LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Dos Amigos, Tarnished, And One Shot) & Weekend Concert Previews!!

It's almost the Civic Holiday long weekend (well, for most) in Sault Ontario, and there's a lot of hard rock-leaning concerts going down for the occasion, so much so that it will take three posts to get through everything! Alas, most of the shows this weekend were only announced on short notice, including all of the Saturday-only gigs in the post after this one, but today's focuses on bands playing shows tomorrow night in some form or fashion. Here's what you should know to lead off this busy weekend!

Let's bookend things in Sault Michigan and the E.U.P., and we'll start with local classic metal/hard rock quartet Tarnished's return to The Merchants Bar TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed this booking on their Facebook page yesterday (The Merch still only rarely promotes bands playing there on their own social media). Last seen in St. Ignace two weeks ago, TOMORROW'S one-night-only gig will be Tarnished's first in Sault Ste. Marie proper since they rocked The Savoy Bar on Independence Day, though Alex & Josh did indeed compete in (and win) the Superior Whitefish Festival battle of the bands in Brimley this past Saturday in their new side band Crush. We'll have more on that project soon, but hopefully they ride that momentum well with Chris & Ron TOMORROW as they shift back to cover mode with Tarnished at The Merch!

TOMORROW'S concert has a 9:00 PM start time, 21+ age limit, and no cover charge as usual. Hopefully Tarnished deliver some fun hard rocking covers for fans at The Merch despite the late notice, so visit the above links for more details, and here's Tarnished live!

Next up, let's head north to Sault Ontario for some more late notice gigs, starting with acoustic punk duo Dos Amigos, who will return to The Whiskey Barrel on Gore Street for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via the venue's Facebook page last week, as part of their weekend music schedule for the rest of the summer, though note that the band has not posted on their Facebook page at all in over three months. TOMORROW'S show will be the BookcluB side project's first publically advertised gig anywhere since rocking the same venue in late June. While we are still lacking public videos of Mikey & Dustin unplugged, fans of their long collective work in the Inner City Surfers and more will enjoy their more reserved take on punk classics TOMORROW! This a one nighter due to The Whisky Barrel's weekly Saturday jazz night.

As usual for local gigs at this acoustic-leaning Irish pub, TOMORROW'S concert has no cover charge, a 19+ age limit, and an 8:00 PM start time. Should be a fun one for punk fans looking for a lighter evening, so visit the above links for more on Dos Amigos' Whisky Barrel return!

Also this weekend, new local rock/metal sextet One Shot will debut at Reggie's Place TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies again for the short notice, we first learned about these dates (let alone the band) when Reggie's posted about them on their Facebook page on Monday. I don't have a lot of specifics on One Shot (not to be confused with the defunct Long Shot), but they appear to mostly be high school aged, if not entirely, and this reminds me of when Reggie's booked Sylo not long after their name change. Kudos to them for booking rising young hard rock talent on occasion like this! One Shot's lineup features singer Ashton Sommers (who you may recognize from local stage musicals), guitarists Tucker Lidstone (who has played solo folk sets at The Distraction) and Aiden Snider, ...

...bassist Alex Fournier (who also has stage musical experience), drummer Edan St. Amour, and backing(?) vocalist Kate Bird. I have yet to find a social media or band page for One Shot, let alone media of them or hints towards their sound, but young local talent is always welcomed, and hopefully they have a strong debut weekend TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! These are 9:30 PM shows with 19+ age limits and no cover as usual, See above for what is publically known so far about One Shot!

We'll close preview post #1 with a rarity for this weekend: previously announced shows that were first advertised before this week! These take us back to Michigan, specifically The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino, where local hard rock band Exit 808 will set up shop TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! After seeing their Merch show in the Soo three weeks ago cancelled due to day job conflicts with multiple band members, this weekend's gigs will be Exit 808's first truly local shows since they rocked The Northern Pines Lounge in early June, with just one E.U.P. weekend left afterwards before the summer season is over. Based on tags on their Facebook page for this weekend's shows, former Exit 808 Double Jack guitarist Nathan Webber will again guest with his old band this weekend, with their ranks otherwise full re: the current lineup. We'll have more from Exit 808's non-local dates since late June in upcoming posts.

Tomorrow & Saturday's St. Ignace shows have 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 21+ age limits. This talented, dual vocalist-led hard rock band should have two more solid nights of lively covers, so as Exit 88 said, bring your friends & a positive attitude! Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here they are live last month!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for late notice Saturday-only concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

Insurrection/Beguiler Concert Preview, Clutch Concert Videos, And Superior Whitefish Festival Notes!!

Before we dive into a late notice-riddled array of weekend concert previews, here's a new news post to check out on this Wednesday evening, and it includes videos from a recent major concert, clarification from a recent battle of the bands, and leading off, a mid-week death metal show to preview in Sault Ontario. Let's get things rolling!

