Before we begin this weekend's first concert preview post, I wanted to note that we're not including the previously announced Friday nighter from The 3 Day Millionaires at The Canadian Nightclub, as the show wasn't listed on the venue's marquee board when last seen, and the band and venue haven't acknowledged it online. If the show is confirmed to still be on in time for tomorrow's concert preview post, we'll profile it then, but if it's off, hopefully all's well! Now, let's dive into the first of this weekend's concert previews, specifically hard rock bands verified to be playing on Thursday and Friday, starting with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!
Alongside his regular Gliss Steak & Seafood matinee gigs TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY, former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return to The Barrelhouse Wine & Whiskey on Queen Street East for a solo nighttime concert THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice on the Barrelhouse gig, it was only announced via it's official Facebook event page on Sunday. For a third straight week, Tym is pairing his ongoing weekly trifecta at Gliss with at least one gig elsewhere in a more typical concert timeslot, with SATURDAY'S return to the downtown tapas restaurant marking his first Barrelhouse gig in almost a month. This talented hard rock solo musician should have more great cover action in mind x 4 this weekend, so don't miss out on all of these!
The Gliss shows are 6:00 PM affairs with no announced age limits as usual, SATURDAY NIGHT'S Barrelhouse show is at 10:30 PM with a 19+ age limit, and none of these gigs have a cover. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Tym live!
Moving to entirely previously announced concerts, next up is the return of Marquette, Michigan hard rock quartet Spun to The Satisfied Frog in Sault Michigan TOMORROW NIGHT (and maybe Saturday!) Currently their last advertised gig(s) in our neck of the woods until at least November, this will be another solid opportunity for fans to take in the Nudge successors' hard hitting and fan favourite range of covers, so keep this show or shows in mind! Note that the Facebook event page only lists a Friday nighter for Spun this weekend at The Frog, but this is atypical for their trips east, and their Facebook page just says that they'll be here "this weekend". I won't call a Saturday show if not advertised, but if you want to gamble on Spun playing that night, have at it! Tomorrow's show (and Saturday's?) is a 21+ affair with no announced cover charge and a 9:30 PM start time. See above for more details, and here's Spun live!
Also this weekend, fans will see Kinross classic/hard rock trio Banned back at The Northern Pines Lounge at the Kewadin Shores Casino in St. Ignace TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Two weeks removed from their Kinross Speedway gigs, these shows comes just three weeks after their previous at the St. Ignace Kewadin, an unusually short turnaround for the Traynors and Wayne to play at the same venue. Fans in St. Ignace should be eager for a second weekend of Banned's cover action in the same month, so keep these ones in mind if you're in the area! As usual for Banned's Kewadin stops, expect 9:00 PM start times for tomorrow and Saturday's concerts, these too have 21+ age limits, and there are no announced cover charges. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Banned live!
Finally for today, we'll head back to Sault Ontario for a special lunchtime outdoor concert THIS SATURDAY, as local alternative/hard rock trio The Din will continue their farewell tour with an acoustic set at the Soo Locks during the Sault Pridefest's cosplay optional family picnic! Ostensibly your last chance to see The Din in an unplugged setting (and to see them play songs in the same vein as "The Din Does Laundry"), this event will help end this year's local LGBTQ support festival with a picnic, arts & crafts, children's games, and yes, cosplay and costumes are encouraged for the occasion. Sounds like fun, so visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for full details on remaining Pridefest events and the picnic! Note that The Din will be playing as a duo without drummer Brandan Glew for unannounced reasons, source here. This concert is FREE & ALL AGES, and the picnic begins at the locks at 11:00 AM. It's great to see The Din offer their support to Pridefest once again, so don't miss out on all of the family friendly action on Saturday, and here they are live and unplugged!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Project 906 preview and more in our next post! Thanks everyone!
Before we begin this post, just a belated acknowledgement of a band switch on a recent concert, as local death metal trio Pillory replaced alt-hard rockers Bizotic (more on them in a bit) as an opening act during Monday night's Darsombra show at The New American Pub. A reason for the switch wasn't publically announced, but Bizotic never publically plugged the show that I ever saw. Hopefully Pillory filled in nicely in their return from the studio, and look for more from them in the coming months! Now, this post features a new video, weekend concert previews, and leading off, a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!
Prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to The Barrelhouse Wine & Whiskey on Queen Street East for a solo headlining concert THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, joining his regular weekly gigs at Gliss Steak & Seafood TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY! Apologies for the short notice on the Barrelhouse show, it was only announced via it's official Facebook event page yesterday. Last seen at the popular downtown tapas restaurant for a regular scheduled concert on June 10th, this continues Tym's semi-regular run of nighttime shows at this venue, and he should have more unplugged hard rock classics in store for fans at The Barrelhouse on SATURDAY NIGHT, so don't miss out! Of course, Tym's regular matinees at Gliss will continue on this week for his third straight week with the return of a Thursday nighter for the season, while he will be back there on Saturday after skipping that night last week while in Toronto seeing Iron Maiden.
