HeadF1rst - "Road Trippin'" CD Review!!

It's now time for our 191st monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and after a brief detour into archive reviews last month, we're looking at a brand new album to end May 2025, namely local hard rock quintet HeadF1rst's second release and first full length album "Road Trippin'"! Their first CD since replacing the I in their name with the number 1, this was released on May 4th at the Steel City CollectorCon pre-party at Soo Blaster (which doubled as the album release concert) through MorningStar Records, with a far more professional packaging job than "Head Trauma" got, if with fewer liner notes. "Road Trippin'" was recorded at Unsalted Audio with producer Bill Priddle (who guests on at least one song), while the album was mixed and mastered by studio head Dustin Goodall. HeadF1rst are again represented here by singer Red Jettison, guitarists Rainey Rancourt and Liam Dinsmore, bassist/guitarist (and Red's sister) Claire Jeffrey, and drummer Anthony Boudreau.

If Bill/anyone else appeared as guests elsewhere on the album, I can't confirm said involvement from official promotion. "Road Trippin'" is on sale for $20 at HeadF1rst concerts and through the band, though expected availability on MorningStar Records' website is not live yet. You can stream the album for free on YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Spotify, and you can properly buy it on mp3 on iTunes as well. With nine songs running for about 35 minutes, let's hit the road with HeadF1rst via the album's first song "Tour Bus Fantasy"!  A classic rock inflected song that lets Red show off his vocal range with some deep baritone verses, this song arguably stands out the most from his distinct singing here, though I do find that Claire's backing chorus vocals really clash with Red's. Rainey gets a good solo, and the song drives along well without shaking things up too much instrumentally, but come for Red's smooth voice!

Second is the hopefully non-prophetic "It Gets Worse", whose drum-led intro takes us into a bit of a lively southern rock-influenced number, and featured Red singing more at full voice for the duration. Musically, this song does way more to showcase HeadF1rst's talents, with Rainey getting more standout guitar licks outside of the usual solo placement, and the rhythm section acclimates well to this rollicking and upbeat tune. It almost feels like the song ends a split second early given how abrupt the last "Yeah!" is cut off, but as a pure and complete song, this definitely is not worse! Third up is the album's second single "Steam" (watch its music video here), which opens with the sound of a steam engine train before the song proper leads off, and we get more deep vocals on this slower number, though I'm not 100% sure if that's Red singing, as Anthony sometimes trades places with him, and I recall his vocals being deeper. If I'm wrong, disregard that thought!

Regardless, these bass vocal stylings have more of a country influence, with the rock only kicking into gear on the choruses, again with Claire's backing vocals here and on the last verse not really gelling with the lead singer. This song is well performed and shows off HeadF1rst's range, but you have to be into outlaw country to really appreciate this one at complete face value, as the guys are capable of heavier and livelier material. Things mellow down on song #4, "Story Of Me", a legit ballad with Red's vocals taking on a softer pitch and melody without going into his earlier deep tone. Again, this is a good exercise of HeadF1rst's range as musicians, but it kinda meanders after a while, Red's singing feels somewhat forced, and the song fades out way too early, like they didn't know how to end the song and decided to wrap it up way too soon to mask that. Not a terrible ballad by any means, but I know that they're capable of a stronger one than this.

We hit the midpoint of "Road Trippin'" with its longest song, "Drowning In Dread", and while still a relatively reserved song compared to the album's first third, it has more life and energy to it, especially in the choruses, and the guitar work from Rainey and Liam has some mildly trippier elements. Really, the vocals drive this one along, and Red's vocal range is put to good use with some higher notes being reached with ease, but I'd have amped the rock up to better suit the vocals. In terms of the contrast between the style of vocals and the music, this reminds me a bit of Greta Van Fleet's "Heat Above", for better or worse. Sixth up is "Stay For The Show", which is the best song (for my tastes) since "It Gets Worse", as it's a straight forward hard rocker that reminds me a bit of the old Stiffler's Mom original "Enjoy The Show" in lyrics, and it's a solid and tight number that lets Claire show off some solid bass and her best backing vocals yet!

My big issue with this song is that Red's vocals are flatter and not very rangy, and you'd kinda hope that with the experimentation he's done on earlier tracks, why not let loose a bit on a fast rock song like this? Still, for my preferences, the album has definitely had a clear peak and valley from songs #2-6! Next is "Homewrecker", which is another classic rock throwback, but with a heavy base and a good catchy melody that definitely improves on the prior song to make this one of my favourite songs on the album! Vocals are really dialed in to the music with good melody, Rainey's solo is another top notch one, and everything clicks to make an upbeat sing-along hard rock number, so don't bypass this track! The penultimate and shortest song on offer is "Have A Good Time", which basically starts as an acoustic drinking song before fuller band input creeps in, and I can definitely see this song having appeal for some night-ending audience involvement!

