LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tarnished), New Videos, And More Recent Updates!!

I wasn't expecting to already have a new news post on the SMS (it hasn't even been 24 hours since yesterday's), but we have one more SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT and related missed concert apology to touch on, but not from a band you may be expecting. To round things out, we have some new videos from both sides of the border and some assorted updates, so here's what you should know!

Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Tarnished returned to The Rapids Lounge at the Soo's Kewadin Casino branch last night, and will return for one more go-around TONIGHT! I profusely apologize for the short notice on TONIGHT'S show and for missing yesterday's outright, the band only announced these gigs on their Facebook page yesterday afternoon, calling this "a last minute change to this weekend", implying that they replaced another band on late notice. For what it's worth, Kewadin's entertainment page does list Tarnished as playing this weekend, but I have no way of knowing how quickly they updated the listing, let alone which band dropped out. This weekend's shows were/are Tarnished's first since their '80s night at Bird's Eye Outfitters last week, but Rapids Lounge patrons will have just seen Alex, Nathan, Isaac, and Josh there two weeks ago for shows plugged well in advance.

The late notice isn't convenient for many fans, but if you're available in the E.U.P. TONIGHT, and want to hear some hard rocking tunes from this talented foursome, go see them, and again, I apologize for missing last night's show on here, I'd have put these in yesterday's post had I seen their announcement in time! Yesterday's & TONIGHT's shows had/have 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 21+ age limits, but please follow and honour Kewadin's public health recommendations and guidelines to ensure everyone's safety. See above for more details, and here's Tarnished live!

Next up, here's a new music video from Sault Michigan classical metal band Theatre of Night, who are apparently working on a second Christmas album! Of course, you'll likely recall their 2010 instrumental album "Christmas Night", but much of Theatre of Night's output since the mid-2010s has involved female vocalists (either as band members or guests), and it looks like they're finally working on a proper album of metal Christmas carols entitled "Dreams of Christmas" with (most of) the band that played their 2018 & 2019 Christmas tours! Both the video and this promotional image from Reverbnation do not feature bassist Scott Andringa, implying that he has left Theatre of Night, and while a reason for his apparent exit has not been publically announced, they also didn't acknowledge Chris & Stacie's departures either when they left the band a few years back, so this may be all we get.

Scott's a talented bassist, hopefully we hear of him in new bands again soon! As for the video, it features Craig, Steve, Rachel, and Erik performing "What Child Is This?" in pitch black aside from close-ups of them in dark shadows, which is a striking visual! This carol led off their live show in their three Christmas tours, so will it be track #1 on "Dreams of Christmas", perhaps with their concert setlist being redone verbatim in studio? Stay tuned for more from Theatre of Night's camp, and here's their new music video, as uploaded to their YouTube channel on Monday!

Let's head north to Sault Ontario to wrap up this post, starting with a new audio demo from new local punk quartet Vanity's YouTube channel on Tuesday! The song in question ("Black Flies") is by no means a new song for them, having posted an early demo of it four months ago, followed by a live recording from an apparent jam session, but this definitely more of a refined copy. Solid pop punk track that sounds finished or close to it, and Andrew's melodic vocals fit like a glove, but the instruments are a little muffled in this take. Nice to see Vanity keeping at it, and hopefully there's lots more promising stuff to come from them, but give "Black Flies" a listen 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 name:

 

• Four years after his prior search on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group, local bassist Ben Eder is looking to join or start a band, preferably one playing hard rock, alternative, or grunge, and he is open to playing covers or originals. He can also play guitar, and while he didn't mention his drumming ability this time, he has since added vocals to his own repertoire. If you're interested in getting more details, message Ben at this link or via his group post from Monday!
• Former Caveman Morrison singer Dean Duguay has similarly posted on the Musicians Wanted group looking to join a new local band, preferably one who plays 1970-1990s rock music, and he has a list of songs he's open to trying out upon request. Media isn't plentiful, but I recall Dean had a solid voice, so message him at this link or via his group post from last month to get more details!
• Prolific local/Manitoba alternative/hard rock musician Mike Haggith's next live-stream concert has a date, so tune into his Facebook page on Thursday, December 16th at 7:30 PM to check it out in it's original run! Mike announced the date on Thursday, though the theme is to be announced, as is a "featured artist" (does he mean a guest or a cover selection?) Keep watch on Facebook in case Mike says anything in advance!

 

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

A New Private House Party Concert, New Videos, And Musicians Wanted Facebook Group Updates!!

After a personal break from active updates on the SMS (my mom's COVID-delayed funeral took place on Saturday), we're back with a new news post on this Tuesday evening, including some recent updates from a popular local Facebook group, new videos from two genre-defying local bands, and a new publically advertised but privately located house party concert to keep in mind for next month. Here's what you should know!