Double the chances to see Tym live this weekend, so keep all of these in mind for your weekend plans! SATURDAY NIGHT'S Barrelhouse show is at 10:00 PM with no announced cover charge and a presumed 19+ age limit, while his trifecta at The Quality Inn's house restaurant are all at 6:00 PM with no announced cover or age limit. Click here and here for the Facebook event pages at each venue, and for a preview, here's Tym live!
Next up, we'll move to entirely previously announced concerts this weekend, starting with a Gore Street Cafe concert TOMORROW NIGHT that will be opened (or closed) by local hard/alternative/indie rock quartet Bizotic! Last seen opening acoustically for The Din at LopLops, this show will see Bizotic play alongside two Victoria, British Columbia touring bands, namely "lazy pop" quintet Bridal Party and shoegaze/alternative group Bright Boy. Neither band are heavy in sound, but both should be exciting for fans of laid back pop rock, including Bridal Party's indie tinged originals and Bright Boy's more ambient material, so keep them in mind if you're into such genres! Bizotic should add a harder edged flavour (complete with requisite keytar and trumpet) to the proceedings in their laundromat debut tomorrow, though I admittedly don't know if they're opening or closing. They're listed higher than the touring bands on the poster, for what it's worth.
Tomorrow's concert is a "pay what you can" event, in the usual Gore Street Cafe tradition, and this is an ALL AGES concert with doors opening at 7:00 PM. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Bizotic live earlier this year!
Lastly for currently announced hard rock concerts on this return to normal following Rotaryfest weekend, THIS SATURDAY NIGHT will see the return of classic metal quartet Project 421 to the local stage for the first time in almost nine months when they headline at The Canadian Nightclub! Also making their Live705 debut this weekend, this will be a great way to welcome this nostalgia mindtrip back to the local stage, complete with guitarist Blair Burch on lead vocals again for the first time since 2015, so don't miss their long awaited return on Saturday! A reversion to an all-local lineup after Live705's recent shows with touring headliners, a stacked opening roster this weekend will include alt-hard rock trio The Din as co-headliners, as well as jazz rock trio The Peach Thieves (featuring members of Pillory and Pointless), blues/hard rock trio Electric Church, funk/hard rock quartet The Elements, and in a late lineup switch, Live705's own A Dire Setback in place of indie rock trio The Autumn Roots due to "circumstances beyond our control", as per the Facebook event page.
Hopefully nothing bad happened with The Autumn Roots, but it's great to see A Dire Setback filling in, especially as it was very weird to see a Live705 show without them on the lineup! Another licensed ALL AGES show from them, tickets are $10 at the door unless you have a $2-off voucher attained from one of the performers. A Dire Setback will kick things off at 7:05 PM on Saturday, and for more details, visit the above links! With Project 421's resurgence, two more Live705 debutantes, and a stacked lineup of local entertainment, fans won't want to miss out on the action, so keep this show in mind for Saturday night, and here's Project 421 live!
Finally for today, here's a new video from the aforementioned Din's Facebook page on Monday! There's newer and very significant videos of theirs to touch on as well, but this is a surprisingly rare video from this year's Rotaryfest, with The Din playing 11 seconds of an instrumental section at Stage 2 last week. The video is geared towards demonstrating a custom Snapchat filter that The Din made up in advance of their Second Stage return, and it fits well with the portrait orientated clip, so check it out below, and stay tuned for more videos from them soon!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
I was intending today's post to be a video-only feature from Tuesday's Alter Bridge show (yes, we have enough for at least one more), but with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for TONIGHT (plus two more new concerts), I couldn't put this off. Now, alongside a new music video posting, here's what you should know on this Saturday evening!
Former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will play a headlining concert at The Barrelhouse Wine & Whiskey TONIGHT! Profuse apologies for the short notice, Tym only announced this show via it's official Facebook event page earlier this afternoon, and non-Gliss shows are not listed on his website's calendar. Fresh off of his matinee at Gliss Steak & Seafood TONIGHT, Tym will hit the Queen Street tapas restaurant for (at least) the seventh time with this late notice gig, his first announced there in two weeks, and fans of Tym's unplugged hard rock covers should take to TONIGHT's action, so keep this one in mind just in case! Presumably a 19+ event with no announced cover charge, everything starts at 10:30 PM, so visit the above links for more details, here's Tym live, and apologies again for the late notice, we'd have plugged it sooner had we known about it!
Next up, here's some upcoming shows with advance notice, starting with the next concert from local funk/hard rock jam quintet Gianni Gagoots, who will open for Niagara Falls experimental prog rock quartet The Road Waves in that band's local debut at The New American Pub on Friday, June 23rd! Though not quite crossing over into hard rock or punk territory, The Road Waves will be a nice compliment in the improvised jam arena to Gianni Gagoots, who will be playing their first announced concert since opening for The Hazytones last month. Of note, this is the first show from the sauce masters since announcing that they're now self-promoting concerts under the name Like Ten Productions, though they had previously booked gigs internally without a company name. I'm unsure of the meaning behind "Like Ten", but hopefully they can attain similar heights as contemporary number-named agencies Six, Two, Oh. and Live705!