We'll start today with a special Wednesday night concert preview, as Gatineau, Quebec death metal band Insurrection and Toronto deathcore quartet Beguiler will make their local concert debuts TONIGHT at Soo Blaster! Insurrection's groove metal-influenced brand of brutality has been a prominent sight among extreme metal in la belle province since 2008, so this stop on their Obsolescence Tour should deliver all of the metal action that you can get on a work night! Meanwhile, this show is over a year in the making for Beguiler in a sense, as they were one of the five touring Ontario metal bands slated to play at Crucifest, the cancelled death metal festival in Leeburn in July of last year. So far, they're the only one of the five to land a new booking in the area, which is great to see, and they should crush it tonight as well! Local support includes death/thrash metal trio Pillory in their first gig since former bassist Devon Lucier returned to the band.

Devon hasn't played with Pillory since 2014, so welcome him back in style tonight! As well, crossover thrash quartet Hails will continue their recent momentum with their own in your face originals tonight as well, so don't miss out on this brutal foursome if you can come out! Promoted by Ha!ls guitarist Mikhal Muto, this all ages concert has a 7:30 PM start time, and tickets ran for $20 in advance through the local openers and at this link, with the door price jumping to $25. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details on this very heavy way to help end July 2025, and here's Insurrection live!

Next up, if you're wondering why I haven't shared any YouTube videos from Maryland stoner/hard rock band Clutch's headlining concert at The Dreammakers Theater at the Kewadin Casino in Sault Michigan yet, it's because I hadn't found any... until now! YouTube user Jamesmclaughing (who also saw Clutch in Flint a few years ago) was on hand on June 19th, capturing two brief videos, both hovering around 42 seconds in length. At least they're horizontal! The first clip (of the end of a song that I couldn't make out) can be seen here, but embedded below is Clutch playing the end of "Big News II" early in their set. Muffled audio on both, but James had a good view of the stage & Neil's intense presence, so watch these above & below!

While we're on the subject, let's address some unanswered questions regarding our belated coverage of the concerts at Saturday's concerts at the Superior Whitefish Festival in Brimley, and our thanks to Molly Escherich's mom Tiffany for helping fill in some blanks via her comment on our Facebook page's post to promote yesterday's post here! After noting technical difficulties on the Music In The Park half (which ultimately cancelled Acoustic Beaches' set), she clarified that performers Whistle & Fish are a duo comprised of local musicians Jason Smith & Ken Murphy, who jam often at the Christopher Columbus Italian-American Society Hall in the Soo. No genre hints, but from what I have gathered, they aren't a hard rock group. Regarding the battle of the bands that day, Tiffany was kind enough to reveal who won the top three spots, and the mystery band Crush actually won the $1,000 top prize, so who were they?

They weren't the girl group covering Chappell Roan, for the record. According to Tiffany, Crush is a new local band featuring Tarnished bandmates Alex Traynor and Josh Fair alongside former bassist Isaac Royer, and the intent appears to be for this to be an original music outlet while saving Tarnished for covers (note that Tarnished have an EP of original songs and put out "Lightswitch" last year, but that was before Chris & Ron joined full-time).  We'll let you know when/if we get clarification on Crush's lineup, sound, and intent, but congratulations on winning the $1K! Tiffany also confirmed that Kaleb Shannon won the $750 second place prize (no small feat for a solo artist, as Molly knew in 2023), while The Nameless claimed the $500 third place prize. Surprisingly, Molly & The Other Guys (who won last year's LSSU Battle) finished in last on Saturday, but Tiffany did partially chalk that up to their late drummer switch.

Molly's brother Cayd filled in when About:Blank's Kade DesArmo had to drop out that same day, and it was the first time Cayd has ever played a live concert with a band, so there were obvious setbacks, and Tiffany did concede that maybe it should have been an acoustic set instead. I don't know if the battle was judged by actual judges or by a fan vote, but clearly something was missing here for Molly & crew given her talents & how she did at the LSSU battles (2023's was fan voted, last year's had judges). Hopefully everyone had a great time regardless, and if the Superior Whitefish Festival has a battle of the bands in 2026, I will not miss covering it here! Apologies again, and thanks again to Tiffany for helping out here!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

Information On Saturday's Superior Whitefish Festival Concerts, Plus A New Battle Of The Bands!!

For this SMS post, we're heading over to Sault Michigan and the E.U.P. for some belated coverage of an event that I should have talked about on here last week, and one that I definitely didn't miss along the same lines, so here's what you should know on this Tuesday evening!

I wanted to start this post by profusely apologizing for missed concerts for coverage on the site, as there was a Music In The Park event and a battle of the bands during the returning Superior Whitefish Festival in Brimley on Saturday! To an extent, I think this falling off our radar so hard is due to two variables: I didn't expect it at all given that this festival hasn't been held in over a decade, but also, the known heavier bands to have played it didn't advertise it in advance on social media, alas. Two distinct concerts were at Riverview Park at 12099 West Lakeshore Drive on Saturday, and local punk/hard rock trio About:Blank (who haven't posted on their Facebook page since early June) played at 2:00 PM there, while fast-rising young Dafter singer/guitarist Molly Escherich (who recently participated in the Interlochen Center for the Arts' Popular Music Performance Camp) bookended that program at 1:00 PM & 5:00 PM.