Saskatchewan post-hardcore trio Alien To The Ignorant will make their local concert debut on Thursday, October 21st when they headline at The Apocalypse Afterparty's revived Mellow D's Underground private venue! Readers may recall seeing Mellow D's Underground turn up as a host venue for Apocalypse Afterparty-linked concerts in early-mid 2017, and again in October 2019, but the Stanghettas are bringing it back after another 2 year hiatus for an all-too-rare extreme metal show at this stage of the pandemic. The (new?) location of Mellow D's isn't publically advertised, but it is on posters circulating on personal Facebook accounts. Alien To The Ignorant have an intense modern hardcore sound that should attract a solid response from fans, to go along with a clear sense of humour, so consider coming out to see them, especially as local death metal band The Bear Hunters will open in their first concert set of any kind in two years!

This will also be The Bear Hunters' first live gig since releasing their new album "The Dead Testament" last year, though they have yet to confirm any CD pressings of it to sell, let alone if they still want to have a formal launch party. The Apocalypse Afterparty are also opening with a fun party metal attack, though if you were in the know, you may have seen them in fully private events earlier in the pandemic. Doors will open at 6:00 PM for this concert, which has no advertised cover charge, but vaccine passports will be mandatory despite the house party locale. Visit the above links for continuing details as they roll in, and while we're on the subject, The Apocalypse Afterparty posted a new video from their teased music video shoot onto their Facebook page last month! Apologies for the public delay, updates from their camp are sporadic. Back in March, you may recall seeing this clip of the band performing in a bathroom, but how about now?

The new 56 second video features what appears to be the end of the video in question being shot, in a room full of pink lighting and a LOT of smoke, leading to Amanda, Paul, and Spacebag Productions' Josh Penno (who was filming the shoot) leaving the building. The room here looked bigger than the bathroom, so is the basic idea of the video (assuming it's just one video) that the band is playing in multiple rooms of a house? Time will tell, but give it a watch below, and hopefully the final product goes live soon!

Next up, new local alt-hardcore duo These Magnificent Tentacles have posted two new videos on their Facebook page in the last two months to tease some recent studio recording work they've done with Dustin Jones at Mission Control Studios! Brent & Steve started these sessions on August 9th, and other than saying that they're recording "some new tracks", they didn't specify whether these would be part of an album of some kind, or just to have some more studio content ready. The first 18 second video is a low-res clip of what appears to be the guys tracking material with Dustin behind the computer (you hear more of the metronome than the actual song), but embedded below is last week's video shared from Tidal Records' Facebook page, where Brent & Steve use all twenty of their magnificent tentacles (ie: their fingers) simultaneously on a keyboard while in studio.

Metronome-heavy again, but you at least hear the rather trippy-sounding instrumental track clearly, and it's great to see that These Magnificent Tentacles are working on new material so they'll hopefully have more than one song on social media! Will we hear these new songs when they make their live concert debut at The Klub in the Pall Mall on Saturday night? Be there to find out, and give these new videos a look above and below!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, all via recent postings on the the Musicians Wanted Facebook group from local musicians looking for new bands over the past month! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

 

• Toronto-area rock bassist Chris Ricci is moving to Sault Ste. Marie this month and is looking for musical projects in town to play in/with. He is an experienced musician in Southern Ontario hard rock acts like Cocked & Loaded and Black Sun, plus multiple tribute bands for the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Kiss, and AC/DC, and multiple videos are on YouTube from his recent band work if you want to see what he brings to the table. Sounds like a very promising pick-up for anyone looking for an experienced bassist, but message Chris at this link or via his group post from two weeks ago for more details!
• Former Suicide Kings frontman Mike Gaetano is looking to either join or start a new local band. His post from last month notes that while he can play guitar and piano, he wants to focus on singing unless absolutely necessary. Ideally, his band would be playing covers and originals equally and he's hoping to play live once every couple of months at first, though he did not specify whether he'd want to play hard rock like in his prior major bands or something else. It'd be great to see Mike fronting a new local band, but message him at this link or through the group for more info!
  
• A local musician named Taylor McKay is looking to start an extreme metal band with like-minded artists (who have gear), and he can play bass & rhythm guitar, as well as provide clean vocals. He also has a home studio for songwriting purposes if need be. I'm not familiar with Taylor musically, but message him at this link or via his group post (like Chris, also from two weeks ago) for details!
  

 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this week! 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 (Just Heart, The Elements, And Tripod The Dog), And More!!

We got crushed with a lot of new LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS on social media today, so let's tackle the non-late notice ones in tonight's post! Look for the rest on Thursday in our weekend concert previews. I also have some assorted notes to wrap things up, but for now, here's what you should know for these concerts in chronological order!

Local ska-punk/hard rock trio Tripod The Dog will play their first publically advertised show of 2020 (that I know of) when they headline at The Rockstar Bar on Saturday, January 25th! After a successful first year back as an active live band in 2019, Mark and the Amendolas should be raring to go with another set full of high energy covers, allegedly by popular demand, so if you missed their gigs last year, don't sleep on this one! Yes, this is advertised as a one-night-only event, though if it's due to a conflicting booking on Friday the 24th, I have not heard about it at press time. As usual for The Rockstar Bar's one local band-only events, this is a 19+ concert with no cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time (though doors open at 8:00.) Whether you recall Tripod the Dog's original run in the late 1990s and early 2000s, or are new to the party, their set always delivers a good time, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details when/if they roll in!

