LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Redundant, Banned, And Half Of Project 906), Plus A Dire Setback Updates!!

A new post was not planned for today, but with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS now known for the Eastern Upper Peninsula, I have thrown this post together with those, another new show for next month, and a local band's recent album progress! Also, just a reminder that TONIGHT is Six, Two, Oh.'s (short notice) 1990s dance party fundraiser at The Rockstar Bar, with proceeds going towards this fall's Oh!No festival in Leeburn. This is not a concert, but if you love the 1990s and want to ensure that Oh!No II is on, why not come down? 19+, $5, 9:00 PM! Now, here's those new concerts!

Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned will play a special charity set TONIGHT in their hometown at the Chippewa County Fairgrounds as part of Carol's Corral Foundation's first annual rodeo fundraiser! Profuse apologies for the short notice, this event had been announced since January, but Banned only confirmed their involvement via their own Facebook event page this afternoon. Also called the "Bull-Rageous & Barrel-Rama Rodeo 2018" on event advertising, this is actually a three day ALL AGES event with bull riding, barrel racing, and other such rodeo entertainment, with proceeds going to different charities each day (TONIGHT's for law enforcement and emergency groups, tomorrow's veterans and active military, and Sunday's for cancer patients), which are all worthy causes! A beer tent and food will be available all three days, with the rodeo itself starting at 7:00 PM, and live musical entertainment each night following at 8:00 PM. Banned are only playing TONIGHT, while solo musician Bill Badour is the only other advertised performer this weekend.

I wish Banned had gave more notice about this set, but with a great charitable cause each night, hopefully this rodeo fundraiser is a smash hit, so head down to 124 Fair Street TONIGHT if you want some classic and hard rock cover action with your rodeo fun! Admission for all three nights (TONIGHT included) is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and youths 13-18 years old, and FREE for kids 12 and under. Visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and here's Banned live!

Next up, Project 906 bandmates Billy Bernier and Joe Jenkins will play a rare duo set TOMORROW NIGHT at The Superior Cafe in Sault Michigan as part of that venue's second musicians showcase! Again, apologies for the short notice, we only heard of the involvement of any Project 906 members via their Facebook page yesterday. Soon to be two events into their permanent shift from competitions to "showcases", The Superior Cafe have indicated that they will be hosting this event on the last Saturday of every month (in other words, circle June 30th on your calendars), so how will the sophomore event of this style go, and who all else signed up as part of the "full lineup"? Find out TOMORROW NIGHT! Billy & Joe are no strangers to playing unplugged in this setting, having played at the Superior Cafe's first musician competition as such, though with their full band sets more common, how will their hard and blues rock covers sound in a more intimate setting?

Project 906's advertising also notes that Crooked Music owner, Half Stupid alum, and local solo musician Zac Crook will guest with them for Billy & Joe's set TOMORROW, which should be interesting, so keep watch for him then! Billy & Joe will apparently be on at around 6:30 PM, but the showcase proper begins at 5:00 PM. This is an ALL AGES event, and there is no announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and consider a run to The Superior Cafe at 107 East Portage Avenue for lots of talented local musicians! We don't have a public video of Billy & Joe alone to preview their set with here, hopefully one turns up.

Moving to Sault Ontario for a concert with plenty of advance notice, local punk trio Redundant will be among the live entertainment on Saturday, June 16th for Algoma Ride For Autism's afterparty at The Bridge View Banquet Hall! Involvement from Redundant with the annual autism awareness/fundraiser motorcycle rally is nothing new, as frontman Justin Langlois played a solo set at their pre-ride fundraiser at The Canadian last year, while Redundant played the AR4A's annual family fun day from 2014-2016, so it's great to see the guys lending their support once again! The other band playing on the 16th is country rock cover band The Ride (billed as Tex & The Ride), who should deliver for genre fans next month as well! Involvement in the motorcycle rally proper is not required to attend the afterparty, which has a $20 admission fee, though riders will get in free if you are a full participant. The afterparty proper starts at 6:00 PM, and I presume it's all ages (the venue appears to be licensed.)

And yes, there will be a pasta dinner provided. For reference, the Facebook event page implies that The Grand Gardens now owns the Bridge View Banquet Hall (formerly The Verdi Hall), but if the name changed, I haven't seen official reference to it. It's great to see live concert action returning to help gain proceeds and awareness for the Ride For Autism, and hopefully this year's installment is a huge hit for the cause! Check the above links for more on the ride and the afterparty, and stay tuned for possible updates!

We'll close today with the latest from local alt-punk trio A Dire Setback, as they began final recordings of their debut album on Sunday! The guys started this process with Nick Kainula's drum tracks, and you can follow the progress of the recordings on their Facebook page and (if you're backing them) their Patreon page. Things sound like they're going well so far, if challenging, and hopefully sessions are on track! A Dire Setback did share this video on Facebook on Monday of Nick tracking drums in studio, and he's solidly in the groove on this clip! The camera moves around well to show off their recording studio and setup also, and with the other tracks only audible to him on his headset, this is a unique way to hear an isolated track before the final song is compiled. Whether you can make it to The June Jam next week or not, be sure to follow A Dire Setback online to see how recording sessions go, and give Nick's video a look!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Banned) & Easter Weekend Concert Previews!!