Two acts named Acoustic Beaches and Whistle & Fish performed at 4:00 & 3:00 PM respectively, and while I don't know a thing about the latter (bands of that name on Facebook are from out of state), Acoustic Beaches is a new unplugged cover duo from Exit 808 bandmates (and mother & son) Amy Beach and Blaze Beairl, with guest spots by Amy's nieces. Exit 808 fans may recall Amy playing acoustic gigs with varying performers on occasion, and hopefully they had a good set in Brimley! After Molly's last solo set, the battle of the bands commenced, with cash prizes of $1,000, $750, $500, and $250 awaiting the top four acts! Your performers in the battle were veteran local folk singer/guitarist Kevin Blakeney at 7:00 PM, pop rock solo artist Kaleb Shannon at 7:30 PM, hard rock quartet The Nameless (who didn't publicize their involvement in the battle on their Facebook page until after it was done) at 8:00 PM, ...

...a mystery band named Crush at 8:30 PM, and the revival of Molly Escherich's live band Molly & The Other Guys at 9:00 PM. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find complete results of who won beyond that Kevin finished in fourth place, and that The Nameless weren't in last place, but they had surprisingly strong cash prizes, so hopefully everyone performed well! It's worth noting that Molly & The Other Guys' lineup featured Molly alongside About:Blank guitarist Nathan Webber once again (much like we saw at the LSSU Battle of the Bands that they won last fall), but the rhythm section this time was young local bassist Destini Smith (who guested with Tarnished during the same battle last year) and Molly's brother Cayd on drums (replacing About:Blank's Kade DesArmo, ironically given the first names). Once again, I profusely apologize for missing the Superior Whitefish Festival's concerts for coverage on here! It's been a busy month.

It can be so easy for E.U.P. content to slip us by, but I hope a great time was had by all! If all goes well, I'm not done with it anyway, as I do want to find out more about Crush and Whistle & Fish (especially if the former placed in the top three in the battle), let alone who won what in the top three. I did find a video from the Whitefish Festival on a personal account of six young girls covering a Chappell Roan song on Saturday, but if they were Crush, they'd have to have been moved to first in the battle order given when it was uploaded. Stay tuned for more details when/if they roll in!

To close this post, why not discuss a battle of the bands that I haven't missed for coverage on the SMS, namely the third annual Lake Superior State University community battle of the bands, which takes place on Thursday, October 23rd at the Sault Ste. Marie university's on-campus Arts Center once again! First announced via the Arts Center's Facebook page on June 4th (notably with Molly performing in the graphic after winning last year) when publicizing their event schedule for the fall season, this post on Molly's Facebook page features hype for the battle from LSSU's own events calendar, including claims that it will be "bigger, louder, and more thrilling than ever". Admission will be $10 for general attendees, $5 for kids 10 and under, and free for current university students and faculty. We don't yet know how the format will be the same/different from last year, but in 2024, it was judged by professors and a student representative, and bands had 15 minute sets to play three or four songs apiece, with a $150 gift card awaiting the winners.

The runners up won a $50 gift card, and while eight acts (including solo musicians) were advertised, one dropped out prior to showtime. Trade war/tariffs pending, I'd love to come back for this battle again, as I had fun checking out the array of E.U.P. talent last fall, but I wonder why they're still holding this on a Thursday? No word yet on who we might see (audition info is forthcoming), let alone if Molly & crew will attempt to defend their title, but we'll let you know when more comes out on this battle! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site shortly! Thanks everyone!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: TheLateandLoud's Channel

It's now time for our last monthly feature post on the SMS for July 2025, namely this month's YouTube Channel Profile! This monthly feature looks at a randomly selected YouTube channel whose content is at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, or punk artists/concerts, and this month, we're heading back 13-14 years in the time machine for a prominent local metal band's early YouTube content, so here's what you should know!

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TheLateandLoud's Channel (http://youtube.com/@TheLateandLoud)

Owner: A member of 2010-2014 local classic metal quartet Late & Loud, exact identity unclear (my best guess is guitarist Jonathan Tiberi based on who largely filmed their webseries episodes)

Channel Timeline: Launched on October 26th, 2010; Videos uploaded from that day until May 2012

Channel Summary: The official YouTube channel for Late & Loud, it features nine videos from their their first year & a half together, including the three episodes of their webseries, three live performance videos, and a clip of them during recording sessions for their EP.

Why You Should Watch: If you were a fan of this talented (yet too short-lived) 1980s metal throwback group, then you should get a kick out of their channel, especially as it captures things when they were on the local upswing and still had lots of big plans laid out! This channel was not used during their final two years as an active band and their posthumous activity, including their battle of the bands successes, their 2019 reunion gig, and their kinda-sorta revival via the Late & Legends podcast, but more videos from later projects are lurking online, including on their Facebook page.