Next up, we're not done at The Rockstar Bar, as local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements will play their own first show of 2020 on Friday, January 31st there! While arguably better known as a support act on multi-band events, The Elements are no strangers to being solo headliners on the weekend nightclub circuit, but there is a frill to note at month's end, as this concert coincides with frontman Rob Speers' birthday. Sounds like a fun way to celebrate the occasion, and hopefully he, Jesse, James, and Jonas deliver lots of hard rocking covers and originals for assembled fans in three weeks' time! For the record, I have not heard who's playing at The Rockstar Bar on Saturday, February 1st (if anyone) as of this writing. Like with the Tripod the Dog show, expect a 9:00 PM start time, no cover, and a 21+ age limit. Visit the official Facebook event page for more information, and stay tuned for more updates from The Elements and/or The Wyld Stallyns!

Lastly for today's new concert announcements (also at The Rockstar Bar), Toronto-based Heart tribute band Just Heart will make their local concert debut here on Saturday, April 11th! Almost six years after the real Heart rocked the future GFL Memorial Gardens, this tribute will hit Sault Ste. Marie with a faithfully attired and choreographed stage show, and from what I have seen and heard, Just Heart should deliver the goods for fans of Ann & Nancy Wilson and company and their long career of classic hits! Potential local openers have not been announced. Once again, this is a 19+ concert with a presumed 9:00 PM start time, though admission will be $20 via advance ticket purchases at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk (it is not clear if the price will jump at the door or not.) Classic hard rock fans won't want to miss this action, so visit the Facebook event page for more details!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, all courtesy of recent postings on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group. As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• On Sunday, drummer Craig Koziar (who recently moved to the Soo) posted here looking to start a new project, citing progressive music and bands ranging from Animals As Leaders & Gojira to Fleetwood Mac & Radiohead as influences. Assuming it's the same Craig, he previously played in Toronto and Halifax-area bands like Forgetting All I Know, Iduna, and Writers Strike, among others. He's a talented drummer from what I have seen, and message Craig at this link or above if you're interested in working with him!
• Jack Spades guitarist Daniel Horton is looking to start a new local band (he is flexible on the genre), citing recent inactivity for his two active bands as a reason for the search. One has "a broken drummer", and the other apparently "doesn't make time to jam", though I'll let you speculate on which is Jack Spades or the mystery newer band of his. If you're interested in working with Dan in a new project, message him at this link or via yesterday's group post!
• Local guitarist Rainey Rancourt is looking for a drummer (aged 13-19 years old) for his current band project, who play "metal/punk." This follows a search he posted here in November for a singer, though it's not clear how far along the band is other than that. Message Rainey at this link or via his group post yesterday for more information on the drummer opening!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Foam And Telephone & Address), And Archive Concert Photo Notes!!

For our first full news post of the month, we're splitting things down the middle for two specific topics: An easier way to check out some of our earliest concert photos, and first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for two summer shows at the same venue, so here's what you should know!

London sludge/punk trio Foam will make their local concert debut on Sunday, June 19th when they headline at The New American Pub! Citing many different genre influences, Foam's grungy, hard hitting, noise assault should get a solid response from fans in two weeks' time, so don't miss out! Local death metal duo Twistory (featuring ex-Pillory bandmates Josh Amendola & Robert Sartini) will make their New A debut as openers on June 19th, and while they still don't have an online page, fans have been receptive to their sets since debuting, so check out their attack as well! At least one more local opening band is to be announced, and we'll let you know when they're confirmed. Promoted by Six, Two, Oh., this 19+ concert will have a $5 cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and don't miss the Grave Party show there the very next day!

Next up, local punk/grunge solo project Telephone & Address will also rock The New American Pub this summer, as they'll be opening for Hamilton blues duo Frankie & Jimmy on Wednesday, July 13th! A rare appearance by Chris Shoust's acoustic solo act at The New A, this will be Telephone & Address' first set since their Fortnight Festival appearance at The Gore Street Cafe, and with Chris' talented and experimental originals in full effect, he should set the tone well next month! Frankie & Jimmy's bluesy yet avant garde sound has a lot of creativity going for it, and they should leave a good impression when they make their local debut next month in the second stop of their Western Canada tour! Apparently promoted by Chris, this 19+ show has a listed 8:00 PM start time, but a cover charge isn't given on the Facebook event page (have money on hand just in case.) Fans of acoustic rock and experimental music should like this show, with Telephone & Address handling the punk side of things, so see above for more details!

