LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Redundant, Banned, And Half Of Project 906), Plus A Dire Setback Updates!!

A new post was not planned for today, but with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS now known for the Eastern Upper Peninsula, I have thrown this post together with those, another new show for next month, and a local band's recent album progress! Also, just a reminder that TONIGHT is Six, Two, Oh.'s (short notice) 1990s dance party fundraiser at The Rockstar Bar, with proceeds going towards this fall's Oh!No festival in Leeburn. This is not a concert, but if you love the 1990s and want to ensure that Oh!No II is on, why not come down? 19+, $5, 9:00 PM! Now, here's those new concerts!

Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned will play a special charity set TONIGHT in their hometown at the Chippewa County Fairgrounds as part of Carol's Corral Foundation's first annual rodeo fundraiser! Profuse apologies for the short notice, this event had been announced since January, but Banned only confirmed their involvement via their own Facebook event page this afternoon. Also called the "Bull-Rageous & Barrel-Rama Rodeo 2018" on event advertising, this is actually a three day ALL AGES event with bull riding, barrel racing, and other such rodeo entertainment, with proceeds going to different charities each day (TONIGHT's for law enforcement and emergency groups, tomorrow's veterans and active military, and Sunday's for cancer patients), which are all worthy causes! A beer tent and food will be available all three days, with the rodeo itself starting at 7:00 PM, and live musical entertainment each night following at 8:00 PM. Banned are only playing TONIGHT, while solo musician Bill Badour is the only other advertised performer this weekend.

I wish Banned had gave more notice about this set, but with a great charitable cause each night, hopefully this rodeo fundraiser is a smash hit, so head down to 124 Fair Street TONIGHT if you want some classic and hard rock cover action with your rodeo fun! Admission for all three nights (TONIGHT included) is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and youths 13-18 years old, and FREE for kids 12 and under. Visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and here's Banned live!

Next up, Project 906 bandmates Billy Bernier and Joe Jenkins will play a rare duo set TOMORROW NIGHT at The Superior Cafe in Sault Michigan as part of that venue's second musicians showcase! Again, apologies for the short notice, we only heard of the involvement of any Project 906 members via their Facebook page yesterday. Soon to be two events into their permanent shift from competitions to "showcases", The Superior Cafe have indicated that they will be hosting this event on the last Saturday of every month (in other words, circle June 30th on your calendars), so how will the sophomore event of this style go, and who all else signed up as part of the "full lineup"? Find out TOMORROW NIGHT! Billy & Joe are no strangers to playing unplugged in this setting, having played at the Superior Cafe's first musician competition as such, though with their full band sets more common, how will their hard and blues rock covers sound in a more intimate setting?

Project 906's advertising also notes that Crooked Music owner, Half Stupid alum, and local solo musician Zac Crook will guest with them for Billy & Joe's set TOMORROW, which should be interesting, so keep watch for him then! Billy & Joe will apparently be on at around 6:30 PM, but the showcase proper begins at 5:00 PM. This is an ALL AGES event, and there is no announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and consider a run to The Superior Cafe at 107 East Portage Avenue for lots of talented local musicians! We don't have a public video of Billy & Joe alone to preview their set with here, hopefully one turns up.

Moving to Sault Ontario for a concert with plenty of advance notice, local punk trio Redundant will be among the live entertainment on Saturday, June 16th for Algoma Ride For Autism's afterparty at The Bridge View Banquet Hall! Involvement from Redundant with the annual autism awareness/fundraiser motorcycle rally is nothing new, as frontman Justin Langlois played a solo set at their pre-ride fundraiser at The Canadian last year, while Redundant played the AR4A's annual family fun day from 2014-2016, so it's great to see the guys lending their support once again! The other band playing on the 16th is country rock cover band The Ride (billed as Tex & The Ride), who should deliver for genre fans next month as well! Involvement in the motorcycle rally proper is not required to attend the afterparty, which has a $20 admission fee, though riders will get in free if you are a full participant. The afterparty proper starts at 6:00 PM, and I presume it's all ages (the venue appears to be licensed.)

And yes, there will be a pasta dinner provided. For reference, the Facebook event page implies that The Grand Gardens now owns the Bridge View Banquet Hall (formerly The Verdi Hall), but if the name changed, I haven't seen official reference to it. It's great to see live concert action returning to help gain proceeds and awareness for the Ride For Autism, and hopefully this year's installment is a huge hit for the cause! Check the above links for more on the ride and the afterparty, and stay tuned for possible updates!

