After surviving the St. Patrick's Day concert weekend with no hard rock or punk stone left unturned (with one exception addressed below), we're back with a new news post on this Sunday morning, including new live concert videos and a preview of a rare Monday night concert. However, let's lead off with a big LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this spring!
Almost one year removed from their pandemic-delayed local debut, Australian tribute band Queen: It's A Kinda Magic will return to the Sault Community Theatre Centre on Sunday, May 21st during their 2023 Canadian tour! This one seems to have flown under the radar for where I research concerts, as I only learned about it yesterday via physical advertising at Station Mall, but it's great to see Queen: It's A Kinda Magic coming back to the Soo, especially given how well tickets sold for last year's concert despite being postponed twice across two years! Fans of Queen will be in good hands in May via this band's faithful approach to their 1980s stage show and clear talents in replicating Freddie, Brian, John, and Roger's music, so don't miss this one if you're a fan! Tickets for this show run for $72 (adults), $43 (kids 12 and under), and $67 apiece in a group of 6+ adults, though all three pricepoints are $10 higher than last year.
Plenty of tickets are still available from the third row & back in the center section, and in all rows in the left/right sections, and you can buy yours at this link or at the Station Mall's box office, though do act quick as It's A Kinda Magic sold very well last year. If you're a fan of Queen and you do indeed want it all, you should get your money's worth at the former Kiwanis Theatre, so visit the above links for more on all of the action in two months!
Next up, here's our preview of a special Monday night concert TOMORROW, as local party metal duo The Apocalypse Afterparty will headline the Fishbowl Festival's closing party at 674 Queen Street East wine bar/restaurant Broers Jansen! The first concert we've ever covered at the former Wine Barrel, they'll play host to the final event in the post-pandemic return of the full-scale Fishbowl Festival (ending when it does because of when Pisces ends in the astrological calendar), with Paul and Amanda bringing their eclectic rap rock stylings back for a relatively rare live set. Hopefully their lively brand of originals & covers cap off the Fishbowl Festival right! Support will come via folk rock mainstay Brian Tremblay (no sign of The Sinister Hearts) and online page-less dark synth pop solo artist OwenMK. This 19+ concert has a 6:30 PM start time with Brian playing at 7:30 & The Apocalypse Afterparty headlining at 8:30 PM.
Tickets run for $10 (on a limited basis, likely due to the size of Broers Jansen), so if you don't want to take a chance on paying at the door, click here to order yours in advance. Broers Jansen will also be offering snacks & drinks for purchase if you are so inclined. This should be a fun way to cap off the Fishbowl Festival, especially after the long pandemic road to get here, so kudos to Nicole and everyone else involved with its return, and least for a Monday nighter, it'll end early if you have work or school on Tuesday morning! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's The Apocalypse Afterparty live!
We'll close with some videos from this past weekend (none from Pop Evil yet, surprisingly), but we'll lead off there with an apology for a missed concert in this past weekend's concert previews, as local classic/hard rock musician
Tym Morrison actually played last night at Tazzi's Cafe & Restaurant as well as Friday night. This was never announced by the venue's Facebook page, but Tym revealed on his personal Facebook page that they asked him back for a second straight night, so clearly the Friday gig went well! Alas, if you didn't see his personal posting (or possible physical advertising at Tazzi's), this will have flown under the radar, but apologies again, I'd have covered it had I known! As for that video, Tazzi's filmed Tym at his publically advertised show on St. Patrick's Day for Facebook, where you can see him playing 85 seconds worth of a familiar instrumental (alas, I'm not good with naming songs like this).
Usually, videos from Tym's shows that surface publically involve vocals, so this is an interesting change of pace, and it lets you get more of a look at his guitar skill and the extra production and effects that he puts into his live show so it's not just an vocal/acoustic guitar performance. Yes, the video is vertical, but as it's of one guy, it's not so bad, and you get to see how Tazzi's looks as a venue as such. Check it out below, and apologies again for missing his show there last night!
Finally, the other new video is also from a venue's Facebook page of a concert this weekend, specifically of local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard at Jay's Piston Broke Pub last night, and remember how I said that I'm not good at identifying many instrumentals? Yeah, this is another case of that! It's good to see the band back at full strength after their three week break, and the 20 second clip sounds nice while it lasts, but the vertical camera angle does it no favours, especially from the filmer's vantage point with the dreaded post on the old Rosie/Reggie's West stage getting in Greg's way. Still neat to see more footage, so check it out below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!
Irish eyes are definitely smiling upon the calendar this year, as with St. Patrick's Day falling on a Friday this year, it means the concert calendar is quite stacked, so be sure to check out your favourite nightclubs' and venues' online pages & schedules to see if bands are playing, let alone if they will have St. Patrick's Day themes. However, the weather gods are not smiling upon the Sault Ste. Marie area, with a winter storm watch currently in effect from late tonight through Saturday morning, with up to 3-8 inches of snow expected, so if you are at all concerned that a band or St. Patrick's Day party will be impaired by the impending storm, keep tabs on their online accounts for further details, as things can easily change.
Due to the amount of scheduled hard rock/punk concerts this weekend, I'll save the Bone Yard, Scarkazm, and Tym Morrison shows for tomorrow morning's post, and maybe anything that falls into our lap beforehand. Now, let's start with three Friday-only shows, including the big one this weekend, as Muskegon, Michigan hard rock mainstays Pop Evil will make their long awaited return to the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino TOMORROW NIGHT when they headline at The Dreammakers Theatre! This will be Pop Evil's seventh local concert, sixth at the Soo Kewadin, first since their outdoor gig with Buckcherry back in August 2019, and their first here with touring bassist Joey Walser in place of Matt DiRito. Of course, Pop Evil have loads of familiar rock radio hits, including "Breathe Again", "Eye Of The Storm", and "Survivor" since their last local date alone, so fans should be in good hands tomorrow!
