LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Bon Jovi Forever), One More Weekend Concert Preview, And More Updates!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to apologize for missing a late concert cancellation on the SMS, as Go Skateboarding Day did not take place as planned at Queen Elizabeth Park outside of the John Rhodes Centre due to yesterday's very rainy conditions. The worst of it was in the morning, but it rained off and on all day, which isn't safe to skateboard in, let alone play plugged-in live music. As far as I can recall, this is the first time that the local Go Skate Day was ever cancelled by rain, but organizers did have a back-up plan to keep the annual June 21st festivities going. They were able to host an indoor Go Skate Day 20 minutes east at the Prince Township Community Center's skating rink, while a concert did take place, albeit at a private house party last night. Unfortunately, Hails and Pillory were not able to play the delayed concert, and they were replaced by a new mystery act named Adam Smith Death Parade and... The Sole Aggressors?

How they were able to swing getting the Sault Michigan punk band to play across the border on short notice, I don't know, but that would have been fun to see if you were able to get the address and come out! Our source for much of the above info is Spaceship Opening member Ralph Barber's personal Facebook page. As for the Queen Street Cruise events yesterday (including Bone Yard 225's concert under The Roberta Bondar Pavilion tent), that all went on despite the rain, so hopefully the car show and other events went as well as they could for all involved!

Today's post otherwise features one more weekend concert preview, some assorted updates, and to start, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as Oshawa-based Bon Jovi tribute band Bon Jovi Forever will return to the Soo on Saturday, September 13th at the Sault Community Theatre Centre! Since the SMS launched, at least four different Bon Jovi tributes have came here (the others being Bed Of Roses, Keep The Faith, and the hybrid Bon Journey), but Bon Jovi Forever are the ones that played at The Rockstar Bar in May 2016. What distinctions you can make between them will depend on personal preference of their talents and appearances, but Bon Jovi Forever have the classic sound down, both for their early hair metal hits and their later songs, and fans should have a good time in their return to the Soo after nine years! As best as I can tell, there is no opening act. This all ages concert has an 8:00 PM start time.

Loads of tickets are on sale for this newly announced concert in all rows (the balcony is not open for this one), so click here to buy yours, or visit the in-person box office! Prices are much higher than in 2016, running $54.24 for adults, $42.94 for seniors over 65 years of age and students 14-21 years old, and $22.60 for kids 13 and under, but the former Kiwanis Theater is also a much larger venue. Visit the above links for more details on Bon Jovi Forever's long awaited local return this fall! 

Also today, here's one more weekend concert preview that really fell through the cracks while we jumped into our Rotaryfest coverage, and it goes down TODAY, as local alternative/punk cover sextet Bookclub and veteran R&B/soul band The Hustle Brothers will both return to Thomson Farms Cider & Winery at 4057 Third Line West for their second annual teddy bear picnic! Once again, this special matinee concert will see outdoor performances alongside family friendly entertainment at the cider mill. Of course, kids are welcome to bring their teddy bears for the picnic proper, but attendees and families will also get lots of activities to enjoy, exhibits from Entomica, prizes, vendors, food and drinks, tractor rides, and much more, so visit the Eventbrite ticket page and the above links for complete non-musical details! Admission is $10 per person, though babies 2 years old and under will be admitted free.

The teddy bear picnic begins at 1:00 PM (running until 4:00 PM), and if you do come to Thomson Farms, please prepare for the weather given today's heat warnings, including a 40° humidex, so dress accordingly and drink lots of fluids. It's great to see Bookclub and The Hustle Brothers back for year #2 of this fun family event, so keep it in mind this afternoon, and hopefully Bookclub's varied blend of covers finds another willing audience, humans and teddy bears alike! See above for more details, and here's Bookclub live!

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:

 

• Toronto deathcore band Beguiler have been added as an extra act on the Insurrection-headlined concert at Soo Blaster on July 30th, as per promoter Mikhal Muto on the Facebook event page on Thursday. If the name Beguiler rings a bell, it may be because they were slated to play at the cancelled Crucifest metal festival in Leeburn in July of last year, making them the first of the planned five touring bands at Crucifest to land a new booking in the Sault Ste. Marie area. Very cool to see Beguiler finally make their way here next month, and they should add to the brutality well!
• In another instance of an additional act on a Mikhal Muto-promoted concert next month, Sylo frontman Eli Russell will also be performing at the Ricky Mullen/Washout-headlined folk punk show at The Distraction next Friday, as per the Facebook event page on June 14th. While Eli's solo material doesn't really cross our radar, his original acoustic folk material will fit that side of this concert, so don't miss him on the bill next week!
• I will likely be moving local industrial metal solo project Molten Imp to our inactive band links tomorrow. Led by former AlgomA guitarist Boyd "Lord Unterbiss von Wigwaus" Rendell, Molten Imp had retreated from updating most social media in recent years, with their most recent public update (to my knowledge) being the upload of their song "Diesel On The Steamship 1 & 2" to their Bandcamp page on June 23rd of last year. Hopefully all is well with Boyd, and that we hear more from him musically when the time is right, as Molten Imp were a very unique and distinct project with lots of potential! 

 

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

It's The Pits, Inconsistent Me, And BookcluB Concert Previews!!

Before we finally cap off this weekend's hard rock/punk concert previews, just a friendly tip that Wyld Stallyns/ex-Elements frontman Rob Speers will return to The Dive Gastro Pub for another acoustic show on their patio tomorrow night. I'm still not 100% sure if his solo dates are similar to his bands in set/sound or not, hence why I'm not covering it as normal here, but keep it in mind if you want some downtown unplugged music! Now, let's wrap up this weekend's previews by looking at a big festival an hour or so outside of town, plus two Sunday events, so here's what you should know!

