A New Article On A Prolific Punk Musician, Plus More Assorted Updates!!

As the second Ontario lockdown pushes forward, here's a new news post for your Sunday morning reading, and it's half devoted to lots of assorted shorter stories from recent weeks, but leading off, here's all you should know about a recent news piece/interview with a very familiar face!

Veteran local punk musician Mikey Hawdon was interviewed by fellow musician/SooToday contributor Chris Belsito on Thursday, so what should you know in this extended article? Early on, Mikey discusses "Eik Namo", the new album from his main Toronto-based punk band The Fairmounts, as well as discussing his popular Mikey & His Uke series, which famously evolved from solo ukelele "quarantunes" during the first pandemic lockdown into a collaborative series with far-flung musicians. Now, it's a once-a-month project where the ukelele pretense is dropped early on in favour of a full band cover, often with very recognizable non-local names joining in. Afterwards, Mikey talks about his love for Sault Ste. Marie, and apparently, he and his family plan to move back here, but that detail weren't elaborated on otherwise

 

This intertwines with more Fairmounts talk, including selling physical copies of "Eik Namo" while on Christmas vacation back home during the pandemic, and he also plugged one of his newer Toronto bands, the Huey Lewis & The News tribute group The Power Of Huey, who he played with at a drive-in concert there. The big reveal late in the article is that Mikey has launched his own independent label called Soolebrity Records, whose name alone will be a big hint towards local content, and their first release will apparently be a vinyl re-issue of an album by famed mid-1990s punk band Room 206! While they are admittedly before my time, their pedigree is well known among genre fans from that era, and Mikey would later perform with Room 206 alumni in The Inner City Surfers. I do know that they put out an album called "2 Innies & An Outie", but is that the tape that Soolebrity Records is re-releasing?

Assuming plans stay in place, I hope that the Room 206 vinyl sale does well (I hope to get one myself!), and even if Mikey's move back home isn't imminent, he's a talented guy who has managed to stay busy artistically with lots of irons in the fire here and there. I am surprised that the Surfers' reunion single "Excess Express" and their two new songs ahead weren't brought up, but there was so much ground to cover. Kudos to Chris for conducting this interview, and click here or see above for more details!

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

• I have removed local classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive from our active band links due to the deletion of their Facebook (and only online) page at some point last month, which would seemingly indicate their dissolution. If accurate, a reason has not been announced, but Fluid 5ive had not been publically heard from since their last concert at The Water Tower Pub in February of last year, and who knows what affect the ongoing pandemic had on the band as a whole. Fluid 5ive were a talented group, and hopefully we hear from Colin, Liam, Rob, Jeff, Pierre, and Joe again down the road!
• Local musician Kiefer Barone is apparently looking to join a metal band as a rhythm guitarist, as per his posting on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group last month. Kiefer had posted searches on this group in the past, most recently a drummer search for a metalcore band in 2015 I'm not familiar with Kiefer musically, but message him at this link or above for more details!
  
• The former members of local classic metal quartet Late & Loud have reunited... kind of! Jonathan, Brendan, Benn, and Josh have been collaborating on a podcast called Late & Legends since October, where they play a fantasy RPG game together, and you can even support the podcast via Patreon. Very surprising project, but creative at the same time, so give it a listen above or on Spotify to hear their adventures in Renlan!
• As a promotional offer during the lockdown, Ryan McLaughlin at Relentless Audio is offering a deal for musicians looking to have studio material mixed & mastered without having to leave the house. If you heard the "new" As It Stands EP, you'll know the quality work Ryan does, so message him above or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from last week for more information!
  
• Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Tarnished have announced a new concert for 2021 (presumably conditional on the pandemic easing up), as they are scheduled to to take a road trip to Curtis on June 30th to play at the Erickson Centre For The Arts! Now, Curtis is 90 minutes west of the Soo, which is outside of our coverage range, but it is nice to see Tarnished have something planned, and hopefully it will stick! Visit the Facebook event page for more details!
  
• Young Sault Ontario classic/hard rock band The Uncanny Valley have apparently parted ways with bassist Adam Fahrer, as per his removal from their lineup on their Facebook page's About section. A reason for his departure was not announced, but the band has not updated their Facebook page since posting their "Middle Man" single in October. This is a surprise to hear, especially as Adam was presumably on the recordings for their upcoming debut album, but hopefully we hear from him in music again in the future!
  

 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our first 2020 wrap-up poll on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Slumshine), Band Link Updates, And Musicians Wanted Group Updates!!

Before we get into this post, just a heads up that tonight's Handsome Sandwich concert at The Rockstar Bar has reportedly been cancelled due to the inclement weather & related staff invailability, as per singer/drummer Johnny Belanger's personal Facebook page this afternoon. Tomorrow's concert is still on, but if you're hoping to see them, do not come out tonight. Disappointing, but not all is lost, so keep tomorrow's show in mind! However, you can stay warm with today's SMS post, featuring recent musician searches, a band moved to our inactive band links, and leading off, here's an overdue addition to our band listings, with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT too!

We have a new addition to our active band links today, and they are Slumshine, the current acoustic punk solo project from veteran local hardcore punk singer/bassist Brenton Ellis! Slumshine are nothing new, having debuted on stage back in September 2017, but early sound descriptions pointed to more of an alt-folk theme. However, as fans can attest, Slumshine are a full on punk act, just with one musician clad in the finest pink knit ski mask you'll ever find on a local stage! Brent doesn't use his name officially with Slumshine, and curiously uses plural pronouns (i.e. we/us) despite being a solo project. Initially making a splash via sets at the first Oh!No festival and by opening for The Faps, The Ghostly Hounds, and Dany Laj & The Looks in the fall of 2017, Slumshine went dormant throughout the following year, before returning to action in early 2019, appearing at Oh!No III and opening for The Faps again, Darsombra, Femur, and The River Jacks. Also, they released their first album "SLMSHN" on cassette tapes last July, and you can buy/stream it on Bandcamp on a "name your price" model.

