This Month's Poll On Your Favourite Local Concerts In The First Half Of 2019!!

Now that an incredibly busy Rotaryfest concert weekend has come and gone (stay tuned for fallout and a major hardcore punk show this fall soon), let's return to normalcy with our (delayed) latest poll on the SMS, as we're posing this question to you guys: What was your favourite local metal, hard rock, or punk concert in the first half of 2019? While it wasn't really obvious until the spring, we got off to a hotter start for heavier and punk shows in the Soo this year compared to 2018, and there were a lot of familiar, big names to take in on a local stage, so hopefully there's a good selection of 15 shows (plus "Other") to choose between! Remember, to make this poll, concerts must have taken place between January 1st and June 30th, 2019, and they must have a lineup at least half comprised of metal, hard rock, or punk bands. As such, shows like the Faps and River Jacks-headlined concerts are not in the poll, but you can pick "Other" to vote for them. Now, here are your final choices!

Bands: White Cowbell Oklahoma
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: January 26th
Info: The first major local hard rock show of 2019 with a touring headliner saw Toronto southern hard rock veterans White Cowbell Oklahoma return to the Soo after four years away with another eclectic and hard hitting night of originals! Honouring their 20th anniversary on this tour run, and playing locally with Sault native Curtis Faux for the first time, the chainsaw and angle grinder-laden attack was another hit with fans, but would you vote for it?

Bands: Rotopsy, Awokest, Crucify The Whore, Chase Wigmore, Black Cloud, and Reeder
Venue: The New American Pub
Date: February 26th
Info: A bit of a throwback to mid-2010s Oddfellows Hall shows came to The New A over the winter, where various Tyler Gibson and Chase Wigmore projects united for a night of grind and experimental metal action! Despite some late lineup shuffling, long-time Blood Shed Productions followers came out to enjoy this all-local lineup, notably featuring the apparent live debut of Black Cloud, plus a late notice opening rap set from Reeder. Did this show impress you the most?

Bands: The Cover-Up, Destroilet, Jack Spades, members of Northwest, Coral Fang, The Elements, and Stegadeth
Venue: Both floors of The Algonquin Hotel
Date: March 2nd
Info: Following Joni Radford's death in January after a lengthy cancer battle, her friends in the music community banded together to host a memorial concert in her memory at The Algonquin Hotel, with seven punk bands playing across both floors of the venue. A huge crowd come out to honour Joni and rock out with this stacked lineup, including a rare Cover-Up headlining set and Destroilet's first show in 2 years, but would you vote for it in this poll?

Bands: OZbourne & The Paul DellaVedova Band (now The Dell Bros.)
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: March 23rd
Info: The first of a trifecta of tribute band headlining concerts locally in March saw Winnipeg-based Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath tribute band OZbourne end an eight year drought for Ozzy tribute bands around here, and they delivered a faithful looking and sounding show for any Ozzy or Sabbath fan! Notably opened in a surprise genre clash by blues rock trio The Paul DellaVedova Band, was this night of classic covers enough to get your vote?

Bands: Parabol & The Elements (as "Scar Tissue")
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: March 23rd
Info: While Ozzy fans flocked to The Canadian, Tool fans instead headed to The Rockstar Bar on March 23rd, as local Tool tribute Parabol continued their early promise with another well recieved local concert date! This talented group knows Tool hits inside and out, and fans got more than their fill on this night, with The Elements playing an all-Red Hot Chili Peppers cover set to kick off the night! Was this tribute show your favourite local show of early 2019?

Bands: The Tea Party & The Proud Sons
Venue: The Machine Shop
Date: March 27th
Info: After previously rocking the Soo in July 2017 after a lengthy local absence, Windsor hard rock veterans The Tea Party returned for another headlining concert, this time at The Machine Shop (and with paid, 19+ admission.) Fans ate up their familiar rock radio hits, with Winnipeg southern rock band The Proud Sons impressing with their own rising originals to kick off the night. Would you vote for this concert over all others listed in the poll?

Bands: Destroyer & Griphook
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: March 30th
Info: The final of March 2019's tribute band run in the Soo saw Windsor-based Kiss tribute band Destroyer return to town for the first time in four years, and their well-tested brand of Kiss classics surely gave fans the next best thing to the best! Notably also featuring an opening set by hard rock cover quartet Griphook in their first public concert date in almost two years, this show helped send March out with a bang, but would you agree?

Bands: Conika, West of Hell, Expain, and Malignant Neoplasm
Venue: The New American Pub
Date: April 17th
Info: After a five year absence, Vancouver death metal quintet West of Hell brought their melodic yet brutal original attack back to the Soo with this headlining concert at The New A, with fellow Vancouver metallers Expain joining them on this tour stop. Also featuring a rare live set from cybergrind solo project Malignant Neoplasm (or was it C.T.W.?!) and a closing rap set from Conika, would Six, Two, Oh.'s 2019 kick-off be your #1 pick?

Bands: The Killer Dwarfs & Re:Born
Venue: Soo Blaster
Date: April 27th
Info: 1980s and early 1990s hair metal fans flocked to Soo Blaster in April to see Oshawa hair metal legends The Killer Dwarfs and their amusing stage show back in town after a lengthy absence, as put on and well advertised by Sault Online & Rock Talk columnist Ernest Skinner. While a battle of the bands to find openers never panned out, power rock quartet Re:Born's new lineup delivered a fitting opening set! Would you vote for this concert?

Bands: Dave Evans & Hells Bells
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: May 4th
Info: A cool curiosity for AC/DC fans if there ever was one, original early-1970s AC/DC frontman Dave Evans made his way to Sault Ste. Marie in May with a set full of AC/DC classics and his own later original material. Fans seemed to respond positively to Dave's set, as backed up by the locally familiar AC/DC tribute band Hells Bells, who also played an opening set of their own with newer set selections. Would you vote for this show here?