We'll start at Robbie Adamson's old church in nearby Leeburn, where local concert promoters Piecing It Together Shows (née Dryer Fire) will host their biggest ever concert TOMORROW, namely the It's The Pits! Yes, live music returns to the site of the late 2010s Oh!No fesitvals and last year's private Bear Hunters reunion event, and P.I.T.S. (peach pit motif fully intact) will be bringing a wide array of styles to the church tomorrow, and while the former Dryer Fire have never been known as a metal/punk-first promotion agency, two of the ten acts tomorrow are SMS-amenable! Half of the bill is comprised of touring artists, and while it's not clear if the poster gives away the performance order (we don't know set times anyway), Toronto electronica duo LAL are definitely the headliners tomorrow night. Also making their way here are Toronto skate punk trio The Mendozaz, who genre fans will definitely take to with their melodic sound!

Other touring acts tomorrow are Ottawa indie rock singer/guitarist Catriona Sturton (who played in the Soo in October), Toronto "deep Earth folk" project Twintwa, and Grand Rapids, Michigan "dark folk" duo Rabbit Fur. The local contingent tomorrow includes crossover thrash/punk band Hails (who will be back in Leeburn for Crucifest next month), DJ Seith (who joined Ha!ls at the private Leeburn event last July), Chris West's local/Quebec indie solo project Tampa, lo-fi "anti-folk" singer/guitarist Shae Tull, and the cryptic regional Americana project Tye Lawless Co.. Note that ex-Shit Liver bassist Mike Kyle's folk project Sibling dropped out of It's The Pits last month after deciding to step away from music, and they were not replaced on the bill. Sam Emerson from local quilting/product repair company Muel Goods is tomorrow's host, and numerous arts and culture vendors will be selling their wares on site.

It's The Pits (which has no stated age limit) takes place tomorrow at 2:00 PM into the night at 5756 Highway 638 outside of Bruce Mines, and attendees are welcome & encouraged to camp out on site and leave on Sunday if they so choose. Just respect the space, and mind tomorrow's rainy weather forecast (though the concert proper is indoors). Tickets cost $45 in advance at this link or via P.I.T.S. staff, and the price jumps to $50 at the gate. Hopefully It's The Pits is a huge hit for Nicole and crew, so that they make this an annual event, and punk fans will enjoy The Mendozaz and Hails in particular among this talented lineup! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Mendozaz live!

Next up, let's head back into Sault Ste. Marie city limits for two concerts taking place on SUNDAY, starting with a matinee performance by online page-less local alternative/punk cover sextet Bookclub as the headliners during that day's teddy bear picnic at Thomson Farms Cider & Winery! Last crossing our radar when Tym Morrison had a weekly run there in late 2019, the 4057 Third Line West mill/winery will host their first ever teddy bear picnic on Sunday afternoon, where families and their kids are encouraged to come down (with picnic blankets and plush toys in tow) to enjoy refreshments, family entertainment, games, prize draws, local vendors, and of course, music! BookcluB will be headlining at 1:00 PM (running for three hours), while veteran R&B/soul sextet The Hustle Brothers will open the picnic with a few sets starting at 10:00 AM. What's unclear is if they'll be playing inside at the Wine Barn or fully outdoors.

Regardless of age, tickets run for $10 at this link or presumably upon entry, though if you have a baby 2 years or younger, they'll get in free. The Weather Channel is currently projecting partly cloudy weather in the 22° range on Sunday afternoon, but showers do bookend the 10 AM-4 PM timeframe, so if you are at all concerned about the rain messing with the picnic, keep tabs on your preferred local weather reports closer to Sunday. It'll be interesting to see how things go at Thomson Farms, both for the atypical concert setting, the potential weather impairment, and just how the teddy bear picnic goes, but BookcluB should get a good response! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here they are live!

Finally for this very busy slate of weekend concert previews, let's head to The Distraction, where Detroit pop punk solo project Inconsistent Me will headline on SUNDAY NIGHT! One of a surprising number of Michigan-based touring bands to play in Sault Ontario in recent months (if only Sault Michigan bands were similarly crossing over), Inconsistent Me's brand of up tempo & nostalgic pop punk should draw a good response from fans at the old barbership on East Street, so don't miss out if you can swing coming on a work night! No word on if Brendan will be playing solo with a backing track or if he has a band with him (both have happened in the past). Local support will come by way of punk trio Vanity First, capping off a busy weekend for Mikhal and Keeghan (and Carmen?) following their sister band Hails' sets at Go Skateboarding Day tonight and at It's The Pits yesterday! Also, this is their first show since releasing "Identity Crisis" in April.

Oddly, Vanity haven't been promoting this show much in recent weeks, but it does appear to be on for Sunday as scheduled, and as usual, this is an all ages concert. Doors open at 6:00 PM, and admission is via a "$10 or pay-what-you-can" model. If the rain scared you off of Go Skate Day, and if Leeburn is a little too remote for tomorrow, punk fans may find that Inconsistent Me is what the doctor ordered, so definitely visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Inconsistent Me live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (BookcluB), New Videos, And More!!

Today's post is roughly evenly divided between the Twin Saults, including some new videos and related updates from two E.U.P. metal acts, but we'll lead off in Sault Ontario with a new punk cover video and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for a linked project, so here's what you should know!

Online page-less local alternative/punk cover band BookcluB will perform at Thomson Farms Cider & Winery on Sunday, June 23rd as the headline musical act during that day's teddy bear picnic! Covering an event like this for the SMS is new to me, but the venue isn't, as Thomson Farms hosted a brief weekly series from Tym Morrison at their on-site Wine Barn in the fall of 2019. The event next Sunday is indeed a teddy bear picnic, which Thomson Farms is hosting for the first time this year, and attendees of this family friendly event will get to take part in crafts and activities, a barbecue, tractor rides, and other activities that you'd hope to see at a strawberry farm like this! The performer lineup is oddly not given on social media, but organizers did list it on the Eventbrite page where you can buy your advance tickets. On his personal Facebook page, BookcluB frontman Mikey Hawdon confirmed that they're the 1:00 PM headliners, with the event running until 4:00 PM.

