Before I get to a massive post concerning major developments regarding a once-popular band page website, here's a new news post for your Tuesday afternoon, and it includes new solo performance footage, jam session clips, and a local artist's television appearance from earlier this month, but let's begin with a preview of a special live event!
While not a concert in the traditional sense, I felt it appropriate to give one last preview to TONIGHT'S show from the national touring production of the hair metal/1980s rock-themed musical Rock of Ages at GFL Memorial Gardens! It's rare when a live musical play comes through here that has any direct connection to SMS coverage, but I can easily make an exception here. A jukebox musical about an aspiring singer & bartender's romance as they try to make it big in the 1980s glam rock music scene in Los Angeles, Rock of Ages was a smash hit on Broadway for six years, and later led to a 2012 feature film, and now this national tour to commemorate the original Broadway production's 10th anniversary. Expect to hear a wide array of songs woven into the plot from acts like REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Bon Jovi, The Scorpions, Journey, Foreigner, Quiet Riot, and many more. Tickets are still available, including on the floor, for between $49.50 and $89.50 at this link, so act A.S.A.P. to get the best seat possible!
You can also buy tickets at the in-person box office or by phone at 1-866-775-9422. An 8:00 PM start time is advertised, and this seems to be all ages. Also, check out this Sault Star article by Jeffrey Ougler from last month where he interviewed Andrew Tebo, who plays Hertz Klinemann in this production. While I admittedly didn't love the Rock of Ages film, I know that many fans of 1980s glam, hair, and arena bands will certainly enjoy tonight's play at the Gardens, so hopefully tonight's show is a home run! And for one last preview, here's two of the actors hyping up the show for this video posted on the City of Sault Ste. Marie's YouTube channel last month!
Next up, here's another new video from Kinross/Mount Pleasant, Michigan solo hard rock musician Alex Traynor, who got some big exposure on local television earlier this month! If you live in the Cadillac-Traverse City television market (which includes the E.U.P.), or if you are a Sault Ontario resident with a digital TV antenna, you may be familiar with The Four, a lifestyle newsmagazine show that airs weekdays at 4:00 PM on our regional CBS affiliate 9&10 News (channel 10 on Spectrum, 10.1 on the antenna.) Hosted by Michelle Dunaway and Charlie Tinker, this show is an entertaining snapshot of current events, helpful tips, and weather updates, and it's definitely a fun and lighter alternative to more serious newscasts! A regular feature is their "Friday Sessions", where a regional musician or band performs an original song to end the week with, and Alex got the nod on March 8th, where he performed an acoustic version of his song "Send My Soul Away" from his new "Crazy World" EP.
Unfortunately, I can't embed the video here, but you can watch it at this link, and it's not region locked, so Canadian readers can check it out too. Well filmed on multiple cameras (including one mounted on his guitar's neck), this is a strong performance that hopefully won him lots of new fans watching WWUP & WWTV a couple of weeks back! Give it a look at the above links, and watch The Four on Fridays to hear more rising Northern Michigan artists!
We'll close today with some videos that I can embed, including some more jam session clips from Sault Ontario power rock quintet Re:Born's Facebook page, with two more being posted there on Monday! One video features Elly, Blair, Fred, and Brandan tackling Project 421's old original "Running Away", but embedded below is Re:Born covering two songs, including Poison's "Talk Dirty To Me" & Kissin' Dynamite's "Sex Is War", which Elly guested on with Re:Born last year already. Solid performances all around, if a little stiff still, but it's all good hype for their return show at Soo Blaster on March 29th, so give each of these videos a look above & below!
Finally for today, here's a couple of new videos from local experimental/metal solo artist Chase Wigmore's Facebook page from the last month or so! This one was shared from his personal Facebook page last week, and it features a now-mohawked Chase playing a short original that is reminiscent of Vito Petroccitto Jr'.s "The Assumption Song". Washed out visuals, but a lively performance that isn't quite what you're expecting! Embedded below is his live-streamed video from February 28th, which has Chase playing "some of Dan's tracks" to test some new software. I don't know who Dan is in this context, but if you like Chase's technical metal side, this will satiate that need! Despite prior plans to move metal material to the Awokest banner, this showcases some heavy and complex original instrumental action for 18+ minutes, and even a surprise bass cameo at the end! More great stuff from Chase, so give these videos a look above & below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site soon! Thanks everyone!
