Saturday, January 31, 2009

March 9th Oddfellows Show Update

Hey everyone, I have some updates on one of the shows coming up!

First off, the March 9th show featuring Callahan at The Oddfellows Hall has more bands! Now on the bill for this concert are (once again), Upheaval of an Exorcist, as well as local punk bands The Tenagens and Rowdy In Bed. So this now means that Upheaval of an Exorcist are playing THREE shows in the Sault in the next two months! As for Guttershark, I'm not really sure if they're still on this show or not. Their Myspace says they are, but the Facebook event page doesn't list them. It does say there's more bands to be announced, so I won't call anything either way on this.

Also, ticket prices have been announced! They will be $8 in advance, and $10 at the door! And just like the February 20th show, tickets will NOT be sold the week of the concert! More info and stuff will likely be posted at the Facebook event page as it comes in, so head there and confirm your attendance!

That's all I got at the moment, I'll update this if I find anything else noteworthy today! And just as an unrelated side note, Sault Area Wrestling returns tonight with a FREE show at Algoma University, and you should go support these guys and check it out! Thanks everyone!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, Weekend Concert Previews, and more!

Hello all, it's time for your local concert previews for this weekend! But first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!!!!

Pickford Michigan hard rockers Absolute are playing at The Bird in Sault Michigan on February 6th and 7th at 10:00 PM! Nice to see The Bird putting on shows again, I hadn't heard much from that venue in a while! Absolute sound pretty good, check out some of their covers at their Myspace page! Also, Absolute are NOT playing at Dondee Lanes this weekend, just the next band we're gonna talk about will be!

Now, before the local concert previews, I got a little something to clear up. The Sault Michigan hard rock band I've been calling "Jager 4.0" are actually just called Jager. But when their Myspace and it's URL are referred to as "Jager 4.0", it's easy to miss. So my apologies, I've fixed the name throughout the page! Check out Jager too, they got some great sounding stuff on their Myspace as well!

Now that I have that cleared up, HERE's the local concert preview for this weekend! Jager are back this weekend at The Sportsman's Lounge at Dondee Lanes! They will be playing there at 8:00 PM tomorrow night and Saturday night! If you wanna check out a preview of a Jager live show, here's a video of them performing Finger Eleven's "Paralyzer"!

December 15th, 2007


Also, a couple local bands are hitting the road for concerts out of town this weekend! Sault Ontario's own Lion Ride are playing in Toronto at The Bovine Sex Club with Common Dears on Saturday night, followed by a show in London at Call The Office with The Saigon Hookers the next day! Meanwhile, in the Detroit area, Sault Michigan's own Bad Side will take the stage at TNT's Bar in Clinton Township, supporting SkinDeep! Best of luck to both bands on their road trips!

We're not done yet though, I got some more news! First off, the Guttershark/Callahan show on March 9th is definitely CONFIRMED! Callahan updated their concert dates on their Myspace and the show is listed! So for all you hardcore fans, you might wanna check this one out! It will be held at The Oddfellows Hall, and will start at around 7:00 PM that night!

Also, the official poster for the March 11th Carnifex show has been posted on Facebook! What you guys think? A little dark, but it looks nice!

I also posted the Battle of the Bands on March 20th in the concert listings! I've been noticing a few local metal/hard rock band members showing some interest over at the Facebook event page, which is a great sign! Chance for prizes and exposure + good music = a worthwhile show, don't you think? Plus, there's that rock opera too! Sounds like an interesting show!

That's all I got for now, stay tuned for more metal news!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!!!

I have one, potentially two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!! Now, first off, I just saw this on Facebook, and I figured that, if the right bands sign on, this very well could be a local metal show, so here's what I saw!

The YMCA is putting on a rock opera on March 20th at 7:30 at The Lock City Grand Theater, entitled "Nothing To Do In Sault Ste. Marie", which is (according to the Facebook event page), "putting the ROCK back in ROCK Opera and it even has an army of the undead."

Now, this sounds intriguing enough on it's own, but there's something taking place immediately after it, and if you're in a local band, you might be interested! Immediately after the rock opera, there will be a BATTLE OF THE BANDS!!!

