LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Nameless & Silent 9!!)

While nowhere near as busy as what we saw locally in July, things are definitely busier locally for hard rock concerts this weekend, and we will have to stretch out our weekend concert previews to two posts as a result. As such, this weekend's Heavy Lies The Crown, Generations, and Tarnished shows will feature in tomorrow's post. Here's what you should know otherwise, starting with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS! 

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 have a busy weekend ahead, and it starts TOMORROW NIGHT when they return to The Tap Room at Northern Superior Brewing Co., followed by the featured headliners slot at the annual Laird Fair outside of town on SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice on both fronts, the band only announced both dates on their Facebook page on Monday, though they have been advertised for the Laird Fair in their own promotional materials before then. TOMORROW'S show is the second late notice one in as many weeks from an SMS-amenable band at the Tap Room, and is a bit of a surprise booking from Jess, Ryan, Paul, and Steve, as they normally take the summer off from standard nightclub shows, only playing festivals and private bookings then. In fact, while we're on the subject, they'll be back at the Tap Room on Saturday, September 27th as well!

That show was quietly confirmed on their website's concert calendar, and we'll wait on other public shows there for now due to the later scheduling but they will be more active publically this fall. As far as I can tell, there's no raison d'etre for TOMORROW'S brief pause of their summer break from bar shows, but the fun classic and hard rock covers will be in full swing at Northern Superior, especially at a venue better known for acoustic acts! TOMORROW'S and next month's shows are at 8:00 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover. As for the Laird Fair (a.k.a. the North Shore Agricultural Fair), Silent 9 are this year's headlining band, taking over for the now-defunct Soundcheck on SATURDAY NIGHT! The Friday band slot this year was replaced by karaoke. Loads of family friendly entertainment is in store in Laird (outside of Echo Bay), both for farming and agricultural events and for games and activities, so be sure to visit the fair's Facebook page for the complete schedule!

Silent 9 will set up shop on SATURDAY NIGHT under the covered (but not entirely indoors) stage at the fairground site at Lake George Road East once again, which bodes well for the rainy weather forecast, but do follow your preferred weather forecast for updates on Laird Fair events like this (9&10 News is calling for a high of 27° that night). The concert proper is a licensed 19+ event at 9:00 PM, and admission to the concert is included with fair passes, which run for $10 for the day and $20 for the full weekend. Visit the above links for more on Silent 9's busy short notice weekend, and for a preview, here they are live last year!

Next up, let's skip over to Michigan for another new confirmation, as local hard rock quartet The Nameless will debut at The Goetzville Tavern in nearby Goetzville on SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced by the band on their Facebook page on Sunday, though the venue has been plugging this show on their Facebook page since last month. Stalwart Agricultural Fair aside, this is the first standard concert that we've covered in Goetzville (outside of Pickford) since 2014, believe it or not. The Goetzville Tavern may be better known to local readers as Yooperman's Bar & Grill, and it re-opened under its new name and ownership in April at 18017 East M-48. Concerts have sporadically taken place there since last month, with The Nameless being the first heavier-leaning act there, so welcome them to a new locale an hour south of here in style on SATURDAY!

The Nameless take the stage on SATURDAY at 7:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no announced cover charge. Note that The Goetzville Tavern technically closes at 10:00 PM nightly, but they will clearly extend their hours for concerts if need be, and The Nameless are advertised to play until 11:00 PM. The official Facebook event page strongly hints that the show will be outdoors under a tent, so given that, 9&10 News is calling for a 70% chance of rain on SATURDAY dipping to 40% at night, with temperatures expected in the mid-high 70s (a high of 27° Celsius). I have no idea if they have provisions to postpone the show or move it indoors due to rain, so follow The Goetzville Tavern and/or the band on social media for updates if you are all concerned. Otherwise, visit the above links for more details on the hard rock action in Goetzville on SATURDAY NIGHT, and here's The Nameless live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for the rest of this weekend's hard rock concert previews next! Thanks everyone! 

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & Soundcheck) Plus More Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

This busy weekend concert preview slate begun early with Thursday nighters yesterday, and moves into Friday-Saturday shows in Sault Ste. Marie city limits for post #2. The plan is to preview the Northern Vibe Festival next (I did get a tentative schedule from one of the performers), with this weekend's two ARCH benefit motorcycle rally concerts and Wax Mannequin to follow where space and time allows. Stay tuned on those fronts, but here's what you should know for this weekend otherwise, starting with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will head just outside of town to Echo Bay TOMORROW NIGHT for a second concert at The Elks Lodge there linked to slo-pitch baseball! Apologies for the short notice, we only learned about this show via the band's Facebook page yesterday, though the Echo Bay Sunday Slo-Pitch League Facebook page first confirmed their involvement last week. Soundcheck had first rocked Echo Bay in June as part of the Elks Bay Days tournament, but things clearly went well for the baseball players and fans in Echo Bay then, as their return TOMORROW's concert is for the league proper's end-of-season banquet, and will be preceded by a catered dinner with cash bar. This is a ticketed and publically attendable event, and admission will be $20 (kids 10 & under are free), which will also enter you for the door prize.

