LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Banned, Powerslug, And Mama Kin), Plus Details On This Year's Hempfest!!

Fifth post in three days already, this is a good sign for how busy this month will hopefully be in the local metal/hard rock scene! Today's post is devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, including two local hard rock bands' newest March dates (one of which is at a new venue for our coverage), and the return of heavier music to one of our local music festivals, so read on below for what you need to know!

Kinross hard/classic rock quintet Banned have announced two more regional concert dates for this month, including at a venue we've never covered on here before! First, they'll be back at one of their recent favourite venues (Todd's Tavern in Moran) this coming Saturday (March 9th), and after their previously announced Dondee Lanes gigs next weekend, they'll make their first ever appearance at The Back Door in Sault Michigan on Friday, March 22nd! That's right, The Back Door's not just a dance club anymore, as they've recently began booking "high energy" cover rock bands for Friday nights (Saturdays tend to have dance parties there.) This past Friday, they welcomed new local rock band Toast (3/5ths of Swayze Train + Powerslug drummer Bob Helsten, full genre/sound not yet clear), and now Banned will hit The Back Door themselves in two weeks time! For those unsure, it's at 313 Ashmun Street, just seconds down the road from Sault Michigan's music/lessons stores. Cover charges haven't been announced for either show, but there should be 21+ age limits at both Todd's Tavern this Saturday and at The Back Door on the 22nd, and while cover charges haven't been announced, bring cash just in case.

Now, Banned at least one show each weekend this month, so they're definitely keeping busy with their new lineup, and hopefully you guys have even more chances to check out their hard rocking and varied covers & originals all month long! Also, if you or your band are interested in playing on a future Friday night at The Back Door, click here or contact the above links for more information! Let's see Sault Michigan get another long term metal/hard rock concert venue!

Next up, Kewadin Casino's entertainment page has been updated to reflect concerts through April, and while most of the shows aren't for metal/hard rock bands (unless St. Ignace Kewadin performers Sir Charge skew that way), there are a few new to those listings, including Banned's previously announced Sault Kewadin debuts at the end of the month. That said, there's only one completely new concert weekend to us on there, as Sault Michigan hard rock trio Powerslug will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Soo Kewadin on March 22nd & 23rd for their next Kewadin dates! It's always nice to hear of their shows at any Kewadin branches, as they offer some of the few advance notice gigs of theirs (why can't they launch an online page already?), so plan a trip to the Soo Kewadin in two weeks for some hard rocking covers all weekend long! Admission should be free for these 10:00 PM-ish shows, and you must be 21 to attend.  Check the above links for more details! With Clownsack, Kilacel, and River Witch alums, you know there's talent present, so make cure to chug your mug with Powerslug later this month!

Back in Sault Ontario, this year's Hempfest is scheduled for August 5th to 12th on Poplardale Road in nearby Ophir, Ontario, and it's sure to be another successful event for marijuana culture and awareness in it's 15th annual installment! Now three years into it's local return under current ownership, you may remember that the 2011 installment had a number of heavier bands among it's performer lineup, but last year's event saw a radically smaller lineup of bands, with no metal/hard rock acts in sight. However, this year's Hempfest sees a return to large lineup of bands (the largest since the relaunch), though with a caveat, as none of the full bands are local (maybe the scheduled DJs & rappers are, but I'm out of the loop for that scene.) In fact, of the 15 scheduled non-comedy/speaking performers, 8 are out of town tribute bands, and of the lineup for this year, we do have one heavier-leaning band, that being Toronto-based Aerosmith tribute band Mama Kin! Last seen in the Soo last April at The Canadian, their faithful blend of Aerosmith classics should get fans going this year at Hempfest, as they did last year! Aerosmith fans should be excited for this year's Hempfrst but when can you see Mama Kin this year?

They're actually the headlining band on the last day of performers this year (Saturday, August 11th), as they'll play two one hour sets at 7:30 & 9:00 PM that night! Their set bookends rappers (I think) Radar & J. Frost at 8:30, while Radar performs solo at 5:30 PM. The rest of the Saturday lineup includes (in descending order) a comedy act at 7:00 PM, Hamilton folk/ska quintet Blind Mule for two one hour sets at 6:00 PM & 4:30 PM, the finals of this year's Willy High Games at 4:00 PM, Newmarket punk notables The Salads (remember "Get Loose"?) at 2:15 PM, a speaker of some kind at 1:45 PM, and a Black Crowes tribute band named Remedy opening the day's music at 1:00 PM. The rest of the musical performers (Thursday-Saturday, August 8th-10th) include a widely varied selection of genres, including tributes to Santana, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pink Floyd, Neil Young, Bob Marley, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, plus past Hempfest favourites The Killing Time Band, Lo-Fi, and DJ Slim, plus earlier day's sets from Blind Mule, Radar, and J. Frost, and speakers, comedy, and games, so click here for the full lineup for all four nights of music!

