Before we dive into another drawn out run of weekend concert previews, let's tackle some more recent news and notes, including some new video postings, and leading off, a big LOCAL CONCERT ALERT concerning an annual holiday event next month, so here's what you need to know!
The eighth annual Toystock fundraiser concert will take place on Sunday, November 24th, with "10 bands in 10 hours" entertaining the masses once again! As noted on the brand new Toystock website and Facebook page, this yearly Christmas Cheer benefit concert will return to The Grand Gardens North for a fifth straight year next month, and as always, organizers are aiming for this year's installment to garner even more Christmas Cheer donations of toys, food, and cash at this giving time of year, which is always a worthy cause! As usual, Toystock is an ALL AGES event, and expect the Stuff-A-Bus, local vendors, and Santa & Mrs. Claus to make appearances as well! Click here for ongoing non-musical details. Compared to last year, the musical roster for Toystock VIII is more of a throwback to early installments, with less of a focus on returning bands, as only 5 acts in 2019 played last year. That said, who can you see next month, and when?
As you may expect, the 9:00 PM headliners are country rock cover quartet Bone Yard in their sixth consecutive and seventh total Toystock set, while in a mild surprise, power rock quartet Re:Born will get the 8:00 PM co-headlining slot in their event debut. Also making their Toystock debut this year is classic/hard rock quintet Fluid 5ive at 7:00 PM, while fellow veteran rock quartet Soundcheck will play their third straight event at 6:00 PM (and yes, Glen Thomas is donating a few refurbished drumkits once again this year.) Country singer/guitarist Brendan Hodgson will return from last year with a set at 5:00 PM, while some young Toystock newcomers will hit the stage beforehand, including pop rock quartet L!me at 4:00 PM & solo artist Kaitlyn Parr (who I know very little about) at 3:00 PM. A group of unidentified Case's Music students will play Toystock for a fourth straight year at 2:00 PM, following the return of veteran country duo The Jeff & Jeff Show at 1:00 PM for a third year in a row.
Finally, rising young singer/guitarist (and Soo's Got Talent semifinalist) Cameron Oliver will open the day's proceedings at 12:00 PM in his own Toystock debut. Presented by (Choose) Maxx Entertainment, Toystock VIII is FREE with a canned good or toy donation to Christmas Cheer, but you can absolutely donate cash upon entry if you want. It's wonderful to see Greg and company bring Toystock back for another year to help kick off the holidays with style, and with some welcomed younger talent alongside in 2019, hopefully this is the biggest installment yet! Visit the Facebook event page and the above links for full details!
We'll close today with new videos, including footage from Saturday night's Femur-headlined concert at Room 21! Promoters Oh!No Collective (nee Six, Two, Oh) live-streamed three videos from the concert, including one of opening alt-folk act Slumshine, and two of the headlining Thunder Bay "pisscore" trio. One video is of their newer song "Brian Wells" (I presume this is the inspiration), but embedded below is this 7 minute video of them near the end of their set, though I can't make out the song names that Eric gave. Solid view of Femur right at the front of the stage, and they have a brutal noise rock attack that fans should enjoy, so give these a look!
Finally, here's a new song from local goregrind solo project Crucify the Whore, as uploaded to label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel on Sunday! Entitled "Pissed Off & Bouncing Back", this is slated to be on C.T.W.'s official third full length release, whose title and over artwork will reportedly be unveiled on Halloween in time for a December release. If you're not acclimated to Tyler's brand of one-man goregrind, then this will be more of the same (short length, programmed drums, pig squeal vocals), but after the opening photos, you do get some heavily filtered video footage in the second half from C.T.W./Malignant Neoplasm sets at the Oh!No festival and the West of Hell/Expain concert. As always, this style of metal is an acquired taste, but Tyler's brutality, enthusiasm, and determination is never in doubt, and it's great to see him finally getting some new studio material out there in a fuller form factor! Give this video a look below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for mid-week concert previews and more next! Thanks everyone!