Soundcheck's set TOMORROW NIGHT at 96 Church Street is at 9:00 PM running for your standard nightclub runtime, and free on-site camping is also available. Hopefully TOMORROW's concert is another home run for Soundcheck as they rock Echo Bay one more time to end the slo-pitch baseball season there, so don't miss their fan friendly hard rocking covers there or this evening at the newer A&W for the Cruisin' The Dub car show! Visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

Next up, joining his regular weekly concerts TOMORROW at The Mike Case Memorial Stage outside of The Trading Post and on SATURDAY at Misty's Fifties, local acoustic classic/hard rock solo artist Tym Morrison will play a rare gig at a more standard nightclub when he returns to Reggie's Place on SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice on the Reggie's gig, it was only announced on the venue's Facebook page yesterday. Tym is way more commonly seen at atypical and more unplugged-friendly venues than he is at nightclubs known for hosting bands regularly, so keep his return to Queen Street East in mind on SATURDAY NIGHT for his own entertaining blend of classic and hard rock covers! Remember, he had played in the vicinity of Reggie's at the former Tazzi's a few times in the past year. Of course, his regular weekly shows at The Mike Case Memorial Stage tomorrow and at Misty's on Saturday prior are still going on as those series march on into (at least) next month.

The Reggie's show is a one-nighter due to or resulting in a karaoke night there tomorrow. Tym's triple header this weekend has start times of 7:00 PM tomorrow, 4:00 PM at Misty's on Saturday, and at 9:30 PM at Reggie's on SATURDAY NIGHT! The Trading Post show has no age limit, and none have a cover charge. Weather-wise, tomorrow's Mike Case Stage show is looking to have cloudy weather at 21°, but it's not expected to rain. Click here & here and visit the above links for more details, and here he is live!

Now let's head to Sault Michigan, where "weird Wisconsin hard rock" trio Sunspot will return to The Rapids Lounge at the local Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! This will be Sunspot's fourth annual trip from Madison to Sault Ste. Marie to coincide with the annual Michigan Paranormal Convention, which returns to the Soo Kewadin this weekend from today through Saturday for what will actually be its final year (click here for more details on why the MiParacon is "bidding the mortal realm adieu"). Suffice to say, if you are at all into ghosts, aliens, cryptids, and anything else paranormal, you'll definitely want to check out all of the action at the Kewadin ballroom this weekend, and click here to see who all is coming to the Soo for this year's festivities! Of course, you don't need a MiParacon wristband to see Sunspot at The Rapids Lounge, but they're quite fitting for the weekend.

Sunspot actually have ghost investigators in their lineup, many of their songs are about mythical and fantastical concepts, and their hard rock/power pop hybrid sound (including some violin input) has definitely turned local heads since 2021, and hopefully the end of the convention doesn't mean the end of Sunspot making 7 hour trips northeast to play here! Expect 9:00 PM start times and 21+ age limits tomorrow and Saturday, and these absolutely have no cover charge, paid MiParacon admission isn't needed. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Sunspot live!

Finally for weekend concert preview post #2, let's head back to Sault Ontario, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will return to Gateway Casino for one night only on SATURDAY NIGHT! Two weeks removed from their last date at Shooters alongside bassist Pierre Anthony Vaillancourt's son Liam as a guest singer, regular frontwoman Valerie Powley will be back on Saturday, in what will be their first show at the downtown casino since they ended Rotaryfest weekend there. Hopefully Generations' skilled blend of classic and hard rock covers find another solid audience of fans and casino patrons alike on Saturday! No, they're not playing elsewhere tomorrow that I'm aware of. Saturday's concert has a 9:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details on Generations' casino return on Saturday night, and for a preview, here they are live at Rotaryfest last month!

That's all for now, but look for our preview of this year's Northern Vibe Festival next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tym Morrison), One More Concert Preview, And More Recent Updates!!

Well, how does one more weekend concert preview post sound for the Canada Day long weekend? Along with some new live videos and assorted updates, we have one more show accidentally omitted from our existing previews and a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so here's what you should know on this Saturday afternoon!

Local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will reportedly play at The Dive Gastro Pub THIS MONDAY NIGHT for a special Canada Day matinee concert! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced by the venue's Facebook event page this morning. This will be Tym's second show at The Dive in a five day span, following his "Think It Over Thursday" date inside the former Low & Slow, of course bookending yesterday's Mike Case Memorial Stage gig and today's Misty's Fifties matinee. However, MONDAY'S concert will be a "Patio Play" event on The Dive's outdoor patio, much like their Saturday bookings. Hopefully Tym provides an entertaining soundtrack of classic and hard rock hits for fans at the Queen Street East nightclub on MONDAY EVENING! This show has a 5:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no cover.

Weather-wise, The Dive indicated on the event page that "it looks like the weather will be on point", and while it's too soon to see an hourly forecast for MONDAY EVENING, 9&10 News is calling for partly cloudy weather with no chance of rain and a high temperature of 22°. If that holds, "on point" would be accurate for most, especially given that rain is likely on Tuesday in the current forecast! Visit the above links for more on Tym's holiday weekend capper on MONDAY, and here he is live!

Next up, here's one more weekend concert preview that I neglected to include when we covered this band's Water Tower Pub show last night, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will hit the road for nearby Echo Bay (just outside of town) TONIGHT! This concert will see Terry, Cameron, Jim, and Glen serve as musical entertainment for this year's Elks Bay Days Slo-Pitch Tournament, with the Soundcheck concert being inside The Elks Lodge at 96 Church Street as the musical entertainment after day #2 of this year's Elks Bay Days Slo-Pitch Tournament! Despite the trappings of being linked to a baseball tournament, this is publically attendable, so if you're in Echo Bay/just east of the Soo, you may want to head to The Elks Lodge to enjoy their hard rocking classic and country covers tonight! Unless registered for the tournament, this is free with a 9:00 PM start time and no stated age limit. 