Finally for today, I wanted to note on here that I've done something that I should have done a long time ago: Move old concert photos from our inactive Facebook group and inactive Photobucket page to our current Facebook page! I've meant to migrate them over for a while, but only got around to doing it yesterday, but to make it a little more special and more in line with our concert photography work since, I fixed the lighting or colour on the photos where needed, and straightened out camera angles where possible. These shows took place between 2007 & 2009, early in the SMS' run, and while I didn't have a camera at each of our earliest shows (November 2008's Wolven Ancestry/Woods of Ypres show is a notable absence), a good number are now on our current Facebook page to check out! One album contains a Bellevue Park Bandshell concert from August 2007 featuring Sindicate, Atrophia, and two other bands, as well as select photos from April 2008's Skid Row Battle of the Bands at The Speak Easy.

Other albums are dedicated to individual shows, and they include the Sandman/As It Stands show at The Canadian Nightclub in June 2008 (my first 19+ concert), the Helix/Stillbroke show there the following month, most bands from July 2008's Rock 2 Roll skatepark fundraiser at The Canadian (headlined by Ministry of Zen), and Gates of Winter's trilogy of Grand Theater shows in late 2008 prior to their ongoing stage hiatus (opening for The Womb in August, Inflict in September, and Fuck the Facts in November.) Those are all from our old Facebook group, while moved over from our Photobucket page, we now have January 2009's Ministry of Zen/Fingerbone concert at the old Coch's Corner, the Stillbroke show at The Verdi Hall that April, most bands from The YMCA Battle of the Bands at The Grand that April, the Cattle Decapitation show at The Oddfellows Hall that same month, May 2009's Who Made Who show at The Canadian, and Fitswitch's month-ending reunion show at Coch's Corner.

The quality of these photos ranges from OK to mediocre, but using a succession of cameras and not being as experienced with photography as I am now, I'm just glad I did get photos at some of them, and it was fun to reflect back on the SMS' early days while cleaning them all up! Check out all of our "new" Facebook concert photos as the above links, and if you can help ID any of the bands or details on the Bellevue Park show from 2007, let us know! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes in the coming week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Airbourne), Mike Haggith Updates, And Much More!!

Happy Canada Day to all of our Canadian readers! In honour of the holiday, today's post is all Sault Ontario-centric, but we'll get to some overdue Sault Michigan-area news tomorrow! For today, we have a huge LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month, the latest from a local solo musician's upcoming original material, and plenty of other shorter recent news stories, so read on below for what you need to know!

J.D. Pearce has done it again, as he's bringing quite the show to The Canadian Nightclub on Monday, August 19th, as Australian hard rock notables Airbourne are coming to the Soo that night! Their AC/DC inspired sound has carried them to big success in recent years, including hit songs like "No Way But The Hard Way", "Too Young Too Fast", and "Running Wild" (which topped the Canadian rock charts in 2007), and with their new album "Black Dog Barking" climbing the charts, you won't wanna miss the rare opportunity to see Airbourne (let alone any metal band from Australia) live in the Soo! Orillia, Ontario hard rock quintet Bleeker Ridge will join Airbourne as openers for this show, in what's somewhat of a makeup date for them, as they were scheduled to open for Buckcherry & Papa Roach at Kewadin Casino in March 2011 before visa issues caused them to pull out. It'll be great to see them in the area finally, and with a new album named "Four" full of energetic and gritty hard rock originals, they should fit well on August 19th for their own local debut!

Two local openers have been signed, including local hard rock standouts Garden of Bedlam (in their first announced show since their Quebec gig last month) and Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands winners The Suicide Kings (in what may be their first show as a quintet, pending their bassist search's outcome), and both are great picks to add some big local names to this huge show! Now, unlike J.D.'s usual concerts, tickets will primarily be available online for $30, and less than 300 are available, so get your A.S.A.P. at this location! A credit card or PayPal account is required, but if you'd like to skip the online ordering and get your more directly, message J.D. on Facebook at this link for details (as best as I can tell, they're not available directly from local merchants or The Canadian itself.) Crank Sound Distribution will provide sound for this 19+ show, and an 8:00 PM start time is advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

If this isn't a huge show for the Soo (let alone The Canadian), I don't know what is, and as one of the most intimate shows on Airbourne's Canadian tour, you definitely won't wanna miss all of this hard rock action! Get your tickets A.S.A.P. before they're gone, and stay tuned for any possible updates!

Next up, here's the latest from local solo musician/Haggith drummer Mike Haggith's original material plans! While we wait for the fallout from his bands' private Goulais Mission shows this past weekend, Mike has kept fans up to speed in the last few weeks on his next solo albums via his solo Facebook page, including revealing the artwork and name of his 46th solo album "Where It Ends". The name's not foreshadowing anything finite about his music, as his previously announced album "The Tower" (his first to be recorded locally at PaperClip Productions in it's entirety) is still in the works, it's just planned to come afterwards (perhaps as late as next year.) One instrumental demo from "Where It Ends" has been posted online, and it's entitled "Grace", but what should you know on it? As a Facebook video upload, I can't embed it here, but it has a very orchestral and grand feel to it, though I don't know if this is the general sound that "Where It Ends" will have. Check out "Grace" and more recent details on Mike's solo work at the above links, and don't miss the Haggith band at The Rosie on Thursday!