Bands: Dopethrone, AlgomA, and Shit Liver
Venue: The New American Pub
Date: May 20th
Info: Six, Two, Oh. brought another hard hitting night of doom and death metal to The New A a couple of months back, with Montreal "slutch metal" band Dopethrone making their local concert debut with a suitably slow and crushing set! Also featuring local death metal standouts (and "Trading Faces" splitmates) AlgomA & Shit Liver in their first local concert appearances in over a year, was this brutal concert your top pick of these six months?

Bands: K-Man & The 45s and Dave Smasher
Venue: The New American Pub
Date: June 6th
Info: Despite a late venue change and opener replacement, ska punk fans were surely still in attendance at The New A last month when Montreal's own K-Man & The 45s came back to Sault Ste. Marie for the seventh time in the 2010s, delivering more fan favourite original material as they have so regularly around here! Now featuring Planet Smashers bassist Dave Smasher in a surprise opening set, did this concert impress you more than the rest?

Bands: Anvil, Striker, Jack Spades, and Re:Born
Venue: Soo Blaster
Date: June 9th
Info: What originally was announced as just a Striker concert with Re:Born opening soon doubled in size and scope when Toronto metal legends Anvil and fellow locals Jack Spades were added on, making this one of the early highlights of the summer concert season! Anvil's very familiar metal on metal and Striker's old school NWOBHM-influenced sound paired well with the attending crowd, but were you there to vouch for it here?

Bands: The Elements, The Cover-Up, Coral Fang, and The Dynowaves
Venue: Queen Elizabeth Park
Date: June 21st
Info: The seventh annual local Go Skateboarding Day festivities saw a fifth straight year of live music atop the big ramp at the skatepark outside of The John Rhodes Center, with 2018 returnees The Cover-Up joined by funk/hard rockers The Elements, Distillers tribute Coral Fang, and surf rock band The Dynowaves. This free, all ages, and outdoors event saw many music fans and skateboarders enjoy themselves, but were you among them?

Bands: Monster Truck & The Fortunate Losers
Venue: Soo Blaster
Date: June 28th
Info: The first half of 2019 ended with a bang when Hamilton hard rock band Monster Truck made their local concert debut at Soo Blaster with their brand of Juno winning, southern rock-tinged original material! Also featuring Sudbury's own Fortunate Losers as an opening band, this concert didn't have the best turnout, but fans eager to hear Monster Truck live certainly ate this one up. Would you say this was your top local show so far this year?

Other: Did we miss your preferred concert in early 2019? For reference, artists like B.A. Johnston, Body Lens, Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide, The Faps, Fluid 5ive, The John Barber Band, Poison Girl, The River Jacks, Stoned To Deaf, Soundcheck, The Thirties, Tripod the Dog, Tym Morrison, and The Wyld Stallyns all played public local concerts between between New Year's Eve and Canada Day, along with shows not included involving some of the above acts in other shows in the poll. Maybe you preferred a Sault Michigan-area show instead? If your favourite local metal/hard rock/punk concert of early 2018 isn't listed above, vote for "Other"!

VOTE TODAY! You guys have until August 21st (due to the Rotaryfest delays) to cast your votes in this poll, and it'll be interesting to see how things go in a busier half-year for heavier concerts so far! I just hope there's a decent turnout. That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes as the week rolls along! Thanks everyone! 

This Month's Poll On Your Favourite Concerts Of Early 2018!!

Before we get into weekend concert previews, here's our newest poll on the SMS, where we're posing this question to you guys: What was your favourite metal, hard rock, or punk concert in the first half of 2018? The early half of this year has been somewhat quieter than usual, but we have seen some strong and notable concerts between January 1st and June 30th, and it'll be interesting to see what you guys thought was your favourite in 2018 so far! As usual, the concerts who receive votes will face off with the vote-getters in our second half of 2018 poll early next year to determine your favourite concert of 2018. To make this poll, concerts must have taken place in Sault Ontario in the above date range, and must have had a lineup at least half comprised of metal, hard rock, or punk acts, so if you want to vote for such events as The Sky's The Limit, the Algoma Ride For Autism afterparty, the Whoop-Szo concert, or Id Iota's March 30th LopLops show, you'll want to go with "Other", which is back as an option as usual.

That said, I am contracting the number of shows in this poll (and our second-half poll to match) from 20 to 15, for two reasons. One is that this has been a slow stretch, and if I forced 20, I'd have to include covers-heavy, single band shows without a major theme to them, which some may consider to be filler. The other is, with low vote totals on our recent polls already, maybe shrinking the options will help readers have an easier time picking a preferred concert. Time will tell, but here's your final 15 options for this month!

Bands: Redundant, A Dire Setback, and Stegadeth
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: January 13th
Info: The biggest punk/heavier concert of January saw three local punk trios join forces at The Canadian to raise funds and support for local resident Joni Radford during her second battle with breast cancer. All three bands helped kick off 2018 with a bang on this night, including the second live appearances by A.D.S. and Stegadeth's new lineups, and I know this was emotional and positive night to help Joni and her family out through tough times, but is it our preferred show here?

Bands: Big Wreck & Attica Riots
Venue: The Machine Shop
Date: February 13th
Info: Over 16 years after last rocking Sault Ste. Marie, Juno Award-winning Toronto/Boston hard rock band Big Wreck returned for a well attended and received headlining show at The Machine Shop in February, with Winnipeg alt-rockers Attica Riots along for the ride! The Ian Thornley-lead group brought fans back to the 1990s by playing their entire "In Loving Memory Of..." album on this winter night, and fan response was very positive, but can you vouch for this concert?

Bands: Redundant, The Cover-Up, and The Bananas Guerrillas
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: March 3rd
Info: Though better known for indie, folk, and alternative music, LopLops Lounge became home to Punk Covers Night on March 3rd, with Redundant, the reunited Cover-Up, and The Bananas Guerrillas (née Enema of the State) joining forces for a night of fan favourite punk renditions! With plenty of familiar faces brought together by Tidal Records to deliver their own takes on punk classics, this show spawned a Redundant-less sequel in June, but would you vote for the original?

