Bone Yard 225 & Silent 9 Videos And Updates!!

Today's first post lets us play catch-up with two veteran and covers-heavy bands and their recent activity on stage, at private and public gigs alike, so here's what you should know on that front!

We'll start with new videos and updates from local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225, so what else have they been up to beyond their end-of-summer local dates? On July 20th, they posted this video to their Facebook page of Greg panning a camera around at a private wedding that they played at the previous night. No concert audio to speak of, but good to see that this booking went well for them! Note that bassist Warren Reville asked at the end of the video "What is Rotaryfest?" (the festival ended that night). That seems like a possible dig, and while I don't know the context, note that Bone Yard haven't played at Rotaryfest since 2022, after playing Stage 1 eight times since 2010. On August 11th, the guys revealed on their Facebook page that "its album tracking time", complete with a black & white photo of studio equipment, and this TikTok-exclusive video features a drum track teaser.

In this TikTok video (which was at least shared to their Facebook page), we see Warren and guitarist Alex D'Ettore performing backing vocals, and while the video implies that this is towards the album sessions, note that they appear to be singing the chorus to Mike Posner's "I Took A Pill In Ibiza" (that, or they wrote an original where they sing "All I know, sad songs" too). Good to see that the album is in full swing, and we'll let you know more when they give more updates from the sessions! Also in the realm of unembeddable videos, the Aubrey Falls Trading Post in Thessalon filmed two "Reels" of Bone Yard 225's set at their annual pig roast on Saturday that were shared on the band's Facebook page. There, you can see the guys covering AC/DC's "Ride On" and Kim Mitchell's "Lager & Ale". Unfortunately, as "Reels", they are short clips (90 seconds long) and vertical, but the filmer was far enough away to capture the full band in frame.

What we hear sounds good in both videos, even if I'd have zoomed in (or shot horizontally) to mask low crowd levels up front. Hopefully the pig roast show went well, but is there a new 225 video that I can embed here? Yes, from their prior Thessalon show on August 1st at their annual Community Day! This also vertical video (though not a "Reel") was posted last week from their outdoor set at Thessalon's marina, and it focuses on singer/drummer Greg Simpson during the end of their cover of Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show's "The Cover Of 'Rolling Stone'". Interesting Stryper-esque angle of Greg in action here, and the cover sounds good, if only the end of it, so give it a watch below, and don't miss them today at the older A&W's Cruisin' The Dub motorcycle show or at the Dragonfly Run, preview forthcoming!

We'll close today with some new videos from local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9's Facebook page! On August 10th, they shared a video of them covering part of Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" at a private camp party off of Bass Lake, the third straight year that they've played at that event. While sadly shot vertically, it's a strong rendition from what we hear, and the vivid stage lighting against the natural outdoor night setting is a good contrast! In more vertical footage from outside of town, Silent 9 shared a "Reel" on Tuesday from their Laird Fair gig on Saturday where we see clips of them covering "We're Not Gonna Take It" again as well as Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train". The filmed uniquely focused on fans more than the band, including folks who climbed into the rafters of the stage to rock out, which is a neat visual, and it looks like they had a blast out in Laird this past weekend! Also, here's a question: What is Wolf Fest?

The band shared this "Reel" from Northern Superior Brewing Co.'s Facebook page from Monday of people asking what Wolf Fest is, referencing a teased festival on Saturday, September 27th, though the brewery remains cagey on what is happening. Silent 9 sharing it would hint that they're playing, but we await firm confirmation on Wolf Fest, let alone if it's happening at the Tap Room or if they're thinking bigger. Stay tuned, but check out Silent 9's Bass Lake video below, and look for more from them soon!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

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 (Exit 808 & Handsome Sandwich) Plus More Weekend Concert Previews!!

As promised, we're wrapping up this weekend's known hard rock concert previews in today's post, but to lead off, we have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS on both sides of the border on the exact same day later this month, so here's what you should know on this Friday night!

Local alt-hard rock quintet Handsome Sandwich will open for Montreal power pop veterans Dany Laj & The Looks on Saturday, September 28th at... the Fraternal Order of Eagles? Yes, this show will be taking place at the Eagles Club at 246 Wellington Street West, a locale that has sporadically hosted concerts in the past, but this is the first time that Aerie 3991 has crossed the SMS' radar. It will be very interesting to hear how this Steelton locale does hosting this concert, and if it gains similar repeat usage after this month! Last seen at the Northern Vibe Festival, this will be Handsome Sandwich's first show in Sault Ste. Marie city limits since the Poutine Feast, and yes, I will be covering their Northern Vibe video (and more from Ophir) in an upcoming post! In their original run as a cover trio, Handsome Sandwich opened for Dany Laj & The Looks at The Rockstar Bar in November 2017, so it is neat to see them back at it seven years later!

While not a hard rock band, Dany & crew will be familiar to local concert-goers from their five local dates here in the 2010s (last seen at the former New American Pub in November 2019), though they did withdraw from 2021's Northern Vibe Festival in the interim. The Looks have a fun & upbeat sound with lots of genre flourishes, and it will be good to see them back in town! Promoted by Piecing It Together Shows (the former Dryer Fire), this ALL AGES show has an advertised start time of 7:00 PM. Tickets cost $15 (up from $12 in 2019), and you can buy them at this link, while the door price will jump to $20. Visit the above links for all of the details on what's going down at the Eagles Club in three weeks!