Of course, Brent is among the staff of the Oh!No Collective, who distributed "SLMSHN" in their first release as a planned cassette tape-centric indie label, and his talents as a painter and artist are very evident in Slumshine's online marketing. Fans can see Slumshine back at it on Friday, March 20th when they open for The Sick Sons at LopLops (details here), but in a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, you can see Slumshine in a rare solo headlining appearance on Wednesday, March 18th at... Home Bakehouse Bed and Breakfast at 168 March Street?! This is a new downtown business whose name suggests what they do, so if you like homemade baked goods, or need a place to stay, Home is where the heart is! The locale is very atypical for an ostensible "punk concert", but Home has partnered with the returning Fishbowl Festival for sourdough classes, for what that's worth. This mid-week show has an early 7:00 PM start time, no age limit, and a "pay what you can" entry model. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Currently also a bassist with The Dynowaves, Brent's vocal work here and in Toronto is well known, and musically, I get more of his earlier straight punk vibe here rather than his later hardcore punk screaming, albeit with the stripped down unplugged format. Solid lyrics and strong melodic vocals mesh together well, and I think these sounds would be a great fit with a full plugged-in band, but even in this format, it's easy to see why Slumshine turn heads even beyond the pink mask. A smattering of videos are on Facebook & YouTube, but here's Slumshine playing their songs "Back in Blue" and "Blue Shift" at Outspoken Brewing in December!



Next up, I have reluctantly moved local alternative/indie rock quartet Id Iota to our inactive band links. The group has not issued a public statement since their cover of Pup's "Free At Last" was uploaded to their Facebook page one year ago today, though that performance was sans frontman Christian Lemay, and regardless of his status with the band, they have not played a live set since the 2018 Rotaryfest weekend. Active since mid-2015 when they succeeded the studio-only Habitat Shuffle, Id Iota quickly became a popular sight at a variety of local concerts in the mid-2010s, including at Lopstock II, three straight Rotaryfest Second Stages from 2016-2018, two Ontario tour runs in 2016 with The Pixo Control and Mike Mikus, and opening slots for touring bands like Saturn Alien, Windigo, and The Almighty Rhombus. Along the way, Id Iota also released their "Maudlin Fair" EP in April 2016, and they were working on a full length album as recently as April 2018.

I have no clue what happened to Id Iota, but they were a creative band that had enough genre diversity to slide into hard rock and indie shows with relative ease! Genre preference-wise, I did take to their 2000s ska punk predecessors Free Beer more, but Id Iota showed their growth and progression as musicians very well, and they left a wide footprint locally and with their tours 4 years ago. Hopefully we see Id Iota and their planned full-length CD resurface down the road, but best of luck to Christian, Dustin, Robert, Blair, Justin, and Dan in the future!

Finally for today, here's three recent Musicians Wanted Facebook group postings relating to musician and band searches from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• Former Half Past bassist Arthur Lacasse is starting an acoustic rock band with him on guitar, who would cover modern hard rock acts like Highly Suspect, Shinedown, Seether, and Three Days Grace. He already has a singer lined up, and is looking for a bassist, drummer (ideally on cajon), and maybe an extra guitarist. It'd be great to see Arthur back out there, but if you're interested in more details, message him at this link or via his group post from February 8th!
• A local rhythm guitarist named Jayrald Micky is looking to join a local band, and while he is aiming to play guitar in said group, he does have drumming experience. He didn't give a genre preference, just that he was "looking for anything at this point" and that he just wants to jam again. I'm not familiar with Jayrald as a musician, but if you want more details, message him at this link or via his group post from February 12th!
• Fluid 5ive guitarist Liam Vaillancourt posted here on February 11th looking for a keyboard player for "a gigging band" that is capable of playing signature lines from various rock, blues, and country cover songs. Liam did not specify in the post if this was for Fluid 5ive or another band, but if it is referring to the 5ive, we have not heard anything regarding Rob Irving's status with the group (note that Rob played rhythm guitar as well as keyboard.) In any event, message Liam at this link or above for more details!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tripod The Dog, Tym Morrison, And Fluid 5ive) & Weekend Concert Previews!!

Another weekend of concert previews is upon us, and as luck would have it, all but one act have SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS attached! Due to the amount of concerts this weekend, our preview of Saturday night's late notice Wyld Stallyns concert at LopLops (details here) will hit the site tomorrow, so watch for it then! Now, here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive will return to The Water Tower Pub for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only learned about this concert in recent days via the venue's February concert calendar, as seen on the right. This will be their first publically advertised concert set of 2020, unless the Esquire Club gigs advertised on the Sault Music News Letter Facebook page last week did occur (the band and venue did not validate them on social media), and it will be the 5ive's first show at this venue since October. It's good to see this veteran group back out there and north/central fans should consider a trip to The Water Tower Pub TOMORROW to see Fluid 5ive's brand of danceable rock, including many covers you don't see elsewhere from their contemporaries! TOMORROW'S concert has a 19+ age limit, a 9:00 PM start time, and no cover charge. See the above links for more details, and here's Fluid 1ive last year!
 

Next up, local ska punk/hard rock trio Tripod The Dog will reportedly return to The Esquire Club for headlining concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, we only learned of these gigs via the aforementioned Sault Music News Letter Facebook page on Tuesday, though note that the venue has not confirmed these bookings online either, and Tripod the Dog don't have an actively updated social media page to plug them. Assuming these are on as advertised, this will be Mark & the Amendolas' first concert in two weeks, and their first at The Esquire Club since September in a gig (or two?) that received similarly minimal advance advertising. Tripod The Dog always deliver a fun set with their ska and hard rock selections, so don't miss their next shows TOMORROW and/or SATURDAY in the west end! Expect 10:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits. See above for more details, and here's an original song of theirs! No public live videos post-reunion yet.

