We're back on this Wednesday morning with some new videos, but leading off is a preview of a big local concert tomorrow night that I wanted to preview separately from our normal Thursday weekend concert preview post because it's that night, so giving it the extra day will be good to give it proper attention. Here's what you should know!
A rare multi-band Sault Michigan hard rock concert with touring acts outside of the Kewadin Casino umbrella goes down TOMORROW NIGHT when former Saving Abel frontman Scotty Austin makes his solo debut here at The Savoy Nightclub! The man behind the microphone for Saving Abel's last three local stops (including 2015's Superior Festival at the Savoy), Scotty returns to the Soo tomorrow in the midst of his extensive King of Rock Tour of the US. While his Saving Abel run came after that band's commercial peak, his strong vocal stylings and local familiarity bode well for his first local appearance since Muddfest in 2019, so don't miss out! Joining him on the Michigan/Ohio wing of his tour are Saginaw rap rock band Redburn (who opened for Saving Abel locally in 2015) and New Munster, Wisconsin hard rock quartet The Almas, who each have their own fun brand of modern rock to bring to the table!
Of course, Redburn have not been back to the Soo in over seven years, but The Almas' energetic original stylings are new to a local audience, and both should be worthy compliments to Scotty's headlining set tomorrow! Two local hard rock bands are playing support, including the more classic metal-leaning sound of Tarnished in their Savoy debut, and fresh off of their late notice St. Patrick's Day show at The Merch, hopefully their upward momentum continues here! The lead-off band is local hard rock quintet The Nameless in their first show of 2023 and first since opening for the dormant Buddy Repperton & The Camaros last spring, as well as their first gig since ex-Tantrym Tyme bassist/guitarist Mike East replaced Nick Fish in their lineup. How will the band look and sound after their long break? Find out tomorrow! Presented by Blowout Biker Promotions, advance tickets for this 21+ concert run for $15.
As far as I know, there's no online sale point for tickets, but you can buy them through the local openers and presumably at The Savoy proper, though note that Tarnished said on their Facebook page on Sunday that "we only have a few tickets left". An 8:00 PM start time is in effect for this show, and it should be a big one for modern hard rock fans in the E.U.P.! A lot of familiar faces and newer acts are on this stacked bill, and the price is definitely right, but how will The Savoy do in their return to heavier concert bookings? Find out tomorrow! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Scotty Austin live!
Next up, let's head north to Sault Ontario to take a look at the newly released (if delayed) second music video from local alternative hard rock quintet Handsome Sandwich's forthcoming debut album "Deconstructed"! After being postponed from the single's release on major streaming services on March 15th due to unspecified "complications", the video was released to their YouTube channel on Monday, and it features the band performing their song "Better Off" (together and separately) through heavy post-production filters on a changing colour backdrop, not unlike those old Apple iPod commercials from the 2000s. As a Photoshop user, this reminds me of what would happen if the Photocopy filter came to life! I'll hold comment on the song pending our planned review of "Deconstructed" in the summer, but give it a watch for yourselves below, and look for one more advance single from the album next month!
Lastly for today, here's a clip of Heavy Lies The Crown guitarist Ted Olson playing 55 seconds of their song "A Hellbound Heart" on acoustic guitar! Uploaded to the St. Ignace, Michigan metalcore band's Facebook page on Saturday, Ted asked fans if they'd be interested in hearing H.L.T.C. play an acoustic set, and while commenters more complimented the guitar/performance than answered the question, it's an interesting idea, especially if they have enough songs with clean vocals to fit! Ted's playing here (combined with the right pedal) helps this unplugged clip sound pretty nice, though I believe the video is mirrored. Check it out below, and stay tuned for more from Heavy Lies The Crown soon!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!
After a quiet weekend, we are back with some new news and updates from both sides of the border, including a lengthy look back at three linked favourites of the cover bar circuit, but leading off, here's some fallout from the first major hard rock concert locally in four months!
As well advertised online, Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Tarnished and local music store Crooked Music helped end the metal/hard rock concert drought locally by hosting the Rock The Block event at the Ashmun Street music store on Saturday night, and we definitely have fall-out from the festivities! Tarnished's Facebook page kept fans up to speed on everything going down on Saturday, including videos of all four acts, which also showcase how the stage was setup in the store (very Coch's Corner-esque, if you need a Sault Ontario reference.) This won't be an ideal look at Crooked Music's current locale if you want to see it as a music store, but the venue staging looks good! The first video shot on Saturday is of St. Ignace solo artist Austin Graham (a.k.a. Grayham Entertainment), who is seen covering "Goons (Baby I Need It All)" by the indie/alternative band Mona. A little shaky, but Austin definitely has talent, and I like that he picked a locally atypical song to cover! Hopefully he keeps at it!
And yes, note that Tarnished frontman Alex Traynor was behind the camera at this point in the show, and he was wearing a face mask (they were available for attendees upon entry.) The next video was of local singer/guitarist Kevin Blakeney covering Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth", and this very spare rendition is well done, though the very monotone, Tom Waits-esque vocals may not be to everyone's taste. As for the succeeding videos of Detroit hard rock quartet Letters From Abel and Tarnished themselves, despite likely doing heavier songs, I will refrain from sharing either on the SMS. This is not out of any intentional effort on their part, but both videos only output a high frequency tone that is mildly unpleasant if heard for too long, and I have no idea what happened on these, especially as the opening solo acts sounded fine. No, this is not the same issue that plagued the audio quality on Tarnished's live-streams, you could still hear those.