As of now, there are no confirmed bands, but if YOU are in a local band (metal or not) and are at all interested in playing this battle of the bands (or judging, or acting in the rock opera, or in donating prizes), e-mail bradleygriffith@hotmail.com or head over to the Facebook event page that I linked above! There are 5 open slots for bands available, so head there while you can!

Now, the second show (and I apologize for the short notice of this) is TOMORROW, when Sault Michigan's own Free Refill will play at the Horizon Center at Bay Mills Resort and Casino in Brimley! I'm calling this a local concert cause Bay Mills is just a 20 minute drive from Sault Michigan, so it's close enough!

That's all for now, if I hear anything else to report, you'll find it here!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Random Updates

Just some random updates for this post, nothing earth shattering, but I might as well mention this stuff!

First off, I got a bunch of updates on the February 20th Upheaval of an Exorcist show at The Oddfellows Hall! A new band have been added to lineup, Toronto based death metal band Machine of Macabre! They don't sound too bad, check them out! They will join Sudbury hardcore band Guttershark, and local punk bands Talk Shit, The Fury, and Good Morning Gorillas on the lineup! I believe Beyond the Beyond are off the show now as well, just in case you were wanting to see them too.

Doors for this show open at 6:00 PM, and remember that this show is in honor of Big Voiced Records' own Jeremy Hannah's birthday! Tickets are still $8 in advance, $10 at the door! If you're interested, e-mail Sara Kutt at lil_sara_kutt@hotmail.com or Jeremy Hannah at jeremyhannah@hotmail.com!

Next, the Carnifex/Blind Witness/The Last Felony/Upheaval of an Exorcist show on March 11th WILL take place at The Lock City Grand Theater! This show will still be all ages, but the bar and balcony will definitely be open! Ticket prices ($10 in advance, $15 at the door) and starting time (7:00-ish) are no different! When I hear more from this show, you'll hear it here!

And finally, a local band has confirmed two more out of town shows! Sault natives Lion Ride have two more shows in the Southern Ontario area coming up! On Saturday, they will be in London at a venue named "Call The Office" with The Saigon Hookers and Stations! Meanwhile, on April 10th, Lion Ride will hit Duddy's Tavern in Toronto with Sonic Shock! Here's hoping both these shows go well! But of course, before these concerts happen, Lion Ride rock The Bovine Sex Club in Toronto with Common Dears on Friday night!

That's all for now, have a good one!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Ministry of Zen/Fingerbone Review!

Well guys, I have returned from the Ministry of Zen/Fingerbone show last night, and what can I say? It was a great concert, and if you were 19, you should have fucking been there!

The night kicked off with the Sault's very own Fingerbone, and I must say, they did a damn good job! About as good as the last time I saw them! They rolled out a setlist that for the most part, was the same as their first show, but it was a great setlist, with covers of songs by Tool, Godsmack, Helmet, Seether, and many more bands! They sounded tight, the band have great chemistry, and for a second show, they're showing some great promise!

After a bit of a break, London Ontario's own Ministry of Zen took the stage, and rocked the fucking house down! Frontman Doug Robb sang his heart out, and showed tons of energy, even getting on tables, rallying the crowd, and having everyone sing with him! The band definitely seemed like they were having the time of their lives, and they made it clear how much they love playing here! They sounded about as good as they did from Rock 2 Roll last year, and it was nice to see them back around these parts!

Their originals sounded awesome, and after a break, they rolled out a set of covers, including everyone from Journey and Billy Idol to Metallica and Rage Against The Machine! I even got a chance to sing part of "Enter Sandman" when Doug was singing along with the crowd! A whole bunch of people even came to the front of the stage and started dancing and singing along!

Overall, it was a great fucking time, and if you were 19 and weren't there, you definitely missed out! Also thanks to Charles Gibson from Fingerbone and everyone else who came to say hi to me at the show! Nice to see fans of the group say hello once in a while!

As promised, I brought my new camera last night! So if you want to see all the best photos I took at the show, head over to my Photobucket album, which has a couple dozen more pictures! Now, I also took two videos, but my attempts to upload them keep cutting my internet out, so I don't have them ready at the moment, but I hopefully will have them up somewhere very soon!