Despite approaching the holiday weekend, there's a fair slate of hard rock concert action to take in before the Easter Bunny arrives! With shows on both sides of the border, including SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS and some new band confirmations on two of these events, here's what you need to know on this Thursday morning!

Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced via their official Facebook event page on Monday, with Kewadin's entertainment page not listing these dates at press time. Two weeks removed from their most recent Soo gigs at the Dondee,  this will be Alex, Wayne, and Don's first weekend of hard rocking cover action at The Rapids Lounge of 2018. This fan favourite band should have another solid weekend of tunes in store for their Sault fans, so don't miss out TOMORROW and/or SATURDAY! As usual for Banned's Kewadin bookings, expect 21+ age limits, no announced cover charges, and 9:00 PM start times this weekend, so check the above links for more details, and here's Banned live a few years back!

Next up, Sault Ontario indie/hard rock quartet Id Iota will end their nearly year-long hiatus from the local stage when they headline at LopLops Lounge TOMORROW NIGHT! Though Espanola fans got to see the Free Beer successors live in February, this will be Id Iota's first Sault Ste. Marie date since May of last year, and will also mark their first local show since beginning recording sessions for their upcoming full length album, and since replacing Dan Linklater with an (oddly still unrevealed) new bassist. How will Id Iota sound and perform to kick off this new year? Be at LopLops tomorrow to find out! Local drone/noise rock trio Pointless (now featuring Id Iota's Dustin Goodall on bass in lieu of the relocated Jordan Leach) will hit the stage as well with their own unique original array, while a late surprise third band was confirmed on the Facebook event page on Monday, namely local/St. Catharine's folk rock trio Tea With Lincoln, who fans may remember from a number of high profile appearances in the early 2010s.

I believe it's been a few years since Tea With Lincoln played a local show, so be sure to welcome them back north tomorrow with their skilled folk originals! This 19+ concert has a $5 cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time. It's great to see a show full of familiar faces to help send out the month, and Id Iota should give a heavier edge to the proceedings, so check out more details at the above links, and here's Id Iota live!



Also today, fans can see ex-Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison three times to end the month of March, as he'll rock Gliss Steak & Seafood with matinee shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY, as well as returning to The Roadhouse Bar & Grill for a traditional nighttime show TOMORROW NIGHT! Tym's prolific and often heavy selection of covers always provides a good time for fans, and whether you're into a supper-time matinee at The Quality Inn's house restaurant, or a late night event in the east end, you have three options! It should be noted that Tym played at Mark's Breakfast Plus earlier this week in concerts only advertised on his personal Facebook page. Given the nature of the venue, I doubt these were private bookings, so I profusely apologize for missing them on here, we'd have covered them here had we known about them publically! Tym is still scheduled twice weekly at Gliss through at least the end of June, while tomorrow's Roadhouse show is the final one advertised on their Facebook event page.

If his bi-monthly schedule there continues into April, we'll know very soon (April 6th & 27th would be the next dates there if nothing changes), but we await firm public confirmation. All three shows do not have a cover charge, and while the Gliss matinees are at 6:00 PM with no stated age limit, tomorrow night's Roadhouse show is at 10:00 PM with a 19+ age limit. Click here and visit the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!



Finally for this weekend's currently announced hard rock concert previews, the second Musicians Competition at The Superior Cafe in Sault Michigan goes down THIS SATURDAY, and we now know more performers on the lineup! We already knew via the bands' own postings that local hard rock quartet Project 906 and alt-rock quintet (and defending champions) Midnight Logic would be in the field, but the venue revealed in this poster yesterday that Sault Ontario indie pop duo All Us Others will also return, while the fourth advertised band is The Ordinares, a debuting folk rock trio featuring 3/4ths of classic rock cover band Stuck in Reverse, though Bob & Troy played as The Tavern Stool Townies in January. They actually state their genre as "folk/punk", but their posted songs so far owe more to the former genre, though stay tuned in case they show off their punk side more! Other acts (solo and bands alike) are teased, possibly as they're still open to performer additions, but note that January's event had 9 competing acts.

A fan vote will determine the winning acts on Saturday, with money from band admissions going to the top three groups. This ALL AGES battle of the bands will have a 5:00 PM start time on Saturday, and while there are no announced admission fees for attendees at The Bird's successor venue, band registrations were $10, and fans who vote will get 10% off of drink purchased on Saturday. This should be a fun event for fans of original music in the E.U.P., but can Midnight Logic defend their crown, or will a new band take top honors? Be at The Superior Cafe on Saturday to find out, and stay tuned for more news and notes this weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Project 906), Their Drummer Change, And Weekend Concert Previews!!

