LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Permanently Pissed & Exit 808) Plus More Weekend Concert Previews!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to profusely apologize for completely forgetting to preview local hard rock quartet Half Past's gig at Beck's Bar on October 11th in that weekend's concert previews. I did plug it when first announced in late September, but it completely slipped me by despite that. Hopefully the show was a hit for the guys, and they'll be back at Beck's before the year is up, so I won't miss covering that one in any way! Now, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the Halloween weekend and the rest of this weekend's hard rock concert previews!

Sault Michigan hard rock band Exit 808 will return to the stage on Saturday, November 1st for a belated Halloween party at The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley! One assumes that this concert isn't on Halloween proper because Bay Mills doesn't host live bands on Fridays, and a day late beats six days early. Dubbed "Fright Night On The Bay", this will end a two month break from the stage for Exit 808, who last played live in Walloon Lake in mid-August, in the E.U.P. in St. Ignace at the beginning of that month, and at The Back Bay back in March. While not advertised in the band's own promotion, they'll have a special guest for the occasion, as Dafter singer/guitarist and Molly & The Other Guys frontwoman Molly Escherich will return north from the Interlochen Center For The Arts to join in on vocals! It's not clear if she is filling in for Amy for the whole set or just making appearances.

That should be fun to see, so kudos to Molly for announcing this on her Facebook page! Don't put your costumes away yet, as there will be prizes of $500, $300, and $200 for the top three costumes next Saturday. Exit 808 take the stage at 9:00 PM for this 21+ event, which has no announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more on Fright Night On the Bay!

Next up, there's more post-Halloween concert action in Sault Michigan on Saturday, November 1st, courtesy of the latest multi-band show from promoters Serious Business, and it is taking place... in the basement of Pizza Hut?! There's a new one, but if they're willing to host a concert down there, why not give it a shot? Two touring bands will make their way here next weekend, including Novi noise punk quartet Permanently Pissed and Detroit grunge/alternative trio Werewolf Jones, who both deliver unique sounds that you don't get much of from the E.U.P., so don't bypass either one in advance of next weekend's show! Local support will come by way of new local hard rock trio Crush (the originals-focused Tarnished spinoff who just destroyed the Savoy this past weekend) and veteran local folk singer/guitarist Kevin Blakeney, who just competed at the Lake Superior State University battle of the bands last night.

We will have more on the fallout from the battle when things go public, for the record (I was unable to attend due to catching a cold). For the record, the above information comes from promoter Brighton LeBlanc in an e-mail conversation, as I haven't found public social media promotion for the show yet, but it'll be short notice if I don't talk it about it now. This concert goes down(stairs) at Pizza Hut at 2255 Ashmun Street on the business spur, across from Little Caesars at the corner of 14th Avenue. A 6:00 PM start time is advertised, this is an 18+ event, and admission is $15 at the door, though no word on a possible Halloween theme. Should be a fun and varied concert, so visit the above links for more details!

Let's head north to Sault Ontario to wrap up this weekend's hard rock concert previews next, starting with local death/thrash metal trio Pillory's album release party at Soo Blaster TOMORROW NIGHT! With years of even heavier and more brutal original songs built up, and months of studio session teasers, fans will get their first chance to buy CD copies of "Old Soul" for themselves tomorrow, and while it will also be posted on major streaming services, physical media is a huge plus! It's great to see Robert and Bret finally get this album done and dusted, and hopefully they and Devon deliver a brutal headlining set downtown tomorrow for the occasion! Support acts include progressive metal quartet Convergence (in their first public concert since Rotaryfest in July) and crossover thrash quartet Hails, who should each set the tone well with their own talented and heavy original attacks, so don't be late!

Remember, Ha!ls' new album will be reviewed on the site by month's end, but Pillory's won't be until early 2026 due to our lengthy new album release backlog. This ALL AGES concert goes down tomorrow at $7, and if you were unable to buy $20 advance tickets, the door entry fee tomorrow is $25. Pillory t-shirts will also be on sale, and the band has confirmed that Halloween costumes are encouraged if you're inclined to dress up early. Kudos to Pillory on finally getting the album out, and hopefully tomorrow's show is a blast! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's the second advance single from the album, namely "The Passing" via their YouTube Music channel, with more coming tomorrow!

Finally for this weekend's concert previews, strap in for the lighter side of Bone Yard 225, as the southern hard rock trio will go "uncorked" for an acoustic one-nighter TOMORROW NIGHT at The Water Tower Pub! Despite the Great Northern Road nightclub hosting plugged in bands as well, Bone Yard always go acoustic there, but expect a solid evening of hard, classic, and southern rock favourites (and perhaps some stripped down originals) from Greg, Alex, and Warren as usual! If you'd rather see your local 225 plugged in, the full electric show will be at Beck's Bar next Saturday. As usual for The Water Tower Pub, tomorrow's concert is at 8:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no announced cover charge, Visit the above links for more details on this latest "uncorked" concert from "the dirty three", and for a preview, here's Bone Yard 225 live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tarnished) & Most Of This Weekend's Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

It may not be the Halloween weekend quite yet, but things are sufficiently busy on the hard rock front to push this weekend's previews to two posts! As such, we'll look at Saturday's Pillory and Bone Yard 225 shows next, plus some extra upcoming show announcements. Here's what you should know to lead off this weekend, including SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Sault Michigan hard rock/classic metal quartet Tarnished will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, Tarnished first announced these shows via their Facebook page earlier today, but they had been listed on Kewadin's entertainment page previously (there hasn't been as many hard rock bookings there in 2025, so there have been admitted lapses for checking it on my part). TOMORROW & SATURDAY's bookings are effectively the long-delayed rescheduling of their planned February concert weekend there that was cancelled due to the ransomware attack that affected all Kewadin Casinos locations. They've been to the St. Ignace branch since, but not the Soo, so it is good to see them finally get re-booked at The Rapids Lounge after eight long months! As such, these will be their first Sault Kewadin gigs in just over a year.