Tickets for this year are $100 for the full week package, which drop $10 a day for every missed day (i.e. Thursday-Sunday would be $70, and Saturday-Sunday would be $50), but single day tickets can be bought for $40. Leashed pets can be brought for a flat $10 fee, and there are some advance ticket deals you can check out at this location. Minors MUST have an adult guardian to attend, people with federal marijuana exemptee status get FREE admission, and tickets can be bought online via this link! It's great to see some heavier music back at Hempfest this year, and while I do miss a large amount of local bands (and don't smoke marijuana), I hope this year's event is the biggest yet! Plus, if you love tribute bands, this is a great deal to check them out all in one local place! Check the above links for all current details, and stay tuned for more news and notes shortly at the SMS! Thanks everyone!

Weekend Concert Previews And Some Concert Cancellations!!

Today's first post was originally supposed to be 100% dedicated to concert previews, but some cancellations have came my way, including one of this weekend's shows, so I'll start with them before we get into the concerts still on. One of the cancellations is sadly for TONIGHT's Music Mayhem all ages concert at The Oddfellows Hall, which promoter Jeremy Hannah confirmed was off due to scheduling conflicts with some of the scheduled performers. The Facebook event page was deleted yesterday afternoon, though he did say to look out for new shows & events he'd be promoting. Shame that the Friday the 13th bad luck hit this show, especially with all of the notable debuts and returns among the lineup (i.e. Borderline Divine's first concert in 2 years, Changing Waves' first show in 3 months, and F.A.T.I.L.'s Oddfellows Hall debut), but hopefully we see all the scheduled bands back soon! The other cancellations were for Brimley metallers Half A Man's scheduled Sault Michigan concerts with Detroit hard rockers Fifth Way over the April 27th weekend, as per the deletion of the shows' Facebook event page yesterday. A reason for the cancellation has not been announced, though note that venues were never publically announced for the dates, so that could be related.

Disappointing news for sure, but you can still see Fifth Way that weekend at Kewadin Casino as openers for The Gin Blossoms, and Half A Man are scheduled to return from their year-long stage hiatus by LemmaFest, so keep an eye out! Now, we have previews for six concerts from three metal/hard rock bands in the twin Saults for this much lighter weekend, so here's what you need to know for the heavier concerts of the weekend that are on as scheduled!

First, we'll head to The Canadian Nightclub this weekend for some tribute band action, as Toronto-based Aerosmith tribute act Mama Kin are coming back to Sault Ontario TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Last seen in the area about two years ago, this talented quintet deliver an authentic looking and sounding experience that Aerosmith fans are sure to eat up, and hopefully there's a big crowd all weekend at The Canadian for Mama Kin! Hopefully the advance advertising at the venue and on the radio is helping get awareness up, but no matter what, head down to The Canadian this weekend if you love Aerosmith! Both of these shows are 19+ events, I'd assume a 10:00 PM start time is in order for both nights, and a cover charge of around $5 seems likely, so don't come with empty pockets. Check the above links for more details! The Canadian Nightclub has always been good for booking talented tribute bands, and though I'm not a huge Aerosmith fan, Mama Kin have the chops, so don't miss them tonight or tomorrow! Vocals aren't an exact match, but fans shouldn't be disappointed, so consider making it out this weekend, and for a preview, here's Mama Kin playing "Dude Looks Like A Lady" at a 2010 concert!



Also for heavier concerts this weekend is another pair of dates from local metal trio Caveman Morrison! Two weeks after their current lineup debuted at The Nicolet Tavern, the popular cover act will make their first appearances at The Roosevelt Hotel since re-adding drummer Johnny Belanger to their lineup TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT in what should be another solid weekend of metal and hard rock hits! Nothing seems to be too different from Caveman Morrison's other concerts of late, but if you've missed them in the West End in recent months, you should definitely take notice of their Rosie returns this weekend! Admission should be free, both shows have 9:30 PM start times, and you must be 19 to attend either tonight or tomorrow's festivities. For more information, visit the official Facebook event page! With their new lineup settled in and a return to The Nic already lined up for next weekend, Caveman Morrison appear to be back in full force, so don't sleep on their new lineup, and consider a trip to the Rosie to check them out this weekend! For a preview, here's Caveman Morrison covering Judas Priest's "The Ripper" at The Rosie late last year!



Finally for this weekend, there's at least a couple of heavier concerts going down, courtesy of Sault Michigan hard rock notables Monkey's Uncle! According to Kewadin Casino's entertainment page, this talented local band are scheduled to at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT in their first appearances there since November! Their absence has been noticeable, and though I assume they've played elsewhere locally in the interim, their pages aren't updated enough for me to know about any other possible gigs, so if I missed something, my apologies. That said, Monkey's Uncle have not officially confirmed these shows, but the venue has, and Kewadin's entertainment page has always proved to be a reliable source of concert dates, so I assume these are on as scheduled. Admission should be free, you must be 21 to attend either tonight or tomorrow's shows, and 10:00 PM start times seem standard. Check the above links for more details! Monkey's Uncle are a talented band with lots of solid covers and originals in the classic and hard rock genres, so don't miss them at Kewadin Casino this weekend, especially with the rarity of online advance word of their shows! For a preview, here's Monkey's Uncle covering Nazareth's "Hair of the Dog" in 2008!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for some bigger news stories later tonight! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Mama Kin), Cavo Concert Updates, And Much More!!