While I prefer "Homewrecker" and "It Gets Worse", this succeeds as a live concert-friendly drinking song, so fans will enjoy it on that basis, and everyone handles it as well as you'd expect! "Road Trippin'" ends with a bang via the first single "Slay The Dragon", which is the song that has publically acknowledged guest guitar work from producer Bill Priddle. At its peak, this hard rocker is up there with HeadF1rst's better tracks, with a good ominous build-up in the verses, effective percussion from Anthony, and hard hitting heavy stretches with Red's vocals adjusting to match, but a slow, meandering bridge at the 1:40 mark really drags the song to a standstill. A fun and hard hitting capper to the album all the same!

So, what are my final thoughts on HeadF1rst's... first full-length CD? It's a step forward in terms of production values and artistic growth for sure, but fans who lean towards heavier music (like myself)  will get inconsistent results in terms of songs that suit their preferences. I hesitate to compare too much to "Head Trauma" in that regard because that was a four song EP, but HeadF1rst definitely wanted to show off different musical influences and styles here, so there will be a little something for everyone in terms of sound and pacing. Red's vocals really got a good workout here and he was able to demonstrate his range to good effect, while the guitar work was always strong from Rainey and Liam, and Claire and Anthony's rhythm section was effective! My favourite songs were "Homewrecker", "It Gets Worse", and "Slay The Dragon", but if you like southern rock, classic rock, and softer ballads, you'll find them elsewhere.

For things that I'd address... the album could have been laid out more evenly to better level out the songs, I don't think "Story Of Me" is up to their composition standards despite best intentions, "Stay For The Show" and "Drowning In Dread" almost feel like they have misplaced vocal energies, Claire's backing vocals often didn't mesh well, and while not reflective of the music, I'd have had more substantive liner notes than what we got, costs/logistics at MorningStar acknowledged. For what I go for in hard rock, this isn't a perfect album, but it's an important step forward for HeadF1rst, still a young band with a very bright future, and I can't wait to hear what they have in store next! Buy or stream the whole album at the above links, and I hope you guys liked this month's CD review! Next month's review will very likely be of Sault Michigan metal solo project X's & Y's' sophomore album "Ruination Coactive", which is expected to be released on June 13th.

Look for that and for much more news and notes on the site next week (and month)! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Insurrection & Tym Morrison) And Even More Concert Previews!!

As expected, we had to run this weekend's plentiful amount of hard rock concert previews to a third post focusing on acts playing shows tomorrow night that had advance notice, but it has been supplemented by LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, including a new SHORT NOTICE find, so here's what you should know to cap off the merry merry month of May (and beyond!)

Local classic/hard rock cover musician Tym Morrison will return to Misty's Fifties for another matinee concert TOMORROW, but he will also rock The Fraternal Order Of Eagles Club for another matinee gig on SUNDAY! Apologies for the short notice on the Eagles show, that was quietly announced via its Facebook event page on May 18th, which also includes new confirmations of other matinee bookings at Aerie #3991 for the summer! Tym will also bring his unplugged rock cover stylings to the Steelton venue for four nighttime Saturday gigs ahead, though we'll only list the June 28th, July 19th, and August 23rd ones for now due to the fact that only Tym has known public shows announced past mid-September online among local hard rock acts. Similarly, Tym has quietly added gigs through the end of the year to the Facebook event page for his Misty's matinees, so we'll only add seven of those to the calendar until other acts catch up for the fall.

As such, Tym's acoustic solo act will return to the Second Line West nightclub for Saturday matinees on June 7th, July 5th & 26th, August 2nd & 30th, and September 6th & 20th! The August gigs there fall on the Civic Holiday and Labour Day long weekends, for what it's worth. Good to see Tym staying busy between these dates and occasional Beck's and Dive shows, so keep all in mind for unplugged hard rock cover action! All Misty's shows (tomorrow included) are at 4:00 PM, SUNDAY's at The Eagles Club is at 2:00 PM, the other shows ahead there are at 8:00 PM, none have announced cover charges, and I believe the Misty's shows are 19+. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Tym live!

Next up, Gatineau, Quebec death metal band Insurrection will make their local concert debut on Wednesday, July 30th when they headline at Soo Blaster! An established name in the Quebec metal scene with albums dating back to 2008, Insurrection's punishing, groove-inflected brand of death metal should attract a solid turnout of local metalheads in two months, and hopefully this stop on their tour in support of their new album "Obsolescence" is a huge hit! Local support will come by way of death/thrash metal trio Pillory (who are no strangers to support sets for touring metal bands this year) and crossover thrash quartet Hails, who will be just five days removed from opening for The Ripcordz, so momentum will definitely be on their side! Yes, we'll have more on Pillory's recent video content on the site soon. This concert is all ages (as usual for Soo Blaster) with doors opening at 6:30 PM, and advance tickets will be on sale for $20.