As for what to expect next on the horizon for local metal concerts, next weekend, Jager 4.0 and Absolute will be rocking out at Dondee Lanes! That's all for today, keep it metal!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!! (Carnifex), And More!

Guess what?! I have a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!! So here's what you need to know!

San Diego-based death metal band Carnifex are coming to Sault Ontario! And if you're a fan of death metal, this should be the show for you! Support bands will be Montreal's own Blind Witness and The Last Felony, as well as (once again), Upheaval Of An Exorcist! This show is scheduled to take place on March 11, at 7:00, and tickets will be just $10 in advance, $15 at the door!

Now, you might have noticed that I didn't mention a venue. That's because there isn't one confirmed yet. The Facebook event page suggests that it might be at The Lock City Grand Theater, but no specific venue is confirmed as of yet! When one is, I'll let you guys know!

Now, some other random updates. First off, I removed the Myspace page for Sault Michigan's The Grape Slushies from the Local Metal Band Links. This is due to a 4 year inactivity, a change of location to Illinois, and what appears to be a genre change as well. So, if you noticed they were gone, that's why!

And, I have added seven concerts to the Out Of Town Concert listings! Shift are playing seven new concerts in Sault Michigan this year, four in February, one in April, and two in July! Also, Integrated System of Machines will be playing at this year's Carnival of Chaos in Stanton, Micgigan! To get full dates, head on over to the Out of Town Concert Listings at the right of this page, and to their respective Myspace pages!

And finally, if you guys went to see Nixxon Dixxon or Graveyard Tan this weekend, let me know with a blog comment, through Facebook, or at robfigures@hotmail.com! As for me, I WILL be at the Ministry of Zen/Fingerbone show tonight, with a full review and photos planned for my return, so keep your browsers pointed here!

Friday, January 23, 2009

Local Concert Previews For This Weekend!

Well everyone, we have five local concerts this weekend, so as usual, here's your local concert previews for this upcoming weekend!

First, we'll head on over to Sault Michigan, where locals Nixxon Dixxon will hit Dondee Lanes for a pair of weekend concerts tonight and tomorrow night! Both of them will take place at 8:00, and knowing how good they sound on Myspace, they should rock the bowling alley to it's core! Of course, if you want to check out some of their awesome cover songs, head on over to their official Myspace page!

Meanwhile, at The Satisfied Frog, Michigan hard rockers Graveyard Tan return to Sault Michigan for two concerts on the same days as the Nixxon Dixxon shows! Both of these concerts will also begin at 8:00, so really, it will all depend on your personal preference as to which bands to check out this weekend! But if you want a preview of the Graveyard Tan concert experience, check out this live video of them performing their song "Genious" from last year!

"Genious" Live @ the Emerald Theatre


And now we'll head back to Sault Ontario, for the first local metal concert on this side in two weeks! London Ontario's own Ministry of Zen are making their grand return to the Soo tomorrow night at Coch's Corner! This is their first show here in a while, and hopefully they'll rock as good as they did at their shows last year! I saw them at the Rock 2 Roll benefit concert myself, and they did a great job! But don't take my word for it, check out this live video of Ministry of Zen performing the song "Another Ride" from a show last year in Toronto!



Support at this show will come from locals Fingerbone, in just their second concert! I saw them when they played with Nebraska Arms and Dirty Virgin last month, and they put on a great set at that show, so they should do awesome tomorrow night! To check out some live video clips of Fingerbone, head over to this link! This concert will roughly start at around 10:30, and there is NO COVER CHARGE! I hope to be there, and I'll take pictures too if I do show up!

And just as a side, a few locals are hitting the road for shows this weekend as well! First off, Bad Side will be rocking out at Kewadin Casino in St. Ignace this weekend for a pair of shows, while Integrated System of Machines will take part in this year's Motor City Metalfest at Harpo's Concert Theater in Detroit! Best of luck to both bands!

That's all I have for today, more to come later on, hopefully!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!!/Upheaval of an Exorcist Update, And More!