R&B/soul sextet The Hustle Brothers will open at 10:00 AM, reuniting them with Bookclub from last year's Summer Moon Festival. No word on if the bands will be playing outside or in the Wine Barn, but of course, this is an all ages event (and kids are highly encouraged to bring their own teddy bear and a picnic blanket for the occasion). The teddy bear picnic has advance tickets of $10 per person, regardless of age (though infants 2 years old and under will get in free), and you can buy them at this link or presumably in person at Thomson Farms. The door price will rise an unstated amount if you opt not to buy tickets ahead. Very unexpected booking, but it should be fun for all, so visit the Facebook event page for more details! 

Next up, let's stay on a Mikey Hawdon trajectory by looking at the long awaited tenth song in his punk supergroup project Mikey & His Uke's 30th anniversary cover series of Green Day's classic album "Dookie"! Unfortunately, we have just had the longest wait yet between installments of this series, with song #10 only dropping on Wednesday, 36 days after "Sassafras Roots" was posted to the project's YouTube channel. In chronological order, the tenth track on "Dookie" is the album's final released single, "When I Come Around", and here, the guest vocalist is truly from afar, namely Nikola Sarcevic of the Swedish punk rock legends Millencolin. I do like them, so this is neat! Pennywise bassist Randy Bradbury returns for his fifth turn in the series (only missing two of the last seven videos), while Goldfinger alum Darren Pfieffer continues his role as the "Dookie" series' only drummer, and he's wearing a hockey jersey again!

The cover is really good, and Nikola's distinct accented voice fits very well on "When I Come Around"! Of note, his scenes were filmed at a snowy cemetery, while Mikey is also seen in scenes paying homage to the original Green Day music video, primarily of him and two young relatives (I assume) walking the aisles of what appears to be Sault College. Everything is professionally shot and recorded, so Green Day fans will be right at home here! It's deep cuts from here on out in this series, with song #11 ("Coming Clean") up next. Based on prior timelines, it should go online between Tuesday and July 18th (the current average would be on June 26th). Check out Mikey & His Uke's new video below!

Let's head south to Michigan for the rest of today's post, starting with the latest from St. Ignace metalcore band Heavy Lies The Crown, so what have they been up to in the past month+? In Facebook posts from late April and early May, we saw ex-guitarist Ted Olson in new rehearsal photos, so did he return to the fold? No (the band already said that he left in part because he didn't want to tour anymore), but things are clearly still amicable, as he was jamming with H.L.T.C. to help teach "the new ones" in preparation for the Born Of Osiris show in Pontiac on May 26th. Curiously, the band has only posted once on Facebook since that show despite it being returning guitarist Nathan Switzer's first gig back, so hopefully that's just a sign that they've been busy and not that things went poorly downstate! It's after the fact now (my apologies, even with it being 5 hours away), but they did post a promotional video beforehand to get the final word out!

Drummer Jaxon Massaway filmed this in their tour vehicle while en route to Pontiac on the 24th for their Facebook page, and after initially getting tongue tied, he did plug the show, bands, ticket availability, and more. I do hope that the concert was a success, even with the band being relatively silent on social media in recent weeks, so get more from Heavy Lies The Crown above & below, and hopefully we hear more soon!

We'll close with the latest from local extreme metal solo project X's & Y's' YouTube channel! Just as a refresher, this is the current project from former Life's Eclipse guitarist and Werehold Records owner Jason Mills, who have sporadically posted material over the past couple of years. Two official songs have been posted since we last checked in with X's & Y's in January of last year, including a cover from November of the "Theme Of Solid Snake" from the 1990 video game Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, which you may recall from modern Metal Gear compilations in the west. Jason is an acknowledged fan of classic computer games (he calls Metal Gear 2 his "favourite video game"), and this is a strong metallized rendition for fans! Embedded below is a brand new song from his long gestating debut X's & Y's album "The Obsidian Dream", entitled "A Flow Of Touch"

Fans of Jason's original material dating back to the Werehold days will take to "A Flow Of Touch", which has some strong djent-laden riffing and some melodic solos to match, along with good production, and it'd be great to see "The Obsidian Dream" get a completed release where Life's Eclipse albums of the past did not! Check out X's & Y's new songs above & below!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck & Tym Morrison) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

Before we begin, just an apology for missing a pair of shows in last weekend's concert previews, namely Highway 63's St. Ignace Kewadin shows last Friday and Saturday. We did cover them on the site in May, but they completely slipped us by last week. That's on me, I profusely apologize, but hopefully the shows went well! They will be back there in early December. Now, let's dive into this weekend's Halloween/early November concert previews, aside from Saturday's Who Made Who show (coming tomorrow), and we'll start with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, some on SHORT NOTICE!

With a new month almost upon us, let's roll Tym Morrison's November concert slate into our concert listings today! First up, his long-term weekly concert arrangement at Gliss Restaurant on Spring Street marches on with matinee gigs TOMORROW & SATURDAY, and then on November 8th-9th, 15th-16th, 22nd-23rd, and 29th-30th! As well, he will return to The Roadhouse Bar & Grill on Trunk Road TOMORROW NIGHT and then again on Friday, November 29th as part of his slate of occasional Friday nighters there through at least March. Finally, his seasonal run of Thursday matinees at Thomson Farms Cider & Winery on Third Line West will conclude with concerts next Thursday and on November 14th, joining his previously listed Halloween gig TODAY, so keep all of these dates in mind for the 30 days ahead! Apologies for the short notice on this weekend's Gliss and Roadhouse shows, I should have rolled them in last week to preclude that. The veteran hard rock musician's busy schedule should be welcomed by his fans, so don't miss out on seeing him!

The Gliss and Thomson Farms shows are all ages events with early start times of 5:00 PM at the mill's on-site Wine Barn, and 6:00 PM at Gliss, while the Roadhouse shows are 10:00 PM affairs with 19+ age limits, and none of these concerts have announced cover charges. Also, I cannot confirm if Thomson Farms will have any special Halloween events today, but they have had no shortage of seasonal frills in the lead-up. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here, here, and here for more details, and here's Tym live!