We'll close today with the latest from local alt-punk trio A Dire Setback, as they began final recordings of their debut album on Sunday! The guys started this process with Nick Kainula's drum tracks, and you can follow the progress of the recordings on their Facebook page and (if you're backing them) their Patreon page. Things sound like they're going well so far, if challenging, and hopefully sessions are on track! A Dire Setback did share this video on Facebook on Monday of Nick tracking drums in studio, and he's solidly in the groove on this clip! The camera moves around well to show off their recording studio and setup also, and with the other tracks only audible to him on his headset, this is a unique way to hear an isolated track before the final song is compiled. Whether you can make it to The June Jam next week or not, be sure to follow A Dire Setback online to see how recording sessions go, and give Nick's video a look!



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

Scarkazm Concert Previews, New Sault Michigan Videos, And Id Iota Updates!!

As promised, we're closing up this weekend's concert previews with one more pair of shows for fans in the E.U.P., but we also have some new Sault Michigan performers to touch on via new videos of theirs! Rounding things out is the latest from a prominent Sault Ontario band, so here's what you should know on this Friday afternoon!

We'll start with this weekend's remaining hard rock concert previews (barring another late notice confirmation), as Traverse City, Michigan metal trio Scarkazm will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! While E.U.P. fans will have seen this fan favourite band live in St. Ignace in January, this will be Scarkazm's first concert weekend in the Soo since October of last year, so if you've been patiently waiting for a Rapids Lounge return in the last 6 months, here's your chance! Oddly, Scarkazm forgone their usual concert poster picture for this weekend in favour of this 9 second video of them live with pertinent details added in post. No audio, but it's something different for sure! As usual for Scarkazm's northern jaunts, tonight & tomorrow's shows are 21+ affairs with 9:00 PM start times and no announced cover charges. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Scarkazm live!

Next up, here's some more new Sault Michigan videos, starting with a new clip from local classical metal project Theatre of Night that goes along with one we previously shared on here! Earlier this month, you may recall seeing a shared Facebook video of a "late night jam session". Well, it was uploaded to keyboardist Craig Harrison's YouTube channel around that same time, and there's some more context there! We now know that this jam session was held in Grand Rapids, and featured members of both Theatre of Night and Grand Rapids death metal veterans Flesh For The Beast, who do have a local tie of their own, as future Half A Man drummer Mikey Bishop played for them in the early 2000s during their run as Sadomasochism. Performer credits aren't given on YouTube, but I believe that the video features Theatre of Night's Steve Giles and Erik Sales jamming with Flesh For The Beast bassist Craig Riley (though I could be wildly off base.)

That said, a second 15 video from the same jam was also uploaded (and is embedded below), which looks like it features a different bassist who I absolutely can't identify. In any event, this new video sounds solid for it's short length, and might this be leading somewhere beyond an informal jam from members of the two bands? When I first saw this video this morning, it still had no views, so help boost it's totals by giving this Theatre of the Beast jam a look below, and stay tuned for more from their camp!



Also today, here's a new performance clip of Project 906 guitarist/Crooked Music instructor Joe Jenkins, as shared from his personal Facebook page to the local music store's Facebook page on Monday! This 39 second clip features Joe demonstrating a Peavey Wolfgang guitar that is/was available in-store, and Joe has some fun shredding on this clip, even calling then guitar "incredible". Solid performance for what it is, so check it out below, and don't miss Project 906 TOMORROW at The Superior Cafe's musician showcase!

 
We'll close today's post back in Sault Ontario, with the latest from local indie/alt-hard rock quartet Id Iota, starting with some new reveals regarding their May 19th concert at LopLops Lounge, via it's Facebook event page! This show is titled "Indie Spring", appears to be put on by guitarist/Pointless bassist Dustin Goodall's recording studio Unsalted Audio (sort of bringing back Unsalted Records as a result), and copies of headlining Sudbury garage rock band The Almighty Rhombus' new EP will be on sale. Crank Sound Distribution will even be on hand for the best sound possible! As expected, this is a 19+, 9:00 PM show, but the cover charge is $10, so keep that in mind. On April 14th, Id Iota revealed on their Facebook page that their forthcoming second studio album will have 11 songs, and that they were "getting busy again" on recording sessions, as "2 years (since releasing their "Maudlin Fair EP) is long enough."