Guess who has a LOCAL CONCERT UPDATE for you all!? Well, I don't have complete confirmation on this, but still!

Guttershark, the Sudbury-based hardcore band featuring former members of Three For Fallacy, are apparently playing a show on March 9th at The Oddfellows Hall! Now, here's where I start being unsure of things. According to Guttershark's Myspace, they will be supporting Vancouver-based post-hardcore band Callahan on this show. HOWEVER, Callahan do not list ANY tour dates on their Myspace. I guess one band's word is better than none, but just in case this is a cancelled or unconfirmed concert, I'll mark it with question marks in the concert listings for now!

But, one show I can definitely confirm that features Guttershark is next month's Upheaval of an Exorcist show! They have been added to a growing lineup already that will also feature Talk Shit, The Fury, Beyond The Beyond, and Good Morning Gorillas!

Also, the ticket prices have apparently been raised from $5 in advance, $8 at the door, to $8 in advance, $10 at the door. So, if you got your tickets early, you got lucky! Adding to that, advance tickets will NOT be sold during the week of the concert, so if you wanna save a toonie, get your tickets before February 15th! Remember to e-mail Sara Kutt at lil_sara_kutt@hotmail.com or Jeremy Hannah at jeremyhannah@hotmail.com if you're interested in a ticket!

And finally, SooToday have posted an official event page for this Saturday's Ministry of Zen/Fingerbone concert! To check it out, head over to this link! Remember, this show starts at 10:30 at Coch's Corner, and I hope to be there! That's all for today, have a good one!

Monday, January 19, 2009

Woods of Ypres/Slipknot Updates

Here's a few minor things to update you all on!

If you all remember correctly, Sault Ontario's own Woods of Ypres played at the Adrian Bromley Tribute concert at The Opera House in Toronto on Saturday night! Well, Dallas Coatsworth has uploaded 60 photos taken at the show onto Facebook, a decent number of which feature the Gates/Woods clan! There's some great concert shots in here, as well as some pictures from before and after ths show! It looks like it was a great tribute! Check out the album at this location! R.I.P. Adrian!

Remember our attempts to show that a potential Slipknot show would be successful enough to put on? Well, so far, at least 12 people have posted supporting messages on The Essar Center's Facebook group, as well as starting a topic in the discussion board! Good start guys, keep it up!

Also, I was among a couple who sent a direct message to Trevor Zachary, and I got a reply! He thanked me, and asked if I thought a Slipknot show could pull in at least 2,500 people. I think it would, and I replied accordingly! Cross your fingers, support the cause, and Slipknot could be here before you know it!

That's all I got this morning, I'll hopefully have more later today!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Upheaval of an Exorcist Updates!

Lots of updates on one upcoming concert, so here's what's new!

The February 20th Upheaval of an Exorcist show has been moved from The Lock City Grand Theater to The Oddfellows Hall! (Thanks to Chris West for pointing that out to me!) However, starting time (6:30 PM) and date are no different.

Also, new bands have been added to the lineup! Local punk band Talk Shit are now scheduled, as well as a band called Beyond The Beyond (any info on them from anyone?) Also, Jordan Flesher seems to be off the show now, though it's possible he's in a band on the lineup, but I can't say. They join the previously announced Upheaval of an Exorcist, The Fury, and Good Morning Gorillas! Remember, this concert is in honor of Big Voiced Records' Jeremy Hannah's 19th birthday!

Tickets will be just $5 in advance, and $8 at the door! If you're interested in advance tickets, e-mail Sara Kutt at lil_sara_kutt@hotmail.com or Jeremy Hannah at jeremyhannah@hotmail.com! You can also message them on Facebook, or you can phone Sara Kutt at 253-8752! And remember to confirm your attendance or check out updates and stuff at this show's official Facebook event page!

And finally, a minor correction on last weekend's concert preview post. I posted a live video of Nixxon Dixxon from Sugar Island Fest, but I mistakenly said it was from last year's. It actually took place 2 years ago. My bad! Thanks to Cami Hubbard for the correction!

That's all I got for today, and remember, if you want to support the cause for a possible Slipknot show here in Sault Ontario, join and post at The Essar Center's official Facebook group today! Have a good one, guys!