Of course, they're booked on a good weekend, as fans who want to keep the live music rolling after the Trixter concert on Saturday (more on that soon) can head from the theatre to the lounge, and Tarnished definitely have lots of 1980s metal in their back pocket! Alex, Josh, Chris, and Ron take the stage TOMORROW & SATURDAY at 9:00 PM with 21+ age limits and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Tarnished live!

Next up, let's head to Sault Ontario, where local classic/hard rock cover quintet Headrush will end their recent break by rocking The Esquire Club TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! This weekend's shows will be the first from the Johns, Wes, Gino, and Frank since they capped off Rotaryfest Stage 1 in July, making this a somewhat delayed summer hiatus. Last seen at The Esquire Club back in May, this talented veteran quintet have promised "tons of new and favourite tunes" this weekend, so make th pilgrimage to this popular Second Line West venue for all of the action! Note that Headrush have since announced that they'll be playing at a stag & doe in November, but generally, I don't cover stags & does on here due to their hyper-personal nature, unless explicitly marketed and promoted as a public event (like the recent Inner City Surfers reunions). Tomorrow and Saturday night's concerts are at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no announced cover charges.

Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's a new video of Headrush (no space) at Rotaryfest! This video was shot by attendee Kevin Girardi and shared to their Facebook group at the time, which I apologize for missing until now. Works for preview purposes though! The 89 seconds-long video features the guys closing their set with AC/DC's "Whole Lotta Rosie" (remember, Who Made Who preceded them). What we hear is well performed, with John Anderson nailing Bon's vocal style, and the fans on the floor (well, lawn) are definitely partying it up, so give this video a look below!

Also this weekend, local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison has a double header on SATURDAY, starting with yet another Misty's Fifties matinee before playing a nightcap at The Fraternal Order Of Eagles Club! It's not overly common where Tym plays two distinct concerts on the same day, but fans in the west end and in Steelton will have double the chances to check out his stacked setlist and clear-as-day talents on vocals and guitar, so don't miss out if some acoustic classics pique your interest! These are Tym's last scheduled shows for October 2025. The busy Saturday slate begins at Misty's on Second Line West at 3:00 PM, before Tym heads off to Aerie #3991 on Wellington Street West for an 8:00 PM start time. A 19+ age limit is more likely at Misty's, and neither show has an announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here for more details, and here's Tym live!

Finally for weekend concert preview post #1, we'll bookend things back in Sault Michigan at the local Kewadin Casino, where The Spirit Of 1989 Tour descends upon The Dreammakers Theater for a night of hair and glam metal classics on SATURDAY NIGHT! Fittingly taking place on the same night as The Hair Scare on Rock 101 (Scott Cook will be broadcasting live from Kewadin for this concert, as you'd expect), this concert will be headlined by the local debut of New Jersey glam metal standouts Trixter, best known for hits like "Give It To Me Good" and "Surrender". Some readers may recall seeing bassist P.J. Farley backing up Mr. Big's Eric Martin's acoustic Kewadin show in February 2020, but the full Trixter will be fun for hair metal fans! Seventeen years after the cancelled Skid Row show at Runway Park in Sault Ontario that they were to have opened, Illinois hair metal quartet Enuff Z'Nuff will finally play here as co-headliners too.

Look for classic cuts like "Mother's Eyes" and "Fly High Michelle" in their set, while Hollywood's own Pretty Boy Floyd (of "I Wanna Be With You" fame), and the more modern hair revival group Permacrush will round out this stacked bill. A 7:00 PM and all ages show, tickets remain available in the center sections from the fourth row and back ($33) and in close rows in the left/right sections plus standing room only ($25)  at this link, at the in-person box office, or at 1-800-KEWADIN. Hair metal does well at Kewadin, let alone at such an affordable rate for this amount of bands, so keep this show in mind on Saturday! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Trixter live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Bone Yard 225 and Pillory previews (and more) next! Thanks everyone! 

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Bone Yard 225 & Even Flow) And Sole Aggressors Updates!!

Before we kick off another round of hard rock weekend concert previews, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the spooky season festivities ahead and updates from a talented but defunct(?) local band, so here's what you should know on this rainy Wednesday night!