Next up, we'll head to Sault Michigan, where local hard rock sextet Exit 808 will play their first show of the fall on September 28th as well, but in their case, it's a special charity event! The double vocalist-led group will headline A Night Of Music at Three One Three on Ashmun (the former Back Door), which is an annual fundraiser event for the Hospice of the EUP (basically Sault Michigan's equivalent to ARCH), as sponsored by Team Century 21. Exit 808 will be joined here by three acoustic singer/guitarists, namely Gabe Menard (who I am not familiar with), veteran country musician Paul Perry, and Project 906 frontman Billy Bernier, who has been playing more solo gigs this year. Supporting your local hospice (ARCH or the EUP's) is always a wonderful cause, and I do hope that there's a great turnout at Three One Three in three weeks for this stacked lineup of local talent!

A Night Of Music has a 7:00 PM start time and a $10 cover charge (proceeds all go to the hospice), and while an age limit wasn't stated, note that Three One Three has three distinct spaces for hosting events, and I'm not sure which will have the concert. Visit the above links for more details on Exit 808's hospice fundraiser later this month!

Now let's move to the rest of this weekend's known public hard rock concert previews, and we'll stay in the E.U.P. for new local hard rock quartet Unfortunate Sun's headlining date TOMORROW NIGHT at the annual Stalwart Agricultural Fair in Goetzville! This event doesn't seem like the most SMS-amenable event going, but their predecessors Fake Chow (whose lineup is identical aside from the bassist) played at the farming/agricultural expo outside of Pickford last year, so calling up their new project does make sense in that way, though Unfortunate Sun have been publically promoting their rock bonafides moreso than Fake Chow did on social media. The guys will be the featured musicians for tomorrow's final day of the Stalwart Fair, and if you want full details on the livestock and farm equipment activites and competitions this weekend, click here! Their set will be under the on-site pavilion.

The Stalwart Fair goes down at the corner of Sand Ridge Road and 28 Mile in Goetzville, with an 8:00 PM start time for Unfortunate Sun's concert proper. This is absolutely an all ages festival, and admission is $5 a person. In case the pavilion is exposed to the elements, we're looking at cloudy weather in the mid-low 50s Fahrenheit (around 11° Celsius), but it is not expected to rain. Visit the above links for more details on the Stalwart Fair and Unfortunate Sun's concert tomorrow, and here they are live!

Finally for this weekend, we'll head back north to Sault Ontario, where local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will go "uncorked" for another acoustic show at Gateway Casino TOMORROW NIGHT! While fans have seen Greg, Alex, and Warren multiple times since in both electric and non-electric settings, tomorrow's one-nighter will be their first at the downtown casino in three months. If you want to enjoy your local 225's unplugg.... "uncorked" stylings at a familiar downtown space, then definitely keep this show in mind! Bone Yard are not playing anywhere public tonight, and this is their only acoustic show of the month (your next chance to see them live is next Saturday at Shooters). Tomorrow's show has a 9:00 PM start time, no cover charge, and a 19+ age limit. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Bone Yard 225 live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Unfortunate Sun & The Nameless) And More From Sault Michigan!!

Today's SMS post is devoted to Sault Michigan bands and E.U.P. concerts, including a bunch of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this fall, so here's what you should know across the river!

Local hard rock quintet The Nameless will reportedly return to Huck's Pub & Grill in nearby Rudyard for one night only on Saturday, September 14th! The band has not publically confirmed this date yet, but it was announced via the venue's concert calendar on their Facebook page (always nice to see venues plug shows like this!), and I believe it will be their debut at the former Joe's Bar & Grill. That said, there is a more pressing matter in their camp, as a GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help frontman Joshua LaCoursiere and his family. Earlier this month, Josh was stung by a bee and had a severe allergic reaction that caused major swelling and blood clots in his shoulder & hand, and he has needed at least two surgeries in Petoskey to address what happened. As such, he missed The Nameless' set at the Serious Business-promoted multi-band concert in Brimley this past weekend (if they dropped out, I hadn't heard 100%).

As Josh can't work right now, the aim is to raise $15,000 for him and his family at this time of need, and if you can help the LaCoursieres, definitely consider doing so at this link! Of course, our best thoughts are with Joshua, his kids, and his family and friends as he recovers, and hopefully we see him back on stage when fully able! I have no idea if this will affect the Huck's gig next month, but we will keep you posted if it is cancelled or postponed. For now, it's at 8:00 PM on the 14th with a 21+ age limit and no announced cover charge. Stay tuned for more from The Nameless when it rolls in, and I hope Josh gets better soon!

Next up, eagle eyed readers may have noticed gigs from newer local hard rock cover bands Dirty Musky and Unfortunate Sun at Huck's later this fall, and while we already knew about the former's show on October 5th (we'll pick things back up on Dirty Musky in a bit), the Unfortunate Sun gigs are new to us! Yes, the Fake Chow successors will make their way to Huck's in Rudyard for Saturday nighters on October 26th & November 16th, and no word on if the shows will be outdoors like their debut gig was last month, but it will obviously be the fall then. Also, keep in mind that the October 26th show could be Halloween themed, but given that October 31st is a Thursday this year, some venues may opt to have their events late so they're closer to the actual day. We'll know more in a couple of months! Along with these two shows, Unfortunate Sun announced three more upcoming dates on their Facebook page, so where are they playing next?

