LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison), The Steves Concert Preview, And More!!

I wasn't planning to have another new news post this month, with this once pencilled in for tomorrow to start May, but with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS starting TONIGHT that were only announced yesterday, I had to push this one up. With that said, we also have a preview for a show on Wednesday, a new cover video, and some assorted recent updates to touch on, so here's what you should know!

Local acoustic hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to Mark's Breakfast Plus for matinee concerts TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and WEDNESDAY! Apologies for the short notice, Tym only announced these shows via his Facebook event page yesterday. This marks the second straight week that Tym has played unplugged matinee shows at this early stage of the week, which could mirror the scheduling from last month where he played the first and last weeks of April (if so, he'd be there next on May 28th-30th, but that is not officially public.) Despite the short online notice, Tym's prolific set list of hard and classic rock favourites should go over well at the Market Mall restaurant TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and WEDNESDAY, so keep these shows in mind for supper-time entertainment! There are no cover charges or age limits (though mind the locale), and these have early 4:00 PM start times. See above for more details, and here's Tym live!



Next up, here's a preview of a show that had lots of advance notice, as Regina pop punk quartet The Steves will make their local concert debut THIS WEDNESDAY when they headline at LopLops Lounge! Uniquely comprised of four guys all named Steve (hence the name), this lo-fi band should be a solid match at LopLops with their indie-tinged punk sound, and with a new single just released this month, look for some solid and upbeat tracks on Wednesday! Local support will include alt-punk trio A Dire Setback in their first public concert set of 2018 and just their second with Chris Nielsen on lead vocals, so how will they sound in their return from the studio, and might there be any reveals regarding album plans? Be at LopLops in a couple of days to find out! Indie/hard rock trio Vol. were slated to kick off Wednesday night's show, but with their drummer vacancy still ongoing, frontman Steve Edwards and bassist Mikaela Murtonen will play as a duo under the name "Mik & Steve", as per a quiet update on the Facebook event page.

Will Mik & Steve basically play a drummer-less Vol. set, or a go a different route? We'll know either way on Wednesday! This stop mid-way through The Steves' Champagne Campaign Tour is presented locally by Six, Two, Oh., with a 9:00 PM start time, $5 cover charge, and a 19+ age limit all in effect. This should be a solid concert, especially if you love punk and indie rock in equal measure, so if you can get to LopLops on Wednesday night, don't miss out on this one! Visit the above links for more details, and while I admittedly can't find a live video of The Steves in concert, here's a music video of theirs!



Also today, here's a new solo cover video from local/Manitoba solo hard rock musician Mike Haggith's Facebook page! Already keeping busy in Thompson via shows with his new band Between The Ditches and occasional coffeehouse solo sets, Mike shared this cover of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Maps" yesterday, which is a song he's always loved. Bookended by rainy footage from out Mike's window, this is a fine performance that has a measured moroseness to it, if that makes sense, and it'll definitely please fans of his recent acoustic videos, so give it 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 band, program, or company name:

• We have deleted the YouTube channel for SooToday's acoustic concert performance webseries Bare from our "Other Local Metal Links" due to it quietly being taken down in recent months. A reason for the channel's closure hasn't visibly been announced, and while SooToday articles on the episodes remain online, the video links there no longer work. Bare hadn't been an active series since 2016, but it gave members of bands like Northwest, The Pixo Control, and many others a unique avenue to perform in a more intimate setting, and hopefully the prior Bare episodes return online down the road!
• We have also deleted inactive local music promotion/photography company For The Music Inside from our "Other Local Metal Links" again, following the quiet deletion of their Twitter (and only surviving online) page earlier this year. A reason for the page being taken down wasn't publically announced, but F.T.M.I. hadn't posted new content since 2016 either, and not from local shows since earlier still. For The Music Inside had promise and solid concert photography here and in Southern Ontario, and hopefully everyone stays active in related ventures! 
• Local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver announced on their Facebook page on Thursday that they'll be featured in a new split album called "War of Brutality" alongside 5 international crust punk and/or death metal bands! Release data is to be confirmed, but if this YouTube video is any indication, Shit Liver's included songs are "Wait" & "Matt Got Beat Up By Cops" from their new album "Hitting the Fan". If this is true, there's nothing new on the local end, but hopefully this makes Shit Liver some more international fans! Full disclosure, I can't confirm if the YouTube posting is 100% accurate with label consent.