Support bands include Phoenix metalcore band The Word Alive and Seattle metalcore quintet Avoid, and while both are more aggressive than Pop Evil by rule, their fast rising takes on the subgenre shouldn't be avoided tomorrow night! A presentation of Allstar Promotions, this 8:00 PM & all ages concert is actually a big deal on a wider scale for Pop Evil's sake, as it is both the full kickoff show for this tour, as well as the day that their new album "Skeletons" is released, so get your copy while it is hot off the presses! Tickets run for $29.50 USD (up from $25 at their last Dreammakers Theatre show in 2018), and limited seats in the left and right sections are still available, albeit in the back three rows only. If you want any seat that you can get, or want standing room only admission, click here, call 1-800-KEWADIN, or visit the in-person box office. For the record, this concert has no overt St. Patrick's Day ties in the promotion.
Pop Evil have been very good to Sault Ste. Marie in the past decade+, and with their upbeat, high energy brand of modern hard rock still going high on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts, they should be in fine form with a huge crowd to match tomorrow night! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Pop Evil live here!
Next up, local blues/hard rock quartet Project 906 will return to The Islander Bar in nearby Hessel TOMORROW NIGHT! Their first trip to The Islander Bar (almost an hour south of the Soo) since Halloween weekend, tomorrow's festivities will definitely be St. Patrick's Day-themed, including a traditional corned beef/boiled cabbage dinner if you are so inclined beforehand, plus multiple Irish-themed drink specials. Project 906 themselves will bring the rock as usual, and they should deliver entertaining hard rock covers and select originals for Mackinac County fans tomorrow!This is a one-nighter due to or resulting in Gary Hatch's show there on Saturday, and be advised that The Islander Bar will actually close for nearly a month starting on Sunday (the venue didn't say why, but renovations seem likely)
Tomorrow's concert has a 8:00 PM start time, no cover charge, and a 21+ age limit. Between this show and Scarkazm in the Soo (more tomorrow), hard rock fans in the eastern U.P. will have some solid options for St. Patrick's Day, so don't miss out, and for a preview of Project 906's Hessel gig tomorrow, here they are live a few months back!
Lastly for this preview post, we'll head north to Sault Ontario, where debuting local skate punk trio Hails and folk punk/extreme metal solo musician Chase Wigmore will join forces for a special concert/art exhibition TOMORROW at The Art Hub at Spring! Named the "Full Circle Rock & Roll Spectacular", this event is being held at the former Big Brothers Association property at 504 Queen Street East, and it is being held as part of the Fishbowl Festival and, within that, Hails frontman Brenton Ellis' own art exhibition named Full Circle, which celebrates "connectivity & continuity". Remember, if you've seen any of Brent's recent concerts or him at events where sale of his artwork occurred, you'll know his painting talents and this should be a good showcase for his visual art endeavours! Hails feature Brent alongside Vanity First's Mikhal Muto & Keeghan McAllister (yes, Vanity First is still active) and shouldn't be far off musically.
As for Chase, this will be a rare pandemic-era live concert set from him, but will this lean more to his recent metal studio work or his past unplugged folk punk live sets? Come out tomorrow to find out! This all ages event has a 7:30 PM start time, and admission is $10 or "pay what you can", and if you are so inclined, tickets are available at this link. If there are St. Patrick's Day themes tomorrow, then they go unsaid in Facebook promotion. Should be a fun evening for punk fans and art aficionados alike, so visit the above links for more details, and here's one of Chase's recent acoustic videos!
That's all for now, but we'll wrap up the St. Patrick's Day weekend hard rock concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!
Before we get to today's post, I wanted to apologize for a missed concert in this weekend's previews, as local funk/hard rock sextet The Wyld Stallyns played at The Whisky Barrellast night. I profusely apologize for missing this one, the venue only announced this show via their Facebook page on Monday, with the band following suit yesterday, and amidst all of the new shows (late notice or otherwise) that were covered in the last two days, it completely slipped me by. I apologize again, hopefully the show was a hit, and stay tuned for more from them soon!
Now, let's dive into some new videos & updates, starting with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as local party metal duo The Apocalypse Afterparty will play their first show of the year on Monday, March 20th when they headline the Fishbowl Festival's closing party at... Broers Jansen? This is the wine bar/restaurant at 674 Queen Street East formerly known as The Wine Barrel (so renamed as it's owned by the Jansen brothers), and while they're normally closed on Mondays, it's interesting to see them open their doors to the Fishbowl Festival to close out their 2023 return year! Remember, the festival is held only during the Pisces stretch of the astrological calendar, hence the Monday scheduling. An eclectically diverse lineup will play at Broers Jansen that night, with The A.A. joined by folk rock veteran Brian Tremblay (apparently sans The Sinister Hearts) and online page-less dark synth pop solo artist OwenMK.
This show has $10 advance tickets (availability unclear but check with Broers Jansen, festival organizers, and/or the performers for details), a 19+ age limit, and a 6:30 PM start time, with the Stanghettas headlining at 8:30 PM. Broers Jansen will have food and drinks available to purchase as well. This should be an interesting cap to the Fishbowl Festival, and hopefully Nicole and everyone else involved with organization see lots of positive results over the next month! Of course, it's great seeing The Apocalypse Afterparty back for more up-tempo rap metal action, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details!
