LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tarnished), New Videos, And More Recent Updates!!

I wasn't expecting to already have a new news post on the SMS (it hasn't even been 24 hours since yesterday's), but we have one more SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT and related missed concert apology to touch on, but not from a band you may be expecting. To round things out, we have some new videos from both sides of the border and some assorted updates, so here's what you should know!

Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Tarnished returned to The Rapids Lounge at the Soo's Kewadin Casino branch last night, and will return for one more go-around TONIGHT! I profusely apologize for the short notice on TONIGHT'S show and for missing yesterday's outright, the band only announced these gigs on their Facebook page yesterday afternoon, calling this "a last minute change to this weekend", implying that they replaced another band on late notice. For what it's worth, Kewadin's entertainment page does list Tarnished as playing this weekend, but I have no way of knowing how quickly they updated the listing, let alone which band dropped out. This weekend's shows were/are Tarnished's first since their '80s night at Bird's Eye Outfitters last week, but Rapids Lounge patrons will have just seen Alex, Nathan, Isaac, and Josh there two weeks ago for shows plugged well in advance.

The late notice isn't convenient for many fans, but if you're available in the E.U.P. TONIGHT, and want to hear some hard rocking tunes from this talented foursome, go see them, and again, I apologize for missing last night's show on here, I'd have put these in yesterday's post had I seen their announcement in time! Yesterday's & TONIGHT's shows had/have 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 21+ age limits, but please follow and honour Kewadin's public health recommendations and guidelines to ensure everyone's safety. See above for more details, and here's Tarnished live!

Next up, here's a new music video from Sault Michigan classical metal band Theatre of Night, who are apparently working on a second Christmas album! Of course, you'll likely recall their 2010 instrumental album "Christmas Night", but much of Theatre of Night's output since the mid-2010s has involved female vocalists (either as band members or guests), and it looks like they're finally working on a proper album of metal Christmas carols entitled "Dreams of Christmas" with (most of) the band that played their 2018 & 2019 Christmas tours! Both the video and this promotional image from Reverbnation do not feature bassist Scott Andringa, implying that he has left Theatre of Night, and while a reason for his apparent exit has not been publically announced, they also didn't acknowledge Chris & Stacie's departures either when they left the band a few years back, so this may be all we get.

Scott's a talented bassist, hopefully we hear of him in new bands again soon! As for the video, it features Craig, Steve, Rachel, and Erik performing "What Child Is This?" in pitch black aside from close-ups of them in dark shadows, which is a striking visual! This carol led off their live show in their three Christmas tours, so will it be track #1 on "Dreams of Christmas", perhaps with their concert setlist being redone verbatim in studio? Stay tuned for more from Theatre of Night's camp, and here's their new music video, as uploaded to their YouTube channel on Monday!

Let's head north to Sault Ontario to wrap up this post, starting with a new audio demo from new local punk quartet Vanity's YouTube channel on Tuesday! The song in question ("Black Flies") is by no means a new song for them, having posted an early demo of it four months ago, followed by a live recording from an apparent jam session, but this definitely more of a refined copy. Solid pop punk track that sounds finished or close to it, and Andrew's melodic vocals fit like a glove, but the instruments are a little muffled in this take. Nice to see Vanity keeping at it, and hopefully there's lots more promising stuff to come from them, but give "Black Flies" a listen below!

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

 

• Four years after his prior search on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group, local bassist Ben Eder is looking to join or start a band, preferably one playing hard rock, alternative, or grunge, and he is open to playing covers or originals. He can also play guitar, and while he didn't mention his drumming ability this time, he has since added vocals to his own repertoire. If you're interested in getting more details, message Ben at this link or via his group post from Monday!
• Former Caveman Morrison singer Dean Duguay has similarly posted on the Musicians Wanted group looking to join a new local band, preferably one who plays 1970-1990s rock music, and he has a list of songs he's open to trying out upon request. Media isn't plentiful, but I recall Dean had a solid voice, so message him at this link or via his group post from last month to get more details!
• Prolific local/Manitoba alternative/hard rock musician Mike Haggith's next live-stream concert has a date, so tune into his Facebook page on Thursday, December 16th at 7:30 PM to check it out in it's original run! Mike announced the date on Thursday, though the theme is to be announced, as is a "featured artist" (does he mean a guest or a cover selection?) Keep watch on Facebook in case Mike says anything in advance!

 

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