Before we begin today's weekend concert preview post, we have a concert cancellation to note, as Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Project 906 are no longer advertised to play at The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley on Saturday, as per their events calendar, with Rock 101's Scott Cook advertised as DJing then instead. A reason for 906's withdrawal was not announced, but hopefully nothing bad happened, and that we see them back on stage again soon! Now, we have some band updates, a big and relevant musical's trip here next year, and first, SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS within our weekend previews!
Preceding his next Gliss Restaurant matinee gigs TOMORROW & SATURDAY, local acoustic hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to The Water Tower Pub for one night only TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via the venue's December concert calendar earlier this week. With Thursday matinees at Gliss not taking place at the new locale, Tym's schedule is opened up to bring his unplugged cover action back to The Water Tower Pub, which last hosted him for a concert back in June. If you're up for a later show at a more northern/central locale from this prolific solo artist, be at The Water Tower Pub TONIGHT for all of the action! As for his ongoing weekly run at Gliss, you can see his acoustic hits at the new Spring Street location at their usual matinee timeslot tomorrow & Saturday at 6:00 PM with no announced cover charges or age limits, but remember that this is a formal sit-down restaurant.
As for Tym's Water Tower Pub show TONIGHT, expect a 9:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and a 19+ age limit, and just for reference sake, Tym is not advertised for this year's Blues For Food charity concerts at the same venue in two weeks. For more details on Tym's tripleheader this weekend, visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Tym live a few years back!
Next up, local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will return to The Harp Pub & Grill for their second public concert there THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, this concert was only announced via it's Facebook event page earlier this week (albeit with more notice than their Canadian show on November 24th!) Fans will have last seen the Elements side project at the former Madison's Pub over the Halloween weekend, so if you can brave the snow for a run to the Pine Plaza, you'll be rewarded with a night full of varied but often heavy covers on SATURDAY, and audience participation is welcomed too! Note that this is a one-nighter, and while I have seen no advertised reason why there's no Friday gig from the band or venue, this will reportedly be The Wyld Stallyns' last Harp gig of 2018. Expect a 19+ age limit, 9:00 PM start time, and no cover on SATURDAY, so see above for more details, and here's The Stallyns live!
Also in the news, this isn't a "concert" per say, but the hair metal/1980s rock-themed musical Rock of Ages is coming to GFL Memorial Gardens for one night only on Tuesday, March 19th! This is a scripted musical play rather than a true concert (I made an exception for the local Tommy production because of That's Chester being the house band), but this is still a big deal for fans of Rock of Ages' prior stage productions and it's 2012 feature film, so I can't ignore it! Rock of Ages is stopping at the former Essar Center as part of the 10th anniversary tour following it's Broadway debut in 2009 (where it ran until 2015), and is about an aspiring singer and a bartender's romance and quest for stardom in Los Angeles in the 1980s. This jukebox musical is loaded with familiar glam metal and classic rock songs woven into it's plot, with bands like Twisted Sister, Foreigner, Poison, REO Speedwagon, Styx, Whitesnake, Journey, and Def Leppard represented, among many others.
Rock of Ages tickets range from $59.50-$99.50 depending on seating location, and tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10:00 AM at this link, at the in-person box office, or by calling 1-866-775-9422. I personally didn't love the movie (too glossy and polished for my liking), but the play was a smash hit, and the movie soundtrack went gold in Canada, so I have no doubt that 1980s rock lovers will be very interested in seeing Rock of Ages at the Gardens! Visit the above links for complete details, and if you want more details on the company behind this production, head to the tour website!
We'll close today with the latest from Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63, whose ongoing hiatus and lineup/setlist re-tooling may be nearing it's end. In a presumed sign of the band's new makeup, their current Facebook profile photo is solely of guitarist Nathan Switzer, implying that he has survived the changes, but when your dad is frontman Henry Switzer, that may not have been difficult. No word yet on their new(?) bassist, we'll let you know when something is said! A playlist on Apple Music (which I don't have) has the planned setlist for Highway 63's new lineup, and comment replies on their Facebook page imply that The Smithereens, The Stone Temple Pilots, Night Ranger, and some country covers are in their current repertoire, while their new setlist is "almost all new music." On November 27th, the band floated the possibility of hosting a "Back on the Road Party" at Dondee Lanes, which Henry hinted would take place on Saturday, December 22nd.
I'm not rushing to add the event to our concert calendar pending a formal announcement, but if this holds up, it'll be a big way for Highway 63 to end their year+-long concert hiatus, so keep tabs for updates! Finally, Henry shared this video of him covering Cheap Trick's "The Flame" onto Facebook on the 27th as well, which is an attempt to line up professional vocal recording tracks with raw video. Not a bad rendition, it lets Henry showcase his range nicely, though the vantage point from almost behind him is still not optimal. Check it out below, and stay tuned for more from Highway 63!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site soon! Thanks everyone!
