Single-artist post on this Friday morning, as local/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith's third and final live-streamed concert of 2021 aired on his Facebook page last night, and is now available for on-demand viewing! This episode immediately differs from last month's, as it is much shorter (well, only 93 minutes in length), and it was curiously filmed in vertical portrait orientation due to some sort of Facebook quirk last night. After introducing the episode and checking in with live viewers, Mike starts by playing his new original song "Twist of Fate" (3:20), as previously heard in October's live-stream. For the first time in his live-stream/#LockdownLive catalog, Mike interviews someone that he did not play in a band or record an album with, specifically former Bizotic frontman Brad Griffith, who has been more recently active with his retro video gaming and VHS collecting pursuits on YouTube and Instagram as Gortium85.
Brad starts by outlines his local music career (albeit without naming bands). After reminiscing on Pink Floyd and mutual interests, Mike tackles five acoustic covers of songs of Brad's, starting with "Hurry Up" (20:05), an old solo song of his recorded at the former Stereo Soul Studios that you can hear on his Soundcloud page. Next, Brad discusses his run with the 2016-2018 alternative rock band Bizotic, from which Mike plays two songs of theirs back to back, namely "Psychic Vampire" (31:20) and "Subway Delay" (40:10), with Mike confirming that the share contest to determine a mandatory cover is on, but personal commitments have forced him to delay his planned cover for yesterday's episode to next month. The second half of the episode begins with Brad discussing what he's been doing artistically since Bizotic dissolved, why his eclectic solo music is put out under different monikers, and the music he's recorded while living & working out of town.
The next song Mike plays is Brad's 2020 solo blues number "Cold Canned Beer" (56:30), which is also on Soundcloud, and after discussing Brad's recent focus on electronic synthwave music, Mike closes his suite of Brad covers with his "Demon Moves" (1:08:00), which Brad put out on Soundcloud under the handle Coax Chrome. The final song of the show was next, namely a new unreleased song of Mike's named "I've Seen It Before" (1:14:20), before Mike and Brad wrap up their conversation, even talking about paranormal shows, plus possible plans to improve Mike's live-stream format in 2022. Mike finishes the live-stream by giving some details about some medical concerns he had been going through lately, complete with a Dairy Queen cake congratulating him for a reason you may not expect. His finacee Tianna appears at the end, I believe this is her first appearance in one of these live-streams.
Entertaining episode, especially if you like Brad's local music career, though I was surprised he never directly brought up No Arrow or SBD at all. Mike's renditions of Brad's songs were solidly done in a stripped down acoustic format, and could Mike interview/cover other local musicians in live-streams next year? Give the whole live-stream a watch below, and stay tuned for updates on January's live-stream when they roll in!
We'll close today by sticking with videos involving Mike Haggith, who has been plugging a lot of reviews of his new album "Bridges" as of late, which I plan to get to shortly, but let's start with spotlights of individual tracks on the YouTube series You Rock! hosted by Thomas Christ, who features a bunch of home-recorded independent rock music and reviews them live on air, hearing the song in question with all of us. "Over Indecision" is featured in episode #12 from November 27th at 52:43, embedded below, while "The Catalyst" was similarly reviewed earlier this month in episode #13 at 47:28, and both episodes also feature songs by local indie rockers Man Feelings. Thomas strongly praises "Over Indecision" and is a little more measured in his praise for "The Catalyst", but he gives good in-the-moment comments on both songs, and I like that Thomas is giving so many rising musicians a platform like this! Give these a watch above & below, there's a lot of strong out-of-town talent to check out!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this weekend! Thanks everyone!
It's now time for our latest Defunct Local Band Profile, as we continue our monthly spotlight of defunct and inactive local metal, hard rock, and punk bands in our inactive band links, all randomly selected as usual! This month's band is a more recent one than normal for this series, and they made a good impression on many fans, so here's what you should know on them! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bizotic
Genre: Alternative/Hard Rock
Hometown:Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Members: (Members not in their last full lineup in italics)
Audio/Video: Bizotic never released a studio album, but their sets were full of original material, and a fair amount of videos survive from their active run. Their official Facebook page has a live video of them playing "Subway Delay" at The New American Pub in February 2017, while Chris Paci shot this video that month at LopLops, Live705 shot this soundcheck video at a show that March, this Soundcloud copy of "Record Light" was recorded in Wawa, and our Facebook page has videos shot by myself of Bizotic originals like "Dirty Time Machine" & "Psychic Vampire", among others. Featured here is Shaw TV's high quality, 20+ minute video of Bizotic in March 2017!
Info/Analysis:Debuting as a mystery band at December 2016's Six, Two, Oh.-promoted holiday funk show, Bizotic were spiritual successors to Brad & B.J.'s 2011 two man band Sounds From The Green Room, albeit with a softer sound and more eclectic instrumentation, including the use of a plasma disc in their branding & stage setup. Bizotic would become a frequent sight in support roles at local concerts in 2017, opening for familiar out of town acts like K-Man & The 45s, The OM Sound, and Garbageface, while also playing at a number of early Live705 events, a pair of tour dates in Wawa, and The Din's Suburban Sendoff concert, among others, with official pins and stickers distributed at shows along the way. After opening for Dany Laj & The Looks at The Rockstar Bar that November, Bizotic updates quietly ceased, with the band belatedly confirming their dissolution in the summer of 2018.
Any band whose lineup has a keytarist AND a trumpeter will immediately turn heads, but Bizotic's nice melodic sound stood alone, with some psychedlic, indie, and alternative tinges suiting their tracks well! Though not as heavy as Brad and Travis' past bands in particular, they had their moments, and they adapted well to various themed concerts without ever seeming wildly out of place, though it's a shame their sets were largely short, and nothing came in studio of their originals. Hopefully Bizotic resurface down the road, and don't miss B.J. with Man Feelings! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! This series will return on or around August 10th as our rotation returns us to Sault Michigan, and as luck would have it, our random selection has given us a band who just announced their disbandment not very long ago, namely Kinross classic/hard rockers Banned! Look for their profile then, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!
Today's news post revolves around four bands shifting places in our active and inactive band links (one's moving up, three are unfortunately moving down.) However, the band moving up has some big news attached to their return to activity, so here's what you should know!