To close, Id Iota shared this new video onto their Facebook page yesterday to hype the Indie Spring concert. The video features the guys reflecting on the changing of the seasons and what would be the best way to host a spring show, with new bassist Robert Sartini suggesting that they summon Father Spring, and then they do. I refuse to spoil how they summon Father Spring (or even who he is), but it's a funny and well edited commercial, especially thanks to the guys' reactions in the second half, so give it a look below!



That's all for today, but if all goes according to plan, stay tuned for this month's CD review on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Spun), AlgomA/Shit Liver Split Details, And New Videos!!

Before we begin this post, we have a concert cancellation to acknowledge, as tonight's Nova Rex show at The Rockstar Bar is no longer taking place. The Florida hair metal headliners have reportedly dropped out of the show due to a band member falling ill, as per The Rockstar Bar's Hayley Warnock on the Facebook event page yesterday. Very disappointing, but hopefully Nova Rex play up here at some point in the future, this was shaping up to be a big event! Now, today's post features some new videos, and big album updates, but to lead off, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month!

Marquette cover hard rock quartet Spun will return to The Satisfied Frog in Sault Michigan for one night only on Friday, September 22nd! Two months removed from their last stops in our neck of the woods, the Nudge successors will be back in full force for another night of hard rocking classics for their E.U.P. fans, so circle September 22nd on your calendars to help ring in the fall season! This show is definitely advertised as being on Friday the 22nd only, no word on why they're not playing at The Frog on Saturday the 23rd, or if it's omission is accidental. Similarly to Spun's past Frog gigs, expect a 9:30 PM start time in three weeks, you must be 21 years old or greater to attend, and there is no announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for current details on this concert!

Next up, here's the latest updates on the upcoming split album from local metal trios AlgomA & Shit Liver, so what's new to say about "Trading Faces"? As per Shit Liver's Facebook page on Monday, the digital release of the split will take place on September 5th (THIS COMING TUESDAY) via both bands' respective Bandcamp pages, and while Shit Liver will also post their half on YouTube, they couldn't guarantee the same for AlgomA's half. The release date for the physical cassette tapes still appears to be two weeks later on September 17th, and they will be on sale during their Ontario/Montreal tour run next month (which ends at The New A on October 2nd) and online via AlgomA's label Deadbeat Media, though we await specifics on the release otherwise. As for the content, throw all assumptions about potential originals you had hoped to hear out the window, as this is a covers-only album! AlgomA are only doing songs by Dead Mouth and Kittens (they've played the latter live before), but expect these to be slow and sludgy!

Shit Liver will tackle songs by Leftover Crack, Macabre, Deicide, Antischism, and Dystopia, but one big twist here is that the two bands will also cover each other, with AlgomA covering "Fabricated Nonsense" and Shit Liver either including or re-recording their sped up grindcore version of "Fell Down A Well" from 2015. I didn't expect this to be a covers release, but it'll be very interesting to hear how this one turns out, so check the above links for full details and song names, and stay tuned for updates on the split's price and availability when it comes in, hopefully starting on Tuesday!

Closing today with new videos, here's a new live streamed clip from local hard rock quintet Skeyes of Seven's Facebook page from two weeks back! This video was intended as a promotional clip for their return set at the now cancelled Eye of Horus concert this past weekend, but the video is still relevant to share, as it's a performance of a new Skeyes of Seven original song, which I believe is entitled "Differences". The band's first video with their full current lineup (as recorded in their recent jam session locale), you'll hear a solid new original that fits with their existing original repertoire, and I'm sure it would have played well live, but hopefully we'll get a chance soon at another event! If only this wasn't filmed on a vertical camera angle, but it's still great to see a full five-piece Skeyes of Seven for the first time in 3 years, so give their new live video a look below, and stay tuned for more from their camp!



Finally for today, here's a new videos of Project 906 guitarist Joe Jenkins, as shared by Sault Michigan music store Crooked Music's Facebook page on Monday! Remember, Joe is their current guitar instructor. Originally posted to Joe's personal Facebook page, this features a test run of the Ashmun Street music store's most expensive guitar pedal while playing a Reverend Sensai 290 guitar, as recorded the day prior when the store was closed. This is a bit of an instructional or demonstrative clip with Joe talking to the camera about the gear, but he has some nice bluesy riffs to show off, so give it a look below, and don't miss Project 906 in Brimley this Saturday!