Be advised that Soundcheck had teased playing at a Cruisin' The Dub car show at the newer A&W on Great Northern Road tomorrow afternoon as well, but I have not found any public advertising or references to it on social media beyond what the band said on their Facebook page over a week ago. That doesn't mean that there won't be a car show with Soundcheck playing (they haven't always had high online advertising), but I'm erring on the side of caution by not including it here given the lack of promotion. Stay tuned in case something is confirmed, but to preview their Echo Bay gig tonight, here they are live!

Also, we have some new videos of local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations to share! A day after we previewed their late notice gigs at Jay's Piston Broke Pub yesterday and TONIGHT on the SMS, frontwoman Valerie Powley posted four videos of the band at a recent private stag & doe booking to their Facebook group on Friday, so what can you see here? The videos include Generations covering Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' "Refugee", Sheryl Crow's "If It Makes You Happy", The Tragically Hip's "New Orleans Is Sinking" (with bassist Pierre Anthony on lead vocals), and as embedded below, Pat Benatar's "Heartbreaker". Unfortunately, these videos do suffer from a vertical orientation, a tight side-stage angle that completely cuts drummer Tony Santoro out of frame, and Pierre and Tony K. often being out of frame or blocked from view. Also, aside from the Sheryl Crow cover, these are all under a minute long.

However, the audio quality from the filmer's camera is really strong, and Valerie's powerful vocals are put to good display on the three songs that she sings lead on, none of which are frequently filmed from what I know, and it's nice to see things a little heavier as such! Check out all four of Generations' stag & doe videos above and below, and don't miss them all back at Jay's Piston Broke Pub TONIGHT!

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

 

• I have sadly removed local death metal band Kaepora Gaebora (a.k.a. Exploring Detritus) from our inactive band links due to the deletion of their Facebook page (their only formal social media page) at some point in the past three months. The subject of our Defunct Local Band Profile from March, Kaepora Gaebora (led by ex-Bring The Fallen guitarist Dan Souliere) peaked as a live band in early 2016 but struggled to otherwise get off the ground, including in their 2022 relaunch. I wish they'd have left the Facebook page up, but hopefully we hear more from ex-members soon, and don't miss drummer Anthony Boudreau in HeadFirst!
• Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 have quietly dropped out of Giovanni's Italian Festival at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion on July 27th, as per their exclusion from the full performer lineup and the band's removal of the gig from their website's calendar. A reason for their withdrawal was not announced, but hopefully nothing bad happened, and they are still playing at a Giovanni's sponsored event next month, namely the COPPA Soccer Tournament next Saturday! Veteran classic rock quartet RPM have replaced Silent 9 in the 4:00 PM timeslot at the Italian Festial.
• For the first time, Rotaryfest will feature a Stage 3 in 2024! Nicknamed "Wild Beats", the third stage will take place at the Downtown Plaza on Friday, July 19th only, and will feature three EDM artists/DJs, perhaps taking inspiration from The Northern Vibe Festival's hosting of separate Forest and River Stages for bands and DJs (two of the three performers are indeed playing in Ophir in August). Obviously, this doesn't cross the SMS' music genre radar, but it'll be interesting to see how Stage 3 does, as opposed to prior attempts to counter-program the festival (remember The Bottoms Up Lounge's old "Secret Stage"?)
  

 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's CD review tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck), More Weekend Concert Previews, And Bone Yard 225 Updates!!

It's post #2 of this packed slate of hard rock/punk weekend concert previews, so if you're looking for late notice gigs and anything that has an earlier start time tomorrow, check the post below this one. Today's looks at cover bands playing tomorrow and Saturday night, along with a cancellation, a video from that same band, and LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS from a band playing this weekend, so here's what you should know!

We'll start at The Esquire Club, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to the stage TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! These will be Soundcheck's first shows at the Second Line West nightclub since playing there for consecutive weekends last month, and are the last shows on the venue's early 2024 concert calendar shared on Facebook back in January. Now, drummer Glen Thomas elaborated on the band's future plans in a post on their Facebook page yesterday, noting that they're ending their run as jam night hosts at Jay's Piston Broke Pub after tonight, as singer/guitarist Terry Eaton "needs a breather from them". Jam nights will continue at Jay's with different band(s), and while we await confirmation, remember that we don't cover jam nights regardless of host band due to their in-built unpredictability. Come on down to Jay's tonight to send Terry, Jim, and Glen off!

Glen also indicated that this weekend's shows might be the last at The Esquire Club before the venue goes on a summer break from hosting bands, but I haven't seen confirmation of that beyond what Glen said. In the above post, Glen also revealed some brand new dates for the Canada Day long weekend, including their return to The Water Tower Pub on Friday, June 28th! As the venue historically has different bands each night, Soundcheck will play elsewhere on Saturday the 29th, specifically an event in Echo Bay just outside of town. Glen didn't elaborate, but after some digging, I can confirm that Soundcheck are playing at The Elks Lodge as the musical entertainment after day #2 of this year's Elks Bay Days Slo-Pitch Tournament! As best as I can tell, this is publically attendable, so keep it in mind if you want to enjoy their classic and hard rock covers on the outskirts of town, and/or the slo-pitch baseball action!

Lastly, Soundcheck will reportedly return to the Soo on Sunday the 30th to rock this year's Cruisin' The Dub car show at the newer A&W on Great Northern Road, but I am going to hold off on plugging that for now as I have not found any public advertising for it from organizers despite its scope. Stay tuned, even if it's late notice! This weekend's two Esquire Club shows are at 9:30 PM, next weekend's publically confirmable events are both at 9:00 PM, none have an advertised cover charge (unless you're in the slo-pitch tournament), and I'd assume that all are 19+. Visit the above links for more on Soundcheck's busy end of June, and for a preview of this weekend's Esquire Club shows, here they are live!

