For today's news post, we're kicking off the weekend with new videos and material from the Sault Michigan area, some assorted updates, and leading off, new video coverage from one of this week's battles of the bands, so here's what you should know!
We'll start with more coverage of this month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands at The Canadian Nightclub, as Local2's video coverage of Wednesday's opening night is now online via the newest episode of Tuned with Donna Hopper! The popular music webseries' latest installment went online on Thursday, this is the first of a planned 4 part series covering the battle, and is structured differently than past episodes, including updated graphics and host segments done in studio rather than on-location, along with omitting credit bloopers and the concert calendar segment. The episode features promoter J.D. Pearce discussing the structure of the event and what to expect at the battle, then transitioning to introductions and brief performance footage of this week's competing bands (Honest Job, Infamous, and The Bear Hunters), before showing the announcement that The Bear Hunters won the round, and more performance footage of them caps the episode.
Surprisingly, there's no video footage of The Pixo Control's non-competitive guest set, but might we see that in a future Local2 video? In terms of new announcements, Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie confirmed in their introduction that they're in this battle to try and earn funds to record their planned second CD "The Dead Testament", but can they reach that end goal on the 25th? This is another solid episode of Tuned, and a great teaser for the battle and what to expect from the event in the next three weeks, so give it a look at this link or above, and stay tuned for coverage of night #2!
Next up, here's the latest from Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned, including the upload of two original studio tracks to frontman Alex Traynor's personal Reverbnation page in recent days! The songs are "Cocaine Riot" and the newer "Lightswitch", both being songs that Banned play live, but appear to be recorded as solo tracks by Alex (complete with programmed drums) in this form. "Cocaine Riot" is a harder rocker, while "Lightswitch" has a lighter pop rock feel, but both are well recorded (if more artificial sounding than they sound live), so give them a listen above! Also, the band was captured in two new Facebook videos shot by Alex's sister/drummer Don Traynor's daughter Lindsey at their Rapids Lounge gigs in the Soo over the Valentine's Day weekend, and subsequently shared on Banned's Facebook page last month, so what can we say on them?
The videos are of Banned covering Three Doors Down's "Kryptonite" and (as embedded below) Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock & Roll", which notably features Alex on lead vocals only, with Grooves Music owner/veteran local musician Gary Hatch filling in on guitar. The angle on these videos isn't great (especially with fans often getting in the way), but they're solid covers from this talented trio, and Alex's lead vocals have definitely improved with age! Give the Bob Seger cover a look below, and check out much more from Banned at the above links!
Staying in Michigan, here's the newest recording from Dafter solo hard rock artist Ken Sutton (a.k.a. SweetKenny), as he's provided the official theme song for WoodBangers Magazine, a music publication/online community that he actively supports and is involved with on various levels. Entitled "A New Dawn", the instrumental track can be heard via assorted videos on the WoodBangers YouTube channel in the past two months, is well promoted on the WoodBangers website (including a sale copy), and it can be streamed in full on SweetKenny's Reverbnation page, though no word on if we'll see it on one of his upcoming albums. "A New Dawn" has more of a dramatic slower feel than SweetKenny's usual faster rock songs, and it admittedly doesn't sound like something that a magazine named WoodBangers would have as it's official theme, but it's a well written and often tense song that has a lot of work put into it, and fans should like it! Give it a listen above, and here's the song in an episode of WoodBangers TV!
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:
If you were waiting for confirmation of the stage names of The Apocalypse Afterparty's new female band members, we can confirm that they're named x and z (pronounced "times" and "zed"), not to be confused with existing singer/bassist Z and drummer X (or "zee" and "ecks".) Though instrument roles or alter egos were not confirmed for either new member, one is likely Sara Biedermann on bass, as per recent teaser photos. Get more details at their Facebook page, and we'll learn more at the VM Radio Battle on March 18th!
Following a series of Quebec concerts to start 2015, local/St. Catharine's death/crust trio Shit Liver are planning to book a tour of Western Canada this year that would take them all the way to Vancouver. If you're interested in helping them get dates booked out west, message them A.S.A.P. at this link, and hopefully we'll see them back home in the Soo on the way out west!