Alright, let's close out this weekend's concert previews, but to fill things out, we also have a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT concerning the finals of an ongoing competition, and fallout from it's semifinals! Apologies for erroneously crediting the finals as being part of this week's preview slate, I forgot that they were taking a two week break between the last rounds. With all of that said, here's what you should know!
After a very talented semifinal round this past Saturday, local rap/metal trio The Apocalypse Afterparty have punched their ticket for the finals of The Soo's Got Talent, which go down next Friday, October 11th at Soo Blaster! As attendees of the semifinals will already know, judges sent The Apocalypse Afterparty, Killabeatz, Bethany Pelletier LeBeouf, Juliana Regan, and Adrian Sullivan through as the five advertised finalists, but like last year, two wild card slots were also granted, this time to The Dancing Divas and Coulson Perri. With that said, Madison Blair, Colin Gasparelli, and Cameron Oliver were eliminated from the competition last week. As the only true band with instruments left in the competition, The A.A. definitely stand out in the crowd, but can they carry that to a surprise victory next Friday? We'll find out then, but look for another great night of rising local entertainment at Soo Blaster next Friday at 7:00 PM! Again, admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids 16 and under.
Along with the finalists, organizers have announced that ONNtv morning host and veteran local entertainer Tim Murphy will return as a guest judge and performer, while 2018 Soo's Got Talent champion Daniella Brewer will also perform next week, as well as "a surprise celebrity tribute artist." Should be an exciting finals, but before then, SaultOnline's footage of the semifinals aired on ONNtv on Monday and is now up on their YouTube channel in a 1 hour, 40 minute+ video, so what can you see here? Again all sung covers unless otherwise stated, the acts include Cameron Oliver (The Eagles' "Hotel California"), The Dancing Divas ("A Million Dreams" from The Greatest Showman), Killabeatz with more of his skilled beatboxing, Coulson Perri (David Bowie's "Heroes"), Madison Blair (KT Tunstall's "Other Side Of The World", Juliana Regan (Sia's "Death By Chocolate") both Colin Gasparelli & Adrian Sullivan playing original songs, Bethany Pelletier LeBeouf (Miley Cyrus' "Party In The USA"), ...
...and The Apocalypse Afterparty playing a brand new original, possibly titled "Going To California." Very dark lyrics, but the upbeat hard rock sound is a nice contrast, as are their bright summery outfits! The video ends with another bonus Killabeatz and guest performance, followed by the results announcement, complete with dramatic music. Everyone performs well for their given songs, and despite some visual glitches during Colin's judges feedback, everything looks great at Soo Blaster, so give the footage a look below, and stay tuned for more when we preview the finals next week!
Next up, let's finally wrap up this weekend's metal & punk concert previews by looking at two shows taking place TOMORROW NIGHT, including the Arts Against Homelessness fundraiser concert at The Rockstar Bar! A collaboration between Live705, Celeste's Art & Photography, and Suzie DePlonty, this special concert event will see all proceeds go to the St. Vincent Place men's shelter on Albert Street East, which is a wonderful cause, and hopefully they get lots of much needed aid as a result of this fundraiser! I am unsure of the official lineup order, but this will be a rock vs. rap mashup of sorts, with Live705's flagship punk trio A Dire Setback and power rock quartet Re:Born (fresh off of a summer break) joining forces with Christian rapper Bold Noize and hip hop duo Planet Rock for the occasion. As well, Planet Rock's own DJ Seith and deep house DJ Bobby Lawn will be on hand to spin tunes between bands.
An increasingly rare all-local concert from Live705, this event has a $10 admission fee at the door or at this link, while there will be raffle draws for the cause, with tickets available via canned good donations, and you can see some of the prizes at the Facebook event page. This is a 19+ event, and a 9:00 PM start time is advertised. This should be a fun concert to help out St. Vincent Place with, and with some rock and rap for both tastes, what's not to like? See above for more details, and here's A Dire Setback live!