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

YouTube Channel Profile Series: Joe Jenkins

Now's a good time to post this month's YouTube Channel Profile on the site, as we're once again looking at a YouTube channel that largely focuses on local metal, hard rock, and or/punk-relevant videos! This month's randomly selected channel focuses on a prolific Sault Michigan-area artist who you may recognize as both a live guitarist and solo guitar demonstrator online, so read on below for this month's YouTube Profile!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joe Jenkins (http://www.youtube.com/phatman1478)

Owner: Project 906 guitarist "Big" Joe Jenkins, also known from older Sault Michigan-area bands like The Bottom Line, Exiled, Full Throttle, and Ten Kings

Channel Timeline: Launched on September 16th, 2011; Videos posted from April 2012 until March of this year

Channel Summary: A personal use channel whose launch predates his recent local band work, Joe describes his channel as being "about having fun with the guitar & effects". To that end, he has 19 videos posted of him playing guitar for either performance or demonstrative purposes, including two covers, a series of instrumental songs and segments, and increasingly in the past year, tests of new gear and pedals. As well, his first video is a short basketball slam dunk clip and is not music related.

Why You Should Watch: If you enjoy YouTube channels featuring guitarists performing solo compositions, covers, and tech demos, this is well worth your time, especially given that Joe is a local talent! However, videos of his local bands are not featured on his YouTube channel, with videos of them typically being posted on bands' own online pages when active. With all of that said, Joe has dozens of videos and followers on his Instagram page, which has most (if not all) of his YouTube uploads as well, plus more references to his bands, so that may be more worth subscribing to if you're an Instagram user.

Our Recommended Videos To Check Out

TRUE LIES - KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD (COVER): Joe's YouTube channel is not highly populated with covers (Instagram has more), but with over 800 views, his rendition of Kenny Wayne Shepherd's "True Lies" from September of last year is far and away his most popular on that site. Featuring a black & white film grain filter, Joe handles this blues rock number nicely, as played along with the original track, and he nails the guitar solo with some extra flourish, so fans should enjoy this cover! His other YouTube cover is of Soundgarden's "Outshined".



PITCH BLACK (ORIGINAL SONG) BY BIG JOE JENKINS: Not counting original riffs, solos, and jams, Joe has two named original songs that he performed for YouTube videos, including "Jedi Flip" and, as featured here, "Pitch Black", a song featured by name in no less than four of his uploads. This copy, from October of last year, is a re-recording to allow an unidentified friend to record a drum track, though if the version with drums was publically released, it's not on YouTube. The track is obviously unfinished, and could use more of a solo, but a solid hard rock number is there, and hopefully a fleshed out version comes online at some point!



GUITAR PEDAL GAIN STACKING!! (PAUL C TIMMY + IBANEZ TS808 + TS9 + NEW IBANEZ ANALOG DELAY MINI!!): In the past year or so, Joe's YouTube channel has focused largely on videos to show off, demonstrate, or compare his guitar gear, and if his Instagram following is any indication, there's a definite audience! One of the better ones, despite a cold he was battling, features Joe trying out some new guitar pedals that he bought in March, and offering some running commentary on how they sound and feel. Guitarists in particular will appreciate his videos on his gear, and he definitely knows what he's talking about, but again, visit Instagram for more similar videos!


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! This series will return on November 22nd, and after a random selection we have chosen multiple channels, as the first channel that we randomly drew only had one video, as did the second! With that said, we'll be looking at YouTube user matti7915's channel (featuring one Dirty Virgin video), local pop punk project Anthems vs. Ocean's channel (with one For July-era song), and A Dire Setback drummer Nick Kainula's YouTube channel (featuring a video of his old band Unbound), so look for all of this on or around November 22nd, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

Local Metal Video Showcase!!

Today's SMS post is 100% devoted to new videos from local artists, so let's begin with this teaser video for TOMORROW'S Sky's the Limit mental health fundraiser concert at The Tech, courtesy of performers The Din! Posted to their Facebook page on Monday, the video starts with drummer Brandan Glew outlining the show, location, and what to expect (complete with scrolling ticker), while noting that they'll debut a new song at the show. Mike Haggith & Tammy Hill give a demo of it next, and while I won't spoil it, it is a cover, and a flute comes into play! The irreverence continues with Brandan noting that his bandmates were missing, before we find out what actions Tammy takes to rectify the alternative power trio's absence from the concert poster. Cute video, if a little disjointed, but it's good press for this concert, so give it a look below, and stay tuned for our preview of this show next!