Next up, I feel like I'm the last person in the city to talk about this, but local hard rock quintet Handsome Sandwich released their music video for their debut single "Bitter" on Wednesday! Not only that, but it is also available on "all platforms" (if by "all", you mean the five music streaming platforms linked here), so they're definitely getting a jump on May's planned "Deconstructed" album release! As hinted by its teaser video, Handsome Sandwich filmed the video proper at Topsail Island at Bellevue Park last fall, including shots of the band walking in the area, performing on the waterfront, and frontwoman Taylor Emlaw singing while sitting in one of the five big blue chairs that popped up in town a couple of years ago. Oddly, credits for the filming of the video proper weren't given in the video description (it was uploaded as scheduled on their YouTube channel on Wednesday), but full production and mastering credits for the song/album were noted.
I'll hold comment on the song proper until our album review ("Deconstructed" is still slated for a May 5th release), but the video is fun and gives some nice scenic visuals to accompany the music, which has been well received by others so far, and I still have to sit in one of those blue chair myself! Note that in the band's newest Facebook page posting from earlier today, they noted that "morning creations went well", referring to a picture of bassist Rafael Medina & drummer Johnny Belanger working at a laptop, appearing to be rendering the band's logo on a black circle. Physical CD/record label, album art in progress, or something else? We'll keep you posted, but give the "Bitter" music video a watch below!
We'll close with Johnny's old band Jack Spades (now Spades GT), as the local/Barrie crossover thrash band is hard at work on their new full length album! On January 19th, the band revealed that they would be hitting the studio in February with Toronto-based producer Kyle Marchant to record their third CD, following 2014's "The First" EP and their involvement in 2015's "Fed Up!" split, but this will be the first under their current GTA incarnation. The guys hit the studio on Monday, with guitarist Daniel Horton already recording his parts, while frontman J.D. Pearce (a.k.a. Johnny Pints) is apparently tracking vocals this weekend. It is worth noting that Jay Sarrazin isn't pictured in the photos posted from the sessions, with one picture of the band minus J.D. being tagged "3 out of 4 ain't bad". If I read that accurately, then his involvement on rhythm guitar at the Walter Froebrich memorial show must have been as a guest.
If Jay is out/was never in permanently, then he sure did Spades GT a solid by filling in on bass late last year, and he does have a busy slate with his current bands Hellrager and Sierra Pilot as it is! The band is aiming to release the album "this spring", implying that we should see it by May, and if you're friends of band members on Facebook, then they'll have spilled more beans there about the album makeup. In terms of live dates, they'll make their way to Guelph on March 24th, Newmarket on April 1st, and their new hometown of Barrie on April 24th, so while none of these are local, it's good to see the guys back at it for normal concerts once the recording sessions wrap up! Each show's Facebook event page is linked via the city name. Notably, new bassist James Roy Daley is doubling up in Guelph by also playing with his other band Stand Against Fear, while Daniel will also be playing with his second band The Fast Life in Newmarket.
As for the Barrie show, it will see Spades GT open for all-female Toronto punk/grunge quartet The Anti-Queens, who headlined locally at The Rockstar Bar back in July 2016 and were supposed to return there in May 2020, a show cancelled for very obvious reasons. Jack Spades opened in 2016 and were supposed to debut their never-revealed new lineup in 2020, so give it three years and a relocation 6½ hours southeast, and that show finally got re-booked... kinda! See above for much more on what Spades GT are up to in the GTA, and look for more updates when they roll in from them and more on the site soon! Thanks everyone!
Before we begin this post, I wanted to send our deepest condolences out to the family and friends of Joni Radford, who passed away early yesterday at the age of 30, after a six year battle with breast cancer. A known punk fan, SMS readers may recognize Joni from her guest backing vocal appearance with local hardcore punk veterans Destroilet on their cover of The Rebel Spell's "Murderers" (as seen on 2015's "Fed Up!" split CD), while this sad news comes just over a year after a benefit concert in her name at The Canadian Nightclub, where Redundant, A Dire Setback, and Stegadeth took the stage to help raise money for medical expenses. I didn't know Joni well, but her courage, determination, and positivity throughout her illness was wonderful to see, especially in light of family health issues I've experienced in recent years, and I'm sure she fought this horrible disease as long as she could. Our best goes out to all that knew her, and stay tuned to local news media for information on services when appropriate. R.I.P. Joni!
Now, today's post is otherwise a catch-up one, with just some assorted recent stories to touch on, starting with a new video from local/Thompson, Manitoba hard rock solo artist Mike Haggith, as shared to his Facebook page yesterday! Shot in "selfie mode", Mike made this video to acknowledge milestones and his already highly eventful month of January 2019, which included his debut music video, his first FM radio appearance, and nearing 500 likes on Facebook, and he encouraged viewers to follow along on social media for what he hopes will be a big year. Nice video that outlines his recent successes, so give it a watch below, and stay tuned at the end for outtakes!
Next up, here's a couple of long overdue hard rock cover videos posted onto local classic rock cover band Obsession's YouTube channel two years ago! We cover this veteran band (featuring singer Valerie Powley, bassist Jim Michaud, and drummer Steve Porco) on the SMS when footage of them tackling heavier songs turned up, and I do apologize for these having to wait so long for coverage on here. Back in January 2017 at The Water Tower Pub, the band made their first concert appearance with ex-That's Chester guitarist Gabe Tessaro, and six videos were posted from that show, including Nick Gilder, Bob Seger, Janis Joplin, and Elle King covers. The other two are heavier, including renditions of Heart's "Barracuda" and, as embedded below, Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz". Audio can be a little muffled, but Obsession sound lively and proficient on these covers, and Valerie's singing is as strong and passionate as ever! Give these and more a look above and 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 or event name:
The Fishbowl Festival will indeed return for a fourth year next month, as per their new Facebook page! The Pisces-timed arts & concert festival was a staple event at the now-closed Gore Street Cafe from 2016-2018, and while a host venue hasn't been confirmed for this year, remember that organizer Nicole Dyble and her promotion company Dryer Fire have been highly active since then at the MS Norgoma museum ship. Will we see hard rock or punk concerts back between February 20th & March 20th after being absent last year? Stay tuned for updates, and the festival is now linked with other festivals on the SMS!