Remember how local "blue Chinese metal crash punk" quartet Sykotyk Rampage quietly posted a new album cover on their Facebook page last month with no context? Well, it turns out that the dormant crash band did indeed release a new album on their Reverbnation page on April 27th! Apologies for the delay in this making the SMS, I need to pay more attention to that site. Entitled "Live At The Paris Hilton", this contains 22 songs (some more familiar than others) in a faux-live setting, a'la their old "Live Upper Rubber Boot Saskatchewan" album, but the inclusion of covers of bands like The Beatles, Motorhead, and Black Sabbath is a change from their past pace! This is Sykotyk Rampage's first album-format release since "Sanctuarium" in late 2016, but more surprisingly, this is their first paid album that you can actually buy a full sale copy of since 2011, which means that we could very well review "Live At The Paris Hilton" on the SMS this year! You can buy it at the above links for $9.99, or stream individual songs for free.
I don't know to what extent Sykotyk Rampage are active in 2018 (their Facebook postings remain sporadic, they haven't played live since the 2016 Zombie Walk, and guitarist Shane Kokis has since moved out of town), plus it's hard to determine how "new" these recordings are. However, it's great to see the Beckers, Shane, and Tony back with new material, and hopefully there's more on the horizon in some form or another! Give their new album (and much, much, much more) a listen at the above links, and Sykotyk Rampage are back in our active band links!
Next up, we have three local bands to move to our inactive band links today, starting with local indie/hard rock band Vol., who announced that they had disbanded on their Facebook page on June 12th. Frontman Steve Edwards cited "lineup changes and other obstacles" for their demise, though he did thank fans for their support online, and he noted that he's "currently working with other projects" and is "looking forward to other musical opportunities in the future." Spiritual successors to the mid-2015 Pixo Control lineup, Vol. (pronounced "volume") debuted last summer and quickly made a name for themselves opening for bands like Zaum, Dirtfight, and Johnny 2 Fingers & The Deformities through the fall, as well as playing a set at the first Oh!No festival, but teased "rad things" in 2018 never occurred following the departures of half of their lineup, with Steve and keyboardist Mikaela Murtonen seen more recently in the acoustic rock duo Mik & Steve.
I unfortunately did not get a chance to see Vol. live, but their old school indie-influenced sound seemed to help them carve their own identity well, while also harbouring lots of aggression and heavy themes at the same time, and Steve acclimated well as a frontman in this role! Vol. seemed primed for big things locally last year, but best of luck to Steve, Shane, Mikaela, and Matthew in the future, and hopefully we see everyone musically again soon!
Also being moved out of our active band links today is local death metal/punk duo Them, who have not issued a public update or played live since opening for Uncle Ray at The New American Pub one year ago yesterday. Debuting in late 2014 as the de facto successors to Social Suicide, Them were primarily seen at house party concerts in the ensuing years, often ones affiliated with Blood Shed Productions, though they did play select public concert venues, notably opening for both of Bookakee's concerts at The Oddfellows Hall. Their lineup fluctuated between a duo and a quartet, but frontman Tyler St. Amour and drummer Anthony Boudreau were constants throughout their run. Despite the almost-too-common band name, Them were a fine fit in the Blood Shed house party era with their aggressive sound, and Tyler never sounded better as a metal frontman during their peak! Sadly, plans to release a debut EP never visibly reached their intended conclusion.
It would have been nice to see Them as a more frequent presence on metal concerts of the era, and their sound was definitely fuller and better realized when they had more than two members, but Them delivered some entertaining originals for extreme metal fans, Hopefully we hear more from Tyler, Anthony, and other former members down the road!
Finally for today's post, I am reluctantly moving local indie/hard rock quartet Bizotic to our inactive band links as well. While we are not at our 1 year threshold for public inactivity, keytarist B.J. Swire confirmed in an e-mail conversation last week that the band is "pretty much done", and he has since joined a new band that is planning to debut later this summer, and if that band's genre fits our primary coverage, we'll let you know! In any event, Bizotic proper have not posted on their Facebook page at all in 2018, and have not played a live concert since opening for Dany Laj & The Looks at LopLops in November, which can't be a good sign regardless. This union of No Arrow, Bring the Fallen, and Sounds From The Green Room alumni became a fan favourite sight following their December 2016 debut via sets opening for the likes of K-Man & The 45s, Garbageface, and The OM Sound, while also kicking off The Din's "Suburban Sendoff", and playing in Wawa, among other events.
Any band with a trumpet and a keytar in their repertoire will immediately turn heads, and Bizotic did just that, and their varied and creative originals were always an entertaining element at local concerts, with some jam rock touches and a harder edge where needed! Hopefully this isn't it for Bizotic and their unique stage show, but best of luck to Brad, B.J., Louise, Travis, and Kevin in the future, all would be assets in any band that they're in! That's all for today, but stay tuned for this weekend's concert previews on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
As promised, here's the second half of our weekend concert previews this time around! With news going slow this week, I reluctantly don't have a fourth full story to round things out, so this will be somewhat shorter than usual, but hopefully this doesn't become a trend. These previews reflect Saturday-only concerts, and we'll start with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so here's what you should know!
Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned will return to The Runway Bar in nearby Hessel for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via the venue's Facebook page on Sunday, with Banned only confirming it on their own Facebook page on Wednesday. Two weeks removed from their most recent shows in St. Ignace, TOMORROW's Hessel trip will mark their first show there in almost six months, and this should be another prime opportunity to check out the Traynors and Wayne's often heavy blend of covers, so keep this show in mind! Note that Banned are branding this show as a "deer season party", referencing the recent start of Michigan's deer hunting season (with regular firearms), so note that angle as well if you're planning on coming out. TOMORROW'S concert has a 21+ age limit, 9:00 PM start time, and no announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Banned live!
Next up, we'll move to previously announced concerts TOMORROW NIGHT in Sault Ontario, starting with a big concert at The Rockstar Bar featuring some hard rock openers alongside headlining Montreal
power pop band Dany Laj & The Looks! Fans may recognize Dany and company from their shows here in July and twice over the 2015/16 winter, though this will be their first time at The Rockstar Bar. While not a heavy band, The Looks' upbeat pop rock originals have found a solid audience locally over the past couple of years, so definitely give them a listen in advance of their last tour stop before heading to the States! A diverse lineup of opening bands will include local indie/hard rock quartet Bizotic, alt-punk trio Handsome Sandwich (in their first show in almost two months), and former Labour Of... frontman Brenton Ellis' new solo acoustic project Slumshine, so don't be late for any of their sure-to-be quality sets! (No online page link for Slumshine yet, FYI.)