I don't know if it is possible to fix or re-upload those videos, but hopefully something with working audio surfaces in some form. As best as I can gather, Rock The Block was a hit despite the obvious social distancing concerns (and 50 person maximum capacity inside Crooked Music), and hopefully this will help guide the way for further concerts of this nature in the short term, assuming no one got sick! Visit the above links for more on the show, and look for Tarnished's debut EP to go on sale this Friday!
Lastly, here is a new-ish video from his allegedly 1,000th YouTube upload from April 2nd, SaultOnline correspondentMike Caruso's YouTube channel, as while he hasn't had any concerts to film at lately, he has kept up posting new videos! We'll have more later this week, but this comprises of footage of three linked local bands, namely country rock cover quartet Bone Yard and their side projects, blues trio Mojo and acoustic country duo The Bearded Lounge! If you're gonna combine bands like this, these are the three to do so with, especially with their (Choose) Maxx Entertainment ties! The video starts with Bone Yard covering April Wine's version of Hot Chocolate's "You Could Have Been A Lady" at Reggie's West on Halloween last year, and while this was previously uploaded on Mike's channel, that version featured added Halloween graphics in post, so if you want a clean look at this performance, here you go!
Other songs on offer include The Bearded Lounge covering Roger Miller's "Me & Bobby McGee" and their slowed down version of Kiss' "Rock & Roll All Nite" at the Reggievelt in November, followed by Mojo covering Santana & Rob Thomas' "Smooth" at The Esquire Club in October. The rest of the video focuses on Bone Yard, including their cover Dire Straits' "Sultans of Swing" outside of Reggie's West during the Ride For ARCH festivities in August 2017, followed by their version of Billy Edd Wheeler's "Jackson" at The Rednecks Saloon in June 2014 (notably featuring Alex on lead vocals rather than Greg), and their version of J.J. Cale's "Call Me The Breeze" outside of the Memorial Tower on Queen Street East during the 2018 Queen Street Cruise (cars are a heavy focus of the video.) Bizarrely, the video ends with the exact same rendition of "You Could Have Been A Lady" from the beginning of the video, only this is the version with the Halloween post-production effects!
This is still a nice collection of performances, if very Bone Yard-heavy given the video's title and information, but Mike has filmed much more of all three bands that you can watch on his YouTube channel. Aside from the clean take of "You Could Have Been A Lady", all of these were previously uploaded on Mike's channel, but the songs are still effective, especially if you like Bone Yard's non-country cuts, so give this one a look below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!
The slow stretch at the SMS continues today, but we do have some semblance of normalcy returning to our coverage today, as alongside a new live-streamed video and upcoming concert updates, we have a preview of an actual, real, honest-to-goodness local concert that is actually taking place on Saturday night! Here's what you should know!
Four months after the local concert calendar ground to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a hard rock concert will take place on SATURDAY NIGHT at Crooked Music at 540 Ashmun Street in Sault Michigan, where local hard rock quartet Tarnished will headline the Rock The Block concert event! Long planned and rumoured, this concert will take place inside of the downtown music store despite ongoing coronavirus measures, but as the state government is allowing for indoor gatherings of up to 50 people in Northern Michigan (source here), this presumably gives an all-clear for a concert with a small attendance if the proper steps are taken. As such, organizers are strongly recommending that attendees wear face masks and practice social distancing. As for the music, this will be Tarnished's first full-band electric concert of 2020, and their first non-acoustic gig since Gary Croad replaced Tommy Korcal on drums. How much of their upcoming debut CD will fans hear on Saturday night?
Detroit hard rock quartet Letters From Abel (featuring ex-Midnight Logic drummer Kade Desarmo) will make a surprise trip north as the co-headliners in their local concert debut, and their alternative throwback sound should leave a good impression on gathered fans! The other scheduled performers are local solo artists, including Rudyard Musicians Festival regular Kevin Blakeney (replacing Illinois blues project Concreteslim), who does have some heavier covers in his back pocket, while the opening act will be St. Ignace solo artist Austin Graham, performing under the handle Grayham Entertainment. Very intriguing lineup, and it will be interesting to hear how this concert goes! Assuming it's not cancelled, postponed, or moved on short notice, Rock The Block goes down Saturday at 6:00 PM, this looks to be an all ages event, and tickets run for $10 at the door and at this link, though remember that attendance will presumably be limited due to the 50 person restriction on indoor gatherings at this time.
While it is great to see a true hard rock concert taking place locally again, I hope this goes well as both a music event and as an example of what fun events can take place if social distancing measures are enforced. So far, the Eastern U.P. has been fortunate to not have many COVID-19 cases (just 30 in Chippewa & Mackinac County combined) and zero deaths as of this writing, but you can't assume it's completely gone. Fingers crossed all goes well Saturday night, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Tarnished live!
Next up, we'll go from bad news to good in the Sault Michigan area, as Kewadin Casinos have announced that all remaining 2020 concerts (presumably referring to major ones at The Dreammakers Theater in the Soo and the St. Ignace Event Center) have been postponed into next year due to the pandemic. SMS-wise, this means that the rescheduled Black Label Society concert in Sault Ste. Marie will no longer take place on August 8th, as unlikely as that was looking. Tickets bought for any postponed Kewadin concert this year will be valid for the rescheduled dates, which will reportedly start being announced next month. Refunds are available on request by contacting kewadinboxoffice@saulttribe.net or presumably in-person at one of the casinos, though refunds will only be given until August 12th and the 2 weeks following the announcement of rescheduled dates, in case the new date doesn't work for your schedule.
Full refunds will be issued if a show is cancelled outright, and click here for more details on the above information. The above information does not appear to reflect the schedules at The Rapids and/or Northern Pines Lounges, which will allegedly resume hosting live entertainment next month, and those events largely don't need tickets anyway. Kudos to Kewadin for keeping everyone informed, and hopefully 2021's calendar goes off without a hitch, but stay tuned for rescheduling info when it rolls in!