Beck's Bar have announced their Halloween weekend concert slate via their Facebook page, and for a second time in three weeks, they'll host a concert on the usually DJ/dance party-only Friday, seeing as it is Halloween proper this year! The October 31st concert will be headlined by a debuting local Pearl Jam tribute band named Even Flow, and while I have yet to find a public social media page or posting about this group, public Facebook shares of this poster indicate that former Garden of Bedlam drummer Derek Turner will be behind the kit, possibly joined by a new-to-me musician named Cameron Brock. We'll let you know when more is publically known, but a locally based tribute to the grunge/alternative legends would be neat to see! The openers on Halloween are new (and online page-less) local rock cover quartet The Barbarians, who debuted at The Northern Vibe Festival this year.

Featuring ex-Elements/Wyld Stallyns frontman Rob Speers, Handsome Sandwich's Taylor Emlaw & Rafael Medina, and Boat Dads drummer Kevin Harrison, I still don't know what range of music that The Barbarians play in relation to Rob's solo shows and past bands, but you can find out next Friday! Costumes are absolutely encouraged, with prizes being offered for best makeup, best duo, and most creative, while Tarot card reader Stephanie Poitras will also be on hand. No cover charge is announced for this 19+ concert, which begins at 9:00 PM.

Meanwhile, Halloween will extend to Saturday, November 1st, with the spooky themes, costume contests, and Tarot readings in effect that day as well, and for the occasion, southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will return to the former Vibe Lounge as that night's headline band! This show has not (yet?) been announced on their website's concert calendar, but it comes just two weeks after they last rocked Beck's, albeit for a full weekend with an "uncorked" Sunday matinee (Out & Out Country have the honours on November 2nd). Good to see Greg, Alex, and Warren back for another night of rocking covers and originals in the west end, so don't put your costumes away yet, as there's more Halloween fun to be had a day late! We already knew about Tym Morrison's matinee concert next Saturday, and remember, he isn't "opening" for Bone Yard, he and they have two separate four hour concert blocks spaced two hours apart.

Like with The Barbarians and Even Flow on Halloween proper, your local 225 kick off their evening at 9:00 PM next Saturday with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge. Sounds like Beck's has a lot going on for Halloween weekend, so definitely visit the above links for more on what's in the cards there!

Next up, let's take a look at some updates from the now-defunct Sault Michigan punk trio The Sole Aggressors... or are they? In their last post on their Facebook page to date, singer/guitarist Brett Siesel thanked their friends, family, and supporters throughout their run, and "although this chapter has reached its conclusion, we have not". The 2023 LSSU Battle of the Bands winners are now calling this "our indefinite hiatus", and Brett teased that they have an "album coming soon". If they have entered the studio in any fashion, I haven't seen reference to it, but given that an indefinite hiatus can last anywhere from a few weeks to forever (let alone that they called their house party gig in August their "farewell show"), I'm not inclined to move them back to our active links at this juncture. After all, they're far from the only local band to end activity when members leave the area for college, but it's always cool to see bands reunite afterwards!

While we're on the subject, let's end this post with one of the last two full concert set videos from their YouTube channel! Today, we'll look at "The Shamrock Show" at Three One Three On Ashmun in March, where Brett, Calvin, and Isaac joined (in their Sault Ste. Marie debuts) The Sky Pilots and About:Blank for a St. Patrick's Day weekend blast of hard rock and punk action. The 52 minute set features The Sole Aggressors playing (in order) "Kill Thy Neighbour", "Burning Down", "Teenage Guide", "Humans Aren't Ordinary Monkeys", "Time To Commercialize!", "False Hope", "Heil Artificiality", "Fool", "State Of The World", "Kill A Celebrity", "Ventilation", "Fast Punk For Fast Food", "Melted Plastic", "Tale Of An American Hero", "Reject", "Down By The Bay", and "Hypocrite", followed by a new original song named "The Same Individualist", and in a rarity at this stage, a cover of Black Flag's "Six Pack".

While this gives us our fullest look at The Sole Aggressors' original catalogue yet, the visuals don't start off ideal, but if you hang on past the first four songs, the filmer does move the camera so that Brett's head isn't cut off and Calvin isn't entirely hidden behind him from this vantage point. That one stage light can be a little bright regardless, but the upbeat and fast punk action is well recorded at the former Back Door here, so if you miss The Sole Aggressors or missed out on their gigs on both sides of the border, give this full set upload a watch for yourselves below!

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

SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The 2025 Lake Superior State University Battle Of The Bands!!)

Six local acts will face off in the third annual Lake Superior State University Battle of the Bands on THURSDAY at the on-campus Arts Center! Apologies for the short notice, the final lineup was only revealed on the Arts Center's Facebook page this past Wednesday, though details on some of the acts were not immediately available, with posts introducing them being staggered over the past week. The second major battle in the E.U.P. this year (following the Superior Whitefish Festival one in Brimley in July), this year's LSSU Battle will feature six acts (down one from 2024) vying for battle supremacy, and we have a guaranteed first-time winner ahead, as The Sole Aggressors broke up this summer and Molly Escherich is attending the Interlochen Center for the Arts. Two performers are returning solo musicians from last year, including veteran folk singer/guitarist Kevin Blakeney, which makes him the only act to play at all three LSSU battles.