Friday, January 16, 2009

Do you want to see Slipknot at The Essar Centre!?

Ladies and gentlemen, check out this e-mail sent out by Trevor Zachary from The Essar Centre to members of it's Facebook group:

A few shows in the works. Slipknot at the Essar? How many people attend? I need feedback. As well - we're also working on B&D & ZZTop...

Did you catch that? The possibility exists of a SLIPKNOT concert in Sault Ste. Marie this year! But if you want this to be a reality, then you gotta give feedback and show that you would be interested in going and/or that this show would be successful!

So, to show your support for a possible Slipknot concert at The Essar Center, head over to The Essar Center's official Facebook group and post your support on The Wall! Or, send an e-mail directly to Trevor Zachary through there, whatever you see as most effective! I know one thing, if Slipknot came here, I would DEFINITELY go, no questions asked!

And, just as a side note, I have a concert update for a locally-based band! Sault natives Lion Ride have scheduled a concert on January 30th at The Bovine Sex Club (yes, that's it's actual name) in Toronto, with Common Dears! That's all for today, and remember, YOU can help bring Slipknot here!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!! (Upheaval of an Exorcist)

Ok, I was wrong, I actually DO have something new to mention today! And, it just happens to be a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT! So, let's get things going!

On February 20th, Sudbury-based death metal band Upheaval of an Exorcist will return to Sault Ontario! However, this show will take place at The Lock City Grand Theater on Queen Street! If you saw these guys at the Blessed By A Broken Heart show this month, you should know what to expect, but if not, head over to their official MySpace page to check out some of their originals!

Support will come from local punk band The Fury (They're the ones with two bassists and no guitarist, from Sick Jams For Sick Kids), as well as Jordan Flesher and Good Morning Gorillas (I don't know much about these acts, any help?) This show will be put on by Big Voiced Records, in celebration of owner Jeremy Hannah's 19th birthday party! Ticket prices and additional info have yet to be announced, but the Facebook event page indicates a start time of around 6:30 PM!

Also, I have placed the Facebook group for Big Voiced Records in the Other Local Metal Links section, so now it will be even more convenient to get there from here! Now, I'm pretty sure that's all for today, so have a good one, and remember to check out this weekend's concert previews immediately below this post!

This Weekend's Concert Previews, plus Shift/Woods Of Ypres On The Road!

Hello all! I have nothing "new" locally to report today, but there are some shows coming up, so here's your local concert previews for this weekend!

On Friday and Saturday, Sault Michigan's own Nixxon Dixxon take the stage at The Satisfied Frog for a pair of weekend dates! Both shows will take place at 10:00! These are Nixxon Dixxon's first shows of 2009, and if the songs on their Myspace page are any indication, they should put on one hell of a show! But don't take my word for it! If you want a preview of their live show, check out this clip of Nixxon Dixxon performing the Warrant classic "Cherry Pie" from last year's Sugar Island Fest!

(EDIT: Video removed at Nixxon Dixxon's request, though they promised newer better vids in the future, so stay tuned!)

Now, that's all for shows locally, but a couple of local bands are hitting the road for shows this weekend, so I might as well tell you about them too!

First off, Sault Michgan-based hard rockers Shift will be heading to Christmas, Michigan for a pair of shows at Foggy's Bar on Friday and Saturday! Meanwhile, back in Canada, Woods of Ypres head on down to Toronto for the Adrian Bromley Tribute Show at The Opera House! Most of you probably can't make it to this show, but if you're interested in donating to The Canadian Cancer Society in support, go to http://www.unrestrainedmag.com!

And a final note, congratulations to Metallica, on being included in the 2009 class for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! That's all for today, more news hopefully coming very soon!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

ANOTHER LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!!

Guess what? I have a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, again!! And, it's in Sault Ontario, finally! So, here's what you need to know!

London, Ontario based hard rockers Ministry of Zen are returning to Sault Ste. Marie! They will be playing a concert on Saturday, January 24th at Coch's Corner (formerly The Cellar Tap, at Days Inn on Bay Street), with special guests (and locals), Fingerbone! There is NO cover charge for this show, and Fingerbone kick off everything at 10:30 PM!