I don't know if advance tickets will be going on sale online, but members of the local bands will be able to hook you up (I believe Ha!ls guitarist Mikhal Muto is at least co-promoting this one), and the door charge will jump to $25. While the Wednesday scheduling won't be ideal for people working mid-week, this should be a brutal and high impact night of original metal, so definitely visit the official Facebook event page for more details on Insurrection's show here this summer!

We'll return to this weekend's concert previews now with two more concerts TOMORROW NIGHT, including the return of local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations to The Water Tower Pub! A private event last week aside, this will be the Jus' Chillin successors' first public concert since rocking Jay's two weeks ago, and their first stop at the Great Northern Road nightclub since early last month. Fans of heavy-leaning classic rock will find lots to like from Valerie, the Tonys, and Pierre once again, and hopefully they have a great turnout and lots of solid tunes in store at The Water Tower Pub to end the month of May with! Remember that this venue routinely hosts different nightly acts, with Out & Out Country (featuring Double Down drummer Ric Datson) playing there tonight. This is an 8:00 PM concert tomorrow with a 19+ age limit and no cover. See above for more details, and here's Generations live!

Finally for this stacked slate of weekend concert previews, we'll head to where we started: The Dive Gastro Pub, where local acoustic classic/hard rock duo Dodge This will set up shop TOMORROW NIGHT! While not freshly advertised by the band on social media, this will be their first announced gig since debuting at Beck's Bar earlier this month, and continues a recent trend of playing at The Dive about once a month, though singer/guitarist Jason Taillefer did play in their "Naughty Corner" two weeks ago. Assuming that nothing unannounced has happened to this date, it should give fans a strong night of rocking covers from Jason & Jamie (and Jeff?), so consider a trip to the former Low & Slow tomorrow to cap off the month right! This show has an advertised 10:00 PM start time, a 19+ age limit, and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Dodge This live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's CD review on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Double Down, Project 906, And The Nameless), Concert Previews, And More!!

As promised, we have more concert previews to knock out on this very busy final weekend of May 2025, so today's second post focuses primarily on SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for Saturday night, along with a previously announced weekend, with new videos to talk about from half of them. Here's what you should know as we continue this busy preview stretch!

Local blues/hard rock quintet Project 906 will return to The Strongs Tavern in nearby Eckerman for one night only on SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via the band's Facebook event page on Tuesday. Last seen in Hessel a few weeks ago, this will be 906's first show out in Strongs since early March, and it should be a prime opportunity for fans an hour west to check out Billy, Joe, Dustin, Jason, and Brian's brand of melodic hard rock covers in a familiar locale despite the late notice! SATURDAY's concert has an 8:00 PM start time, there is no announced cover charge, and you must be 21 or older to attend. No word yet on when we'll next see Project 906 on stage, but perhaps another "#summerof906" is to be detailed, so stay tuned to their Facebook page for further updates. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's a brand new video of Project 906!

This comes from their Back Bay Grill & Games concert at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley last month (via their Facebook page), and sees them covering the Black Crowes version of Otis Redding's "Hard To Handle". Pretty good cover, if with somewhat gruffer vocals, but fans should take to this one well enough! Unfortunately, the video was shot vertically, and while everyone's more or less seen on camera, why accentuate the empty floor like this, occasional dancers aside? Give this new live video a watch below!

Next up, fellow local hard rock quartet The Nameless will return to The Merchants Bar for one night only themselves on SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, this show was also only announced via their Facebook event page on Tuesday. This will be the band's first stop at The Merch since April 10th, which was also their first show with Dirty Musky's Jamie Costner behind the drumkit, a role that she has since signed on with permanently. This will be her third concert with The Nameless, including their gig at Huck's in Rudyard earlier this month that the band never publicized on their Facebook page. It's great to see that Jamie is fitting in well with Joshua and the Mikes, and hopefully SATURDAY'S Merch show is another hit as The Nameless continue making their local name! A 9:00 PM start time is in effect for this one-nighter in the Soo, which has a 21+ age limit and no cover. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's The Nameless live!

Also taking place on SATURDAY NIGHT is Sault Ontario classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down's debut at Beck's Bar! Apologies again for the short notice, the band first announced the gig on their Facebook page on Sunday, with the venue's Facebook page clarifying the date/time one day later. The guys will be rocking a west end nightclub for a second straight weekend, after hitting up Jay's (sans Beej) last week, but Saturday's one-nighter (due to Friday DJ nights at Beck's) will hopefully give everyone a chance to unleash some solid live rock covers for a new audience! It will be a busy day for most of the band though, as Double Down (minus drummer Ric Datson) will also be playing in Beck's 3:00 PM matinee timeslot on SATURDAY as well, under the band name The T.R.I.P.. What that acronym stands for, I don't know, but Occam's Razor would suggest that this is an acoustic side project from Joel, Beej, and Dan.