Now, we'll finally close up this weekend's concert previews with the two notable hard rock-featured shows going down in the Sault Ste. Marie area tomorrow! Not generally a hopping day for shows, this Sunday promises to be different for at least one weekend, including a new venue's debut (with a possible new metal band in tow), and I've added some additional notes on a performer's upcoming concert booking plans as well! We'll start however with a big preview for a major concert going down across the river tomorrow, and tickets are still waiting, so here's what you need to know!
Allstar Promotions' second major 2013 concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino goes down TOMORROW NIGHT, and it includes California alternative metal quartet Trapt on the lineup! In this platinum selling band's local debut, be prepared for a set full of rock chart hits like "Still Frame", and (of course) "Headstrong", and with their new album "Reborn" released just two months ago, expect some singles from that album as well! Their alternative-leaning hard rock songs are often very catchy, and they have a lot more to say than just "Headstrong", so hopefully they deliver a quality set tomorrow night! They're the middle act in tomorrow's concert, with the headliners being Oklahoma post-grunge notables Hinder, in their second local appearance following a Kewadin Casino date in September 2010! I wouldn't say they quite cross the metal line, but they were among the biggest new American rock bands in the 2000s with hits like "Lips Of An Angel" & "Get Stoned", and they should attract a solid response tomorrow night! As well, Los Angeles indie rock trio Acidic will be tomorrow's opening band , and though their more minimal and softer music is a jump from the rock-based headliners, they have a lot of talent and should make some new fans tomorrow!
Tickets are still available in the fifth row & back for $29.50 (center section aside), and you can buy them at the Kewadin box office in person, at 1-800-KEWADIN, or online at this location! A 7:00 PM start time is advertised, there's no age limits, and call ahead to see if there's a meet & greet. Check the above links for more details! This should be an interesting concert, and though I'm not high on Hinder, the fans in attendance should have a great time, and don't miss the opening bands, including Trapt! For a preview, here's Trapt's video for their new song "Bring It"!
The other Sunday night concert with heavier bands goes down tomorrow evening at the new 180 Projects venue at 180 Gore Street, where Winnipeg cyber-sludge metal trio Soul Killing Female will rock the Sault for the second time! Last seen at The Oddfellows Hall opening for Weak Ends last summer, their mix of doom, alternative, and techno styles should add a unique element to the concert calendar tomorrow! I know their first local stop last year didn't have an immense crowd, but maybe this headlining set at a new venue will help? They'll be joined by two local opening bands, including debuting "Eeyore core" trio AlgomA, who feature BeeFMouTH alumni Kevin Campbell & Boyd Rendell alongside drummer/concert promoter Jamie Vincent (more on him in a bit.) Though we have no pages, media samples, or clear public word on their sound yet thanks to their intentionally-low profile since their 2012 inception, it will be very interesting to see how AlgomA shapes out in their live debut! The other scheduled band is newer local garage/folk rock outfit Honest Job, who I know a bit more on than AlgomA (though still not much), and they have an original hard-to-describe sound that should appeal to folk and acoustic fans!
As mentioned, this show will take place at 180 Projects, the new concert venue/art gallery host that's located at the former MJ's location near the former Club Princess. With past concerts there being indie rock-leaning, this is the first metal-featured show at this venue, and the first metal concert to hit Gore Street since Sativa Rose played at the former GLOW in September 2010, so it's great to finally see a new metal show on Gore after 2½ years! Tomorrow's show has an announced start time of 6:00 PM, there's a $5 cover charge, and this is an ALL AGES event, so for more details, visit the official Facebook event page! I definitely want to be at this show, so hopefully I'll see you guys there tomorrow for all of the action! I'm very curious to hear the local openers & to see 180 Projects for myself (and to figure out what exactly AlgomA sounds like), and Soul Killing Female have an awesome sludgy original sound from what I've heard, so hopefully you guys don't miss this ALL AGES show either! For a preview, here's Soul Killing Female playing their song "Hometown" in Saskatchewan last year! Finally for today, here's some notes on AlgomA drummer Jamie Vincent's recent concert booking plans! As you may remember, Jamie's a veteran local musician, often on guitar, from bands like Fuller & Kidshit (both with prolific Sault native Mark Ranᶁ), along with a four year stint with the Edmonton hardcore band Flint when he lived out west, though he moved back home last year. Along with his recent AlgomA work, Jamie's apparently enterting the concert booking world, as he launched a Facebook group named "Sault Ste. Marie All Ages" this past Sunday. Ostensibly a group to promote concerts that he's booking, the description promotes "live music in Sault Ste. Marie for everyone", starting with tomorrow's Soul Killing Female gig, with another show (likely punk-centric) scheduled for May 10th at The Oddfellows Hall featuring out of town punk bands The Royal Red Brigade (who also played at last year's Weak Ends show) and The Rhubarbs, with openers to be announced. Initial response to the group's aim and Jamie's bookings sound very positive, and with good reason, as all ages shows haven't been nearly as plentiful in the last few years, and it'd be great to have more shows open to everyone, and to encourage younger fans to attend shows, play in bands, and follow local music! Even beyond ages, we've had less active concert promoters lately as well, with some more frequent recent bookers either moving out of town, focusing on their bands, or just not promoting all together, so hopefully Jamie takes off locally in concert promotion, as we could use the extra shows, especially all ages ones! That's all for today, but stay tuned hopefully for a new news post tomorrow! Can we extend our posting streak to it's 27th day? We'll soon find out! Thanks everyone!