Finally, if you're looking for a more extreme headline act TOMORROW NIGHT, or a pseudo encore from Oh!No III, then head to Room 21 above Low & Slow, where Thunder Bay "pisscore" trio Femur will make their Sault Ste. Marie debut! As fans who saw them in Leeburn last month can vouch for, this brutal hardcore punk band should deliver another devastating performance full of fast paced original material, so if you want more Femur action or missed out at the festival, here's a second chance! In a quiet opener switch earlier this week, local alt-folk solo project (and fellow Oh!No performer) Slumshine will now kick off this concert, replacing cybergrind solo act Malignant Neoplasm. A reason for the change was not publically announced, and while there was briefly a private social media post on Malignant Neoplasm's end this week that indicated that they weren't happy about being removed, I could not find it today, so I hope things were reasonably smoothed out between Tyler and organizers.
Slumshine aren't as obvious of a genre match to Femur, but Brent's a talented musician and he should set the tone well before things get heavy! The first metal concert promoted by the Oh!No Collective since retiring the Six, Two, Oh. name, this 19+ show has a 10:00 PM door opening time, and admission is either $10 or "pay what you can." Should be a solid concert for fans of hardcore punk and masked folk rock, so visit the official Facebook event page for full details, and here's Femur live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site shortly! Thanks everyone!
Here's a new news post on this rainy Sunday, and it's devoted to some big new video updates from a pair of prominent local acts, plus two notable LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next month! Here's what you should know!
Thunder Bay "pisscore" trio Femur will return to the Soo area for the second time this year when they headline at Room 21 on Saturday, October 5th! Some readers will have just seen this band at the third annual Oh!No festival in Leeburn earlier this month as one of the later bands on night #2, but this will be their first ever advertised concert in Sault Ste. Marie proper. Femur impressed many Oh!No attendees with their harsh and unforgiving brand of original hardcore punk, and it'll be great to see them back just four weeks later for an encore! Another act from Oh!No III will be opening this concert, namely local cybergrind solo act Malignant Neoplasm, which you may recall is a side project of C.T.W.'s Tyler Gibson, though much like Slumshine, Tyler played under a mask in Leeburn when representing Malignant Neoplasm. Blood Shed loyalists won't wanna miss this one either! Like at the festival, this is promoted by the former Six, Two, Oh., now known as the Oh!No Collective, who now utilize that full name.
"Co." didn't stand for "company", I wouldn't have guessed that! In any event, this will be the Oh!No crew's first metal concert post-renaming, so come down to Room 21 for all of the action next weekend! This concert has a 10:00 PM start time, it is a 19+ event, and while a $10 suggested cover charge is advertised, so is the "pay what you can" option. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details!
Next up, here's a surprise, as local classic metal quartet Late & Loud will reunite for one night only on Thursday, October 10th with a headlining concert at The Rockstar Bar! Many local fans will recall their well received active run from 2010-2014, and after over 5 years away, the guys will return for this special concert, intended as a fundraiser for bassist Benn Garside's upcoming wedding to ex-Danger Cats bassist Jamie VanSchooneveld. If you're keeping track at home, this will be the second marriage between the two bands this year, joining Josh & Kate this summer (what are the odds?!) It is great to see Late & Loud back, if only for one night, so if you've missed the Humane Society Battle winners in the mid-late 2010s, don't bypass this one! The surprise opening acts are DJ Seith and his hip-hop duo project Planet Rock, and while not perfect genre-matches, they should keep ther party vibe going! I don't know if Seith will be mixing songs between sets, or if he's just playing with St. James.
A $10 cover charge is in effect on this night, expect a 19+ age limit, and while an early 8:00 PM start time is advertised, I doubt the bands will be playing that early, potential DJ Seith mixing aside. Note that the poster implies that Late & Loud are "returning to the stage one last time", which could very well be true, but we heard similar finality in August 2014. In any event, this should be a must for fans and friends of Late & Loud who've missed them in past 5 years, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details!
Also today, local alt-punk trio A Dire Setback released their long-teased debut music video to their YouTube channel yesterday! Of course, this is for their song "Kicking & Screaming", which is the first single from their forthcoming debut album, which their Facebook page newly confirmed yesterday will be self-titled. If you've seen prior teasers for the video, you'll know that property destruction appeared to be a common theme in the video, and now we get context as to why that is (the song lyrics may have given that away.) If you're hoping to see the full band playing the song, then you may be disappointed (only frontman Chris Nielsen appears on camera), but it's well shot and captures the lyrics and requisite emotion well! Give the full video a look below, stay tuned for more on "A Dire Setback", and don't miss the Michale Graves concert on Saturday!