To check out some of Ministry of Zen's original songs, head on over to their official Myspace page! As for Fingerbone, to see some videos from their December 2nd show at Coch's Corner, head on over to their Facebook fan page! And if you wanna confirm your attendance, head on over to the official Facebook event page!

I saw both Ministry of Zen and Fingerbone live in 2008, and they both had great sets! If all things go according to plan, I'll be at this show, with a nice long concert review for when I return (and pictures!!)

That's all for today, if I find anything else of note, you'll hear it right here!

Monday, January 12, 2009

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS/Garden of Bedlam Update!

Hello everyone, I got a whole bunch of local concert alerts, and some new Garden of Bedlam news, so let's get right to it!

Sault Michigan's own Nixxon Dixxon have scheduled...EIGHTEEN local concerts through October! I was waiting to see when they'd post some new dates, and luckily, we have lots! So, here's when Nixxon Dixxon are playing this year!

January 16-17: The Satisfied Frog
January 23-24: Dondee Lanes
February 14: Kewadin Casino (Valentine's Day Dance)
February 27-28: The Satisfied Frog
March 6-7: The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino
June 12-13: The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino
July 5: Joey Nolan's Graduation Party
July 10-11: The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino
August 21-22: The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino
October 30-31: The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino

Adding to that, Nixxon Dixxon will also be hitting the road for ten dates at Kewadin Casino in St. Ignace this year as well! They'll be playing there February 20-21, March 20-21, April 10-11, May 1-2, and September 25-26! So now you guys are all updated on upcoming Nixxon Dixxon dates! Thanks to Cami Hubbard for the info!

And now, an update from Sault Ontario's own Garden of Bedlam! They have just finished recording their debut EP at Stereo Soul Studios! The songs will now be sent away to Silverbirch Studios in Toronto for final mastering and packaging, and the album should be available for purchase in the near future! I can't wait to hear the EP, Garden of Bedlam have been very impressive at the concerts I've seen so far! Thanks to Buzz from Garden of Bedlam for the update!

That's all I got for today, keep an eye out for more news as it comes in!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

A Correction, Reminders, and IT at Glastonbury?

First off for this post, I have a correction to make. I had mentioned that tonight's Great White concert was their first ever show in the Sault area in my concert previews post. Well, as it turns out, they've been here before! They were actually the support band for Alice Cooper when he came here on January 1, 1990! Thanks to Kevin Powe for the info, I'm honestly surprised I didn't catch that in my searching! And if anyone else notices something incorrect, missing, or unstated anywhere on either this blog or the Facebook page, don't hesitate to tell me!

Well everyone, so concludes a busy weekend of local concerts! Of course, if you went to see either Great White, Blessed By A Broken Heart, Jager 4.0, Shift, or The Issues, let me know either through Facebook, or at robfigures@hotmail.com! Now as of today, your next local metal concerts are on January 23rd and 24th, when Graveyard Tan return to The Satisfied Frog for a pair of weekend dates!

As for Sault Ontario, I have got absolutely nothing. If you know of, are playing on, are promoting, or are attending a concert up here that I don't know about, let me know through the same contact links I provided in the last paragraph!

Now, I know this isn't entirely "metal", so to speak, but this does involve two members of Gates of Winter/Woods of Ypres, so I can't let this slide! You guys remember IT, the partly-local, partly-UK based progressive rock band that features both GoW/WoP guitarist Bryan Belleau and keyboardist Brian Holmes among it's Canadian lineup? Well, they have a chance to play the Glastonbury Music Festival in England this June! But they need YOUR help!

IT have entered Qthemusic.com's 5th Annual Emerging Talent Competition, and the winner heads to Glastonbury! If you want to help IT reach the next stage of the competition, visit IT's E.T.C. page to show your support! Essentially, your page visits will contribute to the final judging to pick the top 11 bands for the final vote, with a 12th to be picked via a poll next month! So in other words, visit that page often to help their cause! The 12 finalists will play a 20 minute set for the judges in March, where the winner will be added to the Glastonbury lineup! Frontman Nick Jackson hopes that Brian and Bryan can make it if they win, and here's hoping everything goes well for IT! Check out Donna Hopper's page on this news at this location!