Good afternoon, metalheads! Lots to get to today, including a quite packed concert schedule for tomorrow night, so let us begin with that! Here are your local concert previews for this weekend! (Stay tuned after for news on a concert cancellation, plus Woods of Ypres and Kiss ticket updates!)
First of all, we'll head across the river, where FINALLY, we have a hard rock/metal concert in Sault Michigan in December! And it comes courtesy of rising young stars Free Refill, who will be among the performers at a talent show at Sault Area High School! Not sure on when during the day this is, but knowing past talent shows and assemblies I experienced, I'd put my money on it being during school hours. This (I think) is Free Refill's first concert as a four piece, as guitarist Tyler Wall left the band a while back. Well, it's great seeing Free Refill back playing shows, even if it is something that might not completely count as a "concert". But hey, I bet there's readers who are Sault Area High students, so keep this in mind, there will be some good music! Talented young band, hopefully they'll put in a good performace tomorrow night! I'd link you guys with a video for a preview, but the band has deleted the clips they had on their MySpace page. Trust me though, they play some good covers!
Next we'll head downtown for two concerts, the first of which is in...Station Mall?! That's right, the center of it all will play host to a metal show of sorts tomorrow evening, when Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will perform an acoustic solo set outside of Zoo Zoo, which for you non-mall goers, is near Scotiabank and 4 Seasons Collectibles! Very interesting, I've never heard of any act that's remotely hard rock playing at the mall! Admission is obviously free, just go to the mall. Tym will be performing from 6:00-8:00 PM, so if you're in a shopping mood tomorrow, you'll get some live music too! And if you miss that set, no worries, the Tym Morrison solo experience will be back that same night when he returns to The Big Cheese in Heyden, which is just outside of town! Tym will be playing there from 10:00 PM on through the night!
So if you're in the mood for some great acoustic covers of your favourite metal (and some non-metal) songs, you know where to go! For more information, confirm your attendance at this location for the Station Mall show, or click here for the Big Cheese show! No videos to show, but click here to visit Tym's official website and check out clips from his solo album and some old Caveman Morrison shows!
Next, The Rockstar Bar will play host to a unique concert event called "Rock of Ages" tomorrow night, where the music from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s will take center stage! Playing the 1950s are The Money Shots, and The Suspects will play 1960s and 1970s music, so if you wanna hear covers of classic songs from those eras, they should do the trick! But the reason I'm mentioning this on the SMS is for the 1980s band, Skid Crue, who just happen to be a hair metal cover band! The band features Inner City Surfers frontman Dustin Jones, guitarist Dave Bahun, and bassist Brad "Example" Lacell! Curiously, drummer Mikey Hawdon (also from Lion Ride and Detroit) isn't part of Skid Crue, but from some searching, I learned that Money Shots drummer Francis McCormick will be behind the drumkit for this performance! They don't have a page, but if you love 80s hair metal, this should be right up your alley! Tickets are $5 in advance from The Algonquin Hotel, CD Plus, or The Rad Zone, or they're $7 at the door! It's an 8:00 concert, so make sure you're there early for a good night of music of all types from all eras! Click here to visit the official Facebook event page!