Finally for today, here's six shorter recent news items (most of which come from the Musicians Wanted Facebook group), and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or venue name:

•  Following past attempts to launch a punk band, local musician Chris Raginskis is now exploring the possibility of launching a hair metal band locally, as per the Musicians Wanted Facebook group yesterday. We've had bands that touched on hair metal in part before (like Late & Loud and Dirty Virgin), but a full on hair metal band could be fun to have in the area, so message Chris above or at this link if you're interested!
•  Local drummer Fernando San Martin is looking for an experienced guitarist to join his new rock band, which would cover everything from Guns N' Roses & Bon Jovi to Journey & Lynyrd Skynyrd. If you're interested in trying out, message Fernando on Facebook at this location or through his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post on June 13th!
•  Former local concert venue Madison's Pub (at 701 Pine Street) officially re-opened under it's new name and Irish theme as The Harp Pub & Grill on June 25th. No word yet on possible concerts of any genre, but their karaoke nights are still on Wednesdays, and they're hosting open mic nights and the Mixed Music Musician of the Month contest on Fridays. I've heard good things about the new look and theme, but we'll have to see if heavier bands ever return there after such a long hiatus!
•  Newer local metal band The Hydra's Teeth (essentially Late & Loud's successors) are officially looking for a lead singer & rhythm guitarist to add to their lineup, as per their Facebook page on Friday. They're hoping for someone with a good old school metal voice and/or someone who can competently play harmony and back-up guitar parts. If you're interested, message the band at this location!
•  Ex-Blackwater bassist James Watterworth is looking for an improv drummer to jam some "funky progressive music" with, and though metal doesn't appear to be front & center, he's hoping for someone who can impress like Primus' Les Claypool. If you're interested, message James at this location or through his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post last month!
•  Former Smeltzer/The Fury bassist Paul Stanghetta is looking for musicians to complete a new "hard music" project that he's starting, which I assume he's handling guitar for. Posts on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group late last month implied that the band would be "high energy and fun", and one of at least two bands he's working on right now. If truly metal-leaning, this could be an intriguing addition, so message Paul (a.k.a. Puablos Stancu) at this link or at the group above!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more Sault Michigan news and notes tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

A New Local Band, The End Of Clownsack, And Much More!!

Our nice pacing for new posts at the SMS continues on this Wednesday morning, so what's in the pipeline? Today, we have a band that is likely now broken up, a bunch of new band member searches via the Musicians Wanted Facebook group, and updates to some of our monthly CD reviews, but first, we have a new local band to mention, so here's what you need to know! (Updated on Thursday at 3:44 PM)

We have a new local band to add to our Sault Ontario band links, and they are Kidshit, a new-ish hardcore/thrash project from Sault Ontario natives & former Fuller bandmates Jamie Vincent & Mark Ranᶁ! Though active since at least April, they now count as local following Jamie's recent move back to Sault Ste. Marie after living in Edmonton for a few years, where he recently played bass in the hardcore punk band Flint. As for Mark, you're bound to recognize him from tons of recent musical projects, including Lion Ride, Detroit, Bondar, Bin Hawdon & The Taliband, and the soon-to-be-revealed Cross Dog, and while he currently lives in Peterborough, he's still very well known locally! Public information on Kidshit is fairly minimal so far, with their only current online page being this BandCamp page, which features five songs grouped as a free demo that you can check out or download! Much heavier than Mark & Jamie's old Fuller material, these originals clock in at just over 6 minutes in total length, and they remind me of Mark's Detroit and recent solo work the most.

I like where Kidshit are going here, and there's a lot of intense hardcore punk fury here that calls to mind some similar local bands! If these songs were longer, it might help for the overall substance, but I remember that longer wasn't always better (i.e. Detroit's originals.) Kidshit haven't played live yet, and there are some unanswered questions still, but do check them out, and I've added Kidshit to our Sault Ontario metal band links!

Next up, I'd like to note a band that we're regrettably moving to our inactive Sault Michigan band links, that being local funk/hard rock standouts Clownsack. An official statement on their online pages hasn't been made to confirm their end, but ex-bassist Tony "Slappy" Rogers' confirmed the news on his personal Facebook page on June 27th, where he said that "we are done" in a reply to a question on if they were still playing anywhere. Clownsack were one of the most prominent & successful metal bands in the Eastern U.P. dating back to their 2005 debut, which saw them release two CDs, open for Kiss & Meat Loaf at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, and play numerous shows across Michigan, and their clown personas & song themes helped them really stand out compared to similar sounding bands! However, they haven't played live since the fall of 2010, and have offered very few public updates since the release of their "Funny Farm" EP last year (most recently when Slappy left in April), so this all may have hinted at Clownsack's end to begin with. It's very disappointing to see Clownsack dissolve, as they were one of the most entertaining and well known Sault Michigan metal bands of the late 2000s!