Next up, we'll transition from one of this year's Rotaryfest Stage 1 closing bands to another, as fellow local classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down will play a double-header at Reggie's Place TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen at this or any other venue last month, these will be the fourth and fifth shows with Beej Syrette on guitar, and hopefully he's settled into a good groove by now with his new band, even if we haven't seen public video footage of the band with him yet (shot by him, yes, but not with him performing). No word on if we'll see Double Down anywhere else beforehand, but these should be a good appetizer for when they cap off Rotaryfest's band lineup in four weeks, so prepare for lots of fan friendly hard rock covers then! These are 19+ events with no cover charge and 9:30 PM start times. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Double Down live last year!

Today's post was supposed to end with a preview of Saturday night's Bone Yard 225 show at Shooters Downstairs Lounge, but that show has quietly been cancelled. The band hasn't plugged it in their recent concert calendar updates, nor have they given a reason why the show was called off, and the venue is instead hosting a DJ and dance party tomorrow and Saturday rather than calling in replacement musicians. Hopefully nothing bad happened with Greg, Alex, and Warren at Shooters, and that we see them back there in the fall! The guys will next rock Reggie's for the Canada Day long weekend. Rather than completely discard Bone Yard from today's post, let's look at the video that I would have previewed their Saturday nighter with, courtesy of their Queen Street Cruise set this past Saturday! As it turns out, the Roberta Bondar Pavilion is the Friday locale after the cruise proper, not where they played for show #2 the next afternoon.

During the show n' shine car show, Bone Yard 225 took to an outdoor stage in front of the waterfront near the Montana's building on Foster Drive, so good thing the weather cooperated! Attendee Marcy Catherine live-streamed the guys covering Alice Cooper's "Be My Lover" for her personal Facebook page, which the band shared to their Facebook page after the fact, and while it is unfortunately vertical, the clear weather and close vantage point are to this video's benefit, let alone a cover that you don't hear often here from Bone Yard or anyone else! Check it out below, and stay tuned for more from your local 225!

 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our It's The Pits, Inconsistent Me, and Bookclub concert previews tomorrow to cap off this very busy weekend preview slate! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck) & Weekend Concert Previews!!

Before we get into this weekend's concert previews, just a heads up that former Startlefish bassist and Taxi Passenger Revue host Mike Robillard's obituary is now up on SooToday at this link. There, it confirms that he passed away at Sault Area Hospital on Monday at just 51 years of age, and he survived by his mother, three siblings, and numerous nephews and nieces, among other extended family. His funeral services will take place at the Arthur Funeral Home's Barton & Kiteley Chapel at 492 Wellington Street East on Friday, May 6th at 1:00 PM, with visitation preceding from 10:30 AM on, and interment will be at Greenwood Cemetery. Memorial donations to the Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated by his family. Just a shame all around, but hopefully his family & friends keep the good memories close at this difficult time. R.I.P. Mike!

Now, today's post is otherwise devoted to hard rock & punk concert previews on this relatively quieter weekend in the Twin Saults, and we'll start with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's West for traditional concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced via the official Facebook event page yesterday, though note that while Soundcheck themselves only listed the Friday nighter, the venue's Facebook page confirms they're be there both nights. Technically three, as their usual weekly jam night at the Reggievelt also goes down tonight, but historically, we don't cover jam nights as "concerts" on the SMS due to their unpredictable nature. Thursday jamming aside, these will be Soundcheck's first normal concerts at this venue in over a month, but fans have seen them elsewhere since.

Hopefully Terry, Cameron, Paul and/or Rob, and Glen have a strong weekend of fan friendly and often heavy covers once again, so don't miss out TOMORROW or SATURDAY despite the late notice! These shows and tonight's jam night will have 8:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits, as recently usual. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live a few weeks back!

Today's other previews are of shows that had ample advance notice, and we'll next head south to Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula, where Traverse City hard rock trio Scarkazm will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Despite saying "it's been WAY too long" when promoting these shows on Facebook, St. Ignace fans will have just seen Scarkazm at that Kewadin Casino branch in early March, with a weekend at the Kewadin branch in the Soo in between, so it may just seem like it's been too long. Regardless, this fan favourite touring act should deliver more hard rocking originals and covers to Mackinac County fans this weekend, so don't miss out! For the record, Scarkazm are not advertised to return to either Kewadin branch through June, but we will address hard rock bands that are soon.

Scarkazm are on at 9:00 PM tomorrow & Saturday night as usual for their Kewadin jaunts, and these shows are 21+ affairs with no cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Scarkazm live!

Finally, let's head north to Sault Ontario for the local concert debut of Vancouver alternative punk band The Midnight Echo, who will be rocking out at The Rockstar Bar THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Fans of upbeat indie-tinged pop punk will take to The Midnight Echo's distinct original sound, complete with some sweeping synth elements and a good ear for catchy melodies, so definitely consider a trip to The Algonquin Hotel's upstairs venue on Saturday to see what they have in store! Remember, touring bands from out of town is still something of a novelty as we're (hopefully) coming out of the pandemic, so try and make this show worth the band's and the venue's while by coming out if they pique your musical interest! This stop on The Midnight Echo's Whatever Happens, Happens Tour was originally scheduled for Soo Blaster's spring 2022 concert series before being moved to The Rockstar Bar for unannounced reasons.

No word on an opening band, for the record. Everything goes down on Saturday night at 8:30 PM with a 19+ age limit, and while a cover charge was not announced on the Facebook event page, bring money just in case, especially given the trek that The Midnight Echo are on for this tour. Visit the above links for more details, and here are the headliners live!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for either a new news post or this month's CD review tomorrow! Both will hit the site by week's end, for the record. Thanks everyone!