 Our Recommended Videos To Check Out:

 

Late and Loud ep. 1: Upon their debut, Late & Loud launched a webseries on their channel featuring three episodes (though the third episode was broken up into three chunks) featuring the guys hanging out away from concerts. The first episode from October 2010 starts with guitarists Brendan Christie (now of Convergence) and Jonathan Tiberi (now of Hamilton's Astral Witch) picking up drummer Josh Hatherley so they can drive to St. Joseph Island to jam at bassist Benn Garside's place, but not before enjoying a bonfire and having some fun (and a few drinks) that night. Almost four minutes of this 10+ minute video is blacked out in a dark room, but this is some loose casual entertainment that fans and friends will get a kick out of! The following episodes feature more rural and largely outdoor antics, and while performances are not the focus, episode 3 part 1 does feature the guys covering a White Whizzard song, albeit instrumentally. 

 

Chylde of Fire - Cover: The most popular video on Late & Loud's channel sees them covering Witchcraft's "Chylde Of Fire" at Foggy Notions (now Coch's Corner) circa March 2011. Featuring Jon on lead vocals, this unexpected cover of the Swedish metal veterans comes off well, and while vocal abilities was always Late & Loud's Achilles heel, Jonathan handles this one as well as you can expect! For more cover action, the guys can be seen covering two Judas Priest songs in their last video from their set at the Dead In The Van fundraiser at The Canadian in March 2012, and it ends with two originals.

Recording session at the Tiberi Villa: The only video here that isn't a live concert recording or a webseries episode is this May 2012 video of Late & Loud relaxing at "the Tiberi Villa" in Gros Cap during recording sessions for their demo EP "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal". Here, Brendan is behind the camera, with Jon attempting to make a boom mic handle out of objects at hand, while the rhythm section relax after a long night. Casual look at their DIY recording process, and if you're curious to hear that EP, click here for the extended 2013 "Still Hard" reissue!

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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! Next month, our latest randomly selected channel will be the YouTube Music channel for local "blue Chinese metal crash punk" quartet Sykotyk Rampage, featuring two of their studio albums, so look for that on or around August 26th, and for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

The Ripcordz Concert Cancellation, A Reunited Local Band, And More Recent Updates!!

Let's dive into some recent news and notes on the SMS on this Sunday afternoon, including a Tuesday night concert preview, a well publicized concert cancellation from this weekend, a recent (and long awaited) album release, and a surprise band reunion, so here's what you should know!

We'll start with the big story that was all over Facebook late Friday night and into Saturday, as The Ripcordz' concert at The Distraction on Friday was abruptly cancelled when the police and fire department arrived to shut the show down. This may sound ultra fitting in a way for the Montreal hardcore punk icons, but the plug was actually pulled during the late stages of Hails' set in the middle of the program. The Ripcordz were open about what happened on their Facebook page, and frontman Paul Gott spoke by phone with SooToday's Darren Taylor for this article about everything. There, Paul indicated that he was told that someone called the police with a complaint about the concert, and while his assumption was over noise (makes sense given what the former Foggy Notions nearby dealt with), Ha!ls' set occurred before the time that a noise ordinance would have been in effect.

Based on what I have read from those in attendance on Friday, it appears to have been related to concerns over permits or the fire code, possibly due to the single door access to the basement. I won't speak further as to what happened, but the discussions ran fast and furious on Facebook (for what it's worth, The Distraction haven't posted on their Facebook page in almost three weeks). Hopefully this is just a stumbling block for The Distraction, which has gotten rave reviews for the basement space since moving downstairs last summer, and that The Ripcordz try here again soon, as they love playing here! No word on if they can on this tour run, but we'll let you know when they get a chance to return to Sault Ste. Marie!

Next up, here's some surprising news, as local hard/classic rock cover band Quite Frankly have reunited! Well, their Facebook page is treating this as a new debuting band, but three band members from their original 2009-2010 run (2000s local metal guitarists Frank LaTassa and Joe DelBasso and former No Arrow/Half Past bassist Harley Syrette) are back for 2025, though Joe has shifted to electric drums in lieu of the departed Adam Pettenuzzo. Original singer Jack "Jacklyn Hyde" Alisat has been replaced by 2024 The Soo's Got Talent semifinalist Haley Alopaeus, and while keyboardist Vince LaTassa (Frank's brother) isn't back either, he did guest with his old band in their first gig back, which was at a private function at Venue on Queen Street East. In their first public video from July 14th, you can see them covering Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" in a jam session, which does sound good across the board!

As for the Venue gig, this 3 minute video (which features both vertical and horizontal camera orientations) is a compilation of clips of cover songs from that night, including The Black Keys' "Gold On The Ceiling", Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues". Journey's "Don't Stop Believing", The Steve Miller Band's "Jet Airliner" (with Frank on vocals), Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Sun", Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "Takin' Care Of Business", Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine", Chris Stapleton's "Tennessee Whiskey", and Collective Soul's "Shine". Not long clips of anything, but a good sampler of the new Quite Frankly, who definitely still have talent, and Haley has a nice voice, so check things out above & below!