We'll close today's post in Sault Ontario, where local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison hosted his 28th live-streamed concert on his YouTube channel yesterday! External embedding of this episode was turned off again for unannounced reasons. This video doesn't actually have much in the way of full covers, as Tym spends the majority of the video tuning his guitar, playing a lengthy soft instrumental, and working out the kinks of his new pedalboard, even acknowledging 20 minutes in that "not much is working right now". He does briefly attempt a cover of The Tragically Hip's "New Orleans Is Sinking" early, but you do get to see him do a full version of Collective Soul's "Shine" before he called the show off due to issues with his pedalboard and backing drum tracks. While not directly related to the abbreviated runtime, the video was getting laggy at points, leading to the dreaded slideshow effect at points of the live-stream.
Perhaps it's not a bad thing that this particular live-stream's embedding priviliges were removed, given the technical issues, but "Shine" and the instrumental were well done! You could hear more distortion on the percussion though, and Tym will know way better than I if his setup is having issues. Time will tell if he does another live-stream tomorrow after skipping last Thursday, but give the whole show a watch above, and stay tuned for more from Tym's camp when it rolls in! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!
Another July 4th is here, so of course, Happy Independence Day to our American readers! Coincidentally, The Sault Metal Scene launched 13 years ago today on our original Facebook group, and of course, I would like to thank all of our readers and local musicians for all of their support and content over the past year, especially so over the past four months! At this point last year, I never would have guessed that a global pandemic would pump the brakes on the local concert calendar and make us swap over to a new normal, but as you saw with our 91 day posting streak from March-June, I was able to get new content out there to keep everyone informed as best as I could. The summer concert season has been decimated due to social distancing measures, though with Spun allegedly coming to St. Ignace next month, and the LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (yes) ahead, you can see that the Sault Michigan area is trying to bring some semblance of a live concert schedule back.
I'm hoping the worst of the coronavirus pandemic has came and went, especially given how the Algoma District and Chippewa County case counts have been small so far, but with fears of a second wave ever present, I hope everyone is being cautious and safe, and hopefully we'll have a full concert schedule for the summer of 2021. Thanks again to everyone for their support over the past 13 years, and now, let's dive into some big Sault Michigan news!
Barring another COVID-19 lockdown, Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Tarnished will play their first public concert since the spring on Saturday, July 18th when they headline the "Rock the Block" event at Crooked Music at 540 Ashmun Street! Yes, this will reportedly be inside the music store, despite the obvious space limitations brought about by social distancing, Tarnished confirmed as much on their Facebook page on June 19th. That said, they are encouraging social distancing and face masks, so if you do attend, please use common sense to keep everyone safe, and maybe more shows could happen in the near term. This will be Tarnished's first live show with new drummer Gary Croad, and their first show as a plugged-in quartet since October, so if you've missed Tarnished's full band setup in 2020, this will be worth your time! Three opening acts were sought in the above Facebook post on June 19th, and they are now confirmed, including Detroit hard rock quartet Letters From Abel in their local debut!
Having a downstate band open for a local band may seem atypical, but Letters From Abel are relatively new from what I have read, and they do have a Sault tie, as their drummer is Midnight Logic alum Kade Desarmo. You can see them cover Nirvana at this link, and they are a promising young group! The other acts are solo musicians, including singer/guitarist Kevin Blakeney, who you may recognize from the last three Rudyard Musicians Festivals, and who does have grunge and alternative songs in his repertoire. The other performer is St. Ignace solo artist Austin Graham, who performs under the name Grayham Entertainment. I don't know what he plays, but you can find out tomorrow when he performs at The Club at Breakers in St. Ignace. Note that Tarnished's online ticket page advertises Illinois blues project Concreteslim as playing on July 18th, but it looks like Kevin replaced them for unannounced reasons.
An all ages event with a 6:00 PM matinee start time, Rock The Block will have $10 admission at the door or via online tickets purchased above. Of course, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is not magically going away in the next two weeks, and while I hope this show goes off without a hitch and with all of the proper safety measures, the situation is volatile, as evidenced by the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in the state. If this concert is cancelled, postponed, or relocated, we will let you know, but fingers crossed everything works out for everyone involved! See the above links for more details!
Finally, let's look at ex-Tarnished drummer Tommy Korcal's current local hard rock band Project 906, who have been staying busy during the pandemic working on original songs for a planned debut EP! On June 21st, the guys revealed on their Facebook page that they hope to record it later this year or in early 2021. Fans may have seen them play originals live on occasion, but now you can hear copies recorded from their jam room (I'd guess), starting with a fully public re-upload of "It's So Easy". Other original song names include "The Comeback" (watch them perform it live here), "Walk On", and "8th and Nowhere", but embedded below is their newest song posted on Thursday, entitled "The Lonely Few". I'll hold comment on the songs for now, in deference to the album review that will follow the EP's release, but it's great to see Project 906 staying busy and productive while they can't play live! Get more updates above and below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site next week! Thanks everyone!
In arguably my all-time biggest gaffe in the history of our weekly concert previews, I completely forgot to preview the Muddfest concert at The Dreammakers Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on Friday. November 1st! I profusely apologize for missing such a big concert, there is no excuse on my end, though in hindsight, I am surprised at the lack of social media buzz given the lineup that was here just this month, featuring five bands with big rock radio hits in their heyday for just $29.50 a piece! Brought to us by Allstar Promotions, the social media reactions that I have found seem to be positive, and hopefully this and the same company's recent country shows did well overall! That said, it took a while for us to cover videos from the show, as I have only found one YouTube user who shot videos that night (the ever-generous Christopher Paci), and he only completed his uploads on Saturday. Thanks to him once again for all of his hard work! To keep this post at a reasonable length, we'll touch on his video of opening Kentucky hard rock quartet Tantric in an upcoming news post.