Joining him again is Kaleb Shannon, who now performs under the solo handle NDN Summer, but don't bypass either as a contender on THURSDAY, as Kaleb did win the $750 second prize at the Superior Whitefish Festival Battle (which Kevin also competed in). Will they appeal to the judges at the Arts Center this time around? Of the four bands competing on THURSDAY, the most familiar to SMS readers will be hard rock/punk band About:Blank (who performed at the Superior Whitefish Festival's Music In The Park concert, but not the battle). This will be a special two-man acoustic set, as guitarist Nathan Webber (one of Molly's victorious Other Guys from last year) will be absent himself, so frontman Parker Talentino (a solo competitor from the 2024 LSSU Battle) and drummer Kade DesArmo will press onward. Will Kade's presence push Parker into the winning position? Find out on THURSDAY!

The other three acts are brand new to me, including Socrates & The Cavemen, a new band from LSSU philosophy/humanities professor Jason Swedene, who played bass for last year's competing indie rock quartet The Undecideds alongside his son Calvin (formerly of the Sole Aggressors). In this new project, Jason is "The Cavemen" while Socrates is his other son William, but the descriptions don't outright say what they'll play beyond teasing a soul/funk influence. We'll find out on THURSDAY! New local rap duo Tunngtyed (featuring MCs Tha Baztad and G-Blunt) and new local acoustic project The Dynamic Duo (featuring singer Danielle Petingalo and guitarist Ben Huyck) round out the battle roster, which means that this year's battle has no bands with more than two advertised members, whereas there were four with 3+ members in each of the last two years. To me, this leaves the field wide open, so it's anyone's guess who will win!

And no, Tarnished/Crush frontman Alex Traynor (with or without his poofy white coat) is not playing on THURSDAY despite being on the promotional poster. If things are formatted identically to last year, the 2025 LSSU Battle will be judged by LSSU faculty and a student representative, who all are scoring on one individual criteria apiece, and acts will likely be blocked for 15 minutes apiece, giving room for 3-4 songs each. Prizes for the battles so far were $150 for first place and $50 for second place (both as gift cards), with third place and beyond not announced. Admission on THURSDAY will be $10 for general audiences and $5 for kids 10 and under, while current LSSU students, faculty, and staff will get in for free. A 7:30 PM start time is advertised, and it should be an early night once again given the formatting. While I wish the lineup was announced with a little more notice, there should be a great batch of music in store for attendees!

I'm unsure if I'll be going to this year's battle, but I went last year (here's my review), and the talent base and support for the performers was very encouraging! This year hasn't been the easiest in terms of cross-border relationships with the tariffs and whatnot, but it'd be great to see some Sault Ontarians come across to check out the Yoopers competing on THURSDAY, and best wishes to everyone as they vie for first place! Visit the above links for more on this year's battle, and stay tuned for results and fallout when/if it goes live! Thanks everyone, and good luck!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Quit It!), Upcoming Album Teasers, And New Videos!!

 Here's a new news post for this Sunday morning, which includes some varied new videos, upcoming album details on both sides of the border, and leading off, a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT that completely slipped me by until now, so here's what you should know!

Calgary "socio-political anthemic punk" band Quit It! will make their local concert debut TONIGHT at The Speak Easy at Algoma University! I profusely apologize for the short notice, I only heard about this show this morning via this SooToday article which went live on October 9th, though the Facebook event page went live late last month. I'm assuming this fell through the cracks because the SooToday article was "sponsored content", let alone that TONIGHT's show appears to have no local openers (the poster saying "bands" acknowledged), but remember that The Speak Easy only infrequently hosts SMS-amenable bands, with this being the first such punk/hard rock event since Mean Bikini played there in 2023. Touring in support of their new album "Through The Debris", Quit It! have an explosive and politically charged sound that left-leaning punk fans will appreciate, and their DIY approach and clear talents and energy will definitely lend themselves well to drawing a good response from fans at Algoma University TONIGHT!

If there is an opening band, they are uncredited in public press. A 7:00 PM start time is in effect for TONIGHT'S concert, which has admission at the door of $15 for general audiences and $10 for Algoma students with valid student ID. As best as I can tell, this is an all ages event. Being on a work/school night for most may not be ideal, but Quit It! are worth checking out for sure, and if this goes well, it might not be two years before The Speak Easy brings another touring punk band here! Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Quit It! live last month!

Next up, here's the latest from local metal trio The BAG, who had been radio silent for the past three months, so what have they been up to? Well, on Thursday, they revealed on their new Facebook page that they have finished mixing and mastering their debut album! To my recollection, they hadn't even announced that they were entering the studio (despite having multiple originals in their live sets), so this is a welcome surprise! I was worried that Spencer joining the Sault Side Squad was a bad omen for The BAG's future, but no cause for alarm there! The album will be named "Sacculus", which is a sensory cell in the inner ear and some some insects' antenna, and the painted cover artwork by Elly Grawbarger depicts a battle between a cthulhu and a lava monster (possibly a cherufe?) near a volcano, with the band rocking out at the foot of it. Further details on the track listing, release formats, and more lie ahead, but check out more updates from The BAG above!