Their second public date as Unfortunate Sun will be on Saturday, September 7th when they perform at... The Stalwart Agricultural Fair in Goetzville? This is a new one for the SMS, but the 118th annual Stalwart Fair is a farming/agricultural fair just southeast of Pickford at the corner of Sand Ridge Road and 28 Mile, and the fair's Facebook page has confirmed that Unfortunate Sun will be headlining under the on-site pavilion there (I don't know if this will be fully outdoors or not). No other bands that day, with most of the Saturday events focusing on livestock judging and horse pulls, but visit the official website for full non-musical details! An 8:00 PM start time is planned for this concert, which has no advertised age limit, and there is a $5 admission fee. The other two shows appear to be standard one-nighters at local nightclubs, with Unfortunate Sun debuting in the Soo on Saturday, September 28th at The Merchants Bar, and...

...on Wednesday, November 27th at The Islander Bar in Hessel? Other than being the day before the American Thanksgiving, I do not know the significance of scheduling a mid-week show like this, assuming that the date is accurate, but we'll keep you posted if there's clarification! Both shows should have 9:00 PM-ish start times, 21+ age limits, and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more on Unfortunate Sun's upcoming concert slate, and hopefully we hear much more from them soon!

Finally, let's look the aforementioned Dirty Musky, who don't have brand new shows to announce (yet), but we do have new live videos of theirs to check out! Uploaded to their Facebook page last week, these are their first official videos that run for longer than 20 seconds, let alone feature the band directly performing on camera. Granted, each runs for 31 and 41 seconds respectively, but beggars can't be choosers! Unfortunately, both were shot vertically, and they had a circular peephole filter put on them, but at least these are embeddable on external websites. Both videos capture parts of Dirty Musky covering Tool's "Sober" (here's part 2) at The Islander Bar in Hessel earlier this month, and it's a solid enough cover for what we hear! It's just nice to see new videos of a Dave Menard-fronted band, as Splitshot and 415E did not post much in the way of official live videos.

Fran's head is often obscured by the one speaker at this angle as well, but this is still the best look that we've had at Dirty Musky on video, so give these chunks of their "Sober" cover a watch above and below, and don't miss them at Huck's in Rudyard in October, and hopefully elsewhere prior!

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

The First Of This Weekend's Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

This weekend's slate of hard rock/punk concert previews is, while certainly busy, much quieter than last week, in that we only need two posts to preview everything, not four! That said, due to the amount, the Saturday-only gigs from The Nameless and HeadFirst, plus Sunday's Sylo-headlined concert, will be in tomorrow's post, with room for a late notice confirmation if one hits the desk. Stay tuned then, but here's what you should know to lead off for the next couple of days!

Let's start with prolific local classic/hard rock musician Tym Morrison, whose regular weekly runs at at The Mike Case Memorial Stage outside of The Trading Post TOMORROW NIGHT and at Misty's Fifties THIS SATURDAY march on for another week! Nothing strange to report this week from the usual for Tym's summer arrangements this year, so if you want to enjoy his acoustic rock hits and the great live production that he gives them, be way down on Great Northern Road tomorrow or at the Second Line West nightclub on Saturday! As usual, both of Tym's shows this weekend have no cover charge, and while tomorrow's Mike Case Stage show is all ages, his Misty's Fifties show on Saturday is a 19+ matinee at 4:00 PM. Now, be advised that 9&10 News is calling for scattered thunderstorms during Tym's 7:00-9:00 PM timeframe tomorrow, and he has called off shows due to weather before.

At press time, I have not heard anything about how tomorrow's forecast may or may not impair Tym's outdoor concert at The Trading Post, but if you are at all concerned, keep tabs with Tym on social media closer to showtime. Regardless, it'll be cloudy (when not raining) with temperatures hovering in the 20-21° range. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here and here for more details, and for a preview, here's Tym live!

Next up, we'll head just outside of town in Laird, where the annual North Shore Agricultural Fair (a.k.a. the Laird Fair) will welcome two covers-heavy bands from Sault Ontario as musical entertainment this weekend, namely southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 TOMORROW NIGHT and classic/hard rock quartet Soundcheck on SATURDAY NIGHT! Both bands are capping off the nightly festivities this weekend, and there's a lot of family friendly activities to take in through Sunday, both indoors and out, so be sure to visit the fair's official Facebook page for complete non-musical details! Both bands are playing under the covered stage at the fairground site at Lake George Road East at 9:00 PM on their respective evenings, there's no age limits or cover charges stated in festival materials, and camping on site is encouraged if you are so inclined. Shuttle buses will also be provided to get willing attendees to and from Sault Ste. Marie if needed.

The stage is covered but it's not fully indoors, so expect temperatures of around 20° tomorrow and a little higher on Saturday. 9&10 News is calling for rain tomorrow, but again, the space where the bands are playing has a roof. The Laird Fair is not historically known for hosting live rock bands like this, but it'll be interesting to see how things go for both Bone Yard and Soundcheck this weekend outside of Echo Bay! We'll have more from the former band in a bit, but for a preview, here's Soundcheck live!

