The Dodge This Concert Preview, Headf1rst Updates, And More News & Notes!!

Here's a surprise news post on this Saturday evening! This came together quickly because of a show that completely slipped me by for this weekend's hard rock concert previews despite covering it when first announced on here, so rounding things out, we have new updates from a prominent local band, and lots of shorter updates. Let's get things rolling before the hockey game!

My apologies for the delay in this preview making the SMS, but local acoustic hard rock duo Dodge This will hit the stage TONIGHT at The Dive Gastro Pub! We had covered these shows when first announced by the venue on April 3rd, but they completely slipped me by among other posts and previews this weekend, not helped by the fact that they haven't updated their Facebook page this month at all. At least I got to it with time to spare, and apologies again for the late preview! This will be Dodge This' first publically advertised concert since they rocked The Water Tower Pub just over a month ago, and comes three weeks after they dropped out of their planned April 5th date in "The Naughty Corner" (Tym Morrison replaced them on short notice), though singer/guitarist Jason Taillefer did play a solo date at The Dive in the interim. Good to see Dodge This back, and hopefully Jay & Jamie deliver lots of fun rocking covers!

Note that The Dive did not reference occasional percussionist Jeff July (Jamie's brother) in their newest Facebook plug for tonight's event, which has a 9:30 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Dodge This live!

Next up, here's the latest from local hard rock quintet Headf1rst, which isn't a typo, as they have officially replaced the letter I with a number 1 in their name! This goes along with their official logo anyway, but the name change appears to be similar to that of Bone Yard 225: Keep the existing branding but make it more unique to distinguish themselves from similarly named groups elsewhere. Works well enough for me, but when will Facebook update the band name? Yesterday, Headf1rst released the first single from next month's sophomore album "Road Trippin'" to major streaming services, with the song in question being "Slay The Dragon", which is "a passion filled, action-packed joy ride" conceived by bassist Claire Jeffrey. This was produced by Treble Charger's Bill Priddle (who guests on additional guitar) and was recorded at Unsalted Audio with mixing by Dustin Goodall, who has also been working with Convergence in recent weeks.

Another teaser clip for the album, song to be clarified, can be heard in this Facebook "Reel"  hyping a "listening party" to be live streamed on Vintage Games N' Junque's Facebook page on Tuesday featuring select material from "Road Trippin'" and the bands opening for Headf1rst at the release party/Steel City Collector Con pre-party on May 3rd, plus an interview with Headf1rst. That should be interesting, so stay tuned for more on that next week! The cover art for "Road Trippin'" can be seen above in Facebook advertising for a raffle at the Soo Blaster-hosted concert, where winners will win all three acts' newest albums. Exciting times for Headf1rst, so see above for more details, and here's "Slay The Dragon"!

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

 

• I have removed local punk band F.F.B. from our inactive band links due to the quiet deletion of their Facebook page, which was their only known social media account. A revival of a 1999-2000 band featuring Telephone & Address' Christopher Shoust and Damjan "Spider Fingerz" Binda, F.F.B. had reunited in 2016 to release a film about the band's original 1999-2000 run and put out their unreleased studio material, but there was little follow-up on these plans. Hopefully we hear more from Chris, Damjan, and Kyle in time!
• In their first Facebook post in over a month, local southern hard rock quartet Fort Creek revealed yesterday that they are "currently plugging away at what will be our second release", namely an original song named "Sweet Rosie" that will serve as their first "full band song", as opposed to the acoustic "One For The Road". Good to hear that the guys are busy behind the scenes, and we'll let you know when more on this song and/or their long-gestating debut album come out! Also, is "Sweet Rosie" a reference to the former Roosevelt Hotel? We'll know for sure soon!
• This year's Fringe North Festival has been postponed due to "unexpectedly diminshed leadership capacity and reduced funding", as per the festival's Facebook page. While not a SMS-amenable haven, occasional punk acts have performed the diverse & multicultural arts festival, which had been held in August at the Sault Ste. Marie Museum post-pandemic (with punk solo act Slumshine being most prominent in our coverage there). In its stead, Fringe North will instead host a "New Works Series" in conjunction with the Museum, and we await details on what this will entail, let alone if the Fringe North of old will return in 2026. Hopefully things work out regardless!
• As of April 6th, new local industrial metal solo act The Realignment Project had finished recording their second EP "The Frustration Sessions", as per updates to their Facebook page, and as of April 18th, project leader Matt Hicks was "waiting for the EP to hit streaming services" while also working on lyric videos for YouTube for its songs. A sample for the lyric video of the song "Static" was shared in this Facebook "Reel" (unembeddable as always), but I'll hold comment pending the EP's eventual release. Things can come together very fast for a one man band like this, so stay tuned for more on The Realignment Project's sophomore release!
• At the Room 206-headlined reunion concert at Soo Blaster earlier this month, they were indeed represented by their classic lineup (Mike Yorke, Brad "Example" Lacell, and Allan Watson) alongside guitarist Dave Bahun, who wasn't on "2 Innies & An Outie" but performed with them in later concerts and material, and also joined Brad in The Inner City Surfers that night. Our source is photos from SooToday's Donna Hopper's Facebook photo album from the concert, featuring 54 shots from the night's punk festivities, albeit all black & white. Great pictures as always from Donna, and stay tuned for more from this huge reunion show next week!
• Last week, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 shared a "Reel" of them covering Poison's "Nothing But A Good Time" at Northern Superior Brewing Co.'s Tap Room on April 12th onto their Facebook page! The short, vertical, and unembeddable trappings of "Reels" aside, Silent 9 sound good in this brief clip while it lasts, and you get a nice view of the unique staging at they have at the downtown craft brewery here, so give it a watch above, and don't miss Silent 9 at The Esquire Club in two weeks!