We'll close with the latest from local/Thompson, Manitoba alt/hard rock musician Mike Haggith, who we haven't heard anything substantive from regarding his solo project since his trip home last month, so what's new to report? Well, Mike posted this teaser video on his Facebook page last night, saying that he's "been hard at work behind the scenes, and we're switching gears a little." The video proper features a computer monitor with what looks like the cover artwork for a new(?) album named "If Ever Comes The Day", plus a 30 second sample of a new song named "The Best You Never Had" that clearly has a full electric band behind it, compared to the music he had showcased from his upcoming solo album "Bridges", which leaned towards acoustic content. Is Mike revising/shelving "Bridges", or is this just another album he's working on too? Remember that he has also announced plans this year for a live album from Nickel Days in Thompson and a remaster of "A Place Of Our Own", neither of which is out yet.
Mike does have a lot on his plate on the best of days (remember what his day job is), but if this is basically "Bridges" being reworked or replaced in his discography, I can't complain about it having more of a rock edge with a full band, be it all him or with other collaborators. Time will tell what exactly is going on, but give the teaser video a look below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site soon! Thanks everyone!
Before we begin our extended Oh!No preview, just a heads up/apology, as Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnisheddid play a morning matinee at Biggby Coffee today, as per their Facebook page shortly after showtime. In other words, "every Thursday" continued for at least one more week, though why not plug it as part of their advertising for this week's other concerts? In any event, I apologize for missing it, and hopefully it was a great show! Note that Tarnished have no advertised shows publically past Saturday in Ohio, so I'm not going to immediately jump the gun on more Biggby gigs until the band or venue confirms them. Stay tuned in any event!
Now, today's second weekend concert preview post is otherwise devoted to our extended preview of this weekend's third annual Oh!No concert festival, which returns to Robbie Adamson's old church in nearby Leeburn, Ontario for an expanded two night format TOMORROW & SATURDAY! As well advertised via diverse fundraisers in recent months (everything from dance parties & garage sales to car washes and punk rock ramen), organizers Six, Two, Oh. are going all out for year #3, and as usual, camping is encouraged for attendees taking the hour-long drive, and all of the usual fan-friendly experiences are presumably back this weekend, including vendors and hopefully another bonfire (any more pianos or organs they can use?) Check the official Facebook page for full non-musical details and even the precise location of the venue and camping areas, but let's dive into this stacked roster of local and touring entertainment, as 25 acts will hit the church stage in Leeburn this weekend, so who can you look for to start things off tomorrow night?
Only one touring band is playing tomorrow's shortened first half of Oh!No III, and they are Sudbury "party violence" quintet The Therapists in their third local concert appearance and second straight Oh!No set, and with their high energy, intense, and theatrical stage show, they should leave a huge impression on Leeburn once again! They're up at 12:20 AM, while the all-local opening roster will be toplined by rapper (and festival newcomer) Kodex at 11:40 PM. Punk/metal quintet Jack Spades will become the first band to play all three Oh!No festivals at 11:00 PM, while hip-hop duo Planet Rock will return from last year at 10:20 PM. Jack Spades' sister punk trio Stegadeth will make their own Oh!No debut at 9:40 PM, and tomorrow's lineup will be opened by local alt-folk solo artist Brenton "Slumshine" Ellis at 9:00 PM, who previously played here in 2017. I don't know if the spacing of the heavier/punk bands alternating with the hip-hop/solo acts is intentional, but the lineup is very impressive overall!
For what it's worth, Planet Rock were originally slated to play on Saturday afternoon, but quietly traded timeslots with Hannah Lindsay for unannounced reasons. Doors open at 8:00 PM for tomorrow's concert action, this is an ALL AGES event, and a B.Y.O.B. policy is in effect. There are no single day passes, so if you want to come down, buy a $40 ticket at the door or at Case's Music, The Rad Zone, and at Dryer Fire on Bruce Street (for maximum value, camp out and stick around on Saturday!) There's a lot to take in tomorrow, so see above for more details, and here's The Therapists live!