Next up, here's another new cover from ex-Elipzis bassist/Riot! By Night frontman Ryan Harrison's YouTube channel, this time of the Sault Michigan native covering R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion", which he described as one of his favourite tunes. Edited in post to make the video black & white with a dream-like filter, the song is slowed down from the original, and features some vocal distortion, but it's not badly handled, so give it a look below!



Also today, I wanted to give a long, long overdue acknowledgement to an extremely prolific Instagram page from a fellow Sault Michigan-area artist, that being Project 906 guitarist Joe Jenkins, who has posted dozens upon dozens of solo performance videos (and select band videos) there since 2014. Joe has shared a few of these as YouTube channel uploads too, but the lions share of his solo uploads are on Instagram, and I believe this is also the only public page where you can see footage of his recent defunct band Ten Kings anymore, so keep that in mind! Though this originally began as a personal account, Joe has actually developed a sizable following on Instagram, with 888 followers there to check out his assorted guitar videos, including covers, demonstrations, and original pieces alike, and even singing on a few! There's way too many to individually address and link to on here, but if you know Joe's recent band work and YouTube content, you'll know what talent and skill he has!

Be sure to check out and/or follow his Instagram account above, stay tuned for updates on Project 906's benefit fundraiser in Brimley next weekend, and here's Joe's newest video from last week, of him playing around with his new loop switcher pedal, which you may see used in concert!

A video posted by Big Joe Jenkins (@bigjoeguitar) on Apr 27, 2016 at 11:45am PDT

Finally for today, here's a video that is admittedly two weeks late, but I thought it was worth acknowledging on here, if only for the oddity factor. This is a video that Pixo Control frontman Michael Mikus filmed to promote their LopLops Lounge concert (Id Iota's EP release show) on April 21st, which was shared on the venue's Facebook page that same day. Presumably for humorous effect, the 14 second video is strictly focused on Michael's mouth, with him using a comical higher-pitched voice to plug the show, bands, and EP. It's definitely different, so give it a look below, apologies for this being so late, and stay tuned for our Sky's The Limit preview!



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

Id Iota Updates, New Sault Michigan Videos, And Local Band Lineup Notes!!

With this last week of March now upon us, let's dive into some recent news and notes, including some lineup additions and clarifications to take note of, new videos from some Sault Michigan-area artists, and first, the very latest from a talented local band, so here's what you should know!

Let's start with the latest from local alternative hard rock band Id Iota, who have welcomed Dan Linklater as their new bassist, replacing Justin Girardi, as per this new photo on their Facebook page. This reunites Dan with his former Dirty Few/Vertically Impaired bandmate Blair St. John, so there's instant chemistry from that alone, and he should fit in nicely! With that said, there's no word yet on when we'll see Id Iota live in the Soo next, but the band also revealed in the Facebook post with the picture that they'll end their concert hiatus with shows in Barrie, Toronto, and Waterloo next month, presumably as openers for The Pixo Control's upcoming Southern Ontario tour run in the same cities, but neither band has confirmed the joint billing. They're a good match, especially as Dustin Goodall is in both bands, so hopefully the tour goes very smoothly for them! Lastly, the aforementioned Facebook post also confirmed that Id Iota are indeed working on their debut EP, which they hope to finish before the tour run!

After a couple months of secretive and cryptic posts teasing their recent recording sessions, it's great to finally get public confirmation that an EP is in the works from the Free Beer/Habitat Shuffle successors, and they'll be back on stage for the first time since last summer in due course as well! That said, will Id Iota's EP be released before the tour, or just completed? Time will tell, but stay tuned for updates as we hear them!

Next up, here's our first media posting from the reunited Sault Michigan band The Creepy Little Coffee People! Uploaded by frontman Bob "Orb Hearthstone" Helsten to his YouTube channel on Wednesday, this is of the acoustic hard rock quartet's new song "I Know", and it has a hard rock structure despite it's unplugged style. It doesn't sound bad, harbouring a bit of a driving feel as it goes along, but with a lineup of Clownsack, I.S.O.M., Shift, and Retro Troop alumni, how could it be bad? Check out this new Creepy Little Coffee People song below, and stay tuned for more from them!



