We have a new news post on this Sunday morning, which includes some new videos, big updates on a prominent local musician, and leading off, a new album release from a very prolific local group, so here's what you should know!
Local blue Chinese metal crash punk quartet Sykotyk Rampage have released yet another new studio album onto their Bandcamp page, and it's their third in a five month span, and 68th total! Officially dated with a February 1st release date despite being posted on Bandcamp last week, this has the unwieldy title "Genius Mushrooms With Thoughts Of The Stoned Ape: Hal-lu-ci-no-gen-ic-Mus-i-cal-Brain-Scans-3", and it is the belated sequel album to their prior two "Genius Mushrooms With Thoughts Of..." albums that were released in 2011, harbouring the same scheme of songs generally having one word names. However, "Genius Mushrooms 3" has a whopping 27 songs, including one for each letter of the alphabet in order, and it would have to be a double album if released physically. Sykotyk Rampage also jokingly claim that this album is not associated with the prior two albums in this series, or the "bands" that recorded them.
Allegedly, "they stole our idea", and this album was just in the works for 12 years and not rushed out in 2011. Now you know!? Given the double length, "Genius Mushrooms 3" is on sale for $15, but you can of course stream the whole thing for free on Bandcamp as well. Will this be reviewed on the SMS? Not short term, as I'd rather review these albums in order and I haven't yet looked at the first two, but a review of either of their September 2022 albums ("Scott's Pub & Crash Music" or "Love Muffin") will hit the site no later than next month. Still, be sure to give this and dozens more of Sykotyk Rampage's unique brand of bluesy alternative and psychedelic rock a listen at the above links, it's quite an experience!
Next up, here's the latest from local alternative/hard rock musician Mike Haggith, who has finally spilled the beans about his recent plans, especially in regards to his homebase after previously teasing a move out of Thompson, Manitoba last fall. This will be no surprise to anyone who knows Mike personally, but on his Facebook page yesterday, he revealed that he has moved to Barrie, Ontario for work reasons and career advancement opportunities, but Mike does plan to become active in the music scene in Barrie, including solo concerts and possibly "calling the boys" for full band sets. He didn't 100% confirm if he meant his local band from Rotaryfest last year, but note that Mike is much closer now (Barrie is 6 hours east of the Soo), and keep in mind that his hometown of Windsor is a 4 hour drive from Barrie. Also, don't forget that his old Haggith bandmate Daniel Horton already moved down there with Spades GT.
Regarding his upcoming album "All The Best In All You Do", Mike confirmed that "good progress is being made in the studio", and he's hoping for it to come out in mid-2023, perhaps with a release concert. He also plans to resume monthly live-streams and album review videos in the spring now that he has a dedicated area to host his video recording setup. Mike had a very productive run with his best received solo output yet during his five years in Thompson, but hopefully Barrie proves to be just as fruitful artistically and personally, and we'll definitely keep you posted when more comes out on his next musical plans!
Also today, here's some brief clips of local/Barrie crossover thrash quintet Spades GT's new lineup playing at the Walter Froebrich memorial concert at The Rockpile in Toronto last night! Uploaded by YouTube user Belgian Jasper, this is a compilation video of six bands from the event, plus interviews with attendees/performers about Walter and what it means to pay tribute to "the metal mayor of Toronto". Spades GT turn up 1:19 into the 5:49 video, and are seen/heard for about 25 seconds, though remarks from members of Anger By Design are overlaid during it. Not a long look at the expanded Spades GT yet, but they sound good for what little we see, so check it out below, and R.I.P. Walter!
Finally, here's a new video from local progressive metal band PROV3RB5's Facebook page yesterday, which sees guitarist Benjamin Roswell playing a 72 second chunk of their song "Sea of Tranquility". Thankfully, the live instrumentation is enough for this video to avoid being content matched to itself by Facebook algorithms, so it can be embedded here, and Ben has a strong, technically sound handle on things as you'd expect! Give it a look below, and stay tuned for more from PROV3RB5 in 2023!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!