I know news has been a little more spread out lately, but things will be a bit busier at the end of the week, so don't worry! Today, we've got a new solo performance clip, some assorted news stories, and some updates on a major upcoming concert's media coverage, but first, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this spring! (UPDATED, 1:30 AM)

Toronto-based Aerosmith tribute band Mama Kin are coming back to Sault Ontario for the first time in at least two years in April! As currently being advertised on the marquee board outside of the venue, this talented tribute act will hit The Canadian Nightclub for a full weekend of Aerosmith classics on April 13th and 14th, so if you love Aerosmith, circle those dates on your calendar! The shows are listed on Mama Kin's website (so there's an online source), but they're credited as playing at The Knights Inn, which hasn't been the name of the hotel on The Canadian's site in quite a while. Minor error, no worries! I'd assume both of these shows would be 19+ affairs, a 10:30 PM start time would seem likely, and I'd expect a cover charge of around $5. For more details, check the above links! It's great to see Mama Kin back in the area after such a long wait for their return, and though I'm admittedly not the biggest Aerosmith fan going, there'll be lots of demand and fanfare for the next best thing to Steven Tyler and company! Keep an eye out for more on this and the rest of what is shaping up to be a huge month for the local metal scene as we get closer to this April!

Next up, here's the latest on April 6th's Cavo/My Darkest Days/Veer Union concert at The Dreammakers Theater at Kewadin Casino! Allstar Promotions (who are holding this concert) announced on their Facebook page on Thursday that they've joined forces with Cheboygan rock radio station Real Rock 105.1 to promote & hold contests for this show. This would include giveaways for tickets & meet and greets, along with a package including front row tickets and a night's stay at Kewadin's hotel. I've heard little directly referencing this arrangement from Real Rock yet, but if you listen in, things should pop up soon for advertising & contests! Remember, though Real Rock 105.1 is based out of the Traverse City area, they have a simulcast in Cheboygan, which is why better FM radios on clearer days can pick the station up in the Twin Saults. Plus, despite leaving the U.P. in 2010, stations owned by Northern Star Broadcasting in Northern Michigan still occasionally advertise & promote bigger shows up here, so it's not unheard of. If you're interested in tuning in to try and win some tickets, or you just want an alternative rock radio station in the area, tune your dials to 105.1 FM or listen online at this location!

Now, the post above also implies that the reason the radio promotions for the Cavo/MDD show aren't local is because of local stations' desires to only promote & advertise out of town shows, likely a reference to Rock 101 and their "Concert Track", which usually only mentions big rock shows in Southern Michigan and Southern Ontario. I'm not going to pass judgement on anyone for why the local deals aren't happening, as we only have one side of the story here, but there's reasons for everything, and things will work themselves out. Stay tuned for more news on this major concert as it comes in!

Thirdly today, local guitarist Neno Jovanovic has posted another solo guitar cover onto his YouTube channel! Uploaded yesterday, this is his cover of Motorhead's "Ace of Spades" (typo aside), and like his other covers, he plays the guitar track along with the remaining parts of the song, and he adds to it well! He could have mixed it in a bit better, or boosted it's heaviness a tad, but Neno knows the original song well, and give his take on "Ace of Spades" a listen below!



And finally for today, here's three assorted shorter stories from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band name:

• Sault Ontario death metal quintet The Bear Hunters have begun recording of "colossal" bass tracks towards their debut full length demo! The news was broken yesterday on their Facebook page. Good to hear, I can't wait to check out the finished product when all is said and done, so stay tuned for more!
  
• Newer Sault Michigan quartet Elements of Madness have quietly added Landon Mattson (guitarist Cody Rosebohm's cousin) as their new drummer, replacing Kyle Hummelgard. A reason for the switch wasn't announced. Landon does have experience as a former drummer in the local indie/ska band The Pick-Me-Ups, so he does have talent! Stay tuned for more band updates, and best of luck to Kyle in the future!
• Sykotyk Rampage have posted a "new" song onto their Reverbnation page! Entitled "Roll a Doobie", it's an interpretation of The Proclaimers' "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" in their own crash style, with more off-colour lyrics related to the song title. It's an interesting mix, so check it out above, and stay tuned for full details on this & more new songs as we get closer to the release of their next albums!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news over the next few days, along with weekend concert previews, this week's classic video, and this month's Defunct Local Band Profile on Friday! Thanks everyone!