Co-promoted by Larry Babic and photographer Josh Pace (in the former's first promoted concert post-Live 705), this 19+ concert has a 9:00 PM start time, and while door admission is $10, advance ticket sales are listed for $8, so inquire at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk and/or with promoters on that front, as nothing's public on availability. This should be a fun time for fans of varying forms of power rock, including some heavier flourishes, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Bizotic live!
Lastly for known hard rock concerts this weekend, local blues/hard rock trio Electric Church will be among the openers at the long-anticipated K.I.C.K. CD release show TOMORROW NIGHT at LopLops Lounge! Of course, the main event here is the Keep it Cool Kids finally releasing their debut self-titled CD, and the buzz is high for the indie rock quartet approaching this concert, so expect lots of originals from the album as they launch it in style tomorrow! The aforementioned Electric Church will open in their first concert since the Sault College reunion event in September, so look for more hard hitting blues rock from them in a rare LopLops appearance, while folk/country duo The Crossroad Magdalenes will kick off the night with a set of talented numbers that should ease fans into everything well! This 19+ show takes place at 9:00 PM tomorrow, but K.I.C.K. have indicated on their Facebook page that this concert is sold out, which is an impressive feat in & of itself!
If any tickets open up, or if limited door entry is indicated in advance, then admission should still be at $10. With Tidal Records presenting and Crank Sound Distribution manning the controls, could you ask for a bigger launch for K.I.C.K.'s debut CD? Best of luck all around tomorrow, click here to give K.I.C.K.'s debut music videos a watch, and for a preview of the night's hard rock component, here's Electric Church live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for a full news post and more on the site soon! Thanks everyone!
At last, here's our first full news post of November 2017, which contains some new videos and a pair of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS featuring returning headline bands, including one we haven't seen in over a decade and a half! Here's what you should know!
A big new Rockstar Bar show will take place Saturday,
November 18th, where a few punk/alternative bands will open for Montreal
power pop band Dany Laj & The Looks
in that band's fourth local headlining appearance in the past two
years! Last seen in July at The Canadian, Dany and company have proven
to be a fan favourite band in their recent local stops, and while not a
hard rock band per say, their upbeat and free-flowing originals should
get another solid response next month! Local openers will include
indie/hard rock quartet Bizotic, alt-punk trio Handsome Sandwich, and former Lion Ride bassist Brenton Ellis' new acoustic solo project Slumshine, who you can check out at this link
if you haven't seen or heard yet. Solid choices, with some heavier and
punk flourishes for genre fans, so don't miss out on the opening acts!
Notably, this show is being co-promoted by photographer Josh Pace and
Larry Babic, in the latter's first public show booking since his
apparent departure from Live705.
For
what it's worth, Live705 no longer list Larry on staff, but there has
not been a statement publically on his status as singer with A Dire Setback.
Hopefully nothing too serious happened, but stay tuned for potential
public announcements on either! Admission for this 9:00 PM & 19+ show is $10 at the door or $8 in advance, though advance ticket sale details are not public yet. This is shaping up to be another entertaining concert, so visit the official Facebook event page for continuing details!
Next up, here's our first hard rock concert announcement of 2018, and it's a big one, as Juno-nominated Toronto/Boston hard rock quartet Big Wreck will make their long awaited return to Sault Ste. Marie on Tuesday, February 13th when they headline at The Machine Shop! Familiar sights to fans of Canadian rock dating back to the mid-1990s with hits like "The Oaf (My Luck Is Wasted)", "Albatross", and "One Good Piece Of Me", this show will mark Big Wreck's first local stop since (as best as I can tell) October 2001 at Sault College. Not only will fans waiting for the past 16 years be rewarded by their return, but the show will come at the mid-point of Big Wreck's tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album "In Loving Memory Of", so if you love that multi-platinum CD, expect lots of it in February! At press time, potential opening bands (local or otherwise) have not been announced, and unfortunately, this is an 18+ concert.
Tickets for this concert are $35 and go on sale THIS FRIDAY at The Machine Shop's box office, at the community box office at the Station Mall, and online at this link, while there will be VIP passes available with many intriguing perks, so click here for full details on that front as they roll in. It's great to finally see Ian Thornley and company back on a local stage, and I know that many fans will be curious to hear selections from their debut album and other hits in three months' time! Stay tuned for more updates when they roll in!
We'll close today with new videos, starting with the long awaited sixth episode of local promoters Six, Two, Oh.'s in-studio performance webseries Live at Six, Two, Oh.! After a nearly year long hiatus following the Blessed episode in December (with their cancelled online battle of the bands coming in between), the new episode went online on Wednesday via the series' Facebook page, with a potential YouTube channel posting in limbo. At least they're back, hopefully we're not waiting until next fall for episode #8! Like their last episode with Vancouver pop punk band Blessed and their second with Montreal electronic artist Citadel, this episode revolves around a touring act that wasn't playing a local concert when they stopped through to tape live at Six, Two, Oh., and the band in question is Winnipeg death metal quartet Entity. In a slight change in format, the episode was broken into two chunks for it's initial upload, including their songs "Instinct to Exterminate" (embedded below) and "Scaphism".
While it is a shame that Entity didn't get a local concert booking, these Live at Six, Two, Oh. episodes are a great consolation prize, with multiple camera angles capturing their brutal death metal sound, and they have very solid guitar work and clear vocals to boot! Remember, this episode is broken in half, so check out "Scaphism" above, but give the first song a look below, stay tuned for more on future Live at Six, Two, Oh. installments, and hopefully Entity can play here down the road!
Finally, here's a new video from Sault Michigan area-independent label Werehold Records' YouTube channel, which features label founder/Life's Eclipse guitarist (among other bands) Jason Mills trying out his new nine-string guitar! A rare video for the Werehold channel in a few ways (such as not being on Friday the 13th & featuring Jason talking to the camera), this is a nice demonstration of Jason's new toy, and it'll be interesting to hear it factor in to his future music, so give it a look below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates as this week and month roll along! Thanks everyone!
