LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Highway 63 & The Wyld Stallyns!!)

Before we begin today's post, I wanted to offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali, who passed away earlier today at the age of 68, after a year+ long battle with pancreatic cancer. The longest serving member of the pioneering Los Angeles metal band, and the face of the group since their 2010 reunion, Frankie drummed on all but Quiet Riot's first two albums, and was behind the kit for their platinum selling LPs "Metal Health" & "Condition Critical". Local fans will recall seeing Frankie & Quiet Riot with Dokken & Skid Row at The Dreammaker's Theatre at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino in October 2005, and perhaps earlier still, though I won't get into everything surrounding their cancelled March 2017 Sault Ontario date. Frankie was a skilled drummer who fought cancer bravely, and Quiet Riot's role in metal's commercial explosion in the 1980s cannot be understated. R.I.P. Frankie, you will be missed!

Now, today's news post deals with (believe it or not) LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS on each side of the border, one a SHORT NOTICE one for this weekend, and one coming next week from a familiar group we've only seen in videos as of late! With all of that said, here's what you should know!

Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63 will end their local run with one final public concert set on SUNDAY outside of frontman Henry Switzer's own business Hank's Body Shop! Apologies for the short notice, the show was only announced via the band's Facebook page on Monday. After an over 6 year run on the local scene, Highway 63 are reportedly disbanding due to guitarist Nathan Switzer (Henry's son) moving out of town, so this event will serve as a send-off party for him. This "farewell jam" will be Highway 63's first live set as a band since the pandemic shutdowns, and this is absolutely a public event despite the non-traditional locale. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, refreshments are strictly on a "bring your own beer/food" model, but admission is free, and a 12:00 PM start time is advertised. This show is weather permitting, and while a lot can change before then, note that 9&10 News is calling for scattered thunderstorms that day.

For curious attendees in the E.U.P., Hank's Body Shop (who fix, buy, and sell used vehicles) is located at 3757 South Mackinac Trail, just down the road from Dondee Lanes, and the band will be set up behind the shop. Now, what does Nathan's big move mean for his St. Ignace-based progressive metal band Heavy Lies The Crown? I don't expect it will change a lot, honestly, as personal Facebook postings indicate that he's moving downstate to Holland, where drummer Cale Krist already lives. H.L.T.C. have never been a regular sight on local stages, and so far, they've managed to run just fine with Cale not living up here. However, Nathan's move will definitely take adjusting for local fans familiar with his cover repertoire with his dad, not to mention his original output in prior solo and band projects. He's a talented guitarist, and I know he'll be a musical asset wherever the road takes him!

Note that Nathan was never a member of Highway 63's side project Mackinaw Trail, who also promoted this event on Facebook, but will Henry, George, and Ron continue forward in that band? Time will tell, but Highway 63 had a good run locally and achieved a solid fan base with their hard rocking covers, and hopefully the weather cooperates to give Nathan a strong send-off THIS SUNDAY! Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Highway 63 live in Sault Ste. Marie last fall!



Finally for today, here's that other new concert, as Sault Ontario acoustic hard rock quartet The Wyld Stallyns will end their live concert drought with a one night only event on Friday, August 28th at The Rockstar Bar! After 5 months without live bands at The Algonquin Hotel's upstairs nightclub, they are starting to bring back live music this weekend with jam-encouraged solo shows by ex-Phatstick frontman Jason Taillefer (details here), but next Friday's show will be their first with a band. The Stallyns have not played a Rockstar Bar show since 2019, with a February date there called off due to a band member falling ill, so if you've been waiting to see the Speers', Jesse, and Jonas together in person for the first time post-shutdown, next Friday is your next chance! Venue advertising does not blatantly outline the bar's social distancing rules for this event, but it's safe to assume that face masks are mandatory to enter the building.

I would imagine that they'll be operating at reduced capacity given the ongoing pandemic, and of course, please use common sense if you are thinking about attending. Hopefully Jason's shows and next weekend's will be a good harbinger of things to come at The Rockstar Bar! Otherwise, expect a 19+ age limit, no cover charge, and a 9:00 PM-ish start time. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for more news and notes in the coming days! Thanks everyone!