 

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next, for sure! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Bone Yard 225), Thursday Concert Previews, And New Videos!

(Updated at 9:58 PM) This weekend's concert slate is quite busy again after getting a relative reprieve last week, so let's start things a day early today! After all, two (three?) of the shows are Thursday evening affairs, and have more to say than normal given the setting of them, so here's what you should know to start, including a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT! We'll touch on Friday-Saturday nighters and/or the Northern Vibe Festival in preview post #2 hitting the site tomorrow.

Joining the previously confirmed Soundcheck concert at the Cruisin' The Dub car show at the newer A&W at 659 Great Northern Road tomorrow, local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will indeed be headlining the concurrent motorcycle show at the old A&W at 121 Great Northern Road TOMORROW! Apologies for the short notice on Bone Yard's end, public advertising confirming their involvement only showed up on Facebook earlier today, but remember that they have been busy prepping for the Dragonfly Run on Sunday (preview forthcoming). The dual sets by both bands at the respective A&W car and bike shows is a reprise of last year's Cruisin' The Dub festivities, only this year, Mother Nature isn't going to interfere, as 9&10 News is calling for sunny skies and weather of around 23°. Both car & bike show were rained out in 2023, so things should run smoothly across the board!

As expected, Cruisin' The Dub is in support of Multiple Sclerosis Canada, with lots of classic cars and motorcycles to check out across both Great Northern Road A&Ws, along with family friendly games, prize draws, and refreshments, and a hard rocking local band at both locations, so keep all of this in mind TOMORROW! A much bigger follow-up to the car-only show that Soundcheck played in June, the car and/or bike show will have no cover, they're absolutely ALL AGES, and both run from 5:00-8:00 PM. Visit the above links for more on TOMORROW'S action, stay tuned for more from both bands this weekend, and here are both bands live, including one of three new videos of Bone Yard 225 live via their Facebook page! Two of them were live-streamed from their concert at the Laird Agricultural Fair on Friday, including one of them covering The Ramones' classic "I Wanna Be Sedated" with bassist Warren Reville on lead vocals.

While it is vertical, the filmer largely only focused on Warren, so the orientation isn't so bad in that regard! Solid cover but the vocals came through very quiet. The other Laird Fair video (which is horizontal) sees them covering ZZ Top's "Tush" with guitarist Alex D'Ettore on lead vocals, and it's a solid cover with good energy! Embedded here is their (also horizontal!) new video from one of their Reggie's Place gigs in July, where they covered The Tragically Hip's "Little Bones" with singer/drummer Greg Simpson handling vocals. Another strong cover filmed in high quality, if slightly to its detriment given the stage lighting at Reggie's, but check this out for yourselves below, and don't miss Bone Yard TOMORROW!

Next up, Hails frontman Brenton Ellis' acoustic punk solo project Slumshine will play a rare live set TOMORROW NIGHT when they return to the Sault Ste. Marie Museum for their third straight set at the annual Fringe North Festival! The only SMS-amenable music act playing Fringe North this year, Slumshine will see Brent break out his acoustic guitar and pink knit ski mask for the first time since last year's Fringe North when he opens up "the Comet Stage", which will be set up outside of & behind the museum tomorrow night (as such, expect the same sunny & 23° weather conditions as at Cruisin' The Dub). The official program outlines all of the details you could ask for re: this year's festival, including a complete performer lineup at the Museum and elsewhere, celebrating art and culture in all of its diverse forms. Like last year, Slumshine's set (named "A Work In Progress") will be themed around Brent's recovery from drug addiction.

Click here to read more about Slumshine's modus operandi and what to expect lyrically from their set, courtesy of Fringe North's website. While Slumshine's set opens tomorrow's program at "the Comet Stage" at 7:00 PM, each individual performer is priced separately at different tiers, with no batch price packages to cover an entire day's musicians on one stage. Brent will be a musical outlier anyway tomorrow, as he precedes sets by Toronto R&B musician Aieysha Haws at 8:00 PM, Thunder Bay rapper O'Rose at 9:00 PM, and rappers from local label Sooicide Records at 10:00 PM. If you want to see Slumshine's set tomorrow from 7:00-8:00, the minimum advertised price is $5, though $15 is the "support the artist" rate (note that the program lists both tiers as being $5 higher than the online ticket page does). It is also worth noting that Brent will be jetting off to Southern Ontario for shows with Hails this weekend!

On Friday and Saturday, they'll be opening for Toronto "hypnofolk" band Twintwa (who also played with Ha!ls at It's The Pits in Leeburn) and Hamilton electro-noise rock band Better Homes For Meaner People, across both nights, the former at Vertagogo in Hamilton and the latter at the third annual Humber River Art & Music Festival in Toronto, where the three bands will be joined by Peterborough rapper Garbageface, the Soo's own Shae Tull, and many others. Hopefully both shows are hits for Brent, the Mutos, and Keeghan this weekend, but don't miss Slumshine tomorrow at the museum first! See above for more details on Fringe North 2024, and for a preview, here's Slumshine live back in 2019!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Slumshine) & New Videos!!

Keeping this steady string of new posts going this week, we have two more LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS from the same artist to look at in the next month, along with some new videos, so let's get this post started!