And finally, the metal concert I believe will be getting the most press, partly because it's the grand re-opening of Foggy Notions! That's right, 21 long months after the famous local bar shut it's doors, it's came under new ownership, been renovated (yes, the bathrooms were too), and went through months of hype, anticipation, and false starts, but now it's officially back for real! And headlining it's return are local hard rockers Sense of Truth! This will be their first live appearance since their Kiss Battle of the Bands finals performance, and their first full concert since Halloween at Top Hat Billiards! Joining them: Local punk rockers The Scary Uncles (featuring former SIGHdEFECT frontman Justin Langlois & ex-Fitswitch bassist Andrew McDonald), who always put on a great show! One of my favourite non-metal bands in town! The given start time is 7:00 PM, so make sure you're there early to drink in Foggies' return! Admission is just $5 for what should be a great first chapter in the return of Foggy Notions to the local scene!
Aside from the excitement of the re-opening, this should be a good concert too! Sense of Truth always impress, and should deliver their same brand of catchy hard rock and some solid covers tomorrow night! Check out their Facebook group for more stuff from the band! For a preview, check out this clip of the band covering the Tool song "Stinkfist"!
Sadly, I'll be in Detroit tomorrow, so I'll miss the concerts. If I was in town, I'd definitely go check out Tym Morrison at the mall, then head to the Foggy Notions re-opening (I haven't seen a full Sense of Truth concert in forever!) I wish I could be in town, but I'll get more opportunities to be at Foggies for a show, Boxing Day with Garden of Bedlam seems likely!
Speaking of Boxing Day, we have a cancellation. Due to circumstances beyond their control, Half Past have postponed their planned concert for December 26th at The Rockstar Bar. No word on the specific reason, but it's still disappointing! And yes, the band confirmed it on their Facebook page, so there's my source. Hopefully they'll be back for a show in early 2010! I haven't seen them live since 2008 when they were still called Fingerbone! However, if you still need something to do on Boxing Day, Garden of Bedlam at Foggy Notions is likely on that night too, so you're not completely out of luck for a concert!
And now, Kiss concert cancellation news! You knew this wouldn't be gone for good, did you? The Sault Star has two new articles up concerning it, the first of which is a general article discussing the cancellation and ticket refund info. Nothing new to speak of there. The second is an editorial piece by Frank Rupnik, who gives his take on the postponement. He recommends that the band and The Essar Center keep fans up to date sooner rather than later about when the rescheduled show will take place, and keep us informed to make everything fair. He also expresses that a summer date is better than a winter show because there's more likelihood that it will be a bigger event. Check out the two Sault Star articles by clicking the links in this paragraph! I completely agree with Frank, we have to know these things, and the sooner we find out, the sooner we can make plans! As for ticket refunds, remember, your old December tickets WILL BE HONOURED AT THE MAKEUP DATE! So if you don't want to resell, you can hang on to the seats you have! It's what I'm doing!
And finally for today, a few Woods of Ypres updates! First of all, "Woods IV: The Green Album" is officially available on iTunes! I'm not an iTunes user, so I don't know the exact details on how to purchase it, but searching for Woods of Ypres with it's search function should locate it easily! And if you want a physical copy, it is NOW IN STORES, so head to CD Plus today to pick it up! My source for this is a topic on the band's official forum. Also, the band announced that the new CD is the #2 best seller of this past week on The End Records' website, which is awesome! And, this should be exciting: The band have begun the budgeting process for "Woods V", which frontman David Gold hints will be the band's second CD based on the summer season (after "Pursuit of the Sun/Allure of the Earth") and will be "another exciting shift in Woods of Ypres theme and sound"! Source for this info: Another forum topic, and the band's Facebook page! All sounds awesome, can't wait to hear what Woods of Ypres has in store for us next!
That's all for today! But I should add, today is the LAST DAY TO VOTE IN THIS MONTH'S POLL! I will replace it with a new poll after midnight, and I will update everyone on the results, and what the new question is, so stay tuned for that! Thanks everyone, have fun at tomorrow's concerts, I wish I could be there too!
While not a concert in the traditional sense, I felt it appropriate to give one last preview to TONIGHT'S show from the national touring production of the hair metal/1980s rock-themed musical Rock of Ages at GFL Memorial Gardens! It's rare when a live musical play comes through here that has any direct connection to SMS coverage, but I can easily make an exception here. A jukebox musical about an aspiring singer & bartender's romance as they try to make it big in the 1980s glam rock music scene in Los Angeles, Rock of Ages was a smash hit on Broadway for six years, and later led to a 2012 feature film, and now this national tour to commemorate the original Broadway production's 10th anniversary. Expect to hear a wide array of songs woven into the plot from acts like REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Bon Jovi, The Scorpions, Journey, Foreigner, Quiet Riot, and many more. Tickets are still available, including on the floor, for between $49.50 and $89.50 at this link, so act A.S.A.P. to get the best seat possible!
