LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Sunspot & Fyrbird), A New Hails Video, And More!!

Keeping this run of daily posts going, we're mostly staying in Sault Michigan and the Eastern U.P. for a third straight say, but some Sault Ontario content has poked its way in, including a video and some assorted updates. We're leading off in Michigan though via some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you should know on this Wednesday evening!

We have addressed some of the upcoming hard rock shows in the next two months at the regional Kewadin Casino lounges via promotion from the bands themselves, but we have two unaddressed weekends from hard rock bands at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie branch next month, starting with Manistique hard rock duo Fyrbird's return to the Soo on Friday, August 9th and Saturday, August 10th! While we're on the subject, frontman Jamie Hider's wife Shannon confirmed more dates in the E.U.P. in a concert calendar post on their Facebook group back in March, so if you wanna see them at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin, you can do so on October 4th-5th & November 29th-30th! Yes, they'll be playing more frequently through the end of the year in Gould City and Newberry, but both are further than an hour's drive from the Soo. Fyrbird were last seen in our coverage range at The Rapids Lounge in early May.

Hopefully Jamie & Rick's gritty two-man rock attack gets another strong reception at The Rapids and Northern Pines Lounges at these three weekends, so keep them in mind if you miss seeing Fyrbird this far east! All six shows have 9:00 PM start times, 21+ age limits, and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details!

The other newly confirmed hard rock shows from Kewadin's entertainment page are courtesy of Madison, Wisconsin hard rock trio Sunspot, who will rock The Rapids Lounge in the Soo on Friday, August 23rd & Saturday, August 24th! This will be Sunspot's fourth straight August trip here, always timed with the annual Michigan Paranormal Convention, which takes place annually (2020 aside) at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin's ballroom. Sunspot's brand of "weird Wisconsin rock anthems" will prove an apt soundtrack for MiParacon attendees and fans of the paranormal, especially with their creative lyrical themes and unique electric violin-infused brand of hard rock and power pop, so keep their annual E.U.P. pilgrimage in mind for next month! Again, these shows have no cover charge, 9:00 PM start times, and a 21+ age limit, and you don't need MiParacon tickets to go to The Rapids Lounge that weekend (it may be a lot busier than normal though).

If you're curious about the paranormal convention proper, click here for details on the guests, vendors, speakers, and how you can attend. If you didn't know, Bridge FM owner/morning host Tim Ellis is the co-founder of the MiParacon, and there are a lot of familiar faces coming here that you may recognize from ghost/cryptid hunting & exploration TV shows (even the saxophone player from The Lost Boys!). See above for more on Sunspot's local return for the convention next month!

Also today, let's head north to Sault Ontario for another new video from local punk/thrash quartet Hails' Facebook page yesterday! Lately, it's seemed like Ha!ls have been posting a live video every few days, which is very welcomed for fans, especially compared to some bands who lean into "Stories" or "Reels", or mainly post videos on personal accounts, so kudos to Brent and crew for letting fans see everything as originally shot! This sees the Vanity First side project playing their non-EP original "Dawn Of The Dead" at the It's The Pits festival in Leeburn last month, and while just 70 seconds long, it captures this ripper with good quality and relatively natural lighting, so check it out for yourself 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 or event name: 

• I have removed Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock cover band Banned from our inactive band links due to the deletion of their Facebook (and only online) page at some point in the last two years. Active from 2011-2019, Banned are best known today as the first high profile live band from future Tarnished frontman Alex Traynor, who played covers and select originals in this group alongside his dad Don on drums and a rotating array of bassists and other musicians. Given how young Alex was when Banned launched, it was impressive to see his skill level then and how it's developed, and while I'd have left Banned's page up, check out some early videos on their YouTube channel!
• In a late lineup change for this year's Rotaryfest Stage 2, Sault Ontario alt-indie rock band The Hollow Heads have replaced The Crossroad Magdalenes as the 6:30 PM band on Saturday, July 20th, as per the festival's Facebook page. A reason for The Maggies' withdrawal wasn't announced, but that band never acknowledged their 2024 reunion on their own social media. This will be The Hollow Heads' third straight year on the Second Stage, and Handsome Sandwich guitarist Brandon Ruch will be also playing with them next weekend, meaning that he will be playing in three acts that day. Hopefully Gabrielle and crew get a good response!
• The ninth annual Northern Vibe Festival in nearby Ophir on the August 24th weekend "will (likely) be the last", as per festival organizers on their Facebook page on Saturday when promoting the festivities. The post alludes to needing to "take a break and re-evaluate" if they can't make Northern Vibe better each year, and reference is made to "our core group of attendees who always show up", but I'll let you read into things further if you are so inclined. Northern Vibe has proved to be a fun event for local music fans post-pandemic thanks to the increased rock band contingent, and hopefully this year's is a smash hit, last year or not!
  

 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile next! Thanks everyone!