Local acoustic punk solo project Slumshine will play at the annual Fringe North Festival for a third straight year when they rock "the Comet Stage" outside of the Sault Ste. Marie Museum on Thursday, August 22nd! Unfortunately, I completely missed plugging Slumshine's show at Fringe North last year, but I didn't miss this year's! As confirmed in the official program (Slumshine haven't updated their Facebook page since 2021), they will be the opening act on the Comet Stage for day #2 of the annual arts, culture, and inclusivity festival taking place at multiple downtown venues, though primarily at the Museum. Led by Hails frontman Brenton Ellis with his acoustic guitar and pink knit ski mask in tow, and presenting a show inspired by his recovery from addiction, Slumshine play at 7:00 PM next Thursday, preceding sets by Toronto R&B musician Aieysha Haws at 8:00 PM, ...

...Thunder Bay rapper O'Rose at 9:00 PM, and local rappers from Sooicide Records closing at 10:00 PM. Despite the tight scheduling, acts across Fringe North are individually priced at two levels (general admission and a much higher "support the artist" rate), with no batch pricing options for an entire day's lineup. While openly "pay what you can", the minimum advance admission price for Slumshine's set is $5 for the former and $15 for the latter, though $10 and $20 are suggested in the program. As this year's only hard rock/punk outpost, hopefully Slumshine go over well, so visit the above links for complete Fringe North details for this year! While we're on the subject, we have one more new show to take note of from Slumshine, as they will make their Soo Blaster debut and (I believe) their first non-Fringe North concert since 2020 when they open for Ottawa alternative/folk singer/guitarist Rory Taillon on Tuesday, September 3rd!

Rory hasn't played here since headlining at the former Gore Street Cafe in 2016, and while not punk-influenced like Brent's solo material is, his music does have thematic similarities via lyrics about mental health and his personal life, so the shoe fits in that way, and he is a talented musician with a distinctive voice! This stop on Rory's support tour for his new album "Now It's Quiet" has a likely 19+ age limit, 8:00 PM start time, and admission of $10 at this link or $15 at the door. Visit the above links for more on this all-acoustic Tuesday nighter next month, and don't miss Slumshine next week!

Next up, here's our first video look at reunited local death/thrash metal trio Pillory in concert! Filmed by an uncredited attendee of their return set at last month's all-local Crucifest replacement event at Robbie Adamson's old church in Leeburn, this was uploaded to drummer Bret Shuttleworth's YouTube channel two weeks ago. It captures their entire 44 minutes-long set, though there is a bit of minor post-production editing to cut out some dead air. Unfortunately, Bret did not list songs by name with timecodes in the description, and multiple songs were not introduced live anyway, but Pillory are continuing along the path they were carving in the late 2010s, with frontman Robert Sartini deploying Death-inspired harsh vocals, so don't expect close similarities to their "Cringe At The Cross" EP from that front alone. Prolific local musician Blair St. John is on bass here, continuing in that role from their final 2010s gigs.

This video was shot vertically, but at least the filmer captured Pillory from that high platform that other Leeburn concertgoers have used for a unique vantage point from above, and as such, the guys are least laid out for a vertical orientation better! The lighting is very inconsistent though, with Robert basically performing in shadow from what we see.  If you like brutal thrash-inspired death metal, Pillory's return after a five year hiatus (with a few false starts in the interim) will be very welcomed, so give their return set a watch below, and don't miss them opening for The Fixer at Soo Blaster on August 25th, with more to come!

Finally for this post, here's the latest videos from local progressive metal band Convergence's YouTube channel! As the wait for their third EP "Gemini" continues, the guys posted two new sampler videos of new original songs in the past month, including the previously teased "It Ate The F&$%ing Moon" (yes, that is how they censored it), but embedded below is guitarist Brendan Christie playing an apparent new original song named "You Are Not Flesh". No one else is seen in this video, but I believe Jake Valois is also playing in the other clip (granted, no one's face is shown on camera there). "You Are Not Flesh" is not visibly tied to "Gemini" in the video proper or description, but it definitely sounds the part for fans of djent and progressive metal, and of course, Brendan and Jake are considerable talents on guitar, so it'll be interesting to hear more come out! Give Convergence's new teaser clips a watch, and stay tuned for updates!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Bookclub & Generations), And More!!

Before we begin today's post, just a late heads up that there will actually be one more band joining Bone Yard and Skinbox at the Dragonfly Run (nee the Ride For ARCH) at Jay's Piston Broke Pub TODAY, namely a new local rock band named Nicky & The Southpaws, featuring Soo Fighters/Bourbon Blue alum Jules Cote. This is via Jules' personal Facebook page, as organizers have only confirmed Bone Yard's involvement publically. No word on what Nicky & The Southpaws play, but look for them TODAY during all of the festivities! Now, here's two big SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS & details on a familiar radio show's cancellation!

I spoke too soon about Slumshine being the only SMS-amenable act to play at the Fringe North Festival, as online page-less indie/punk cover quartet Bookclub will actually be the opening band on TODAY's program! Apologies for the short notice, I completely missed their inclusion on the program when doing the write-up on missing Slumshine's show there on Thursday (not helped by Bookclub not having known social media pages to plug gigs with, alas). TODAY's set will be the very first performance on the third day of Fringe North, with Bookclub playing on the outdoor stage outside of the Sault Ste. Marie Museum, and you can read some biographical information on the band (like how they formed and got their name) on page 35 of the official program. As you can see, Bookclub aren't really "opening" for anyone directly on the outdoor stage, with DJ Manskirt and drag performers The Haus of Gore playing under the tent well later.