I really enjoyed their albums (particularly "Rotten Candy"), and their stage personas & dedication to their clown characters was admirable & amusing in equal measure! I don't know why activity from their camp slowed down so much in the early 2010s, but as best as I can tell, most of their members are still active musically. Best of luck to Schloppy, Butter Cookie, Sparxx, Slappy, Skronko, and their former bandmates in the future, and hopefully down the road, fans will get their clown sauce once again!

Also today, here's three assorted notes from the Musicians Wanted Facebook group in recent weeks, as there are still Sault Ontario-area musicians looking for a band or musicians to work with! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by name of the artist who made the original post:

• Local musician Jyles LeBoeuf is looking for progressive metal guitarists or bassists (preferably six string) for a new project he's starting, though public details are sparse as of yet. Could this be a Gates of Winter-style band? I don't know, but if you're interested in trying out, message Jyles at this location or read his post on the Facebook group from yesterday!
• Former Bear Hunters/Skull After Betrayl guitarist Mike Vincent is looking for a drummer for his new local metal band, in his latest post on the group for band member searches. He's looking for a drummer with double kick and blast beat experience, but if you're at all interested, message Mike at this location or check out his post on the group from November 1st!
• Asylum Country guitarist and local metal band alum Terry Eaton is looking to start a hard rock band that would cover newer bands like Three Days Grace, The Foo Fighters, Sixx A.M., and various others. He'd share vocals, and he's looking for musicians with lots of experience. This would definitely be an interesting contrast if it takes off, so message him at this link or comment on his Musicians Wanted group post from yesterday!

And finally for today, here's some more recent updates to our monthly CD reviews on the site! Remember as before that these include photo restorations for most of them, including some with no other changes. On our review of Woods of Ypres' last album "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light", I added a brief review of the producer's mix of "Finality", which is only available on the second disc of the album's vinyl pressing, and wasn't present when we first reviewed it in March. Moving to our Sault Michigan-area CD reviews, I edited our reviews of Bad Side's debut CD & their second album to note their breakup and the album's current availability (including that they're now on iTunes and out of print physically), while I also made very similar edits to our review of Clownsack's debut CD "Rotten Candy" & Integrated System of Machines' only album, with lineup updates made for both. Notably, I.S.O.M.'s CD isn't available on any major sites for purchase now, but free streaming links are up on the review! Stay tuned for updates to the rest of our Sault Michigan album reviews shortly!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes at the SMS shortly, including this weekend's metal/hard rock concert previews in our likely next post! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Sneaky Pete & NoXcape), End Of Existence's Breakup & Return, And More

Alright, it's time for some more news at The Sault Metal Scene, and we have some big stories today, including LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, a very surprising band breakup, and some brand new Facebook groups, so here's all that you should know!

After laying low throughout the month of August, local hard rock cover band Sneaky Pete are returning to the stage THIS SATURDAY for a one night concert at The Rockstar Bar! The talented quartet will return to the site of their debut concert with new material in hand, so definitely consider checking out Sneaky Pete on Saturday night! Who knows, there might be a sticker in it for you? This concert will start at 10:30 PM on Saturday, you must be 19 to attend, and though there's no announced cover charge, bring cash just in case. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's nice to finally see Sneaky Pete back out there, and hopefully a great crowd turns out! I'll be out of town, but go check them out if you can, and get sneaky at The Rockstar Bar!

The other new shows I have today are courtesy of Pickford metal quintet NoXcape, who will return to The Satisfied Frog in Sault Michigan for at least 8 dates through February! The new local quintet featuring the classic Absolute lineup and former Shift guitarist Joey Beairl will rock The Frog on September 16th and 17th, October 28th and 29th, December 30th and 31st, and (in our first confirmed metal concerts of 2012) February 3rd and 4th! Nice to see them on stage for the Halloween and New Year's weekends, and it's always nice to get verifiable advance word on these shows! However, I will note that the shows on the 16th and 17th of this month conflict with scheduled dates from singer Donny Newell's other band Monkey's Uncle that weekend at Kewadin Casino, so I don't know what will happen with that. If I hear anything, I'll let you know, but I'll treat both as on for now. All 8 new concerts have 10:00 PM start times, you must be 21 to attend any of them, and there's no announced cover charges. For more details, visit their official Reverbnation page! Sounds like the guys in NoXcape have things well in hand for the next while, and hopefully some more area dates turn up soon! Stay tuned for more from NoXcape as I hear it!