Local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades' 2014 debut EP "The First" was belatedly reviewed by Jon Dunn of the blog Outlaw Review last week, where he positively commented on it's "well placed harmonies with a fast paced driving sound", and he recommended it for people "with eclectic tastes looking for something new but familiar." It's great to see Jack Spades' first album still making fans abroad five years later, so read the whole review at this link!
After taking a public hiatus from music updates since June 2018, local hard rock solo artist Mike McCleary announced on his Facebook page this month that he is writing and recording again, and apparently already has another EP ready, possibly named "Propaganda Model." He also shared two new songs from his Soundcloud page, namely "The Hand That Feeds" & "Opposite Opus", which both explore heavier metal territory than we've seen from Mike. These sound promising and have a nice fast pace with brutal riffs, but will these be on said EP, and how far along is it? Stay tuned for updates at the above links!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site as the week rolls along! Thanks everyone!
A quiet start to the month has been noticeable so far, but we have a full news post for you guys on this Wednesday, so what's here to check out? Some assorted recent news and notes, new videos from each side of the border, and leading off, a long awaited new album, so here's what you should know!
After an almost three year wait, local acoustic punk project Telephone & Address have finally released their fifth official album "Monster", courtesy of their Bandcamp page on Saturday! Frontman Christopher Shoust first announced this album on their Facebook page back in March 2015, but monetary concerns were partially cited for it's delayed release, and the later-recorded "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been..." would go on sale first in late 2016. Presumably released through Harmisntus Productions again, "Monster" features 13 songs, including the previously unveiled "I Can Bleed", and the album resembles "Are You Now..." in musical style, including full instrumentation and drums. That said, I believe this was recorded well before new drummer Jackson Reed signed on, and while no credits are given on Bandcamp, Chris did hint at productional involvement from AlgomA's Jamie Vincent back in 2015, so keep that in mind just in case.
No word yet on a physical release of "Monster", with or without their usual cardboard casing, but Telephone & Address next play live at The New A on March 18th, so check there in case CDs are on sale. Bandcamp copies of "Monster" are on sale for $10, while physical copies of their prior albums tended to go for $15. It's great to finally see this album released, and between this and Mike McCleary's "Weight of the Truth", our next two album reviews are set, but in what order? And will the long-delayed "Early Tapes" be next, or a full album with Jackson drumming? Buy "Monster" at the above links, and stay tuned for updates!
Next up, here's the latest from local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver, starting with a few new tour dates of theirs in Southern Ontario! Confirmation of their spring tour dates (including a hoped local return) are still forthcoming, but the guys will join Toronto grindcore project Truth of All Death for shows in St. Catharine's and Hamilton later this month, albeit missing that band's other three shows on this run. Great to see the guys keeping busy, so look for them this month in Southern Ontario via the gigs listed on their Facebook page! To tease their February shows (including four with Cruel Bloom, starting tomorrow in Owen Sound), Shit Liver posted this video to their Facebook page yesterday featuring the 16 second intro to an original song from a recent jam session. Tinted in a bluish monochrome, the guys lampshaded the clip's "horrible audio quality", but given their extreme sound and the opening's heavy focus on Matt's drumming, it's not bad at all for what it is. Give Shit Liver's new video a look below!
Also today, here's a new-ish instrumental track from Sault Michigan metal project Life's Eclipse, courtesy of their label Werehold Records' YouTube channel! Uploaded last week, this is a partial revision of "Evil Star" from their unreleased 1998 album "Deeper In The Woods", though now featuring frontman Jason Mills playing his new 8 string guitar. Very solid performance, and the new guitar slides in nicely to the original, so fans of hard hitting groove-inspired metal should take to this one! Give Life's Eclipse's new/old song a listen below, and stay tuned for more from the Werehold camp!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or event name:
Hamilton, Ontario punk/grunge trio Doors & Fours have been added to the previously announced Archelon concert at The Rockstar Bar on March 10th, as per the official Facebook event page on Sunday. This will be a makeup date of sorts for Doors & Fours, who were forced to drop out of a headlining Algonquin Pub concert in November (also to have featured Jack Spades opening) due to their tour vehicle breaking down, so don't miss their long awaited local debut next month!
The Gore Street Cafe will host their third annual Fishbowl Festival of Community, Food, Arts, and Culture from February 20th-March 5th (again during the Pisces stretch of the astrological calendar), and there are lots of varied events announced for it already that you can read up on a the Facebook event page! At press time, no events have been announced that visibly include hard rock or punk acts, but if you want to organize or play on one, contact the venue at gorestreetcafe@gmail.com. Best of luck for year #3!
Musical acts are being sought for the Walk for ALS on Saturday, June 2nd at the Roberta Bondar Pavilion. I have no idea if organizers would be interested in heavier or original acts, but fighting Lou Gehrig's Disease is a a great charitable cause to support. If you're interested in more details, message co-organizer Brigitte Labby at blabby@als.ca or via her Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from last week!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!