Here's the first of this weekend's concert previews, and if you're in the Sault Michigan area, you'll enjoy what's on offer, including LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, mostly on SHORT NOTICE! There's also a lineup change to note for a band in question, and while we're rounding things out with s handful of Sault Ontario shows from a prominent artist, we are holding our previews of The 3 Day Millionaires' Rockstar Bar stops to tomorrow morning due to the amount so they don't get buried in an overly long post today. Don't worry, they are coming! Now, here's what you should know!

Sault Michigan hard rock cover quartet Project 906 will be among the competitors in THIS SATURDAY'S previously announced musician competition, now confirmed to be at The Superior Cafe at 107 East Portage Avenue! Apologies for the short notice, the performer lineup for this event was only announced on the venue's Facebook page on Monday. Taking place at the cafe in the Bird's Eye Outfitters complex (on the site of the former Golanka's Bar/The Bird), this battle of the bands-styled event will see performers competing to win gift cards for either of the above businesses or Crooked Music, and this will be a fan voted competition, so get out to support your favourites! Project 906 will be playing their first public set of 2018 on SATURDAY, with more to come that day (and in this post!), while the other confirmed performers will include Sault Ontario indie/pop duo All Us Others in a rare cross border appearance by a non-Touch of Class band, Rudyard Musicians Festival regular Rob Malaski "and friends", and a mystery band named Midnight Logic that I can't find anything on.

"...And More!" are also teased to perform, though no word on if this indicates surprise or guest performers, or if they were just accepting band registrations after the poster went online. A fan vote will determine the winner of this event, while there will be a favourite musician vote with 10% off of drinks for fans interested in voting for that award. This competition takes place on SATURDAY at an early start time of 5:00 PM, this is an ALL AGES event, and there are no announced cover charges. This sounds like a fun event for fans to check out regional talent at a sort-of-new venue, but who will win? Find out THIS SATURDAY, and stay tuned for fallout from it!

Next up, Project 906 aren't done for that day, as they will return to The Strongs Tavern in nearby Strongs for their second show of the year THIS SATURDAY NIGHT during that venue's second anniversary festivities! Apologies again for the short notice, this show was actually announced on their Facebook page two weeks ago, but it slipped us by at the time. Four months removed from their last show out in Strongs, this will be a solid way to help celebrate the tavern's anniversary, so head slightly west if you want to see the full Project 906 experience on SATURDAY after the musician's competition! In one more new show announcement, fans can check out Project 906 at the International 500 Snowmobile Race's beer tent on Thursday, February 1st (one week from today!), marking the first time that they've played an official show at the I-500, with Banned having been the most recent heavier band with that honor. Hopefully they warm things up sufficiently next week!

Also, these will be their first advertised shows since quietly announcing the departure of drummer Will Storey, with a drummer named Tommy (last name not publicized yet) now listed on the band's Facebook page. Hopefully nothing bad happened with Will, he's a solid performer, but how will Tommy sound with Project 906? Check them out THIS SATURDAY or next week to find out! The Strongs show is at 10:00 PM with no announced cover charge and a 21+ age limit, while the beer tent I-500 set is at 8:30 PM, and click here for relevant admission details if you intend to see more than the band. Click here and the above links for more info, and here's Project 906 live!



Moving to shows with complete advance notice, Sault Michigan fans can also see Marquette hard rock cover quartet Spun for the first times this year when they return to The Satisfied Frog for shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! A month and change removed from their last shows out east, these are Spun's only currently announced shows at The Frog among their scheduled dates through March, so just in case it's a while for the Nudge. successors to return, don't miss their hard rocking cover selections tomorrow and/or Saturday! As usual for Spun's shows in the Soo, expect a 21+ age limit this weekend, there are no announced cover charges, and 9:00 PM start times are in effect for both nights. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Spun live!



Finally for today's preview post, we'll head back to Sault Ontario for a busy weekend from local hard rock solo singer/guitarist Tym Morrison, who'll continue his weekly arrangement at Gliss Steak & Seafood with matinee shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY, while he'll also play his second of his bi-monthly gigs at The Roadhouse Bar & Grill at a more typical timeslot on SATURDAY NIGHT! Fans of Tym's hard rocking covers should have another great spread of musical action this weekend, whether you're up for his evenings at Gliss or an east end trip on Saturday night, so keep all three in mind! It's also worth noting that Tym is the host of The Canadian Nightclub's newly launched run of open mic nights on Wednesdays, having debuted there in this capacity last night, with weekly open mic nights scheduled through the end of March. Just for the record, we do not consider open mic nights to be concerts for our purposes, as they're more informal by nature, and as a result, they are impossible to confirm a performer lineup for in advance.

Also, while Tym is hosting and will assuredly play when there are no acts ready, there's no guarantee of length or amount of songs for his hosting segments, but if you like the unpredictability or are a prospective performer yourself, be at The Canadian on Wednesdays through March (at least!) As for his standard shows, the Gliss gigs are 6:00 PM matinees with no announced age limit (but mind the locale), the Roadhouse show is a 19+ affair at 10:00 PM, and none have announced cover charges. Visit the official Facebook pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Tym live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our 3 Day Millionaires preview and more on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!