Also, let's start playing catch up on what new Sault Michigan hard rock trio Crush have been up to beyond what we have covered of theirs on the site already! Since launching, this band has picked up both the original music responsibilities and the jokey/parody social media promotion angle that Alex, Josh, and Isaac's other/old band Tarnished have largely shelved since they shifted to a covers-only focus last summer, and that is very clear if you follow Crush's Facebook page. On August 6th, they shared this video of the guys going to Dunham's Sports at the Cascade Crossings strip mall, where guitarist Josh Fair bought his first gun, followed by the guys taking it to a field to do some practice shooting. The visual content here isn't really SMS-relevant beyond who's starring, but there is humour to be had! And remember, this is Michigan, everything with the rifle was done legally and safely. However, the music will be of note regardless!

Added in post are demos of Crush's original songs "No Way", "Intoxicated", and "Too Close", and the end-of-video caption notes that they have an "album coming soon". I had my suspicions watching this video that they were in studio in some form, so it's nice to get some public clarification, and it will be interesting to hear how things are coming along! Give Crush's day of gun fun (and the new demos, albeit as background music) a look below!

Finally, here's a new video from Sault Ontario classic rock cover duo Frankly Speaking's concert at Beck's Bar on Wednesday! This special mid-week show was one of their "Rock On To The Sound Of Change" events that generally isn't billed to the Frankly Speaking name (rather "Frank & Frank" or "Frankeeproductions"), and in this format, they pay homage to rock classics in a historical context and how those songs/bands inspired social change. Generally, the Franks don't lean heavier as far as the SMS goes but they certainly have hard rock covers in their back pocket that we have featured here in prior posts. This video was shared to 705Live Sound Co.'s Facebook page from singer/guitarist Frank Gioia's personal Facebook page, and it features him and keyboardist Frank Greco covering the opening ballad verses of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody", with a silent video of Queen playing behind them.

What we get here looks and sounds good, even with the hyper-narrow widescreen orientation, and it is interesting seeing a themed special concert set like this from a local band that gets treated as a bigger deal! Some readers may recall "Rock On To The Sound Of Change" being performed at Rotaryfest Stage 1 last year, albeit without a video screen. Give Frankly Speaking's partial Queen cover a watch below!

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

Rust, Bone Yard 225, And Curtis McKenzie Concert Previews!!

Before we begin our second weekend concert preview post, I wanted to offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of original Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley, who passed away yesterday at the age of 74 after being on life support following a fall at his home that led to a brain bleed. Visit your preferred music websites for continuing details on this sad news. A highly influential guitarist who co-wrote many of Kiss' biggest hit songs in the 1970s and early 1980s, and fronted what most considered to be the best of Kiss members' four simultaneous solo albums in 1978, Ace made his own name in the late 1980s and beyond with his own band Frehley's Comet and numerous solo releases, including last year's "10,000 Volts". Ace played two solo concerts in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, including at The Dreammaker's Theatre at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino in November 2009, before headlining the outdoor '80s Rock Invasion concert at the St. Ignace Kewadin in July of last year.

Of course, Ace was not in the band anymore when Kiss played their two Sault Ste. Marie gigs, but his influence was felt from their setlists to the Spaceman costume taken on by Tommy Thayer, let alone the Kiss tribute bands that have played here. With hits like "Shock Me", "New York Groove", "Rock Soldiers", and "Cold Gin" on his resume as writer and/or singer along with ample guitar credits, Ace will be remembered fondly by the Kiss Army, and blast them loud if you can tonight. R.I.P. Ace!

Today's post otherwise looks at more weekend concert previews in Sault Ontario, and we'll start at Beck's Bar, where former Haggith/Project 421 frontman Curtis McKenzie will play their Saturday matinee timeslot TOMORROW! This will be Curt's first unplugged solo date since rocking The Dive Gastro Pub two weeks ago, a date that I regrettably missed covering on here despite teasing that he would be back soon when he announced that there was a scheduling mix-up the previous week and wasn't playing then. I profusely apologize for missing that Dive gig (which was a an outdoor "Patio Play" event), and hopefully he had a great on October 4th! Fans haven't seen Curtis rock out at the former Vibe Lounge since the end of August, so if you want a solid matinee block of alternative and hard rock covers, go west! Tomorrow's show is at 3:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's Curt live!

Next up, who's playing the nightcap at Beck's Bar TOMORROW NIGHT? Southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225, who will also pull the rare weekend double as the acoustic matinee performer on SUNDAY! One of the few local bands who play both of Beck's usual live band days (Fridays are typically DJ nights, tonight's Joe Mattalo country concert acknowledged), fans of "the dirty three" will have last seen Greg, Alex, and Warren at the Goulais Avenue nightclub in early September. Whether you prefer your Bone Yard in its full electric splendour or would rather see them earlier on and "uncorked", you have options this weekend! Just a reminder, Curtis McKenzie is not "opening" for your local 225 tomorrow, he and Bone Yard have separate four hour timeslots spaced two hours apart, but with no cover, you can hang out and see both if you choose. Tomorrow's concert is at 9:00 PM, Sunday's is a 3:00 PM matinee, and both shows are 19+ affairs. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Bone Yard 225 live!