Speaking of Harley Syrette, his old 2005-2011 grunge band No Arrow's unreleased studio album "Souls For Sale" was finally released this past Monday! As detailed here, Mike Haggith's indie label MorningStar Records has belatedly given this album a professional physical release, and you can now order it via ElasticStage at this link for $17.90 on CD or $43.90 on vinyl. As best as I can tell, the album is not currently officially available through MorningStar on major streaming services, but you can hear the unreleased free demo version at this link. The album's track listing is mostly the same to what was presented on the demo, but "Cuts" was moved from the end of the album to track #6, the final two songs were flipped in the order, and the original track #7 ("Most Of All") was dropped from the final product for unannounced reasons. I'm only going off of the song previews here, but they sound largely identical to how they did in the late 2000s.

It may take ordering the album for potential liner note details (remember, they broke up in 2011), but No Arrow are represented here by singer/guitarist Dann "Wayek" Pichette and drummer Joe Falco, with Harley and Brad "Gortium85" Griffith supplying bass tracks. This has to be exciting for No Arrow alumni who couldn't get this album out at the time, so kudos to Mike for getting things completed and published all these years later! I wonder if Dann & Brad's successor band SBD's limited print album "Sonic Experiments" could get a similar reissue next? Given our immense backlog of album reviews, "Souls For Sale" is pencilled in for December, so 2025 is now booked solid. In the meantime, buy it for yourselves above!

Finally for this news post, here's a special preview of a show on TUESDAY NIGHT, as local punk/alternative cover band Bookclub will rock The Roberta Bondar Pavilion as part of the City of Sault Ste. Marie's Summer Concert Series! Annually, local musicians (typically covers-centric ones) take the stage under the big tent downtown on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the summer, with BookcluB being the fifth of eleven with the honours in 2025. Last seen at Rotaryfest Stage 1 this past weekend, Tuesday's show should see the return of saxophonist Josh Norling, who was out of town and missed their Saturday evening set at Clergue Park. Hopefully a strong crowd turns out on Tuesday for BookcluB's eclectic mix of unexpected rock covers! Mikey, Dustin, Brandon, Allan, Erin, and Josh take the stage from 7:00-9:00 PM, and this concert is FREE & ALL AGES, as are all others in the Summer Concert Series, which runs through late August.

As the show is kinda sorta outdoors (tent acknowledged), 9&10 News is currently calling for mostly cloudy skies with a high temperature of 23° and a 10% chance of rain, so not quite as warm as it is today. That said, we're not close enough for an hourly forecast, so check in closer to for updates on the likely conditions. Visit the above links for more on BookcluB's Tuesday evening gig downtown, and here they are live!

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

Mike Haggith - "Frequent Flyer" Album Review!!

It's now time for our 193rd monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and as our sudden backlog of new album reviews marches onward, we're taking a look at local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith's 53rd solo album "Frequent Flyer" today! This album is very unique, as it was technically released via his own independent label MorningStar Records on June 13th, but the seeds were planted last year when Mike launched a "secret album" campaign via his Frequent Flyers mailing list. Each week for a year, subscribers were given a letter towards a password to unlock one of the album's songs for free to download, and as of June 6th, the earliest Frequent Flyers (myself included) were able to download all nine songs. One week later, Mike released "Frequent Flyer" to the public via his Bandcamp page on mp3 (for $10) and via his new ElasticStage store on CD for $20.40 or vinyl for $51.90.

In order to keep the album special for his mailing list subscribers, there are no imminent plans to release the whole thing to major streaming services, though three advance singles can be heard for free on Bandcamp and Spotify. I got "Frequent Flyer" the long way, but if you don't want to invest the time, you can invest some cash if you want! Not considered to be a "mainline" album in Mike's vast discography given its recording methods (a'la the Haggith band's "Apocalypse" albums), Mike performs the vast majority of parts on the final product, though two tracks feature guest performers. Featuring nine tracks running for about 36 minutes, let's begin our flight!

The album opens with its first advance single "Brand New Day", which is a departure from his more personal recent songs, and is instead about preparing for a new adventure in life. The shortest song on offer here, this is an upbeat power pop number that kind of feels like a Barenaked Ladies song if with more in-your-face singing. Mike hits some higher falsetto notes at points here that, while a little rough, show how his vocal range is evolving, and we even get a brief guitar solo too. Well recorded with a definite joie de vivre, this is a fun opener that fans of Mike's modern solo work will take to easily! The second song is a rare instrumental from Mike, named "Turbulence". He had the idea for the song for years, but after struggling to come up with fitting lyrics, he finished it as is for this album. The bass line is solid here, and the programmed drums suit things as it drives along at a decent clip!