Sault Michigan classical metal band Theatre of Night's newest song "Foster's Death March" was posted on their Reverbnation page yesterday, and it's a darker, dramatic song with a bit of a tribal feel. Though largely an instrumental, it does feature some cryptic chanting as well. Different from their norm, but an interesting listen, so check it out at the above links!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for Speak Easy Battle videos and more in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
Hey guys, it's now time for our recap of last night's VM Radio Battle of the Bands opening night! As I was one of the judges, this will not be a review with personal judgements or criticism of the 3 competing bands, instead just a post to recap what happened and was observed by all. The setup at the battle was nice though, featuring a merchandise table for Tidal Records and plenty of banners for event sponsors, while Maxx Entertainment's Greg Simpson was on hand to provide solid sound for last night and the rounds to come! After a random draw to determine the band order, local folk/garage band Honest Job took the stage first last night, making their first local concert appearance in 14 months, as well as their first live concert appearance as a quintet, now featuring Jared Fridy on bass. Their set was comprised entirely of originals (save for a cover of Dick Dale's "Pipeline"), and included songs like "Waterslide" and "Page of Cups" from their "Numbers Game" EP.
Honest Job also showcased a unique sound featuring accordion work from frontman Mister Tahti that seemed to get a positive reception from early fans, and they had more of a rock sound than I recalled from the last time I saw them live, though activity on the floor wasn't too prominent yet. They were followed by newer local hard rock trio Infamous in just their second ever promoted concert (that I've heard about, at least), and they were admittedly still a bit of an enigma thanks to their lack of an online page, so what did we learn? Their lineup still features singer Lizzie Pearson, guitarist Damon King, and Them's Anthony Boudreau on drums (no bassist yet, which was sometimes very noticeable), and their all-cover set included renditions of bands like Bon Jovi, Asking Alexandria, and Halestorm, among others. Infamous got a better group of fans on the floor though, and hopefully this set was a good step in their development!
Capping off the night's competitive block was local death metal band The Bear Hunters in their first set of the year, who played a seven song set including their songs "The Omen", their newest "Neckbreaker", and their CD's title track "Collapse The Sun". The guys easily got the best crowd of the night, complete with a bunch of headbangers and a few mini-mosh pits, but did they do enough to win? Fans would find out after the last set of the night, as Tidal Records' newest signing The Pixo Control played a special non-competitive guest set to fill out the 4 band lineup, allowing me to revert to my usual reviewer/photographer mode for their set! Rocking an energetic set of originals like "Vicinity", "Alphabetical Order", and "Call Me A Liar" (plus their slowed down "Twist 'N Shout" cover), the guys showed off their clear skill and talent to a solid group of fans, with Michael Mikus' stage presence and Kurt Cobain-inspired vocals nicely meshing with Steve Edwards & Keeghan Rosso's solid rhythm!
The Pixo Control are making fans fast in the local scene, and it definitely showed last night with their skilled originals and stage presence (complete with an amusing hyped-up intro from a friend), and if The Pixo Control were actually competing in the battle, they'd likely have been strong challengers in the final tally! After their set, battle promoter J.D. Pearce took the stage to announce the winners of night #1, as the judges chose.....
...The Bear Hunters!! The death metal veterans were the last band to qualify for the Rockstar Bar Battle finals 2 years ago and they're the first band to do the same this time around, so they have ensured themselves a top 4 finish for the second time in their four-battle resume! We'll see them again at the finals on March 25th (complete with some teased "surprises"), and while I won't reveal anything else regarding the scores or placement at this time, I will say that the judges didn't unanimously agree on the band order. Congratulations though to Honest Job and Infamous for their sets too, they put in strong efforts in their own right, and we'll know in 2 weeks whether one of them is the wild card or not! The crew from SooToday and Local2 were on hand last night, with Donna Hopper capturing 19 photos at the battle, including 5 photos each of The Bear Hunters & Honest Job, 4 of Infamous, 2 of The Pixo Control, and one each of the judges, J.D., and Tidal Records business cards. Though all black & white, they're great as usual, so give them a look at this link!
Also, look for Local2's video coverage of night #1 in the coming days, as video cameras were rolling throughout the night. Fans can also see if The Bear Hunters can continue their hot streak at local battles at TONIGHT'S Speak Easy Battle of the Bands, which also features Gnaeus, Mike Haggith & The Din, and Project 421 from the March 18th lineup, plus fellow local acts Infinity Grinder, Jesse Merineau, and Long Shot. I plan on attending, so check the above link for more info on this battle! It was great to be involved in another local battle, so thanks to everyone at Village Media and Tidal Records for their hospitality, and I can't wait for next week's semifinals! Of course, we'll see The Danger Cats, Haggith, Mannapool, and Stereo North battle for the second finals spot this coming Wednesday (March 11th), and I hope we'll see everyone out next week for night #2!