Also this weekend, prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to Gliss Restaurant for his usual weekly matinees TOMORROW & SATURDAY, joining a nighttime return engagement at The Roadhouse Bar & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT, but that's not all, as Tym will play a rare solo gig on SATURDAY AFTERNOON at.... Searchmont Resort?! Apologies again for the short notice on that event, Tym only announced it via it's Facebook event page on Tuesday, and Searchmont have not advertised it themselves that I am aware of. While not specified on the event page, I believe this show will take place on SATURDAY at The Kiln, Searchmont's new on-site restaurant and bar that officially opened in December, and which has played host to a handful of local acoustic concerts in the ensuing weeks. This will be Tym's first announced gig at the popular area ski resort since playing an outdoor set at 2011's Searchmont Music Festival, so if you want some live hard rock entertainment on SATURDAY after hitting the slopes, keep this gig in mind!

And yes, his usual Gliss shows and his second straight Friday nighter at The Roadhouse should provide more entertaining hard and classic rock covers this weekend, so don't bypass him at these three venues! The Gliss dates are at 6:00 PM, the Roadhouse show is at 10:00 PM tomorrow, and the Searchmont gig at The Kiln is on SATURDAY at 2:00 PM, not unlike his Northern Superior Brewing shows. The Roadhouse has a 19+ age limit, the rest don't, and none have announced cover charges. Visit the Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Tym live!

Finally for today's preview post, let's take a detour to Sault Michigan for a show that had advance notice (as inferred by the "every Thursday" scheduling), as local hard rock band Tarnished are expected to continue their weekly engagement at Biggby Coffee TODAY! After a busy I-500 weekend for Alex and company, he (and Nathan or Josh?) will be back at the Ashmun Street coffee-shop today for their only publically advertised show of this week, so look for another afternoon's worth of entertaining hard and classic rock covers for the usual tips & coffee! This show has not been newly plugged by band or venue at press time, but they each went 6 weeks without verifying that the "every Thursday" series was still alive, so you can't expect that this will get a guaranteed acknowledgement. Today's show has a 12:00 PM start time, no cover, and no age limit. See above for more details, and here's Alex/Tarnished live at Biggby Coffee last year!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for the Wyld Stallyns concert preview and more on the site tomorrow!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Strange Coyotes & The Wyld Stallyns) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

With the holidays approaching ever faster, we have a busy weekend of concerts ahead, so we are breaking this weekend's previews into two posts. Bands with advance notice gigs on Saturday (re: Theatre of Night, Soundcheck, and Tym Morrison) will be covered in our next post, but for now, let's dive into bands involved in SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, plus one-nighters today and tomorrow. Here's what you should know!

Local funk metal band The Strange Coyotes will reunite for the first time in over 5 years TONIGHT at the temporarily re-opened Dryer Fire pop-up venue at 128 Bruce Street! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via singer/guitarist Chase Wigmore's solo Facebook page last week. This is not the first time that this band has announced a reunion, as Chase and bassist James Watterworth had planned to reunite for Chase's cancelled Devil's Night concert last year, but TONIGHT's show looks to proceed as advertised. It's great to see them back, but details are admittedly scant on the Facebook event page. As Mike moved out of province, will there be a new drummer? Are any other acts playing? Is this a one-off reunion, or can we expect more Strange Coyotes gigs in 2020? In any event, this is the only metal-featured concert in Dryer Fire's two week return engagement on Bruce Street, and this show has a 6:00 PM start time, a "pay what you can" entry model, and no age limit, as usual at the pop-up gigs.

The Strange Coyotes had a fun and eclectic set during their original run that produced two albums, and whether or not this is a full time reunion, it will be cool seeing Chase & James back to do their thing again TONIGHT! Visit the above links for more details, and here's The Strange Coyotes live! Also, Dryer Fire are now linked in our "Other Local Metal Links" section (not with concert venues due to the short-term rental nature of the Bruce Street locale.)

Next up, local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will return to the stage THIS SATURDAY NIGHT when they rock The Whiskey Barrel! Again, apologies for the short notice, this concert was only announced via it's Facebook event page on Monday. The Elements' side project had taken a three week break while singer Christina Speers acted in the local production of Cats (as the band promoted on their Facebook page), and this will be their first public concert set at the Gore Street nightclub since The Whiskey Barrel's first anniversary party on November 16th. A stop at their arguably favourite public concert venue should be a great way to shake off some cobwebs, so don't miss The Stallyns' eclectic cover selection on SATURDAY! As usual for their shows here, expect an 8:00 PM start time, no cover charges, and a 19+ age limit. Visit the above links for more on their return to the stage, and here they are live!

Moving on to shows with advance notice, let's take a brief detour to Sault Michigan, where local hard rock band Tarnished (or members thereof) will continue their "every Thursday" arrangement at Biggby Coffee TODAY! Another afternoon's worth of hard hitting and classic covers should be in store for coffee-shop patrons and fans alike, and whether you're getting Alex alone or Alex with Nathan or Josh, you should be in good musical hands! As usual for this long-term run at the Ashmun Street business, today's show is a 12:00 PM matinee with no cover charge or age limits, but remember that Tarnished traditionally play here for tips (and coffee.) Visit the above links for more information on today's show if it comes in, and here's Tarnished live!