We'll start today with Chris' videos of headlining Kansas City alt-rock/post grunge quartet Puddle of Mudd in their local concert debut, who were filmed playing their songs "She Hates Me", "Famous", "Psycho" , "Drift & Die", "Uh Oh", "Control", "Go To Hell", and as embedded below, their set-closer "Blurry", albeit an extended version with a faster jam to wrap things up with. Chris has a nice and close angle to the left of the stage, and Puddle of Mudd sound solid enough overall for fans, but Wes' voice is definitely straining on heavier songs. Give their videos a look above & below!
Next up, Chris filmed three videos of Memphis nu-metal quartet Saliva (also in their local concert debut), as they played their songs "Your Disease", "Ladies & Gentlemen", and as embedded below, "Click Click Boom". Now, this show came just a day or two after it was announced that ex-frontman Josey Scott was returning to the band (source here), but Bobby Amaru was still behind the mic on November 1st, and he's honestly a fine fit, even having a bit more of a raspy edge to his voice, so don't let recent news scare you off of the current(?) lineup. Check out Chris' Saliva videos above and below!
The middle band at Muddfest was California alt-hard rock quartet Trapt in their first local show since opening for Hinder here in 2013. Chris shot four videos of their set, including of their songs "Stand Up", "Contagious", "Still Frame", and as embedded below, their biggest hit & closing track "Headstrong". Trapt seem to have tuned down compared to their heyday, but the songs still hold up and have good energy, so give those a look too!
Finally for today (Tantric are coming soon!), Chris filmed Mississippi hard rock quintet Saving Abel playing their songs "Addicted" and, as embedded below, "The Sex Is Good". This was Saving Abel's fourth local stop and first since the Superior Festival in 2015, and their sound has really held up for fans of their post-grunge-tinged original attack, especially given the four year wait. And yes, it looks like they and Trapt swapped places from the poster. Give their videos a look above and below, and thanks again to Chris for all of these!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes this week, and apologies again for neglecting to preview Muddfest on the site! This was a huge show full of hitmaking hard rock acts, and hopefully they all come back out way! Thanks everyone!
While we dig out from the latest blizzard, here's a new news post for your Monday afternoon, so what's in this one? Big updates regarding an upcoming concert and it's opener search, details on a new album and when you'll see it's review, and leading off, a huge LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for this fall!
A blast of early-mid 2000s hard rock and nu-metal is hitting The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on Friday, November 1st, with Kansas City alt-rock/post grunge quartet Puddle of Mudd headlining in their local concert debut! Best known from hit singles like "Blurry", "Away From Me", and "Psycho" among others, these Rock 101 staples should put on a solid show at this installment of their ongoing "Mudd Fest" tour run, so don't bypass this one, especially assuming that there's no on-stage issues! The stacked opening lineup will feature Memphis nu-metal quartet Saliva (of "Click Click Boom", "Always", and "Ladies & Gentlemen" fame), and while Josey's no longer their lead singer, they have plenty of familiar tracks to bring to the table! Two returning hard rock bands will also rock Sault Ste. Marie on November 1st, including Mississippi hard rock quintet Saving Abel (best known for their hit single "Addicted"), in their fourth local concert appearance and first since 2015's Superior Festival.
The other returning band is California alt-hard rock quartet Trapt, who you'll best know from their debut single "Headstrong", and who last played here in 2013 when they opened for Hinder (a band that Saving Abel also opened for locally.) Finally, the lineup will be rounded out by Kentucky hard rock quartet Tantric (of "Breakdown" fame) in their apparent local debut. If this isn't a stacked lineup for fans of 2000s radio hard rock, I don't know what is, and it'll be great to hear so many hit singles live this fall! While not yet confirmed by Kewadin Casino proper, this is the first major concert announcement of 2019 for Allstar Promotions, who confirmed this show on their Facebook page this morning after word leaked out before Rock 101's planned announcement next week. Ticket prices are not out yet, but they go on sale on Friday, March 8th at 9:00 AM at this link, 1-800-KEWADIN, and at the in-person box office.
Meet & greet packages are also planned for later announcements, as are ticket giveaways, so keep posted for details on those. Mudd Fest is looking like a huge event, reminding me very much of the P.O.D.-headlined Kewadin concert from July 2015 in scope, size, and genre, and hopefully this one lives up to the hype after Halloween! For more details, visit Saving Abel's Facebook event page and the above links!
Next up, Sault Ontario hard rock solo artist Mike McCleary released his new EP "Propaganda Model" to his Bandcamp page last week! Apologies for the slight delay, but it's great to see Mike back to his usual prolific ways after an 8 month wait from the "What You've Done To Me" release! After prior material teasers, we can now confirm that this EP (his sixth paid original solo album) features six songs, including the previously shared "The Hand That Feeds", "Opposite Opus", and "Y.V.L.M.", as well as "High Horse", a title track, and an untitled instrumental intro. If you are curious, each song has information on their lyrical and thematic inspirations on Bandcamp, though keep in mind that Mike's political and social messages are often very blunt. "Propaganda Model" is on sale on Bandcamp for a "name your price" model, and can be streamed free there too. With time ticking on this month, I will confirm that we will review this album by Thursday, so look for that this week, and buy/stream the whole EP above!