Finally for this weekend, we'll head downtown to "The" Soo Blaster, where Sudbury's Rust: A Tribute To Rush will return for a headlining concert TOMORROW NIGHT! Fittingly now taking place in the wake of the real Rush's reunion tour announcement for 2026, this will be Rust's first local stop since November of last year, though the Kuthy brothers are far from strangers to the Soo, having played here four times with their Def Leppard tribute band Just Leppard, including in April. On this current tour, Rust are playing the album "Moving Pictures" in full and in order during their sets, and with their faithful looking and sounding stage show, fans of the Canadian progressive hard rock legends would be hard pressed to miss Saturday's concert for what should be a solid night of Rush classics! Doors open at 7:30 PM tomorrow for this all ages concert, which has tickets running for $25 online at this link or at the venue, though the door charge will jump to $35. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's the official trailer for this show!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Crush) And Saturday Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

Before we begin this post, I waned to note that this Saturday's planned Soo Falls-hosted Oktoberfest concert at The Machine Shop was quietly cancelled, as per the end of ticket sales (source here) and lack of recent social media promotion. A reason for the cancellation was not publically announced, but remember that we did have two other Oktoberfest events in Sault Ontario earlier this fall. Hopefully we see BookcluB and Silent 9 back at it soon, and Nein German Guys at Oktoberfest events next year! Now, let's lead off this busy weekend's hard rock concert previews (Rust and Beck's Bar gigs aside) with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

New Sault Michigan hard rock trio (and Tarnished spin-off) Crush will make their Sault Ste. Marie debut THIS SATURDAY NIGHT with a multi-band concert at The Savoy Nightclub! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via this teaser video from their Facebook page on Sunday where the band amusingly sampled a bottle of Josh wine (as Josh Fair is their guitarist). While Crush did play a downstate gig since then in Prescott on August 22nd, and will also hit the road tomorrow to open for deathcore band Godstine at a "Creepy Cheapy Halloween Bash" in Battle Creek, this will be just the second local gig since Alex, Josh, and Iggy formed Crush as their new original music outlet, leaving Tarnished in their current covers-centric formation. The Superior Whitefish Festival Battle of the Bands winners are the headliners on SATURDAY, and will be joined by the local debut of Rose City metal quintet Tribe989!

Crush had previously opened for Tribe989 at the aforementioned Prescott show last month (a fundraiser gig for this tour run), and Crush debuted at Bar-N Stock in Rose City in July (which Tribe989 also played at), not to mention Tarnished's past gigs there, so it's neat to see paths cross 3 hours north for a change. Tribe989 are a solid and melodic mixed-gender metal band, so don't bypass them! Newer local punk/hard rock trio About:Blank (featuring fellow Tarnished alumni Parker Talentino and Nathan Webber) will also take the stage on SATURDAY in their own first gig since the aforementioned Superior Whitefish Festival, though they were in the Music In The Park block, not the battle. Good to see About:Blank back out there, and hopefully their original tunes and sometimes surprising originals kick things off on the right foot! For the record, you may recall seeing Alex & Josh with Tarnished at the 117 West Portage Avenue bar back on July 4th.

SATURDAY'S concert (named "Destroy The Savoy") is at 7:00 PM, there is a 21+ age limit, and admission is $5 at the door. Not a bad deal all around for three originals-leaning Michigan hard rock/metal bands, and if you miss Tarnished's original material and more comedic social media videos/postings (we have to play catch-up on those), then Crush will be very much up your alley, let alone from their clear musical talent! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Crush live!

Next up, let's head to Sault Ontario for a pair of previously announced concerts, starting with a matinee gig from prolific local classic/hard rock solo musician Tym Morrison, who will keep his busy slate at Misty's Fifties going with yet another early acoustic booking on SATURDAY! This is the second in a three week run of weekly Saturday matinees from the former Caveman Morrison and Nostalgic Band frontman, so whether you regularly see him live or haven't see his skilled mix of vocals and guitar talents as of late, head to the Second Line West nightclub on Saturday to check out the action! Tym will not be at Misty's over Halloween weekend, but he will have six more shows there in November & December. Saturday's concert is another 4:00 PM matinee with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Tym live!

Finally for preview post #1, we'll head downtown to Gateway Casino, where classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will return to the stage on SATURDAY NIGHT! After taking a two months-long break while drummer Tony Santoro recovered from carpal-tunnel surgery, this will be Generations' first casino gig in four months, and also their first show since they parted ways with guitarist Tony Kajnar. In his place, Smokehouse frontman Michael Yurich (a frequent fill-in between Brandon and Tony K.'s stints) will guest on guitar on Saturday, so come on down to see how he fits in with Valerie, Pierre, and Tony S. anew! A one-nighter as is standard at Gateway Casino (they don't book bands on Fridays at all), Saturday's concert has an 8:00 PM start time, a 19+ age limit, and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details on Generations' return to the live scene, and here they are with Michael live!

That's all for now, but look for our Rust, Bone Yard 225, and Curtis McKenzie previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

Our Recap Of Spades GT's Sofa City Sounds Interview From Last Month!!

Today's, we are heading back to the world of local/Barrie crossover thrash quintet Spades GT, and for this post, we'll focus on a brand new interview that guitarist Daniel Horton and bassist Sean MacNab took part in on September 22nd with the Niagara Falls-based music promotion company Sofa City Sounds! This is the third interview that Spades GT members have conducted with Sofa City head Amanda Schilz, following interviews with J.D. and Tyler in December 2023 and Tyler alone in January of this year. We just need her to talk to Fang and she'll have the entire current lineup covered! Our prior links to those interviews have been wiped due to Facebook live-streamed videos now being deleted after 30 days, but I linked to each interview's YouTube copy via Amanda's YouTube channel, which is also where I've sourced the new interview so it doesn't vanish in eight days. 