Musically, this kind of feels new wavey, if that's fair, but the lack of vocals could influence that perception. I will tell you that the song never feels "turbulent" or chaotic, but I like how the song gets an orchestral tinge in the back half. Not a bad song with a retro feel, but adjust expectations given the lack of vocals! Next is the first of two songs with guest musicians, namely "Cruise", which features Dag, White Rhino, and Serge Paul. Promotion didn't really clear up who they were, but all three are musicians from Winnipeg, with Mike collaborating with them when he was layover there during his work as a commercial pilot. Serge Paul is a saxophone player, while White Rhino and Dag are rappers, so there's a change of pace! Here, Mike sings the chorus (about driving through the city endlessly) and delegates to the rappers on verses. Partially thanks to Serge's presence, this song has a jazzier feel to it as music, without much rock to speak of.

I'm not a rap scholar, but the flow is good on their verses, and Serge has clear sax talent, but aside from Mike's choruses, you'd never guess that this was a song of his, and it ends way too abruptly, fading out during Serge's ending solo. An interesting styles clash for sure, but fans of Mike's primarily solo music may want more out of this. The other song with a guest performer is next, namely "You Are The Sun", which is one of the three advance singles that non-Frequent Flyers can hear for free. Former Gnaeus bassist Matt Fronzi appears on this track (he has been in Mike's locally based Big Finish Band since last year), and Mike was inspired to write this song after hearing a new bass line that Matt was working on. This is the most representative song on the first half of the album in regard to Mike's post-Din solo catalog, but like on the opener, it has an optimistic air to it with positive lyrics and nice casual instrumentation!

It's more reserved than "Brand New Day", but it's not a bad number at all, and the guitar work is particularly nice. Matt's bass work is definitely stellar, but I will say that it doesn't stand out the same when Mike's full instrumentation is in play. Well written across the board though! Mike next does a rare studio cover next, namely of "Echoes In Your Head" by 2016-2017 local indie/hard rock band Bizotic, who never even released this (or any) song in studio form during their short run. Mike was a big fan of Bizotic's and has covered them in concert in the past, and it's always cool seeing local musicians cover other local musicians! If you want to hear the original song, here's a live recording of Bizotic playing it in Wawa. I did hear the original first, and while Mike largely sticks to the same structure, this version has more of an atmospheric and polished feel, with sparer instrumentation early on before the full band kicks in.

No trumpet here (imagine if Mike got Louise on the track!), but it is interesting hearing a fully realized cover of a song from a local band whose active run didn't even last a year, and if I was Brad (Gortium85 himself), B.J., Louise, Travis, and Kevin, I'd be flattered that Mike took the time to cover one of their songs after all this time. I prefer Mike's more upbeat, power poppy material, but this is well done across the board! Sixth up is "Miles And Memories", which was a self-imposed recording challenge for Mike, in that he intentionally decided to write and record a song within a 24 hour span based on just a pre-selected title. Mike theorized that it was lyrically about reminding himself to slow down and enjoy life, but he wasn't 100% sure about that. The liveliest original on offer since the opening track, and arguably the most rock-based so far, it still has a light optimism to it that suits where Mike's at nowadays in his solo career,

The multi-tracked vocals are overdone on the verses, but this will appeal the most to Din fans so far, and it has well layered instrumentation that would never give the impression that he had a one day deadline to complete it. Definitely an album highlight for me, so don't bypass it because of the subscriber exclusivity and paywall! Next is an alternate version of "Come On Home" from Mike's 2021 album "Bridges", which has a new arrangement that was developed when Mike played this song in concert. I did listen to the original version of this low-key ballad to compare (read my original review here), and aside from being significantly shorter, the 2025 version is a little more positive with a light symphonic touch, more varied singing, a less abrupt ending, and some multi-tracked backing vocals, while still retaining its melancholy lyrics. Basically, it's the original song but tighter and more upbeat, so for me, it's an improvement!

The penultimate song here is "This Is The Moment", which Mike worked on years ago, only to "hit a wall with it" before finally completing it for this album project. This has more of a grandiose nature befitting his pre-Din local output, with a softer intro with light guitar work and orchestral backing that builds into a fuller performance with more instrumental backing. I don't know if it does date that far back for its initial conception, but Mike sings and performs well on this mini-epic across the board, and you get the sense that the lyrics and intent hold real weight. Not a rocker, so to speak, but a compositional highlight! "Frequent Flyer" closes with its longest song and final advance single that anyone can hear for free on demand, namely "Home", which is inspired by how every pilot like him wants to go home, no matter how "home" is defined for them. Like "Come On Home", this starts off as a more spare vocal/guitar-driven number.

This song speaks to a lot of optimistic longing, and Mike crafts it well to get that across, and you can picture him at the seat of an airplane with this being on his mind. It's a little drawn out, but it has the symphonic backing that works on prior songs of his here, and while I don't think that the song as recorded is a good live rock concert candidate, it's a nice closer to ease this flight to a safe landing, ideally at home!