Next up, here's another solo performance/gear demonstration video from Project 906/ex-Ten Kings guitarist Joe Jenkins' YouTube channel on Friday! In this video, he's comparing two of his guitar pedals to gauge their sound and effectiveness, and is looking for input from fans of his channel. I think I prefer the Lockeness Modster Purple Plexi Clone for it's cleaner tone, but see what you think below, and give Joe's strong playing a look there too!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, all relating to lineup additions and clarifications from Sault Ontario bands! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or event name:

• Garden of Bedlam's Derek Turner filled in on drums with local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements during their Rockstar Bar set on Friday, reuniting him with ex-Side FX bandmate Rob Speers. Our source is personal Facebook postings from last week, and while there's been no public word on why Alex Hagerman missed the show, he and his fiancee did welcome a baby girl a couple of weeks ago, so that may be related. Congratulations to the happy couple, and hopefully Derek and The Elements delivered a great set on Friday!
• Local classic/alternative rock cover quartet Lucky 13 have added ex-Thin Ice bassist Robin "Bones" Lee to the fold as their new lead guitarist, replacing Jeremey Salatuk, as per bassist Jeff Gray's personal Facebook page this morning. I'm not familiar with Robin as a guitarist (or in a non-country genre), but he should have fit in well this talented veteran band in his debut on Saturday, so stay tuned for Lucky 13's huge next show that we'll be plugging in this weekend's concert previews!
• As a clarification for a recent addition to our band links, we can now confirm that new local punk band Programmed To Fail (formerly The Transjenners) is a two man project from local musicians Craig Kelly & Justin Thorkilson, as confirmed via Justin's personal Facebook page. I'm unsure of complete instrument roles for the guys, and neither are familiar from past local bands, but Craig is apparently their lead singer. Justin's a nice guy, and it's good to put some faces to this band, so look for more from them when announced!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and this month's CD review in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Banned), Sault Michigan Weekend Concert Previews, And New Videos!!

I normally try to avoid getting 3 posts on the site in the same day, but I admittedly had a blonde moment: Sault Michigan-area weekend concert previews for this weekend! With that said, let's get right to it, plus some new videos, and LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for later this year!

Kinross classic/hard rock trio Banned will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino for Friday & Saturday night concerts on July 15th & 16th, and then on August 5th & 6th! The new shows were confirmed via Banned's Facebook page in their newest cover photo, as Kewadin's entertainment page is not updated that far into the year yet. Alex, Don, and Wayne should rock out nicely for these newest summer dates, but remember, they'll first be hitting The Rapids Lounge TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT for this weekend's action, so don't miss this talented trio's latest local dates if you can help it! As usual for Banned's Kewadin dates, these shows have 9:00 PM start times, age limits of 21 or older, and no announced cover charges. See the above links for more details, and here's Banned live last year!



Also this weekend, Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63 will themselves be rocking out at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Though the band curiously hasn't plugged a concert on their Facebook page in the past month, I have read nothing to suggest that they're not playing this weekend, so expect a strong weekend of familiar favourites and many heavier cuts as they rock The Northern Pines Lounge once again! No word though on the location pictured in the photos from their newest picture, which shows a casino, but that's not the stage backdrop for either Kewadin branch's lounge. Like with this weekend's Banned shows, expect 21+ age limits, no announced cover charges, and 9:00 PM age limits. Check the above links for more details, and here's Highway 63 live!



We'll close today with new videos from a pair of Sault Michigan artists, including an audio cover of The Stone Temple Pilots' "Interstate Love Song" by 415E singer Dave Menard! This was uploaded to bandmate Chris Hubbard's YouTube channel last week in two copies (one with dead air at the end and a scrolling picture of Dave, the other with no dead air and the same photo in a stationary frame.) A rare upload from Chris that isn't of him performing, it's a nice rendition of this S.T.P. classic by Dave, and it's a good preview of 415E's live show, especially with the lack of public concert videos of theirs. Give it a listen below!



Finally for today, here's a new solo performance video from Project 906/ex-Ten Kings guitarist Joe Jenkins, as uploaded to his YouTube channel last week as well, and it's again of him demonstrating four new guitar pedals that he picked up. Featuring some discussion of them and some light performing to showcase the pedals in action, it's a fun video for guitar gear fans, so check it out below, and don't miss Project 906's debut on Thursday!



That's definitely all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Highway 63), New Videos, And More Updates!!

Before we get into today's post, I'd like to apologize for a pair of missed concerts this past weekend, as Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm played their first E.U.P. dates of the year this past Friday & Saturday at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino. Despite being announced online on January 4th, they completely slipped us by last week. No excuses, I sincerely apologize for missing them on here, but hopefully Scarkazm had a great weekend, and that they & Peril head back north in short order! Now, today's post features some assorted news, new videos, and first, lots of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you need to know!

Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63 have announced their 2016 concert schedule for the regional Kewadin Casino branches, and yes, that means all year long! While we wait for an updated multi-band schedule from Kewadin themselves, the Monkey's Uncle successors have confirmed via their Facebook page that they'll be playing at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin and The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin each for one weekend a month (with one exception), so when will we see them? In St. Ignace, we'll see Highway 63 for Friday and/or Saturday nighters on January 15th & 16th, February 12th & 13th, March 11th & 12th, April 8th & 9th, May 27th & 28th, June 24th & 25th, July 29th & 30th, August 26th & 27th, September 23rd & 24th, October 21st & 22nd, and December 2nd & 3rd (there's no November dates listed for St. Ignace.) Meanwhile, when will we see this talented band rocking the Soo in 2016?

Look for them there on January 22nd & 23rd, February 19th & 20th, March 25th & 26th, April 22nd & 23rd, May 13th & 14th, June 3rd & 4th, July 8th & 9th, August 12th & 13th, September 9th & 10th, October 7th & 8th, November 4th & 5th, and Saturday, December 31st only, so keep these dates in mind! Also, Highway 63 will play a few shows at the Kewadin branch in Christmas through February, and they've confirmed that they plan to only playing casino gigs in 2016 due to the positive response those have gotten. Each show has a 9:00 PM start time, 21+ age limit, and no cover, so check the above links for more details!

Next up, here's a new video from Sault Ontario alternative hard rock trio The Pixo Control promoting their Sudbury concert on January 22nd, as per their YouTube channel on Saturday, and it's basically an extended version of their earlier Instagram video plugging the gig. It basically involves various attempts to plug the show in various comic tones and moods, often with the guys breaking down into laughter. Even if you can't make their first show in Sudbury, it's an entertaining watch, so give it a look below!



Also, here's the latest solo performance videos from ex-Ten Kings guitarist Joe Jenkins' YouTube channel, both uploaded last month (apologies for the delay!) One of the videos is of the Sault Michigan standout playing a funk rock instrumental with all of his pedals on at once, which gives an interesting effect, but embedded below is a longer performance clip of Joe demonstrating his Mooer Pure Octave pedal, which gives the effect of his guitar sounding like a keyboard or organ when he plays it. Entertaining videos, especially if you're into guitar gear, so check out Joe's latest YouTube uploads above & below!



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

• Six months after it was first announced, the split disc from local doom metal trio AlgomA and Saskatchewan doom metal outfit Chronobot finally has some more information! As per this link, the split will apparently come out exclusively as a 12'' vinyl record (rendering it an EP or split single in length), it'll have new tracks from both bands, and it'll come out via AlgomA's label Dead Beat Media. Nice to finally hear more about it, so stay tuned for more details on it and AlgomA's other announced split with Hooded Menace when everything comes in!
• Local hard rock quartet Long Shot have apparently completed mastering their debut EP, as per their Facebook page yesterday! Though they had recorded some studio demos last year, this is largely a complete surprise, as they hadn't publically acknowledged recording an album beforehand (unless it was done in concert only.) We'll keep you posted when more comes out from Long Shot!
• Garden of Bedlam frontman Erik "Buzz" Boissineau is moving to Guelph soon for a career opportunity, and as a result, his general rock cover band Changing Lanes will be going on hiatus after their February 6th concert at The Water Tower Pub. What this development means for Garden of Bedlam's status isn't public yet, but note that the prominent metal quartet have only played one public concert in the past 2 years, and haven't issued a public update since July. We'll let you know if Garden of Bedlam announce anything, but best of luck to Buzz in Guelph!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more news & notes in the coming week! Thanks everyone!

Local Metal Video Showcase!!

Before we get into this all-video post, just a quick apology for a missed concert, as Lucky 13 did indeed play last night at The Rednecks Saloon too. The band never indicated a Saturday nighter on the Facebook event page, and we didn't get concrete word about "round #2" until it was too late to plug it here. Our sincere apologies, hopefully both nights were awesome! Now, let's get some news and notes rolling again on the SMS with an all-video post, with concert video, two acts' studio material, and a solo performance!