It's now time for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile, continuing our monthly spotlight of randomly selected local metal, hard rock, and punk acts of the past in order to spotlight them and their run for current readers! This month's installment is a double profile, as the first band only had minimal information online, so I randomly picked a second band, namely early 2010s Sault Michigan hard rock band Swayze Train, only to re-discover that I had announced their removal from our band links last year due to a lack of surviving public content (their Reverbnation page proves it), but forgot to actually delete them. Blonde moment! I picked the closest un-profiled & alphabetically adjacent Sault Michigan band with minimal info to fill things out, so here's what you should know on both!
Info/Analysis: Launched by former F.F.B. bandmates in August 2014, The Red & Black posted seven songs to their Soundcloud page & six mostly-shared songs on their Bandcamp page over the next three months. Plans were teased for a full length album, then a split release with Christopher's recently reunited punk duo Orange, but neither came to fruition. A planned live debut opening for The Whiskey Shits in November 2014 was cancelled, but they did play an unrehearsed impromptu set in June 2015, opening for Toronto doom metal band IRN at The New American Pub. Public updates did not follow, and the band dissolved by the end of 2015. If you know Telephone & Address' more aggressive, plugged-in material, then The Red & Black's raw, unpolished sound & Chris' distinct vocals on songs like "Talk Talk Talk" will be very familiar, and Damjan's drumming fit in well! Solid stuff for fans, hopefully we hear from both guys musically again!
Lineup: Stoned Ape Evolution never revealed their lineup publically and always wore masks on stage, not unlike prior Sault Michigan metal band Clownsack. Two of the band's four (later five) publically depicted members were John Napoletano and Melvin Willis, instrument roles unclear, though I believe John was the frontman. If you can fill in any blanks as to this band's lineup(s) and if it's alright to reveal them now, let me know!
Info/Analysis: Formed by early 2016, Stoned Ape Evolution sought to "bring a taste of a bigger metal band to a smaller area". Primarily seen at the Bay Mills Bands Together series of charity concerts in the mid-2010s, they debuted at Pickles Bar & Grill in Brimley in May 2016, and also played at that year's Rudyard Musicians Festival. Their final gig was an outdoor Bay Mills Bands Together event in September 2017, and the band otherwise shared memes on their Facebook page into early 2018 before quietly dissolving. Two public videos are known to exist from their run, including covers of Megadeth's "Sweating Bullets" in Rudyard and of Metallica and Megadeth songs in Brimley, and while I do think the vocalist was trying a little too hard to sound evil, they were technically sound and definitely unique for the E.U.P. in this day and age! Hopefully their members are still active!
I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! This series will return on or around October 10th when we look at another randomly selected band, this time back in Sault Ontario with inactive local "shield rock" band Swmapgut! Look for that in a month's time, and for more news and notes on the site next week! Thanks everyone!
Here's a new news post for your Tuesday morning reading, as it happens, it mostly inactive artists, including bands being moved out of our active links, as well as a noted drummer retiring from the scene, but we do have a new video from an active band tfill things out. Here's what you should know!
We have regrettably moved local hard/party rock trio Stiffler's Mom to our inactive band links. While the band has not formally acknowledged their active status, they haven't issued a public update since their Esquire Club concerts over the weekend of September 9th, 2017, past our one year cut-off point for active bands. One of the longest running hard rock bands in the city, Stiffler's Mom had been active in varying permutations and names since 1996 (save for a brief 2011-2012 breakup), becoming fan favourite attractions at solo nightclub concerts, festivals, and other community events during that span. Fans may recognize Stiffler's Mom from their 2004 demo CD, 2007's INXS concert, their finals run in 2009's Kiss Battle of the Bands, three Rotaryfest Stage 1 gigs in the mid-2010s, and the first two Toystocks, among many other events. In the past year, singer/drummer Greg Simpson has stayed musically active with his country cover bands Bone Yard & The Bearded Lounge.
I don't know what happened to Stiffler's Mom, but they've always been a reliable and fan-friendly band over the years, something apparent even when seeing them rock a Bawating Collegiate dance about 14 years ago! Their brand of party rock and their old originals have served them well with local audiences for over two decades, and hopefully we haven't seen the last of Stiffler's Mom on stage! Best of luck to Greg, Michael, and Jon in the future!
