LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Generations), Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

Before we begin this weekend's hard rock concert previews, just a heads up that this weekend's Oz-headlined concerts at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino have been cancelled. If you didn't hear, all five Kewadin branches have been closed since Monday due to a ransomware attack affecting the computers and phone systems at all locations, and the closure extends to their on-site bars and lounges. Read more on the incident at this link or other local news services. As such, Oz are cancelled this weekend, as is Mark Bowen at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin, and we'll let you know if things get delayed beyond the expected one week timeframe (note that Tarnished are scheduled to rock the Sault Kewadin next week). However, Oz have already booked makeup dates, as the Iron Mountain classic/hard rock quintet will return to On April 11th & 12th!

I won't treat these as brand new shows, merely rescheduled ones, but it is good to see that this skilled veteran group will be coming back to The Rapids Lounge in the spring, and hopefully with nicer weather for the commute! Keep tabs with Kewadin Casinos for more on the ransomware attack and their re-opening plans, but for now, let's dive into this weekend's known hard rock concert previews in Sault Ontario, including an extra LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this month, so here's what you should know!

Joining their previously announced shows at Jay's Piston Broke Pub TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will return to The Water Tower Pub for the first time this year on Friday, February 28th! This show was announced via the venue's February concert calendar, and will obviously be the last show of the month at the Great Northern Road nightclub (no word yet on which different act is playing there on Saturday, March 1st). If you want to cap off a snowy month with this talented veteran foursome and their hard rocking slate of covers, you know where to be, but if you want to see Valerie, the Tonys, and Pierre beforehand, they'll be rocking Jay's tonight and tomorrow for the long weekend! Of course, tonight's show is on Valentine's Day, which the band is hyping up in their own promotion for this weekend's gigs.

Note that the band (minus Valerie) are hosting the weekly jam night at Jay's tonight as well, but we traditionally don't cover jam nights as "concerts" due to their unpredictability by design. This weekend's two shows are at 9:30 PM, their Water Tower Pub show in two weeks is at 8:00 PM, and all three have 19+ age limits and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Generations live!

Next up, here's some more Valentine's/Family Day long weekend concert previews, starting with southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225's return to Reggie's Place TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! While oddly not promoted this week on the band's own Facebook page, Reggie's have promoted them thusly on theirs, and also hyped up the Valentine's angle for tonight. These will be your local 225's first shows at Reggie's in two weeks, and first anywhere since their "uncorked" gig this past Saturday at the aforementioned Water Tower Pub. If you want to rock out with "the dirty 3", you'll wanna head downtown for all of the action tonight and/or tomorrow, perhaps also involving merchandise and the infamous "Bone Yard shot"? This weekend's shows have 19+ age limits, no cover charges, and 9:30 PM start times. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Bone Yard 225 live!

Finally this weekend, local hard rock quintet HeadFirst will return to The Esquire Club for the first time this year TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Last seen at Shooters two weeks ago, these will be HeadFirst's... first shows at The Esquire Club in two months. While they are still "working on some new projects", the guys have been stepping out onto the stage a bit to start 2025, and it's good to see their fan favourite blend of hard & classic rock covers (plus some originals) back in the west end this weekend! Yes, HeadFirst are playing up the Valentine's Day scheduling too for tonight, and they also will have brand new band merchandise for sale this weekend, including t-shirts, stickers, and posters, not to mention their existing debut EP "Head Trauma", so click here for details on their range of items. This weekend's shows both have no cover, 19+ age limits, and 9:30 PM start times. See above for more details, and here's HeadFirst live!

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