Another busy weekend of concerts is ahead in the Soo area, so let's tackle the first half of this weekend's hard rock and punk concerts today! This weekend's previously announced Scarkazm & Banned shows at Kewadin Casino branches and Saturday's March Mash-Up at The Canadian will be covered in tomorrow's weekend concert preview post, so look for them then, but for now, let's start this preview post with a bunch of SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, plus a few already announced!
Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to The Rockstar Bar for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only confirmed via the venue's Facebook event page earlier this week, and no, Soundcheck still don't have an online page to plug shows in advance. Coming a week prior to their already announced St. Patrick's Day show at Rednecks, this show will mark the debut of Soundcheck's new member, though public sources are still mum on his/her identity and/or what instrument(s) they'll tackle with the Mourning Wood side project. When something is publically announced regarding their lineup expansion, we'll let you know, but don't miss Soundcheck's 1980s-centric hard rock covers TOMORROW NIGHT! Note that this is a one nighter due to Saturday night's Rockstar Bar show from local pop rock cover veterans (formerly Cherry) Crush.
There is no announced cover charge for TOMORROW'S 19+ concert, which has a likely 10:00 PM start time. See the above links for more details, stay tuned for word on Soundcheck's new member, and hopefully videos turn up soon!
Next up, we'll take a brief trip across the border for the next announced show from Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63, who will return to Dondee Lanes for one night only THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, we only heard about this show via the Dondee's Facebook page on Wednesday, and the band proper have yet to acknowledge this concert publically. Just two weeks removed from the Monkey's Uncle successors' last shows at Dondee Lanes, this veteran quartet will continue their non-Rapids Lounge "travelling" with this weekend's gig at the South Mackinac Trail bowling alley, and as usual, their fan favourite covers should find another solid reception on SATURDAY NIGHT, so don't miss out at the Dondee! There is no announced cover charge for this show, which the venue advertises having an oddly early 7:00 PM start time, though expect this to be 21+. Check the above links for more details, and here's Highway 63 live earlier this year!
Heading back to Sault Ontario, we have one more late notice gig to note here, as prolific local hard rock solo artist Tym Morrison will return to The Barrelhouse Wine & Whiskey on Queen Street East THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, joining his previously announced Gliss Steak & Seafood gigs TOMORROW & SATURDAY! Apologies again for the short notice on the Barrelhouse show, it was only announced via it's Facebook event page this morning. This marks the second straight month where Tym played consecutive Saturdays at the downtown tapas restaurant, which is still unfamiliar for our coverage, but his acoustic hard rock should fit there fine in his fourth show there on SATURDAY! As for his Gliss shows, his long-term arrangement at The Quality Inn's restaurant continues to bring entertaining hard rock covers to patrons twice a week, so don't miss these matinees over the next two evenings either!
As usual for Tym's Gliss shows, expect 6:00 PM start times and no age limit (but remember that this is a formal restaurant), while SATURDAY'S Barrelhouse gig is at 10:00 PM and is 19+, while none of the three have an announced cover charge. For more details, visit the above links and the Facebook event page for the Gliss shows, and here's Tym live!
Finally, we'll preview one show that fully & completely received advance notice, as local alternative hard rock trio The Din will headline a Fishbowl Festival event at The Gore Street Cafe TOMORROW NIGHT! Similarly to their set at last year's inaugural Fishbowl Festival, The Din will be headlining at the laundromat in the midst of their sophomore festival of arts and culture, which has expanded to additional outside venues this year, but is still primarily held at the cafe. Last year's Din show during the Pisces astrological sign-timed festival was an all-acoustic affair, and while that isn't publically advertised to repeat tomorrow, remember that The Gore Street Cafe often hosts acoustic performers, so don't be surprised if a cajon is present. Local acoustic solo artist Andrew Pucci will open tomorrow, as he did with his dormant punk band Stereo North during last year's Din show at the Fishbowl Fest, and he should provide another quality set of his rising solo material, so don't be late! Previously advertised opening sets by Mike Mikus & Jackson Reed were either cancelled or moved up to last month's garage show with Id Iota.
The only Fishbowl Festival show this year to feature a hard rock or punk band (garage show aside, and barring a late notice addition), this is an ALL AGES show with a 7:00 PM start time, and there is a $5 admission fee, while I have not seen public reference to ticket packages for the entire festival. This should be a fun concert at a well respected and unique venue that seems to be doing well for itself in year 2 of the Fishbowl Festival, so keep tomorrow's show in mind, stay tuned for our preview of Saturday's March Mash-Up next, and here's The Din live in January!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for mroe weekend concert previews tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
With our Sault Michigan-heavy stretch on the site seemingly past for now, we're currently in the midst of a strong run of posts with key features about Gnaeus and The Din, which speaks to how busy they've been as of late for show bookings and updates! To round things out, we have some new Facebook videos from another band and a long overdue look at a new face in the realm of band photography, but let's start with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!
Just over a month removed from their joint LopLops Lounge concert on Boxing Day, fans can see post-punk quartet Gnaeus, alt-hard rock trio The Din, and indie rock quartet K.I.C.K. together again on February 4th (one week from Saturday) when they headline the first ever Searchmont Skateapalooza event at the Searchmont Resort! A spiritual northern sequel to last year's Go Skateboarding Day and Gnar-BQ events from promoters Tidal Records, this rare punk/hard rock show at Searchmont is part of a full day of events starting at 1:00 PM on the 4th, where local skateboarders will demonstrate their skills at the Searchmont Community Center's skate sanctuary (734 Highway 532), with games, tips, and prizes available for those inclined to get involved. The concert proper takes place at 8:00 PM over at the resort (103 Searchmont Resort Road), rather than during the skateboarding, but the nighttime setting will prove fitting to cap things off!