Spades GT & The Northwest Updates, Plus More Recent News & Notes!!

I hope everyone's long weekend is off to a good start! On this Good Friday, we're playing catch-up with a very punk-leaning post, including the latest from a resurgent quintet, some assorted recent updates, and leading off, some big updates for a prominent band, so here's what you should know!

Here's the latest from local/Barrie punk/metal band Spades GT (née Jack Spades), who played their first concert since 2019 and since their relocation & name/lineup changes last night! As you may recall, Spades GT were among the support acts for a Dayglo Abortions/Random Killing show at The Queens Nightclub in Barrie last night, and based on personal Facebook postings, it looks like their set and the show proper were well received! It would have taken personal postings to learn that, however, as their Facebook page has vanished for unannounced reasons. If intentionally deleted, it could be to signify a fresh start, but the prior Jack Spades page was updated to reflect the new name and other changes, so who knows. This page for "Jack Spades GT" was launched last summer, but if it's official, it hasn't seen any updates aside from a non-specific profile picture. We'll let you know when/if a new Facebook page surfaces!

For now, Spades GT are linked on the SMS via their Bandcamp page. As for how Spades GT looked, photos shared from the event indicate that they are currently a four piece, belatedly confirming that guitarist Tiffany Stocco has left the band for a second time, presumably due to not moving to the GTA like J.D. & Daniel. Look for more music from her soon, hopefully! While she hasn't been replaced, there was one more lineup alteration, as Daniel Rodbard has replaced Steve Lorenz on bass with Spades GT for unannounced reasons. Hopefully nothing bad happened with Steve, but Daniel is an experienced Toronto-area bassist from acts like the Hip tribute The Tragically Hits and the thrash metal band Burning The Day, so it looks like he has the chops! No word on media from their debut, but members of Spades GT will be back in action in the GTA next month, so what should you know there?

Much like they did in the headliners' local dates, Spades GT will be among the openers for legendary metal trio Anvil's concert at The Rockpile in Toronto on May 28th, so if you'll be down south at the end of next month, keep this concert in mind, and click here for more details! Guitarist Daniel Horton has also indicated that he (at least) will be taking part in the Me First & The Gimme Gimmes tribute at The Queens Nightclub in Barrie on May 5th as part of a six band tribute concert, but it wasn't clear if Spades GT proper were the tribute or if this was a supergroup of area musicians.  It's great to see Spades GT are off & running at long last, and see above for more on J.D., the Daniels, and Tyler's 2022 activity!

Next up, here's the latest from local indie/punk quintet The Northwest, who received some surprise national TV exposure on Saturday night (well, early Sunday morning in this time zone) when their brand new song "Long Hair (Longer Nights)" was used as outro music during a third period commercial break of the Edmonton Oilers/Colorado Avalanche game on Hockey Night In Canada on CBC! Very cool, and while the band oddly did not plug the appearance before or afterward on their Facebook page, personal videos are floating around featuring the moment the song was played. When this occurred, the Oilers were leading 1-0, but the Avs won 2-1 in the shootout. Also on Saturday, Niagara Falls music website From The Strait interviewed Wayne Watkins & Mike Yakasovich from The Northwest for this article, so what do we learn?

The interview features the guys talking about the meaning of "Long Hair (Longer Nights)", how they formed, their musical inspirations, favourite current Canadian bands, and what to expect in the future. While mostly a light, CliffsNotesy dialogue with no direct references to the Soo, The Northwest do reveal that their third EP "All In" is scheduled for release on Friday, June 10th, and gigs are in the works! Very good to hear, and if the date holds, it just adds to a surprisingly busy stretch for local hard rock & punk album releases as of late! Our monthly review backlog means it's tentatively pencilled in for a July review, for the record. Check out much more from The Northwest above!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual for these short-form story blocks, these are in alphabetical order by artist or venue name:

 

• In their first Facebook posting in almost three months, local alternative/genre-hating quartet Handsome Sandwich revealed on Wednesday that the rhythm guitar, bass, and drum recording sessions for their upcoming debut album "Lettuce" are complete! No word on vocals (or lead guitar?) yet, but it's good to see that the guys are staying busy behind the scenes, and we'll let you know when more updates surface!
• The Midnight Echo concert in Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday, April 30th has been moved from Soo Blaster to The Rockstar Bar, as per the latter venue's new Facebook event page. A reason for the venue change was not announced, but note that outside of the SooToday article on Soo Blaster's spring 2022 concert series, they never advertised The Midnight Echo as playing there on social media. Hopefully nothing bad happened, but kudos to The Rockstar Bar for stepping in to ensure the show goes on! No word on admission fees, we'll let you know if something is said.
• Algoma University's campus nightclub/concert venue The Speakeasy re-opened last month after two years of pandemic inactivity with a newly renovated interior and a new regular open mic night series! As per their Facebook page, current operating hours are 6:00-11:00 PM on Wednesdays-Fridays, but one imagines that will expand with time, and could be flexible if outside events are booked there. It'd be great to see some concerts at The Speakeasy again when the time is right, but see above for what's going on there in 2022 so far!
  

 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site in the days ahead! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (White Cowbell Oklahoma, The Midnight Echo, And Parabol!!)

Today's news post is devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS at a notable downtown venue that's helping get the local concert scene back in the swing if things in the months ahead, so here's what you should know!