As for Saturday's lineup, the other 19 acts are being crammed into a full day's worth of music, including all of the non-Therapists touring acts, so who all can you see then? The 1:00 AM headliners are (surprisingly) St. Catharine's crossover thrash quintet Pisser, but a prominent act for many will precede them at 12:00 AM, namely Peterborough hardcore punk trio Cross Dog (featuring Sault Ste. Marie native Mark Rand and his wife Tracy), and it will be great to see them back on a local stage after melting many faces at Oh!No II! The festival-ending block of out of town bands will also feature Sudbury punk quartet Lightmares (in their third straight Oh!No set) at 11:00 PM, as well as Thunder Bay hardcore band Femur at 10:00 PM, and Montreal classic rockers Wrecker (who just played at Dryer Fire yesterday) at 9:00 PM. Drone/noise trio Pointless will be the highest placed local band at 8:10 PM in their third Oh!No set, while Peterborough doom rapper Garbageface will precede them in his second festival appearance, and he'll be no stranger to local fans from Soo gigs either!
Thunder Bay hardcore group Lord Hidetora will make their local concert debut at 6:50 PM, as preceded by fellow Thunder Bay desert rockers The Franquilizers at 6:10, in their third Oh!No set. Toronto indie rock quartet Forest City Aurora will return from last year with a 5:30 PM set, but with two exceptions, every preceding band is local. Instrumental surf rockers The Dynowaves will return from Oh!No II with a set at 5:00 PM, while revived acoustic punk solo project Telephone & Address are advertised to end their almost two years-long concert hiatus with a set at 4:30 PM (though I have not seen Chris plug their return publically on the band's Facebook page, for what it's worth.) Funk/hard rock quartet The Elements will also join the three-timers club with a set at 4:00 PM, and rapper Conika will take the stage for a 3:30 PM set. New Barrie "witchy punk" trio The Angry Spells (featuring Beaver Slap frontwoman Midge Beaver) will perform themselves 3:00 PM.
Fresh off of the timeslot trade with Planet Rock, local folk/pop solo artist Hannah Lindsay (replacing Dusty Hazelwood) will perform on Saturday at 2:30 PM, while Barrie punk quartet The Speed Humps will play at 2:00 PM as the earliest touring band that day. The opening acts are indie/folk musician Shae Tull at 1:30 PM and cybergrind solo project Malignant Neoplasm at 1:00 PM, though might that set morph into a C.T.W. set? Time will tell, but all of the pre-Elements bands are making their Oh!No debuts that afternoon. Doors open at 12:00 PM, and the same $40 ticket info applies as above, so be sure to visit the above links for full details on Oh!No III! The size, scope, and ambition of this festival continues to impress, but how will things go in Leeburn this time, and beyond adding a third day, how big can this get if it returns in 2020? Get down to Leeburn if you can for all of the action this weekend, and here's Pisser live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
Before we dive into this weekend's post (devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS), just a heads up that I learned of a trio of shows this coming weekend too late to cover on here before their weekend concert preview cycle. Between low advertising and my own personal schedule, they should have been on here well in advance (which I apologize for), so just to get a jump on things, visit the links here & here for info on two FREE Roberta Bondar Pavilion shows next week with hard rock content, and here for details on this year's Rudyard Musicians Festival, before we preview them on Thursday. Now, here's what you should know for those new shows!
Edmonton art punk quartet Doreen will make their local concert debut on Tuesday, August 20th when they headline at Dryer Fire on Bruce Street! Not your typical sound for a punk band, Doreen take a lot of inspiration from indie and garage rock, but they have a creative blend of styles, as seen on their new CD "Ruthless Severance", and they should be a fine fit at this temporary venue later this month! Local experimental musician Chase Wigmore (not playing as Awokest) will open with a set of his own irreverent, in-your-face original material, and it's always an experience seeing him live, so don't miss his set either on this special Tuesday nighter! Yes, we have a lot to discuss regarding him and Awokest, stay tuned for what we've missed as of late. This ALL AGES concert has a $10 cover charge and a luckily early start time of 7:00 PM. Visit the official Facebook event page for more on this show, and stay tuned for updates!