The Inner City Surfers/Room 206 alum-laden Bookclub take the stage TODAY at 2:00 PM for this all ages set, which has a "pay what you can" model ($10 is suggested, $20 if you really want to support the band), and 9&10 News is calling for mostly cloudy conditions with a temperature of 24°. Hopefully things go well outside of the museum for Bookclub and Fringe North at large, and keep this one in mind if you want some afternoon punk and alternative covers! Apologies again for missing this one until now, and for a preview, here's Bookclub live!

Next up, Bookclub aren't done there for the weekend, as they and classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will join forces again for a block party on Queen Street East, this time TOMORROW! Again, I apologize for the short notice, confirmation of the bands only came this week, and not entirely from organizers. This is not a Downtown Association-held street party like the one that Bookclub and Generations played last week, as it is being put on by Wood, Resin, and Lye, a store on Queen Street East that sells handmade soap and artisinal products. The block party is 1980s themed and will be held in the Heritage Block, with Queen Street closed from Pim Street to East Street. Dozens of local vendors, refreshments, games, a beer tent, and much more will be on hand for the festivities, so for complete details on the non-musical aspects of the block party, visit Wood, Resin, and Lye's Facebook page to see what's in store TOMORROW!

Organizers only confirmed Bookclub by name as playing TOMORROW, where they will be the headline act, but Generations confirmed their involvement on their Facebook group, as well as that local pop rock quartet Lime will also be playing, though be advised that Lime have not publically acknowledged their involvement in this event. Also no public word yet on who will be on guitar for Generations here (key word: public). Curiously, Wood, Resin, and Lye said that "last year’s finalists from the Soo’s Got Talent competition" will be performing TOMORROW too, but they did not offer individual names. In case you forgot, six singers made the finals of The Soo's Got Talent last year, so click here for more on them in case that is true. It would be interesting to see them back on stage like this! Worth noting that Lime frontwoman Madi Schomogyi was indeed a finalist in The Soo's Got Talent in 2018, in case some promotional wires were crossed.

The block party is FREE and ALL AGES, with festivities taking place from 11:00 AM-6:00 PM, with Bookclub on last and Generations playing at 3:00 PM. 9&10 News is calling for partly cloudy weather with a high of 25°, so the weather will be optimal for most TOMORROW! I wish organizers were more detailed about the lineup, but this should be a fun time for the whole family, so see above for details on TOMORROW'S block party, and for a preview, here's Generations live!

Finally for today, this has no direct bearing on our local radio market anymore, but the nationally syndicated radio show Nights With Alice Cooper will end its run during the first full week of September, as per radio news websites like this. The cancellation is due to syndicator United Stations "going in a different direction" (I hate that excuse) after the company was sold to new management, and Alice did not end the show on his own accord. Alice was heard locally weeknights on Classic Rock: The Bear's old Newberry, Michigan affiliate (WIHC, 97.9 FM) from the fall of 2008 until WIHC was closed in February 2010, but remained on The Bear through early 2013, when you may have picked up their Cheboygan feed locally on 97.7 WCHY. Nights With Alice Cooper returned to The Bear in February 2019, by this point airing regionally on 95.3 WWSS out of Tuscarora Township.

Nights With Alice Cooper only aired on truly local radio for just over a year, but as one of the last vestiges of The Bear's Newberry affiliate beyond station branding, the playlist, and the recent return of The Bob & Tom Show, I wanted to acknowledge it here. Alice's playlist skewed towards classic rock more than metal, but you got to hear an eclectic variety within, plus his own songs, and lots of great stories from his career, and hopefully he continues hosting a radio show in some form elsewhere! If you can't pick up 95.3 FM over the air, you can hear Nights With Alice Cooper on The Bear's free online stream. That's all for today, but stay tuned for lots more news and notes on the site next week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Peril & Tarnished), More Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

Before we kick off this concert preview post, just another heads up on a show that we hadn't covered on the SMS, this time one that did occur and was missed for coverage, as local acoustic punk solo project Slumshine returned to the stage for this year's Fringe North Festival last night. We did cover Brent's show at this diverse local arts festival last year (also Slumshine's last publically acknowledged gig before yesterday), but somehow, this year's Fringe North completely slipped us by, not helped by Slumshine proper never promoting their set on social media. Like last year, Slumshine was the only SMS-amenable musical act to perform at Fringe North, which returned to the Sault Ste. Marie Museum for a second straight year, albeit with far fewer pandemic restrictions. Slumshine's set was on "Gallery Stage 2", which appears to mean the second floor of the museum (acts were booked on three floors plus outside).

Incidentally, the above image shared to Fringe North's Facebook page details a little more about Slumshine's raison d'etre, including an apparent explanation as to Brent's pink knit ski mask (representing how recovering addicts may seem faceless to others). I profusely apologize for missing Slumshine's return at Fringe North, I really should have known to double check the lineup for this year, but hopefully Brent had a great show last night, and consider seeing the rest of Fringe North for a diverse and accessible array of local art from a very talented roster! I wish Brent updated Slumshine (and Ha!ls) on their proper social media pages though, as Slumshine haven't posted on Facebook since 2021.

Now let's continue covering this weekend's known hard rock concerts by heading to Michigan for some Eastern Upper Peninsula gigs, starting with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as local metal/hard rock band Tarnished will return to Snow's Bar & Grill in nearby Cedarville TONIGHT! I apologize for the short notice, the band only announced this gig via their Facebook page yesterday. Like their previously announced show at Huck's Pub & Grill in nearby Rudyard TOMORROW NIGHT, the Cedarville date will be on an outdoor stage, weather permitting, so it'll be neat seeing Tarnished rock out outside at both locales, with tomorrow's Huck's show being their first gig there in over a year! Due to the surprise departures of guitarist Nathan Webber and bassist Isaac Royer earlier this week, Tarnished have called in some familiar ringers to fill in for these dates.

