LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Fort Creek), Wyld Stallyns Concert Preview, And Much More!!

Before we kick off our first proper news post in almost a week, just a heads up that tomorrow will see the return of Mike Haggith's #LockdownLive at-home concert series after a month+ hiatus, so tune in tomorrow at 7:30 PM on his Facebook page, while Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished will return to The Four for another original performance on 9&10 News for their weekly Friday Sessions, which you can watch on channel 10(.1) around 4:50 PM! We will discuss both in depth once they air. Now, let's dive into some recent Sault Ontario stories, including a new live-stream, a concert preview, some shorter new updates, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local southern/hard rock quintet Fort Creek will finally make their local concert debut on Friday, September 4th (one week from tomorrow) when they become the first live band at the newly re-opened Reggie's Place on Queen Street East! You may have followed the teasers and preparation from this union of Halfway Loaded, Redefined, Thin Ice, and Gsis Murphy alumni since their May 2019 launch, and this booking comes 5 months after the cancelled Sandman show that they would have opened. It's great to finally see Fort Creek play a public concert, so keep this show in mind to help kick off the Labour Day weekend, and visit their Facebook page for teasers of their sound! Of course, Reggie's Place re-opens after a year on the shelf on Tuesday courtesy of new owner Randy Lapossie, but does the presence of Fort Creek (a band with planned originals and clear ties to classic and hard rock) indicate that they'll expand further beyond country cover bands?

No word on pandemic-related social distancing measures, but I would bring a face mask, and while I know many will be excited that Reggie's is back, please use common sense. An early 8:00 PM start time is advertised, you must be 19 or older to attend, and there is no cover charge listed, but bring cash just in case. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for updates in the week ahead!

Next up, here's our preview of a rare live hard rock concert at this stage of the pandemic, as local acoustic quartet The Wyld Stallyns will play their first show since the spring TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! Fittingly taking place on release day of Bill & Ted Face The Music (where do you think they got the band's name?), tomorrow's show marks the second of any kind since The Algonquin Pub's upstairs venue resumed hosting live concerts after a 5 month break, and it will be the Speers', Jesse, and Jonas' first show there of the year, after pulling out of a planned February date due to a band member illness. It's great to see The Stallyns back on a real stage, and hopefully their unplugged covers strike the right notes tomorrow! A one-nighter due to or resulting in Bone Yard's show there on Saturday, tomorrow's concert has a 19+ age limit, no cover charge, and a likely 9:00 PM start time. Seating will be limited due to social distancing.

As is routine for the few concerts we've heard about lately, bring a face mask, and use common sense. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here are The Wyld Stallyns live!

Also today, let's discuss local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's most recent live-streamed concert (episode #38) from last Thursday, courtesy of his YouTube channel! Note that Tym did not host an at-home concert this week at all, and I have not seen a public announcement as to why. Whether this is a harbinger of a return to the public concert stage on a regular basis or not, I don't know, but we'll let you know what he has up his sleeve next. After an unusually long 13 minute wait, Tym kicked off his set with a cover of Bo Diddley's "Before You Accuse Me", before performing an 8 minute long original instrumental, and then two original songs with vocals (the ballad "To Say That You Care" and his new country-influenced track "My Love"). Tym returned to covers afterward by tackling The Tragically Hip's "New Orleans Is Sinking" and Billy Joel's "Piano Man", but that was surprisingly it for the live-stream, with Tym explaining that "the internet is screwing up a lot."

Of course, the video lag reared it's ugly head for viewers, so we have evidence of the issues. The abbreviated 40-ish minute set was shaping up well musically, with lots of solid original material and three covers that aren't frequent in this series, and Tym was at his usual musical form! I hope this wasn't the end of the live-stream series, but give episode #38 a watch below, and stay tuned for more from Tym's camp!



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:

• Local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades will apparently be featured in Toronto indie label Cursed Blessings Records' upcoming digital compilation "Reinventing The Safety Pin", which will feature previously unreleased songs from an assortment of Canadian punk bands dating back to 1997, most prominently including past local headliners Random Killing and Doors & Fours. If truly unreleased, is Jack Spades' contribution a brand new song or something left over from the "Fed Up!" or "The First" sessions? Stay tuned for the compilation's release in October!
• Ex-Redundant bassist James White is looking to jam and potentially play gigs in a new local band project, and he says he is "into all genres." James is definitely more than capable as a bassist, so message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Monday for more details! Just for reference, his most recent live band Stoned To Deaf would have been in our inactive band links since May had they had an online band page.
• Rotaryfest's website has quietly announced that their "virtual Rotaryfest" will take place on Saturday, September 26th. Social media and local news releases have already indicated that the event will at least partially feature a virtual concert, perhaps with bands who should have played at Clergue Park last month, but full details and a lineup are not yet public. Hopefully we get some clarity soon!

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