So, what are my final thoughts on Mike Haggith's (arguably) most unique album yet? Well, you kind of have to grade it on a slightly different tract given that it's not a "mainline" album written and recorded at one time, but it's an entertaining collection of one-off songs and backlogged ideas, and an ideal subscriber bonus for his mailing list program! That's not to undersell it, as there are multiple good songs here that would fit Mike's other Thompson/Barrie-era solo albums, but you can tell from the mid-2010s-esque orchestral backing alone that some of these songs had been sitting around waiting to be completed and released. "Miles & Memories" is probably my favourite song here, but "Come On Home" was improved for this re-release, "Brand New Day" sets things off on the right foot, and we got some good variance in influences across these nine songs, while also letting Mike flex more of his always-improving vocal range.

Whether this collection of songs is worth being on the mailing list for a year to obtain for free is not for me to decide (I was happy to do it, not knowing if the album would ever be sold), but it holds up as a quality full album release for fans of Mike's extensive solo catalog, so whether you want to become a fully fledged Frequent Flyer or just want to buy some new songs from a very talented indie musician, you can do so at the above links! I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, and next month, we'll continue our new album release schedule by looking at local industrial metal act The Realignment Project's sophomore album "The Frustration Sessions" from April of this year, so look for that & more soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Napoleon) Plus More Weekend Concert Previews!!

As promised, let'swrap up this weekend's concert previews with tonight's post, along with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for this fall, so here's what you should know on this Friday evening!

Local promotion agency Heavy North Entertainment will host their fourth post-relaunch concert and first since May on Friday, September 26th, when Toronto post-hardcore quartet Napoleon make their local debut at Soo Blaster! If you want something heavy, Napoleon will deliver with their blend of modern screamo and punk/alternative influences, and they should appeal to many readers with their in-your-face energy, so don't miss out in two months' time! The only currently signed local opener is Instagram-only hard rock quartet Maynard Hayes in their third show and first time not opening for Convergence. Hopefully their momentum is building well following The Pit & The Upheaval! At least one more opening band is to be announced, but note that May's H.N.E.-promoted Derev concert had three opening acts. This presumably all ages concert currently has an early 5:00-10:00 PM run time, so we'll see if that holds by the time the show takes place.

Tickets run for just $15 plus processing fees at this link, and will presumably be available at Soo Blaster (no word on if Maynard Hayes, Heavy North, or potential other opening acts will have them too). Good eaely signs for this show, especially being a Friday nighter, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details as they roll in!

Next up, here's more weekend concert previews, starting with local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations, whose scheduled shows this weekend were cancelled. They were slated to return to Jay's Piston Broke Pub TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT, as well as host last night's jam night there, but according to drummer Tony Santoro on their Facebook group on Tuesday, they won't be playing this weekend "due to unfortunate circumstances". They rebounded fast however, as they'll instead be rocking Reggie's Place TONIGHT & TOMORROW instead. Technically speaking, apologies for the short notice, but you could argue that the two proper concerts were just relocated. Fresh off of their Rotaryfest headlining set from this past Friday, this weekend's concerts are at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover charges as usual, and for the record, I haven't heard if Jay's has a replacement band playing there instead. See above for more details, and here's Generations live.

Next up, the first annual WestFest goes down TOMORROW at Anna Marinelli Park at 169 James Street! Spearheaded by the West Village Revitalization Project, this is a keystone event in their ongoing efforts to revitalize the western section of downtown Sault Ste. Marie (Steelton and Jamestown), with WestFest being promoted as a "block party meets music festival" featuring family entertainment and activities, local vendors, and even a beer garden, so visit the official website for full non-musical details on tomorrow's events! This outdoor festival just off of Albert Street West will feature seven acts, all but one being recent veterans of Rotaryfest Stage 2, but only the headliners are fully SMS-amenable, namely alt-hard rock quartet Handsome Sandwich! They'll take the stage tomorrow at 8:30 PM in their second live set of 2025 and since contracting to a quartet, and it should be a fine way to enjoy their eclectic and pointed original tunes!

Drummer Johnny Belanger and former Handsome Sandwich guitarist Brandon Ruch will also join forces in the co-headlining band tomorrow, namely bluegrass/country quartet The Golden Scoundrels, who play at 7:00 PM. Fresh off of their Stage 2 return this past Saturday, indie rock quartet Jupiter Marvelous (entirely made up of past hard rock band members) will perform at 6:00 PM, with folk/indie singer/songwiter Matthew James taking the stage prior at 4:45 PM. Indie/alternative band Lucy's Diner (née The Hollow Heads) perform at 3:45 PM ahead of a country set by former Soundcheck singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver at 2:45 as his local farewell tour presses on. The only band tomorrow who aren't a Stage 2 veteran are the late additions kicking things off, as veteran classic rock duo Frankly Speaking will start the day at 1:45 PM. Not the heaviest lineup going, but there should be a little something for everyone at WestFest, plus the other events all day!