Next up, we have some sad news regarding a veteran local musician, as prolific hard/classic rock drummer Scott McLurg has left Soundcheck and retired from performing in bands due to health concerns. Scott's last show with them was at The Water Tower Pub on August 25th, and while Scott had suffered a heart attack back in 2015, I don't know if that's related to this current news. Scott had replaced Steven Flint as Soundcheck's drummer in recent months, and will be very familiar to SMS readers for his work with bands like Turner Up, Havadder, The 3 Day Millionaires, Wishbone, The Thrill Junkies, and Full Circle, plus bands that predated the site, like Generation Gap, One Bad Habit, Lois Lane, Blender, and Big River. This news is definitely a bummer, as Scott's always been a talented and prolific sight in our coverage over the past decade, while being friendly and cordial to me over the years as well. That said, his health obviously comes first.
Hopefully his musical retirement goes as smoothly as possible, and our best wishes go out to Scott and his family, he'll be missed behind the kit! Also, no word on Soundcheck's (still?) open drummer position, we'll let you know when they confirm a replacement and/or hit the stage next!
Also today, here's a more positive story via a brand new upload to Sault Michigan classical metal band Theatre of Night's YouTube channel! This is a YouTube copy of their rendition of the Christmas carol "What Child Is This", featuring German classical singer Gaby Koss, who was an official studio member of the band in the early 2010s. Though not a new recording, this is an effective symphonic metal performance, with Gaby's vocals excellently suited to the song, and the dark snowy visuals are a good match as well! Give it a look below, and stay tuned for more from Theatre of Night!
Finally, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, all regarding bands moved out of our active band links in recent days. As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:
I have removed local metal solo project The 1,000,000,000's Who Died from our active links due to the quiet deletion of their Facebook page in recent months (it's possible it was deactivated for disuse, but either way, it's their only online page.) Led by Werehold Records founder Jason Mills, this project was best known from songs during the label's old Friday the 13th music events, last posting a new song on the Werehold YouTube channel in January. The Billions Who Died had some solid instrumental tracks, and hopefully Jason revisits the project down the road!
We have also moved Sault Ontario hard rock cover quartet Griphook back to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity. While they haven't been seen on stage since Rotaryfest 2016, Griphook announced the end of their then-year+ long hiatus on their Facebook page last August, an announcement that had no public followthrough. They were a solid band in their original run, and hopefully Joel, Brian, Dan, and Tony actually return down the line!
Also, we have moved Sault Michigan metal quartet Stoned Ape Evolution to our inactive band links, as they haven't posted on their Facebook page regarding band matters since their Bay Mills Bands Together concert in Brimley on September 2nd, 2017 (though they continued sharing memes unrelated to the band through January.) A mid-2010s effort to bring a large-scale theatrical metal band back to the area (complete with Clownsack-esque usage of masks and hidden member identities), Stoned Ape Evolution had clear promise and originality, and hopefully John, Melvin, and company bring this group back in the future!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and concert previews in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
With August drawing to a close and September beginning very shortly, here's most of this weekend's concert previews! Due to it's prominence and Saturday night scheduling, we're holding our Diamond Head preview until tomorrow's post, likely as the headlining topic, so don't worry, it's coming! Leading off today, we have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, including a couple on SHORT NOTICE, so here's what you should know!
Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the Kewadin Shores Casino in St. Ignace for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed these shows via their Facebook event page yesterday, and these dates are not listed on the Kewadin entertainment page (the next advertised Northern Pines Lounge bookings there from any band are at month's end.) After an eventful month with shows in Gould City, Sugar Island, and the Soo, Banned will head back to St. Ignace for their first shows at this Kewadin branch this year, and this should be another solid chance to see Alex, Wayne, and Don's fan favourite range of covers, so keep TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S shows in mind if you're in the E.U.P.! Remember, Banned are also scheduled to play this venue in three weeks as well, shows that they announced back in June.
As usual for Banned's trips to a Kewadin Casino lounge, TOMORROW & SATURDAY's concerts will each take place at 9:00 PM, you must be 21 or older to attend, and there are no announced cover charges. Check the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Banned live!
Next up, we'll move to previously announced concerts (including some upcoming future gigs), as Sault Ontario hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to Gliss Steak & Seafood for three more acoustic solo concerts TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY! This should be another fine way to spend your evening over the Labour Day weekend, but as this weekend's shows straddle both August and September, I'd say it's safe to add Tym's remaining Gliss shows in September to our concert calendar. As such, look for Tym to rock the Quality Inn's house restaurant with thrice-weekly unplugged matinees on September 7th-9th, 14th-16th, 21st-23rd, and 28th-30th as his ongoing arrangement at Gliss marches into the fall. No word yet on shows at other venues this fall, but keep these ones in mind!