Doors open at 9:00 PM for this 19+ concert, which has a $5 cover charge. This should be a fun time at The New A for fans of improvised and experimental rock & roll, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for more on Like Ten Productions' next announced show in the fall!
Today's other new show comes from the aforementioned Six, Two, Oh., as Whitby, Ontario garage/noise rock duo Deathsticks will finally make their local concert debut when they headline at The New American Pub themselves on Thursday, June 29th! Fans may remember hearing about this band's intended local concerts at The New A in October and at The Gore Street Cafe last month, with the former cancelled due to the work commitments and the latter (promoted through the laundromat) quietly called off without public word, so third time should be the charm next month! Promoters played with Deathsticks during AlgomA's summer touring last year, and they thought highly of Deathsticks' unique brand of "power slop", so don't bypass them! Local alt-hard rock quartet Bizotic will return to the site of their live debut as local openers next month, while an additional opening act may be added too.
As a thank you and show of appreciation for fans who have attended Six, Two, Oh. shows over the last couple of years, this will be a FREE CONCERT, while it is still a 19+ event with a 9:00 PM start time. Hopefully this show goes off without a hitch, as I know the hype Deathsticks have received since last fall, and fingers crossed all goes well for this FREE show at the end of June, so see the above links for updates!
Finally for today, here's a brand new solo music video from Skeyes of Seven frontman Cory Murchison's YouTube channel! Unlike his past solo dalliances (which were primarily acoustic for live sets), this is a fully electric song named "Asleep At The Wheel", which has a definite Alice In Chains vibe, and wouldn't be out of place with Skeyes of Seven proper! For the record, we haven't heard a public update from them in four months, and no word on if this solo video means anything regarding the band's status, but the description notes that the song "represents an awakening" and "remembering who you used to be." The light hearted video features Cory playing in and performing a silly walk in a cemetery, as mixed in with clips of him playing with (and alongside) his baby daughter, and while the camera angle changes can be a little jarring, this is a fun video overall that shows off Cory's soft side while maintaining a dark grungy edge! Give it a look below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
This is a busy weekend for concerts in the Soo area to send out March and ring in April, so we're breaking up our previews by border, with Sault Michigan area shows (and potential late notice gigs) coming either tonight or early tomorrow, so look for them then! Now, let's dive into this weekend's currently known Sault Ontario previews, starting with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS! (Updated at 12:35 PM)
Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will once again rock The Rockstar Bar for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the show was only announced via it's official Facebook event page earlier this week, and the band still doesn't have an online page to plug shows with. Marking their fourth straight weekend concert at a downtown venue (three of which being at The Rockstar Bar), the band could partially be picking up Mourning Wood's slack during their drummer search, but the former Nameus are continuing to carve their own name, so don't miss out TOMORROW! Also, keep in mind that at the stroke of midnight during showtime, singer/guitarists Terry Eaton & Travis Sharpe will both celebrate their birthday, so be sure to give them sufficient greetings for the occasion! As recently usual, this is a one-night-only event for Soundcheck, this time because of the The Rockstar Bar's participation in the annual Bunny Hop pub crawl, with live DJs performing on Saturday for it.
As usual for Soundcheck's Rockstar Bar gigs, expect a 9:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and a 19+ age limit. Check the above links for more details, and in lieu of a public video of Soundcheck, watch their Billy Idol cover at Rednecks on personal Facebook accounts if you can!
Next up, prolific hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to The Barrelhouse Wine & Whiskey for a fifth time THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, joining his regular weekly matinee gigs at Gliss Steak & Seafood TOMORROW & SATURDAY! Apologies again for the short notice on the Barrelhouse show, it was only announced via it's Facebook event page yesterday. The newly announced nighttime show on SATURDAY will be Tym's second straight weekly gig at the downtown tapas restaurant, fourth in the past five weeks, and sixth total, but no finite word yet on if he has a new weekly concert arrangement there or not. He'll of course bring his acoustic rock covers back to Gliss tomorrow & Saturday evening, as previously announced, so if you want an earlier and more initimate setting, head down to The Quality Inn's restaurant! And yes, we'll touch on his April gigs on here when announced publically, almost certainly in time for next week's concert previews.
As usual for Tym's gigs at these venues, expect no cover at any event, with the Gliss shows being 6:00 PM gigs with no age limit (though keep in mind the locale), and SATURDAY'S Barrelhouse concert being at 10:30 PM with a 19+ age limit. For more details, click here and visit the above links, and for a preview, here's Tym live!
Moving to previously announced concerts, we originally previewed TONIGHT'S Quiet Riot-headlined concert at The Machine Shop, but it broke this morning that the Los Angeles metal legends had to drop out of the show, forcing the event to be postponed to Thursday, May 25th. Rock 101's Scott Cook was the first source for many to hear this news, while promoters CSA International revealed on the Facebook event page that "reasons beyond our control" forced today's cancellation, though they nor the band have elaborated further as of this writing. Hopefully nothing bad happened, as I know how anticipated this show was, but make sure to circle May 25th on your calendars, as that's less than two months away! No word on if Sudbury's The Wring and locals The Din will still be able to open in eight weeks, but hopefully they're still available. Also, no word yet on the process to get ticket refunds if desired, but hopefully you can get refunds at point of purchase.