Now we'll take a brief detour to Sault Michigan, where local hard rock sextet Exit 808 will return to The Rapids Lounge at the local Kewadin Casino branch TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! One week removed from their debut at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin, this talented group will rock the Soo Kewadin for their second weekend there, following their mid-July shows that were heavily impaired by member absences (singer Amy Beach was ill and guitarist Will Robbins was on vacation), let alone that debuting bassist Myke Young only played half of the songs. Now at full force, hopefully tomorrow & Saturday's concerts are hits as Exit 808 continue on their upward trajectory! Both are 21+ events with 9:00 PM start times and no cover. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's two brand new St. Ignace videos via their Facebook page!

One was live-streamed by attendee Diana Davis near the start of Exit 808's first set on Friday, and it has them covering 97 seconds' worth of AC/DC's "T.N.T." (with Dillion Semasky on lead vocals and Amy backing). While they thanked her for the "videos", only that one was publically shared... so far? Embedded below is a much longer (though sideways for the second half) direct upload of them covering Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild" with Dillion and Amy alternating on verses & sharing choruses. Given their vocal ranges, this is a much better cover for them than AC/DC, but the new lineup sounds good overall on both, so check these out above & below, and don't miss Exit 808 in the Soo this weekend!

Finally for weekend concert preview post #1, let's head back north to Sault Ontario, as the aforementioned Bone Yard 225 will take their "uncorked" show to a third venue when they debut at Gino's Fired Up Kitchen & Bar THIS SATURDAY! Since commencing hosting local acoustic acts on their large patio this summer, the 1076 Great Northern Road restaurant has sparingly hosted some hard rock-leaning musicians (like the aforementioned Tym Morrison) on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with Bone Yard playing two of the final three Saturdays of this month there. If you liked their unplugged shows at The Water Tower Pub and the Gateway Casino, you should like what Greg, Alex, and Warren have in store at Gino's on Saturday, but of course, if you'd rather see them "corked", they'll be in full electric mode at the Laird Fair tomorrow night! Saturday's concert has no age limit, a 6:30 PM start time, and no cover.

While Gino's patio is covered, 9&10 News is calling for scattered thunderstorms around the time that your local 225 are slated to take the stage (70% chance in general that day). Otherwise, the forecast has mostly cloudy skies with a high of 22°. The roof is very much acknowledged, but if you are at all concerned about the show being cancelled, curtailed, or moved inside due to the possible storm, keep tabs with the band and Gino's on social media for further updates. Visit the above links for more details on Saturday's show, and for a preview, here's Bone Yard "uncorked"!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Nameless, HeadFirst, and Sylo previews (and more?) next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Soundcheck), Plus Mikey & His Uke, Mike Haggith, And HeadFirst Updates!!

Before we dive head first into this weekend's hard rock and punk concert previews (we have no choice, it's Rotaryfest weekend), let's get one more news post up, including a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, a new cover video, upcoming album updates, and more Rotaryfest band updates, so here's what you should know on this Wednesday morning!

Joining the previously announced concert by Bone Yard 225 at this year's Laird Fair on Friday, August 16th, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will also hit the road for this annual event just outside of town one day later on Saturday, August 17th! One week after Bone Yard will take over for Soundcheck at this year's Algoma Tree Services meet & greet, both bands will head outside of Echo Bay to deliver their brands of cover hard rock for fans at the Laird Fair (a.k.a. the North Shore Agricultural Fair), so keep both shows in mind! Of course, visit the fair's Facebook page for complete non-musical details on that weekend's family friendly events. Note that Bone Yard 225 are debuting at Gino's Fired Up Kitchen on August 18th, but I don't know if that is due to or the result of Soundcheck playing in Laird that night. Both bands are playing under the covered stage at the fairground site at Lake George Road East at 9:00 PM.

I don't believe there's a cover charge to just see one of the bands, and there's no age limit for fair attendees. Note that camping is encouraged if you are so inclined, and buses will be provided to get Saultites home safely if needed. Summer concert-goers have some solid options here, with Soundcheck's brand new confirmation rounding out what should be a fun weekend out in Laird, so visit the above links for more details, and look for our preview of Soundcheck's Rotaryfest return soon!

Next up, here's the latest from local hard rock quintet HeadFirst, who will be releasing their debut EP "Head Trauma" a week sooner than originally thought! The release party at Shooters Downstairs Lounge on Saturday, July 27th will still be happening, but as "we're so excited" for it, they've decided to sell limited CD quantities of "Head Trauma" at both of their gigs this weekend, including their sets at Rotaryfest Stage 2 at Clergue Park on Saturday and at Sault Pridefest's Loud & Proud family fun day at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion on Sunday! Just 20 copies will be available (they weren't clear if they meant total this weekend or 20 each day), and they will cost $15. The cover artwork for the EP was also released, which has a good concept but the layout isn't as even for the filmstrip proportions as I'd have liked. The wide physical release of "Head Trauma" begins at Shooters next Saturday, as does its release on major streaming services.

While not super transparent in advance about their EP plans (we still don't know the full track listing, and the guys hadn't even confirmed that it'd be on CD until yesterday), it's awesome to see HeadFirst move so fast to have their debut EP ready, so look for copies at both of their downtown festival gigs this weekend! I currently have "Head Trauma" pencilled in for review on the SMS next month, as this month is reserved for new hardcore punk solo project Choking On Appendages' debut EP "Macabre".