No word on if the bands will be playing indoors or outdoors, but it would be neat if the latter was the case, I love the concept of outdoor winter concerts. Both the skateboarding and concert are FREE & ALL AGES, but given the potential difficulties of travelling from Searchmont, Tidal Records are providing a return bus from the resort where fans can come home at 12:00 AM at a charge of $10. This is an intriguing event that should give a unique locale to the extreme sports and music action next weekend, especially with these talented & familiar bands, so check the above links for more details, and message contact@tidalrecords.ca to reserve a seat on the return bus!
Next up, the aforementioned Din will return to The Gore Street Cafe on Friday, March 10th when they headline one of the last events of this year's second annual Fishbowl Festival! Yes, the laundromat is bringing back the month-long arts festival from early February-early March (timed with the Pisces astrological sign's duration), with an assortment of community, music, and culture events once again planned throughout the month, and it's great to see Nicole and company bring the festival back! With all the difficulties that The Gore Street Cafe had last year, this can only be a positive sign, and hopefully they see a great turnout throughout! The Din toplined an acoustic show last year (which resulted in their debut live CD), and while it's unclear if their March show will be similarly formatted, note that this venue typically hosts acoustic acts. As of this writing, no openers are confirmed, but the festival's Facebook event page notes that ex-Pixo Control frontman Mike Mikus and folk musician/promoter Jackson Reed were once planned to open.
No word yet on potential other concerts with SMS-covered bands (there were three total last year), nor on admission details, but for reference, last year saw $5 general admission for each event, or $25 for a full festival pass. The laundromat is typically ALL AGES, and shows tended to start at 7:00 PM. This should be another fun and varied arts festival on Gore Street, and there's more events to be announced, so check the above links for more on The Din's show and currently announced events, and for details on how to perform at or host your own, message gorestreetcafe@gmail.com! Also today, we have a trio of new videos (albeit incomplete) from new local alt-punk quartet A Dire Setback's co-headlining set at last week's January Jam at The Canadian Nightclub! Filmed by uncredited attendees beside the stage, these are all under 2 minutes long, and include their original songs "Catastrophe", "Nightmares", and as embedded below, a song whose name I can't verify (currently posted A.D.S. songs with titles don't match.) Larry Babic's vocals can be hard to make out, and the vertical angle on "Catastrophe" is unfortunate, but these are solid videos of this promising newer band in action, so give them a look above & below!
Finally, I wanted to give a belated but very deserving acknowledgement of a relatively new face in the local photography community, namely Josh Pace, who you may have seen taking some great pictures at a few recent concerts! As far as public photos through the Josh Pace Photography Facebook page, we first were alerted to his work at last month's Guy Thiffault benefit concert at The Rockstar Bar, where Josh photographed the aforementioned A Dire Setback (pictured), Stegadeth, and AlgomA in both colour and black & white, though he sadly didn't shoot the final bands. However, Josh actually started posting concert photos in late 2015, typically of shows with AlgomA, such as that fall's Sabrina Pelchat benefit. Most recently, Josh was on hand for the aforementioned January Jam event, where he got great pictures of every band except headliners Gnaeus, but despite their absence, his photos are awesome!
Using shadows, colour, and angles very well, his work is very professional and crisp, and he looks to be a very promising addition to the local band photography circle! Also note that one shot from last weekend features A Dire Setback being interviewed by Shaw TV, so look for a feature with that in the coming weeks. Josh is planning to sell limited edition prints of the above A.D.S. photo at their next concert, and is looking to do promotional photography with bands, so visit the above links for more from Josh Pace, and his photography page is now linked in that section on the SMS! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes soon! Thanks everyone!
(Updated at 3:11 PM) Before we begin this post, I wanted to apologize for a missed concert, as Munising, Michigan metal quartet Infathom (featuring former Half A Man singer Dillon Semasky) apparently played at Pickles Bar & Grill in Brimley on March 12th, marking their first E.U.P. concert appearance since 2014. I profusely apologize for missing it, Pickles is still not a common venue for our coverage, but hopefully it was a blast, and we will keep a better eye out for Infathom's next trips east! Now, today's post features some assorted recent updates, and first, some Van Halen cover videos from two local guitarists, starting with two instrumental renditions by 415E guitarist Chris Hubbard, as posted to his YouTube channel yesterday! Including covers of "Panama" and (as embedded below) "Jump", both feature Chris handling guitar, bass, and drums on multiple camera angles.
These covers are very strongly done by this huge local talent, who has proven his Van Halen fandom is not in vain time & time again, but the overhead camera angle is not a great view for when he plays guitar. Still, give Chris' solid new Van Halen covers a look above & below!
Next up, here's the first cover video from former Ashes To Dust guitarist Alex Hemy's YouTube channel in over a year, and fittingly, it's also of a Van Halen cover (in this case, "Panama" as well!) Playing along to what sounds like the original track minus the original guitar, Alex has a good grasp on the song, but the camera angles are a little odd. Still, it's nice to see a new performance video from Alex at last, so give it a look below!
Finally for today, here's six more assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:
In their first public posting of the year, reunited Sault Michigan acoustic hard rock band The Creepy Little Coffee People revealed on their Facebook page yesterday that they made a guest appearance during an open mic night at The Merchant's Bar this past Thursday. This isn't their first live performance in such an event since reuniting, but it's the first to get public word that I've found. Hopefully we hear more from The C.L.C.P. soon!