(EDIT: 12:40 PM) I originally reported on here that Sault Michigan/Grand Rapids metal quintet End of Existence had surprisingly broken up yesterday after the band unexpectedly began closing, renaming, and privatizing their online pages and accounts, some of which stated "RIP END OF EXISTENCE" on them. My word, I wouldn't lie about this. However, everything seems to be restored and back in order across the board, with no explanation given as to the brief breakup or sudden return today, though their Facebook page now says "the waters are receding" in the About section. Does this mean that they did briefly break up, but cooler heads have prevailed? I don't know enough about it to say, but nonetheless, I'm glad to see that End of Existence are alive and well! I always hate to see bands with promise like they have split up, and it's even more disappointing when the band in question takes down any trace of their existence (no pun intended) after the fact. Hopefully things will be all well for the long term, as I know I'm not alone in hoping for End of Existence to hit the stage in the future! Stay tuned for more (hopefully good) news from End of Existence as it comes in, and yes, they're back in our active Sault Michigan band links!

And finally for today, here's three assorted shorter stories all relating to new Facebook groups from local concert venues. As always, these are in alphabetical order by venue name:

• The Canadian Nightclub on Pim Street now has a new Facebook group (launched in May) to replace it's old one due to it's planned archival in the upcoming Facebook group format changeover. Nothing major is posted there yet, but keep an eye out, as I've heard rumblings that The Canadian could be back in operation soon following the major flooding that took place last month!
• Coch's Corner on Bay Street has their own new Facebook group as well, as launched on August 17th. Owner Paul Coccimiglio confirmed on there that he plans to "scrap" the old group, but a reason wasn't given beyond that. Again, there's little there in terms of bar events and concerts, but keep an eye out, as you never know what will be announced!
• Foggy Notions on Queen Street launched a group called "Foggy Events!" in June to update people on upcoming events, shows, and theme nights, though it is separate from their existing general page. Since then, it's plugged Frightlight & As It Stands shows there, so definitely join up and stay in the loop for future events at Foggy Notions!
  

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and updates very soon! Thanks everyone!

Lots Of Assorted News And Notes!!

Let's kick off August in a positive way with a bunch of assorted news and notes from the last little while, including new members of a new local band, a local musician's entry in a major contest, a newly revamped Facebook group for area musicians, and some Woods of Ypres related updates, so without any further adieu, let's get this post going!

New Sault Michigan metal band NoXcape (formerly MK-Ultra) have officially announced the additions of Krosswalk guitarist Joey Beairl and former Absolute drummer Justin Lawless to the band, rounding out their full five-piece lineup. The news was quietly broken on their Facebook page yesterday. Joey's a well known guitarist from his work in bands like Krosswalk, Shift, Wild Fate, and Kickback (plus the Guitar Studio rock camp), and it's great to see him back in a local hard rock band! Justin rejoins his former Absolute bandmates Ben Huyck and Bill Spence in NoXcape, as I had been speculating since they hinted on old MK-Ultra pages that their new drummer was named Justin. Nice to see them back together, they had very nice chemistry in Absolute! However, NoXcape are definitely a different animal than Absolute, with an arsenal of original material with a nu metal influence already raring to go for their debut show at Dan's Place in Rudyard this coming weekend! Should be interesting to see how NoXcape sound this weekend, and we'll have much more from them as we hear updates, so stay tuned for more!

Next up, have you been noticing a lot of posts, statuses, and replies on your Facebook walls relating to a Facebook group called "Musicians Wanted (Sault Ste. Marie, ON)"? This has actually been around since March 2009 when (I believe) Half Past guitarist Alain Fletcher started it, but just in the past day, former Wishbone guitarist Jeremy Salatuk has been spearheading a revival of the group, complete with an upgrade to the new Facebook group format & mass invites to new members, and it's sure gaining steam! The group's aim, as it was in 2009, is to help musicians either looking for bands or new band members to connect and help make connections to that end. Since the relaunch, I'm seeing a lot of good activity from local musicians of all genres looking to get back in the swing of the local scene (including some hard rock and metal artists), and if you're in a similar boat, you should definitely join and see what you can do! Musicians in town who want to gig and play live should have those opportunities, and hopefully this group's second wind will help that become a reality! Join (or request to join) at the above links!

(Also, the group gave me a bit of news relating to Caveman Morrison, as frontman Tym Morrison confirmed in a post there that the band are basically on hold until the winter due to Tym's lengthy solo acoustic schedule. I expected we'd see them sparingly or not at all until later this year due to all the Saturday bookings, but it's nice to see some public word on that! However, if you're craving electric gigs with Tym Morrison, go see the Hollow reunion this weekend!)

Now, here's a cool note on a local artist's entry in a new music contest! We just mentioned Half Past guitarist Alain Fletcher above, but he has a neat recent update to share, as he's entered a contest to be featured on a Staind song! In cooperation with Indaba Music, Staind are looking for guitarists to send in their own guitar solos for the solo section on the multi-platinum Massachussets hard rock band's new song "Not Again" from their upcoming self-titled album! One lucky (and talented) winner will have their solo featured on the iTunes deluxe version of their new album, and will also win a Mike Mushok signature guitar, a $1,000 Guitar Center gift card, an autographed copy of the new Staind album, and a one month Tab-Pro subscription to Ultimate-Guitar.com! 10 runners up from the 20 most viewed submissions will win an autographed CD as well. Alain's entered under the handle "Dude705" to try and win the contest, and you can hear his solo at this locaton! Sounds good, it fits with the song's pacing, and it'd be awesome to see him win! Now, the winner is picked by judges, not fan votes, but give his submission lots of listens so he can make the top 20! Unfortunately, we can't see a ranking of the top solos, so give him lots of views, cause you never know! Check his solo out (or register yourself?!) at the above links, and his solo starts about 25 seconds into the clip. Best of luck, Al!