Also, song #11 in local punk supergroup project Mikey & His Uke's 30th anniversary series of covers of Green Day's breakthrough album "Dookie" went live on the project's YouTube channel on Monday! While it took just over a month after song #10 ("When I Come Around") for this one to be uploaded, it wasn't as long as the prior wait, for what it's worth. For the rest of the series, Mikey and crew are tackling late-album deep cuts, as all of the "Dookie" singles already occurred in chronological order, so while this cover of "Coming Clean" may not seem like it'd be of more note than prior covers, don't pre-judge. Here, the guest singer is Gob frontman and Sum 41 guitarist Tom Thacker, who is a huge get for Canadian punk fans! Bookclub frontman Mikey Hawdon (on ukelele, then guitar) and ex-Goldfinger drummer Darren Pfieffer are back as usual, while Buck-O-Nine bassist Andy Plafoot returns on bass here for his sixth appearance so far.

This cover is very soundly performed for Green Day fans, with a good melodic base that Tom's vocals definitely help amplify! No concept or story within the remotely filmed clips here, but everything is crisply filmed & edited, with Tom singing from the comforts of a bathroom, while Darren broke out another baseball jersey for his video, albeit one that many readers will be A-OK with! We have two songs (three if they tackle the bonus track "All By Myself") left, with "Emenius Sleepius" coming next. Given past timelines, it should arrive between Sunday and August 20th (the current average would be on July 31st). Stay tuned as the series resumes, and check out "Coming Clean" below!

Finally, here's some updates from local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith, who recently took part in a 2+ hour YouTube interview, but we'll touch on that in an upcoming post given how busy things are on his and our fronts. Next week, Mike will get a complete do-over as anthem singer and guest at a Barrie Baycats baseball game after the game that he sang "O Canada" at on June 13th was rained out. Yes, the anthem happened last time, and you can watch it at this link, but they called Mike back for another game on July 10th that was also postponed due to rain before it even started, and will now be on July 24th. Hopefully the game and CD giveaway go off without a hitch then, and we'll keep you posted when the live-stream goes up! Mike returns to the local stage for the first time in 2024 when he opens Rotaryfest Stage 1 this Friday, and his local band appears in this new Facebook "Reel" jokingly modeling stage attire!

Now named "The Big Finish Band", everyone (sans Mike) is seen wearing clothing that drummer Brandan Glew (if he isn't the one modelling the outfit) criticizes. Amusing for what it is! Embedded below though is a new video (sadly vertical, but not a "Reel"!) where The Big Finish Band rehearsed for Rotaryfest, but noticed that something was missing, namely Mike himself. Was he missing for normal "lives/works out of town" reasons? Watch on below, but it's another fun clip for fans, so give it a look below, and stay tuned for our Rotaryfest previews on the site in the near future!

That's all for now, but stay tuned as we begin the biggest weekend concert preview run of the year next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Bone Yard 225)!!

Local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 have updated their website's concert calendar to reflect their slate of summer concerts taking place in August, so when can you check them out then? Their first show that month will be out of town, as they'll be heading 90 minutes east to Thessalon to play at the Aubrey Falls Trading Post & Outpost Camp on Saturday, August 3rd for their Civic Holiday weekend pig roast. Thessalon is outside of our coverage range, but hopefully this show goes well despite the atypical venue, and keep it in mind if you're in Central Algoma moreso! And yes, it is that Aubrey Falls, namely Bone Yard singer/drummer Greg Simpson's old That's Chester bandmate. Your local 225's first truly local show of August 2024 will see them rock Algoma Tree Services' sixth annual community meet & greet/charity barbecue on Saturday, August 10th! This will be Bone Yard's first ever appearance at this event.

Readers may recall that the musical entertainment at the Goulais River-based business over the past two years was local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck and classic rock band Angry Joe & The Growlers, and according to their website's calendar, Bone Yard 225 will be replacing Soundcheck as the headliners this year for unannounced reasons. In the past two years, I didn't hear a peep about this event until after it took place, so kudos to Bone Yard for publicizing it, and hopefully lots of money is raised for the Kiwanis Club that weekend! The Growlers kick things off at 1:30 PM with Bone Yard headlining at 7:00 PM, and there is no cover for this public, outdoor, and all ages event. Click here for more updates! On Friday, August 16th, Greg, Alex, and Warren will hit the road (if still nearby) to perform at the opening night of this year's Laird Fair outside of Echo Bay! 

The Laird Fair (a.k.a. the North Shore Agricultural Fair) is new to me as SMS coverage goes, but music is not new there, with last year's featured act being local country singer Mark Tarantini and his solo band. If similarly staged/plotted, Bone Yard 225 will rock a covered stage at the fairground site at Lake George Road East at 9:00 PM. Specifics on this year's fair are not out yet (follow their Facebook page for updates), but this should be an all ages event, and I didn't see reference to a cover charge last year. See above for more on the 2024 fair so far! On August 17th and 31st, Bone Yard are slated to go "uncorked", but not at one of their usual two acoustic haunts, as they'll rock Gino's Fired Up Kitchen & Bar at 1076 Great Northern Road for the first time on those Saturday nights! Gino's (which re-opened after heavy remodeling early last year) began hosting live musicians on weekends on their patio this past Friday.