(Updated at 11:05 AM) Before we begin today's news post, just a heads up that it looks like J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween Party concerts tonight and maybe tomorrow will actually be taking place upstairs at The Rockstar Bar rather than in The Algonquin Pub/Spin Nightclub, as the downstairs venue is instead hosting a Halloween dance club night of their own tonight that you can read about at this link. As such, this will be the first time that J.D.'s annual party is held inside The Rockstar Bar, so keep the venue floor shift in mind for TONIGHT and maybe TOMORROW! Now, here's a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT and more assorted news and updates!
Local indie/hard rock quartet Bizotic will return to LopLops Lounge TONIGHT when they open for London pop rock quartet Texas King! Apologies for the short notice, this show had been announced since at least last month by the headliners on social media, but Bizotic's involvement was only confirmed yesterday on their Facebook page. Just under a week removed from opening for The Din in their final concert, this talented trumpet & keytar-infused group will bring their entertaining original jams back to LopLops, and they should deliver another fun set, so don't miss out TONIGHT! As for Texas King, you may recognize them from performing at Sault College back in 2014, and with their alternative-tinged brand of positive and upbeat rock, they should find a fine audience at LopLops as they continue their tour in support of their new album "Circles"! And yes, Bizotic have stated that costumes are encouraged if you've got them!
As well, local indie rock quartet K.I.C.K. will reportedly be on TONIGHT's bill as well, as per a personal Facebook posting by guitarist Tyson Letang, but the band themselves has not confirmed this publically. If true, they're a solid fit! For reference, LopLops' entertainment on Saturday is the return of My Son The Hurricane, and you know how big their shows here can get, so keep that one in mind too for the Halloween weekend! This 19+ show has a likely $5 cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Bizotic live!
Next up, here's the latest from Sault Michigan classical metal project Theatre of Night, so what's new as they prepare for their long-teased Christmas tour? For one, it appears that they've had a change to one of their singers joining them on tour, as Rachel Mender (rather than Jordan Flesch) is tagged or featured in the most recent shared & posted material on Theatre of Night's Facebook page. A reason for Jordan's apparent exit wasn't announced, but hopefully nothing bad happened with her! If Rachel sounds familiar, it's because she was a former backing vocalist for the local epic metal band Integrated System of Machines, which also featured keyboardist Craig Harrison & guitarist Steve Giles in varying lineups, so it's great to see her back with them in this project! In fact, Rachel is the focus of the two newest videos on their Facebook page courtesy of their rehearsals in Holland, so what should you know on those?
The first one was directly posted to the page last week, featuring Rachel singing "What Child Is This" in suitably operatic fashion, while embedded below is the one shared via Craig's personal Facebook page on Sunday, and it features her singing "Away In A Manger". She's a great fit for the classical side of the tour (including a Soo stop on December 16th), and while we're not hearing anything new in terms of song selection here, these are nice previews, so give them a look above & below! Despite what the below still may suggest, fellow vocalist Stacie McCarthy doesn't sing on either clip.
Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or venue name:
As per a recent Facebook event page edit, Sault Ontario death metal quartet The Bear Hunters have quietly been named as openers for the Special Ops concert at The Rockstar Bar next week, replacing A Dire Setback. A reason for their withdrawal wasn't publically announced, and while I believe I know why A.D.S. are out, I'd rather not go into details here without a band statement. Hopefully all is well, but The Bear Hunters are an interesting replacement act, so look for some death metal brutality next week!
In their first substantial Facebook page postings on new activity this year, local goregrind solo project Crucify the Whore revealed on Tuesday that they are "cooking up fresh meals", including a new complete drum track and guitar compositions, while an original song of theirs will reportedly be featured on an upcoming compilation release by Illinois' See Thru Teeth Recordings. Great to see that Tyler's back in action with C.T.W., so stay tuned for more from his camp! He also confirmed there that he does have a new Malignant Neoplasm album in the works, which is good to hear, and that cybergrind project is back in our active band links!
As previously teased, now-defunct alternative/hard rock trio The Din released their second and final studio album "Suburban Dream" on Bandcamp for digital sale on Saturday! It's available for $5 there (half off the CD price if you can still find one), and while there's no digital bonuses, it's great to see that their last full album is now available for people who missed the release concert, so stream or buy it above, and look for our review in early December!
Local blues/hard rock trio Electric Church are looking to expand to a quartet by adding a second guitarist, as per a post on their Facebook page two weeks ago. They're hoping to find someone around their age who likes to play rock music, so if you might be interested, message the band above or their members on Facebook for details!
Local hard rock solo musician Mike McCleary posted four new songs onto his Soundcloud page two weeks ago, entitled "Rain", "Disease", "Date Night With Darkness", and "The Best Part" (his Facebook page notes that he recorded one more that weekend, but it either wasn't posted or was later deleted.) No word on if these will make his debut album, but they have a good 1990s-esque sound, especially "Date Night With Darkness", so hear them above!
The Soo Theater in Sault Michigan was the site of a fire on Tuesday, but a quick response from local firefighters ensured that it remained contained in a back room, with "little visible damage" at the Ashmun Street venue as a result. This is great news, and kudos to firefighters for ensuring that the fire didn't spread, so check out this Sault Evening News article and other pertinent news sources for further details! Remember that the Soo Theater will host the aforementioned Theatre of Night live on December 16th.
That's all for now, but absolutely look for this month's YouTube Channel Profile later today, I promise! Thanks everyone!
Hey everyone, it's time for our review of last night's Suburban Sendoff, a.k.a. the final concert/CD release party for The Din and their new album "Suburban Dream"! Good turnout for the occasion at LopLops Lounge, albeit spread out in the popular venue, but by the end of the night, the floor was nicely packed to send The Din off! I do have some details on physical copies of the CD and an extra video from elsewhere, but let's get our review rolling!
Opening for The Din last night were local indie/hard rock/jam quartet Bizotic, who were a nice appetizer with their unique originals! Everyone played to their strengths during their well recieved set, with Brad Griffith coming more into his own on lead vocals, B.J. Swire handling the keytar with ease, and Travis St. Amour drumming nicely to the rhythm, while Louise Lamothe's trumpet playing and effects work added their own zest to songs like "Subway Delay" & "Echoes In Your Head"! If there's anything to nitpick over, it's that their six song set hasn't really been updated or extended since I first saw them live earlier in the year. They have a lot to offer, I'd be curious to hear some new originals or a longer headlining set from Bizotic! Overall though, Bizotic opened things well to kick off the Suburban Sendoff, and here's to more from them soon!