Sault Ontario alternative hard rock trio The Din played a set at the Fishbowl Festival's closing party last night at Outspoken Brewing on Queen Street, and photos from their set are available on their Facebook page! The closing party was a private event for volunteers and participants of the month-long festival, hence why we didn't plug it here (or know about The Din's involvement beforehand), but hopefully it was a blast, especially at the unique venue, and hopefully The Fishbowl Festival returns for 2017!
Local alt-hard rock duo Infinity Grinder re-emerged for the first time this year via a bunch of new instrumental song postings on their SoundCloud page in the past month, including an extended track named "Quong" and a 9-track "Green Room Session" featuring Terrence and Brad jamming new originals alongside guest keyboardist "Rudeger Picklefeather" (which I presume is an alias, but I don't know his real identity.) The songs are strong and entertaining, but vocals would be a nice touch. Hopefully we hear much more from Infinity Grinder soon!
The planned LemmaFest V meeting yesterday was cancelled for unannounced reasons, and will be rescheduled, as per the official Facebook page earlier today. Despite that, there is already visible interest to perform at the returning Sault Michigan festival from bands like Munising's Infathom, a possible Scofflaw reunion, and a local metal band named Stoned Ape Evolution, who have been together since 2014, wear masks on stage, and feature local musicians John Napoletano and Melvin Willis in their lineup, but don't have a known online page that I've found. The anticipation builds, so stay tuned for more LemmaFest 2016 updates!
Former Bear Hunters guitarist Mike Vincent is looking to put together another new local metal band, preferably a death metal band with him on drums (as you've seen with Faceityoureametalband and Troubled Mind), though he's open to playing guitar if the band plays "an amazing genre". If you're interested in jamming with Mike, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from yesterday!
Apologies for the delay in mentioning these, but four new episodes of the 7L arts/music podcast have went up on their Soundcloud page in the past month! None are fully devoted to metal, hard rock, or punk topics, but host Teddy Syrette talks to friend Emily Youngsen about dreams, Cafe Natura owner Kelly Barton, local musician/writer Jeff Hinich, and a few local rappers in each. Musical performances by The Din (credited as "fill in blank") and Pillory frontman Robert Sartini (who actually fits nicely in an acoustic setting) are also included in the first two. All are fun listens, so check them out above, and stay tuned for more from 7L!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for our extended preview of Wednesday's VM Radio Battle of the Bands finals TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!
It's now time for our first weekend concert preview post of the month, including some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (some on SHORT NOTICE), and a new local band, but first, I wanted to note that a celebration of life concert for late That's Chester guitarist Eugene Orlando will be held tonight at The Water Tower Pub featuring his former Agave Blue bandmates, That's Chester frontman Greg Simpson, and surprise guests. Fans and friends of Eugene's would be hard pressed to miss this one, so check the above links for more details! Now, let's kick off our previews with a new band & their next show! We can now add new local classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires to our band links, as they now have a Facebook page, and therein, they've announced that their second concert & first solo show will take place TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! Apologies for the short notice, the concert was just announced on Tuesday, and was reportedly a "last minute booking" to begin with. This new band from Havadder bandmates Travis Sharpe & Scott McLurg, Boxcar Junction frontman Steve Dowding, and Lucky 13 guitarist Jeremey Salatuk made a positive impact in their live concert debut last month, and they should be even more prepared for TOMORROW, especially with a full night's worth of music for their second gig, so keep this talented group of familiar faces in mind for this weekend! Note that The 3 Day Millionaires are not visibly playing on Saturday night, but as of this writing, I can't confirm who is.
Like usual for The Rockstar Bar, there's a 10:30 PM start time in effect, no announced cover charge (but have $5 or so on hand just in case), and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! We don't yet have any videos of The 3 Day Millionaires to preview them with, and what this band means for Havadder's status is to be determined, but their lineup speaks for itself, so consider giving them a look TOMORROW at The Rockstar Bar, and like them above!
Next up, local hard rock solo singer/guitarist Tym Morrison has confirmed his next acoustic concerts at Gliss Steak & Seafood for TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY, so we'll now add his March shows there to our concert calendar! Apologies again for the short notice, we were waiting for these to be announced on Facebook. These shows will join, unless otherwise announced, acoustic gigs at The Quality Inn's restaurant on March 10th-12th, 17th-19th, 24th-26th, and 31st-April 2nd, so if you're up for more acoustic hard rock favourites downtown this month, you have plenty of options as his weekly arrangement with Gliss marches on! Note that if there's any variance to his schedule this month, or any additional gigs at other venues, I can't confirm them yet as his website is down at the moment, but like usual, we'll approach his gigs after April 2nd when announced.
TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY'S shows have 6:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and no age limits, but remember that this is a sit-down restaurant. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and for a preview, here's Tym live! Lastly for currently known hard rock shows this weekend in the Soo, a special acoustic show goes down at The Gore Street Cafe TOMORROW NIGHT with alternative hard rock trio The Din and pop punk quartet Stereo North joining forces! The last hard rock/punk-featured concert to take place during the ongoing Fishbowl Festival of Community, Food, Arts, and Culture, this event will unite these two bands (who already play live frequently) just five nights before they compete in the first semifinal of this month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands, so if you want an unplugged preview of Wednesday's action, head to the laundromat! It'll be interesting to hear both bands in an acoustic format, but this does flow more with the types of concerts that The Gore Street Cafe usually hosts, and it's a nice compliment as The Fishbowl Festival marches onward! Admission will be just $5 for this show, though it is free if you have or are buying a $25 pass for all festival events. The concert is ALL AGES, and everything will start at 7:00 PM.