Bands: Archelon, Jack Spades, Doors & Fours, and Re:Born
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: March 10th
Info: The first promoted concert of the year from J.D. Pearce saw Sudbury metal quartet Archelon  play their first local set in over 3 years, alongside Hamilton grunge/punk trio Doors & Fours, and the 2018 debuts of local punk/metal favourites Jack Spades and Project 421-successors Re:Born, who impressed early fans with their power rock covers and originals. Despite medium attendance, fans at The Rockstar Bar responded well to this four pack, but would you pick it in this poll?

Bands: Jesse Merineau and Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide
Venue: The Speak Easy
Date: March 22nd
Info: In advance of his highly promoted CD release concert at The Machine Shop on July 26th, local indie rock musician Jesse Merineau and his solo band (including 2/3rds of Caroline Divine and Electric Church's Spencer Pine) returned to the site of Jesse's 2016 battle of the bands victory for this high profile concert. Bolstered by the return of Celtic punk veterans Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide for their first local concert since 2016, was this your show your preferred option here?

Bands: Shit Liver, Stegadeth, and Id Iota
Venue: The Rednecks Saloon
Date: April 6th
Info: After being forced to move this concert from both The Algonquin Pub and Speak Easy, a same-day move to The Rednecks Saloon didn't temper the enthusiasm, as Shit Liver played the local stop of their "Hitting the Fan" album release tour in April to a strong audience of crust and grind fans, with many vinyl copies finding happy customers! Also featuring a diverse, growl-free openers lineup via Stegadeth and Id Iota, would you vote for this show above all others here?

Bands: Who Made Who
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: April 6th
Info: Definitely no strangers to the local stage and AC/DC fans in the Soo, Toronto tribute quintet Who Made Who returned to The Rockstar Bar in April to deliver another night of high voltage rock n' roll for assembled fans! Their faithful looking and sounding tribute to AC/DC was fully intact as ever, as fans of their many prior local stops will attest, but would this concert earn your vote over others chosen in this poll?

Bands: I Mother Earth, Finger Eleven, and J.J. Thompson
Venue: The Machine Shop
Date: April 18th
Info: Just when you thought the Big Wreck concert was a big deal, The Machine Shop played host to I Mother Earth and Finger Eleven on April 18th for a massive night of hits from these Juno-winning hard rock standouts! Alongside their own sets, fans were also treated to two joint sets from the headliners, including a V.I.P. acoustic pre-show and a plugged-in encore, ensuring that fans got their money's worth from this major package! Would you vote for this concert?

Bands: The Steves, A Dire Setback, and Mik & Steve
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: May 2nd
Info: If you like musicians with members named Steve, you were in good company on this night!
Regina pop punk quartet The Steves made their local concert debut here with a lo-fi but upbeat set of punk rock originals, with local favourites A Dire Setback and new local alt-acoustic duo (and Vol. successors) Mik & Steve opening the proceedings. This was a solid package of punk and alternative music provided by Six, Two, Oh., but was it your favourite concert here?

Bands: Id Iota & Pointless
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: May 19th
Info: Hyped as the "Indie Spring", this concert was supposed to be headlined by Sudbury garage rock headliners The Almighty Rhombus, before their bassist suffered a finger injury. The show went on, however, as Id Iota's new lineup continued the lead-up to their upcoming second CD release with an extended headlining set, with guitarist Dustin Goodall pulling double duty with his drone rock trio Pointless to kick things off. Did the summoning of "Father Spring" help earn this your vote?

Bands: All The Wasted Years, A Dire Setback, Stegadeth, and Re:Born
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: June 1st
Info: Helping kick off the summer in style, Timmins punk quartet All The Wasted Years made their local concert debut last month, in their first of a home and home series where openers A Dire Setback joined them in Timmins the next night. This well received show featured a solid lineup of current punk standouts, plus the second live appearance of Re:Born for a metal kick. This was a fun concert with another positive response in Live 705's return, but was it your favourite show here?

Bands: Jesse Stewart, Jack Spades, and Handsome Sandwich
Venue: Low & Slow
Date: June 8th
Info: A concert that proved to be too big to be held upstairs at Room 21, the popular Albert Street West barbecue restaurant instead played host to British Columbia alternative folk musician and viral favourite Jesse Stewart in his local debut, with Jack Spades and the returning Handsome Sandwich playing support at this unique genre-hybrid event. Jesse's music and live show was optimally expereinced by many fans, and the punk action preceding doesn't hurt, but would you agree?

Bands: The Cover-Up & The Bananas Guerrillas
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: June 15th
Info: A sequel to March's Punk Covers Night at LopLops (albeit sans Redundant), this union of online page-less punk acts brought their familiar brand of punk renditions back to the same venue, and with alumni of The Rising Tide, Lion Ride, K.I.C.K., Stereo North, Long Shot, and Gnaeus all under one roof, you know there was a lot of talent on hand for patrons! If you were there, would you choose this as your favourite metal or punk concert here?

Bands: The Elements & A Dire Setback
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: June 16th
Info: Playing their first full plugged-in concert since the fall of 2017, this was a rare headlining showcase for The Elements, whose funk and hard rock covers and originals have proven to be a reliable live attraction since the mid-2010s! Featuring a short notice opening set from A Dire Setback, this was a nice return to their roots following the inception of The Wyld Stallyns late last year, but would this concert have won your vote in the poll?

Bands: The Cover-Up, Northwest, Handsome Sandwich, and Id Iota
Venue: Queen Elizabeth Park
Date: June 21st
Info: For a fourth straight year, Tidal Records hosted a live concert atop the big ramp at the local skatepark as part of their Go Skateboarding Day festivities, and fans were treated to a nice selection of indie and punk rock action, including no returning bands from past years! The all ages event featured promoter Dustin Jones' musical performing debut on Go Skate Day, and things went well fr fans at this unique outdoor locale, but did this concert get your vote here?