We'll close today with videos (which you can see on our Facebook page, alongside our Pixo Control photos), and remember, the competing bands were filmed with the camera stationary on a tripod, as I was judging. Here's Honest Job playing their song "Queen St.", Infamous covering Sixx A.M.'s "This Is Gonna Hurt", The Bear Hunters playing their song "The Void", and The Pixo Control playing "This Is Momentary, Forever"! Thanks everyone, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews next!
TOMORROW NIGHT marks night #1 of the VM Radio Battle of the Bands, as 11 local bands will gather at The Canadian Nightclub on each Wednesday in March to battle for lots of cash & prizes! A spiritual sequel to 2013's Rockstar Bar Battle (and the first in Sault Ontario since that fall's Viva La Battle, also at The Canadian), this month's battle will see 3 or 4 bands compete tomorrow and on March 11th & 18th, with each night's winner (and the highest scoring runner up as a wild card) returning to compete in the finals on March 25th. Presented by Tidal Records & VM Radio with local sponsors also including Case's Music, Maxx Graphics, and The Sault Metal Scene, this battle is being promoted by J.D. Pearce, marking the fourth straight local battle that he has helped put on. Tonight and every other night will see bands play 35 minute sets, with a panel of judges scoring them on numerous criteria relating to their originality, musicianship, crowd reaction, and stage presence, similarly to the Rockstar Bar Battle.
The band order will be randomly drawn tomorrow night before bands take the stage. Tomorrow's opening night will only see 3 competing bands, as promoters couldn't secure a full 12 band lineup, but there's still a strong lineup of competitors to take in, as well as a special guest band, so here's some info on tomorrow's competing bands (all playing their first announced set of the year) in alphabetical order!
The Bear Hunters: The most experienced band in this month's field, The Bear Hunters will be competing in their fourth battle of the bands tomorrow night, and are defending their Viva La Battle crown in the process. Their battle results have steadily improved over time, but can these death metal veterans continue their success with another finals run? Note that The Bear Hunters will likely be playing as a quartet due to rhythm guitarist Josh Stephney still living out of town.
Honest Job: This sporadically seen indie/garage rock band will be making their battle of the bands (and Canadian?) debut tomorrow night, which will reportedly also be their debut with new bassist Jared Fridy, now making them a quintet. Also playing their first announced show in over a year, will Honest Job's accordion-infused hybrid sound make a big impression on the judges tomorrow night?
Infamous: Arguably one of this month's wild cards, young local hard rock trio Infamous will be playing just their second announced concert set tomorrow, and first at The Canadian, though they were once scheduled for last fall's cancelled Rock For Dimes Battle. Can Lizzie, Damon, and Anthony make a big splash in their battle debut tomorrow, and what else will we learn?
In lieu of the fourth band, who would have been the now defunct Revolution, fans will see local alternative/grunge trio The Pixo Control rock The Canadian tomorrow night in a special non-competitive set (a'la T-Rex Manning at 2012's Battle for the Blood.) Though not competing in the battle due to being signed with sponsors Tidal Records, this will be a big showcase for the guys, so don't miss their sure-to-be entertaining set tomorrow! Also keep in mind that they too were once scheduled for the axed Rock For Dimes Battle.
These three bands will be battling for one guaranteed finals slot, a potential wild card slot, and lots of cash and prizes, which include $1,000 guaranteed for the winning band, and numerous other prizes for bands in the top three, individual performers, and more, so visit the official Facebook event page and/or this SooToday press release for current prize details! It has also been confirmed that this month's judges will be Dustin Jones from Tidal Records & The Rising Tide, Rob Speers from VM Radio and The Elements, and... myself, marking the third battle that I've had the privilege to be a judge for (and I once again guarantee that I will judge each band
fairly on their own merits. I wish all 11 bands the best of luck this
month!) Remember, next week's lineup will feature The Danger Cats, Haggith, Mannapool, and Stereo North, while March 18th's semifinal will include The Apocalypse Afterparty, Gnaeus, Mike Haggith & The Din, and Project 421. Admission tomorrow will be $5 unless you already have a $15 ticket pass for the whole month, and yes, this is ALL AGES!
Also, remember that The Bear Hunters and all of March 18th's bands (save for The Apocalypse Afterparty) will be competing in this Thursday's Speak Easy Battle of the Bands, which we'll preview on the site tomorrow. This month's VM Radio Battle is shaping up to be a great event, easily the biggest local battle of the 2010s so far, so stay tuned for updates and our recap of tomorrow's action! Will The Bear Hunters continue their battle success? Can Honest Job put in an honest effort tomorrow night? Or will Infamous claim first place in the battle debut? Find out TOMORROW at 8:00 PM, and I'll see you guys there! Thanks everyone!