While I know that there are some jokes online regarding yet another lineup departure being the cause, at least the show has been rescheduled for May 25th, so keep the rescheduled date in mind whether you're a current ticket holder or want to try again for a couple of months from now! Stay tuned for updates on the postponement and new date when and if they come in!
Finally for today's previews, we'll head to The New American Pub TONIGHT, where local doom metal trio AlgomA and death metal trio Pillory will join forces for one night only! Positioned in advertising as an alternative to the now-postponed Quiet Riot show (complete with a Sex Pistols-inspired poster), this concert will serve as AlgomA's first of the year, and their kick-off show before heading to Europe for their first ever international gigs, even though the band hasn't publically plugged them on their Facebook page, but members' personal Facebook accounts note at least two overseas festivals for the band. Very exciting, hopefully the trip is a huge success! This will also serve as the de facto release party for AlgomA's split vinyl single with Hooded Menace, which finally arrived in physical stock locally two weeks ago, so bring a $20 if you want to pick up your own copy before the trip! While we've seen Pillory often recently, this will be their New A debut as far as I know, so don't be late!
You can take in this double whammy of extreme metal tonight at a start time of 10:00 PM at The New A, with a $5 cover charge and 19+ age limit advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, here's AlgomA live last year, and good luck on tour!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for Sault Michigan weekend concert previews and more next! Thanks everyone!
Another weekend is soon to commence, so let's tackle this weekend's hard rock concert previews today, plus the first news on a returning all ages concert event later this spring! Before we get too far, yes, I do know about the huge concert announced for this summer at The Canadian (click here for early details), but I want to give it proper emphasis as a headline story, so we'll tackle that in our next news post, 100% guaranteed! Now, let's kick things off today with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, most on SHORT NOTICE!
Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to The Rockstar Bar for one night only THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the show was only confirmed via the official Facebook event page on Monday, and the former Nameus still don't have an online page to plug concerts with. This is the third show in as many weeks for this newer veteran band, whose 1980s-centric covers should entertain attendees once again on SATURDAY, so don't miss out on their next gig! Also, we can at last confirm the identity of their new fourth member, that being Lucky 13/ex-Thin Ice guitarist Robin "Bones" Lee, who appears to be taking over the bassist role, leaving Terry Eaton and Travis Sharpe to focus on guitar. Robin has guested with Terry & Steven's other band Mourning Wood in the past, and he played with Terry in a (one off?) band named The Jukebox Junkies a while back, so he's a fine fit with Soundcheck, as you hopefully saw last week or the week before!
Our source for the above information is The Rockstar Bar's Hayley Warnock on the event page. FYI, I have no idea what Soundcheck's busy schedule means for Mourning Wood, who haven't played live in over a month, but if we hear anything, we'll let you know! A one nighter due to tomorrow's Stiffler's Mom show that we're previewing later in this post, SATURDAY'S Soundcheck concert has no announced cover charge, a 10:30 PM start time, and a 19+ age limit. Check the above links for more details, and if you know where to look on Facebook, see if you can find a personal video of Soundcheck covering Billy Idol at Rednecks with guest guitarist Mike Muto!
Next up, here's one more late notice confirmation, as local hard rock solo singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to The Barrelhouse Wine & Whiskey for his fifth announced solo date there THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, joining his usual Gliss Steak & Seafood matinees TOMORROW & SATURDAY! Again, apologies for the short notice on the Barrelhouse gig, Tym only just announced this show via it's Facebook event page yesterday. With the spring now officially begun, you could always warm things up after a long winter by checking any of Tym's three concerts this weekend, including his first gig at the downtown tapas restaurant in two weeks on SATURDAY, or via his regular weekly gigs at The Quality Inn's restaurant, so keep all three in mind for acoustic hard rock cover action! The Gliss shows remain 6:00 PM affairs with no cover or age limit (but remember where they're being held, this is a formal restaurant, not your standard nightclub.)
As for SATURDAY'S Gliss show, expect a 10:00 PM start time, no announced cover, and a 19+ age limit. For more details, visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here, and for a preview, here's Tym live!
Lastly in new show announcements, remember the Sky's The Limit mental health awareness concert from Algoma Family Services that took place at The Tech
last May? Well, it is coming back for a second go-around on Thursday,
May 4th, and local alternative/hard rock trio The Din are headlining this year! No audition required this time for Mike, Tammy, and Brandan, who will succeed the defunct Pixo Control as this year's top billed act at The Tech's W.W. Baldwin Auditorium, as part of Algoma Family Services' Children’s Mental Week activities. The Sky's the Limit serves to bring awareness and raise funds for mental health programs at A.F.S., which is a great gesture, and kudos to The Din for offering their services once again! The opening lineup will again be filled out via live band auditions, which will be held at The Tech on Wednesday, April 19th & Thursday, April 20th at 6:00 PM both evenings. Like last year, auditioning musicians must be district residents between the ages of 14 & 29, and these are private auditions, not public concerts, so keep that in mind just in case.
