. Surprisingly long layoff (Tiffany moving acknowledged), but they opened for The Anti-Queens last time and should do great again here!

Another opening act is to be announced, but for reference, the second local band in 2016 was the now-defunct Project 421. Promoted by Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce, this 19+ concert has a $10 cover charge (up for $5 in 2016) and a 9:30 PM start time. Punk fans will want to circle this date on their calendars, and with this one in close proximity to my 31st birthday, this might be a good way to celebrate! See the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

The Rest Of This Weekend's Hard Rock Concert Previews, Plus New Videos!!

(Updated at 4:07 PM) As promised, here's the second half of this weekend's hard rock concert previews, and again, these all had advance notice! To fill things out, I have added details on some new videos from a prominent local solo artist, but here's what you should know for the remainder of your concert plans over the Valentine's Day weekend!

We'll start in St. Ignace, Michigan, where Traverse City classic metal trio Peril will return for shows TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT at The Northern Pines Lounge at their Kewadin Casino branch!  Playing just their third and fourth concerts of 2020 this weekend (following their Soo Kewadin stops last month), these will be Peril's first bookings at the St. Ignace Kewadin since November, and this veteran group should have another solid pair of hard rocking covers in store for Yooper fans tonight and tomorrow! No word on if they'll have any Valentine's Day song selections in their repertoire, but it would make sense for at least tonight. Both of these shows have no announced cover charges and 9:00 PM start times, and as usual, these have age limits of 21 or older. For more details on this weekend's Peril concerts, visit the above links, and for a preview, here they are live!



Next up, we'll head slightly north to The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino for that venue's first major touring hard rock concert of the 2020s, albeit in acoustic format, as Mr. Big frontman Eric Martin and Trixter bassist P.J. Farley will hit the stage TOMORROW NIGHT! Hair metal fans will know Eric from his vocals on Mr. Big hits like "To Be With You" & "Just Take My Heart", but this will be a stripped down unplugged concert with him also playing guitar, much like his recent solo shows have been elsewhere. On this night, P.J. Farley will accompany him on bass (might they tackle some Trixter classics?), while Eric's Facebook page reveals that Nashville freelance artist and percussionist Ben Hans will also guest with them on Saturday. This will be a big change of pace from Kewadin's usual hair metal concerts, but Eric, P.J., and Ben have the musical chops to make this a can't miss attraction for genre fans!

Also, I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge this Facebook teaser video to hype this concert, courtesy of Fozzy frontman and AEW Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho (yes, that Chris Jericho.) He missed the plural in the venue name, but never mind, it's Y2J! This 8:00 PM and all ages concert has tickets for just $12.50 ($15 for premium closer seats), and you can buy them at 1-800-KEWADIN, this link, and at the in-person box office. This will be a nice appetizer before The Hair Scare Live next weekend, so see above for more details, and here's Eric Martin in concert!



Lastly for this weekend, let's go back to Sault Ontario for a huge concert THIS SUNDAY NIGHT at The Sault Community Theatre Center, as British Columbia hard rock/post-grunge quartet Theory of a Deadman will make their long awaited Sault Ontario return on this night! While we haven't seen Theory on this side of the border since they opened for Seven Mary Three at the Princess way back in 2000 (thanks, Alex!), Sault Michiganders got the privilege thrice between 2012 & 2017 at The Dreammakers Theater, so if you couldn't see them across then, head to the former Kiwanis Theatre at White Pines Collegiate on Sunday! Touring in support of their new album "Say Nothing" (featuring the rock radio hit "History of Violence"), their new stuff continues down their more varied pop rock path compared to their earlier post-grunge/Nickelback lite material, but expect to hear older hits like "Bad Girlfriend", "Santa Monica", and "Lowlife" during the set as well! No opening acts are advertised. Presented by SL Concerts, this all ages event has a 7:30 PM start time.

As for tickets, I believe they are sold out online, but they were going for $52 presale, and you may want to visit the Sault Community Theatre's box office at the Station Mall or call (705) 945-7299 to inquire about any openings, or check the secondary market. I'm not a huge Theory of a Deadman fan, but I admire their diversity as of late and willingness to expand their sound, and I know they have a lot of fans in Sault Ontario who are highly anticipating this concert! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Theory of a Deadman live at Kewadin Casino!