As part of plans to help kickstart the local concert scene after 2 years of damage from the pandemic, Soo Blaster on Queen Street East is launching a concert series there from this month through early June, with seven live events (mostly from musical acts) hitting the stage there. As revealed in this SooToday article from last week, the series kicks off on April 16th with a show by local pop rock cover band The Killer Hooks, while the next two include Canadian rap legend Robbie G on April 20th and touring comedians Kenny Robinson & Darren Frost the next day (tickets for all three are now on sale at this link). We already know about Fort Creek's headlining show at Soo Blaster on May 7th, while the series will end with a show by Fernandez The Hypnotist on June 9th. The other two shows (plus one event not officially part of the series) fit the SMS' coverage range, so if you've been itching to see some more live music, here's what you should know!

First up for hard rock or punk acts at Soo Blaster this year is Vancouver alt-punk quartet The Midnight Echo, who will hit Sault Ste. Marie for the first time on Saturday, April 30th!  Coming around the middle of the band's Whatever Happens, Happens Tour of Canada this spring, The Midnight Echo's sound will definitely appeal to fans of locals Northwest in particular, with a pop punk based amped up with atmospheric synth elements and catchy melodies (think like a middle ground between Blink-182 and Angels & Airwaves). The Midnight Echo should appeal to a lot of locals with their distinct yet familiar brand of original music, so don't miss out at month's end! No word on admission fees or start times yet, but expect at least $10 tickets based on other shows in Soo Blaster's concert series so far, and this should be a 19+ event. Visit the above links for more on The Midnight Echo!

Next is a show that is not listed in the official concert series reveal on SooToday, but is still a publically attendable concert at Soo Blaster regardless, as Toronto southern hard rock standouts White Cowbell Oklahoma will return to Sault Ste. Marie for their first ever Soo Blaster date on Friday, May 13th! The show proper is the kickoff event for this year's Sault Ste. Marie Festival of Beer put on by LopLops Lounge, with this year's festival taking place primarily at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Center. The festival went on hiatus in 2020 & 2021 for very obvious reasons, but fans of craft beer and IPAs will be glad to know that it is back, so see above for full details on the festival proper! This will be White Cowbell Oklahoma's first Sault date since rocking LopLops in January 2019, and while they can't return there due to that venue's continued closure since the pandemic onset, Soo Blaster should be big enough to contain their wild stage show next month!

As best as I can tell, W.C.O. still feature former Detroit/Maximum RNR guitarist Curtis Faux in their lineup, but the band is usually coy on official band pages about who is currently enlisted. The sparks will literally fly (remember, they use power tools on stage) on May 13th with a 19+ age limit, 10:00 PM start time, and $25 advance ticket fee, and you can get tickets at this link (nothing is said about in-person availability, inquire with LopLops if you're curious). White Cowbell Oklahoma's over-the-top, southern fried-yet hard rocking blend of music and showmanship will be more than welcomed in the Soo again, so see above for full details!

Finally, local Tool tribute band Parabol will play their first concert in over two & a half years when they rock Soo Blaster on Saturday, June 4th! Be advised that Parabol have not updated their Facebook page since November, and we will let you know if this show does not occur for one reason or another, but it is listed on the schedule in the above SooToday post. As you may recall, Parabol consist of Redefined, Sense of Truth, Half Past, and Late Shift alumni, and were a popular sight on the local concert scene from late 2018-late 2019, last seen in October of that year at Soo Blaster,. Their original Facebook page was taken down for alleged copyright infringement strikes (they apparently sounded too close to Tool), and the pandemic helped keep them off stage regardless, hence the live hiatus. Hopefully the guys shake off the rust in time to deliver another proficient night full of prog metal classics, and it'll be great to see Parabol back in action!

Attendee details are not public yet, but note that October 2019's Soo Blaster show was a 19+, 10:00 PM affair, and tickets went for $5 in advance or $8 at the door. Visit the above links for continuing details on these and other upcoming concerts at Soo Blaster, and it's great to see that they're getting back into the swing of things for live entertainment! Hopefully other venues aren't too far off, and of course, I do hope everyone is sensible re: the pandemic, as while things are more open, it's not done yet. That's all for today, but stay tuned for more on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Toystock) & New Destroilet Videos!!

We're behind on news around the SMS, so before we add further to the backlog, here's a new news post featuring new recent Destroilet videos, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for a big returning concert event! Check everything out, and give our review of Wednesday night's all ages Oddfellows Hall concert a look in the post below this one!

As previously indicated, Toystock will return for a second installment on Sunday, December 1st at The Canadian Nightclub! As you may remember, this ALL AGES event (promoted by Maxx Entertainment) is a charity event to raise donations for Christmas Cheer, with entry by donation of toys, cash, or non-perishable food items, which is a great cause! Like last year, Santa Claus will be on hand, there will be prize draws and refreshments, and in terms of the music, 10 local bands (mainly cover bands and weekend bar regulars) will donate their time to rock out for the occasion! The lineup's mostly different from last year, but four bands will return, and there are some hard rock groups, so who's on tap? According to Local2's article about Toystock, this year's performers include cover rock favourites Stiffler's Mom & Boxcar Junction, alternative hard rock quartet Lucky 13, and party rock mainstays Obsession, all of which are returning from the 2012 Toystock, so it'll be good to have them back!

The six new bands include classic rock cover quartet Redline, Mike Case's Junior All-Stars (the young cover band who replaced Redundant at the Ray Brown benefit), recently reunited hard rock quintet That's Chester (in their first show since the summer), newer hard rock quartet Glitch, new country rock band 2 Buck Beers (featuring Asylum Country and Wishbone alumni), and Turner Up successors The Thrill Junkies, so these bands should add well to the proceedings, especially with most making their Canadian Nightclub debuts! Each band has an hour slotted for this 10 hour event, from noon to 10:00 PM on December 1st, and for more details, check the above links! I will note that this year's lineup is slightly leaning more to classic and hard rock bands than last year's, which had more of a country influence, so that could be a good sign for loyal SMS readers, but this should be a great event regardless!