To book audition times or get more details, call (705) 945-5050 (extension #2301 or 2318), or submit a video for consideration by e-mailing footage to chmw@algomafamilyservices.org! For reference, last year's Sky's the Limit fundraiser also featured such acts as Electric Church, Aldous, rapper White Noize, and at least three other youth groups. This ALL AGES event has $5 admission or $20 for family groups of 5 or more, and a 7:00 PM start time is advertised. This should be a fun night of rising young talent for worthy local causes, so hopefully there's a great turnout once again, stay tuned for updates, and visit the official Facebook event page for current details!
Finally, we'll close this weekend's currently known hard rock concert previews, we'll return to The Rockstar Bar for the return of local hard/party rock trio Stiffler's Mom to the stage TOMORROW NIGHT! Announced with surprisingly long notice earlier this month, this one nighter will be Stiffler's Mom's first show since playing the same venue over a month ago, and it'll serve as a rocking way for fans to help Greg, Mike, and Jon ring in the season, so keep tomorrow's show in mind to check out some Stiffler's Mom action! Remember, this is a one-night-only event, Soundcheck are playing at this venue on Saturday. As usual for Stiffler's Mom's trips to The Rockstar Bar, tomorrow's show has a 10:30 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and a 19+ age limit. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Stiffler's Mom live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for some big news regarding today's major concert announcement tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
Another busy weekend of concerts is ahead in the Soo area, so let's tackle the first half of this weekend's hard rock and punk concerts today! This weekend's previously announced Scarkazm & Banned shows at Kewadin Casino branches and Saturday's March Mash-Up at The Canadian will be covered in tomorrow's weekend concert preview post, so look for them then, but for now, let's start this preview post with a bunch of SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, plus a few already announced!
Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to The Rockstar Bar for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only confirmed via the venue's Facebook event page earlier this week, and no, Soundcheck still don't have an online page to plug shows in advance. Coming a week prior to their already announced St. Patrick's Day show at Rednecks, this show will mark the debut of Soundcheck's new member, though public sources are still mum on his/her identity and/or what instrument(s) they'll tackle with the Mourning Wood side project. When something is publically announced regarding their lineup expansion, we'll let you know, but don't miss Soundcheck's 1980s-centric hard rock covers TOMORROW NIGHT! Note that this is a one nighter due to Saturday night's Rockstar Bar show from local pop rock cover veterans (formerly Cherry) Crush.
There is no announced cover charge for TOMORROW'S 19+ concert, which has a likely 10:00 PM start time. See the above links for more details, stay tuned for word on Soundcheck's new member, and hopefully videos turn up soon!
Next up, we'll take a brief trip across the border for the next announced show from Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63, who will return to Dondee Lanes for one night only THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, we only heard about this show via the Dondee's Facebook page on Wednesday, and the band proper have yet to acknowledge this concert publically. Just two weeks removed from the Monkey's Uncle successors' last shows at Dondee Lanes, this veteran quartet will continue their non-Rapids Lounge "travelling" with this weekend's gig at the South Mackinac Trail bowling alley, and as usual, their fan favourite covers should find another solid reception on SATURDAY NIGHT, so don't miss out at the Dondee! There is no announced cover charge for this show, which the venue advertises having an oddly early 7:00 PM start time, though expect this to be 21+. Check the above links for more details, and here's Highway 63 live earlier this year!
Heading back to Sault Ontario, we have one more late notice gig to note here, as prolific local hard rock solo artist Tym Morrison will return to The Barrelhouse Wine & Whiskey on Queen Street East THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, joining his previously announced Gliss Steak & Seafood gigs TOMORROW & SATURDAY! Apologies again for the short notice on the Barrelhouse show, it was only announced via it's Facebook event page this morning. This marks the second straight month where Tym played consecutive Saturdays at the downtown tapas restaurant, which is still unfamiliar for our coverage, but his acoustic hard rock should fit there fine in his fourth show there on SATURDAY! As for his Gliss shows, his long-term arrangement at The Quality Inn's restaurant continues to bring entertaining hard rock covers to patrons twice a week, so don't miss these matinees over the next two evenings either!
As usual for Tym's Gliss shows, expect 6:00 PM start times and no age limit (but remember that this is a formal restaurant), while SATURDAY'S Barrelhouse gig is at 10:00 PM and is 19+, while none of the three have an announced cover charge. For more details, visit the above links and the Facebook event page for the Gliss shows, and here's Tym live!
Finally, we'll preview one show that fully & completely received advance notice, as local alternative hard rock trio The Din will headline a Fishbowl Festival event at The Gore Street Cafe TOMORROW NIGHT! Similarly to their set at last year's inaugural Fishbowl Festival, The Din will be headlining at the laundromat in the midst of their sophomore festival of arts and culture, which has expanded to additional outside venues this year, but is still primarily held at the cafe. Last year's Din show during the Pisces astrological sign-timed festival was an all-acoustic affair, and while that isn't publically advertised to repeat tomorrow, remember that The Gore Street Cafe often hosts acoustic performers, so don't be surprised if a cajon is present. Local acoustic solo artist Andrew Pucci will open tomorrow, as he did with his dormant punk band Stereo North during last year's Din show at the Fishbowl Fest, and he should provide another quality set of his rising solo material, so don't be late! Previously advertised opening sets by Mike Mikus & Jackson Reed were either cancelled or moved up to last month's garage show with Id Iota.