So far, Gino's has welcomed Matthew James and Leslie Cook for shows at their covered patio (apparently the largest one in town), and while there is a roof on the patio, one imagines that live music will only be a seasonal thing if Gino's keeps it going into 2025. Will hard rock-leaning acoustic performers beat Bone Yard 225 to the Gino's stage before August? Stay tuned, but both of their shows are 6:30 PM affairs with no cover charge or stated age limit. The Gino's dates sandwich two shows elsewhere in August, starting with Bone Yard's return to the second annual Dragonfly Run (the rebranded/re-organized Ride For ARCH) on Sunday, August 25th! Their concert events move from an outdoor stage outside of Jay's Piston Broke Pub to The Grand Gardens on Great Northern Road this year, and Bone Yard 225 knows the new locale very well via their involvement in the annual Toystock charity concerts there in November.

Of course, the Dragonfly Run is a motorcycle rally supporting the Algoma Regional Community Hospice, which has attached community events to support ARCH, the concert included. No word on who else will be playing, but Bourbon Blue offshoot Nicky & The Southpaws and alt-rock band The Haze (née Skinbox) also performed last year. Just for the record, I am not getting into the recent controversy over this event vs. the unrelated ARCH Run that Jay's Piston Broke Pub is hosting the previous day at/outside the Korah Road venue, but if you want to read the Dragonfly Run organizers' statement about why they didn't return to Jay's for 2024 and their view on a competing rally/festival that same weekend, click here. Expect family activities, a bike show, and yes, the rally proper based at The Grand Gardens on August 25th, and this is an all ages event as usual.

There is no cover unless pledging/riding in the rally, with Bone Yard 225 playing at 7:00 PM. Lastly, the guys will return to The Water Tower Pub for one more "uncorked" show on Friday, August 30th as they kick off the Labour Day long weekend! As usual, that one-nighter has an 8:00 PM start time, no cover, and a 19+ age limit. Like last year, Bone Yard 225 are prioritizing special events over normal nightclub gigs to end the summer, so there's a lot to take in as such with their classic, hard, and southern rock cover attack, so see above for more details, and look for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Project 421), Punk Rock Bingo V Concert Preview, And Id Iota Updates!!

With a stacked Halloween weekend of concerts, and existing out of town plans limiting time for the next few days, let's get our last weekend concert preview up on the site, along with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month and some overdue updates from a fast-rising local band! Read on for what you need to know, and check out more of this weekend's concert previews in the posts below to get caught up on the Halloween shows in the area!

Local classic metal quintet Project 421 will headline their own solo concert at The Rockstar Bar on Saturday, November 5th (one week from tomorrow!) Fresh off of their Halloween headlining set at The Rednecks Saloon THIS MONDAY, this will be Project 421's first solo show with no openers in a month, and their first Rockstar Bar appearance since opening for The Anti-Queens in July. This 1980s nostalgia mindtrip should deliver another solid night of metal classics next weekend, so if you can't make it on Monday and want some hard hitting metal classics, you know where to be next week! A 10:00 PM start time is advertised for this 19+ show, which also has no cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and keep both this concert and Monday's four-band concert in mind for some classic metal action!

Next up, here's our last concert preview for this stacked Halloween concert weekend, held until now because of it's timing (and the fact that it had advance notice), as THIS SUNDAY NIGHT will see a Devil's Night edition of Six, Two, Oh.'s punk rock bingo series at The New American Pub! After a six month hiatus since April's Black Tremor show, the long awaited fifth installment of this fan favourite event will return with two local metal bands backing up Saskatchewan southern rock trio Johnny 2 Fingers & The Deformities in their local concert debut, and they are named honestly, but Johnny can definitely get a good sound with them! Fans of raw southern rock should take to these guys, but if you crave metal, local doom/sludge trio AlgomA will provide support, fresh off of their set opening for Norilsk tonight! Also, promoters have quietly confirmed that local goregrind duo Rotopsy will kick things off in their first local concert appearance since the summer, though note that they hadn't publically acknowledged the show themselves at press time.

Note that Johnny 2 Fingers & The Deformities will also be playing at LopLops Lounge on November 19th on the way back west during their Eastern Canadian tour, so keep that in mind as well! The bingo itself starts the night at 9:00 PM with caller Brenton Ellis back, so get your dabbers ready to win some random prizes, and there will be a costume contest of some description too! There is a $5 cover and additional fees for bingo card purchases, and this is a 19+ event. Whether you like southern rock, metal, and/or bingo, this should be a fun night for many attendees, so visit the official Facebook event page for details, and here's AlgomA live!

Lastly for today, here's some more recent updates from local alternative hard rock quartet Id Iota, and apologies for the delay in getting these on the site! Last month (prior to their recent Ontario tour run), Shawn Thicke of the music website Bucket List reviewed their debut EP "Maudlin Fair", giving it an 8.5/10 rating, saying that "it is catchy, well-constructed, and fitting of its subject matter", albeit "too wordy" and with somewhat dated production. Overall, this in-depth review is very positive, especially given Shawn's perception of their "underdog" status compared to larger bands, so give it a look at this link! Back in local territory, SooToday briefly included a snippet of Id Iota's Rotaryfest Stage 2 set from multiple camera angles at the beginning of their recap video of the summer festival from July, and while the original audio isn't present, the video quality is fantastic! Also, look for progressive rock veterans Machines Dream near the end of the video.