Other: Did we miss your preferred concert in early 2018? For reference, artists like Electric Church, Fluid 5ive, Soundcheck, The 3 Day Millionaires, Tym Morrison, and Whoop-Szo all played public local concerts between January 1st and June 30th, not to mention solo shows not included involving some of the above acts otherwise in the poll. Maybe you preferred a Sault Michigan show instead? If your #1 local metal/hard rock/punk concert of early 2018 isn't above, vote for "Other"!

VOTE TODAY!! You guys have until August 18th to cast your votes, and it'll be interesting to see who wins out in this half-year poll, so do so at the poll on the upper right of the page! That's all for today, but stay tuned for lots of weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

This Month's Poll On Your Favourite Shows Of The First Half Of 2017!!

We are past the halfway point of the year, so let's bring back our monthly polls by posing this question to you guys: What was your favourite local metal, hard rock, or punk concert in the first half of 2017? As usual, there were many eventful and notable concerts to start the year with, and it's always interesting to see what you guys liked the most out of them, so I have once again chosen 20 concerts (plus "Other") for your delectation! To be included in the poll, a given concert must have taken place between January 1st and June 30th, 2017 (so nothing held in July is included, such as Rotaryfest or the Canada Day Rockstar Bar event.) Included concerts must also have been held at a public venue (as such, the Fishbowl Festival garage show and any Mellow D's Underground events aren't listed), and they must have had at least 50% of their lineup comprised of metal, hard rock, and/or punk bands, so events like NLFB Meltdown and The Sky's The Limit are not included either.

Of course, if you want to vote for any of these shows, "Other" is available if you are so inclined! I hope I picked a good range of shows for this poll, so without any further adieu, here are your 20 choices!

Bands: Gnaeus, A Dire Setback, The Din, Stegadeth, Sleepwellcity, and The Autumn Roots
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: January 21st
Info: In their second promoted concert and first at The Canadian, then-new local promoters Live705 hosted the January Jam with a six band lineup of talented local artists, including one of Gnaeus' final concert sets, lots of punk/alternative action, The Autumn Roots' first gig with new guitarist Chase Wigmore, and the local debut of former local punk bassist Nathan Bouliane's Ottawa-based electronic project Sleepwellcity. Was the January Jam your favourite concert of early 2017?

Bands: Gnaeus, The Din, and K.I.C.K.
Venue: Searchmont Resort
Date: February 4th
Info: A midquel of sorts between promoters Tidal Records' annual Go Skateboarding Day events, the Searchmont Skateapalooza brought skateboarding demonstrations and live alternative and indie music to the local ski resort to kick off the month of February! In hindsight, the concert half of the Skateapalooza is most notable now for being the final local concert appearance from Gnaeus before the post-punk quartet's breakup, but would this event be your top choice in this poll?

Bands: Gianni Gagoots, Bizotic, and Handsome Sandwich
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: February 18th
Info: What started as the first headlining showcase for creative instrumental jam/hard rock project Gianni Gagoots soon evolved into a special showcase for them and two new local bands, including the second live set from alt-hard rock quartet Bizotic and the debut live appearance from punk/alt/no genre trio Handsome Sandwich. With three extremely original bands on hand, including the headlining sauce masters, it's easy to see why it was well received, but would you concur?

Bands: Garbageface, Pseudo, A Dire Setback, and Mikey Thomas
Venue: The New American Pub
Date: February 21st
Info: Though not promoted by Live705, this concert served as an inspiration for that agency's later punk/rap hybrid events, with both out of town acts even returning to the Soo for another joint concert in October. With Toronto's Pseudo and locals A Dire Setback uniting with fan favourite Peterborough doom rapper Garbageface and the Soo's own Mikey Thomas, this well received concert helped set future hybrid shows in motion, but was it your favourite of the year prior to July?

Bands: K-Man & The 45s, Stegadeth, and Bizotic
Venue: The New American Pub
Date: March 5th
Info: After 4 years of annual fall concerts in Sault Ste. Marie, a wrench was thrown into the pattern when Montreal ska-punk quintet K-Man & The 45s hit The New A in March, unusually soon after their 2016 concert here. Fans of their rousing originals and "Skamones" covers were out in full force once again for The 45s return, complete with high energy opening sets by Stegadeth and Bizotic (with new drummer Travis St. Amour in tow), but would you vote for this concert?

Bands: The Din & Andrew Pucci
Venue: The Gore Street Cafe
Date: March 10th
Info: The only public hard rock-featured concert in the sophomore run of The Gore Street Cafe's Fishbowl Festival in February and March, this acoustic event saw The Din return from their live CD recording event the previous year for another well received headlining concert at the laundromat. Notably opened by former Stereo North frontman Andrew Pucci as he continued his solo rise in the area, did this Fishbowl Festival event earn your vote here?

Bands: A Dire Setback, The Din, Electric Church, Pillory, Bizotic, and DJ Seith
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: March 11th
Info: The second Live705 concert of the year (and first to experiment with vouchers in lieu of advance tickets) saw 6 more acts join forces at The Canadian for their March Mash-Up, including a solid showcase from young blues/hard rock trio Electric Church, brutal death metal action from Pillory, and spotlight headlining sets from A Dire Setback and The Din. Another high quality concert from Live705, but was it good enough to earn your vote?

Bands: AlgomA, Pillory, and Chase Wigmore
Venue: The New American Pub
Date: March 30th
Info: Serving as both the kick-off show for their European tour in April, and as the de facto release concert for their vinyl split single with Hooded Menace, local doom metal trio AlgomA hit the stage for the first time in 2017 with this headlining show at The New A, which delivered more crushing brutality to fans to end March with! Also opened by the aforementioned Pillory and a rare solo set by Chase Wigmore on short notice, did this show win you over more than the rest?

Bands: Who Made Who
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: April 7th
Info: Arguably the most familiar touring hard rock tribute band to come to Sault Ontario in the past decade, Toronto-based AC/DC tribute band Who Made Who returned to The Rockstar Bar in April for their first local appearance in two and a half years, giving local fans another round of high voltage rock 'n roll! Who Made Who's faithful sounding and looking experience is always worth checking out when they come north, but did this show beat out the rest in early 2017?