I couldn't tell you what The T.R.I.P. play yet, or if they're basically an acoustic/drum-less take on Double Down or not, but we'll let you know when more comes out! If you're curious to come aboard this T.R.I.P., remember that it's technically a separate matinee concert, and they're not "opening" for Double Down, who take the stage 2 hours after their sister band wrap up. Double Down proper are on at 9:00 PM on SATURDAY with a 19+ age limit and no announced cover. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Double Down live!

Finally for weekend concert preview post #2, we'll stay in the west end, as fellow local classic/hard rock cover quartet Headrush will rock The Esquire Club TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Unlike the above dates, this one was announced with lots of advance notice, and will mark the end of their two month break from the public stage. It's worth noting that guitarist Wes Greco has posted nine live clips of the band on his TikTok page that haven't made their way to Facebook (a platform that I don't believe he uses), so if you want more samples of Headrush's live setlist, check those out! As they're on TikTok though, they're all short and vertical, and I can't get their embed codes working on the SMS, but you can see them there covering AC/DC, Cheap Trick, Sweeney Todd, Rick Springfield, Toto, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Eddie Money, and two Journey songs (linked here & here).

Not the ideal way to post concert videos for SMS purposes, but kudos to Wes for posting these glimpses of "80's music at its finest" along with some earlier cuts! Headrush take the stage tomorrow & Saturday at The Esquire Club at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover charges. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's a brand new Headrush video that I can embed here, and it sees them covering Bon Jovi's "Runaway" at a recent jam session! Posted by bassist John Amendola on their Facebook group on May 12th, this well shot horizontal video captures a solid rendition of this newer song in their live setlists, so give it a watch below!

That's all for today, but our weekend concert previews will conclude next with Saturday's previously announced Generations, Dodge This, and Tym Morrison concerts. Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Bone Yard 225) & The First Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

A very busy concert weekend is upon us to cap off May and help truly usher in the summer concert season! We'll have to break things up into three posts due to the amount, so this post will focus on artists playing tonight or tomorrow in some fashion. Headrush's weekend gigs and three late notice Saturday nighters will be next, and three more Saturday night gigs will cap things off in a third post, so stay tuned for all of that in the next couple of days. Here's what you should know to lead things off!

Local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will return to Reggie's Place for headlining concerts of their own TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, but they have also confirmed brand new dates through early July on their website's concert calendar! Their next show after this weekend will be an "uncorked" date at The Water Tower Pub on Saturday, June 7th, so if you like "the dirty three" in an acoustic setting, you won't want to miss that centrally-located event! Their next plugged in nightclub shows will be returns to Reggie's for full weekends on June 13th-14th and 27th-28th, meaning that they'll have played at Reggie's for seven out of thirteen weekends, so keep these familiar upcoming dates in mind! In between those bookings, your local 225 will return as musical entertainment at the Queen Street Cruise for an eighth straight year on June 20th & 21st! As they have since 2023, their Cruise sets will be at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion.

Specifics for attendees are incoming for the Cruise, but click here for what is currently out and how to register & take part in the Show-N-Shine car show and the traditional cruise down Queen Street East. The last new dates at press time will see Bone Yard 225 rock Beck's Bar for two nights on July 5th-6th! This won't technically be their debut there though, as the then-country cover quartet headlined at the former Vibe Lounge in June 2010, so it's good to see Greg and company back after fifteen years! As Beck's hosts DJ nights on Fridays, this is a slightly unusual double-header, as the Saturday, July 5th gig will be standard electric fare, whereas the Sunday, July 6th date will be an unplugged "uncorked" matinee, which would add a third local venue to their acoustic options if they return in that format. Unusual to see a split sound double header at the same venue like this, but hopefully Beck's takes to both sides of Bone Yard next month!

All of the above dates are 19+ except the all ages Queen Street Cruise, and none have an announced cover charge, though the Cruise will obviously cost if you're registering a vehicle. Start times are 9:30 PM at Reggie's, 8:00 PM at The Water Tower Pub, 6:30 PM & 12:30 PM for each respective day at the Cruise, and 9:00 PM and 3:00 PM for both days at Beck's. Good to confirm new dates for Greg, Alex, and Warren's busy summer slate, but of course, their southern fried rock covers and originals are firmly planted at Reggie's tomorrow and Saturday night, so go see them there first! Visit the above links for more details, and here's Bone Yard 225 live!