Today, we're devoting an entire post to the complete semifinal lineup for next month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands at The Canadian Nightclub, as promoter J.D. Pearce announced the daily schedule for the first three nights (March 4th, 11th, and 18th) a little early via the Facebook event page last night! So, who's playing on what day, and which band was (re-) added last night? Read on below for complete details, though note that the lineup is subject to change!
We'll start on March 4th (one week from Wednesday), where four local bands will battle for a guaranteed spot in the finals on March 25th, and they are death metal quartet The Bear Hunters, indie/garage rock quintet Honest Job, newer hard rock band Infamous, and doom/punk trio The Revolution! Of next week's competitors, The Bear Hunters will be making their fourth local battle appearance next Wednesday, and will also begin their defense of their 2013 Viva La Battle title, but will their metal brutality carry them to the finals? The sporadically seen Honest Job will make their Canadian debut and first live appearance of the year next week as well, which will also see them debut their new lineup and new originals, but can they make a big impression of their own? The pageless Infamous will also be making their local battle debut
(following the cancellation of the Rock For Dimes youth battle) and
second announced concert appearance that I can tell, but can Lizzie,
Damon, and company make a huge splash next week?
No word on if Damon's recent musician searches relate to Infamous or not though. And finally, The Revolution will be looking to build on recent progress and the
addition of Jordan Leach on bass, but will their new lineup make a big
splash in their 2015 debut? This is arguably the heaviest night of the semifinals, but there's great talent all around for many tastes, so don't miss the action next Wednesday!
Night #2 of next month's battle on Wednesday, March 11th will feature four more local bands, including all-female hard rock quartet The Danger Cats, grunge/alternative quartet Haggith, progressive rock quartet Mannapool, and newer punk quartet Stereo North! The Danger Cats will be playing their first ever battle, their first ever Canadian Nightclub set, and second gig of the year, but will their originals and high profile bring the girls to the top? Haggith (who were originally slated for next week before being switched with The Revolution) will be looking to build on their 2013 Rockstar Bar Battle run, where they finished second after a wild card finish, but can lightning strike twice for them on the 11th? Mannapool's progressive and jazz rock originals have been making many fans in the past year, but will their technical skill translate to battle success in their battle debut and first concert set of 2015?
And finally, Stereo North are arguably the biggest wild card on the 11th, especially as this will be just theirsecond ever live concert, but can their pop punk sound put them into the finals two weeks later, and will bassist Bill Bennett's "Best Sound" winning performance with T-Rex Manning at 2012's Humane Society Battle provide some extra experience? This might be the best lineup for punk & alternative fans over the semifinals, but again, there's a little something for everyone, so don't bypass the second night!
The last semifinal on March 18th will only feature three bands, as a planned lineup of 12 bands fell just short, but there's a talented lineup ahead, including local rap/metal project The Apocalypse Afterparty, post-punk quartet Gnaeus, and classic metal quartet Project 421! The Apocalypse Afterparty were actually added late to the lineup last night after being previously removed from the bill, so it's great to see them back on! The masked bandits (featuring "songwriters" from local battle alums RedD Monkey & The Fury) have been teasing the addition of female band members in recent weeks, and possibly a temporary live drummer, but how will they look and sound on the 18th? Both Gnaeus and Project 421 will be making their second battle appearances (following next Thursday's Speak Easy Battle, results to be determined), while Gnaeus will be making their Canadian debut, and this will be Project 421's first Canadian appearance since opening for Anvil last year (more on Anvil in our next post!)
Can Gnaeus' rising post-punk and garage originals claim them first place, or might Project 421's old school metal classics do the trick? In place of a fourth competing band, promoters are teasing "a surprise special guest appearance", but who is intended? A Tidal Records-affiliated band? A band featuring event promoters or staff? A previously eliminated act? Another band entirely? We'll let you know if anything is announced! Either way, there's a nice varied mix of bands to take in on March 18th, with one of the three guaranteed to make the finals the following week, and remember, a wild card runner-up band will join each week's winner in the finals on the 25th! Remember, the winning band next month wins $1,000 in cash and much more, while there are other prizes for the best original song, most energetic act, best individual performances on different instruments, the fan favourite band, even the best fan, and more, so visit the event page linked above for all currently announced prize details!