Then, it was time for local alternative/hard rock trio The Din's final concert set, and they delivered a home run for fans to go out with! Playing a packed setlist that contained every song on "Give In To The Din" & "Suburban Dream" (except "The Rose"), the guys also threw in frontman Mike Haggith's solo song "We Met As Surrogates" (well, "...At The Circus"), and in an encore bonus, a cover of The Tragically Hip's "Blow at High Dough" in memory of the late Gord Downie, which was more than welcomed! Of course, Mike is moving out west for work next week, and he did show some emotion and gratitude to fans, family, and friends while also keeping things light with amusing banter with drummer Brandan Glew, who also was on fire last night! Guitarist Tammy Hill shone as well with some excellent riffs and solos, and fans responded in kind, even via balloons and pom poms making their way onto the floor, so how's that for a way to help send Mike and The Din off?
The big surprise of the night was Mike's announcement that they were recording the show for a posthumous live album (presumably sans their Hip cover), and with that plus Shaw TV's filming of the show for an upcoming Din feature, we'll get to hear and see much more from the Suburban Sendoff down the line! This was a very entertaining show, and you couldn't have scripted a much better finale for The Din, so kudos to everyone involved! We have more on the show to come, but for now, you can check out our photos from the show at this link or via our Facebook page, and here's our videos of Bizotic playing "Dirty Time Machine" & "The Din playing "In The Moonlight"!
While we're on the subject, here's some extra details on the "Suburban Dream" CD that was released in a $10 limited print run last night! Of course, I bought a copy, and this is the cover artwork, which was amended for the concert poster. No word on why the band's name isn't on the cover, but it suits the title! Lots of band photos make the packaging, including a collage on the booklet's back page, and one of The Din walking away on the back cover, while the inside contains thanks from the guys to their fans and supporters (as previously seen on Facebook) & album credits. CDs also come with a business card with social media links, and the discs themselves are autographed by the band. Considering the relative rush, these are well put together, even without song lyrics! And no, the album doesn't have a bonus track. In terms of when to expect a review of "Suburban Dream" on the SMS, I'm targeting early December, as we're not past our 6 month anti-bias buffer yet from reviewing "The Din Does Laundry", so look for our review in a little over a month!
To close our post on The Din's farewell show, here's a video from local promoters Live705's Facebook page from The Din's set! Nice to hear from Live705 again, I wonder where they've been as of late? Possibly filmed by A Dire Setback bassist Matt Quinn, this is of 71 seconds from the latter half of their newer song "Missing", and while filmed on a vertical camera angle, it's got solid audio, and you get a good look at Tammy's guitar solo in particular, so check it out below, and stay tuned for more from Live705!
That's all for both this post and The Din's active run, and while it's sad to see them go, they delivered lots of great times both in the last two years and in the acid jam days with Curt and early collaborators, and it was a great way to send them off, even with posthumous material likely to come! Best of luck to Mike, Tammy, Brandan, and other former members in the future, and hopefully we haven't heard the last from them musically, here or abroad! Thanks everyone!, and look for more news this week!
As promised, here's the rest of this weekend's hard rock concert previews (barring any late notice announcements), and this one will be very much centric around one band in particular and their frontman, but it's certainly a big weekend for them, and there is one more unrelated show to take note of! Here's what you should know!
After a successful two year run (beyond if you count their acid jam days), local alternative hard rock trio The Din will amicably disband TOMORROW NIGHT after their "Suburban Sendoff" at LopLops Lounge! Acting as both their farewell show and the CD release party for their second and final CD "Suburban Dream", The Din will make one final stop at the Queen Street East venue to end their local run with a bang, with many songs from their two albums sure to make their set, and perhaps a Hip cover for good measure? The band has teased that just 50 copies of "Suburban Dream" have been pressed for the show, and with a digital release not yet guaranteed, get down to LopLops tomorrow to get your copy before it's too late! Local indie/hard rock quartet Bizotic will open tomorrow night's proceedings with their own creative original sound, so keep them in mind before The Din say goodbye! Doors open at 9:00 PM tomorrow for this 19+ concert, with Bizotic kicking things at around 10:15 PM.
As for admission and album fees, nothing has been firmly stated on the Facebook event page, but for reference, LopLops shows often have $5 cover charges, while The Din's debut CD sold for $10 upon it's release last year. While we're on the subject, this show and The Din's future were both addressed in this new Sault Star article from Jeffrey Ougler, so what should you know on it? The article features interview quotes from frontman Mike Haggith, where he reflects on why they're breaking up, members' future plans, and what to expect from "Suburban Dream", and it's a good in-depth read for fans! In terms of new revelations, Mike elaborated on where he's moving for work, the guys did debate becoming a full touring band before work commitments got in the way, and Mike plans to keep The Din visible with old media postings via their online pages that should sustain things for another two years (after all, the article name is "Inactive, not hushed".)
Also, Mike didn't completely close the door on future Din activity if "Suburban Dream" caught on critically, but it's clear that this weekend's show is the end of this chapter. I'm glad to see that things are ending on a good note and that they'll continue to have an online presence, just as long as there isn't a mass deletion of old pages and media at some point! I hate when bands do that. Don't miss Mike, Tammy, and Brandan's Suburban Sendoff at LopLops tomorrow night, and for a preview, here's The Din live!
Next up, here's one more weekend concert preview, as while The 3 Day Millionaires rock The Rockstar Bar upstairs,
The Algonquin Pub (or Spin Nightclub?) will welcome local indie/hard rock band Vol. as they open for St. Catharine's folk/bluegrass band Dirtfight and Hamilton alt-blues duo Frankie & Jimmy
on Saturday night! This unique show will see another homecoming from
the members of Shit Liver, albeit in their much milder sister band
Dirtfight (who last played here last May), while Frankie & Jimmy
made fans with their unique hybrid originals at The New A last July, so
it's great to see both bands back to cap off their Northern Ontario
tour! As for Vol., they'll add a dash of hard rock to the proceedings in
their first ever acoustic concert set to open the night, though they
teased on their Facebook page on Saturday that they'll have "a little
tiny surprise" during their set. Might it be the rumoured fourth band
member, or is something else afoot? Be at The Algonquin Pub on Saturday
night to find out!