If you don't get out to see many cover bands on the weekends (or missed Rotaryfest's main stage), this could be a great way to see some talented local veterans rock out for a great cause, so come on out to Toystock on December 1st! Stay tuned for updates on the band order and more as they come in!

We'll close this post with some new Destroilet videos, starting with (finally) footage of their set at the Big Loonie Bus Show at La Cucina in Echo Bay last month! Uploaded to 62nd Chamber Productions' YouTube channel on Halloween (and in black & white for some reason), this captures all but the first couple of songs that they played that night, and I'd try and transcribe the song order and names for you guys, but so many blend into each other and aren't introduced that I probably would screw up a few times. Needless to say, this is another brutal old school hardcore set from these local favourites, and while this is also at the side stage angle, everyone but drummer Matt Waples is visible without a big problem! 62nd Chamber owner Boyd Rendell noted in the video description that they hope to have another "Bark at the Loon" concert in Echo Bay (no date was given), and they want to film a Sabrina Strange interview with Destroilet in the future, which would be cool to see, so keep all of that in mind, and check out almost 38 minutes of Destroilet tearing up the stage below!



The other new video is this music video shot by The 705 Video Magazine and uploaded to Destroilet's YouTube channel on Wednesday! Filmed on multiple cameras at what I believe was their set opening for The Bunchofuckingoofs at The Rosie in August, it's synched up to their studio version of "Eternal Fire", and while it's well edited, Mike and Chris' vocals don't always line up perfectly (the joys of live versions!) Well edited and put together, and a nice close sampling of their fury, so give Destroilet's new video a look below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for another news post tomorrow, plus this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" updates! Thanks everyone!

A New Local Metal Band, Plus New Videos From The Bear Hunters & Blood Shed Productions!!

As we creep ever closer to the Halloween weekend, the news definitely isn't slowing, so what's in store for this Monday morning update? Mostly new videos, including new live clips from an upstart grind label, and a full set from The Big Loonie Bus Show, but first, here's a new band that you guys should be quite familiar with!

We have a new local band to add to our Sault Ontario band links, and they are a new melodic death/groove metal quartet named Saints & Serpents! Note however that they are primarily based out of London, Ontario, but they list the Soo and London equally as their hometown, and given that, plus their membership & local ties, they definitely count. You may recognize 3/4ths of their lineup as members of the early 2010s local deathcore band The Valentine's Day Massacre, and personal Facebook pages have alluded to Saints & Serpents as a resurrection of sorts, but as best as I can tell, this is generally considered a brand new band. Their lineup is mostly the same as their predecessors, with D3athcharg3r bandmates Steve "Syk Ace" Rhodes & Andrew Angelic on vocals & guitar respectively, along with Adam Veale on bass, though London-area drummer Ian Timmermans takes over for Kyle Umgeher (who moved back to the Sault this summer) in the new band. Saints and Serpents describe their sound on their new Facebook page as "a healthy matrimony of death and groove, thrash and melody, old but new", but song samples have yet to be posted online.

A live debut is forthcoming, but I'll note that after moving to London last fall, The V.D.M. only played one local date before falling inactive this spring, so hopefully we'll see Saints & Serpents here more often! I'll admit that the sound description does sound like an improvement, as the earlier deathcore stuff wasn't entirely my thing compared to heavier death metal subgenres (plus, the name was cumbersome compared to both View To A Kill and Saints & Serpents), so I'm very curious to see where this new project leads! Stay tuned for updates!

Next up, here's a new live video from local death metal quartet The Bear Hunters, courtesy of last weekend's Big Loonie Bus Show at La Cucina in Echo Bay! Also uploaded to 62nd Chamber Productions' YouTube channel and posted online on Saturday, this follows in the same side-stage angle from the earlier videos from this concert, but luckily, the camera was lowered to catch more of the band than in the Crimson Crusade video. Their whole 45 minute set was filmed (perhaps excluding the "Teddy Bears Picnic" introduction?), and in order, the songs played include "Dominate", "Deception", "Bloodthirst", "I Fear No God" (which is a new track), "Servitude", "Transcend Judgement" (another new one), "Collapse the Sun", their cover of Amon Amarth's "Guardians of Asgaard", "Render This Void", and finally, a fan favourite cover of guitarist Mitch Sirie's solo track "Squirrel Buddy", so click each link to hear each song! I did miss a few songs like "Succumb to Eternity" and "Karma", but you've gotta make room for the new tracks, and what we did get was brutal!

Very solid all around in terms of video quality and performance, and the new songs sound very promising, but like their other recent gigs, the lack of a rhythm guitarist following Josh Stephney's move is noticeable a lot. Check out the full video below, and stay tuned in case anything of AlgomA or Destroilet's Echo Bay sets pop up!



We'll close today with some new videos from Blood Shed Productions grindcore artists, all as uploaded to the label's YouTube channel on Saturday! Two are from their newest heavier act Rotopsy (formerly Spitneck), which include an upload of a song named "Shitneck" from their recent three-way split demo, and it's a minute-long blend of good metal riffs and odd vocal noises that somewhat sound like Ringsnaps Gibson & Dylan Taylor are mimicing farm animals. Check it out if you want above, but embedded below is their first actual live video, of them playing an untitled original composition featuring backing drum recordings and only Dylan on vocals. His growling, if undistinguishable, sounds more like choking than the usual pig squeals in Ringsnaps' bands, but whether that's better or worse is up to you to decide. I will say it's slightly more accessible, but why not try to have some clearer words in there?) Not bad for what it is, so check out Rotopsy's first full live video below, and hear more above!