Next up, local classic hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will apparently be returning to The Water Tower Pub for headlining concerts TOMORROW AND SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, we only learned of these shows via the venue's November concert calendar on your left, as shared on the Sault Music Newsletter Facebook page on Tuesday. These were not listed on Soundcheck's 2019 concert calendar, but more shockingly, these are consecutive gigs at The Water Tower Pub, a venue that historically books different acts nightly, festivals aside. I presume Soundcheck are a late replacement on one night, hence the change in format, but in any event, fans of Terry, Travis, Paul, and Glen's old school covers should be right at home at this familiar central venue TOMORROW and/or SATURDAY! As usual for The Water Tower Pub, these are 9:30 PM & 19+ gigs with no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Soundcheck live in concert earlier this year!

Moving to previously announced concerts, Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished will return to Biggby Coffee for the latest show of their "every Thursday" matinee run there TODAY! We'll wait to cover November shows there until the band or venue confirms them publically, just in case there are any changes to this still-relatively new arrangement. No word on possible Halloween frills for the concert proper, but Biggby Coffee will have free kids drinks for any children who stop by in costume, so parents might want to keep that in mind! Of course, Alex & Josh should have another entertaining afternoon of hard and classic rock covers in store for fans and patrons alike, so keep this show in mind if you want some live music before you head out trick or treating! As recently the case, today's show is at 12:00 PM with no age limits or cover charges, but mind the locale, as this is a coffee shop & restaurant, not a nightclub. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Tarnished live!



Finally for today's previews, let's head back to Sault Ontario, where local promoter J.D. Pearce's 15th annual Halloween party goes down TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! Yes, this is taking place (slightly) after Halloween, though after a two year run of having this event on two consecutive nights, this year's installment returns to a one-night-only format upstairs. However, the post-2013 focus on cover bands will continue this year, as three local tributes will take the stage, including the revival of Foo Fighters tribute The Soo Fighters, who we last saw at this venue and event in 2017. Only frontman Jules Cote is back from their first run, so how will new members Wes Greco, Max Ambeault and Jonas Gasperas sound? We'll know tomorrow! New local Volbeat tribute band The Guitar Gangsters (featuring Garden of Bedlam's Buzz & Derek Turner and Jack Spades alumni Jesse Cook & Tiffany Stocco) will also make their own local concert debut here, which already has a lot of people's attention.

It'll be very interesting to see Buzz & Derek back together after a 4 year absence, and we should be in good hands from this talented foursome! The third band is a Me First & The Gimme Gimmes tribute (replacing a planned Rob Zombie tribute), and while their identity is not public, I'd put my money on this being Jack Spades doing Me First-style punk covers of non-punk songs, given that J.D. fronts them. Should be interesting to find out, either way! Expect a costume contest as usual for this 19+ event, which has a $10 cover charge and a 9:30 PM start time. Visit the above links for more details, I will see you there, and here's The Soo Fighters live two years ago!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Who Made Who, Just Leppard, Tym Morrison, & Tarnished!!)

A quiet weekend of hard rock concerts is in store for the last weekend before Halloween, so to round out this weekend concert preview post, we have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to tackle for next month for you tribute band fans! That said, let's start with the previews, which both have very SHORT NOTICE add-on shows to note on here!

Reports of the end of Tym Morrison's Thomson Farms Cider & Winery run are premature, as the prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist will return to the Third Line West mill's on-site Wine Barn for matinee concerts TONIGHT and next Thursday! Apologies for the short notice on TONIGHT's show, Tym only confirmed that his Thomson Farms arrangement was extended via the new gigs' Facebook event page on Sunday. It looks like Thomson Farms either now close for the season in mid-November, or always did and I didn't know, but either way, Tym didn't advertise these last(?) four gigs until this week. These should be a prime chance to see Tym's unplugged hard rock covers at a familiar local establishment once again, so keep TONIGHT and Halloween's gigs in mind! We'll add his November shows here and at Gliss to our concert listings next week. And yes, Tym will continue his long-term arrangement at Gliss Restaurant on Spring Street TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT as well at his regular place and time!

Fans of Tym's skilled and vast setlist should be in good hands as he rocks Gliss this weekend, so don't miss out either! Also, I apologize for missing a late notice venue change for Tym' show this past Saturday, as his Gliss gig apparently did not take place, so he was able to play at Thomson Farms instead for a rare non-Thursday show there. Hopefully that went over well! TONIGHT'S Thomson Farms show is at 5:00 PM, he's at Gliss at 6:00 PM, and these gigs do not have announced age limits or cover charges. Click here and above for more details, and here's Tym live!



Next up, Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished's ongoing "every Thursday" run of matinee gigs at Biggby Coffee will continue TODAY, but that's not all, as they'll be making their Lake Superior State University debut TONIGHT with a full band concert at The Galley in The Cisler Center! Again, apologies for the short notice on the latter event, it was only announced via this Facebook event page on Monday. You don't hear of hard rock bands playing on campus at LSSU very often, let alone in The Galley (a restaurant/lounge), so it will be interesting to hear how this advertised 90 minute set goes TONIGHT! It will also be a chance for fans to see the rarer electric version of Tarnished with drummer Tommy Korcal, which plays less frequently than the 2 man acoustic variant.

These shows do not have advertised cover charges or age limits, with Tarnished's regular unplugged Biggby concert taking place at the new 12:00 PM start time, and their trip to The Galley is at 8:00 PM TONIGHT. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Tarnished live!