Note that this show is still scheduled
for downstairs, despite the planned dance club nights "every Saturday"
at The Algonquin Pub/Spin Nightclub, so if there's any public
confirmation of a venue conflict, we'll let you know! In any event, the
pub has seen recent renovations, likely tied to the Spin Nightclub
launch. As it stands, this show has a $8 cover charge, 19+ age limit,
and 9:00 PM start time. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Vol. live & plugged in!
Finally, we'll come full circle with some news from the aformentioned Mike Haggith, as he officially re-activated his solo project last week, via his Facebook page! After a year & a half of public inactivity while focusing on The Din, Mike is bringing his solo project back "after some thought", and he noted that he wants to continue to do his part "to provide all of you with the highs & lows you've come to know and love." In terms of solo album plans, Mike left open the possibility of working on one next, though it's not clear publically if he plans to complete and release "Neighbourhood Watch Revisited", the album he was working on when his solo project initially went inactive last spring. As you may recall, Mike released no less than 47 studio albums in either Windsor or Sault Ste. Marie between 2005 and 2016, and it's great to see that he will continue his music career out in Manitoba, so visit the above links for more details, and Mike's back in our active band links!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
Here's another new news post for your Friday morning, and below, you'll find the latest updates from two local bands in very different stages of their runs, but first, here's two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for later this month!
Local indie/hard rock trio (quartet?) Vol. will play their first ever acoustic concert set on Saturday, October 21st (one week from tomorrow) when they open for St. Catharine's bluegrass/folk quartet Dirtfight and Hamilton alt-blues duo Frankie & Jimmy at The Algonquin Pub! Apologies for the protracted delay in acknowledging this show in full on the site, we were waiting for confirmation on which floor of The Algonquin Hotel this show was taking place on, which only came yesterday on the Facebook event page. If this is accurate, don't go upstairs next weekend! If the touring lineup looks familiar, it's with good reason, as Dirtfight is the much milder side project from members of Shit Liver that fans saw here in May 2016, while Frankie & Jimmy came here two months later for a headlining date of their own, so if you're up for a folksy and jazz-inspired change of pace, don't bypass this one! Vol. will provide a hard rock edge in this rare unplugged set, so don't be late for their set either!
Note that The Algonquin Pub has been (partially?) rebranded as Spin Nightclub for dance club parties "every Saturday" since mid-September, though I don't know if the above concert will postpone next weekend's Spin night or if the show will end up being moved upstairs or off-site. If there's confirmation either way, we'll let you know! Promoted by Six, Two, Oh., this closing date of the touring bands' Northern Ontario Tour has an $8 cover charge, 19+ age limit, and 9:00 PM start time. Check the above links for more details, and stay tuned for updates if they come in!
Next up, the aforementioned Six, Two, Oh. are at it again with another newly announced concert just two days later on Monday, October 23rd, as Saskatoon noise/punk duo The Faps will play here once again with a headlining date at The New American Pub! Occurring just under two weeks after they opened for K-Man & The 45s at LopLops, this surprise concert will cap off their "Good Tour" as they return home, and will mark their first stop at The New A since headlining there back in 2014. Whether you saw them on Tuesday and/or three years ago, or are new to The Faps, look for another explosive set of punk and math rock originals in a week and a half! Local openers are being sought, and for reference sake, rappers opened for them in 2014, while Bizotic did the duty on Tuesday, so don't assume a specific genre. We'll let you know when an opener is confirmed! A $5 cover charge (or "pay what you can", oddly) is in effect for this 19+ show, which has an early 8:00 PM start time given the Monday night timing.
Despite the scheduling and relatively quick turnaround for the encore, this should be a fun show for punk fans, so keep it mind if you're able to come out on a Monday night, and visit the Facebook event page for complete details!
Also today, here's the latest from local alternative hard rock trio The Din, who have clarified some lingering details on their upcoming farewell concert and second/final studio album, so what's new on both fronts? In terms of the album, the band has confirmed that it will be titled "Suburban Dream", and also unveiled the track listing and album artwork via their Facebook page yesterday. Alongside the title track (which will close the CD), the album will also feature their originals "Give Me A Reason", "High Park", "Up In The Air", "35's The Limit', "Weekend Delivery", "Missing", "In The Moonlight", and one song that's brand new in online references, "The Price That You Pay". As a result, the album will not feature any Mike Haggith solo covers that you may have heard in concerts, but at least some of those were on their live album. As for their final concert at LopLops Lounge next Saturday, it's now dubbed the "Suburban Sendoff", fittingly enough!
The local openers have finally been confirmed as well, as indie/hard rock quartet Bizotic will kick off the night's events, and they're a fitting selection with talent and originality, so don't be late for their set on October 21st! Finally for new Din news, another new single has been posted from the "Suburban Dream" album to their YouTube channel, that being for their more recent original "Missing", and while I'll still hold comment for our eventual CD review, give the song a listen below, and stay tuned for updates!
Finally for today, here's the latest from local progressive metal project Kraken Mara, so what's new from them? Well, in the latest teaser update on their website (and first there in three months), the guys noted that "the last of our tracks are being mastered as we speak" for
their self-titled debut EP, which will be "available for all" when
completed. As well, a new playthrough video of one of their songs is
being filmed at some point this season, so keep an eye out for that on band pages, including their Instagram page, which isn't just for Dokken concert videos! Brendan and Jake actually posted five videos there last month before that concert, so what's uploaded there so far? This short video showcasing their jam room, this zoom-in clip of bassist Jacob Valois, this clip of Jacob performing in studio (though his shirt is focused on over audible music), and this video of guitarist Brendan Christie declaring that they're recording some tracks.
If you didn't know, Instagram has a one minute limit for video uploads, hence why these don't show a whole lot and are better served as previews, but hey, it's nice to see progress from the Kraken Mara camp! Embedded below is the most substantial video there (musically speaking), which features a recording of a new intro for a planned song being played on a laptop. As such, we're hearing it through laptop speakers, which is far from ideal, but it has an industrial tinge to go with pleasant keyboard work from what I can hear. See more from Kraken Mara above & below, and stay tuned for more from them as it rolls in!
In our latest SMS post, we have two special concert previews for mid-week shows that you punk and alt/hard rock fans will want to take notice of, but to round things out, we have news on a reunited local band and a local solo artist's recent recording sessions. Here's what you should know!