The Nameless bassist Mike East will play both nights, while Rhythm & Brews guitarist Chris Hubbard will be on hand tomorrow only. Very solid names to be sure, and even if this remains a temporary arrangement, fans will want to note these stacked lineups TONIGHT and tomorrow! TONIGHT'S Snow's gig in Cedarville has an early 6:00 PM start time, tomorrow's Huck's date in Rudyard is at 9:00 PM, and both are 21+ events with no cover charge. Weather-wise, 9&10 News is calling for clear conditions in Cedarville tonight at around 17°, while Rudyard tomorrow night will be a little warmer at 19°, but partly cloudy. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Tarnished live at an outdoor show in 2021!

Also this weekend, fans can see Traverse City classic metal trio Peril return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino for previously announced shows TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Last seen at this Kewadin branch in June, it'll be great for Mackinac County fans to get another weekend chock full of old school metal and hard rock covers from this fan favourite trio, so don't miss out on Jeff & crew this weekend! In one more new show announcement, Peril will make a very rare appearance in the E.U.P. outside of the Kewadin umbrella on Thursday, August 31st when they headline at the gazebo at American Legion Memorial Park in St. Ignace, as part of the town's Music By The Bay summer concert series! Click here for the full schedule, which has seen live music daily throughout July and August, ending over Labour Day weekend. Peril are the only heavier-leaning act, but familiar faces abound on the schedule.

It will be great seeing Peril in a new-ish venue north of the Mackinac Bridge, so if you can swing a Thursday evening outdoor show, you know where to be at month's end! That is an all ages, 7:00 PM gig with no cover, while this weekend's St. Ignace Kewadin shows are at 9:00 PM and are 21+ with no cover. See above for more details, and here's Peril live!

We'll close today by heading back to Sault Ontario for a new live concert video from local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard's jam night hosting duties at Jay's Piston Broke Pub last night! Uploaded to the band's Facebook page early this morning, the video sees Bone Yard covering Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" alongside guest singer Darrel Ford, one of many guests who joined Bone Yard in various permutations during this jam night (among them: Soundcheck drummer Glen Thomas, who usually plays these jam nights). Shockingly, this video was shot horizontally (thumbs up from me there!), and Darrel handles himself well on vocals, so hopefully a fun time was had by all! Check this video out below, and don't miss Bone Yard back at Jay's for a traditional concert tonight, followed by the Dragonfly Run tomorrow night!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for one more(?) short notice concert preview next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Slumshine), The Tym Morrison Concert Preview, And More!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to apologize for a missed (if abbreviated) concert earlier this week, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck played at a car show at the newer A&W on Great Northern Road on Thursday. The band never promoted this gig on their Facebook page, and I only belatedly heard about it via drummer Glen Thomas' personal Facebook page... but the show only lasted for an hour before heavy rain washed the band out and they were unable to continue. Hopefully their gear wasn't damaged, and I do apologize for missing the show, I'd have covered it if someone said something! Now, here's a weekend concert preview & a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local acoustic punk solo project Slumshine are back and will headline day #3 of this year's Fringe North Festival with a concert at The Sault Ste. Marie Museum TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, Slumshine's Facebook page has not been updated to reflect this date, but project leader Brenton Ellis' personal Facebook page, and Fringe North's own promotional materials have picked up the slack. Slumshine had been publically dormant since the release of their "Slumlord" EP in May 2021 and the launch of Brent's current band These Magnificent Tentacles that same week, and they hadn't played live at all since early 2020, so you can see how a new Slumshine gig could take fans by surprise! As you may recall, the Fringe North Festival is the annual arts & culture festival intended to showcase open, censorship-free, and limitless performances from artists of all stripes, and is hosting in-person events again this year.

While many Fringe North performances remain as videos viewable by ticket purchasers only (The Uncanny Valley participated as such last year), and there's no linked Up The Arts Festival at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion like there was pre-pandemic, The Sault Ste. Marie Museum at the corner of Queen & East is the 2022 home base for in-person events. However, recent Facebook promotion indicates that the poor weather forecast for this weekend has forced Fringe North to move previously planned outdoor events inside the Museum, but capacity is limited across the board whether they were in the museum or not. Full details on any schedule adjustments are available on the Fringe North Facebook page. The only hard rock/punk-leaning in person act this year, Slumshine will be performing in the Museum at the Durhan Gallery TOMORROW NIGHT at 10:00 PM as part of a six act program, with Slumshine as the only "band".

Also scheduled are a performance of the one-act play Danielle at 8:30 PM, a Haus of Gore drag show at 7:00 PM, musical comedy troupe The Floor Beneath Us at 5:30 PM, a Project Nishin Niizh watch party (for indigineous culture videos reflecting the impact of the pandemic) at 4:00 PM, and Tim Murphy's historical one-man-show Wasn't It Grand? at 2:30 PM. It is worth noting that Slumshine's set TOMORROW NIGHT is plugged in the official Fringe North program as "a personal recovery based musical performance piece incorporating visual art", implying that Brent's paintings will be involved along with personal song lyrics, but of course, his pink knit ski mask is a given. Performances at Fringe North are individually priced, and while the format is "pay what you can", organizers suggest $10 for most acts and $20 as a "support the artist" price. Age limits are not specified, but use your discretion given the open culture.