This 65 minute remote interview begins with Dan & Sean introducing themselves and talking about recent experiences at live events Amanda saw them at. Apparently, Amanda was supposed to interview Spades GT members before their set at Rye Fest in Brantford in August, but unspecified health matters led to that being delayed. She and Daniel discuss how well Rye Fest went to perform at and attend, and assorted experiences at live concerts, before transitioning to how Sean joined the band (he confirmed that he did not perform on "United"). Interesting to hear how he fell into the Spades gig, let alone his jokingly tenuous standing with the band even now! Looser casual talk follows, including everyone's ages, past live concert experiences, and family links (one of Amanda's kids was off camera playing with a loud toy), before they about how they got on the bill to open for The Exploited last year and will again do so later this month.

This leads to Daniel elaborating on how their sound is kind of a punk/metal hybrid that allows them to adapt to multiple bills. After Amanda discusses aborted plans to ask Spades to open for The Dayglo Abortions at a concert she was involved in, Daniel outlines the band's origins (again describing Jack Spades as a different band than Spades GT), and then taking the lost Dayglo opportunity in stride, as Spades opened for Dayglo in in their first post-relaunch gig in Barrie in April 2022. Note as well that Jack Spades' first full concert set in September 2013 was opening for The Dayglo Abortions here at the former Roosevelt Hotel, but of the current GT lineup, only J.D. was in the band then. They next discuss the networking and relationships made through the rock music scene in Southern Ontario, including podcasts, and apparently, Dan and J.D. have kicked tires on starting one to talk to other musicians. If Tyler can do one with Drummers Paradise, why not?

Personal struggles with sobriety and mental health come up next, with Sean rightly pointing out how their new song "Demons" is relevant to the topic at hand, and things also evolve into how the music scene has evolved in good and bad ways, including how the pandemic affected how bands operated, and continued experiences of seeing live music and performing at big concerts. A lot of credit is given by Amanda and Dan to the people who support the scene, be they musicians, promoters, journalists, photographers, stage crew, or anyone else who helps the cause. Near the end, Daniel does tease that "we've got some fun stuff comin' next year for sure", with Amanda planning to contact Spades GT for booking them on a show in 2026, before talking about Amanda's bull mastiff, who helped end the interview a little more abruptly than planned. Nice long interview that had a very friendly atmosphere, and while questions about Spades GT and their past/future plans weren't the firm focus, Amanda and the guys had a good rapport that shows that they knew each other well!

It's clear that Amanda loves what she's doing with the heavier music scene in Southern Ontario, and she gets along well with the Spades crew (lack of an interview with Matthew acknowledged) , though it would have been nice to hear Sean a little more in the discussions. Check out the full hour+ interview below, and stay tuned for more from Spades GT soon! Thanks everyone!

New Live Concert Cover Videos & More Recent News & Notes!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our Canadian readers! Before you settle in for turkey and football (assuming you didn't take care of that yesterday), here's an all-Sault Ontario post for the day off, and it's devoted to recent videos and some other updates, so let's get things rolling!

Normally, I would hold this new video of local classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down for our next preview of one of their shows (their next publically scheduled gig is on November 21st at The Water Tower Pub), but seeing as it has two guest performers, let's show it off on its own! This comes from one of their gigs at Jay's Piston Broke Pub over this long weekend, in which Mid Life Crysis bassist Lori Reinholtz again sat in for Dan Beaupre, but the guys also welcomed Bourbon Blue singer/guitarist Jules Cote to sing lead on a cover of Oasis' "Don't Look Back In Anger"! Filmed from another high stationary vantage point (if not as straight-on as other past Double Down videos shot like this), this is a soundly handled cover that Oasis fans should like! You can tell that Jules isn't used to singing on stage without a guitar in hand, but his voice fits well enough here, if not hitting as high of notes.

It is worth noting that Bourbon Blue have recently added ex-Re:Born frontman Robert Nevitt as their new lead singer, though Jules remains in the pop rock cover band that he co-founded, so we should still see him on lead and backing vocals where needed. Check out the Syrettes, Ric, Jules, and Lori tackling Oasis this weekend below!

Next up, here's a mild surprise, namely a cover of April Wine's "I Like To Rock" by local indie rock band Jupiter Marvelous! While their original music largely doesn't cross our genre radar, their lineup is entirely comprised of alumni of past local hard rock bands, and they do have the occasional hard rock or punk cover in their live sets (remember when they covered Fall Out Boy at Rotaryfest?). This was filmed for veteran local rock guitarist Mike Cliffe's YouTube channel, one of multiple videos of Jupiter Marvelous that Mike has filmed there, and this was from the band's set at Wolf Fest at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion last month. Most of this Canadian hard rock staple was captured here, with new guitarist Spencer Pine taking on lead vocals, which old Electric Church fans will be sure to appreciate! I'd have had the screen behind the band showing something, but Jupiter Marvelous are a talented and very adaptable band, so give this a watch below!