Bands: Electric Church, The Noochin' Lanterns, A Dire Setback, K.I.C.K., Stegadeth, Shit Creek Survivor, and DJ Seith
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: April 15th
Info: Live705's only Rockstar Bar show to date, this Easter Bash was laden with giveaways and solid music from the assembled punk, alternative, and hard rock acts on hand! Despite late scheduling delays and post-show discussion therein, the show was very well received thanks to featured bands like A Dire Setback and Electric Church, and notably saw The Noochin' Lanterns' public concert debut as well. Was this Easter weekend show your favourite of this year so far?

Bands: The Hazytones, Eclipse, and Gianni Gagoots
Venue: The New American Pub
Date: April 23rd
Info: Montreal stoner rock trio The Hazytones returned to the Soo for their second headlining concert back in April, and like last summer, hard rock quartet Eclipse opened for them. This time around though, Eclipse's set was extra notable as it marked their first show back after a four month long breakup, and it was great to see the guys back after their contentious breakup last fall! They and Gianni Gagoots brought some hard rocking action to this one, but would you vote for it?

Bands: Bone Yard, Justin Langlois, and The 3 Day Millionaires
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: May 6th
Info: A fundraiser concert to help kick off this year's Algoma Ride for Autism and help buy sensory equipment for the Algoma Autism Foundation's Sensory Lending Library, May 6th's Rock For Autism was a well attended and recieved event for a great cause, with country veterans Bone Yard and classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires sandwiching a solo set by Redundant frontman Justin Langlois. Kudos to everyone for their support, but was this your #1 choice?

Bands: Id Iota, The Din, A Dire Setback, DJ Seith, Pointless, Bizotic, Andrew Pucci, and Soo York City rappers
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: May 12th
Info: Another creative Live705 event (not to mention their biggest one yet) took place on May 12th, when they hosted Soo Art Rocks!, a concert combined with a local art exhibition, with artists and photographers on hand to showcase and sell their wares. This show featured such sights as Id Iota's Live705 debut (with cellist Pete Mozarowski in tow), the public debut of Bill Priddle's new band Pointless, and three S.Y.C. rappers joining forces to open things, but did you find that Soo Art Rocked?

Bands: Northwest & Greg Callaghan
Venue: LopLops Lounge
Date: May 27th
Info: After a 9 month hiatus from the local stage, indie/punk quintet Northwest re-emerged from the studio with a headlining set at LopLops two months ago, reintroducing themselves to fans with their up-tempo originals that punk and indie rock fans can each appreciate! Opened in a solo set by guitarist Greg Callaghan's solo project, this concert received a solid reception, and surely gave fans a preview of their upcoming second EP, but can you vouch for it in this poll?

Bands: Ruptured Birth, Thekillingfield, The Bear Hunters, and Twistory
Venue: The Oddfellows Hall
Date: June 4th
Info: It was a night of returns when these four metal bands hit the stage on June 4th, as touring Northern Ontario extreme metal bands Ruptured Birth and Thekillingfield hadn't played here in 5 and 2 years respectively, while The Bear Hunters were ending a 7 month stage hiatus, and death metal duo Twistory hadn't been seen in a year themselves. Assembled fans got a nice throwback night of metal brutality as a result, but was this all ages Oddfellows show your pick here?

Bands: CKY, The Wild, Jack Spades, and A Dire Setback
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: June 8th
Info: Despite the late drop-out by the reunited As It Stands, fans flocked to The Canadian on June 8th for this highly anticipated concert, with Pennsylvania alt-metal trio CKY hitting the Soo for the first time with a set full of classic and new originals alike! Joined by Victoria, B.C. hard rock standouts The Wild, the new-look Jack Spades' first show since the fall, and a rousing opener from A Dire Setback, this concert won many fans over, but would you vote for it in this poll?

Bands: Handsome Sandwich, The Din, and Eclipse
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: June 10th
Info: With the summer season underway and their patio re-opening for the season, The Rockstar Bar welcomed Handsome Sandwich, The Din, and Eclipse (notably all featuring Haggith alumni) for their kick-off show for the summer, and all three delivered fun sets of original material and select covers for assembled fans! All three bands have solid fanbases locally, but were you among them to label this as your favourite concert of this year's first 6 months?

Bands: Electric Church, Speaker, A Dire Setback, Stegadeth, The Autumn Roots, Eclipse, and Soo York City rappers
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: June 18th
Info: Live705's first promoted concert with a touring out-of-town band, this Father's Day concert was the only multi-band hard rock event rocking the border on Father's Day this year, with Toronto hardcore band Speaker joining a stacked local roster including another Electric Church closing set, more punk action from A Dire Setback and Stegadeth, and a new group of S.Y.C. artists for good measure. Was this Father's Day show your favourite?

Bands: The Din, A Dire Setback, and Electric Church
Venue: Queen Elizabeth Park
Date: June 21st
Info: A free and all ages concert returned for a third straight year for Tidal Records' annual Go Skateboarding Day event at the John Rhodes Center's skatepark, with The Din returning from 2016 for another vibrant set of original hard rock action, as joined by recent live favourites A Dire Setback and Electric Church in rare outdoor appearances. All three bands rocked the top of the ramp while local skaters demonstrated their skills, but was this concert your favourite of the year so far?

Bands: Beaver Slap, AlgomA, and Jack Spades
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: June 24th
Info: This late June concert united Barrie all-female hardcore punk quartet Beaver Slap with Jack Spades' new lineup (including outgoing bassist Steve Shaw) and doom metal trio AlgomA's first post-tour local set, and fans on hand spoke highly of this union of punk and metal intensity at The Rockstar Bar! The headliners made many new fans, and the locals held up their end of the bargain, but did this show impress you more than any before it this year?