Space limits inside the Museum for both size and pandemic protocols mean that there will be only 35 paid attendees allowed to see most acts, Slumshine included, so head down to the Museum A.S.A.P. if you want to ensure you're in before showtime! I'm very surprised to see Slumshine back, if at a very restricted event for capacity, but hopefully Brent has a lot more up his solo sleeve after TOMORROW NIGHT, so look for his entertaining unplugged punk originals downtown! Visit the above links for more details, Slumshine are back in our active band links, and here they are live!

We'll close tonight's post with one more weekend concert preview, as local classic/hard rock solo artist Tym Morrison will return to Shooters Downstairs Lounge for a matinee concert THIS SUNDAY! Tym debuted at the Dennis Street nightclub last month with two consecutive Sunday matinees before ceding the timeslot to Leslie Cook over the last two weeks. Tym's back over the next two Sundays, and while I don't know if he and Leslie are trading two Sundays in rotation for the time being or not, fans of his deep covers setlist should find a lot to like in a couple of days! No weather issues to deal with either, doubly so given that it's at Shooters Downstairs Lounge. Whether this works out better for you than his Trading Post gigs or if you can't get enough, Tym's show on Sunday has a 3:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Wyld Stallyns), A New Video, And Much More!!

Here's a new news post for your Saturday evening, and it includes some assorted recent updates, a new solo performance video, and leading off, a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT and related news about said band's new look for a new year! Here's what you should know

Local cover hard rock band The Wyld Stallyns will rock Reggie's Place TONIGHT, after previously playing there last night! I profusely apologize for the short notice, we only heard about these dates yesterday via singer/guitarist Rob Speers' own advertising on Facebook, though I did completely miss the venue's Facebook page plugging the dates on Tuesday. I did plug both on our Facebook page yesterday to try and get some of the word out, but I didn't have quite enough topics to rush a post last night, hence why I am half late to the party today. Again, my apologies, I'd have plugged both on Thursday had I seen Reggie's own post about them! These dates are The Wyld Stallyns' first since Rotaryfest last month, and first at an indoor venue since they kicked off The Rockstar Bar's brief return of live concerts in August 2020. However, if you missed them at Rotaryfest, The Stallyns will look a little different.

 

For one, the group has quietly transformed from an acoustic band into an electric one, perhaps to make up for their plugged-in sister band The Elements' continued inactivity over the past 18 months. Going electric means they'll need a bassist, and The Wyld Stallyns debuted former Gully Yodelers bassist Ben Garcia as their fifth member at Rotaryfest. Bit of a surprise not seeing James White (the only Elements member not in The Stallyns) on bass, but don't miss him with Dealing Without when they finally make their live debut! Ben wasn't on The Gully Yodelers' "Innocence & Allegory" CD, but he was on their song from "Local Steel", and he is a talented bassist who should fill this role well with The Wyld Stallyns, so don't miss his third show with them TONIGHT! This show (and yesterday's) are/were 9:00 PM events with 19+ age limits and no cover charge, as usual for recent Reggie's concerts.

 

And as recently usual, please respect and honour any social distancing and mask mandates at the downtown Reggie's to ensure the safety of yourself and everyone else in attendance. Despite the late notice, hopefully The Wyld Stallyns had a great show last night, and hopefully Christina, Rob, Jesse, Ben, and Jonas have more of the same TONIGHT! Visit the above links for more details, and here's The Stallyns live and unplugged!

 

Next up, here's a new video of former Garden of Bedlam singer Erik "Buzz" Boissineau covering The Foo Fighters' "Times Like These", as uploaded to his YouTube channel last night! An acoustic vocal/guitar cover as usual for his recent videos, this is strongly performed as you'd expect given Buzz's vocal abilities and talent level, and it fits in line with The Foos' own acoustic version of this song! Give it a watch 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 venue name:

 

• Prolific local extreme metal/folk punk musician Chase Wigmore has released twelve back catalog albums of his onto his Bandcamp page! Nothing is brand new, but these include prior albums under his own name plus Awokest, The Black Lodge Masters, and The Coyote Speedfreaks, and Chase did hint on his Facebook page last week that he was uploading "all of my albums" there. Does this mean that his increasingly large number of free-to-YouTube albums are going on sale at some point? Stay tuned!
• It looks like The Rednecks Saloon (formerly The Nicolet Tavern) closed at some point last year, despite their social media accounts never announcing it online. The 304 Albert Street West nightclub hasn't updated their social media accounts since 2017, we last reported on a show there when Chase Wigmore held a single release concert in September 2019, and Google lists the bar as "permanently closed". If true, it is sad to lose a familiar downtown venue like this, and Rednecks did host some strong concerts after it's 2013 rebranding. Hopefully the old staff is doing well nowadays!
• Young local garage/hard rock quartet The Uncanny Valley are the only heavier local band on the schedule for this year's virtual Fringe North International Theatre Festival over the August 19th weekend! It's being held on YouTube due to pandemic-related travel restrictions, given the event's heavy usage of buskers and performers from out of town. Click here to see the current performer lineup, and there are a few other identifiable local names. Even virtually, this should be strong exposure for The Uncanny Valley, so stay tuned for updates on how to watch their set!
  

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

Summer Concert Festival Postponements, Mike Haggith Updates, And New Videos!!

Day #33 of consecutive posts on the SMS sees a little more in the way of news for a change, but we do have a bunch of videos to look at from some familiar local faces, including a live-stream, a single release, and a two man acoustic jam. Here's what you should know!