Lastly for this post, the aforementioned Ringsnaps Gibson's primary music project Crucify The Whore were the subject of another video uploaded on Saturday, this time a solo performance cover of Mortician's "Hacked Up For Barbecue". Only 49 seconds long, Ringsnaps shows solid guitar skills and control as a pig squealer, but the full song isn't featured for one reason or another, and I still think he'd gain a stronger local foothold if he had a full band around his C.T.W. work. Still, he's making good progress with no apologies, so check out Crucify The Whore's new cover video below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profiles TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Biipiigwan), Haggith Concert Preview, And More!!

Keeping the recent news rolling, we have some more big stuff to get to today, so what's on tap? New video discoveries from a recently featured act, a preview of a show going down tomorrow night, and some more assorted notes, but first, here's a pretty cool LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month, so here's what you need to know! (Updated on Sunday at 2:46 AM)

Ottawa sludge metal quartet Biipiigwan will hit Sault Ontario for a rare metal show at The Moose Lodge at 543 Trunk Road on Sunday, November 24th! Yes, I know this concert's Facebook event page has been online for two weeks now, but the venue was only just confirmed on Thursday, so I held it until a location was announced. Though Biipiigwan (which is Ojibwe for "flute") have a solid local following with their hard hitting brand of metal, and you may recognize them from a For All That Is Lost-hosted Thessalon event in 2011, this will be their first Sault Ontario stop that I can 100% source, and it'll be awesome to have their sludgy and brutal original sound here! Two local sludge-influenced opening bands are signed on, including the fifth live appearance (and fourth public set) from local stoner metal trio AlgomA, and the return of local death metal outfit Giwakwa, in their first concert in four months! No word yet on the status of their vocalist position following Josh Stephney's move out of town, but bassist Nolan Rainville will indeed be back for the concert, though I'm not positive whether he's already moved back home, or if this is a temporary return.

This show is being promoted by Oh! Right Arm! Promotions in a collective with AlgomA drummer Jamie Vincent (a.k.a. "Geezer") and his promotion agency, so like most of Jamie's other shows, this will be ALL AGES! It's also the first non-stag & doe that I can recall in a number of years to feature metal bands at The Moose Lodge (just seconds from The Rad Zone), so if you're in the East End, here's a very heavy bone that was thrown your direction! Admission is just $5 (great deal), and a 7:00 PM start time is advertised. Check the above links for more details, and don't miss what should be an awesome metal concert at an unfamiliar venue next month! Stay tuned for updates!

Next up, here's a preview of a special Sunday night concert, as local grunge/alternative rock quartet Haggith will play their second show in their current fall arrangement with The New American Pub at 602 Bay Street TOMORROW NIGHT! After a successful first show at this newly renovated downtown venue last month, Haggith are still on a roll with their entertaining hard rock originals and select covers, and hopefully tomorrow's show continues their run well! Note that any talk of a bassist addition hasn't amounted to anything public as of this writing, so nothing should look any different tomorrow. Like last month, there will be an opening band, as newer local rock quintet Nikkfitt (featuring Fitswitch, Caveman Morrison, and W.F.O. alumni) will play their third live concert set, second publically attendable set, and first at The New A tomorrow as well! Unless you've seen them live, the jury's still out on their sound, but I have heard good things, and we'll have to see if any media or specifics come out at all! A $4 cover charge is in effect for tomorrow's concert, you must be 19 to attend, and Nikkfitt will open the festivities at 9:00 PM.

For more information, visit the official Facebook event page! Haggith continue to make a big name for themselves, and they always put on a good show, so don't miss tomorrow's concert at The New A, and come early for Nikkfitt! For a preview, here's Haggith playing their new original "Metal Cage" at The Algonquin Pub last month!



Also today (and leading from yesterday's new live video of this act), we have some new video finds from local lo-fi/grunge solo project Telephone & Address! Uploaded to mastermind Chris Shoust's YouTube channel in the past few months, they're of songs named "Can I Just Answer?" and (as embedded below) "Slow Brood". The former video features Chris walking with the camera pointed at his head, with no direct performing aside from the backing music, while "Slow Brood" has an artistic painting slideshow with graffiti messages slowly added, altered, and crossed off or painted over. Unlike his usual acoustic work, these songs feature electric instrumentation (the latter has no vocals either), but they show his creative alternative style well, and it's nice to see some variance from the usual outsider/grunge format of much of his recent work (I especially like the "Slow Brood" video.) Check it out below, and stay tuned when we hear more from Chris' music!



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

• It's not just the forums of the 705 Video Magazine that are down now, as their whole website has just been replaced by this message: "If you are the owner of this site please contact customer support.", which generally implies that a domain has been suspended for one reason or another. The 705VM is still alive and well via their Facebook page, and though I'm not sure if they're letting the site die or will eventually revive it, I know the forum had a spam issue when last active. For now, I've removed the forum and replaced the site's link on the SMS, but if anything returns, I'll let you guys know!
• In our "Other Local Metal Links" section, I've replaced the website of former local metal concert promotion agency Dismembertainment with their Facebook page, as their website's domain name has expired. Aside from hints at booking Edmonton-area concerts in July, the Rich Moreland-led company has been inactive since last summer and his move out of town, but hopefully he stays active in music!
• Profiles in our YouTube Channel Profile Series on the SMS are now all updated with larger featured videos, to better make use of the expanded field where posts are read on the site. No new updates than those otherwise, but I have more coming, and check out our past YouTube profiles in the sidebars!

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