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post next! Thanks everyone!

Bear Hunters Album Updates, New Videos, And More Recent News!!

Before we tackle this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles, here's some recent news and notes for your Monday afternoon, including assorted shorter notes, new video postings, and first, here's some big updated for an anticipated new CD!

We'll start with some new updates from local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters, as per guitarist Mitch Sirie on their Facebook page early this morning, so what should you know? In terms of last night's Golers show at The New American Pub (apologies for missing it, blame personal family matters), the guys debuted two new songs during their set, including a track named "The Wrath of Angmar" (which appears to reference a kingdom in The Lord of the Rings), and a black metal parody named "The Forest of Forests". Hopefully someone got video of both! Mitch also noted that the former will be on their planned second CD "The Dead Testament", which will also have a closing title track of the same name that has yet to be completed. The first three songs will, in order, be "The Void", "The Omen", and "I Fear No God", but the track listing order for the rest is to be determined. Title track included, there are just 3 songs left to be unveiled live, though it's unclear whether "The Forest of Forests" will be one of them or not.

Mitch noted that they take their time writing their songs, rather than writing a handful of singles and adding filler for the rest, and he sounds proud of the work the guys are putting in! Plans are still to begin recording sessions on "The Dead Testament" next month and release it during the winter, so check the above links for complete current details on The Bear Hunters' highly anticipated new album!

Next up, here's a newly discovered solo performance video from Pixo Control frontman Michael Mikus, courtesy of local music/culture community Ears & Eyes' YouTube channel last summer, and it's of him covering the 1960s rock classic "Twist & Shout", which is frequently seen in full Pixo Control concerts. Uniquely filmed outside, this solo cover is done in the same style that Pixo Control fans know from concerts, as it's slowed down into more of a jam style, but it's abbreviated from the lengthy version fans hear in live concerts.  Solidly done, and a bit of a window into how this would sound in an acoustic setting, so give it a look below!



Also, here's the newest released cover from new local atmospheric black metal duo Dullahan, this time a cover of Absurd's "Pesttanz"! Set to World War II video footage (don't worry, there's nothing offensive), this was uploaded to their YouTube channel last week, and can also be heard on their Bandcamp page. It's a little repetitive in this form, but Dullahan have talent and they show it on this cover, so give it a listen below and above!



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

• An upcoming episode of Local2's stripped down music performance series Bare will apparently star Inner City Surfers/Role Models bandmates Brad "Example" Lacell & Dave Bahun as featured performers, as per personal Facebook photos showing them on playing on the Bare set. Is this a sign that Brad Example & The Role Models are alive, or is this a solo or new project? Hopefully we find out more when this episode is posted in the coming weeks!
• On Saturday, Detroit punk trio Heroes of Charlotte posted this jam session video of them playing their song "Goodbye", which begins with a shoutout to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, as they can't make the Superior Festival (now on August 21st) that they were originally booked for, but hope to see us soon. I'm not sure if they meant that they couldn't make the original Saturday date or the rescheduling, but it's nice of them to acknowledge that they couldn't play, but wanted to, and hopefully they can at some point!
• Local musician Tammy Hill is looking for a drummer for her new "classic rock/punk/pop" band, who reportedly already have original material and want to do some recording and play live (no word though on if this is the same band she was looking for members for in February.) If you or someone you know are interested in trying out, message Tammy at this link or via her Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from this morning!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Destroyer), New Punk Videos, And Much More!!

Before we head off to The Canadian Nightclub for TONIGHT'S fifth annual Sewer Swampstravaganza, here's a new news post for your Saturday afternoon featuring big updates from a local news website, new videos from two popular punk bands, and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this month, so here's what you need to know!

