LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Mourning Wood & Highway 63), Sault Michigan Concert Previews, And Much More!!

Let's get another news post on the site on this Friday morning, including the last of this weekend's hard rock concert previews (barring any very late notice confirmations, we'll touch on them if possible), plus updates from a local band and their next show, and some assorted updates! Without any further adieu, here's what you should know, starting with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Sault Ontario classic/hard rock cover quartet Mourning Wood will return to The OLG Casino at 30 Bay Street TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced the shows via the official Facebook event page this morning (but at least there's an event page this time!) Fresh off of their Reggie's West show last week, this will be Mourning Wood's first concert weekend at our own downtown casino in four months, and consequently, their first there with their current four-piece lineup. The OLG Casino still isn't a venue that we touch on a lot for concerts here (only them and Glitch have played there for shows we've covered on the SMS), but hopefully this weekend's shows go well for Mourning Wood's varied & often heavy covers, so keep them in mind for TONIGHT & TOMORROW! Both shows have 9:30 PM start times (and appear to end early at 12:30 AM), you must be 19 to attend, and there's no announced cover charges. Check the above links for more details, and here's Mourning Wood live earlier this year!



Next up, Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63 will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Soo's Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced the shows on their Facebook page on Wednesday, though Kewadin's entertainment page was finally updated in the past month to reflect Rapids Lounge gigs for this and next month, so the shows had been advertised there prior (for reference, these are the only full hard rock shows scheduled there at present.) Last seen at the Sault Kewadin last month (and elsewhere on Halloween), it's good to see Henry, Nathan, Chris, and Ron keeping busy, and fans of their varied and edgy blend of hard rock covers this weekend at the Soo's Kewadin branch! There's no announced cover charge for TONIGHT & TOMORROW'S 9:00 PM concerts, and you must be 21 or older to attend. Check the above links for more details, and here's Highway 63 live!

We'll close by moving to a pair of previously announced concerts in the Eastern U.P. this weekend, as Kinross classic/hard rock trio Banned are advertised as returning to The Runway Bar in nearby Hessel TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Fresh off of last week's Kinross gig, these will be Banned's first concerts in Hessel (an hour south of the Soo) in over 3 months, so if you've missed them there or in the St. Ignace area since then, definitely consider a trip to see Alex, Wayne, and Don live this weekend at The Runway Bar (or, go see them at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino next weekend or over the Christmas weekend!) Tonight & tomorrow's shows have 9:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and 21+ age limits. Check the above links for more from this talented trio, and here's Banned live!

We'll close today in Sault Ontario, including the latest from local alternative hard rock trio Mike Haggith & The Din, so what's new in their camp? Regarding their headlining concert next Saturday with Stereo North & Long Shot, the show has seen a slight venue shift, as it's been moved upstairs from The Algonquin Pub to The Rockstar Bar, as per the Facebook event page on Tuesday. A reason for the move wasn't announced, but given that it was just moved to a higher floor of The Algonquin Hotel, a scheduling conflict or opening may be to blame. All should work out well though, and I think this may be The Din's first ever Rockstar Bar appearance too! To hype the concert, the band posted this teaser video to hype the concert onto their Facebook page on Wednesday, which has Mike, Tammy, and Brendan energetically previewing the show, followed by outtakes that actually outlast the original clip! Fun and light, so give it a look below, and don't miss The Din's new lineup's first headlining show next Saturday!



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

• Following recent teases on their Facebook page, local glam/hard rock trio Caroline Divine have confirmed via personal Facebook accounts that they have indeed began recording sessions for a debut album! No word yet on any further details, but they have found a location to record at, and fans can hear songs from the planned release at the Pixo Control CD release concerts at LopLops on December 12th. Encouraging to hear, so stay tuned for updates!
• Local "blue Chinese metal crash punk" quartet Sykotyk Rampage have revealed that their 55th "album" will be entitled "Zombies 2: The Devil's Taint, Acoustic Sessions", which indicates that it will be a sequel to their 2011 album "Zombiez", though taking on the unplugged format that the band used at this year's Soo Zombie Walk. Though recent Sykotyk Rampage material has not been released for sale, "Zombies 2" is listed to come out next month as a free posting. This should be an intriguing collection of songs, and different from their norm, so visit their Facebook page for full details and the familiar album artwork!
• Mike Haggith & The Din guitarist Tammy Hill is looking for a drummer that is willing to jam classic rock originals and covers (she has a drum kit and practice space), but it's unclear if this references replacing Nic Buckner in the recently dormant Leaked, or if it's for a new project. In any event, message Tammy at this link or via her Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from yesterday!

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