Next up, the full schedule for this year's third annual Oh!No concert festival at Robbie Adamson's church in nearby Leeburn was finally announced via their Facebook page on Wednesday, so what should you know in this regard? We announced the lineup for the September 6th-7th event on the SMS two months ago in this extended write-up, but as Oh!No III is a two night event, I waited to call these as a true LOCAL CONCERT ALERT until organizers Six, Two, Oh. confirmed each day's itinerary, and there are a few changes from what was announced in June. The band lineup on Friday, September 6th is a shorter nighttime affair, which will be toplined by Sudbury "party violence" quintet The Therapists, who are night #1's only touring attraction. Remaining performers will include rapper Kodex at 11:40 PM, punk/metal quintet Jack Spades at 11:00 PM, folk/pop musician Hannah Lindsay at 10:20 PM, punk trio Stegadeth at 9:40 PM, and alt-folk solo project Slumshine opening at 9:00 PM.
In case you didn't notice from the lineup reveal in June, Hannah Lindsay is a new addition to the bill, replacing Dusty Hazelwood for unannounced reasons, though note that everyone but drummer Mitchell Harris will still be present as a promoter or in other bands. As for Saturday, September 7th, the surprise headliners will be St. Catharines crossover thrash band Pisser at 1:00 AM, as preceded by Peterborough hardcore punk trio Cross Dog at 12:00 AM, Sudbury punk standouts Lightmares at 11:00 PM, Thunder Bay hardcore band Femur at 10:00 PM, and Montreal classic rock project Wrecker at 9:00 PM. Local drone rock trio Pointless (no longer billed as a Bill Priddle solo set) will be the only local act playing after dark via their 8:10 PM set, with Peterborough rapper Garbageface, Thunder Bay hardcore group Lord Hidetora & desert rockers The Franquilizers, and Toronto indie quartet Forest City Aurora playing at 7:30, 6:50, 6:10, and 5:30 PM respectively.
With two exceptions, earlier acts that day are all local, including surf rock band The Dynowaves at 5:00 PM, revived lo-fi punk project Telephone & Address at 4:30 PM, funk/hard rock quartet The Elements at 4:00 PM, and rapper Conika at 3:30 PM. The mystery band named The Angry Spells (who are on at 3:00 PM) actually aren't local, as their updated Facebook page reveals that they're a new side project of Beaver Slap vocalist Midge Beaver's, so if you were hoping to see them back this year, hopefully this new band will fill the void! Local hip hop duo Planet Rock will play at 2:30 PM, following Barrie punk quarter The Speed Humps at 2:00 PM, while the two local opening solo acts will be indie/folk musician Shae Tull at 1:30 PM and C.T.W. side project Malignant Neoplasm in a rare live set at 1:00 PM. As previously announced, tickets are $40 for both nights, and tickets are on sale at Case's Music, The Rad Zone, and at Dryer Fire.
Remember that camping on-site will be available for fans making the 45 minute trek to Leeburn, and this is a B.Y.O.B. event. It's great to finally have each night's schedule, and there's lots of hard rock and punk action to go around on both nights, so visit the above links for complete details on Oh!No III!That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile on the site next! Thanks everyone!
Today's post features a preview of a big Sunday night concert, but first, here's the full lineup for the third annual Oh!No festival is now out! Returning to Robbie Adamson's church in nearby Leeburn, this year's installment is the biggest yet, as Oh!No III will be a two night event on Friday, September 6th and Saturday, September 7th! As such, we're not calling this as a proper local concert alert until daily schedules are revealed, but the odds that there will be a day without heavier acts are basically nil. After having an 18 act marathon last year, the two night structure will allow promoters Six, Two, Oh. to spread this year's 25 acts out, but who all is scheduled for this fall? Eleven of the scheduled performers are from out of town, including 6 returnees from past Oh!No festivals. Sudbury punk quartet Lightmares and Thunder Bay desert rock quintet The Franquilizers will return to Leeburn for a third straight year each, while Peterborough hardcore punk trio Cross Dog (featuring the Soo's own Mark Rand) is among the returning performers from last year.