Also, here's some more new concert announcements for next month as part of The Canadian Nightclub's wave of live tribute bands this fall, starting with the return of Toronto-based AC/DC tribute band Who Made Who for one night only on Saturday, November 2nd! No, I did not put this concert off on purpose, it really only got two weeks notice online. By far the most familiar AC/DC tribute among local audiences in the 2010s, this will be Who Made Who's first local concert appearance since rocking The Rockstar Bar in April of last year, though they are no strangers to The Canadian, having played there most recently in 2012. It's great to see Who Made Who bring their brand of high voltage rock & roll back to the Soo next month, and hopefully there's a great turnout for their faithful sounding and looking stage show once again! Tickets for this 19+ & 9:00 PM event are $15 in advance at The Canadian Motor Hotel's front desk, or $20 at the door. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details as they roll in!

Finally, the other new tribute band concert at The Canadian Nightclub next month will see Sudbury-based Def Leppard tribute band Just Leppard make their local debut on Saturday, November 9th! Unlike Who Made Who, this band is very new to the live circuit, only having debuted in August, and this is just their second announced concert, if you can believe that. As such, this will be an interesting opportunity to see how Just Leppard compare to the real thing, and luckily, they do have this promotional video if you want to see what they bring to the table. Myself, I'm not a big fan of Def Leppard, but if you're a loyal Hair Scare listener, you'll want to circle this date on your calendar! Identically to Who Made Who's show the previous week (and the CCR tribute concert on November 16th), this is a 19+ concert at 9:00 PM with tickets running for $15 in advance and $20 at the door.) Head to the official Facebook event page for more details!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Wyld Stallyns) & This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

Now, let's dive into this weekend's hard rock concert previews in a relatively quiet weekend slate! Just as a heads up, the Soo Zombie Walk does indeed return from it's 2018 hiatus on Saturday at the Bushplane Museum, but the only advertised musical performer is Northwest guitarist Greg Callaghan's solo act. Click here for more details on the walk, but as for our previews, let's start with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will return to their recent stomping grounds (The Whiskey Barrel) for one night only THIS FRIDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed this show on their Facebook page on Tuesday, but it was previously announced on the venue's Facebook event page for October concerts there. The only stop at this Gore Street restaurant and bar this month for the Elements side project, this will be The Stallyns' first show since rocking The Upper Deck Bar & Grill last week, and first at The Whiskey Barrel in three weeks. Look for the Speers' and Jesse (and James & Jonas?!) to deliver more hard rocking and fan favourite covers on FRIDAY at 8:00 PM! This show has no cover charge or advertised age limits, but mind the locale, this isn't a traditional nightclub. Visit the above links for more details, and here are The Wyld Stallyns live!



Next up, we'll move to previously announced concerts, starting with the continuation of Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished's run of acoustic matinee concerts "every Thursday" at Biggby Coffee, as they'll be back there TODAY! The second week of the slightly later scheduling (now taking place at 12:00 PM rather than 10:30 AM), but everything else appears to be the same, as Alex & Josh are still here to bring their unplugged covers to fans and patrons as they play for "tips and coffee" once again. The later timeslot may be better or worse for some of you guys, pending your own work schedules, but if you're free in the afternoon, why not enjoy some free acoustic hard rock this afternoon? Of course, this is an all ages event. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Tarnished live at Biggby Coffee!

Heading back to Sault Ontario, it's another busy weekend for local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison, who will wrap up his weekly seasonal run at Thomson Farms Cider & Winery TODAY, before continuing his long-term arrangement at Gliss Restaurant TOMORROW & SATURDAY! With seven gigs at the Third Line West mill's on-site Wine Barn in the books, Tym will cap off the season with one more matinee go-around today (he is not advertised for October 24th), so if you want some live music with your cider, wine, and/or fresh produce, you know where to be! Of course, fans who want a closer downtown event can see him at Gliss once again tomorrow and/or Saturday, with more dinner-time hard and classic rock covers sure to be expected there! As usual, these arw all free shows without stated age limits, with today's Thomson Farms concert being at 5:00 PM, and the Gliss shows starting at 6:00 PM. Visit the Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Tym live!

Finally for this weekend's previews, let's head to Reggie's West, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! After taking last week off, this will be Terry, Travis, Paul, and Glen's first concert weekend since playing The Esquire Club two weeks ago, and their first at the Reggievelt in just over a month. Always expect an entertaining night of hard rocking covers from this veteran quartet, and they should entertain the masses at Reggie's West this weekend! If you miss out, they will back here in mid-November. As usual for Soundcheck's concerts here, expect there to be no cover charges and a 10:00 PM-ish start time, while you must be 19 or older to attend. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here a brand new video of Soundcheck live, courtesy of SaultOnline reporter Mike Caruso's YouTube channel!

A cover of Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me" at The Water Tower Pub last month, this oddly features Soundcheck as a trio minus singer/guitarist Travis Sharpe, with Terry obviously singing lead. No word on why Travis missed this song, but it's a well handled cover, and nicely shot on multiple cameras like with Mike's other recent cover band clips. Check it out below, and don't miss the real thing this weekend!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & Tarnished), Concert Previews, And New Videos!!

With an unusual number of Wednesday and Thursday shows this week, I am starting our weekend concert previews early to tackle the bands playing the concerts in question in a timely fashion, including LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (some on SHORT NOTICE) therein. As such, look for our Michale Graves, Scarkazm, Soundcheck, and Wyld Stallyns previews next, with Soo's Got Talent coverage to get it's own separate post either tomorrow night or Friday morning. Now, here's what you should know!

New Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished will return to the Sault Ste. Marie Farmers Market at the corner of Portage and Ashmun Street TONIGHT, with returns planned for next Wednesday and on October 9th as well! Apologies for the short notice for TONIGHT'S show, the band only announced their involvement via this Facebook event page on Sunday. Last seen at this weekly downtown market three weeks ago, TONIGHT'S concert should be another fine opportunity for Tarnished (in two man unplugged mode) to entertain market patrons and fans alike, so don't miss out then or in the next two Wednesdays! Note that the Farmers Market proper closes for the season at the end of October, as far as I know, so there's a maximum of three more there that they could play for 2019. These are all 6:00 PM matinee concerts with no cover charges or age limits, so visit the above links for more on these sets and everything at the Farmers Market proper!