The only Fishbowl Festival show this year to feature a hard rock or punk band (garage show aside, and barring a late notice addition), this is an ALL AGES show with a 7:00 PM start time, and there is a $5 admission fee, while I have not seen public reference to ticket packages for the entire festival. This should be a fun concert at a well respected and unique venue that seems to be doing well for itself in year 2 of the Fishbowl Festival, so keep tomorrow's show in mind, stay tuned for our preview of Saturday's March Mash-Up next, and here's The Din live in January!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for mroe weekend concert previews tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
February 2017 is now in the rear view mirror, so let's tackle March with a new news/concert preview post! Barring the potential rush of late notice shows, this is a quiet weekend for hard rock fans, and for the record, we'll be covering Sunday's K-Man & The 45s post on Saturday in all likelihood, with this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post coming in between, either tonight or tomorrow. Now, let's kick things off with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, some on SHORT NOTICE!
With March now commenced, we'll add local acoustic hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's next slate of Gliss Steak & Seafood concerts to our band links, including matinee concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY, plus an extra nighttime show at The Barrelhouse Wine & Whiskey THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice on those three, we waited for Facebook confirmation of the shows as usual, which came a couple of days ago. SATURDAY'S Barrelhouse show will mark Tym's third show at the downtown tapas restaurant since debuting there last month, but his Gliss shows will march unabated into the spring, with this weekend's gigs also joining presumed & likely concerts at The Quality Inn's house restaurant on March 10th & 11th, 17th & 18th, and 24th & 25th, as well as March 31st & April 1st, as the two months straddle that weekend. Sounds like a solid and busy month of gigs, so don't miss Tym's unplugged cover favourites on the above dates!
All of this month's Gliss shows (including TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S) have no announced cover charges or age limits, though keep in mind their host venue, and they're all 6:00 PM events, while his Barrelhouse show on SATURDAY is presumably 19+, takes place at 10:00 PM, and also has no cover. For more details on this weekend's shows, click here & here or visit the above links, and for a preview, here's Tym live!
Next up, local 1980s-themed cover hard rock band Soundcheck will return to The Rednecks Saloon for their St. Patrick's Day party on Friday, March 17th! Announced on unusually early notice for one of Terry & Steven's bands, this will mark their first show for the former Nameus since rocking The Rockstar Bar last month, and to fit the holiday theme, expect drink specials, green beer, and even hot dogs for the occasion! The Facebook event page (from members' promotional company Twin City Sound) also notes that Soundcheck have "a new addition to our band", implying that they're expanding to a quartet, but unless the band launches a Facebook page or indicates their identity on a personal Facebook page, we may have to wait two weeks for the reveal. Given Steven Flint's multi-instrumental talents and ease of moving to them, the implied new member isn't necessarily a second guitarist, but we'll let you know if we hear anything!
No word yet on a potential Saturday the 18th booking at Rednecks, but as for Soundcheck, expect a 10:00 PM start time and 19+ age limit, and while there isn't an announced cover charge, bring cash in case there's special holiday admission fees and/or to partake in the refreshments. Check the above links for current details on this St. Patrick's Day bash, and stay tuned for possible updates on Soundcheck's teased "new addition"!
Also today, here's a very delayed new video from local alternative/hard rock trio The Din, courtesy of their Facebook page from two weeks ago! Apologies for the wait in getting this on here, especially as it commemorates a milestone for The Din, as they surpassed 500 fans on Facebook last month! The video features drummer Brandan Glew noting to Mike and Tammy that he watched a Star Trek episode about alternate dimensions where there are slightly different copies of everyone, as they wonder how things would be different in the band if they were in such a dimension. This leads to two different clips of The Din with members swapping (Brandon on vocals, Mike on guitar, and Tammy on drums, then Tammy on vocals, Brandan on guitar, and Mike on drums), plus the real band's reactions. Without giving anything away as to how the alternate Dins sound, this is a cute video that showcases everyone outside of their usual roles, and one variant comes across better than the other!
Just as an aside, did they miss the boat by not showcasing an evil alternate version of The Din where everyone's wearing goatees? Now 535 likes strong, The Din are showing no signs of slowing down, so check out their newest Facebook video below, and stay tuned for much more from them!
Finally for today, I wanted to acknowledge on there that Ancaster-based record store chain Sunrise Records have announced that they are moving into at least 70 current HMV
locations once they close by the end of next month, which has led to
speculation that Sunrise is taking over the local HMV's place at Station Mall.