This weekend's (and next month's) shows are 6:00 PM events with no announced cover charges or age limits, but remember the locale. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!
Other currently known hard rock or metal shows this weekend are exclusively on SATURDAY NIGHT, including the third Bay Mills Bands Together fundraiser concert, as the local charitable promoters will bring their bats to the Bay Mills Ballfield in nearby Brimley, Michigan for a concert and softball tournament! This event is designed to help recent Brimley High School
graduate Brandon Mills in his ongoing fight with leukemia, with all proceeds going to him and his family as they continue treatments, so visit this link for more details on Brandon's battle! This unique fundraiser will merge a double elimination softball tournament with a live concert, and for full details on the former aspect (all teams are secured), visit the official Facebook event page. Musically speaking, hard rock quartet Project 906 will headline this event at the on-site pavillion by the waterfront playing at 10:30 PM, while masked local metal quartet Stoned Ape Evolution will make a rare appearance as co-headliners at 9:00 PM (great to see them back!)
Opening bands will include acoustic rock duo Strange Brew and past solo performer Ken Jahnke's new band Damn Jahnkes at 8:00 & 7:00 PM respectively, while a 3 hour open mic block will precede the bands at 3:00 PM. Bay Mills Bands Together III will begin at 8:00 AM with the first softball game of the day, this is definitely ALL AGES, and while there is no cover charge, donations will of course be accepted, and don't forget about planned 50/50 and prize draws for the cause. This sounds like a great and original event to help Brandon in his cancer battle, so check the above links for full details on Saturday's entertainment, and here's Project 906 live!
Finally for today's previews (Diamond Head is coming tomorrow), local funk/hard rock/improv quintet Gianni Gagoots will promote their second show under their Like Ten Productions banner THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, as they open for Montreal jazz/rap/funk band The OM Sound in their return to the Soo at The New American Pub! Announced well in advance back in May, this show comes fresh off of the Gagoots' well received Northern Vibe Festival debut, and this should be another fine chance to check out their creative instrumentals, not to mention an encore from The OM Sound, who memorably headlined Six, Two, Oh.'s Holiday Funk Show in December at the same venue (and featured Gianni Gagoots as one of the opening acts.) The OM Sound's engaging hybrid originals should mesh well with the local openers' harder-edged jams, so keep this show in mind for Saturday as well as the S.S. Soppress lands at The New A for Like Ten's sophomore effort!
There is a $5 cover charge for this 19+ show, which begins at 9:00 PM that night. Whether you're in this for The OM Sound, "the thick funk from the heart of the Great Lakes", or a little bit of everything, this show should be a fine option for genre fans and wearers of black socks & sandals! Check the Facebook event page for more details, and here's Gianni Gagoots live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Diamond Head preview and more news and notes tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
With a surprising amount of backlogged news to tackle over the next few days, here's a surprise news post for your Friday night, so what's in store? Some assorted recent updates, a pair of new videos relating to local metal bands, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month, so here's what you should know!
Local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements will play a rare headlining concert set when they hit The Rockstar Bar on Friday, August 11th! Last seen at this venue on Canada Day, this talented and raucuous quartet will be in ska-mode in two weeks' time, as the Facebook event page confirms that saxophonist Josh Norling will join them as a guest for the first time this year! (This also seemingly gives online public confirmation that he's not a full band member.) Josh always adds a fun "element" to The Elements' live show, and it'll be nice to see him back with the guys next month! Local alternative/hard rock quartet Bizotic will open on the 11th in a rare Rockstar Bar appearance of their own, and they'll be a fine compliment with their own horn instrument-infused originals, so don't be late for their set! This 19+ concert has no announced cover charge and a 10:00 PM start time, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for updates when & if they arrive!