We'll start with a preview of a big show taking place TOMORROW NIGHT, as Montreal ska-punk quintet K-Man & The 45s will return to Sault Ontario for a headlining concert at LopLops Lounge! Marking their sixth local concert appearance since 2013 (and fifth consecutive fall season date here), the change in venue from prior years shouldn't affect what should be an entertaining evening of reggae-influenced punk originals and "Ska-mones" covers, and if you've seen them live before, you'll know how entertaining their live show is! Joining them are Saskatoon noise/punk duo The Faps in their first local date since headlining here back in 2014, so expect more hard hitting minimalist action from them in their Soo encore tomorrow night! Local indie/hard rock quartet Bizotic (who opened for K-Man & company here in March) will reprise that role tomorrow with more creative originals, while local DJ The Dub Selectah will also be on hand to spin ska and reggae tunes between bands.
Intriguing yet familiar lineup all around, so don't miss out tomorrow night! A rare LopLops date from promoters Six, Two, Oh. (who put on the last four K-Man shows & 2014's Faps concert), this show unfortunately has a higher cover charge of $10 compared to their prior shows here, but you can knock the price to $8 by buying advance tickets at The Rad Zone, Case's Music, Big Guns Barbershop, The Vape Escape, and possibly the venue if you're early enough. This concert is at 9:00 PM with a 19+ age limit, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's K-Man & The 45s live!
Next up, here's another mid-week concert preview that's also regarding a LopLops Lounge event taking place THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT, as local alternative/hard rock trio The Din will play their penultimate local concert set and final set as an opening band when they open for Niagara Falls indie/pop rock trio James Blonde! While not their final LopLops appearance (that's their finale/CD release on October 21st), time is running out to see Mike, Tammy, and Brandan's skilled alt-rock originals on the local stage, and this should be another solid night of older and newer original material & select covers, so don't miss this one on Wednesday if you can help it! As for James Blonde, they're touring in support of their new self-titled album, and their folk-influenced but modern pop rock sound is a solid fit for LopLops, so if you're a genre fan, definitely give them a listen to see what you think! Like the K-Man show tomorrow, this is a 19+ event at 9:00 PM, and I would expect a cover charge of at least $5.
In any event, LopLops' website does not have pages or online ticket sales posted for either of these mid-week events, but they are both good to go, and definitely consider a trip there on Wednesday for The Din's second-to-last show opening for James Blonde! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Din live!
Also today, here's the latest from former Bear Hunters guitarist & Skull After Betrayl frontman Mike Vincent's revived solo project, so what's new from his camp? Well, he posted two more songs from his debut solo album to his Bandcamp page last week,
including "Chapter 2: Glow of the Dark" and a "bonus/single" named
"Ultimate Chaos". As per Mike's personal Facebook page, recording sessions are compete for the album, which will also be called "Ultimate Chaos", with the previously teased
EPs ("Six, Six, Six" & "We're Of Nothing") now considered it's first
& second halves. With that said, the album is not (yet?) for sale in a full
album format, but Mike signalled in his personal post that he already is planning work on a second solo album. I have no idea if he plans to formally package "Ultimate Chaos" into even a proper Bandcamp album with a price, cover art, track listing and all that, but pending a formal sale, I'll hold comment on the new songs.
That said, if Mike does properly release the album in a sale format, it would be eligible for a CD review on the SMS, and fans of his existing solo music should enjoy these instrumentals, so check the above links for more on Mike's recent solo work, and stay tuned for more from him!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band or event name:
Local hardcore punk group Programmed To Fail quietly reunited last fall, as per their new Facebook page, and have enlisted former Northern Tragedy bassist Corry Rideout into their lineup! That's the extent of their new updates, with nothing else new to speak of beyond 2016 posts, but it's great to see Corry back in a local band after a few years away! Stay tuned for more from Programmed to Fail when it rolls in, and they're back in our active band links!
As of September 26th, promoters Maxx Entertainment (or Choose Maxx) were still looking for musical performers for this year's sixth annual Toystock charity concert at The Northern Grand Gardens on November 26th. Full bands, duos, and solo acts of "pretty much any genre" can apply to perform, so message them at their Facebook page if you're interested in performing at Toystock VI next month! For what it's worth, comments there implied interest in sets from Soundcheck and a returning The Peace Vibe.
In a post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group on Friday, Vol. frontman Steve Edwards noted that he's looking for practice space and willing to pay rent for "a 4 piece alt-rock group" that would practice 2-4 times a week in the lead-up to a concert. He didn't directly specify if the intended band is for Vol. or not, but if it is, their apparent expansion to a quartet is news to me. If he meant Vol., stay tuned for word on their new member, and message Steve at this link or above if you can help out the band in question!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and previews on the site as the week rolls along! Thanks everyone!
The first full concert weekend of October 2017 is here, so here's another run of hard rock weekend concert previews to take in! Due to the amount and it's high profile, we're holding Saturday night's Ripcordz show for a preview in tomorrow's post, while Tuesday's K-Man & The 45s show will be previewed in full on Sunday or Monday (even if this was a quiet weekend, it's too soon for that one.) Do not worry, they are coming! Now, let's kick off our previews with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, some on SHORT NOTICE!
With another month now in progress, here's another month of Tym Morrison shows at Gliss Steak & Seafood for our concert listings! As usual for his long-term arrangement at this venue at this time of year, look for him thrice a week throughout October, with shows taking place TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY, before returning there on October 12th-14th, 19th-21st, and 26th-28th! Apologies for the short notice on this weekend's trio of gigs, we were waiting for Facebook confirmation before calling them here, which came via their Facebook event page on Monday. No word on if he'll have any nighttime shows elsewhere this month (keep in mind that last week's Barrelhouse show wasn't announced until Friday), but these should provide more solid opportunities to check out Tym's unplugged covers at this popular downtown restaurant, so don't miss out this month, including TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY!
For what it's worth, I cannot confirm if there will be any Thanksgiving themes this weekend or Halloween themes over the October 28th weekend, so keep posted to Tym's Facebook pages in case something is stated. All of this month's shows (including TONIGHT'S, TOMORROW'S, and SATURDAY'S) are 6:00 PM matinees with no announced cover charges or age limits, so visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Tym live!