Next up, let us head to The Dive Gastro Pub, where former Haggith/Eclipse frontman Curtis McKenzie is advertised to return for another "Think It Over Thursday" concert TONIGHT! Fresh off of his matinee debut at Beck's Bar this past weekend, this will be Curt's first stop at the former Low & Slow's "naughty corner" since early April. Curtis' hard rocking and alternative cover slate should get another solid reception from downtown fans tonight, so consider swinging by The Dive to start your weekend off right! As usual for musicians at The Dive, tonight's concert has a 9:30 PM start time, there is no announced cover charge, and you must be 19 or older to attend. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Curt live!

Finally for this post, readers in the Eastern Upper Peninsula can enjoy some hard hitting live music TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT Traverse City, Michigan classic metal trio Peril, who will headline at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino all weekend! Scarkazm dates aside, these will be Peril's first stops in our area since headlining there in mid-March, and it's always good to see Jeff, Howard, and Brooks rocking a local stage again, so hopefully lots of Yoopers turn out for all of the old school hard rock covers from this veteran touring act this weekend! As usual for Peril's stops at local Kewadin branches, this weekend's shows have 9:00 PM start times, 21+ age limits, and no announced cover charges, and if you miss out this weekend, Peril will be capping off June at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin as well. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Peril live!

That's all for now, but our next post (hitting the site by tomorrow morning) will preview this weekend's Headrush, Double Down, Project 906, and Nameless concerts, so look for that soon! Thanks everyone!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: Agnosticism

This month's YouTube Channel Profile presents some slight deja vu, as I just spotlighted this project's YouTube Music channel back in January, but as I pick these channels randomly, here we are again (but that's the fun in not pre-selecting!). What's there to see and hear when the artist in question is directly uploading content rather than relying on streaming intentions? Find out below in this entry in our long-running monthly series!

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Agnosticism (http://youtube.com/@agnosticism420)

Owner: Agnosticism singer/guitarist and local concert promoter Mikhal Muto, also known as the lead guitarist in Ha!ls and Vanity First, a bassist in The Apocalypse Afterparty, and as the founder of the punk solo project Choking On Appendages

Channel Timeline: Launched on August 2nd, 2021; Videos uploaded from that day through February 2023

Channel Summary: The official YouTube Music channel for the online page-less (Instagram aside) folk punk solo project, it features a separate free upload of most of their debut paid album "Happy Pills", as well as two early EPs that were not released for sale or on major streaming services after the fact. Six non-album songs were also uploaded here, plus one live performance video, and a vertical "Shorts" video was also uploaded to promote a new single from Vanity (pre First) in 2021.

Why You Should Watch: This will be worth your time if you like folk punk, emo, and Mikhal's singer-songwriter abilities! The channel nicely captures Agnosticism's early run and some material that both hasn't carried over to modern live sets, and was informed and was taken on by Vanity (they were originally named Agnosticism before rebranding, with Mikhal using the old name for his solo pursuits). While full of content, this channel does have an arguably redundant partial upload of "Happy Pills" (which is otherwise on YouTube Music and elsewhere with three extra songs), and does not feature any content from the past two years, despite Mikhal releasing two further EPs and two exclusive singles on YouTube Music and other services, as well as continuing to play live in this project.

 Our Recommended Videos To Check Out:

 

Agnosticism - The Politics Of Holy Shit I Just Cut My Hand Open On A Broken Beer Bottle: By far the most popular video on Agnosticism's channel is actually a cover of a lengthily-named song by the Vermont folk punk band Johnny Hobo & The Freight Trains, which was one of two outside covers included on their free 2021 EP "Chaotic & Dysfunctional".  Viewers (mostly those familiar with the original artists) took to this raw acoustic punk performance, which shows off solid guitar playing and distinct punk-inflected vocals that are in line with Mikhal's ongoing efforts under the Agnosticism name! The other cover on "Chaotic & Dysfunctional" is of "Proudhon In Manhattan" by The Wingnut Dishwashers Union, who share the same frontman as The Freight Trains.

 

Agnosticism - Playboy Magazine: In their early run, Agnosticism shared a little more in common with Mikhal's (inactive?) band Vanity First, and even played two Vanity songs on their initial two free EPs on this channel. "Breathe" (the only song on the 2022 Vanity demo to not be re-recorded for "Identity Crisis") was covered on "Chaotic & Dysfunctional", while "Playboy Magazine" (one of their best known songs with Mikhal on vocals) is featured on Agnosticism's December 2021 free EP "Eat Shit & Die". Effective acoustic rendition that Mikhal performs with good energy and verve, so fans of the full band version will like how it adapts in this solo format! "Eat Shit & Die", which was not compiled together in a playlist or a one-video upload, also features a plugged-in punk song named "Hard Feelings", but it is not the same song as the Vanity First track of that name.