Finally for today's previews, let's head back to Sault Ontario, where local classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive will return to The New American Pub TOMORROW NIGHT! As previously announced via the venue's Facebook event page, Fluid 5ive actually did update their Facebook page after a three month break to plug this show, as well as an apparent concert at The Marconi Event Centre on Albert Street West one week ago. Given the nature of the hall and the events it tends to hold, plus the lack of advertising on social media for any Marconi Club concerts last week, I am inclined to believe that was a private event, but I'll let you know if that assumption is wrong. In any event, I'm glad to see that the 5ive are using their Facebook page again, you'd think they would want to given their uptick in gigs to end 2019! As usual, tomorrow's New A show is a one-off due to the venue's Saturday karaoke nights. An 8:00 PM start time is in effect, you must be 19 or older to attend, and there is no cover charge. See above for more details, and here's Fluid 5ive live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Soundcheck, Theatre of Night, and Tym Morrison previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

Toystock VIII Videos (Part 2!!)

As promised on Monday, here's the second half of our Toystock fallout, courtesy of the remaining known public video footage from the eighth annual Christmas Cheer fundraiser concert at The Grand Gardens North last month! We'll continue in descending order today, starting by acknowledging belatedly that power rock quartet Re:Born actually uploaded three videos from their set that night onto their Facebook page. We featured them playing the original "Running Away" on Monday, which was part of their Facebook playlist of Toystock bands, but the other two were not put with it. Those videos are of Re:Born covering Black Sabbath's "Children of the Sea" and of two songs in this lengthy video, namely their original "Die Another Day" and a cover of Iron Maiden's "Die With Your Boots On." Apologies for missing those on Monday, but they deliver more solid classic metal from this talented four-some! Remember, these are stationary clips, the filmer of these videos was performing on stage at this point.

Moving to the preceding bands at Toystock VIII, Re:Born filmed veteran classic/hard rock quintet Fluid 5ive covering Cheap Trick's "Surrender", albeit without any camera zooming. Adding to our recent note about lineup differences from this New A set, it looks like keyboardist/guitarist Rob Irving was back with the 5ive at Toystock, with no sign of guitarist Tom Millette, so was Tom just filling in for Rob that night? It looks that way, but Fluid 5ive haven't updated their Facebook page in a few months. The cover's well done and lively, and it's nice to see some more footage, so check it out below!



Re:Born also got this video of classic/hard rockers Soundcheck tackling Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O Mine", a very surprising cover for a band with only one guitarist! The guys have not found a full-time replacement for Travis Sharpe yet, and largely played as a trio here. Terry Eaton's vocal range sometimes struggles to hit Axl's high notes, but he gives it his all, and his guitar solo is solid! And yes, Glen did donate that very drum kit (and two others) to attending children, as he is wont to do each year, which is a wonderful gesture! Check out Soundcheck's Toystock video below!
 


The other videos Re:Born shot at Toystock include this clip of local country singer Brendan Hodgson and his solo band playing his original song "Kiss Me Slow", and young local pop rock quartet L!me covering Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl". Both are strong and well filmed performances for country and garage rock fans, so give each a look above! Now, Re:Born were not at the Grand Gardens yet to film the first four acts, but we are not out of luck, as SaultOnline's Mike Caruso caught everyone but the last three bands for this extended 20 minute video for his YouTube channel last month. In order, we have local singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver covering Green Day's "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)", country duo The Jeff & Jeff Show covering Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline", The Case's Music Band of instructors covering The Beatles' "Back In The USSR" (as also filmed by SaultOnline's Megan Pounder), ...

...new local singer/guitarist Kaitlyn Parr (The Carter Family's "When I'm Gone", a.k.a. "Cups"), another take of L!me doing "Are You Gonna Be My Girl", Brendan Hodgson & crew covering Brad Paisley's "Ticks", and lastly, Soundcheck covering Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" with the aforementioned Cameron Oliver on guest vocals. Well filmed as usual, everyone sounds good in their genres! I'm not fully on board with Cameron's hesitant verses on "Good Riddance", but he fits in well with Soundcheck to end the video. Give it a look below, and see much more from Toystock above!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide, The Cover-Up, Tarnished, And Fluid 5ive!!)

Before we dive into this weekend's concert previews, we have a bunch of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to tackle today, including one on SHORT NOTICE, with an attached Thursday concert preview for convenience sake given that the same band is involved. Here's what you should know!

Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Tarnished will make their Moloney's Alley debut THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, following the expected continuation of their "every Thursday" matinee run at Biggby Coffee TOMORROW! Apologies for the short notice on SATURDAY'S concert, the band only announced it via it's Facebook event page on Monday. We haven't covered concerts at this popular 227 West Portage Avenue nightclub since Project 906 played here over two years ago, and while there is no apparent special event attached to this concert, Tarnished should deliver a hard hitting night of covers here on SATURDAY, so keep this one in mind! Of course, Alex (and company?) will precede that tomorrow at Biggby Coffee for tips & coffee, so if you want some acoustic jams in the afternoon, you know where to go! That is a 12:00 PM gig with no cover or age limits, while SATURDAY'S Moloney's Alley concert is at 9:00 PM with no cover and a 21+ age limit.

Visit the above links for more on both shows, and for a preview, we have two Facebook videos  from Tarnished's three shows at The Double D Bar & Grill at Dondee Lanes last week to share! One was shared from bassist Josh Fair's girlfriend Olivia Eden's personal Facebook page, and features her guesting on a cover of The 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up". Vertical camera angle aside, it's a well done cover, if against type, and Olivia has a good voice! Embedded below is the band's own upload of them covering Metallica's "For Whom The Bell Tolls", and while Alex's vocals are nearly inaudible, this is well shot and the twin guitar attack is used nicely! Give these a look above & below!