And finally for today, here's the latest from local doom metal band Woods of Ypres! Firstly, the band has finally publically ackowledged the Madden brothers' departure, with both having been quietly removed from their Facebook page's lineup. No public statement has been made concerning their exit, but knowing from past trends, I didn't expect one, and we likely won't hear more until the band announces their replacements. Positive news now, as George Washburn from the website Rock Music Critic posted a review of "Woods IV: The Green Album" onto said website this past Wednesday! He calls it "epic in scope" with lush and thick music, but compares listening to the whole album with eating too much candy: It's very good, but it can be too much after a while. Very positive review though, click here to check it out! And finally, frontman David Gold has posted an interesting sample of a remix of the band's "Woods 4.5" song "You Were The Light" onto his YouTube channel, as done by guitarist Joel Violette! It's just a 79 second clip, but it shows a spacier techno vibe than on the original, and it's an interesting listen! David's also open to fan remixes, so if you're at all interested in making your own remix of the song, e-mail davidypres@gmail.com for the master files. This could be cool if it picks up steam, but check out the sample of Joel's "You Were The Light" remix below! Hopefully the full copy leaks soon!



That's all for now, but if I don't have a new news post later tonight, our next post will be this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" feature post, so definitely look for that tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

A Collection Of Assorted News Stories

Another day, another collection of news! Today though, there's no "major" announcements, like a concert or a band formation or anything, just a lot of things I've either bypassed or found over the last couple days! And we'll begin with a concert cancellation.

Earlier this month, you may remember that I reported that Lion Ride would be back at The Rockstar Bar on February 6th. It was on their MySpace page, so it looked legit. However, the announcement was either premature or incorrect, as the band have pulled it from their concert listings. No word as to what the specific reason was, but hopefully they'll be back home for a concert sooner rather than later! Despite that, Lion Ride have booked one more out of town concert, which will be on March 17th in Montreal! I don't know if Lion Ride have ever been to Quebec for a concert, but it should be cool! They'll be playing at Cafe Chaos in Montreal, along with Montreal hard rockers Reckless Ride and other bands! Should be a good show, but as always, our fingers are crossed for their local return!

Next up, a new Facebook group has been launched in order for Sault-area bands of all genres to discuss the local scene, interact, promote their bands, and such. Named "Sault Ste Marie Local Bands - Support And Discussion Group", it was formed by Stillbroke frontman Jesse Frigault yesterday, and the idea behind it is very good! The bands in the Sault should be closer, maybe this will help! Click here to check it out, there's very positive intent in this group! Jesse would love members of all local bands to join, and he promises that a member of each band who joins will be made an administrator, which is a nice gesture! He also made me an admin, but rest assured, the group is not an SMS offshoot, it's Jesse's idea, so don't give me credit for it. Besides, it's for all genres, not just metal! Spread it to your friends, get band members to join! Remember, any good Facebook group/page needs members and activity to ensure success, so let's see this succeed where other have failed!

And to close this short news update post, four local metal-related stories, in order by band name!

• Though an event page has yet to be launched for it, a poster for the Garden of Bedlam/Papa Fogals Chair on February 27th at Foggy Notions has been made, and you can check it out to the right! It was made by Papa Fogals Chair percussionist Adam Chillman, who actually has done most of the artwork and posters used by Garden of Bedlam! Stay tuned for more details on this concert!
• According to their MySpace page, the Pop Evil concert on February 27th at Kewadin Casino is ALL AGES! Most shows at The Dreammakers Theater are, but being that it is a casino, extra proof sometimes helps. Still need word on the local openers, and when I find out definite details on what the proceeds are going to, I will let you guys know!
• Thanks to Laurie Frigault for this information: The Stillbroke concert at The Speakeasy on January 28th will have a cover charge of $3, which isn't bad! Sadly, it is NOT all ages. Hopefully a good crowd turns out for this show, it's been a while since Stillbroke last played a full set here!
  
• Another review of Woods of Ypres' latest release, "Woods IV: The Green Album" has been posted online! It was reviewed by Carl Begai on his blog yesterday, check it out by clicking here! Very positive review, he calls it a "lush and epic soundtrack to personal demise", among many other observations!

So there, I think we're back up to date...for now! Tomorrow, we'll close down the current SMS poll about the biggest news story of 2009, and we'll go over the results and launch the new poll! It will be about the best "something" in 2009, but what? Stay tuned to find out!