Unholy Matrihomie live: Of the 31 videos on Agnosticism's channel, just one has live video of Mikhal performing their material, specifically this January 2023 video of Mikhal playing "Unholy Matrihomie" at an unidentified venue. Nice melodic take of one of Agnosticism's less aggressive originals, and while the video is relatively dark and distant, it's framed well to make use of the lighting, and the audience clapping adds to the feel! Note that the studio version of "Unholy Matrihomie" is one of three songs not on this channel's partial upload of "Happy Pills", the others being "Something About Anarchism" (though it was uploaded as a separate track) and the non-demo version of "I'd Probably Kill Myself If I Had The Motivation".

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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! Next month in this series, I've randomly drawn a channel that is very much active, namely that of YouTube user bretdrummer, a.k.a. Pillory drummer Bret Shuttleworth. Look for that on or around June 26th, and for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

Full Set Videos From Room 206 & The Inner City Surfers' Recent Reunion Concert!!

If you missed the Room 206/The Inner City Surfers reunion concert for Room 206 drummer Allan Watson's stag-and-doe at Soo Blaster on April 5th, then good news, as bassist Brad "Example" Lacell posted full set videos of both bands onto his YouTube channel! This is not unlike when Brad had a camera rolling for The Surfers' reunion in 2023 for drummer Mikey Hawdon's public stag-and-doe concert, but this time, Brad got both bands on film, and from a much better angle than the partially obscured side-stage video last time. No, Brad didn't upload a video of BookcluB's opening set. While Room 206 did reunite to record a song on Tidal Records' "Junk In The Trunk" compilation in 2003, Brad said that they were live here "for the first time in 33 years". I want to say that that is a slight exaggeration, but it's certainly been multiple decades! They closed the night, but with Brad not transcribing the setlist, what all did they play?

The 66 minutes-long video begins a few minutes before Room 206 actually began, with the MC's introduction coming in at the one minute mark, including frontman Mike Yorke's brief rendition of "Happy Birthday, Big Diesel" in honour of attendee Mike Denisch. The proper set begins at the 3:22 mark with "My Trip", "Anyways", a cover of Sebadoh's "S. Soup", "Ride My Rocketship Of Love", covers of The Pixies' "Head On" and The Smashing Pumpkins' "Today", "Pretentious", "I'm Feelin' Fine", and "Garden Of Life", before some surprise covers of Tool's "Opiate" and Rage Against The Machine's "Bullet In The Head". After a shout-out from Inner City Surfers drummer Mikey Hawdon (whose local boutique label re-issued Room 206's 1994 cassette tape on vinyl), the guys played their original "Nature Calls" alongside a young guest guitarist named Skyler (I think), though I don't know his full identity off hand.

The core four members of Room 206 then played "Pretend To Be", before they invited the aforementioned Mikey Hawdon on stage to join in on guitar and backing vocals for "Good Enuff" & "I'll Be Around", the bonus songs from the vinyl re-release that Mikey performed on with guest musicians. The guys and Mikey closed the set with a cover of Fugazi's "Waiting Room", with the last two minutes of the video featuring thank yous and everyone wrapping things up. Strong set with faithfully performed renditions of Room 206's classic songs, and Mike, Dave, Brad, and Al haven't lost a step! The audio quality is better than the video quality though, as the visuals are very soft and kinda blurry, while the video was accidentally shot and uploaded while mirrored (the stage logos give it away). I am a little surprised that Room 206 didn't tackle "Last Stance", but all of "2 Innies & An Outie" made the cut, as well as a lot of unexpected covers.

Whether it takes another three decades or so for Room 206 to play another reunion concert, I can't say, but hopefully we do see them again, as they had a fun and very nostalgic night last month to help celebrate Allan and Audrey's nuptials, and if you missed out on the action at Soo Blaster, then relive their headlining set for yourselves below!

As for The Inner City Surfers, Brad's stationary camera (slowly moved to a central vantage point early on) captured their 57 minutes-long co-headlining set, and it starts with their rendition of "The Mexican Hat Dance", which is a common set opener or interlude of theirs. As it often does, it leads into their own original "Won't Belong", followed by "Screwed", "Pickin' From The Country", "Rollin", "Been Done", "Never Ender Bender", "Get High", and their cover of Stompin' Tom Connors' "Algoma Central No. 69". The Surfers introduced Room 206 drummer (and Mikey & Dustin's BookcluB bandmate) Allan Watson during that cover, after which he joined them behind the kit for a Mikey-sung rendition of The Beastie Boys' "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)". Mikey returned to drums for the rest of the set, which included "Grab My Pen", "Here's To The Days", "Booze N' Doobs", and "The Quest".

