LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison), The Steves Concert Preview, And More!!

I wasn't planning to have another new news post this month, with this once pencilled in for tomorrow to start May, but with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS starting TONIGHT that were only announced yesterday, I had to push this one up. With that said, we also have a preview for a show on Wednesday, a new cover video, and some assorted recent updates to touch on, so here's what you should know!

Local acoustic hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to Mark's Breakfast Plus for matinee concerts TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and WEDNESDAY! Apologies for the short notice, Tym only announced these shows via his Facebook event page yesterday. This marks the second straight week that Tym has played unplugged matinee shows at this early stage of the week, which could mirror the scheduling from last month where he played the first and last weeks of April (if so, he'd be there next on May 28th-30th, but that is not officially public.) Despite the short online notice, Tym's prolific set list of hard and classic rock favourites should go over well at the Market Mall restaurant TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and WEDNESDAY, so keep these shows in mind for supper-time entertainment! There are no cover charges or age limits (though mind the locale), and these have early 4:00 PM start times. See above for more details, and here's Tym live!



Next up, here's a preview of a show that had lots of advance notice, as Regina pop punk quartet The Steves will make their local concert debut THIS WEDNESDAY when they headline at LopLops Lounge! Uniquely comprised of four guys all named Steve (hence the name), this lo-fi band should be a solid match at LopLops with their indie-tinged punk sound, and with a new single just released this month, look for some solid and upbeat tracks on Wednesday! Local support will include alt-punk trio A Dire Setback in their first public concert set of 2018 and just their second with Chris Nielsen on lead vocals, so how will they sound in their return from the studio, and might there be any reveals regarding album plans? Be at LopLops in a couple of days to find out! Indie/hard rock trio Vol. were slated to kick off Wednesday night's show, but with their drummer vacancy still ongoing, frontman Steve Edwards and bassist Mikaela Murtonen will play as a duo under the name "Mik & Steve", as per a quiet update on the Facebook event page.

Will Mik & Steve basically play a drummer-less Vol. set, or a go a different route? We'll know either way on Wednesday! This stop mid-way through The Steves' Champagne Campaign Tour is presented locally by Six, Two, Oh., with a 9:00 PM start time, $5 cover charge, and a 19+ age limit all in effect. This should be a solid concert, especially if you love punk and indie rock in equal measure, so if you can get to LopLops on Wednesday night, don't miss out on this one! Visit the above links for more details, and while I admittedly can't find a live video of The Steves in concert, here's a music video of theirs!



Also today, here's a new solo cover video from local/Manitoba solo hard rock musician Mike Haggith's Facebook page! Already keeping busy in Thompson via shows with his new band Between The Ditches and occasional coffeehouse solo sets, Mike shared this cover of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Maps" yesterday, which is a song he's always loved. Bookended by rainy footage from out Mike's window, this is a fine performance that has a measured moroseness to it, if that makes sense, and it'll definitely please fans of his recent acoustic videos, so give it a look below!



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

• We have deleted the YouTube channel for SooToday's acoustic concert performance webseries Bare from our "Other Local Metal Links" due to it quietly being taken down in recent months. A reason for the channel's closure hasn't visibly been announced, and while SooToday articles on the episodes remain online, the video links there no longer work. Bare hadn't been an active series since 2016, but it gave members of bands like Northwest, The Pixo Control, and many others a unique avenue to perform in a more intimate setting, and hopefully the prior Bare episodes return online down the road!
• We have also deleted inactive local music promotion/photography company For The Music Inside from our "Other Local Metal Links" again, following the quiet deletion of their Twitter (and only surviving online) page earlier this year. A reason for the page being taken down wasn't publically announced, but F.T.M.I. hadn't posted new content since 2016 either, and not from local shows since earlier still. For The Music Inside had promise and solid concert photography here and in Southern Ontario, and hopefully everyone stays active in related ventures! 
• Local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver announced on their Facebook page on Thursday that they'll be featured in a new split album called "War of Brutality" alongside 5 international crust punk and/or death metal bands! Release data is to be confirmed, but if this YouTube video is any indication, Shit Liver's included songs are "Wait" & "Matt Got Beat Up By Cops" from their new album "Hitting the Fan". If this is true, there's nothing new on the local end, but hopefully this makes Shit Liver some more international fans! Full disclosure, I can't confirm if the YouTube posting is 100% accurate with label consent.

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post next! Thanks everyone!