Also, keep in mind that The Bear Hunters, Gnaeus, Project 421, and members of Haggith are all competing at next Thursday's Speak Easy Battle of the Bands, but will the fan voted results seen there be a bellwether of what's to come at The Canadian by month's end? For attendees, remember that next month's VM Radio Battle costs $5 at the door for each semifinal & $10 for the finals on March 25th, but if you buy a $15 advance ticket package through competing bands, you will save $10 off of the total cost of attending all 4 nights, so keep that deal in mind! Each night's action begins at 8:00 PM, and yes, all 4 nights are ALL AGES & licensed! Visit the above links for current details, and stay tuned there and to the SMS for more details as they come in! Thanks everyone, this is going to be a great month!
For today's news post on the site, we have an archive album purchase that I recently made that I thought might be interesting to share, along with new videos concerning a major local band playing live TONIGHT, but first, here's the latest on one of next month's anticipated battles of the bands, so here's what you should know!!
The latest updates on the lineup for next month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands are now out, so what should you know? Promoter J.D. Pearce revealed on the Facebook event page yesterday that there are currently 9 bands finalized to compete in the battle, which takes place on each Wednesday in March at The Canadian Nightclub, so who's in and out? There are two new confirmed bands, those being the previously hinted death metal rockers The Bear Hunters (who will look to claim their second straight battle win next month) and newer local hard rock trio Infamous (as seen at November's Sault Band-O-Rama), who still lack an online page as of this writing, but would be making their battle debut after the Rock For Dimes Battle's cancellation. They join the previously confirmed Danger Cats, Gnaeus, Haggith, Honest Job, Mannapool, Project 421, and Revolution on the lineup, but three bands that had had announced reserved slots are not listed at present.
Those missing acts are rap/metal project The Apocalypse Afterparty, hard rock quartet Late Shift, and newer metal trio Them, and while reasons for their absences haven't been announced, keep in mind that the latter two bands don't have online pages to confirm anything, and The Apocalypse Afterparty have recently been hinting at lineup changes. Plus, Them's Anthony Boudreau is also a member of Infamous, so they may have replaced Them. It's entirely possible that the three bands are still pending a registration form submission, but J.D. is publically hyping that there are now only 3 open slots for the planned 12 band lineup, so there's still time if you or your band want in! Message him at this link or visit The Rad Zone A.S.A.P. if you want to register! Remember, there is a $100 deposit required, but you get that money back (and more) by selling the ticket packages you get upon registering. Stay tuned for full updates and the complete schedule when announced, and click here for full details!
Next up, here's new videos of local/Toronto alternative punk veterans Treble Charger, just for good measure before TONIGHT'S headlining show at The Machine Shop for Bon Soo! On January 13th, the guys played an acoustic set live at The Bradshaw Hotel in Stratford, Ontario as part of their Preview Day, which saw that historic building re-opened as a student living facility and performance art space for the University of Waterloo. One video is mostly about university staff and area notables talking about the development, but 80 seconds in, it does feature interview remarks from Treble Charger's Greig Nori & Bill Priddle about the re-purposing of the building, even mentioning the Soo when discussing the concept (which we're also seeing with the Mill Square redevelopment.) Their section is short, but it's worth a look! The other video is of Greig & Bill playing an acoustic rendition of "American Psycho" at The Bradshaw Hotel, so what should you know on that?
An intimate rendition of one of their most popular songs (albeit sans touring members Darcy Yates & Jason Pierce), this video was excellently shot on multiple cameras, and captures basically how the MCTV commercials for TONIGHT'S show would sound if played out in full and with Bill contributing. The Bradshaw Hotel people got some great footage, and though not of their full live lineup, it's a nice preview of what to expect at The Machine Shop, so give it a look below!
Finally for today, I wanted to acknowledge a new archive punk CD that I recently acquired! On one of the local Facebook auction groups earlier this week, I won a bundle of CDs for $5 that included defunct local pop punk/emo quintet A Fall From Innocence's self-titled second (and final) EP from February 2006, and I've since uploaded it to our YouTube channel for posterity! According to the liner notes, this album features singer Larry Babic, guitarists Matt Durette & Jeff King, bassist Waylon Bougie, and drummer Marc Santos (now of Northwest), with Marc producing the album the previous year at Cherry Valance Sound, which is where defunct hard rockers Infrastrate also recorded their EP. Note that I don't have A.F.F.I.'s 2005 debut EP "The Breathing Method" yet, but I'm always on the lookout for that and more from older local bands. Five songs can be heard from this EP on the band's MySpace & Bandspace pages, but how about the full disc in order?
After a slow Sunday, we're back with an all-video post featuring an assortment of recent YouTube postings from an independent label and three diverse regional artists, along with the first fallout from a big recent concert, so read on below for what you need to know!