The latter was again extended to 9 minutes with 1980s covers from acts like Dire Straits and Corey Hart, so that was another fun way to cap things off! Setlist-wise, this Surfers gig was very similar to their 2023 stag-and-doe set, albeit with a re-arranged order, less cover interludes, and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" & "Commandments" replaced by the Stompin' Tom cover and "Rollin", a very rare instance of the I.C.S. playing a song from their oft-forgotten 2004 CD "Time To Travel On". While still fuzzy and mirrored, this is a quality look at Dustin, Dave, Brad, and Mikey tearing through many of their best loved classics, so local punk fans won't want to miss the latest Surfers reunion set embedded below!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Project 906, BookcluB, And Headrush), Plus A Monday Concert Preview!!

With a special Monday night concert to preview, let's fill things our with some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the summer, so here's what you should know as we kick off May 2025's last work week!

Local alternative/punk sextet BookcluB have announced their "summer series" via this picture on their Facebook page, so when will fans be able to see this supergroup next? In Prince Township on Thursday, June 12th, as they will be kicking off the summer concert series at the Prince Township Pavilion at 3042 Second Line West. Keep this one in mind if you're in Prince or are up for the hour's drive west! This all ages event has a $10 cover charge for attendees over 10 years of age (kids are free) and BookcluB take the stage at 7:00 PM. Two days later on Saturday the 14th, BookcluB will perform at this year's Beerfest Sault Ste. Marie Festival of Beer, with a musical lineup setting up shop at the Downtown Plaza while attendees buy and sample craft beer at this LopLops-curated outdoor event on Queen Street from 12:00-7:00 PM. We await confirmation of when exactly BookcluB are playing, who else is, and more finer details, so stay tuned!

While listed after their planned Rotaryfest Stage 1 return on Saturday, July 19th (I'm waiting for the full schedule reveal from organizers), they'll also previously return to Thomson Farms Cider & Winery on Sunday, June 22nd to serve as musical entertainment for their teddy bear picnic for a second straight year! Fun excuse to bring the family/kids to the farm to see their operations, enjoy kids entertainment and treats, and teddy bears are welcome! Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door, and it should start at 1:00 PM once again. BookcluB performed outdoors under a tent last year, so fingers crossed that the weather holds up for all three of these shows! Visit the above links for more on BookcluB's June concert slate!

Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quintet Headrush will rock The Roberta Bondar Pavilion for the first time on Saturday, June 28th when they open for Toronto-based Eagles tribute band Hotel California! This has to be the biggest concert yet for Headrush, even if their own sound descriptions pin them as playing "80's music at its finest", whereas The Eagles broke up for the first time in 1980, but they'll cover a lot of bases that way! While The Eagles don't really fit the SMS' coverage (the occasional Don Felder or Joe Walsh song acknowledged), Hotel California will be a familiar tribute band for fans, having played at The Sault Community Theater Center multiple times in the past, most recently in December, and they have been a touring presence in Canada for decades. Fans of classic rock and country rock should have a ball next month, so keep this outdoor-ish show under the big downtown tent in mind!

This is absolutely an all ages show with a 7:00 PM start time, and tickets are on sale at this link for $37.27 apiece. Visit the above links and this SooToday press release for more details on this concert, and don't miss Headrush at The Esquire Club this weekend, previews forthcoming!

Also upcoming on Saturday, June 28th is the return of Sault Michigan blues/hard rock quintet Project 906 to The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley! The band has yet to publically confirm this booking on social media, but Bay Mills' website's calendar lists the date, complete with this poster advertising it on its own event profile page (the band photo used doesn't include hand drummer Brian Duford, but I wouldn't read anything into that, as that was the casino's call to reuse an older band photo). Project 906 were last seen live in Hessel earlier this month, with their Brimley gig next month being their first at The Back Bay Grill since early April. Hopefully a strong turnout of hard rock fans gives Project 906 a solid reception for their quality rocking covers at Bay Mills next month! As usual for concerts there, this is a 21+ event with a 9:00 PM start time and no cover. See above for more details!

Finally for today, here's a special Monday night concert preview for TONIGHT, as Victoria, British Columbia noise rock duo Pet Retina and drummer Max Patterson's solo project i.o will both return to Sault Ontario, this time at The Art Hub At Spring! This special concert will see the touring bands opening for a local artist, that being outsider folk musician Shae Tull, who is launching her new album "Statues Of Teeth On Every Street Corner" following its digital release in March. Hopefully Shae gets a great response for the new material, and check everything out on Bandcamp! Readers may recall seeing Pet Retina & i.o here just over a year ago when they rocked The March Street Stage (which, like The Art Hub, is technically on Queen Street East), but now they get to take their creative original music indoors, and hopefully old and new fans alike take to the noise rock cacophony ahead tonight!