Next up, here's a pair of new videos, including a new promotional clip for the Oh!NO 2017 Music Festival in nearby Leeburn on September 9th! Posted to co-promoter/AlgomA drummer Jamie Vincent's YouTube channel yesterday as his first upload there in three years, the video features assorted muted clips of local musicians (performing at the festival or not), friends of Six, Two, Oh., and other random footage, as interspersed with pan & scan views of the festival poster. The featured audio is of Sudbury punk trio Lightmares' song "The Sweat of a Hero" (will they play it here in September?), and while the video says more visually than vocally, it's a fun way to hype up this ambitious fall festival! I won't spoil the individual content, but it's well put together, if slightly random, so see more on this event above & below, and stay tuned for continued updates as they roll in!
Also, local punk/metal quintet (and Oh!NO Festival performers) Jack Spades' song "Motorwolf" is featured in a new YouTube video from Monday where Shit Liver frontman Josh Penno goes skydiving! Uploaded to Josh's personal YouTube channel (whose content is largely more based on his independent movie studio Spacebag Productions than his bands), the video features Josh and his buddy "Powers" as they prepare, take off for, and execute the skydive at the Niagara Skydive Center in Welland. Solid song choice for this well edited video, which is thrilling & amusing at different parts, though the audio is very quiet, so crank up your dial before you watch below!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:
Are you wondering who's promoting the Dokken/Firehouse concert at The Essar Center on September 30th? None other than Superior Entertainment (source here), the Sault Michigan agency best known for putting on 2015's P.O.D./Hoobastank and Saving Abel concerts, plus numerous MMA events at Kewadin Casino. This rare cross-border promotional concert could also be seen as redemption for Superior Entertainment, whose Firehouse-headlined Superior Festival last year was cancelled shortly before showtime. It'll be very interesting to see how the promoters do on the Canadian side of the border, so keep that angle in mind!
Pillory bassist Jordan Leach-Berube announced in a Musicians Wanted Facebook group
post on Thursday that he is "leaving soon" and is looking for bass
players to take over in his three current bands (not named there beyond
genre, but I'm 99.999% sure he means Pillory, improv/jazz trio The Peach Thieves,
and ambient/drone trio Pointless.) I'm not sure where Jordan is going,
but he's a talented musician that will be missed in the Soo, and be sure
to message him at this link or above if you're interested in auditioning with one or more of these bands!
Sault Michigan metal quartet Stoned Ape Evolution will return to the stage as one of the opening bands at Bay Mills Bands Together's Labour Day Rock & Jock Softball Tournament in Brimley on September 2nd! They'll join fellow new confirmations Strange Brew (an acoustic rock duo) and The Damn Jahnkes (a new band presumably featuring past B.M.B.T. performer Ken Jahnke) at the outdoor fundraiser concert in just over a month. Solid choices, and it's nice to see S.A.E. alive and well, so visit the above links for more current details on this event!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and this month's CD review in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
With weekend concert previews and our new poll now taken care of, here's a full news post for your Sunday morning delectation! Below, you'll find some assorted recent notes, more videos from a recent Sault Michigan-area benefit concert, and first, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!
Local alternative/hard rock quartet Id Iota will play their first public concert of the year when they open for indie rock quartet K.I.C.K. at LopLops Lounge on Friday, April 14th! Originally planned to be on Saturday the 15th before being pushed back one day, this show will be Id Iota's first appearance on a public stage (last month's garage show doesn't count) since November, and it'll be a good chance to see Christian, Dustin, Dan, and Blair in their element at a familiar downtown venue as they take a brief break from recording sessions for their second CD! Similarly, K.I.C.K. have been in studio lately towards their debut album, and it'll be good to see the Keep It Cool Kids back with their skilled indie rock originals, so don't miss the 2016 VM Radio Battle winners either! A Facebook event page has not been posted (yet?), but a 19+ age limit, $5 cover charge, and 9:00 PM start time are all likely for this event, so check the above links for more details on K.I.C.K. & Id Iota's LopLops return!
Next up, reunited local hard rock quartet Eclipse and funk/experimental quintet Gianni Gagoots will return to The New American Pub on Sunday, April 23rd when they open for Montreal stoner rock trio The Hazytones! Yes, Eclipse are officially back together after a four month breakup, which is very surprising given how public and messy things became at first, but their reunion will surely be welcomed by fans and friends alike, so be there for their return to the stage at The New A next month! No word yet though on the April 1st show that they had teased, which doesn't appear to be an April Fools prank. Gianni Gagoots' creative instrumentals should continue their own upward momentum for their first show since headlining at LopLops last month, so don't be late for their set! As for The Hazytones, this will be deja vu in many respects, as this talented outfit just played at the same venue with Eclipse opening in August, just with K.I.C.K. as the second openers (and more advance notice.)