We'll start with our first video from Friday's first Sault Band-O-Rama at The Primavera Hall, and some extra fallout from it! In terms of how things look for people who couldn't make it, there's photos of the stage on Project 421's Facebook page, and while the Primavera's own sign at the back looks slightly out of place, things had a good setup! For the lineup, a Facebook event page post by co-promoter Terry Eaton on Friday indicated that a performer dropped out of the show, and he confirmed in an e-mail that it was one of the Bocturoc Academy students for undisclosed reasons (hopefully all's well!) Debuting local rock trio Infamous (formerly The Damon King Band) still lack an online page, but there is a video of their set shot by Facebook user Erin Carter that you can see on her personal Facebook page. It's of Lizzie, Anthony, and Damon covering what appears to be Shinedown's version of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man", and while they still need a bassist, and Lizzie had some tentative vocal moments, they're on their way, and I hope to hear more from them!
We won't embed the Infamous video here due to it being a personal upload only, but we do have one fully public video from Band-O-Rama, courtesy of local goregrind duo Rotopsy, who debuted a new song named "Cops 'N Moms" that night, which references the reasons for the early end of their Weldon Avenue house party show earlier this month. Uploaded to Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel on Saturday, the song uniquely featuring no growling vocals (just hardcore yelling), though it got a great reception for it's humour content, and I definitely smiled, but I'm also glad to see some added diversity to their sound! Give it a look below, and stay tuned for more possible Band-O-Rama fallout
Also from recent Blood Shed Productions YouTube channel uploads is this slideshow flashback to the shows and bands that Blood Shed has represented or been a part of in 2014. Featuring one of Strange Coyotes guitarist Chase Wigmore's solo songs as the backing audio, the video itself features numerous concert photos and other random shots (including band logos and show posters), and some small write-ups thanking everyone for their support. Not badly done, and a nice thank you gesture, so give the full video a look below!
Next up, here's the newest video from local post-punk/garage rock quartet Gnaeus, who have been keeping busy behind the scenes despite not playing a public concert since August's Emergency Festival. Amidst songwriting and "re-wiring the robot", the guys uploaded their first official live videos onto their new YouTube channel yesterday, coming from their set at Lopstock at LopLops Lounge in July! Filmed by attendee Jason Lloyd, the 2 videos are of their originals "The Sound" and (as embedded below) "The Curse", and while the former is slower paced and not as intense until the last minute, "The Curse" handles that aspect of their sound for you guys full through, but I will note that the guitar playing on both songs seem too quiet and lost in the music. It's nice to finally see some live videos of Gnaeus though, and they're a promising young band, so check out "The Curse" below!
Finally for today, here's the newest solo performance video from Exiled guitarist Joe Jenkins, this time a tone/tremolo test on his new Fender Stratocaster guitar. Uploaded to his YouTube channel on Saturday, it's a fun watch for fans of Joe's E.U.P. band work and of his older solo videos, and you may recognize some similar licks within! Give is a look below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more news and notes this week! Thanks everyone!
Before we begin this post, we have a note on a postponed concert, as the Tiffany Maj benefit concert at Coch's Corner featuring Northwest & Late Shift has been postponed a week from tomorrow to next Saturday. Promoter/Northwest guitarist Greg Callaghan explained on the Facebook event page that the date change was to avoid possible complications with tomorrow's Santa Claus Parade, which goes down Queen Street. Makes sense, especially with the earlier 8:00 PM start time, so keep the new date next Saturday in mind! Now, today's post features the remaining known hard rock concert previews for this weekend, news on a local promoter's reemergence, and much more, so here's what you need to know!
Kinross, Michigan hard/classic rock trio Banned are scheduled to return to the Dondee Lanes in Sault Michigan for the first time this year TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! This will be the guys' first date in Sault Ste. Marie proper in three months, and will mark a rare Dondee stop for Alex, Wayne, and Don, so if you want to take in some entertaining and varied covers & originals, you know where to be this weekend! Of course, they'll be back in the Soo next month at The Rapids Lounge, but what if you can't be at those gigs? Admission this weekend is likely free, you must be 21 to attend each night, and like usual for the Dondee, these shows have an early start time of 8:00 PM. For more details, check the above links! Hopefully this weekend's shows go well, so don't miss Banned this weekend, and here they are covering the Imagine Dragons!
