Sunday, June 27, 2021

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Cheap Trick & Tarnished), And The Return Of Kewadin Casino Lounge Concerts!!

We have a bounty of big updates and show announcements ahead, so let's start cutting some of that down with today's post, which is devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS in Sault Michigan and St. Ignace! Yes, concerts are good to go in The Great Lakes State, and it's definitely showing with some of the news ahead, so here's what you should know from both a prominent young hard rock band, as well as a huge touring concert later this summer!

Local hard rock trio Tarnished have announced some new regional concert dates for August! The band revealed an updated summer concert schedule on their Facebook page on Thursday, which includes new dates outside of our coverage range in Newberry yesterday and in Grand Marais on July 3rd. Oddly, neither has a listed venue, despite the Newberry gig being on two days notice and never being plugged by the band on Facebook otherwise. In terms of the new dates that are within a one hour's drive of the Soo, Tarnished will now apparently return to
The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino on Friday, August 6th & Saturday, August 7th, marking their second weekend engagement there in a four week span! This isn't all for Alex, Nathan, and Josh under the Kewadin umbrella, as the casino has finally announced their concert schedules at their regional lounges for the second half of 2021, as weekly live music will resume in five days!

While not yet advertised by Tarnished, The Northern Pines Lounge's official schedule confirms Tarnished's prior announcement of dates there on July 16th & 17th and August 6th-7th, but they also list Tarnished as playing Friday & Saturday nighters there on September 17th & 18th, so now fans in St. Ignace and area have six opportunities to see Tarnished live in the back half of 2021! Don't worry, Saultites, Tarnished will also make their Rapids Lounge debut at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino on Friday, November 12th & Saturday, November 13th, so while dates there are less and further away, you'll get your Soo Kewadin fix of Tarnished in time! Yes, The Rapids Lounge's official schedule is out too and booked solid through year's end. Finally for new Tarnished dates, they will return to The Hulbert House Bed & Breakfast in Hulbert Township for a one-nighter on Saturday August 21st!

Coming one week after they open for Gunnar & The Grizzly Boys there, it's not yet clear whether it'll be an outdoor gig too or indoors, but with the summer still on then, I'd be surprised if they weren't on their proper stage! Assuming it's similar to their Summer Rock Party show there, expect a 6:00 PM start time, and a cover charge or age limit wasn't announced. Meanwhile, the Kewadin dates at both locales are all 9:00 PM events with 21+ age limits and no cover charges. Visit the above links for current and continuing details, and hopefully Tarnished's hard rocking sound proves to be a hit this summer!
 
There is a lot to get to from the Kewadin Casino lounge umbrella, but before we get back there, here's a big outdoor concert hitting the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino on Thursday, August 19th, as Rockford, Illinois hard rock/power pop quartet Cheap Trick play their first local date since July 2019 when they open for Buffalo alternative rock band The Goo Goo Dolls! Of course, readers should recognize both bands, with Cheap Trick being Rock & Roll Hall of Famers off the strength of classic songs like "I Want You To Want Me", "Reach Out", and "The Flame", while The Goo Goo Dolls had steady mainstream success in the 1990s & 2000s with hits like "Name", "Iris", and "Slide", and while I personally feel that Cheap Trick are more obvious headliners, there's a nice swath of music to enjoy for many fans! Yes, this is outdoors, much like 2017's Great White/Lita Ford show there.
 
This concert is sponsored by Glen Arbor radio station Classic Rock: The Bear (yes, formerly heard locally on 97.9 FM), which currently simulcasts to the St. Ignace area via WWSS 95.3 out of Tuscarora Township. You can pick up The Bear in Sault Ste. Marie with the right antenna and/or location, but the St. Ignace locale and Lower Peninsula station sponsor seem like a good way for Kewadin Casino to bring back major touring bands before the Canadian border is opened. If you can't cater to and get ticket money from Sault Ontario, why not aim for rock fans in the tip of the mitt that are able to attend? A 7:00 PM start time is in effect for this concert, which has no advertised age limit, though face masks may be required to attend (check back for further details on that front.) Tickets run for $85 (first 10 rows), $75 (rows 11-30), or $50 (general admission on the lawn), and can be bought at this link, at 1-800-KEWADIN, or at the in-person box office.

I'm not a huge fan of either The Goo Goo Dolls or Cheap Trick, but both bands have a lot of hits to offer, and it's great to see Cheap Trick back in the E.U.P. for their fourth time, at least (having played the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino in 2001, 2014, and 2019), and hopefully this is a great show with great summer weather! Stay tuned for updates if they roll in, and we will have much more from Sault Michigan and the new Kewadin Casino lounge schedule later this week! Thanks everyone!

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