The Hazytones' psychedlic and deep originals should find another willing audience next month, and while they're not a metal band, they're well worth checking out! Promoted by Six, Two, Oh., though uniquely courtesy of Lion Ride alum/punk rock bingo caller Brenton Ellis rather than the guys in AlgomA, this show has a 19+ age limit and 9:00 PM start time, and while an admission fee hasn't been announced yet, last year's Hazytones show had a $5 cover. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, don't miss out on this near-encore 8 months later, and Eclipse are back in our active band links (no word yet though on Project 421's next moves!)
Also today, here's a new video of Sault Michigan's current masked metal band, Stoned Ape Evolution! Filmed at last month's Bay Mills Bands Together fundraiser at Pickles Bar & Grill in Brimley, this video was uploaded by band member John Napoletano to his personal Facebook page and shared to the B.M.B.T. Facebook page shortly after the concert. The clip features Stoned Ape Evolution covering Metallica's "Seek & Destroy" and Megadeth's "A Tout Le Monde" to close their set, and this gives us our best look yet at the band (who appear to have expanded to a quintet), so what can I say now? I think the band is largely sound musically, as best seen on "Seek & Destroy", but the vocalist is trying way too hard to sound evil, particularly on "A Tout Le Monde", a classic ballad which the band turns into a groove metal song. I applaud the creativity, but the performance is shaky and I don't find it works well for their style.
John also uploaded four more videos (all from similar corner-stage camera angles) to check out publically, including the Project 906 video we covered on here two weeks ago, and three of the night's cover rock bands, including The Whole Shabang covering Bryan Adams' "Summer of '69", The Brooks Band covering The Eagles' "Love Will Keep Us Alive", and Absolute Magnitude covering James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)", so check out those if you want to hear some other bands from this fundraiser. Stoned Ape Evolution have clear potential and a cool look, so hopefully they continue to progress forward, and give their video a look below!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:
Local doom metal trio AlgomAfinally have physical copies of their new split single with Finland's Hooded Menace available for local fans! The news was revealed on their Facebook page
on Friday, though they don't have any copies of the limited-run orange
vinyl records. This means that the split should be available (likely for
$20) when AlgomA headline at The New A on March 30th, making this the de
facto release show, so keep that in mind for month's end if you want
the split for your collection!
In the biography on the aforementioned Eclipse's Facebook page, it notes that drummer Chris
Thompson was a former member of Garden of Bedlam. This is not an error,
he was briefly the band's drummer in 2007, but Derek Turner replaced him
prior to their debut public concerts in 2008. That wasn't really a
secret, but I don't think we ever addressed Chris' brief run with them on here
before, and I just wanted to give that an overdue public
acknowledgement! Also, it does seem odd that Garden of Bedlam are
credited for Chris over Fitswitch, Frightlight, or Half Past, all of
whom he did far more with.
Local punk/metal band Jack Spades revealed on their Facebook page this morning that they will soon be unveiling their new lineup and single
(maybe "Kingdoms"?), plus announcing their next concert shortly as well!
The band hasn't been seen since opening for SNFU in September, after
which Jesse Cook & Johnny Belanger departed the band, while frontman
J.D. Pearce hasn't promoted a show (with or without Jack Spades) since
his annual Halloween party. It's great to see that Jack Spades are still
alive and readying their return, so stay tuned for updates!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for lots more news and updates as the week progresses! Thanks everyone!
Let's tackle a large amount of Sault Michigan updates today (with one tiny Sault Ontario story to boot), and before anyone asks, we'll be covering Tuesday's Pop Evil show in our next news post, in order to give it proper emphasis closer to showtime, so don't worry, it's still coming! Below, you'll find some assorted notes, a new live concert video, a preview of an anticipated charity concert, and first, a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT & related apology, so here's what you should know!
Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63 will return to Dondee Lanes TONIGHT, after previously playing there last night! Profuse apologies for the short notice (and for missing last night's concert) we only first learned of these shows overnight via their Facebook page, though the band only just plugged them at 5:51 PM yesterday, leaving no time to rush a post here even if I'd heard as soon as announced. This weekend's Dondee gigs are the first public evidence of Highway 63's teased "travelling" this year away from The Rapids Lounge, and while the South Mackinac Trail bowling alley may be seen as unusual ground for the Monkey's Uncle successors, Highway 63 have played the Dondee before, rocking out there in October 2014 early in their run. It's great to see the Switzers, Chris, and Ron spreading their wings to some different venues, though who knows if they'll travel to more regional venues or go outside of the E.U.P.? In the meantime, don't miss Highway 63 at the Dondee TONIGHT!
TONIGHT'S show (and yesterday's) has an oddly early start time of 8:00 PM, you must be 21 to attend, and there is no announced cover charge. For more details, visit the above links, and for a preview, here's a new live video of Highway 63 in concert! Filmed by attendee Bobbiejo MacArthur and shared to the band's Facebook page last week, this comes from the band's Rapids Lounge weekend at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino last week, reportedly their last there "for a while". The video features the guys covering Theory of a Deadman's "Lowlife", and while the video runs for an incomplete 63 seconds, and is filmed from a distant sharp angle of the stage, the audio is solid, and Henry Switzer's vocals are in fine form on this recent rock radio hit! Hopefully the guys aren't gone from the Soo Kewadin for too long, but give this new live video a look below, don't miss them TONIGHT at the Dondee, and apologies again for missing last night's concert, we'd have plugged it here had the band announced it well beforehand!
Next up, here's a preview of a show that was previously announced, as the second Bay Mills Bands Together fundraiser concert goes down at Pickles Bar & Grill in Brimley TOMORROW NIGHT! Following in the lead of their Marissa Kronemeyer benefit concert 9 months ago at the same venue, this is the second gig for the non-profit group, this time coming together to raise funds to cover medical expenses for Liz & Christian Perron, who lost their son Wesley recently after a hard fought medical battle (click here for more on their story.) Tomorrow's performers are all donating their time to help the Perrons, and they include headlining cover quartet The Whole Shabang at 12:00 AM, masked metal band Stoned Ape Evolution at 11:00 PM in their first show of the year, hard/blues rock quartet Project 906 at 9:30 PM, cover rock trio Absolute Magnitude (with Chump Change & London Gentlemen alumni) at 8:00 PM, country rock cover veterans The Brooks Band at 6:30 PM, and solo musician Ken Jahnke opening at 6:00 PM. Note that a teased set by a mystery band named The Lost Dogs has been cancelled for unannounced reasons, though rather than remove them from the updated poster, it actually notes that they cancelled (why draw attention to it like that?) In any event, hopefully nothing bad happened! Bay Mills Bands Together II has a $5 minimum cover charge, while there will be 50/50 and door prize draws as well, and extra donations will be accepted. This sounds like another great event for a great cause, and with a varied lineup like this, hopefully there's a great turnout at Pickles tomorrow night to help the Perron family at this difficult time! Check the above links for more details, and here's Stoned Ape Evolution live last year!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter stories from the last while, including one from Sault Ontario, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or program name:
Allstar Promotions owner Dave Atkinson was quoted in this new Sault Evening News article hyping tomorrow's Pop Evil concert at The Dreammaker's Theater, where he noted Pop Evil's growth since they last played Sault Michigan in 2013, and noted openers Badflower's rising chart success. The rest covers already-trodden ground to hype this huge concert, but the article does allude to Allstar Promotions' quiet 2016, albeit without going into details on why they didn't book anything last year. Nice promotion from the local newspaper, so check everything out above, and stay tuned for our preview!
Project 421 bassist Daniel Horton is looking for a bassist as soon as possible for an apparent new band of his (I presume he's on guitar for this project.) The band plays originals as well as covers, and jam every Wednesday evening. This may be the same band he referenced wanting to start in December that would play "well structured & tasteful" hard/pop rock with an intent of 5 or less shows a year, but I can't confirm that. In any event, message Daniel at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Wednesday if you want to try out!