That's all for tonight, I think, but keep your browsers pointed here for any metal news as I hear about it!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Concert Previews for This Weekend!

As I promised, here's the gigantically huge concert preview post for this weekend's series of shows! This promises to be one of the biggest weekends for the sheer amount of shows for a while, so get yourselves ready!

BUT FIRST, just a tiny heads-up on a noted local band hitting the road this weekend! Sault natives Lion Ride are set to play a series of three shows this weekend with The Saigon Hookers! Tonight, Lion Ride will rock the house at The Red Rooster in Burlington, followed by a show tomorrow night at The Foxx Lounge in Barrie, and one final show on Saturday night at Lee's Palace in Toronto! Hopefully this little road trip goes well for Lion Ride, and I hope to see them back in the Sault in the near future!

NOW, the local concert previews for this weekend! We have 6, possibly 7, shows to mention, and if you can get to any, go out and support the local scene on either side of the Twin Saults!

First up, we'll make the journey to Sault Michigan, where two different local bands will be playing two straight shows this weekend! Firstly, we have the classic hard rockers Jager 4.0, who will be playing on Friday and Saturday night (both at 9:00) at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino! If the originals on their MySpace are any indication, these should be some very good shows!

Meanwhile, at The Satisfied Frog, another local band will be taking the stage on the same nights! But in this case, it's Shift, both of the shows start at 10:00, and unlike Jager 4.0, I can't find any video or audio of them to give you a preview as to their sound. But they are an accomplished local band, who've played tons of shows in and out of the Sault area, including a number of shows over the course of 2009 all over Michigan! They should have a good show as well, and if you're across the river, you got a few choices for local bands to check out!

Next, we'll head back over to Sault Ontario, where we focus on one, maybe two, local shows taking place tomorrow! First off, another show that I cannot reasonably verify. According to their Myspace, local metal band The Issues will be playing a show tomorrow night at 8:00 at a venue they call "The Jeep Roach". For the life of me, I can't find ANYWHERE in Sault Ontario with this name, nor do I know of anything it could stand for as a nickname. Their MySpace says it's on Queen Street near the OLG Casino, but that didn't help me at all, so honestly, I can't reasonably prove anything on this. But, like the last show, I gave it the benefit of the doubt, so, here it is just in case!

Now, the two big shows of the weekend! Firstly, the big hardcore show at The Oddfellows Hall! Montreal based glam/hardcore band Blessed By A Broken Heart are your headliners, and they have a pretty high profile, including a record deal with Century Media! They don't sound too bad for their genre, but if you wanna see for yourself, check out their music video for the song "Mic Skillz" below! Support will come from Sault Ontario's own As It Stands (who are returning from recording their upcoming album to replace Abandon All Ships), Sudbury-based death metal combo Upheaval of an Exorcist, Montreal based experimental/hardcore band Breaking The Fourth Wall, and local indie/emo band Deter!


Check out SooToday's event page for this show at this location! Tickets are just $10 in advance, and $15 at the door, and Northern Rocks Magazine will be on hand to promote the magazine, accept new subscriptions (They're FREE, remember?), and they will also have 30 free buttons on hand for anyone who comes by their table! Everything starts at 6:30 PM, but sadly, I can't make it. The next morning, I have to get up super early for a certification test at Lake Superior State University, so I can't be out late for a concert. It sucks, but I wanna go to LSSU next year, so I gotta do what I gotta do.

And finally, the biggest show of all (at least, for band recognition and venue size!) On Saturday night at The Dreammaker's Theater at Kewadin Casino, platinum selling hard rock legends Great White make their Sault area debut! Best known for hits like "Once Bitten...Twice Shy" and "Call It Rock and Roll", these Los Angeles based rockers will be supported by 1980s glam metal stars Britny Fox, who are best known for songs like "Girlschool"! Tickets are just $33.50, and if you're a fan of 1980s metal, this should be right up your alley!