Kiss fans should pay attention, as Destroyer, Canada's premier Kiss tribute band, are coming back to Sault Ontario on Friday, May 29th for a concert at The Rockstar Bar! Making their (at least) third appearance in the Soo, this will be Destroyer's first local stop since rocking the same venue in July 2013, and it will come amidst their 20th anniversary tour, which is a great milestone! If you're in the Kiss Army, you won't want to miss this one at month's end, but in an uncommon occurence for a local tribute band show, there will be a local opening band, as local hard rock cover quartet Griphook are listed as openers! Though the band has yet to confirm this, their set would be their first in almost two months, and their first Rockstar Bar appearance of the new year. Griphook haven't played all that often in recent months, so if you've missed them in the last while, write this show on your calendar!

This concert has a listed start time of 10:30 PM, it is a 19+ event, and tickets are $12 in advance at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk or $16 at the door. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Destroyer have the Kiss sound and look down pat, as videos of their shows will attest to (not to mention fans who saw them locally in the past), so if you want the best, you'll get the next best thing on the 29th! Stay tuned for possible updates!

Next up, here's some new videos, starting with the newest episode of Local2's stripped down performance webseries Bare, which features members of local Celtic/punk quartet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide! Specifically featuring singer/guitarist Dustin Jones and stand-up bassist Marshall Jaaskelainen for this performance, the video is of them playing their song "Sticky Situation" from their newest album "Dancing Our Demons Away". Played in an acoustic form, it's well done and puts an interesting new spin on this recent original, so fans of The Rising Tide should get a kick out of this! For reference, the end-of-video credits do not list a drummer among their current lineup, which seemingly confirms that Mikey Hawdon isn't their full time drummer anymore (though to be fair, they've largely played with guest drummers for the past year or so.)

Check out the new Bare episode below, and be sure to check out all 12 episodes (including locals and out of town bands alike from various genres) at the official Bare YouTube channel, which is now in our "Other Local Metal Links" on the SMS! Strong work all around, and hopefully we see some more punk or hard rock bands on there!



Also, here's a new video from VM Radio Battle of the Bands winners Gnaeus, before they headline TONIGHT'S fifth annual Swampstravaganza at The Canadian! Uploaded to their YouTube channel on Thursday, this is seemingly from a jam session, and it's of the guys playing a new(?) original named "Fire". Shot from a low camera angle with dark purple lighting, this captures the post-punk quartet channeling more of their garage rock sound (is it wrong to get a Killers vibe from this?), but it's well done oversall, and the lighting actually helps set the mood fairly well! Check it out below!



Finally, here's some overdue updates from local news/video website Local2, who overhauled their official website on May 1st to emphasize and focus 100% on video content, severing it's last traditional news ties from the old SooNews.ca days. As outlined in this SooToday article from their sister website, the new site features a new layout that's easier to navigate to find and watch video content, including new webcams, categories for different content, and pages for individual webseries like Bare and Tuned with Donna Hopper, the latter of which we can also now add to our "Other Local Metal Links" section as a result! Note however that the player for videos on Local2 still doesn't permit external video embedding. Speaking of Tuned, three new episodes have been posted online of that popular music webseries, so what lies within that has a hard rock or punk element?

The April 23rd episode spotlights local DJ Shane Erickson (a.k.a. DJ Seith), and includes brief footage of his live collaboration with The Elements at The Rockstar Bar in February, though the episode is largely about DJ Seith's general live work and crossovers with various local projects like Honest Job & Conika. The other new episodes are on recent concerts with out of town bands My Son The Hurricane (featuring the Soo's own Danno O'Shea) and B.A. Johnston, and all are similarly well done, so givem all a look at the above links! The new Local2 layout is much more user friendly, so give their videos a look and see what you've missed!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our newest Defunct Local Band Profile TOMORROW, and we'll see you guys TONIGHT at The Canadian for the fifth annual Swampstravaganza! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Shit Liver & Wilt), The New Bare Episode, And More!!

For this Saturday, here's a new post featuring assorted recent updates, a new performance video, and first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this fall and TONIGHT, so here's what you need to know!