Next up, Sault Ontario classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive will reportedly return to The New American Pub for one night only on Friday, December 13th! Their last announced show of 2019 (remember that their Facebook page hasn't been updated since September), this will be Fluid 5ive's first concert at The New A since their Saturday matinee to end November, and this should be another fine opportunity to see their hard rocking take on classic hits you don't see covered often elsewhere! Remember, they are not playing the next day due to The New American's weekly karaoke nights. As usual for New A Friday night cover bookings, expect this to be a 19+ event with no cover charge and an 8:00 PM start time. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for new video footage of theirs soon!

Also, we have two big holiday-season punk concerts at LopLops Lounge to take in later this month, both courtesy of Tidal Records, and the first of them takes place on Saturday, December 21st, to be headlined by local Celtic punk quintet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide! This will be The Tide's first public concert since Rotaryfest in July, but it will be just their second indoor concert of 2019, following their St. Patrick's Day show at LopLops. With their forthcoming studio album still in progress, what kinds of new music will we hear from Dustin and company for this pre-Christmas bash? Be at LopLops in a couple of weeks to find out! Funk/hard rock quartet The Elements will open in a rare LopLops appearance, marking their first show since Halloween, and first non-tribute set since the Oh!No festival in September. As fans who saw them last month can attest, The Elements do know their way around punk covers, and they should provide a fine compliment on the 21st, so don't bypass their set!

This 19+ concert has a $10 cover charge and a 10:00 PM start time. Punk fans won't want to bypass this talented double bill four nights before Christmas, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

One week later, punk fans will want to return to LopLops, where Tide bandmates Dustin Jones & Marshall Jaaskelainen will bring their online page-less punk cover quartet The Cover-Up back for a headlining concert on Saturday, December 28th! This will be this group's first public concert since Go Skate Day in June, and their first LopLops date since their pre-Christmas show here in 2018, and it's great to see the guys back out there! Event advertising is billing the headliners under a new name, You First & The Givee Givees, and you can probably guess the inspiration for it. If we're being perfectly honest, I really hope that's a temporary name to reflect the 1990s/2000s punk cover theme of the show, as it's not catchy, it feels forced, and it has been done locally already (remember when the now-defunct HTs debuted as You First & The Passive Aggressives?) Speaking of The HTs, frontman Lucas Schmiedendorf's current punk quartet The Sick Sons will open on the 28th.

Despite their continued lack of an online page, The Sick Sons have been gaining in prominence in recent months, and their talented veteran take on the genre will be a great match! Billed as "Punk Rock Xmas" despite being held 3 days after the 25th, this is also a 10:00 PM concert with a 19+ age limit, but the cover charge is $7, lower than on the 21st. We have a nice string of Saturday night punk action in store at LopLops later this month, so visit the official Facebook event page for this show and the above links for much more on both of these concerts! That's all for today, but stay tuned for the rest of our weekend concert previews tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Scarkazm & Tym Morrison), Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

As promised, here are this weekend's un-tarnished hard rock concert previews, including some attached LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS from two of the acts in question! This is a relatively quiet weekend, so to round things out, I have some updates from a prominent local punk band at post's end. With all of that said, here's what you should know!

Local acoustic hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison has another typically busy weekend of concerts ahead, including his regular weekly matinee gigs at Gliss Restaurant TOMORROW & SATURDAY bookending his return to The Roadhouse Bar & Grill on Trunk Road TOMORROW NIGHT! Fans of Tym's skilled and experienced blend of hard and classic rock covers should find a lot to like this weekend, whether you're a supper-time regular at Gliss or enjoy his more traditional nighttime gigs at The Roadhouse, so keep all three in mind! While we're on the subject, let's add Tym's December concert slate to our concert calendar today, which will include Gliss matinees on December 6th-7th, 13th-14th, 20th-21st, and 27th-28th, plus a return to The Roadhouse Bar & Grill next Friday, December 6th, and we'll start approaching his 2020 dates at the end of next month.

Note that shows Tym has advertised on his personal Facebook page at churches and retirement homes are not advertised publically, and as such, are not covered as public concerts on the SMS. This weekend's and next month's Gliss shows are 6:00 PM matinees with no age limits, tomorrow's and next week's Roadhouse concert is at 10:00 PM with a 19+ age limit, and none of these gigs have an announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Tym live!



Next up, Traverse City, Michigan metal trio Scarkazm will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, but they have more in store for 2020! This weekend's previously announced concerts will be Scarkazm's final ones in the Soo for this year (though they will be in St. Ignace in three weeks), and if you can't come out for their hard hitting covers and possible originals, the band has confirmed their dates through February on this calendar image shared on Facebook earlier today, which will include Rapids Lounge gigs on January 3rd-4th and February 21st-22nd. Nice to see Adam, Dave, and Jeff back so soon with more high energy concerts in the U.P., so don't bypass those dates along with this weekend's! Their sister band Peril also have regional dates announced there, which we'll cover on the site separately, and as usual, their acoustic side group Project 6 are not scheduled to play up here during this timeframe.

For what it's worth, Kewadin's entertainment page does not list any 2020 lounge concerts yet, we will let you know when they do. Tomorrow, Saturday, and next year's Rapids Lounge shows have 9:00 PM start times, 21+ age limits, and no cover charges. Visit this weekend's Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Scarkazm live!



We'll close out this weekend's announced hard rock concert previews back in Sault Ontario, where local classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive will rock The New American Pub for a matinee concert THIS SATURDAY! A one-day-only engagement due to or because of The Algo Rhythms' early show there tomorrow, the early timeslot is due to The New A's regular weekly karaoke nights on Saturdays, so don't expect to hear of too many bands playing Saturday nights there, regardless of genre. Fluid 5ive debuted here with a Friday nighter last month, and hopefully they entertain the early fans well with their classic and hard rock favourites on Saturday! Of course, just a disclaimer that Fluid 5ive's Facebook page has not been updated since early September, in case anything changes without a statement. This 4:00 PM concert has no announced cover charge and I would assume a 19+ age limit still applies. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Fluid 1ive!