We'll close today with new videos from prolific local folk punk/metal solo musician Chase Wigmore's Facebook page, which has shared four solo acoustic performance clips in the past few days. In these,he tackles existing originals of his, including "Rites of the Wendigo", "Scabies", "Live To Work/Wear & Tear", and as embedded below, "Psychic Driving." These all appear to have been filmed on the same day, and they all capture Chase's intense and irreverent vocal & guitar work very well, with lots of solid musicianship to go around! His fast, ultra-direct playing is especially fun to see. Give these a look above & below!



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

Half Of This Weekend's Hard Rock Concert Previews, Plus An Apparent Venue Closure!!

Before we begin today's weekend concert preview post, just two quick notes. One is that The Rad Zone re-opens at 721 Queen Street East (the former Foch Cleaners) TOMORROW at 10:00 AM, so head downtown to see how the new storefront looks and to buy some wares once again! I hope to be in myself shortly. The other note relates to this busy weekend's concert previews, as we'll be holding this weekend's Theory of a Deadman, Eric Martin, and Peril concerts for tomorrow's post due to their relatively later scheduling. Look for them then, and now, here's what you should know for half of the hard rock shows this weekend, all with advance notice!

We'll start in Sault Michigan, where local hard rock band Tarnished (or members therein) are expected to continue their "every Thursday" run of matinee concerts at Biggby Coffee TODAY! Alex and company have yet to post an update on their Facebook page in the month of February, and the venue hasn't newly plugged an acoustic matinee for this week either, but "every Thursday" means what it means unless otherwise stated, and both band and venue have went weeks between advertising gigs in this arrangement. As such, expect Alex (and Josh or Nathan?) to be on hand with more unplugged hard rock covers for tips and coffee, so don't miss out on their well received tunes this afternoon! As usual, this show has an early 12:00 PM start time, no cover charge, and no age limit, but mind the locale. See above for more details, and here's Tarnished live!



Next up, a handful of familiar faces will gather at Room 21 TOMORROW NIGHT for a Valentine's Day-themed concert called Acoustic Heartstrings! What originally began as just a seasonal concert has developed extra resonance this month, as Room 21's sister barbecue restaurant Low & Slow (located downstairs) have announced that they are leaving 480 Albert Street West after Friday. The restaurant will re-open on February 21st at 648 Queen Street East (the former J. Caroline's location), and while their announcements did not elaborate on Room 21's future, Acoustic Heartstrings co-promoter Daniel Horton indicated on the Facebook event page that he believes that "this is the last night for Room 21", which has been open since the fall of 2017. I don't know if Low & Slow plans to host concerts in some form in their new location, but hopefully the downtown locale is a boost for their business and operations, even if concerts don't continue there!

As for the concert proper, the three acts are advertised to take part, with the advertised headliners being Big Mistake, the new local acoustic pop rock quartet featuring the aforementioned Daniel Horton on guitar alongside singers Robert Nevitt (ex-Re:Born) & Taylor Emlaw, plus fellow guitarist Rick Atkins. You can hear Big Mistake cover Justin Timberlake's "Say Something" at this link, and while they are a big departure from Dan & Rob's better known projects, they have a lot of talent on hand! Resurgent alternative/punk trio Handsome Sandwich are fittingly sandwiched in the middle slot for this rare unplugged set, and the guys should adapt themselves well to the more intimate setting! Finally, the advertised openers are another debuting new band from Daniel Horton, they being his new hard rock quartet The Bridge Heads, reuniting him with his old Haggith and/or Eclipse bandmates Curtis McKenzie, Caleb Cachagee, and Chris Thompson after 2+ years apart.

While not a fully representative debut set for The Bridge Heads (see them plugged in opening for First Jason in April), this should be a fine way for them to shake off the stage rust, so don't be late! This 19+ concert has a $5 cover, and doors open at 9:00 PM tomorrow. It's sad to see Room 21 close up shop after 2½ years as a reliable source for live musical entertainment in a more casual locale, but hopefully Acoustic Heartstrings sends the venue off on the right notes! See the above links for more on the move/closure and this concert, and here's Handsome Sandwich live!



Finally for today's previews, we'll head downtown to Gliss Restaurant, where prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return for his usual acoustic matinee concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY! After a busy weekend with four shows at three locales, Tym is only visibly scheduled to play at Gliss over the Valentine's Day weekend, and given that the big day is tomorrow, might Tym have some love songs ready to cover for the occasion? In any event, his covers always deliver a positive reception, so if you want some dinner-time cover action, you know where to go! As always, tomorrow & Saturday's Gliss shows are 6:00 PM matinees with no cover charges or age limits, but mind the locale, this isn't a nightclub. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live last year!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Theory of a Deadman, Eric Martin, and Peril concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!