Also today, here's a new video from local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225's Facebook page last week, which features drummer Greg Simpson heading to his drumkit at his home studio for what he says is "my favourite time". The implication is that he was working on new Bone Yard material, but nothing was explicitly said there. Regardless, he had his coffee ready! Nice little glimpse at the behind the scenes process, and Facebook was not able to content match the Black Label Society song in the background, so give this video a watch below, and stay tuned for more from your local 225!

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

 

• Sporadically seen local deathcore band Bardo have quietly altered their name to Bardos, as per their Facebook page. A reason for pluralizing the name wasn't announced, but note that their only Facebook posts in the past year have been to plug Heavy North Entertainment concerts put on by frontman Tyler St. Amour. The name change would be a sign that they're still active despite not playing an acknowledged public concert in over a year, so we'll have to see what comes out next from Bardos!
• The Facebook event page's description for the 1990s punk reunion concert at Soo Blaster on December 27th had been updated to note that "some original members" of the three reuniting bands will be playing, hinting that Fist Magnet, Room 206, and/or The Spigots may not be fully/officially reuniting here. A discussion thread there from co-promoter/P.R.O.D. guitarist Christian Foisy did shed some light on that, with ex-Spigots guitarist Jeff Nisbet questioning who would be representing that band. Christian added that singer Trevor Harding & bassist Frank Guidocco would be playing in December, so the "some original members" clarification may reflect The Spigots in particular. It will be a must-attend show regardless!
• I have moved local/Toronto indie/punk quartet Treble Charger back to our inactive band links. They last issued a public update or played live when they opened for Everclear at the annual Western Fair in London in September of last year. I will not be commenting on the allegations from October of last year, which are far outside of what I want to cover on here, and do not directly affect our coverage of local music beyond the band's active status.

 

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

Heavy Lies The Crown Updates From September 2025!!

For today's post, let's catch up on some early fall updates from St. Ignace, Michigan deathcore band Heavy Lies The Crown, so what have they been up to since September 5th? While we alluded to the release of their new single "Shame" on September 12th in our last H.L.T.C. post, we weren't technically there in the timeline to talk about the song proper. Now we are, as the song was released as planned on major streaming services, including here via their YouTube Music channel. I'll hold comment on "Shame" for now, pending our likely review of their forthcoming album next year, but the song is shorter than I realized it'd be (at just 80 seconds in length). It does give a glimpse as to their teased sonic evolution while still appealing to existing fans, with its origins outlined in this video, but "Shame" is definitely a heavy track, so give it a listen for yourselves below!

Four days prior, Heavy Lies The Crown shared this image of their tracking computer's monitor onto their Facebook page, indicating that they had just finished another new song, with thumbs-up icons plastered over it in post to conveniently cover up the song's title (for now). Then on September 13th, frontman Brandon West starred in another solo update video from his vehicle, where he asked how fans liked "Shame", noting that the song was "short & sweet" but there are longer songs ahead for the album. He also noted that he learned how to scream in a new way for this album, and "Shame" may be somewhat reworked for the album compared to this single release. Brandon also acknowledged that "we're coming into a new era" of the band, and they're looking toward developing their own sound that isn't as easy to compare to bigger bands. Bit of an abrupt video, but he talks very optimistically, so give it a watch below!

In their next video, they uploaded a clip of behind the scenes footage from the video shoot for "Jell-O" from 2023! Here's the full music video to compare. Perhaps intentionally, we only see clips of current members of the band in the 21 seconds-long runtime (so no Ted), and between Jaxon drumming and Brandon's still-long hair, that dates things alone. Unfortunately, this was shot vertically (let alone letterboxed into widescreen dimensions in post), and I have no idea why they added the strobing lighting overtop, but the orientation does accentuate that this isn't the final product, so it's more distinguished in that way. Seeing how a music video is shot like this can defeat the illusion to an extent, but it is neat seeing how things really looked for this bloody video shoot, so give things in progress a look below!

On September 20th, Brandon starred in another vertical update video, but this one is just to thank everyone for the high streaming and hit counts for them on social media and/or "Shame" in the past week. Good to see them getting positive early attention for it! Two days later, they shared this "Reel" from the Facebook page of the Muskegon-based podcast The Metal Maniacs, where hosts Jay Ingersoll & Nick Modd reacted to their 2024 single "Marble Skin". Very understated reactions, yet still very positive, and it's good to see Heavy Lies The Crown getting more kind words from the Lower Peninsula! On September 28th, perhaps teasing the "spooky surprise" alluded to earlier in the month, H.L.T.C. began a teaser campaign for a "fiery spectacle that's about to unfold", featuring a black-and-white video of a long-haired person dressed in white standing in front of a large fire.

The next two days saw black & white pictures of three people (band members?) in costumes shared to Facebook, though obviously, the band had four members at last public count. We'll close for now with this 7 seconds-long teaser from October 1st of what would seem to be a new music video shoot, featuring (I would assume) guitarist Jaxon Massaway rocking out by said fire while in costume. The song clip heard is promisingly heavy, but we'll know more on what Heavy are cooking up soon, and check out what we knew as of the start of the month above & below!

We'll pick up with Heavy Lies The Crown next with a late-September update video from Brandon and more on what they're up to this month, both with the teased new song/video and their return to the stage downstate, so stay tuned for that and more on the SMS soon! Thanks everyone!