In articles from both The Sault Star & SooToday,
mall officials would
neither confirm nor deny that Sunrise Records are opening up there, but
if you ask me, they'd have denied it if they weren't at least talking. This would make sense if it happens, as that location at the Sears end of the mall has had a music store since Music World moved there in the late 1990s, so we'll have to see what happens! For what it's worth, write-ups on Sunrise Records indicate that they sell albums from local musicians, plus a fair amount of vinyl records, and they encourage HMV employees to apply to work at new Sunrise branches. In the meantime, what is known is that HMV's liquidation sales are now 30-50% off, as per their website, so keep the increasing deals in mind!
In one last somewhat related note, novelty gift store chain Spencer's Gifts (which is opening at Station Mall in the coming months) is obviously not taking over the HMV location. Spencer's is actually opening in the corridor between Sportchek and Roots, and if it's not opening in the former Bluenotes location, it's opening near it. They do sell band merchandise though, so keep them in mind when Spencer's finally opens! That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's"Where Are The New Albums?" post next! Thanks everyone!
Before we kick off this weekend's concert previews (plus some assorted recent news), I wanted to note that, yes, Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rockers Banned are playing a rare concert in Newberry on Saturday at Zellar's Village Inn, but Newberry actually falls outside of our coverage range (it's 77 minutes from here, we stop at one hour from the Soo.) If you're out in Luce County though, consider going to see them this weekend! Now, let's kick off our previews, largely comprised of SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!
Newer local classic/hard rock cover trio Soundcheck will return to The Rockstar Bar for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the show was only announced via it's Facebook event page earlier this week, and remember that the former Nameus still don't have an online page of any kind. Just a week removed from their most recent gigs at The Rednecks Saloon, this Mourning Wood side project has slowly been gaining steam with their 1980s-centric covers since debuting late last year, and their return to The Rockstar Bar should provide more fun covers TOMORROW NIGHT! No word on if they're not playing Saturday because of a scheduling conflict, or they're filling in due to one, but we'll touch on Saturday's show in a second. As usual for Soundcheck's Rockstar Bar stops, expect a 10:30 PM start time, no cover, and a 19+ age limit. Check the above links for more details, and again, hopefully videos turn up at some point!
Next up, we'll break up the late notice Rockstar shows with the latest from prolific local hard rock solo artist Tym Morrison, who will add to his regular Gliss Steak & Seafood shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY with a return to The Barrelhouse Wine & Whiskey at 476 Queen Street East THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, Tym only announced the Barrelhouse show via it's Facebook event page on Tuesday. While this is Tym's second straight Saturday nighter at the former Embers Grill location, he told me in a personal Facebook conversation that he's filling in for a performer that couldn't play on SATURDAY, hence the sudden re-booking (if there's a possible weekly run there in the works, it hasn't been 100% acknowledged.) This show joins his regular weekly matinees at Gliss, which continue with his recent redaction to Fridays & Saturdays only, so if you're up for an earlier or later blast of acoustic hard rock covers, you have three options!
Tym's shows at Gliss are both 6:00 PM shows with no announced age limit, while SATURDAY NIGHT'S Barrelhouse show is at 10:30 PM and is presumably 19+, and though none have an announced cover charge, remember that both venues are sit-down restaurants first. Check the above links for more details, and here's Tym live a fee years back!
Finally for weekend concert previews, here's who's playing at The Rockstar Bar THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, namely local party hard rock trio Stiffler's Mom! Once again, apologies for the short notice, the show was only announced earlier this week via it's own Facebook event page. We last saw Stiffler's Mom a month ago when they filled in for Bone Yard at the same venue, and their fan favourite covers should again provide an entertaining backdrop at The Rockstar Bar on SATURDAY, so don't miss Greg, Mike, and Jon then! Again, no word on whether they couldn't play Friday, or if Soundcheck wouldn't have been available for night #2. As usual for Stiffler's Mom's frequent Rockstar stops, SATURDAY NIGHT's concert is a 19+ event with no announced cover charge and a likely 10:30 PM start time. Check the above links for more details, and here's Stiffler's Mom live!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:
A local musician named Dave Giulietti is looking for a drummer for his new band project that would play funk and rap rock with some blues, citing bands like The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rage Against The Machine as influences. If you or someone you know are interested in trying out, message Dave at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Friday!
We surprisingly haven't acknowledged this on the site before, but inactive local progressive metal band Gates of Winter shared a 29 second sample of a new original named "Eta Carinae" to their Soundcloud page in January 2015! It sounds like the opening of the song (named after a star system), and is suitably heavy and orchestral, but there has been no follow-through there, and it's never been acknowledged on their Facebook page. Very promising, and hopefully the full version (and "Perihelion") will be heard at some point down the road!
On March 4th, local alternative hard rock quartet Id Iota will join forces with Pixo Control alum Mike Mikus and folk musician/promoter Jackson Reed for a Fishbowl Festival-featured concert, but it will not be at The Gore Street Cafe due to DJ Seith's ReFind show that night. While the concert is publically announced (here's the Facebook event page), it will instead be a "garage show" of which the address must be requested in private messages, though the description hints that it may be in Garden River. Intriguing, so see the above links for details! As the address is not public, we can't include it in our concert listings.