Other: Did we miss a show that you'd prefer to vote for, perhaps one with few or no metal, hard rock, or punk bands? Maybe one in Sault Michigan, or one we just forgot to include entirely? For reference, acts like The Band Camp Rejects, Curtis McKenzie, The Elements, The Gutter Demons, Mourning Wood, The Old Wives, Return For Refund, The River Jacks, Soundcheck, Stiffler's Mom, Telephone & Address, Tym Morrison, and Worst Days Down all played shows this year not otherwise included in the poll, not to mention shows only featuring bands who played in shows listed in the poll. If, for whatever reason, we missed your preferred choice, "Other" is for you!

VOTE TODAY!! You guys have until August 18th to cast your votes on this month's poll, and as always, it will be very interesting to see what show(s) come out on top! Cast your votes A.S.A.P., and stay tuned for more news and previews soon! Thanks everyone!

Theatre Of Night - "The Dawn's Early Light" Review!!

It's time for our 37th monthly local metal CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and today, we're looking at a Sault Michigan band's album for the third time in the past four months, and that is "The Dawn's Early Light", the new album from local classical metal outfit Theatre of Night! Independently released on July 1st, it's the band's second album following 2010's "Christmas Night" and similarly to it, "The Dawn's Early Light" is an instrumental concept album, this time themed around American patriotism & the United States Armed Forces, including many renditions of classic American songs and compositions. Featuring most of their current lineup, including guitarist/bassist Steve Giles, his brother Greg on drums, and Craig Harrison on the keyboard (singer Gaby Koss isn't featured), this album can be purchased via digital download from Reverbnation, iTunes, and Amazon for prices ranging from around $7-$9, but note that Reverbnation offers the best deal, so check the above links to do some shopping! Also note that some previews of the individual songs are also available on their pages and YouTube channel, and partial proceeds from sales of "The Dawn's Early Light" will go to The Folds of Honour Foundation. With about 38 minutes of music across 9 tracks, let's begin with this review with the fitting first song! (Updated on November 8th, 2012)

First is Theatre of Night's rendition of the American national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner", and after an intro that somewhat calls "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" to mind, it leads into some softer slower guitar playing and melodies that help to build into the traditional anthem rendition, and filling things out definitely makes sense to make this a lengthier track! Steve's guitar work to the melody of the anthem is great, and it makes up well for the lack of vocals, while Craig & Greg keep things heavy and well paced in the background, though the added ending feels somewhat out of place, and not of the same heroic American mood of earlier. Still, this is a well done extension of the U.S. national anthem, and in the middle, it strikes a great balance between metal heaviness and respect of their roots! Second is their version of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic", and from the start, Theatre of Night stick close to the original, though in a slower pacing with some extra guitar flourishes and suitable drumming, and with such a recognizable melody, it's hard not to get caught up in this track! That said, it's not overly heavy, but that goes with the song's mood. The orchestration at the end is a cool touch, and the callback to marching drummers, but this song probably could use vocals, as without them, it gets a touch repetitive for a song of it's length. Effective cover, and it strikes the right chords, but most metalheads will prefer the first track.

Third is their rendition of the classic "America The Beautiful", which launches into a slow piano-heavy intro that sets up Steve playing guitar to the vocal melody like on "The Star Spangled Banner", but the wait is less to get here. Again, he does this extremely well, but it has a different feel, as arguably, "America The Beautiful" is an easier and less dramatic song vocally, so his guitar work here is more reserved as a result. With that said, he plays this flawlessly, and the slow pacing suits the themes and messages of such a patriotic song, so it sort of feels like a mix of the first two songs. Very well done with great guitar work, but if you can't appreciate the pacing of the song and it's original message, you won't prefer it to some other tracks. Fourth is the album's shortest song, a rendition of the Civil War-era song "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", and it injects some energy from earlier tracks with some nicely varied melodies, some guitar solos that don't detract from the song, and more callbacks to the original version that will be familiar to the casual listener! Steve shines here, and Craig's keyboard work adds some solid atmosphere to the background, and the song shows some variance and more original touches than some of the earlier tracks, so it's definitely a standout on "The Dawn's Early Light" so far!

Fifth is the album's only completely original track, "The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier", which is inspired by the graves of unidentified soldiers. The only album track exceeding 5 minutes in length, it opens in dramatic ballad fashion with a solo keyboard/piano intro that's very well performed and emotionally tinged, before slowly implementing guitar work and drumming around the 2 minute mark. The pacing and intention of the song stays the same for the most part, but I like the orchestration midway through, and the guitar melody late does add some vibrance to the already powerful track. Though not a heavy song, it's not supposed to be, and it has a vibe of remembrance & loss, which gives this song a deserving importance & worth! That's followed by "Military Themes", a 3:35 medley of the themes of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Flowing into each other without formal breaks, this is easily the heaviest track since the first song on "The Dawn's Early Light", and it seems like Craig and the Giles brothers are injecting more of their own talents into these military themes to make it their own, and to flow like they were always intended to be together! While they stick to the original melodies, they inject some heavy riffs and melodies on this track, and it is a very entertaining metal track on it's own merits!

Seventh on this album is "My Country, Tis Of Thee", which Canadian readers may recognize as the American version of "God Save The Queen". An orchestral influenced opening and guitar melody to the original vocals help lead this track off, Theatre of Night's rendition takes on almost a dirge quality with it's slow pacing and doomier sound, but I really like the added orchestral music, and the drum work by Greg Giles is pounding at parts. This is one of the darker songs so far on "The Dawn's Early Light", but it has an epic feel at varying points, and it's very well done for what it is! Eighth is "Dixieland", a rendition of the U.S. folk song "Dixie", and Theatre of Night effectively slow this song down into a heavier and more epic feeling version of the original, and like earlier songs, the guitar work really shines, along with some solid drumming and an effective use of effects! I know this song had some dated negative connections at one point, but I didn't get that vibe at all when listening, as they put great care and love into these songs, and "Dixieland" is no exception! Well performed, if not exceedingly heavy, but they know what mood to put on what song for it to achieve the right messages!