We can't embed videos from SooToday's video host here, but we can embed this, as Id Iota are featured in this video filmed by Jim Fur-era, the owner of The Grinning Gator in London where they played earlier this month! Shared by the band on their own Facebook page, the 2:17 video's first half is of Id Iota playing an unidentified newer original from a nice camera angle, but the second half (sideways for some reason) features their new original track "American Literature". Everything sounds good, with Id Iota rocking out nicely on this funk-tinged first original and the more laid back second song, but that camera angle doesn't help the viewer experience, and there's often someone standing right in front of Christian in the latter. Still, kudos to Jim for getting this video, so check it out below, and don't miss Id Iota opening for Mike Mikus at LopLops on November 26th!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's CD review next, and more updates in the near future!! Thanks everyone!

Id Iota - "Maudlin Fair" Review!!

Now's a good time for our 83rd monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, as we're looking at local alternative hard rock band Id Iota's debut EP "Maudlin Fair"! Independently released on April 14th at the beginning of their Southern Ontario tour run (with it's local launch coming one week later), "Maudlin Fair" was recorded from 2015-2016 at Unsalted Audio with guitarist Dustin Goodall producing, while the EP's tracks were mastered by Chuck Carvalho of Toronto's Joao Carvalho Mastering. A spiritual follow up of sorts to members' predecessor band Habitat Shuffle's 2014 digital EP "Sober Drift", Id Iota are represented by Dustin alongside singer Christian Lemay and drummer Blair St. John, with Blair handling the bass tracks, as sessions took place between Justin Girardi's departure from and Dan Linklater's addition to their lineup. Copies of "Maudlin Fair" cost $4 on Bandcamp and $5 at The Rad Zone or at Id Iota concerts, and while the songs can be streamed free on Bandcamp, consider buying it to support their work!

Featuring four songs at just 14 minutes in length, this will go by fast, so let's begin with the EP's first song, "California Wasted"!  Sort of taking on a surf rock, soft intro, Christian's vocals have a punk grit to contrast with the music, which gives it a punk anthem sing-along feel. Seeming to lyrically be about trying to make it to and enjoy California despite all of it's perceived faults, the guitar melody is nice on this song, and it's a catchy little number that flows well with the subject matter, but it's short length makes it feel like something was left out. Second is "Permanence In Pencil", seemingly a testimony about a lover's mental state and behaviour, with art and drawing used as a continuing theme. A very laid back song that reminds me a bit of a softer Sublime track, it has more of a bite in it's riffs, and solid drumming, but it does sort of meander at times, and could have more of a defined structure. Well done though from this talented group!

Third on Id Iota's debut EP is "One Cent Vaudeville", which appears to be from the view of a man who needs to drink and is conflicted in his relationship. Complete with sampled carnival music at the opening, this is the heaviest song yet on "Maudlin Fair", taking on more of the grungy alt-rock feel that we saw on Habitat Shuffle's EP. Dustin's guitar work is very solid, and Christian stretches his vocal limits well, but the drums are a little cymbal-heavy, and the song seems to end before a bridge that never comes. The CD closes with "Bitter Tea", which is by far the EP's longest song, running for over six minutes! Another song alluding to relationships and not wanting to accept the truth, the song also has a grungy feel, albeit with a swing-like jam cadence, with the heaviness building up in the second half. With the benefit of the longer runtime, this song actually is the best structured on the EP, and has a nice eerie ending, with all three guys delivering strong to close things, including nice lower-register singing and strong riffs!

So, what are my thoughts on Id Iota's first CD? Overall, it's a quality first effort from this familiar local outfit, and while it shares similarities to prior work, it continues their musical evolution! Transitioning from a laid back punk sound to the grunge throwback that Habitat Shuffle first brought us, Id Iota seemed to double down on relationship themes on this EP, which was excellently produced by Dustin Goodall, and the guys delivered well on each track! Christian Lemay showed good vocal diversity, Dustin's guitar work worked for each song, and Blair St. John's drumming was well maintained, though his bass playing didn't comparatively stand out. I did feel that the early songs were a little short and tended to wander around and not be as structured as they could be, but it built strongly to the heavier latter half, and the continuing lyrical themes seemed like they were inspired from real life. Not a bad first disc at all, so be sure to buy Id Iota's debut A.S.A.P.!

I hope you guys liked this month's CD review at the SMS! Now, what's coming next for a review on the site? At this point, I do not know, especially as no new hard rock albums have came out from local bands since "Maudlin Fair", but what might come if there's nothing new to look at? In terms of who won't be next, our June CD review will not be of Haggith's "Apocalypse II" or a SweetKenny album due to our six month buffer to avoid showing a bias in our review selections, but after that, things are very open. We usually tie things in with an upcoming concert for an archive review, which could lead us to a Blood Shed Productions act or a Telephone & Address album, though keep in mind that the former's releases typically feature a lot of explicit, minimalist content, and the latter's albums that we haven't reviewed on here are all out of print. In any event, there will be a CD review of some kind coming in June, so stay tuned for updates on it, and for more news soon! Thanks everyone!