That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile next! Thanks everyone!
Keeping things moving on the SMS, here's another new news post, which is half devoted to new videos, and half to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one being SHORT NOTICE! Here's what you need to know!
Local acoustic hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will have one more show this weekend, as he'll make his debut at The Barrelhouse Wine & Whiskey at 476 Queen Street East TOMORROW NIGHT! Profuse apologies for the short notice, this event was only just announced via it's Facebook event page last night, after our weekend concert preview post went up. This show brings Tym back to a Queen Street location years after his old Bottoms Up Lounge & Foggy Notions runs ended, and if you're not familiar with The Barrelhouse, it's a tapas appetizer-centric restaurant that opened last spring in the former Embers Grill/Ming's Buffet location, with the restaurant sharing ownership with both Embers and the former Chicago Cookshop, where Tym played a one-off show in 2015. The Barrelhouse has hosted live acoustic musicians and DJs almost since opening, including local hard rock band alums Greg Beharriel and Jim O'Leary on multiple occasions.
It'll be interesting to see how Tym does there TOMORROW, and while The Barrelhouse is unfamiliar for our coverage, think of all of the venues that we didn't typically cover before Tym played there (in a weekly arrangement or not), so give this one a look if you're free TOMORROW NIGHT! This show takes place after his previously announced Gliss show at a more regular 10:30 PM start time, I'd assume this is 19+, and while there's no announced cover charge, remember that this is a restaurant. Check the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!
Next up, here's one more new concert announcement, as Six, Two, Oh. are uniting punk and rap for an intriguing hybrid concert at The New American Pub on Tuesday, February 21st! The punk portion of the night will include the local debut of Toronto punk trio Pseudo, whose energetic, upbeat, and lyrically varied blend of sounds should pique the interest of local punk fans in attendance! The same can be said for local alt-punk quartet A Dire Setback, who will make their New A debut in just over two weeks' time, and they should be on form following their January Jam set last month as well. This concert will be bookended by rappers, with the adveritsed headline act being Peterborough doom rapper Garbageface, while fast-rising local rapper Mikey Thomas will kick things off. Both are solid rappers, with Garbageface's industrial tinged sound a nice diversion from the genre norm, so keep both in mind come the 21st! This show has a $5 cover charge, 19+ age limit, and 9:00 PM start time. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details!
Six, Two, Oh. have been no strangers to merging disparate genres in some of their New American concerts (remember the ones with comedians last year?), so if you have an open mind or a wide range of musical appreciation, this show should be up your alley, especially with two talented punk bands and rappers each to take in! Stay tuned in case there's updates!
We'll close today with new videos, starting with a new performance video from Banned frontman Alex Traynor! Eric Cairns of Third Cinema Productions filmed this video of the Kinross, Michigan product performing an instrumental passage for the second annual Frozen Cherry Jam & Hot Licks Guitar Competition, a Traverse City-based competition between regional guitarists, notably sponsored by Northern Michigan classic rock station KLT (their Petoskey simulcast at 98.9 FM gets fringe reception here.) This competition is unique compared to what we see in the Twin Saults, with four music professionals judging two solo guitarists at a time in individual head-to-head guitar solo battles, where they are limited to sets of 97.5 seconds (why so specific? KLT's home station is 97.5 FM.) The winner will win a new guitar and studio recording time, while prizes will go to the top 6 guitarists when all is said & done.
The event proper takes place on February 18th & 25th in Traverse City, but will Alex compete? We'll apparently find out over the weekend, but he performs strongly in the video, so check it out below, and we'll let you know if he's selected to compete at the Frozen Cherry Jam in two weeks!
Finally, here's a new "Throwback Thursday" by Sault Ontario alternative hard rock trio The Din! Posted yesterday to their Facebook page, this came from the writing sessions for The Din's debut CD "Give In To The Din" early last year, and the 56 second clip is quite random and freeform in nature, with the band even admitting that "we don't know what it is" (though look for "La Cucaracha", believe it or not.) It's a fun watch, and more of a loose look at their songwriting sessions, so give it a look below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news, notes, and updates this weekend! Thanks everyone!
Finally for today, we'll head back to Sault Ontario for a special lunchtime outdoor concert THIS SATURDAY, as local alternative/hard rock trio The Din will continue their farewell tour with an acoustic set at the Soo Locks during the Sault Pridefest's cosplay optional family picnic! Ostensibly your last chance to see The Din in an unplugged setting (and to see them play songs in the same vein as "The Din Does Laundry"), this event will help end this year's local LGBTQ support festival with a picnic, arts & crafts, children's games, and yes, cosplay and costumes are encouraged for the occasion. Sounds like fun, so visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for full details on remaining Pridefest events and the picnic! Note that The Din will be playing as a duo without drummer Brandan Glew for unannounced reasons, source here. This concert is FREE & ALL AGES, and the picnic begins at the locks at 11:00 AM. It's great to see The Din offer their support to Pridefest once again, so don't miss out on all of the family friendly action on Saturday, and here they are live and unplugged!