Finally, here's some updates from local indie/punk quintet Northwest, who will play an increasingly rare live date at LopLops next month, but what else is new from their camp? As per their Facebook page last week, the guys recently received a music recording grant from the Ontario Arts Council, which means that they will have new music in the works for 2020. Great news, but does this mean a third album will follow suit? In the meantime, you can now order band t-shirts and merchandise packs (with can koozies, stickers, and pins) through their Bandcamp page, though you can also order them through private messaging of band members on Facebook, or at their merchandise table at live concerts. All online orders will come with a free digital copy of last year's "Songs From 2015-2017" EP, so keep that bonus in mind! Lastly, Northwest shared this video onto their YouTube channel last week for their 2018 original "Hangover Habits", so what should you know here?

Primarily, this features live footage shot behind them from their set at the Rock on the River festival in Timmins in July, as intercut with local clips from The Rockstar Bar and some video of the guys on the road to the festival and their experiences in Timmins & at the festival proper before their set. The audio is the studio copy, aside from scratchy crowd cheering at the start. While this is well made and edited, it makes me wish that Northwest would post fuller copies of the Timmins videos for a vlog looking back on the festival and their set. Maybe in time, but give this a look below for now!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site tomorrow, with a CD review to come also! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Project 906), Toystock VIII Preview, And More!!

Let's get a new news post up on this Saturday night, and given that there is a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT leading off, it's not a moment too soon! That said, we do have our promised Toystock preview to round things out, plus some more assorted stories from the last while. With all of that said, here is what you should know!

Sault Michigan blues/hard rock quartet Project 906 will return to the stage TONIGHT at Hulbert Happy Hour in nearby Hulbert Township (obviously!) Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced this show via it's Facebook event page less than an hour ago, and while they did acknowledge there that this was concert was "very late notice", the venue's Facebook page had announced it on Wednesday. This will be Project 906's first announced concert since the Rudyard Musicians Festival in August, just their fifth in the past 9 months, and their first show at Hulbert Happy Hour since December 2018. We haven't seen as much activity from Project 906 this year due to members' own personal lives, but it's great to see them back out there TONIGHT, even with the late notice! As usual for their headlining bar shows, TONIGHT's affair is a 21+, 9:00 PM affair with no cover charge. See the above links for more details, and here's Project 906 live earlier this year!

Next up, and in what could be considered the kickoff to the Christmas concert season in Sault Ontario, the eighth annual Toystock fundraiser event goes down TOMORROW at The Grand Gardens North! Since it's inaugural installment in 2012, this (Choose) Maxx Entertainment-promoted concert has seen loads of toy, food, and monetary donations to Christmas Cheer, and expect more of the seasonal good will tomorrow,  with the Stuff-A-Bus on site once again to collect all of the goods for those in need. Aside from the musical performers, expect to see Mr. Bon Soo, princesses, and both Santa & Mrs. Claus on hand to meet the kids, while there will be face painting, a photo booth, a kids play area, and even video games. Click here for all non-musical details! As for the bands, Toystock VIII will again welcome 10 bands in 10 hours for tomorrow's festivities, though unlike last year, the roster for this year is half devoted to Toystock newcomers, largely on the younger side.

Local country rock cover quartet Bone Yard will headline at 9:00 PM in their eighth Toystock appearance total and seventh consecutive time, while two event newcomers will precede them in strong timeslots, namely power rock quartet Re:Born at 8:00 PM and the recently busy Fluid 5ive at 7:00 PM. Fellow classic/hard rockers Soundcheck will hit the stage for a third straight Toystock at 6:00 PM, though no word yet on if they'll have a fill-in singer again or if they'll play as a trio (and yes, Glen Thomas is again donating refurbished drum kits to a few lucky young attendees!) Local country musician Brendan Hodgson will return from 2018 with a set at 5:00 PM, following a pair of debuting acts, including pop rock quartet L!me at 4:00 PM and singer Kaitlyn Parr (who I know little about) at 3:00 PM. For a fourth straight year, a group of unidentified Case's Music students will hit the stage at 2:00 PM, while classic country duo The Jeff & Jeff Show return for a third year of their own at 1:00 PM.

Finally, Soo's Got Talent semifinalist Cameron Oliver will open with a solo performance at 12:00 PM. Toystock VIII is, as usual, an ALL AGES event with admission via a Christmas cheer donation (toys, non-perishable food, or money.) This is another great lineup of music and family friendly entertainment donating their time for a wonderful cause, so kudos to Greg and everyone at Maxx Entertainment for putting this on once again, and hopefully The Grand Gardens North is hopping in a good way tomorrow! Visit the Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and here's Bone Yard tackling a hard rock cover 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:

• On Sunday, revived Sault Michigan hard rock solo project Hubbard posted a photo of a drum kit to their Facebook page, saying that it was "time to record drums." This appears to confirm that Chris has indeed resumed (restarted?) work on his debut solo album, but with new postings there tending to be sporadic with not much to say, how fast will we hear updates from the 415E guitarist's camp?
• Sault Ontario metal solo musician and Bear Hunters alum Mike Vincent is looking for a drummer for his new band project, who apparently play pop and punk rock (I presume Mike's on guitar.) Interesting change from his usual pace, but if you're interested in trying out, message Mike at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Thursday!
• Over two years after posting a drummer search on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group for a band project, young local guitarist Rainey Rancourt is again on the hunt, this time for a 14-18 year old vocalist. The band he's working on already has the other musicians enlisted, and they play metal & punk covers and originals. If you are interested, message Rainey at this link or via his group post from November 15th for more information!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more recent concert video footage on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Fluid 5ive & The Wyld Stallyns) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