Id Iota EP Updates, The Revolution's Only Studio Song, And Much More!!

On this Sunday morning, we have to keep the news rolling and get our cache of backlogged stories a little more cleared out, so we have some assorted notes, lineup notes on an upcoming concert, and a posthumous studio track today! First though, here's all you should know on a recent CD release!

With it's successful local release at Thursday night's LopLops Lounge concert, I absolutely purchased a copy of Id Iota's debut EP "Maudlin Fair", so what should you know about it? This is the full album cover, and as previously teased in official photos, the EP features 4 songs ("California Wasted", "Permanence In Pencil", "One Cent Vaudeville", and "Bitter Tea"), with the tracks running for just over 14 minutes in length. Performers on the album include singer Christian Lemay, guitarist Dustin Goodall, and drummer Blair St. John, though recording sessions largely took place between bassist Justin Girardi's departure and the addition of Dan Linklater, so Blair handles bass on the studio tracks. Similarly to The Pixo Control's debut CD, Dustin recorded and mixed "Maudlin Fair", with mastering done in Toronto by Chuck Carvalho of Joao Carvalho Mastering. The EP appears to be an independent release, and the tray plugs their unlaunched website as http://www.id-iota.com.

Copies of "Maudlin Fair" sold for $5, and will presumably be available at future concerts, but online availability is yet to be established. That said, when can you expect a review of "Maudlin Fair" on the SMS? I have Id Iota tentatively pencilled in for next month, as the AlgomA/Chronobot split EP is coming in the next week, but stay tuned for much more on Id Iota's debut CD soon, and get a hold of band members if you want a copy beforehand!

Next up, remember The Revolution (formerly the second version of Brutaly Fatal?) They were the 2014-15 doom/punk band that played a few notable local shows and had began recording sessions at PaperClip Productions towards a debut EP named "Roll Call" before breaking up (twice) last year, but as part of a special 4/20 surprise on PaperClip's Facebook page, we can finally hear the only completed studio track from the recording sessions there! Recorded early last year, this is for the band's song "Get High With Me", and the Facebook video confirms the EP's planned cover art as well. The lineup here includes singer/guitarist Austin McCrae (now back with the original Brutally Fatal) and drummer Brandan Glew (The Din) alongside Pillory bassist Jordan Leach, who replaced Rainey Vincent on bass before recording sessions began, but never played live with The Revolution. With all of that said, how does The Revolution's only studio track sound?

Harbouring more of their punk sound than doom, it's lively and well written, but Austin's vocals sound a little forced at times, and the lyrics can be a little repetitive. Still, it's great to finally hear some of The Revolution's cancelled recording sessions make it out there, and it'd be interesting to see the band reunite again if the stars align! Check out "Get High With Me" below!



Also today, remember The Sky's The Limit, the May 5th all-ages concert at The Tech that's being headlined by The Pixo Control as part of Algoma Family Services Children’s Mental Week? As you may remember, promoters were filling the opening slots with auditions at The Tech earlier this month for artists 29 and under, but as of this writing, promoters have yet to officially announce any openers. That said, there have been some confirmations and hints from artists themselves to give us an idea! One is Tristan "White Noize" Goslow, a local Christian rapper whose involvement was confirmed by his dad on the Facebook event page. He's got good flow, and should impress rap fans on the 15th! Local alternative/hard rock trio The Din expressed interest in auditioning as well, but at a different date due to guitarist Tammy Hill being out of town, and an organizer apparently sent a message in reply. The Din haven't said if they're playing or not since, but they'd be a good fit if they are! Our last clue comes via this video that apparently came from the audition at the former St. Mary's College site, so what should you know?

This is of a group of three young musicians, including guitarist Spencer Pine alongside musicians named Elijah and Beau, and while I believe all are current White Pines Collegiate students, I can't 100% verify the others' full identities. Uploaded to what appears to be Spencer's YouTube channel on April 7th, this is of the three covering Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" at the audition, which Spencer says that they "nailed" in the video title, but again, promoters haven't publically confirmed the openers yet. The guys do a good job here, with decent vocals and a strong solo, and they'd be fun to see on the 5th, so see more on the possible openers above & below!



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

• Shawn Miller of The Metal Observer reviewed local doom metal trio AlgomA's split vinyl EP with Saskatchewan's Chronobot at this link, where he gave it an 8/10 score, saying that the split brings "a truckload of Sabbathian riffs that would make (Tony) Iommi smile like a proud father." Very positive overall review with few negative comments, so check it out above!
• The aforementioned Austin McCrae is looking to start a punk/grunge band that would play original and cover material, and needs guitarists and a drummer (he'd presumably be on vocals and bass.) He has practice space and spare equipment, though it's not clear if this is part of a Revolution revival or an entirely new project. If you're interested in trying out, message Austin at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post last week!
• In a clarification & apology regarding new local death metal band Kaepora Gaebora's lineup, we can confirm that their new bassist is Jeph Brown, who I don't recall from any other recent local bands. We erroneously noted on the site earlier that Twistory's Josh Amendola was their bassist, so I apologize for that, I can be bad with faces sometimes (plus, the band still doesn't list Jeph on their Facebook page's lineup.) Stay tuned for more on Kaepora Gaebora's next concert later this week!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news, notes, and features this week! Thanks everyone!