Finally for today, remember the plans for a battle of the bands at Soo Blasterthis Friday to find an opener for the Killer Dwarfs concert there on April 27th? Well, that event has been cancelled, as per the deletion of it's Facebook event page yesterday, and local power rock quintet Re:Born have been acclaimed as the show's openers as a result, as they were the only confirmed entrants, according to their Facebook page. A public statement by organizers regarding the lineup never came out, hence why we never plugged their involvement, but the Project 421 successors did strongly hint that they'd be competing. As such, this is their first announced concert since Elly McWatters became their new lead singer, but will this be their first show with her on the mic, and will Frank be back from out of town in time for April 27th? This is a huge opportunity for Re:Born, and while the battle cancellation is disappointing, maybe directly gearing it to 1980s rock acts limited the pool. See above for more details on this well anticipated concert!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next! Thanks everyone!
At last, we have some YouTube videos to share from Friday night's first annual Superior Festival, and that's the focus of today's post, so what should you know? All courtesy of frequent regional concert filmer Christopher Paci's YouTube channel once again, he filmed 10 videos from the show, including every band save for Sault Ontario openers The Elements and Mourning Wood (not sure why, but they were the opening two bands, so if he was running late, that'd explain it.) Oddly, I haven't heard a whole lot from those bands online concerning how their sets went, and I've only found a single photo from Mourning Wood's set, but to be fair, both bands only sporadically update their Facebook pages. There is some big lineup news to note from Mourning Wood though in time for their next shows, so stay tuned for that later this week! And yes, the festival was held inside The Savoy Bar & Nightclub rather than outside for unannounced reasons, despite the lack of rain on Friday. Maybe it was logistically easier?
Six of Chris' ten videos are of the headliners, Mississippi hard rock quintet Saving Abel, whose videos from the show were of their songs "Addicted", "18 Days", "15 Minutes To Fame", "The Sex Is Good", their set-opener "Ready To Burn", and as embedded below, "Drowning (Face Down)", complete with frontman Scott Austin calling fans to come up closer to the stage. It's odd seeing a platinum selling band like this at a venue like The Savoy, but the more intimate environment is great to interact with the fans, and I like how their sound has gotten a bit heavier since Scott took over on vocals! Good audio, and Chris got a nice close angle of the festivities, so give his videos a look above & below!
Rochester, New York post-hardcore band Lights Out Paris co-headlined on Friday in their second local concert appearance, and Christopher filmed them playing one of their more melodic originals, "Rochester To Rochester". Not bad for the genre, and it's definitely something different compared to what Sault Michigan shows often get, but their more aggressive material had more of an impact on me than this one. Not bad though, so check it out below!
Chris also got two videos of Sault Michigan metal quartet Tantrym Tyme (with debuting second guitarist Michael McLeod) covering Alter Bridge's "Metalingus" and, as embedded below, The Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Dani California". We already featured the band's own clip of the Alter Bridge cover on here yesterday, hence why the Chili Peppers cover is in this post, but I will concede that this song is not a good fit for Tantrym Tyme. They excel on heavier and more melodic songs, and Jacob Hotlen is almost inaudible on vocals here, but their talent still comes through, and give their videos from the Superior Festival a look above and below as well!
Last of Chris' clips from the festival is Muskegon hard rock band Voodoo Theory (in their local concert debut, I believe) covering The Foo Fighters' "Everlong". Not a bad rendition of this Foo Fighters classic, but like above, this cover doesn't fully show their energetic modern hard rock sound seen on their originals. Still solid, so give it a look, and hopefully they're back again!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!
We're back with a new news post on this Friday afternoon, and remember not to miss any concerts this weekend, there's a lot going down! Today, we have some assorted recent notes, lots of updates from a rising young band, and first, here's a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!
Local classic/hard rock cover quintet Havadder will return to Studio 10 TOMORROW NIGHT for one night only! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced this show yesterday via the Facebook event page. Fresh off of a recent one-nighter at The Rockstar Bar, this will be Jugga & company's first show at Studio 10 since Canada Day, and marks a rare show at the Hudson Street "gentlemen's club" from the guys to not fall over a holiday weekend (no word on why it's a one nighter either.) Aside from the band's classic favourites (and, yes, the "dancers"), the ongoing draw for AC/DC tickets in Toronto continues this weekend, so consider that as well if you're coming out for the entertainment tomorrow! A 10:30 PM start time is advertised for this 19+ concert, and there is no announced cover charge. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Havadder live last year!
Next up, here's the latest from the alternative hard rock trio The Pixo Control's camp! First, if you happened to have seen a concert poster advertising that they were playing with local folk/indie project Great Chamberlain at LopLops Lounge this Wednesday (complete with poster), you're not alone, but all of The Pixo Control's allusions to the show have quietly been deleted for unannounced reasons. The concert is still going on (source here), and will notably be Great Chamberlain's last local show before project leader Chris West moves to Ottawa, so keep that in mind if you're a fan and want to send him off in style! We will, of course, let you know if The Pixo Control are still playing, but their posts must have been deleted for a reason. Also, Pixo Control members Michael Mikus & Steve Edwards were interviewed by Boxes of Boom's Sam Decter on his blog The Tinderbox two weeks ago (in his first interview of a heavier local band), so what should you know from this interview?
Within, Sam asks the guys about what sets them apart from local bands, what local bands they currently like, how things are going with Tidal Records, how recording sessions for "Probably Not" went, their retro influences, the journey from Michael's earlier solo music, how he handles being a band frontman, why drummer Keeghan Rosso left The Pixo Control, and their future tour plans. In terms of scoops, there's nothing dramatically new to report, but Michael confirmed that Keeghan left as he's "just not really in the right mindset to devote himself to playing music right now", but they've got to keep moving forward as life won't always be the same (Matthew Thibert debuted as their new drummer on Sunday.) Solid and informative interview that shows the guys' maturity and musical knowledge, and it'd be interesting to see Sam interview more local bands! Read the full interview at this link, and get more from the guys above!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or company name:
Local celtic/punk quartet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide will take a road trip out to Ottawa to play two shows at D'Arcy McGee's this weekend! Personal Facebook posts imply that My Son The Hurricane drummer Cooper Hannahson will be behind the kit this weekend, as he often is for the band's Southern Ontario gigs. Best of luck to the guys, and hopefully we see them back on a local stage soon! Our source is Tidal Records' concert listing page, which also notes a D.J.R.T. private event on Sunday, location not given.