Next up, North Shore frontman and former local hardcore singer Jeremy Hannah is finally re-entering the promotion area of the local scene via his new company Pure Sonic Audio! Years after the closure of Big Voiced Records, Jeremy has ambitious plans to provide event coordination, professional DJ services, and light & sound rentals for concerts and events in the area, which he partially outlined in a new Facebook group he launched to help musicians post info about their development and to help them get local bookings. Jeremy says that he has "new strategies" to ensure that bands can make some money for their skills and play to crowds, but he needs help, so invite your friends to join the group linked above! A Pure Sonic Audio website is online too, but as of yet, it's mostly a placeholder page with blank links and generic write-ups. Jeremy has shared some of these plans with me in personal conversations in the past, and I'm curious to see where this goes, so follow and like the links above for more info, and Pure Sonic Audio's now in our "Other Local Metal Links"!
Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter stories from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band or station name:
Saskatchewan stoner/doom metal band Chronobot (who memorably opened for Skynet in the Soo in March) are a new confirmation for the lineup of the planned Das Bunkerfest II concert event at a Garden River location to be confirmed over the last weekend of August 2015, as per promoter Boyd Rendell on the Facebook event page yesterday. Solid addition, we'll have to see how everything shapes up next year, so see above for more info!
So, who exactly are Infamous, the mystery act playing at Sault Band-O-Rama TODAY? According to a recent e-mail from co-promoter Steven Flint, their lineup features Lizzie Pearson on vocals, Social Suicide alum Anthony Boudreau on guitar, and Damon King on drums, with no obtained bassist yet. They appear to be one and the same as "The Damon King Band" that dropped out of Rock For Dimes last week, though they lack info (or an online page) otherwise. At least we know something on Infamous now, and thanks to Steven for the info!
Last week, local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades revealed on their Facebook page that they already have six songs in mind for their next EP, including the previously unveiled "Fear Corps", "Frederick", "Crossroads", "Motorwolf", and two new songs named "The Lot" and "Negative Headspace". It's not known when recording sessions would commence, but things sound promising, so stay tuned!
Marquette/Ishpeming, Michigan hard rock cover quartet Nudge have a sampler clip of songs played at The Satisfied Frog in Sault Michigan during at least one of their local shows on their Reverbnation page! It features segments of the band covering Rage Against The Machine's "Bulls on Parade", Metallica's "For Whom The Bell Tolls", Sponge's "Plowed", and The Beastie Boys' "Fight For Your Right (To Party)", and all sound good (the Rage vocals are suprisingly effective), so give the clips a listen above!
Urawk (the live band karaoke series led by members of Beaumont Avenue and Mourning Wood) will make their Rockstar Bar debut this coming Thursday, so if you want to enjoy the entertainment or sing on-stage with a real band, keep Urawk's first show since moving to The Algonquin in mind for next week! The debut there was postponed from yesterday due to the weather.
New local internet radio network VM Radio have launched a sixth station for the next couple of months, that being VM Holidays, whose rotation obviously revolves around Christmas and seasonal songs. We mention this on here in particular because the station does have a handful of heavier Christmas songs on rotation, including Trans-Siberian Orchestra material, so if you want some seasonal music, give VM Holidays a listen!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile TOMORROW, and remember not to miss Sault Band-O-Rama TODAY at The Primavera Hall! Thanks everyone!
We're back with some more news and notes on this Tuesday morning, and if you're waiting for news on the battle of the bands at the Chippewa County Fair on Thursday, that's coming, I'm just waiting for word on the complete lineup if possible. Today, we have new material from a local guitarist, some updates relating to links on the site and their connection to a recent feature post, and all of the latest from a notable metal musician's recent weekend in the area, but first, here's some news on the bands playing at the next metal show in Sault Ontario!
The lineup for Friday night's Skull Fist-headlined concert at The Canadian Nightclub has taken a lot of hits in the last few days, with two band dropouts, leaving only the returning Late & Loud as a confirmed local opening band. One of the dropped bands is local deathcore quartet The Valentine's Day Massacre, and though an official reason for their exit hasn't been revealed, frontman Steve Rhodes' personal Facebook page indicated that he was leaving for London (where the band are collectively moving for college) tomorrow, which is earlier than we'd previously heard, so that's likely connected. It'll be disappointing to not see the guys one last time before they head down south (if you saw them at the F.A.T.I.L. Requiem, nice work!), but hopefully they'll be back on holidays & breaks & what have you to melt more local faces, and best of luck to the guys in London until then! The other exited band is local punk trio Redundant (who had replaced Frightlight on the bill initially), as per their quiet removal from the event page, though I have no idea why they're out. I was hoping to see them too, but they'll be back for some more shows sooner or later, especially with the recent frequency of them!