A long teased Heavy North Entertainment house party concert will indeed go down TONIGHT, as a venue has been found! Apologies for the obviously short notice, the show was announced via it's Facebook event page on Monday but we held it for this weekend's previews & for a venue announcement. TONIGHT'S show will be headlined at 12:30 AM by local/St. Catharine's death metal/crust punk trio Shit Liver in their first local concert of the year (and first of their brief return home on their current Canadian tour), so if you can't make it to The Rednecks Saloon on Tuesday, keep TONIGHT's show in mind for their grimy death metal intensity! The listed band order will also see local death metal standouts The Bear Hunters take the stage at 11:30 PM for the first time since their VM Radio Battle run, while Blood Shed Productions acts will fill out the lineup, including solo goregrind project Crucify The Whore at 10:30 PM, death metal duo Brutally Fatal at 9:30 PM, and rappers Phat Boii & Mikey Thomas splitting the opening 9:00 PM set.

Note however that the lineup is "subject to small change", and we'll let you guys know if something is announced! To be held at 124 Anna Street in the east end, this definitely publically-advertised show is ALL AGES, and admission is by donation, though Shit Liver will have merchandise on sale too. For more details, visit the above links! If you've enjoyed other recent H.N.E./Blood Shed house parties, this will be right up your alley, especially with the local return of Shit Liver, so don't miss out TONIGHT AT 9:00 PM, and here's Shit Liver live last year!

Also in new concert announcements, here's the last of the currently announced Gonqshow events in J.D. Pearce's summer concert series at The Algonquin Pub, as Winnipeg black metal quintet Wilt (I believe) are scheduled to make their local concert debut there on Saturday, September 26th! If we have the right band named Wilt, then look for a night of intense atmospheric and drawn out extreme metal from this talented band that fans of Wolven Ancestry should take to! Openers are to be announced, but we are five months out from showtime, so we have lots of time for word on that front. Like most other Gonqshow events this year, this will be a 19+ event with a $5 cover charge and a 10:00 PM start time, but again, there could be announcements to the contrary over the summer. For more details, visit the above links, and stay tuned for more Gonqshow updates in a bit!

Next, here's the long awaited episode of Local2's stripped-down music performance series Bare, featuring local indie/punk band Northwest! Uploaded to Bare's YouTube channel yesterday, this has Northwest frontman Wayne Watkins and guitarist Greg Callaghan playing their song "Young & Wild", notably still with electric guitars. In a sense, it sounds like extracted master tracks in this form, and it's solidly done, but I do wonder how this would sound if unplugged? Nice work, so give Northwest's Bare episode a look below, and check out their new SooToday article on their CBC Searchlight run at this link (VOTE TODAY!!)



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter updates from the last while, including to two of the upcoming Gonqshow events! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or venue name:

• This recently came to our attention following a recent push to name a local concert stage in honour of late Case's Music founder, musician, and teacher Mike Case, as it turns out that the bandshell at Bellevue Park (which infrequently hosts heavier shows) was already named the Harry R. Pearse Memorial Bandshell in 1971 after the conductor of The Band of the 227th Regiment in the early 1900s. However, the outdoor country stage at the Chippewa Trading Post is being named after Mike, which is a great gesture! Click here for more on recent tributes.
• The planned Of Tall Tales-headlined concert at The Algonquin Pub that was scheduled for Saturday, July 18th will apparently be moved to a different date, as per a recent update to the Gonqshow's event page that now lists it's date as "to be announced". A reason hasn't been announced, but hopefully it does take place, as Of Tall Tales are a solid band! Stay tuned for updates!
• Two Sudbury metal bands have been added to the Vesperia-headlined Algonquin Pub show on Thursday, July 23rd, those being new "sci-grind" quartet Ruptured Birth (featuring members of Before The Black Gates) and death metal trio Fractal Generator (featuring members of Wolven Ancestry). Great additions, it's nice to see more Sudbury bands coming out west! Also, this show now has a listed $8 cover charge.

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Highway 63), Local2's New Webseries, And More!!