Long time Sault Michigan music instrument/lessons store Steve's Music Center quietly closed last year, as per posts on their Facebook page. A public reason for the closure of the Ashmun Street store wasn't announced, but personal Facebook postings note that owner/ex-Full Throttle guitarist Steve Pevarnic moved to Washington state at some point in the past year, so that could be related. Disappointing for fans, but best of luck to Steve with his new home, and if you need music gear in Sault Michigan, Grooves Music is seconds down the road from Steve's!
In advance of TONIGHT'S first annual Superior Festival in Sault Michigan, SooToday's Donna Hopper interviewed Saving Abel guitarist Scott Bartlett for this article on the event, where Scott discussed why the Mississippi hard rock notables don't mind playing an smaller debuting event, the switch from Jared Weeks to Scott Austin on vocals (even though they already played with this lineup in the Soo in April), and the influence of southern rock on their music. Good article, so check it out above, and remember, if you're at The Superior Festival TONIGHT at The Savoy, you can hang out with Saving Abel post-show!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!
Now, let's dive into the first of this weekend's concert previews in a fairly busy weekend for hard rock and metal concerts! We'll get into the Diemonds, Banned, and Stiffler's Mom shows, plus potential late notice ones, tomorrow, so stay tuned then for them, but today, we have a big debuting festival and some performers with gigs TONIGHT, so here's what you should know!
Local hard rock solo singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's ongoing weekly concerts at Gliss Steak & Seafood and The Harp Bar & Grill are expected to continue this weekend, including matinees at Gliss TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY, and regular nighttime shows at The Harp TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Though yet to be acknowledged on Facebook, his website and SooToday's entertainment page confirm them. Tym's been staying busy in recent months by playing five shows almost every weekend, and it looks like more of the same this week, so if you enjoy his acoustic renditions of hard rock classics, head down to either Gliss or The Harp this weekend for all of his solo action! None of the shows have an announced cover charge (but remember that Gliss is a restaurant), the Harp shows are 19+ and start at 10:00 PM, and the Gliss shows start at 6:00 PM. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Tym live in Heyden a few years back!
Next up, pageless local classic/hard rock quartet RPM will make their Roberta Bondar Pavilion debut TONIGHT as part of the city's annual Summer Concert Series! Yes, the veteran quartet featuring Lindsay Pugh and alumni of his adult music camp will hit the downtown outdoor stage as the third last of 16 bands this summer, and the only one that we cover on the SMS as playing hard rock in any high quantity. RPM are developing well, and though their announced concerts are sporadic at best, consider a trip down to the Pavilion to see them tonight for some entertaining cover favourites! This is a FREE & ALL AGES event, and they'll be playing for two hours starting at 7:00 PM. For more details, visit this link, and here's RPM live!
We'll close this first preview post with the first annual Superior Festival, which goes down TOMORROW NIGHT! Promoted by Superior Entertainment, this Sault Michigan concert event was originally scheduled to take place two weeks ago at Aune-Osborne Park, but after concerns with possible rain (that barely came, for the record) impacting the outdoor festival, promoters postponed it and moved it 5 minutes up the road to The Savoy Bar & Nightclub where it will be held outdoors a'la the venue's Summerfest events (it would be moved indoors if there was inclement weather, but the festival should beat tomorrow's storm forecast.) Fitting a big debuting summer festival, the headliners are Mississippi Mississippi hard/modern rock quintet Saving Abel, best known for hit songs like "Addicted", "The Sex Is Good", and "Drowning (Face Down)", so if you missed Saving Abel at Kewadin Casino in April, here's your next chance! The co-headliners are Rochester, New York post-hardcore quintet Lights Out Paris, who you may recognize from last month's P.O.D. concert.
Other openers will include young local metal trio Tantrym Tyme in their first publically announced concert of the summer, Muskegon hard rock quartet Voodoo Theory in their local concert debut, and in a bit of a surprise, two Sault Ontario bands, marking rare cross-border appearances by local bands that aren't Touch of Class. Those bands are local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements and classic/hard rock trio Mourning Wood, and though neither band has acknowledged their involvement on their own pages, it's great to see them expanding their presence, and hopefully they make some new fans tomorrow! Note that a number of acts were removed from the lineup when the date and venue changed, those being Integrated System of Machines, Power Slug, Retro Troop, Terry Talentino, and Detroit punk trio Heroes of Charlotte, while early coverage of the festival listed Lonestar, Chump Change, and Missy Zenker as tentative acts, so don't expect to see any of them at The Savoy tomorrow night.
Presented by SooToday & sponsored by Kewadin Casino despite not being held there, the Superior Festival tarting TOMORROW at 7:00 PM, tickets are a flat $25, but previously purchased tickets (including the old discount kids rate) will be honoured upon entry. You can buy them at The Savoy, by phone at (906) 430-5242, or at the door, and yes, minors under 21 can attend if accompanied by an adult. For complete festival details, visit the above links! Though original plans didn't fall into place for the Superior Festival, hopefully this is a huge hit to ensure that it comes back next year! If you love hard and modern rock, be at The Savoy TOMORROW, and here's Saving Abel live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more previews and updates shortly! Thanks everyone!