Of course, this isn't all for Alex & Josh this weekend, as Tarnished will also continue their "every Thursday" run of matinee concerts at Biggby Coffee TOMORROW, and this time, they did advertise it in advance via a Facebook event page, which is helpful for fans! What's new to us is confirmation of a return to the Ashmun Street coffeeshop on Thursday, October 3rd, though they did not list dates beyond on the event page. Is this the series finale, or will more Thursday shows there be announced in due course? We'll let you know! You can see Alex & Josh rock out for tips and coffee tomorrow (and next Thursday) at 10:30 AM with no cover charges or age limits, and see above for more details! Finally for this weekend, Tarnished (again in acoustic form) will rock out THIS SATURDAY at this year's Fall Festival in Sault Ste. Marie on the Crooked Music Sound Stage outside of the store! This will be Tarnished's debut at the former Oktoberfest, and be sure to click here for all of the non-musical & family friendly event details on Saturday.

Tarnished will be playing at 1:00 PM alongside acoustic rock duo The Tavern Stool Townies at 4:00 PM, and alternative/folk solo musicians Kathleen Connelly and Magnet Moslov at 3:00 & 2:00 PM respectively, while Academy of Performing Arts student dancers will open at 12:00 PM. If you're ip for some Sidewalk Sales-esque outdoor live music with your Fall Fest entertainment, head to Crooked Music for all of the action! Again, this is FREE & ALL AGES. Click here and see above for more details, and for a preview of Tarnished's busy concert weekend, here's one more new video of them live, in this case at their post-race set at Kinross Speedpark earlier this month! This was filmed by attendee Malissa Prevost and shared to the band's Facebook page, and marks a rare live video of Tarnished plugged in with drummer Tommy Korcal, who doesn't play their more frequent acoustic gigs. The 27 second video features Tarnished covering Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell", so how does it sound?

Not bad, the guys have a good handle on this 1980s rock classic, but everyone is a little stiff, and between the vertical camera angle and the multicoloured stage lighting, this isn't an optimal look at Tarnished's full electric form. Still great to see some more footage out there, so give it a look below, and don't miss their varied gigs in the Soo over the coming days!

Finally for today's bonus preview post, let's address another frequently seen local hard rock cover act who tends to play non-traditional venues, namely Sault Ontario singer/guitarist Tym Morrison, who has his own triple header of shows this weekend, including a return to the wine barn at Thomson Farms Cider & Winery TOMORROW NIGHT, before continuing his ongoing long-term matinee arrangement at Gliss Restaurant THIS FRIDAY & SATURDAY! While we're on the subject, let's roll his October gigs at both venues into our concert calendar today, as Tym will maintain his run at Gliss with more unplugged shows at the Spring Street restaurant on October 4th-5th, 11th-12th, 18th-19th, and 25th-26th, so keep all of these in mind for dinner-time hard & classic rock cover action! Meanwhile, his seasonal weekly run at Thomson Farms will wrap up with Thursday matinees on October 3rd, 10th, and 17th, with no more gigs advertised there before they close for the season after Halloween (we'll let you know if more are added.)

Clearly, his run of shows at the wine barn are doing well, so don't miss out tomorrow and next month, and enjoy the mill and winery while you're there! The Thomson Farms shows are at 5:00 PM, Gliss gigs are at 6:00 PM, and none have cover charges or age limits. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and for a preview, here's a new video livestreamed from Thomson Farms' Facebook page last week of Tym covering Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama"! Solid, if short cover that fans will definitely appreciate, but Tym's higher register singing may need some adjusting for some viewers. Give it a look below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for regularly scheduled weekend concert previews on the site tomorrow!

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

It's now time to dive into this weekend's hard rock concert previews, and things are definitely quieter this week, but we have enough concerts to fill two posts thanks to the immense write-up on The Soo's Got Talent's second round and prior fallout, so look for all of that later today. In the interim, here's what you should know re: traditional concerts, starting with a handful of SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Local hard rock solo singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will continue his weekly Gliss Restaurant matinee run TOMORROW & SATURDAY, but his seasonal run of Thomson Farms Cider & Winery concerts will also continue TODAY and for the next few weeks! Apologies for the short notice, Tym only confirmed these gigs via their Facebook event page yesterday. After two prior weekly gigs inside the Third Line West mill's wine barn, Tym has confirmed that he will playing there each Thursday evening through October 17th, including TODAY and next Thursday, September 26th, though we will wait to list his October shows there until we roll his Gliss gigs next month into our concert calendar. With a triple-header of matinees both at this new-ish west end venue and at the Spring Street restaurant, fans of his hard rocking covers have lots of chances to see Tym live this weekend!

TODAY'S Wine Barn show has a 5:00 PM start time, the Gliss gigs are at 6:00 PM, and none have age limits or cover charges. Visit the Gliss engagement's Facebook event page and above for more details, and here's Tym live!

Next up, local classic/hard rock cover band Soundcheck will return to The Esquire Club for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, these shows were only just announced via their Facebook event page yesterday, and they were not listed on the band's 2019 concert calendar from February. Just two weeks removed from their last shows at this popular west end venue, this will be the second weekend out of three that Soundcheck are playing here in just under a month's time, so fans and patrons alike will have lots of solid tunes to check out TOMORROW & SATURDAY, especially with Catch the Ace ongoing! Note that the event page says that "Soundcheck 3.0" are playing this weekend, and while that may imply that this is the third version of the band playing this weekend, that actually refers to their shorthanded nature.

This time out, Travis Sharpe will trade his usual guitar for a bass to cover for Paul Belair, who the band cited as being "busy" this weekend, hence his latest absence. Usually, Soundcheck cover for Paul by enlisting a special guest, so is this a case of no one being available, just trying things with Travis on the four string, or were these shows late notice in general? In any event, don't miss 75% of Soundcheck TOMORROW and/or SATURDAY at The Esquire Club! Expect 10:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits, as usual. See above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!