This FREE & ALL AGES community festival is outdoors (bands will be performing on a covered stage), so weather-wise, 9&10 News is calling clear to partly cloudy skies tomorrow with temperatures hovering around 25°. While there's no chance of rain, there is an ongoing air quality advisory due to the smoke migrating here from the widespread forest fires in northwestern Ontario, so approach that as needed. Hopefully thing go well for WestFest across the board, and that this does a lot for the west end promotion and sprucing up, perhaps with a sequel to follow! Visit the above links for more details, and here's Handsome Sandwich live!

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

Most Of This Weekend's Concert Previews, Plus Two Missed Show Apologies!!

Before we begin this news post, I wanted to apologize for a missed concert in our packed Rotaryfest weekend coverage, as local hard rock band HeadF1rst returned to the Pridefest Loud & Proud family fun day at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion on Sunday. I honestly saw no public advertising for a band lineup this year (shouldn't there have been some given the events last week?), but HeadF1rst frontman Red Jettison let me know about it earlier on Sunday. They played this event alongside veteran rock trio Spiders Have Names (who played this event in 2019 under the name Woodwind), though a planned return set by The Apocalypse Afterparty didn't take place. I hope things went well for this Pridefest event, and apologies again!

Now, this preview post takes us to a busy (but not as busy) weekend of hard rock concerts in the twin Saults, with Saturday's WestFest and Generations concerts being held for tomorrow's previews, and we'll start with the big one this weekend, as Montreal hardcore punk legends The Ripcordz will return to The Distraction for another basement punk concert TOMORROW NIGHT! As regulars of the East Street all ages venue may recall, Paul and crew kicked off the permanent move of concerts there from the former barbershop upstairs to the once-named Stellar Door downstairs when The Ripcordz took the stage here this past August. That show went very well for the bands' and attendee's sake, and here's hoping for more punk intensity downstairs tomorrow in The Ripcordz' tenth show here since 2013! Fresh off of their Stage 2 debut at Rotaryfest, crossover thrash quarter Hails will return as openers tomorrow as well.

Taking over for 2014 openers The Haze tomorrow are local hard rock quartet Sylo as their summer reunion run continues, so don't miss their energetic originals and covers to kick things off! This all ages (but unlicensed) concert begins tomorrow at 7:00 PM with a cover charge of $20 or "pay what you can", though limited $20 advance tickets were available at The Rad Zone and through the local openers. Should be another great time for fans of fast & furious punk rock, so visit the above links for more details, and here are The Ripcordz live at The Distraction last year!

Next up, let's head to the E.U.P. for some hard rock cover action, and we'll start at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino, where Traverse City, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Peril will set up shop TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at The Northern Pines Lounge! Last seen at the St. Ignace branch at the end of May, this will be Jeff, Howard, and Brooks' first E.U.P. booking since rocking The Rapids Lounge in the Soo last month. This weekend's shows should give fans a strong weekend of hard rocking favourite covers, so keep these in mind if you'll be in the region or are up for a short drive south! Note that Peril have not confirmed these shows on their Facebook page as of late, but they are listed on Kewadin's entertainment page. Tomorrow and Saturday's concerts are 9:00 PM affairs with 19+ age limits and no announced cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Peril live! 

In a brief detour back to Sault Ontario, fans can check out classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison live at Misty's Fifties for another matinee concert on SATURDAY! The latest stop in Tym's long run of shows at this Second Line West nightclub in 2025, this will be his first matinee gig there in three weeks, and his first public show anywhere since he played a show that we missed for coverage on here, as he debuted at McCauley's Restaurant in Goulais River this past Saturday. Tym quietly announced the gig via its Facebook event page one week ago today, and I never saw social media reference to it from McCauley's end. Hopefully Tym's trip north to Havilland Bay was a success this past weekend, and I'd have happily covered it had I known about it! Alas, Rotaryfest week is always very busy. We won't miss his Misty's return on Saturday, which has a 19+ age limit, no cover, and a 4:00 PM start time.

Tym's huge setlist of rock covers should drive a solid response at Misty's Fifties on Saturday, so keep this one in mind for some early live music action this weekend! Visit the Misty's Facebook event page for more details, apologies again for missing last week's Goulais River show, and here he is live!

Finally for this preview post, we'll head back to Michigan for local hard rock quartet Unfortunate Sun's return to Huck's Pub & Grill in nearby Rudyard on SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen in St. Ignace last week, this will be the Fake Chow successors' first show at Huck's in three months, and comes on day #3 of the annual Rudyard Summerfest, so there should be a larger crowd for all of the action! Technically speaking, Huck's isn't part of the official itinerary (click here for the schedule), but they're smart to capitalize on the festival this weekend by hosting lots of live music, including three days starting tonight (for reference, tomorrow's band there is named Reserection, though I know nothing about them). Whether you'll already be in Rudyard, are up for some live music, or are planning to attend the "biggest party in the EUP", keep Unfortunate Sun's hard rock stylings in mind for Saturday night! This is a 21+ show with a 9:00 PM start time and no cover. See above for more details and here's Unfortunate Sun live!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!