Before we dive back into concert previews, here's an all-Sault Michigan post for your Friday afternoon! Along with a pair of videos from local solo artists, we're leading off with huge changes for a hyped debuting concert festival, so here's what you should know!
We have some big updates regarding the first annual Superior Festival in Sault Michigan, which has been postponed, relocated, and downsized all at once. Originally planned to be held tomorrow at Aune-Osborne Park, promoters Superior Entertainment have confirmed that the ambitious festival has been moved ahead two weeks to Friday, August 21st, and will now take place at The Savoy Bar & Nightclub (5 minutes up the road.) According to this new Sault Evening News article, the move in date and location was due to concerns with the weather forecast for Saturday and to avoid the financial hit of cancelling the event if there was rain, with The Savoy being a safe option to safeguard against the weather. If the forecast is good, they can set up outdoors like with their Summerfest series, but if they're calling for rain, they can hold it indoors and still have over 500 fans. Despite the new location, minors under the age of 21 can still attend if accompanied by an adult.
With the changes, the lineup has been downsized from what was previously announced, with planned local openers Integrated System of Machines, Power Slug, Retro Troop, and Terry Talentino, and Detroit punk trio Heroes of Charlotte all now out of the event. Reasons for their individual withdrawals weren't announced, but remember that the festival was postponed two weeks, and the new date may not jive well with many personal schedules. A trio of out of town bands are still on board, including Mississippi hard/modern rock quintet (and recent Kewadin Casino headliners) Saving Abel, Rochester, New York post-hardcore band Lights Out Paris (who played last month's P.O.D. show), and Muskegon hard rock quartet Voodoo Theory. Local hard rockers Tantrym Tyme are the only remaining Sault Michigan band, while the last two bands are both from Sault Ontario, including the return of classic/hard rock trio Mourning Wood (who had been replaced by Retro Troop initially.)
The only new additions are Sault Ontario funk/hard rock quartet The Elements, marking their Sault Michigan debut and first announced concert since the spring, which is both surprising and nice to see! Also note that SooToday (which Elements frontman Rob Speers works for) are now listed as a presenting sponsor on the poster, but I have yet to see confirmation on SooToday's end regarding their involvement. Everything is later now too, running from 7:00 PM-2:00 AM instead of 12:00-11:00 PM. As best as I can tell, tickets are now a flat $25 with no discount option for kids, but previously purchased tickets will be honoured on August 21st, or can be swapped at point of purchase (though note that Kewadin Casino's ticket page doesn't have a new link for online ticket sales yet.) New tickets can be bought at The Savoy itself or at (906) 430-5242 as well, though no word on if the planned motorcycle giveaway will continue given the festival changes. For full details on the Superior Festival's changes, visit the above links!
I will note that the weather forecast for tomorrow currently calls for partly cloudy conditions and a peak chance of rain at 15% tomorrow afternoon, but for a first year outdoor festival, I can understand promoters playing things safe just in case. Hopefully the Superior Festival is still a huge success in two weeks despite everything, and I'm especially curious to see howthe two Sault Ontario bands do on the U.P. stage! Stay tuned when and if more updates roll in, and see above for all of the changes!
We'll close this post with new videos, including a brand new song from local extreme metal solo project The 1,000,000,000's Who Died! Entitled "Execute", it's an unusual posting in that it's the first song posting inover 2 years that doesn't coincide with label Werehold Records' usual Friday the 13th music events from their YouTube channel (the next Friday the 13th is in November.) This short instrumental showcases Life's Eclipse frontman/Werehold founder Jason Mills' brutal metal talents well, but it could use a little variance (or vocals) to break from some monotonous parts. Give The 1,000,000's Who Died's new song a listen below!
Finally, here's a new guitar solo video from 415E guitarist Chris Hubbard, as uploaded to his YouTube channel yesterday! An attempt at replicating a live guitar solo from recent tour dates by Eddie Van Halen (who Chris is a huge fan of, if you don't follow his solo postings and band work), comments on the video are already lauding Chris' performance here for it's accuracy to EVH himself, and even if you're not familiar with that solo, this is still excellently done! Give Chris' new video a look below!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for more weekend concert previews in short order, including, yes, possible late notice ones! Thanks everyone!
Before we dip back into Rotaryfest fallout, let's touch on some non-Rotaryfest updates today before they fall way behind on us, so what's on the bill for this Tuesday morning? New videos from bands on each side of the border, and leading off, a huge LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for early next month, so here's what you should know!
A long teased outdoor concert festival is now official for Sault Michigan on Saturday, August 8th, as Superior Entertainment are bringing us the first annual Superior Festival that day at the Aune-Osborne Campground at 1225 Riverside Drive! As previously revealed but not yet 100% finalized in this Sault Evening News article, the minds behind the P.O.D. concert will bring back Mississippi hard/modern rock quintet Saving Abel as headliners, following their concert at Kewadin Casino in April, while a stacked and varied lineup of regional and out of town talent is also secured, so who else is on board? In listed order, bands will include local epic metal quintet Integrated System of Machines (in their second show since reuniting), Rochester, New York post-hardcore band Lights Out Paris (who played the P.O.D. show), Muskegon hard rock quartet Voodoo Theory, young local hard rock trio Tantrym Tyme, and veteran local hard rockers Power Slug.
The lineup is rounded out by young Detroit punk trio Heroes of Charlotte, Chump Change frontman Terry Talentino in a solo set, and in the biggest surprise of all, Sault Ontario classic/hard rock trio Mourning Wood, in a rare cross-border set by a local band (Touch of Class aside.) Very encouraging, hopefully more of this can happen! Note that the above Sault Evening News article listed Nashville country band Lonestar, Chump Change proper, and local country/pop artist Missy Zenker as tentative acts for the lineup, but none are listed on the Facebook event page as of this writing. An ALL AGES event at the campground/park by the waterfront and the East Portage Avenue transition to Riverside, the Superior Festival will start at 12:00 PM and run until 11:00 PM at night, though a full schedule of set times is not public yet. The event will have $25 tickets (great deal!) or $10 for youths 15 and under, though if you're 17 or under, you must be accompanied by an adult (bummer for 16 & 17 year olds though.)