Moving to previously announced concerts, starting with the expected continuation of Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished's morning matinee run at Biggby Coffee TODAY! Though not newly plugged by band or venue at press time, "every Thursday" means what it means unless otherwise stated, so look for Alex & Josh to deliver more hard rocking covers at the Ashmun Street coffee shop today at 10:30 AM! Note that we regrettably missed two acoustic Tarnished shows for coverage on the site in the past week, both only publically announced by the band the day of the concert. One was the Foodies United Fundraiser at The United Way on Friday (organizers never confirmed musical performers online), and the other was a special Wednesday nighter at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino. I profusely apologize for missing them for coverage on the site, but alas, if Tarnished don't give them more than a few hours notice, I can't guarantee I can cover them. I will keep better tabs, at least!

In any event, I hope they were great times for band and fans alike, but don't miss them at Biggby today for tips & coffee! As usual, this is an all ages show with no cover. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's a new video of Tarnished covering Bob Seger's "Turn The Page" at The Signatures Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino two weeks ago! Live-streamed by fan Ted Brosco and shared by the band on their Facebook page, this is a solid cover, but muffled audio is an issue at times, and Alex often covers up Josh at this angle. Give it a look below!

Finally for this weekend, let's head to the aforementioned Northern Pines Lounge, where fellow Sault Ste. Marie classic/hard rockers Highway 63 are advertised to return to the St. Ignace Kewadin for headlining concerts of their own TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen here at the end of June, these shows have not been newly plugged by the band at press time, but are still advertised at this link by the venue. This should be another fine chance for fans to see Henry, Nathan, George, Russell, and Brian rock out with more fan favourite covers at a familiar locale, so don't miss out on all of the action this weekend in St. Ignace! As usual for regular weekend shows here, expect 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 21+ age limits. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's Highway 63 live!
 

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Soo's Got Talent second round preview later today! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Soo's Got Talent & Tym Morrison) And Our First Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

Usually, the local hard rock concert calendar slows down in the autumn (Halloween aside), but that is not the case this weekend, as we have enough concert previews for two full posts, with at least one needing to be in a third post! As such, here's the schedule. This post has two SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS and our Cancer Bats preview (as that show is tonight), while we'll tackle the Whoop-Szo, Chase Wigmore, Soundcheck, and Wyld Stallyns concerts later today, with Peril's St. Ignace dates to follow tomorrow morning along with other recent stories. Hopefully that covers everything, so here's what you should know to start the weekend!

Joining his regular Gliss Restaurant matinees TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, local acoustic solo musician Tym Morrison will reportedly play at Thomson Farms Cider & Winery on Third Line West for a third straight week TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, a Facebook event page has not visibly been created to plug this show at press time, but the mill advertised Tym as performing on their Facebook page, and the show is also listed on SooToday's events calendar. Whether this is an extended weekly arrangement for the fall season or not, the third time may be the charm for fans of Tym's unplugged hard and classic rock covers, so look for him in the wine barn TONIGHT! For what it's worth, Thomson Farms will have pumpkin spice cider on sale starting today, but if you're not into that, their selection is large. Of course, Tym's ongoing Gliss shows should provide more entertaining unplugged music for your dinner-time entertainment tomorrow and Saturday, so don't miss out!

As was the case in the past two weeks, all three of these shows are age limit-devoid and have no stated cover charges (though mind the locales), and while the Gliss shows are at 6:00 PM as usual, the Thomson Farms show TONIGHT is at 5:00 PM. Visit the Gliss concerts' Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!



Next up, The Soo's Got Talent officially kicks off it's sophomore installment TOMORROW NIGHT at The Grand Gardens Verdi Ballroom (p.k.a. The Verdi Hall), and there will be one metal band/performer on the preliminary competitor roster, namely the returning Apocalypse Afterparty! Again, apologies for the short notice, their involvement only broke this week when organizers unveiled the first round lineup, and the band proper didn't publicize their Wacky Wings audition last month for us to get an advance teaser. This will be X and z's first public concert since their run of pop-up gigs in mid-2017, so can they shake off the stage rust in time for TOMORROW's talent competition? For what it's worth, their Facebook page teases a new setlist and band member, though of course, remember that they were infamous for wearing masks on stage. However, do not expect a long performance, as twenty-three acts are playing TOMORROW. I won't attempt to list all 23 here, especially as many are unfamiliar to me, but a few other familiar faces are competing!

Regarding returnees from last year, the only finalist that I can discern as playing year #2 is singer Bethany Pelletier (LeBeouf), while L!me's Madi Schomogyi is also advertised as returning. Some other familiar names may include Colin Gasparelli (from this year's Fringe North/Up The Arts music stage), 2017 Soo Youth Songwriters Contest winner Juliana Regan, and local beatboxer Killabeatz, among others. Of course, with a lineup this big, it's hard to predict who will advance, but remember that The Apocalypse Afterparty did mount a surprise finals run in 2015's VM Radio Battle of the Bands, and "songwriter" Paul Stanghetta did place in earlier battles with The Fury. However, remember that this is not a battle of the bands, and expect to see non-musicians TOMORROW NIGHT, including The Dancing Divas. Moving to The Verdi Hall after the closure of The Tech, this event is a fundraiser to support the ARCH Hospice.

Bands selected to advance at night's end will compete again next Friday, September 20th, with semifinals on September 27th, and the finals taking place on October 11th, so be sure to visit the Facebook event page for continuing updates on the competition as it progresses. The show starts TOMORROW NIGHT at 8:00 PM, with a $10 cover charge for adults, $5 for kids 16 and under, and those prices and times also apply for later rounds too. Things sound bigger and better for The Soo's Go Talent II, but who will move on to next week, and what do The A.A. have up their sleeves? See above for more details, and stay tuned for updates!