The album's final track is "Taps", which opens with rain and thunderstorm effects to help set the somber tone, especially given that "Taps" is often played at military funerals or at dusk. The keyboard effects to replicate the horn on more common versions of this song are effective, and though this song doesn't serve as a full band showcase compared to many earlier tracks, Craig does some stellar work here to make a heavier and grand variant of "Taps", and though I typically don't like albums ending on a down note, it makes perfect sense to end "The Dawn's Early Light" in this fashion, knowing how important this song is as a means of closure, so I have no complaints! So, how does Theatre of Night's second album stack up? Well, I'm glad to see that the attention, detail, and respect for the original material is as prevalent here as it was on "Christmas Night", maybe even more so, because the songs they covered here deserve to be given a faithful interpretation, and though some changes were made, the guys stayed faithful to their original styles and intentions, and as a result, it's respectful yet can be enjoyed by metalheads!

For the individual members, Steve Giles' guitar work was proficient and melodic throughout, especially when instrumentalizing vocal harmonies, and Greg Giles was given much more chances to shine on drums here (and that he did), especially given the frequent absence of his drum parts on their last album. Craig Harrison's keyboard and effects work was also great, and he threw some welcome orchestration in along with nice atmospheric and dramatic piano parts, and individually, the guys did great! I preferred "The Star Spangled Banner", "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", and "Military Themes" the most, but nothing is badly done, and it's good that it's all done well, as these songs show great respect to their country and military. There are minor issues, like a lack of overly heavy songs, some repetition, and maybe a need for vocals occasionally or more guitar solos, but the point of "The Dawn's Early Light" wasn't to make a blistering original metal album. It was to honour the U.S.A. and the people that sacrficed to allow for the freedoms of America, and as long as Theatre of Night put their own spin on the material without disrespecting it, I have nothing to complain about. Overall, this is a successful tribute, and an entertaining album of metallized versions of many American standards, and it's a complete success on that basis! Pick it up today at the above links!

I hope you guys liked this month's CD review at the SMS! So, what's being reviewed next month? Though I've heard of no imminent metal CD reviews locally for August, I do have one CD in mind for a review in the event that nothing new is released, that being defunct Cedarville, Michigan hard rock quartet Oddfellow's only album "Go"! I say that for a couple of reasons: They're new to the site still, so it'd be cool to welcome them in further with a full review, and also, guitarist Jason Haske is active locally in the local cover rock band Chump Change, and if they play anywhere locally next month (which is likely), it'd be a perfect tie-in for the review! That said, a new review would take precedence if something comes out, and things could change that way or if Chump Change don't play locally next month, but that's the way I'm leaning right now. So unless something new comes out in the next few weeks, look for our review of Oddfellow's album (probably) between August 25th & 31st! That's all for tonight, but stay tuned for more news to wrap up July with tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Caveman & Tym Morrison), A New Local Band & Album, And More!!

We're behind on news at the SMS, so let's stack this post with a ton of news! Today, we have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for a bunch of shows featuring a prominent local musician this month, a brand new local metal album release, and some more assorted stories, but leading things off is a new addition to our band links, so read on below for the news, and check out this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post below this one!

We have added a new band to our active Sault Michigan band links, locking us in the 20 band range again, and it's The Hubbard-Menard Band! The new hard rock project from former Splitshot bandmates Dave Menard & Chris Hubbard (ex-Nixxon Dixxon/Trail's End) finally launched their Facebook page on Saturday, which is already updated a lot more than Chris' previous bands' Facebook pages ever were, which is a good sign! These include lots of photos, including the back cover for the proposed Hubbard-Menard Band album, which lists the song titles and credits 415E Studios as where the tracks were recorded. As well, instrumental demos of 6 songs (including the 3 that were previously on Chris' personal Facebook page) have been posted there (most with titles), including the tracks "Better Way", "Gypsy", "Wonderland", "Livin' It Up", "Run Ragid", and an untitled track that they plan to end the album with, so click each link to check them out! Remember, as Facebook video files, I can't embed them here. Plans are to record the remaining 9 songs towards a 15 song album release, and add vocals to each, with plans still in place to release the recordings on CD in the future, so keep posted at the above links!

Will The Hubbard-Menard Band take off successfully? Will this CD come out, and in what forms? How does Dave sound as a singer? How will this material compare to the originals Chris recorded with his old bands? All of these are questions I'll follow for the site, but it's just good to see Dave & Chris back together in this new project, and to see a new Sault Michigan band pop up, as this could be a good shot in the arm for their scene! Stay tuned to the SMS for more on The Hubbard-Menard Band as it comes in, and they're now in our Sault Michigan band links!

Next up, it's time for a bunch of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS relating to local singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's various projects, as he's booked solid for every weekend this month, including three concert weekends from the metal trio the fronts, Caveman Morrison! After a month+ break from the local stage, Caveman Morrison will return to The Roosevelt Hotel over the next two weekends (This Friday only & July 13th-14th), while they'll hit The Nicolet Tavern for the first time this summer on July 27th & 28th, which sounds like a busy and hard hitting month of shows for this talented local band! Note that I don't know why they're not playing this Saturday, and I also haven't heard who'll be on bass yet, as they parted ways with James White shortly before their shows at The Rosie last month, though if I hear anything on that front, I'll let you guys know! Admission for all of the above shows should be free, you must be 19 to attend any of them, and 10:00 PM start times are likely on all fronts. For more details, click the dates above, which is where I linked the Facebook event pages to save some space. It's great to see Caveman Morrison lining up so many new concerts, and hopefully they get great crowds at each one this month, so don't miss them, including THIS FRIDAY at The Rosie!

Leading from the new Caveman Morrison shows, you may have noticed no bookings over the July 20th-21st weekend from them. Well, Tym Morrison will bring his solo acoustic show back to The Service Grill on Korah Road over both nights with very long nights of his unplugged hard rock and metal covers, as you've come to expect! Like his other recent solo gigs, he'll be playing two sets on Friday the 20th and Saturday the 21st, with each one starting at 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM. I don't believe there's an age limit, given the restaurant setting, and there shouldn't be a cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's always good to check out a Tym Morrison solo concert, and at one of his favourite stomping grounds no less, so West Enders and Rosie regulars don't have to go too far to see his unplugged metal and hard rock covers on July 20th & 21st! Stay tuned for more updates from Tym & Caveman Morrison as they roll in!