The summer concert season will be taking a major hit this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, as both Rotaryfest in July and the Fringe North International Theatre Festival in August have been postponed. Sault Ontario's summer festival (which hosts two music stages at Clergue Park) announced the news on their Facebook page this morning "out of concern for our wonderful community", and they will be monitoring Algoma Public Health and provincial government guidelines before announcing plans for the next installment. Fringe North had taken place in tandem with the Up The Arts music stage in the last couple of years, hence why that event is relevant for the SMS. Their SooToday press release is more up front about the challenges and reasons behind cancelling this year's festival, but they are committed to bringing it back for 2021. Sadly, there are probably more shoes to drop for the summer concert calendar locally, so what should you keep an eye on in this regard?

Other big concert festivals this summer that could very well be cancelled or postponed include The Northern Vibe Festival in Ophir, the Go North Music Festival in Richards Landing, The Sugar Island Music Festival, and the Rudyard Musicians Festival, and that's not even counting smaller events and traditional concerts expected in the months ahead. Time will tell what happens, but if Rotaryfest isn't happening this year, you know this is serious. When more details come to light, we'll keep you posted!

Next up, local/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock solo musician Mike Haggith has unveiled the third and final advance single for his forthcoming studio album "If Ever Comes The Day", as you can now hear "MorningStar" in it's full studio splendour, courtesy of his YouTube channel this morning! Of course, I'll hold comment on the song pending our review of the CD (which may hit the site sooner than you expect), but I will say that there's more to this version than you've heard in Mike's acoustic videos. In a bit of a scoop, Mike asked me earlier today if I could reveal the rescheduled date for his planned "If Ever Comes The Day" release concert at LopLops Lounge on the site, so you heard it here first: Assuming that provincial health guidelines allow it, the show will now take place on Friday, November 6th, which also happens to be Mike's 29th birthday! If anything changes re: the venue, album, Mike's backing band, or admission, we'll let you know.

There is a long time to go before we know if concerts as we know them can go forward, let alone at nightclubs, but hopefully the curve will be flattened sufficiently by the fall. At least Mike has a backup plan in motion, and it'd be quite a way for him to celebrate his birthday, so fingers crossed everything works out! For now, give "MorningStar" a listen below, and look for his third live-streamed "#LockdownLive" concert tomorrow!



Also today, local hard rock solo musician Tym Morrison performed his fifth live-streamed acoustic concert (and second on his YouTube channel) last night! The set proper begins about 8½ minutes in, and in performance order, Tym plays Chicago's "Hard To Say I'm Sorry", Eric Clapton's "Tears In Heaven", Kansas' "Dust In The Wind", and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama", before pausing briefly to respond to Facebook messages. Afterwards, he tackles The Eagles' "Hotel California", Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead Or Alive", Alan Jackson's "Chattahoochee", White Lion's "When The Children Cry", Tom Petty's "Free Falling", Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'", Night Ranger's "Sister Christian", The Beatles' "Blackbird", Fleetwood Mac's "Never Going Back Again", Days Of The New's "Shelf In The Room", Billy Joel's "Piano Man", Richard Marx's "Hold On To The Nights", The Tragically Hip's "New Orleans Is Sinking", ...

...The Animals' "House of the Rising Sun", Collective Soul's "Shine", The Travelling Wilburys' "Handle With Care", his own original song "Say That You Care", and finally, Extreme's "Hole Hearted". While Tym was using the lyric book from his first two Twitch live-streams here, the set is almost entirely different from what he played on Tuesday, so the variety is definitely welcomed, and his performances are as strong and musically varied as ever! Give Tym's new home concert a watch below, and stay tuned for the likely next installments on YouTube on Tuesday and Thursday!



Finally for today, here's a new video from local indie/punk band Northwest's Facebook page, and it's a social distance-friendly acoustic rendition of their original "Sorry Sunday" featuring frontman Wayne Watkins and guitarist Mike Yakasovich! After Wayne posted a couple of solo covers there, it's great to see one of their originals brought back for a video during the pandemic, though I have to be honest, his vocals seem a little overdone for an unplugged jam like this. Still a well done collaboration, and hopefully we hear more like this soon! Give it a look below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for last month's poll results and our new poll on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Local Metal Video Showcase!!

Today's post covers some recent video finds from a pair of local concerts this year, so let's begin with a belated soundcheck performance by Oshawa hair metal legends The Killer Dwarfs before their Soo Blaster concert in April! This was live-streamed to the band's Facebook page that same night, and I apologize for missing it at the time, it's not every day where a big name touring headline act like this posts their own soundcheck footage from their Sault gigs. The video features The Dwarfs playing their classic song "Hard Luck Town" on the Soo Lounge stage, and it gives 48 seconds of solid sounding action! Of course, they weren't in full performance mode yet, but this was a nice appetizer for anyone who saw this in person or in the original live-stream, so give it a look below, and hopefully we see The Killer Dwarfs back in Sault Ste. Marie sooner or later!

Next up, here's videos of the three closing bands from the free Friday night concert at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion earlier this month as part of this year's Fringe North/Up The Arts Festival! These come from Christopher Paci's excellent YouTube channel once again, and kudos to him for getting all of this solid footage! Chris didn't film Unorganized Township or Mister Tahti, but you can see videos of theirs on The Arts Council of Algoma's Facebook page, as well as the bands he did get videos of. We'll start with blues rock cover trio trio The Dell Brothers (p.k.a. The Paul DellaVedova Band), who Chris shot covering Led Zeppelin's "Good Times, Bad Times." Another hard rock cover, I'll have to see if they have more than this and Bad Company/Free out there! Chris isn't close to the stage, so he zooms in for much of the video, which is welcome, but the quality is fuzzier as a result. Audio qulaity holds up nicely overall, so give his Dell Brothers video a look!