On this Valentine's Day, we're doubling up with two posts, so be sure to check out our newest spotlight on Werehold Records' Friday the 13th new music events in the post below this one! Now though, we have a new song posting, all the latest on a brand new music webseries that sounds very intriguing, and first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you should know!

Sault Michigan classic/hard rock quartet Highway 63 have confirmed five (maybe six?) new concert weekends for the regional Kewadin Casino branches this year! Announced on their Facebook page on January 30th (though note that Kewadin's entertainment page has not confirmed them yet), the Monkey's Uncle successors will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino on May 29th & 30th, June 19th & 20th, and on August 28th & 29th, along with shows on July 17th & 18th and on September 18th & 19th at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, so they're definitely staying busy into the fall! Also, the guys list new shows at The Rapids Lounge on February 27th & 28th, but those conflict with previously announced shows that weekend by new local hard rockers Ten Kings, who even have a poster made up for them, so unless something new is announced to the contrary, we'll treat those as Ten Kings dates.

All of Highway 63's new shows have likely 9:00 PM start times, 21+ age limits, and no announced cover charges, so for more details, visit the above links! The guys have also elaborated on plans to record a "demo album" of covers that they plan to send to send to casinos in the Lower Peninsula, and though I'm unsure if it will be made publically available in some form (especially given the cover nature), they did share a rough mix of their studio version of The Outfield's "Your Love (Josie) on their Facebook page last week, courtesy of frontman Henry Switzer's personal Facebook page. It's a little heavier than the original, and well performed with great vocals, so give it a listen below!

Next up, here's our first extensive info on Local2's newest music-themed webseries! As previously previewed in a commercial at the end of their Treble Charger video, Local2 has launched Bare, a new musical performance series that takes 1-2 members of local bands and places them in an acoustic stripped down setting. Hosted by local drummer, filmmaker, and Tidal Records co-founder Dan Nystedt, he was interviewed for this SooToday article on Bare, which confirms that upcoming episodes will feature Tidal Records artists like Shannon Moan and The Boot Hill Crooners, potential out of town touring bands, as well as the teased episode with local grunge/alternative trio The Pixo Control, so hard rock and punk artists are welcome on Bare! Dan commented positively in the article on working with The Pixo Control, and frontman Michael Mikus positively remarked on the Sault getting a show like this as well, so be sure to give the article a look!

Local2's ongoing music spotlight webseries Tuned with Donna Hopper also featured Bare in it's lead story for Thursday's new episode, where Donna asked Dan about how he got the concept for the series, his ambitions for Bare, and what he wants fans to get out of it. The Pixo Control's Michael Mikus and Steve Edwards (Keeghan Rosso's not featured) are also featured in the episode in shots of them preparing for their performance, while they're also interviewed briefly, with Michael talking about how they heard about Bare and what he thinks of the series. The episode ends with behind the scenes footage of the making of their episode, including brief clips of The Pixo Control performing, but we'll get the full episode soon, I'm sure! Note that this episode oddly doesn't feature a concert calendar segment, instead listing two upcoming shows (including next week's Elements/Late Shift concert) in text below the video.

Finally, the first official episode of Bare is now online at this link, which spotlights Frank Deresti (pictured above) & Jay Case from Frank Deresti & The Lake Effect, which can also be seen on YouTube. It's strictly a performance with no unique interview, but I like the multiple camera angles, and it is interesting to hear such a stripped down version of "Like They Said" compared to their usual large lineup! If you or your band wants to appear on Bare, message Dan at dan@villagemedia.ca, and stay tuned for the Pixo Control episode and more to come!

Finally, here's another new track from Haggith drummer Mike Haggith's upcoming solo album "The Warinside", as per his YouTube channel yesterday! Entitled "Of Cars & Criminals", this song features a guest appearance by Mike's Haggith bandmate Curtis McKenzie on backing vocals and a guitar solo. I won't review the track yet, as we again hope to review "The Warinside" in full upon release, but it's a lighter song until the guitar solo. Give "Of Cars & Criminals" a listen below, and stay tuned for more from Mike's solo project!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes in the coming week! Thanks everyone!