The other touring attractions back from 2018 include Sudbury "party violence" quintet The Therapists, Peterborough doom rapper Garbageface, and Toronto indie rock quartet Forest City Aurora. No Beaver Slap this year, but the five Oh!No (and Sault Ste. Marie-area) newcomers from afar will include Thunder Bay hardcore-influenced bands Femur & Lord Hidetora, St. Catharine's crossover thrash quintet Pisser, Barrie punk quartet The Speed Humps, and Montreal classic rock solo project Wrecker. Lots of old and new talent here, be sure to check all of these bands out before September! The local performing roster will feature punk/metal quintet Jack Spades and funk/hard rock quartet The Elements back for their own third straight appearances, while surf rock quartet The Dynowaves, hip-hop duo Planet Rock, and indie/folk musician Shae Tull will all return from last year, and Dynowaves bassist Brenton Ellis will bring his online page-less solo project Slumshine back to Oh!No after last playing there in 2017.
Locally based newcomers to Oh!No this fall will include punk trio Stegadeth, cybergrind solo project Malignant Neoplasm, rappers Conika and Kodex, and new pop rock band Dusty Hazelwood (featuring co-promoter Jamie Vincent & Dynowaves members.) A new & yet online page-less punk trio named The Angry Spells are also advertised, though we await information on them beyond a description of their sound. We'll let you know when/if anything is said! Treble Charger guitarist Bill Priddle is advertised with a solo set this year after playing in his drone/noise band Pointless in the past two Oh!No festivals, though note that Oh!No's own 2019 artist bio on him credits him jointly as Pointless. Finally, local lo-fi acoustic punk solo project Telephone & Address are advertised to play this fall, marking their first live appearance since 2017 after being on public hiatus for well over a year. This is very encouraging news, and hopefully Chris has more in the pipeline, so Telephone & Address are back in our active band links!
No sign of A Dire Setback or Winkstinger this year, but still, how's all this for a stacked and nicely varied lineup? Tickets will go on sale for a flat $40 at Case's Music, The Rad Zone, and Dryer Fire's pop-up location on Bruce Street, while camping will be available on site as usual, and while there's no stated age limit, a "B.Y.O.B." policy remains in effect. Doors open at 8:00 AM on Friday and 11:00 AM on Saturday, with daily schedules to be revealed. This should be another excellent time for concert goers able to make the trip an hour east to Leeburn, but there's still a lot to learn, so visit the above links for complete and ongoing details on Oh!No III!
Finally for today, here's our preview of a special Sunday night concert TOMORROW at Soo Blaster, as Toronto metal legends Anvil will return to Sault Ste. Marie for their fourth local show in the 2010s! It's been a long four year wait since we last saw Lips, Robb, and Chris deliver their requisite "metal on metal" to a local audience, and with the momentum of their newest CD "Pounding the Pavement" still ongoing, they should deliver another heavy set of classic hits and newer originals tomorrow night! Co-headlining tomorrow are Edmonton metal quintet Striker in their first local concert appearance since headlining at The Rosie six years ago, and with their finely tuned NWOBHM throwback sound, they should melt many faces in their own right at Soo Blaster! Remember, this was originally advertised as a Striker headlining show before Anvil were confirmed. The aforementioned Jack Spades will join power rock quintet Re:Born as openers, who should set the tone well with their own diverse takes on their genres!
Advance tickets are on sale for $20 at Soo Blaster (or $25 at the door), this is a 19+ event, and a somewhat early 7:30 PM start time is advertised. Also, note the $200 VIP booth option for a party of 6, if you are so inclined for that experience. It's great to have Anvil and Striker back for a night full of old school metal intensity, with Re:Born more than up to the task on another big stage for them, and don't forget about Jack Spades' punk-influenced attack either! Don't miss out on all of tomorrow's action if you can swing it, visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Anvil live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site next week! Thanks everyone!