Finally, here's a big concert taking place TONIGHT at Soo Blaster, as Toronto hardcore punk/sludge metal quartet The Cancer Bats will make their long awaited return to the city for what should be a brutal time! Many fans may recall seeing these four time Juno nominees open for Billy Talent at the Gardens 9½ years ago, but this will be their first headlining show here since 2006. After too long of a wait, The Cancer Bats' hard hitting modern metal attack should melt many faces again tonight! Note that Alexisonfire's Wade MacNeil will be filling in for new dad Scott Middleton on guitar for this tour. Support will come from London post-hardcore quintet The Single Mothers and Baltimore hardcore punk band Sharptooth, who each bring proficient sounds and direct lyrics to the table for sub-genre fans, while Thunder Bay female-fronted punk quintet Forever Dead were quietly added to the bill themselves late last month. Apparently playing here last ca. 2008, Forever Dead have became a very prominent band in Thunder Bay with their fast-paced and energetic sound, and it'll be great to see them back!

Local support will come from punk trio Redundant in their first public show of 2019, where they will reportedly unveil their new bassist, so who's handling the low end now? Find out TONIGHT! Presented by Thunder Bay's Loffredo & Associates (who brought Monster Truck here this summer), this 19+ & 8:00 PM concert has $20 tickets available at this link and presumably at the door. With this huge lineup and The Cancer Bats' positive reputation, I'm hopeful this will be a big hit at the gate and with fans, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Cancer Bats live!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Whoop-Szo, Chase Wigmore, Soundcheck, and Wyld Stallyns previews next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tym Morrison), Weekend Concert Previews, And New Videos!!

It's now time to kick off another weekend of concert previews! Due to both the amount of shows this weekend and the massive scope of that festival, our previews of Oh!No in Leeburn will come in a second post making the site later today. Don't worry, it is coming! Now, here's what you should know regarding other hard rock shows this weekend, including new videos from two acts, a missed concert apology, and a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Joining his regular matinee gigs at Gliss Restaurant TOMORROW & SATURDAY, local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will play a second straight Thursday evening gig TONIGHT at Thomson Farms Cider & Winery on Third Line West! Apologies for the short notice, Tym only announced this show via his Facebook event page earlier this week. Clearly, his show last week did well, as Tym's back for an encore at this popular west end winery & cider mill TONIGHT, so if you're up for some live acoustic hard and classic rock while partaking in locally made & grown wine, cider, and produce, you know where to be! At this juncture, I have no idea if Thursday matinees here will become a regular thing or not, though note that Thomson Farms closes for the season after Halloween, as best as I can tell. Of course, look for Tym's regular downtown acoustic shows tomorrow & Saturday as well at Gliss, as per usual in his long-term run there, so regular fans are in good hands!

The Gliss shows are at 6:00 PM, TONIGHT'S Thomson Farms show is at 5:00 PM, and none have announced cover charges or age limits. Click here and above for more details, and for a preview, here's a new video of Tym live inside of Thomson Farms' wine barn last week, as per their Facebook page on Monday! A cover of Tom Petty's "Free Falling", this 22 second clip doesn't even last long enough to get to the chorus, but Tym sounds good as far as it goes, so check it out below, and don't miss him there TONIGHT!



Next up, let's take a detour to the Eastern Upper Peninsula, where Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished will play at the acoustic-centric Signatures Lounge at the local Kewadin Casino branch TONIGHT, before the (presumably) full band rocks Kinross Speedpark TOMORROW NIGHT! These are the middle shows in a busy stretch for Alex & Josh (and Tommy tomorrow), following a short notice set at yesterday's Sault Ste. Marie Farmers Market, and preceding their road trip to Toledo, Ohio on Saturday. I profusely apologize for missing their matinee gig at the Farmers Market yesterday, it's brief advertising on their Facebook page on Monday slipped right by us. Hopefully it was a hit though, we'd have covered it had we known about it! Originally announced as an Alex Traynor solo show and a Banned concert respectively, tonight's Signatures Lounge date and tomorrow's post-Four Cylinder Friday set should deliver solid crowds each for this new band!

Note that Tarnished did not mention a Biggby Coffee matinee in their Facebook advertising from Monday, which would seemingly signal the end of their shows "every Thursday" there, but we'll let you know if that proves to be incorrect. Tonight's Signatures Lounge gig has an early 6:00 PM start time, a 19+ age limit, and no cover, while tomorrow's Kinross Speedpark show begins after the races end. I can't verify if you can get in free after the races just to see Tarnished or not, but the races proper have a 7:30 PM start time, and $5 admission fees ($6 Canadian), with kids 11 and under FREE. Click here and visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's a new video of Tarnished live-ish at the Soo Farmers Market on Wednesday! Shared onto the Farmers Market's Facebook page yesterday during business hours, this 9 second clip is primarily about the market proper, but in the upper left, if you look really close, you can see Alex & Josh covering Kenny Wayne Shepherd's "Blue on Black"!

This is not an ideal video for angle or length if you want to see Tarnished in action, but they sound good while it lasts, and the video shows the scope of the Farmers Market well enough. Check it out if you want below, and see much more from Tarnished's unplugged hard rock cover attack TONIGHT in the Soo and in Kinross TOMORROW with electric gear and drums in tow!



Finally for this weekend's non-Oh!No concert previews, let's head back to Sault Ontario, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to The Esquire Club for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! As advdertised on their 2019 concert calendar, this will be Soundcheck's second concert weekend at this popular west end venue in a three week span, and first shows anywhere since their Roberta Bondar Pavilion matinee late last month. This should be another prime opportunity for fans to see Soundcheck's often heavy blend of covers, so don't miss them at The Esquire Club once again this weekend! As usual for shows there, expect a 10:00 PM-ish start time, no cover charges, and a 19+ age limit tomorrow and/or Saturday. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Soundcheck live!


 
That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Oh!No III previews next, plus more news shortly! Thanks everyone!