Promoted by Piecing It Together Shows (née Dryer Fire), this all ages concert has an advertised start time of 7:15 PM on the Facebook event page, and admission is $15 or "pay what you can" (last May's i.o/Pet Retina show was strictly "pay what you can" but remember that it was outdoors and had no local album release attached). The work night scheduling isn't ideal, but it should end early, and it'll definitely be a unique night of talented noise and outsider music, so visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Pet Retina & i.o live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Exit 808 & Tarnished) And The Hearts & Horsepower Preview!!

One more post to knock out this weekend's hard rock concert previews, as I mistakenly forgot a special matinee charity gig today in our prior posts, while there's also LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to touch on, one on SHORT NOTICE. Here's what you should know on this Saturday morning!

Sault Michigan classic metal/hard rock quartet Tarnished will rock The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in nearby Brimley TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced on the band's Facebook page yesterday, but Bay Mills' Facebook page had been advertising the show since May 6th. Why Tarnished themselves didn't plug this show until the day prior, I don't know, but as far as I can tell, this will be their first ever concert at Bay Mills' on-site nightclub & restaurant. Always good to see this talented foursome spreading their wings in the E.U.P,, and hopefully things go well at "your perfect up north retreat" TONIGHT! Last seen in St. Ignace over a month ago, TONIGHT'S concert has a 21+ age limit, 9:00 PM start time, and no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more on Alex, Josh, Chris, and Ron's Back Bay debut TONIGHT, and for a preview, here's Tarnished live last year!  

Next up, fellow local hard rock band Exit 808 have announced their summer concert calendar via this photo from their Facebook page on Tuesday, so when will you be able to see them next? We already knew about their St. Ignace Kewadin gigs over the June 6th weekend, while their remaining June shows are all on the road. They'll head downstate for the 2 hour drive to Walloon Lake (outside of Charlevoix) for a June 14th gig at the Walloon Junction Bar & Grill, with returns there planned for July 26th & August 16th. Their other dates next month are returns to Western U.P. festivals that they played at last year. One is the third annual Drewpalooza mental health fundraiser/birthday event in Republic (3½ hours west) over the June 20th weekend, while they'll return to the outdoor festival Rally For The Valley in Ewen (4½ hours west) over the June 27th weekend, specific days not cited.

On July 3rd, Exit 808 will play in Munising (co-vocalist Dillion Semasky's old stomping grounds) for a gig at The Barge Inn, so if you're in the Central U.P. or are up for a 2 hour drive from the Soo, keep this Thursday nighter (on the eve of the Independence Day long weekend) in mind! Their first honest-and-truly local date in over a month will see the guys return to The Merchant's Bar in the Soo on Saturday, July 12th in their first gig there since the I-500 weekend, so if you want to enjoy this skilled group's blend of diverse rocking covers in Chippewa County, that's your next chance! Bookending the last Walloon Lake show and a bike rally at Chandler Hill Campground in Boyne Falls (another 2 hour drive near Charlevoix) on August 8th, Exit 808 will also return to both local Kewadin Casino lounges in August, including at The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace from August 1st-2nd.

They'll end the summer slate at The Rapids Lounge in the Soo on August 22nd-23rd, in their first stops at that Kewadin branch since January. Note that the calendar description confirms that Exit 808 are continuing as a five piece band with frequent guest musicians, rather than get a new permanent guitarist/bassist. While the names are mostly familiar from recent gigs, one is About:Blank/ex-Tarnished guitarist Nathan Webber, who was a founding member of Exit 808 in the first place, so it'll be neat to see him guesting with them again! All five new E.U.P. dates have 9:00 PM-ish start times, 21+ age limits, and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more on Exit 808's summer schedule across Northern Michigan!

We'll close today in Sault Ontario for a preview of a show TODAY that I completely blanked on including in our last two preview posts, and given its charitable aims, I profusely apologize for that. That previously announced event takes place at the Downtown Plaza today from 10:00 AM-2:00 PM (yes, it's that early), and is the first annual Hearts & Horsepower, a promotional event for the Dragonfly Run motorcycle rally in August, which of course benefits the Algoma Regional Community Hospice. Local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 are heavily involved in the Dragonfly Run every year, and will be rocking out at the Plaza this morning/afternoon, while a motorcycle show will also take place, and there will also be on-sire donations for ARCH and information on the rally. Sounds like a good time for a great cause, and a fine appetizer for the full slate of events in three months, so consider checking everything out today!

Hearts & Horsepower is FREE to attend (donations are welcomed though) and it is absolutely an all ages event. While the stage is covered, we have escaped the rain in the forecast, and 9&10 News is calling for mostly cloudy weather with 9° temperatures. As local outdoor concerts go, that's fairly cool, so dress accordingly. Hopefully Bone Yard and the Dragonfly Run representatives have a great event to get the word out for the rally, so visit the Facebook event page for more details, and here's "The Dirty 3" live!

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