Next up, we'll move to previously announced concerts with a headlining date by Vancouver pop punk quartet Jock Tears in their local concert debut TONIGHT at The Gore Street Cafe! Delivering a strong blend of old school punk rock with folk and indie influences, this gender-equal band has a lot to offer in a live setting, and they should help charge the laundromat tonight, so keep this one in mind to experience Jock Tears for yourself! Opening are local alternative hard rock quartet Bizotic in their first announced concert in two months, and first at this venue since July, so look for a top-level set of creative originals as they prepare for the K-Man & The 45s show on Tuesday, preview forthcoming! This ALL AGES concert takes place at 7:00 PM tonight, and while this is a "pay what you can" event as usual, promoters have noted a suggested admission price of $10. Sounds like a good time for alternative and punk fans, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Jock Tears live!
Heading across the border now for shows in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, starting with the scheduled return of Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63 to The Northern Pines Lounge at the Kewadin Shores Casino in St. Ignace TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Though not advertised on Kewadin's entertainment page, these are among the St. Ignace dates announced by the Jager successors on their Facebook page back in January, so unless otherwise stated, I'd treat these shows as being on. Last seen at this particular venue last month, this should be another fun weekend of classic and hard rock renditions from the Switzers, Chris, and Ron, so keep these in mind if you're in the St. Ignace area! As usual for Highway 63's St. Ignace gigs, expect 21+ age limits, no announced cover charge, and 9:00 PM start times. See above for more details, and here's Highway 63 live!
Finally for today's previews, we'll take a trip north to Sault Michigan for the latest shows from Kinross classic/hard rock trio Banned, who are rocking The Rapids Lounge at the Soo's Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT themselves! Two weeks removed from their most recent gigs in St. Ignace, this will be Banned's first concert weekend in Sault Michigan since rocking The Savoy in August, and first at The Rapids Lounge in over three months. Fans of Banned should be out in good numbers to check out Alex, Don, and Wayne's latest weekend of fan favourite and often heavy concerts, so don't miss all of the action tomorrow and/or Saturday night! As with the Highway 63 shows in St. Ignace, expect these shows to be 21+ events with no cover and 9:00 PM start times. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Banned live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Ripcordz preview and more next! Thanks everyone!
I am back home from a trip visiting family, and while I wasn't expecting to have a second post on the SMS today, I came home to SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you should know on those, as well as one more new show, an upcoming split's content and release details, and a preview for one more shows this weekend!
Local classic/hard rock cover trio Stiffler's Mom will return to The Esquire Club for headlining concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Profuse apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced on the band's Facebook page this morning, and I was on the road back to the Soo for much of the afternoon. After taking a nearly two month break from public concerts, these will be Greg, Mike, and Jon's first advertised shows since their Rotaryfest Stage 1 sets back in July, and first at the Second Line West venue in three months. Despite the very short online notice, this will be another fun weekend of hard rocking cover favourites for fans and Esquire regulars alike, so don't miss Stiffler's Mom's first shows of the fall season TONIGHT & TOMORROW! Expect 10:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and 19+ age limits each night. See above for more details, and here's Stiffler's Mom live!
Next up, here's another new show with lots of advance notice, as Vancouver pop punk quartet Jock Tears will make their local concert debut with a headlining date at The Gore Street Cafe on Thursday, October 5th! This gender-equal group meld pop punk with indie and folk rock pretty seamlessly, and they should be a fine fit at the laundromat next month, so keep Jock Tears' short but sweet originals in mind locally next month! The opening act will be local indie/hard rock quartet Bizotic in their first date of the fall season and first Gore Street Cafe stop since July, and they're a solid choice to kick off the evening's action on October 5th, so don't be late for their set! This ALL AGES show is once again a "pay what you can" event, as usual for the landromat, but there is a suggested admission fee of $10 in place. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and don't miss the indie-tinged punk and hard rock action next month at The Gore Street Cafe!
Also today, here's new details on the AlgomA/Shit Liver
covers split album and joint local concert at The New American Pub on
Monday, October 2nd! In terms of "Trading Faces", the whole split saw
it's online release as scheduled on Tuesday via both AlgomA's and Shit Liver's Bandcamp pages
(each band uploaded the whole thing), and the split is available on
both pages via a "name your price" model, so consider paying an amount
for their hard work! Of course, cassettes will have a firm cost to be
announced, likely on September 17th when the physical release was
previously teased, but no later than tour kickoff day on the 22nd. AlgomA's Bandcamp page also confirms the recording dates and studios for each half of the split, each appearing to have been self-recorded at home studios earlier this year, though Shit Liver's version of "Fell Down A Well" sounds like the 2015 version (at least, the first half.) Full tour details can be found at the tour's Facebook event page, whose related links confirm that familiar acts like Buried Out Back and Uncle Ray will join the two local bands on specific dates.
As for the October 2nd date at The New A, what can we now learn about that event? Well, the opening acts will be local death metal standouts The Bear Hunters and extreme metal quartet Winkstinger, who are excellent choices to open the night! The show will start at 9:00 PM flat, and there is a $7 cover charge, not including tapes. Visit that show's Facebook event page for full local details, but buy the "Trading Faces" split at the above links if you can't wait for the tapes, and look for our review of it in the coming weeks!
Finally for today, here's one more concert preview for this weekend, as local alternative/hard rock trio The Din will return to The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Center THIS SUNDAY as musical entertainment for this year's Loud & Proud kick-off event for the Soo's fourth annual Pridefest! The first of six shows in The Din's farewell run of concerts prior to their planned breakup next month, their set on Sunday is in support of the Sault Pride Community's annual LGBTQ awareness and support festival, and their first of two shows for this year's Pridefest, joining their outdoor family picnic set at the locks in two weeks. Of course, fans may remember seeing the former Mike Haggith & The Din rock the Bushplane Museum in their acid jam days back in 2013, so it's great to see their tighter and more formal sound hit this venue one last time on Sunday, and for a great cause! Their set will be at 2:00 PM, as sandwiched between local performer and singer Tim Murphy's drag show at 1:00 & 3:00 PM, while there will also be children's entertainment and vendors on site.
Events kick off at 12:00 PM on Sunday, and this is a FREE & ALL AGES event, which should be a great way to kick off Pridefest, so visit the official Facebook event page for full details on Loud & Proud, and here's The Din live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for our review of TONIGHT'S Project 421 concert at The Canadian next! Thanks everyone!