Chris also filmed two videos of local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, including this clip of "Fear Corps", and as embedded below, their two opening songs "They Live" & "Rise". On these videos, Chris got closer to the stage, but he didn't zoom either, so you may or may not think these are improvements. Sonically, Jack Spades are at their usual heavy best in this outdoor setting, so give these videos a look above and below!



Finally, Chris got two videos of headlining funk/hard rock quartet The Elements on this night, filming them covering Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher" (as also filmed by The Arts Council), and as embedded below, playing their original "G20." It's a shame that there's not more people at this point, but The Elements come through well in these videos, though the lighting and angle don't leave a lot of room for finer details visually. Give these clips a look above and below as well, and thanks again, Chris!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Halloween Party), A New Local Band, And Much More!!

We're back with a new news post on this Sunday afternoon, and it includes some new video footage from a recent concert, a preview of a special Tuesday nighter downtown, and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for an annual holiday tradition, but first, here's info on a new band playing that event!

We have a new local metal band to add to our Sault Ontario band links, and they are The Guitar Gangsters, who just so happen to be the Volbeat cover band playing at J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween Party on Friday, November 1st! Taking their name from Volbeat's 2008 album and song "Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood", this is a local supergroup if their ever was one, notably featuring ex-Garden of Bedlam bandmates Erik "Buzz" Boissineau and Derek Turner on vocals and drums. Buzz's involvement is a massive surprise, given that I believe he still lives in Southern Ontario (where he fronts Midnight Traffic), but it'll be great to see him and Derek together on stage again after over 4 years away, and remember that Garden of Bedlam covered Volbeat a fair amount, including "Guitar Gangsters..."! Derek's Stanley Hill/Papa Fogals Chair bandmate Mike Bird will also be in this band on bass, as will the twin guitar attack of Jesse Cook (The Elements, Winkstinger, etc.) and his old Jack Spades bandmate Tiffany Stocco.

Tiffany's involvement is also logical given her past work in the T-Rex Manning side project Pools of Booze (who also covered Volbeat frequently), but she did reveal on her personal Facebook page recently that she was moving out of town, though she would come home to at least play with Jack Spades. What this means for Stegadeth and her now three local cover bands isn't clear, but it'd be great to see The Guitar Gangsters thrive while working around Buzz and Tiffany not living here full time, as this is a stacked lineup who should have a great handle on Volbeat hits!

There's not a lot up yet on The Guitar Gangsters beyond the lineup and their first two show dates, including a surprise Sudbury road trip on November 2nd, but their Facebook page's "About" section reveals that The Halloween Party will take place at The Rockstar Bar, seemingly confirming the venue which still isn't listed on that show's Facebook event page. As such, consider this a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT! If accurate, this will be the seventh time in 8 years that J.D.'s annual Halloween concert(s) took place on a floor of The Algonquin Hotel, only excepting 2013. This 15th annual installment will harbour a fifth straight year of an all-cover band format, albeit on one night only this time, with costumes and a requisite contest encouraged as always. The Guitar Gangsters will be joined by reunited Foo Fighters tribute band The Soo Fighters & their new lineup, though we await a reveal of the third band, who will cover White Zombie & Rob Zombie.

For what it's worth, J.D. himself typically fronts a band at this event, so will he portray Rob Zombie for the evening, or could we be surprised further? We'll let you know! Expect a 19+ age limit, $10 cover charge, and likely 9:00 PM start time on November 1st. This should be a great bash as usual, and with The Guitar Gangsters' very intriguing debut, that just adds to the excitement! Visit the above links for more on them and this concert!

Next up, here's our preview of a special matinee concert THIS TUESDAY, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will rock The Roberta Bondar Pavilion as part of this year's Summer Concert Series under the big tent! This will be the fourth show in a six day span for Soundcheck, following their Esquire Club concerts this weekend, as well as a set at another charity car show outside of the newer A&W on Thursday. I profusely apologize for missing it in our last weekend concert previews, but Soundcheck didn't plug it on their Facebook page until 5:13 PM that day, after their first set began. Had they given this event any kind of advance notice, we'd have covered it, but hopefully it was a great turnout once again! Luckily, if you want FREE outdoor cover action with prior notice, Soundcheck will have plenty of that on Tuesday, so look for Travis, Terry, Paul, and Glen's hard rocking classics then! This is a special 7:00 PM matinee with no age limits or cover charges. See above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

Finally for today, we'll stick with concert action at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion, as let's finally close out our look at videos from last week's Fringe North/Up The Arts Festival concerts there, courtesy of the Arts Council's Facebook page! Of course, Sunday's performers (primarily acoustic ones and buskers) are up too, as are eight videos of Crystal Shawanda's headlining set on Saturday, but if you're looking for hard rock covers, four clips of local classic rock cover veterans Mustang Heart's opening set were streamed that Saturday! I would normally share a hard rock cover here, as they did tackle one or two that were filmed, but the video qualities are wildly inconsistent. One video is of Mustang Heart covering The Tragically Hip's "New Orleans Is Sinking", Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman", and Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel", but the distant vertical camera angle and distorted audio don't help matters.

Also filmed vertically was their covers of Guns N' Roses "Sweet Child O Mine" and Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'", but the GNR video was taken from even further away, and while the Journey cover was shot much closer, both of these live-streams are choppy, so if you watch them and wonder why the video is stuttering and stopping, it is not your fault! Embedded here is the only video with decent audio & video quality combined, which is this slower and horizontally shot cover that I can't immediately identify. If you can look past the angles and the two choppy clips, Mustang Heart sound good here, so give their Fringe North videos a look above & below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next! Thanks everyone!