Whether new bands will be added to replace The V.D.M. or Redundant isn't known yet, but knowing how big Skull Fist shows here tend to be, there's already visible interest from some bands in potentially jumping on board! Besides, we still have Late & Loud opening (even with some disappointing news I'm waiting for more confirmation on before mentioning here), so keep posted for more on this show in a couple of days, and I hope to see you guys there!
Next up, here's more notes and information from ex-Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach's weekend jaunt to Sault Ontario for the "Swearnet" film shoot with The Trailer Park Boys cast! Beyond just filming scenes for the movie, some lucky Saultites were lucky enough to see Sebastian at some local bars over the weekend, including a stop at LopLops Lounge on Saturday night to see local country band The Wild Turkeys, and I heard he stayed for their whole set too, which is awesome of him! Before leaving, Sebastian also shared this Last Supper-esque photo from the Soo on his Facebook page of him with Swearnet/T.P.B. stars John Paul Tremblay, Robb Wells, and Mike Smith, along with two more familiar guest stars in the movie (comedian Tom Green and Pat Roach, a.k.a. Randy from The Trailer Park Boys), so it sounds like the deck is being stacked for names in "Swearnet"! For the record, I heard that Tom Green was at LopLops on Saturday too, which would have been cool in & of itself! Finally for our Sebastian Bach notes, while he didn't play a live solo concert while in town, lucky fans at The Canadian Nightclub on Friday night got the next best thing, as Sebastian stopped by for karaoke night, and there's video footage online to prove it!
Filmed by YouTube user sisuunicorn705 and uploaded on Saturday, this is of Sebastian and Bubbles himself, Mike Smith singing AC/DC's "T.N.T." in honour of Mike's early birthday, and though the quality isn't great (dark lighting, extremely loud, and staticy audio), it's great to see this footage, and it must have been something else to see Sebastian live (and doing karaoke at a local bar no less!) I'm still kicking myself that I missed this, as I live right near The Canadian and really enjoy Skid Row's later work with Sebastian, so this is like missing Michael Moore at Sault College all over again. Still, this must have made many a night this weekend, so check out Sebastian Bach singing karaoke in the Soo below, and trust me, turn your volume down!
Thirdly, here's a couple of notes relating to some research and links that I took in for our profile of As It Stands drummer John Mignacca's YouTube channel on Wednesday. First, I've added a new link to our Other Local Metal Links section on the left of the page, that being the MySpace page for John's old concert promotion company Infamous Productions! John promoted concerts (mostly of the hardcore variety) from roughly 2006-2007 under this banner (including the 2006 Blind Witness show promoted in this commercial), though as far as I can tell, the company itself fell inactive by 2008. There's not a whole lot on their MySpace page beyond some old concert advertisements & lineups, but there's some neat looks back in the comments and so on, so check out Infamous Productions at the above links, and stay tuned for future concerts that John puts on! The other note is a link removal from that section, as the Facebook group for GLOW Nightclub has been taken down for unknown reasons. The Gore Street bar/concert spot previously known as The Nite-Life Dance Club & The Other Place was last used in November 2010, but the closure of the Facebook group came much later than that, and it probably wasn't a huge surprise. Still, it's a nice venue that I'd love to see restarted, but who knows what the future holds!
Finally, here's a brand new solo performance video from local solo guitarist and AudioFumes podcast host Mike Cliffe! Though he's been busy with his podcasting over the summer, this video is Mike's real solo performance clip in 3 or 4 months, so if you've missed his original music, rejoice! Entitled "SoundBacon", it's a work in progress experimental instrumental that Mike adlibbed and filmed, and while he notes the mistakes, it has promise and creativity! It ranges from what sounds like progressive rock elevator music to some more melodic and heavier melodies later on, and Mike shows his skills well here even if refinement is needed! Why play so far off to the left though, and in the dark? Uploaded to his YouTube channel on Saturday, you can check out "SoundBacon" below, and also, you guys should check out and submit original material to Mike's AudioFumes podcasts! He's increasing his local playlist selections for Audiofumes streams, which are sort of like an internet streaming radio show without a station if you're not familiar with podcasting. Mike gets worldwide airplay and he plays a wide variety of bands and musical partners from all over on AudioFumes, so listen in and get schedules at this location, message Mike at this link if you wanna submit any songs to play on air, and AudioFumes are now in our Other Local Metal Links!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes soon, including weekend concert previews and our review of Oddfellow's only CD! Thanks everyone!