Before we begin this weekend's concert previews (Toystock aside), we have an apology to make for a missed concert, as Sault Michigan classic/hard rock quintet Highway 63 played at Huck's Pub & Grill (formerly Joe's Bar & Grill) this past Saturday at a publically advertised hunter's bash. The venue had plugged the show on their Facebook page since November 5th, but the band only followed suit on the day of the event. Huck's is still uncommon for our coverage, but I do apologize or missing it, and hopefully the hunter's bash was a for Highway 63 and fans alike! Now, here's what you should know for this weekend, starting with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will play a rare headlining concert at The New American Pub TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band and venue only confirmed this concert via their respective Facebook pages earlier today. Yes, The New A had a poster made in-house to promote the concert, but as they spelled the band's name in a normal, Bill & Ted-free way (Wild Stallions), it didn't seem to fit for this particular write-up. A one nighter due to The New American's regular Saturday night karaoke festivities, this will be the Elements side project's first appearance at this downtown nightclub since playing at a Special Olympics Winter Games fundraiser here last December. This fan favourite trio should have another solid night of covers in store, so don't miss out TOMORROW! Note that the Sault Music News Letter Facebook page also credits The Stallyns as playing at The Whiskey Barrel on Saturday, but the band has not confirmed that.

As best as I can tell, this listing is a remnant of that page's coverage of shows last week, but if the band is indeed playing there on Saturday, we'll let you know. In any event, TOMORROW'S New A stop is an 8:00 PM affair with no announced cover charge and a 19+ age limit. Visit the above links for more details, and here's The Wyld Stallyns live!



Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive will reportedly rock Reggie's West for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, we only learned of these dates via the aforementioned Sault Music News Letter Facebook page, though in this case, these are newly added listings. While not publicized by the band proper online, this will be Fluid 5ive's apparent debut at the Reggievelt, so if you're up for some classic and hard rock hits not typically played on the local bar circuit, don't bypass these dates! It's worth noting that the Sault Music News Letter page only lists these as taking place at Reggie's, but given that the downtown Reggie's Place reportedly closed permanently in September (more on that soon), it's a safe assumption that they mean the Korah Road location. As usual, expect 10:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits. See above for more details, and here's Fluid 5ive 1ive!



Moving to previously announced concerts, let's take a brief detour to Sault Michigan, where local hard rock cover band Tarnished (or just their frontman Alex Traynor) will continue his/their "every Thursday" matinee run at Biggby Coffee TODAY, before heading to the local Kewadin Casino branch TONIGHT for a headline engagement at The Signatures Lounge! These dates will serve as an appetizer before Tarnished hit the road for a Mount Pleasant concert tomorrow (good luck!), so local fans will get two chances to see Alex (and company?) in an unplugged acoustic setting today. No word on whether Alex is playing these dates alone or not, especially given recent online ambiguity regarding Josh's involvement, but note that Tarnished did say to "catch us at the Signatures Lounge" tonight on their Facebook page. In any event, these are both cover-free shows, with the Biggby matinee at 12:00 PM with no age limit, and the presumably 21+ Signatures Lounge show at 6:00 PM. Click here and see above for more details, and here's Tarnished live!

Finally for this weekend's currently announced hard rock previews (Toystock aside), we'll head back to Sault Ontario, where local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's ongoing weekly concert arrangement at Gliss Restaurant on Spring Street will continue with matinee gigs TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! This long-term run at the popular downtown restaurant has given fans and Gliss patrons a lot of entertaining live music in the mid-late 2010s, and look for more hard and classic rock covers from the former Caveman Morrison frontman over these next two evenings! As usual for his Gliss stops, expect 6:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and no age limits, but remember that this is a formal restaurant, not a nightclub. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Tym live at Gliss Restaurant earlier this year!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Toystock preview, Offspring/Sum 41 fallout, and much more on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

Local Concert Video Showcase!!

Today's post is 100% devoted to new videos from SaultOnline reporter Mike Caruso's YouTube channel in the past week, as his frequent uploads of videos from local bar cover bands continue with welcome regularity! Of course, there's a lot more than this to see from many different groups, but we'll focus on heavier bands and/or covers as usual, and we'll start with Mike's video of local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck at Reggie's West on Friday night, but with a surprise, as former Haggith/Project 421/et al. lead singer Curtis McKenzie joined in as a guest vocalist! We have heard very little from Curt musically since his most recent band Eclipse (and his then-solo project) dissolved in late 2017, so it's great to see him back on stage after 2 years away! The title just says that Curtis is a guest, but Soundcheck's Facebook page's biography was quietly updated last week to confirm the departure of singer/guitarist Travis Sharpe from the band for unannounced reasons.

Travis had previously missed Soundcheck's Water Tower Pub shows earlier this month, as well a date there in September, though I have no word how related those absences were. Travis had been a member of Soundcheck since their 2016 launch, and it's very surprising to see him leave, but hopefully he turns up in a new band soon! As for Mike's video, it's of Soundcheck and Curtis covering Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" and Alice In Chains' "Man In The Box", and the band sound solid, though Curt's voice is a far better fit on the latter cover, and Paul is again obscured by that post on the stage. Solid overall, so give Mike's Soundcheck video a look below

Next up, here's a video of local classic/hard rock quintet Fluid 5ive at The New American Pub on November 8th, where they covered two songs, namely Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' "Refugee" & David Bowie's "Heroes". It's worth noting that the on-screen captions indicate a quiet lineup change, as Tom Millette is featured on second guitar, with no sign of guitarist/keyboardist Rob Irving. If Rob has left the 5ive permanently, then a reason for his departure hasn't been publically announced, though note that the band's Facebook page (which still lists Rob in the fold) hasn't been updated in over 2 months. I'm unfamiliar with Tom musically, but he fits right in with Fluid 5ive on these well-filmed covers, and hopefully all's well with Rob going forward! And yes, bassist Pierre Vaillancourt is one and the same as Pierre Anthony, highlighting the familial connection with Liam on lead guitar.