We can now confirm that Scarkazm, notPeril, are the Traverse City metal band playing at The Northern Pines Lounge at the Kewadin Shores Casino in St. Ignace on March 10th & 11th, as per this updated concert calendar! This confirms that Kewadin Casino's entertainment page was right all along regarding which of Jeff Hudson & Adam Crawford's bands was playing that weekend (spelling mistake regardless), so either their prior concert calendar saw a band mix-up, or Peril's drummer can't make the March gigs. It'll be a great weekend regardless, so don't miss Scarkazm back in St. Ignace in two weeks!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next! Thanks everyone!
On this mild Saturday, let's keep our relatively busy streak at the SMS rolling with a new news post! Below, you will find some new videos from Sault Ontario artists, and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT from the Sault Michigan area, but first, here's a new defunct band to add to our band links!
We have a newly found local punk band to add to our inactive band links, and they are a short lived all-female punk/emo band from 2005 named Murder By Romance! Launched that July, the band featured Aisha Day on lead vocals alongside singer/guitarist Brianne Fournier, and keyboardist Katie Niskanen (I believe), while an earlier post on Brianne's personal Tripod page indicated that a guitarist named Misty (full identity unclear) was a later addition on lead guitar. At last word, Murder By Romance was a work in progress, without a firmly established bassist or drummer, but a search for them was underway. The band's Tripod page features some basic biography & contact information from that time, and an extensive potential setlist suggested by a friend of the band, which indicates that bands from AFI & Avenged Sevenfold to Weezer and Yellowcard were possible to be covered in concert.
Aside from Aisha's past work as a concert promoter, I can't place anyone from Murder By Romance in a musical context, so I can't comment on how they sounded, especially with no posted media or reference to live gigs. That said, the prospect of an all-female punk/emo band is definitely intriguing, and would have been very unique in the mid-2000s local punk scene had they played live, much like Apocrytha were around the same time. Check the above links for more on Murder By Romance!
Next up, here's that LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as a second Bay Mills Bands Together fundraiser will be held on Sunday, February 25th at Pickles Bar & Grill in nearby Brimley, Michigan! Nine months removed from the non-profit group's debut concert at the same venue in support of Marissa Kronemeyer, a number of local bands will unite to help raise funds for Liz & Christian Perron, who recently lost their son Wesley after a long medical fight, which you can read up on at this link if you're not familiar with their story. This concert is designed to help raise funds for the Perrons to help cover medical expenses, and bands are donating their time to the cause, which is awesome of all of them! On the SMS-covered front, this show will feature four returning bands from last year, including local hard/blues rock quartet Project 906 and the first 2017 date from masked metal quartet Stoned Ape Evolution, while female-fronted cover rockers The Whole Shabang are the advertised headliners, and solo artist Ken Jahnke will also return.
New performers on the 25th will include local rock cover trio Absolute Magnitude (featuring Broke on Sunday & Oddfellow alumni), country rockers The Brooks Band, and a mysterious band named The Lost Dogs, whom we'll have info on if found. Bay Mills Bands Together II has a 6:00 PM start time, $5 minimum entrance fee (you can donate more if you want), while there will be tickets on sale for door prizes & a 50/50 draw. It's great to see another fundraiser concert of this scale at Pickles, so click here for more details, keep the Perrons in your thoughts, and Bay Mills Bands Together is finally in our Other Local Metal Links! We'll close today with new videos, starting with a new live concert video posted to Sault Ontario alternative/hard rock trio The Din's YouTube channel on Thursday! This comes from their headlining show at LopLops Lounge two weeks ago, and it's of their original song "The Rose", which kicked off their set that night. The stationary camera footage is nice and close, and while it sounds largely good with nice & clear vocals from Mike Haggith, I will note that Tammy Hill's guitar work is fairly quiet until her guitar solo. The Din teased that they have much more footage from this show to post or share in the near future, so stay tuned, and give "The Rose" a look below!
Finally, here's a new solo cover video from Stegadeth guitarist Tiffany Stocco's YouTube channel! Uploaded there yesterday, this is a cover of Bad Religion's "Sinister Rouge", and while it is visibly well performed, the audio quality is once again an issue, with the loud backing track coming out very scratchy, and it can be hard to make out Tiffany's part. Still well done, so give it a look below, and keep watch for more from her & Stegadeth!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more on the site next week! Thanks everyone!