For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be a fun concert for fans of alternative and punk music, and again, this will be a Heavy Head-less preview of night #1 of the VM Radio Battle of the Bands, so will this show give fans any hints as to what to look for at The Canadian on Wednesday? Be at The Gore Street Cafe to find out, and for a preview, here's The Din's current lineup!
Finally, here's another new solo vocal/guitar cover from former Elipzis bassist/Riot! By Night frontman Ryan Harrison, as per his YouTube channel from last week, and it's curiously of the Sault Michigan-area native covering Tina Turner's "What's Love Got To Do With It"! Filmed with the same vertical camera setup as his recent Evans Blue cover, it's a fun and well done cover that doesn't overly feel like it's from such an atypical artist from his range, so give it a look below, and stay tuned for more from him!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
With this last weekend of February upon us, let's begin our concert previews for this weekend with a look at Sault Ontario hard rock shows going down through Saturday, including SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS! Now, with this being a relatively busy weekend, we will tackle Sault Michigan weekend previews in our next post, so look out for them then, and now, here's what you should know on the Canadian side of the border!
Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Mourning Wood will return to the stage TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at The Rednecks Saloon! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced the shows via the official Facebook event page on Monday. Fresh off of their trio of shows at three different venues last weekend, this will be Mourning Wood's first full concert weekend since their Esquire Club shows earlier this month, and their first at the former Nicolet Tavern since the week prior to that. This should be a good opportunity to see Steven, Terry, Paul, and Glen back for a full weekend of varied and often heavy covers, and with an ever expanding setlist, you won't want to miss out at Rednecks TOMORROW and/or SATURDAY! Note that SooToday's entertainment page lists a band named Jukebox (the name 3/4ths of Mourning Wood used last Thursday for their Cocina Del Diablo concert) for a one nighter at the OLG Casino on Saturday, but that conflicts with their Rednecks show, so that's either a separate band or an error.
There's no announced cover charge for TOMORROW & SATURDAY's 19+ shows, which both have 10:00 PM start times. For more details, visit the above links, and for a preview, here's some new videos from Mourning Wood's New American Pub show on Saturday! Newly uploaded to their Facebook page, these are drum-cam videos from Glen Thomas (literally, it's strapped to his head) of the guys covering Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music" and, as embedded below, INXS' "New Sensation". The camera angles are obviously shaky given how they're filmed, but the guys give some solid grit to these covers, so give them a look above & below!
Moving to previously announced concerts, let's next look at long-time Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's latest shows in his continuing Gliss Steak & Seafood weekly concert arrangement, as he'll be back at The Quality Inn's restaurant for solo acoustic matinee shows TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY! The last announced concerts of the month for this talented veteran singer/guitarist (though we will add his March shows to our listings when confirmed outside of his website), Tym's skilled blend of classic and hard rock covers should find another solid audience for his continuing three-peat of unplugged evenings downtown, so be sure to keep these in mind if you're up for a softer night of cover favourites! There's no announced cover charges or age limits for these 6:00 PM concerts (but remember that this is a restaurant), so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!
Closing with a pair of one night events, let's first touch on the second of three hard rock/punk-featured concert events at the ongoing Fishbowl Festival of Community, Food, Arts, and Culture at The Gore Street Cafe, as acoustic punk solo project Telephone & Address will rock the laundromat TOMORROW NIGHT! Other than it's status as an early event in the first annual Fishbowl Festival, there's no real gimmick or theme to this concert, but Chris Shoust should be up to his usual tricks with his unplugged punk originals, so don't miss out if you like & follow his music! For reference, he will also be premiering his own short film "Darkness" at the cafe on March 3rd, click here for details on that. Telephone & Address will be opening for the new local band Sammy D & The Therapy, who are comprised of festival co-organizer & cafe co-owner Sam Decter alongside recent open mic night hosts Patrick Evans and "Mikey S" (genre & Mikey's full name unclear), but their lineup has talent!
Also, the event page also credits an apparent band named The Mescaline Ditch, who are described as "a dark horse out of left field" and feature "Tube & Computer". I don't have much more on that on this band, but they may be similarly covert and of the "you have to be there to know" vein that Brash Gash & Insoosticide were. Admission is $5 unless you have a $25 pass for the full festival (admission is free in that case), this is an ALL AGES show, and it starts at 7:00 PM tomorrow. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and here's Telephone & Address live at Six, Two, Oh.!
Finally for this post, let's head to The Rockstar Bar, where debuting hard/pop rock quartet Heavy Head will make their local concert debut TOMORROW NIGHT! Featuring ex-Suicide Kings frontman Mike Gaetano, Jack Spades bandmates Jesse Cook & Johnny Belanger, and Project 421 bassist Daniel Horton, this is an intriguing local supergroup that unites four busy & prolific local artists, and while they identify as playing rock, pop, and dance, they should fit our coverage unless this is a radical departure from their musical backgrounds and past band work. How will Heavy Head sound in their live debut, and only public concert before they compete in both of next month's battles of the bands? Find out tomorrow! Local pop punk quartet Stereo North will open the proceedings in their second Rockstar Bar show of the month, and also shortly before they compete against Heavy Head at the VM Radio Battle of the Bands next month, so come early for their covers & originals!
For reference, The Boot Hill Crooners will be playing at The Rockstar Bar on Saturday night. A $5 cover charge is likely for tomorrow's 19+ concert, which goes down tomorrow at 10:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and for a preview, here's Stereo North live, while we await our first video footage of Heavy Head!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for Sault Michigan previews and more next! Thanks everyone!