Ok, that's all for this weekend! After tomorrow, I don't have ANY scheduled concerts for Sault Ontario, so if you know of any, please let me know either here, on Facebook, or at robfigures@hotmail.com! Take it easy guys, and keep it metal!

Monday, January 5, 2009

"New" Local Band Info/Random News

Nothing major for this post, but I figure I should get everyone up to speed a bit early on some things, so here's what I got!

First off, I added a new local band to the Local Band Links section! They are Dust N' Bones, a classic hard rock/metal band originally from Sault Michigan! As well, they double as a Guns N' Roses tribute band! Their frontman, C. Harrison, is actually the keyboardist for fellow locals Integrated System of Machines! They got a playlist full of originals and covers on their Reverbnation page, which you can check out at this location! They sound pretty good, but I don't believe they're currently active at the moment. But go check them out, their official website is located at http://www.dustnbones.net!

Honestly, they were in the Posted Links before, but I removed them at one point because I saw that they were from Pickford on their Reverbnation page, and thought I'd messed my information up. But, I did some checking, and sure enough, they are Michigan Saultites, so they're back!

Now, my other main reason for this post is to let you guys know that there is a TON of concerts this weekend in the Sault area. I'm not going to do my normal concert preview yet, I'll save that for it's own big post closer to the weekend, but I figure I should give you all a heads up on these shows!

Friday is the hardcore show featuring Blessed By A Broken Heart, As It Stands, and 3 other bands at The Oddfellows Hall ($10 in advance, $15 at the door)! As well, Northern Rocks Magazine will be there, so stop by and see what they've got going on! SooToday have also posted an event page for this show, which you can check out at this location! Also that day, there might be a show featuring The Issues, but I can't 100% confirm it.

In Sault Michigan, Jager 4.0 will be playing a double weekend set Friday and Saturday at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino, while fellow locals Shift will be playing shows the same two nights at The Satisfied Frog! But the biggest show of all this weekend is Saturday night, when multiplatinum selling hard rock band Great White make their Sault Ste. Marie-area debut (EDIT: They played here in 1990, my bad) at The Dreammaker's Theater at Kewadin Casino! Support will come from fellow 80s metal stars Britny Fox, and tickets are only $33.50!

That's about all for today, keep your browsers pointed here for all your local metal needs!

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Blessed By A Broken Heart/Northern Rocks Magazine Update!

Greetings everyone, I have a couple updates for you all!

As you likely know, this Friday is the Blessed By A Broken Heart show at The Oddfellows Hall! Well, guess who else will be there now? Northern Rocks Magazine! As you might have heard from the e-mail sent out by their Facebook group, representatives from the magazine will be on hand at this concert to collect new subscriptions, meet local music fans, and be handing out free buttons to the first 30 people! As well, a review of this concert will be featured in next month's edition of Northern Rocks Magazine!

Also, they're looking for ways to improve both Northern Rocks Magazine and their official website, and they wanna hear from YOU. If you have any suggestions, head on over to the official Northern Rocks forum and sign up for a free account! Thanks to Chris Rancourt for the info!

Of course, the concert on Friday will feature Blessed By A Broken Heart, local hardcore rockers As It Stands (replacing Abandon All Ships), Upheaval of an Exorcist, Breaking The Fourth Wall, and local indie band Deter! Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door, and the show starts at 6:30!

Just to let everyone know, after this concert and a possible The Issues show that same night that I can't verifiably confirm, there are NO other scheduled metal concerts in Sault Ontario that I'm aware of. But maybe there's one or two that I haven't heard about yet! If so, please tell me either on the SMS Facebook group, a comment on this post, or by e-mailing me at robfigures@hotmail.com!

I did some cleaning up the band listings, just to remove a few dead bands that have little to no evidence of originals, video, biography, or members. So, if you noticed that Fates Echo, Deface The King, and Hatred Of One were gone, you now know why!

And to end today, I've added a new concert listing section to the blog and the Facebook group! This one lists out of town shows by local bands! I think there's enough going for it's own section, so go check it out! The next show by a local band out of the area is on Thursday, when Lion Ride hit The Red Rooster in Burlington for a show with The Saigon Hookers!