The backing vocals are iffy, but these songs are well-handled with good energy, so if you haven't seen Fluid 5ive before, this multi-camera footage will give you a solid preview of what they bring to the table. Give Fluid 5ive's 1ive video a look below, and don't miss them at Toystock!



Also, here's Mike's new video of local acoustic country duo (and Bone Yard side project) The Bearded Lounge covering Roger Miller's "Me & Bobby McGee" and a surprise slowed down version of Kiss' "Rock and Roll All Nite" at Reggie's West! I believe this was filmed at their matinee show there on November 9th. Of course, Greg and Alex have great chemistry and country chops from their full band work together and vast local experience, as evidenced nicely on the former cover, but the Kiss cover will take some acclimating if you're not a fan of classic country. Nice to see the guys spreading their wings here, so give their Reggievelt video a look also!



Finally, here's local classic rock mainstays Mustang Heart playing three covers during one of their Esquire Club concerts over the November 8th weekend. Here, you can see them cover Heart's "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You", Bon Jovi's "Bed of Roses" (featuring various pictures of couples added in post), and Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode". Frontwoman Marci Chindamo sings lead on the first and last songs,  but guitarist Lorenzo Fabbri handles them on Bed of Roses." The audio quality is mixed here, especially with the riffing almost sounding warped on the Heart cover, but Mustang Heart acquit themselves well here, so give them a look below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Offspring/Sum 41 preview and more on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tripod The Dog & Fluid 5ive) And More Weekend Concert Previews!!

As promised, let's wrap up this weekend's hard rock and punk concert previews today, but to round things out, we have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to touch on, one on SHORT NOTICE, so let's start there!

Local classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive will reportedly return to The New American Pub for one night only TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via this poster on the venue's Facebook page yesterday, and the band proper has not updated their Facebook page in almost two months. Despite their recent quiet nature on social media, Fluid 5ive have a busy month ahead, with TONIGHT'S concert now joining their upcoming Saturday matinee on November 30th, with their Toystock debut sandwiched in between.  This veteran five-piece should have another solid evening of hard and classic rock covers in store for New A fans TONIGHT, so keep this one in mind if you want some live entertainment downtown! This is a one-nighter due to tomorrow's B.A. Johnston/Dany Laj concert, which we previewed on the SMS yesterday. This is an 8:00 PM and 19+ event with no cover charge. See above for more details, and here's Fluid 1ive!



Next up, here's a couple of new shows with lots of advance notice, as reunited local ska-punk/hard rock trio Tripod The Dog will return to The Rockstar Bar for concerts on Friday, December 27th & Saturday, December 28th! It will still be the holiday season for many at this point, so what better way to enjoy some post-Christmas live music action? These will be Tripod The Dog's first announced concerts since rocking The Esquire Club in September, as well as their first at The Rockstar Bar since their initial return gig in April. Note that the Facebook event page says that Tripod The Dog are "back with a new lineup", and while I can't 100% verify the particulars due to their lack of a new updated online page, this seems to just reference the Amendolas' addition to the group earlier this year, who were not visibly advertised for the April concert. We'll let you know if Mark has enlisted new bandmates again, though! As usual for Rockstar Bar shows from local cover acts, expect a 10:00 PM-ish start time, no cover charge, and a 19+ age limit. Visit the above links for more details, with hopefully more to come!

Heading back into this weekend's remaining hard rock/punk concert previews, let's tackle the big one for hardcore punk fans, as Montreal icons The Ripcordz will return to Sault Ste. Marie TOMORROW NIGHT at the aforementioned Rockstar Bar! This will be the first local stop in over two years for Paul Gott and company, following their set at the same venue back in October 2017. Fans of their battle-tested original attack were spoiled from late-year shows annually from 2013-2017, so the anticipation is palpable for The Ripcordz' return tomorrow! Local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades will open tomorrow for their sixth straight time opening for their "Fed Up" split-mates in city limits, and first local set since Oh!No in Leeburn, and they're a fitting choice as usual! Also, two more opening bands were quietly confirmed for this concert last week, namely alt-punk trio A Dire Setback and new online page-less punk quartet The Sick Sons in their second announced concert.

Solid choices, with A.D.S.' profile growing as their album release approaches, while The Sick Sons made a strong impression in their debut at July's Random Killing concert here, so hopefully both deliver tomorrow! Promoted by Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce, tickets for this 9:00 PM & 19+ show are $10 in advance through the local openers and at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk, while the price jumps to $15 at the door. Punk fans won't want to miss this hard hitting feast tomorrow night, especially if you've missed The Ripcordz in the last two years, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here they are live the last time out!

Finally for this weekend's previews, let's head to The Canadian Nightclub, where Sudbury-based Def Leppard tribute band Just Leppard will make their local concert debut TOMORROW NIGHT! The latest in The Canadian's recent regular-ish bookings of out of town tribute bands, this is a new one in both concept (I don't recall seeing a Def Leppard tribute come here before) and in the band proper, as Just Leppard only made their live debut in August. I'm admittedly not a fan of Def Leppard, but the promotional video embedded below seems very promising for fans and Hair Scare listeners alike, and hopefully the guys have a great show tomorrow! As is the case with The Canadian's other tribute shows this season, this is a 19+ concert at 9:00 PM with tickets costing $15 in advance at The Canadian Motor Hotel's front desk, and prices jump to $20 at the door. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Just Leppard live this summer!



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