Also in the news, a new local metal album went on sale yesterday as expected, and it's Sault Michigan classical metal trio Theatre of Night's second album "The Dawn's Early Light"! Though the release on Canada Day rather than Independence Day is still a headscratcher, this American patriotic-themed album is now available to purchase through Reverbnation, CDBaby, Amazon, and other retailers to be announced (likely including iTunes), so check the above links to pick it up! The price does vary a lot though, as Reverbnation has it for $4.99 in mp3 format, while CDBaby's mp3 cost is almost double that, so do some price shopping. I have my copy already, and with it's successful scheduled release, I can guarantee that this month's CD review will be of "The Dawn's Early Light", but how will it stack up to "Christmas Night" as a classical metal concept album? I'm curious to find out for sure, so stay tuned to the SMS this month (hopefully earlier in the month) for my review, and pick up Craig & the Giles brothers' latest handiwork at the above links!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter stories from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or venue name:

• The new Coch's Corner location is hosting live music once again! Members of local blues rock band Blues Harvest played there late last month as per their Facebook page, while the open mic nights hosted by Greg Callaghan have returned as well from what I understand. As for when metal will return to the former Foggy's location, that's up in the air, but keep an eye out in case I hear something!
• I'll likely be moving ex-Hoist The Sails/Analog Deficiency guitarist Nathan Switzer's solo project to our inactive Sault Michigan band links tomorrow due to a year's inactivity. He hasn't posted on his solo Facebook page since a year ago tomorrow, though I know he still does some local music work & songwriting. Hopefully he revisits his solo work though, as he's definitely a talented young musician!
• The Sault College Health & Wellness Center will have a bar & restaurant on site! The news was briefly confirmed in a recent Sault Star article on the new building, and this basically confirms that there will be a replacement for The Outback of some type when the new wellness center opens next summer. Will it house live bands? Time will tell, but even this small note is encouraging, and I'll keep you guys posted!
  

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news tomorrow, and on Wednesday, keep an eye out for what we have planned for our fifth anniversary! Don't be an odd fellow or inhuman, for all that you know, we may just be going to a cafe in St. Ignace... are those too much of a hint? Stay tuned!

Local Metal Video Showcase!!

Hey guys, this is a special auto-post while I'm at the Roberta Bondar Pavilion for the all ages outdoors metal show, and because I'm still trying to clear out a backlog of news, I thought I'd get these up on the site before the review! So here's our first local metal video showcase of the month, and today, we've got videos relating to one band's new album, a yet-nameless band's latest videos, and some new solo performance clips, so read on below for what you need to know!

We'll start with this latest video from Sault Michigan classical metal trio Theatre of Night, and it serves as a promo video for their upcoming second album! Uploaded onto their YouTube channel on Tuesday, it reveals that the album will be entitled "The Dawn's Early Light" (alluding to lyrics in "The Star Spangled Banner"), and it will serve as a "dramatic & haunting tribute" to the U.S. Armed Forces. Likely their last all instrumental album before beginning work with Gaby Koss, the video reveals that they'll cover songs like "The Star Spangled Banner", "Taps", "The Battle Hymn Of The Republic", and the themes of all of the American military branches among the 12 planned songs, along with playing clips from three tracks. The video itself isn't anything too shocking, just images of the nice album artwork with some filters and effects. My only gripe is that the intro seems very out of season, given that they included audio from their version of "Carol of the Bells" in a video from May, but I know it's more because it's from their last album than for anything else. Other than that, this is a great promo for their new album, which already sounds like it'll be on an even grander scale than "Christmas Night" was, so check out the full video below, and stay tuned for "The Dawn's Early Light" this summer!



Next up, remember the young local band from recent Superior Heights Collegiate sets that have been featured in videos uploaded by YouTube user adamscovers? Well, two more are now up of this young (but talented) trio, as posted late last month, including their covers of Shinedown's "If You Only Knew" and (as embedded below) Billy Squier's "Lonely Is The Night!" These differ from the previous 8 videos of this band in that multiple cameras are used: The normal one to the band's right, and a more central one, and lots of transitions, rotations, and zooms are used on these videos. Plus, the band members have switched guitar & bass this time around, so note that as well. The more we see of them, the better their video quality gets, but how does this band sound on these covers? They definitely handle harder material better than ballads, as their Shinedown cover sounded a bit off, but I'm still impressed with their talent! The bassist in these videos (who I believe is named Liam Seymour) has a solid voice, and these guys definitely can go far, but hopefully we can learn some more on them at some point! Check out their Billy Squier cover below, and much more at the above links!



Let's close this post with new videos, starting with a new solo performance clip from Trail's End & London Gentlemen drummer Jake LaLonde! Posted onto his YouTube channel on Tuesday, it's of him covering Godsmack's "Straight Out Of Line", and he definitely has it down pretty well! Like his other recent solo videos, this is from an overhead view in black & white, and his skills are as clear as ever! The original backing track sounds downtuned a bit though, but that could be to skirt copyright rules. Check out Jake's new video below, and keep an eye out for more news from his solo & band work!



And finally, here's the latest solo performance videos from ApolcayptiCDistroyeR frontman Jesse Middaugh! Both of these are Tom Petty covers on the acoustic guitar, as posted earlier this week, but they differ from most of his recent uploads in that Jesse does sing in them! He doesn't do a bad job on either "Free Falling" or "Learning To Fly" (as embedded below), but the limits of his vocal range can be felt, especially on the "Free Falling" cover. The video quality could be cleaner too, but overall, if you want some mellower covers, these might work! If you prefer Jesse and ApocalyptiCDistroyeR's heavier work though, you may wanna steer clear. Check out his newest Tom Petty covers above, and here's "Learning To Fly"!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for my review of last night's metal show at the Roberta Bondar Pavilion TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!