Though not being hosted at Kewadin Casino, their website and the in-person box office will have tickets, so head to either to get hooked up, and check the above links for more details! This sounds like a great event, if very ambitious, but hopefully there's a great turnout and weather to match in just under three weeks! If we couldn't get LemmaFest V this year, the Superior Festival will fill the gap just fine, so stay tuned for updates when & if they come in, and get your tickets A.S.A.P.!
We'll close today with new videos, including this new concert video from Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Ten Kings! Filmed during one of their St. Ignace concerts this past weekend at their Kewadin Casino, this was filmed by attendee Dawn Brown and shared on the band's Facebook page on Sunday. Like most of their videos, this is a short one (77 seconds), and mostly spotlights guitarist Joe Jenkins covering Van Halen's classic instrumental "Eruption" (which I assume segued into "You Really Got Me", but the video cuts off before then.) Strongly done, Joe's a clear talent, so give it a look!
Finally for today, we'll close things back in Sault Ontario with a new video from local alternative hard rock trio The Pixo Control, as per their Facebook page last week! Labelled a "Caroline Divine tribute" (complete with members of that band jokingly replying in the comments), it appears to be a short style parody of their sound and live show from Pixo Control members Michael Mikus and Steve Edwards (on drums here), but see what you think below!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for the first of our Rotaryfest fallout posts later today! Thanks everyone!
For our second post today, we're kicking off out weekend concert previews with a mostly Sault Michigan-centric post, along with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for TOMORROW on each side of the border (including a show that I'm very surprised and apologietic for missing on the site until now!) Yes, there are more coming tomorrow from Sault Ontario, but for now, here's what you should know!
Local classic/hard rock trio Mourning Wood's new weekly jam night series at The Rednecks Saloon will indeed continue into the month of April, so we'll add this month's Thursdays to our concert schedule! The relatively new rockers will host the former Nicolet Tavern's fourth weekly jam night TONIGHT (apologies for the short notice, it's Facebook event page was only posted online this evening), while we'll add the rest of this month's Thursdays (April 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th) to our calendar, though we'll continue to approach them a month at a time due to their presumed length if they remain successful. Terry, Steven, and T.J. have all the talent needed to provide a great show TONIGHT, but remember that as this is a jam night, you can bring your instruments to play along with them if you want, so keep that angle in mind!
There's no announced cover charge, a 19+ age limit, and a 10:00 PM start time in effect, and if you were wondering, we haven't heard about any regular Mourning Wood concerts this weekend as of this writing. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and here's the guys last year!
Next up, Mississippi hard/modern rock quintet Saving Abel will play our area for the second time TOMORROW NIGHT at The Dreammaker's Theater at The Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino! I profusely apologize for the short notice, this show has slipped us by during a very busy month. Last seen at Kewadin Casino five years ago, Saving Abel are best known for their hit songs like "Addicted", "The Sex Is Good", and "Drowning (Face Down)", and they are touring in support of their new album "Blood Stained Revolution". This will also be their first local stop since the departures of singer Jared Weeks and drummer Blake Dixon, with Scotty Austin & Steven Pulley now manning those positions in the band, so keep those changes in mind as well. Support will be provided tomorrow by Saginaw rap/rock band Redburn (who headlined at The Savoy last year) & local country/pop musician Missy Zenker, and while she may seem like an odd fit, she did open for Pop Evil with Missy & Chelsea, and she has a lot of talent!
Though right up their usual alley, this show is actually not being visibly promoted by Allstar Promotions, whose first heavier show of the year will be the Europe concert on April 23rd. Tickets for this ALL AGES 7:00 PM show are still available from the third row & back at this location, at the in-person box office, or via 1-800-KEWADIN for just $20 (the price oddly jumps to $25 at the door, but it's a great deal either way!) For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! I've never been that into Saving Abel, but the new album is showing a heavier sound, and they have a lot of popular songs, so don't miss their local return TOMORROW NIGHT! For a preview, here's Saving Abel live earlier this year!
We'll close this preview post by staying at Kewadin Casino, and here's something you can hit after the Saving Abel show, as local classic/hard rock trio Banned will rock The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! After spending last month largely outside of our coverage range (namely in Engadine & Gould City), fans will see Alex, Wayne, and Don back at The Rapids Lounge for the first time in almost two months this weekend, and you know that their hard hitting covers and select originals will go over well as they return to the Soo area! Like usual for their Kewadin shows, there are 9:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and 21+ age limits. For more details, visit the band's Facebook page, and for a preview, here's Banned live at The Rapids Lounge in February!
Finally for this preview post, we'll see Sault Michigan classic/hard rock quartet Highway 63 rock The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT themselves! Surprisingly making their first announced appearances in St. Ignace of the year, these shows come fresh off of their announced Soo gigs over the March 20th weekend, but unlike those, Highway 63 have promoted this weekend's shows since! Featuring Monkey's Uncle, Power Slug, and RamWagon alumni in their lineup, this gritty and talented quartet should deliver a fun weekend of classic and hard rock covers to their fans at The Northern Pines Lounge over these two nights, so keep their shows in mind for the weekend! There's no announced cover charges, you must be 21 to attend, and there are 9:00 PM start times in effect. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Highway 63 live last year!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for potential late notice concert previews and more tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