We'll start with local alternative/grunge trio The Pixo Control, whose CD release parties were a success, if early word on social media is any indication! Of course, we'll touch on fallout from the shows proper when/if media or articles turn up, but both SooToday and The Sault Star posted articles about the release shows before they took place! SooToday's article just promotes the concert and the newly released "Probably Not" CD, but The Sault Star's Brian Kelly interviewed frontman Michael Mikus for this article on the concerts and album, so what should you know there? Within, Michael notes his reactions to finishing "Probably Not", and mentions that the final CD versions of their songs won't sound exactly as they do live, as you may have seen during "The 12 Days of Pixo". The article also confirms that cellist Emma N-K makes a guest appearance on the album, presumably on the song "No", which she has guested on with the band before.

Also, the article notes that The Rad Zone has copies of "Probably Not", but the band hasn't confirmed that yet. Solid and informative, so check both articles out above! As for the final two days of "The 12 Days of Pixo", the last two studio tracks from "Probably Not" went up on the band's YouTube channel on Thursday & Friday, including the aforementioned "No" and, as embedded below, the 9 minute long "Potpourri". We won't comment on the songs yet, pending our full CD review, but stay tuned for more from The Pixo Control when it comes in, and I hope the release parties went well, I wish I could have been there! Here's "Potpourri"!



Next up, local goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore have announced plans for their next full length release, with the oddly calm title "The Beautiful Sounds of Nature", but don't worry, they're still as brutal as ever! It's not clear if the picture of Tyler Gibson drinking is the final cover or not (especially given the dimensions), but he noted on the C.T.W. Facebook page that it'll be released on March 10th for $5, and will have 20 songs in between 30-40 minutes in length, indicating plenty of short songs once again. Two videos are on the Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel with recordings planned for "The Beautiful Sounds of Nature", including one song whose name we won't give here as it's potentially offensive, but embedded below, here's two songs from it, entitled "It Is What It Is" and "Banana Blast Beats". Suitably heavy and minimalstic grind for fans and Blood Shed loyalists alike, so check everything out above & below!



Also, here's the latest videos from local classic/hard rock cover favourites That's Chester, whose future plans remain unclear, but have been staying busy posting daily "wake up songs" approved by the band and/or late guitarist Eugene Orlando. Some are just YouTube links to favourite songs, but three more concert videos have made their way online, all courtesy of guitarist Gabe Tessaro's personal Facebook page! I believe two of them are from the 2010 Rotaryfest (when they headlined the main stage on that year's Friday lineup), including renditions Deep Purple's "Highway Star" and April Wine's "Roller", and while the videos are a little fuzzy, the audio's great, and you get a good central angle of the band! The newest video, as embedded below, is from this July's Rotaryfest (That's Chester's last regular concert set before Eugene's death), and it's of them covering Deep Purple's "Hush".

Filmed from behind the band like on the prior Tommy video from this camera, you get a nice expanded view of That's Chester once again, so give these new That's Chester-approved wake up songs a look above & below!



Finally, former Ten Kings guitarist Joe Jenkins posted a new solo demonstration video onto his YouTube channel on Wednesday! His first video there in a month, this is of Joe testing some new guitar pedals that he got, and his playing sounds good with them! More of an informational video than anything, but fans of Joe's music will like it, so check it out below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Ten Kings), And New Video Uploads!!

I wasn't expecting to have a second post today, but with two more SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS that came to our attention earlier today, I got this mostly Sault Michigan-centric post ready! The rest of the content revolves around new videos, including a song from a Sault Ontario project, so read on below for what you should know, and check out more weekend concert previews and Sault Ontario updates in the post below this one!

Sault Michigan hard rock cover quartet Ten Kings will apparently return to the stage TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino! Apologies for the extremely short notice, we only heard about the shows via frontman Brandon Carr's personal Facebook page this afternoon (we missed their Facebook page's plug of them yesterday), and Kewadin's entertainment page still isn't updated to reflect October dates at The Rapids Lounge. After about two months off from public concerts, it's great to see this popular and very talented band back on stage, and believe it or not, this is their first announced concert weekend at The Rapids Lounge since February! Of note, Brandon indicated in the personal posting that TONIGHT'S show followed the annual Dancing With The Stars charity event for the Hospice of the E.U.P., and he's among the local celebrities and dignitaries who danced for the mirror ball trophy, so hopefully he got high marks at this great event earlier today!

Presumably due to the D.W.T.S. event's scheduling, TONIGHT'S show only will have a special 10:00 PM start time (TOMORROW'S will start at 9:00 PM as usual), and both have 21+ age limits and no announced cover charges. For more details, visit the above links, and don't miss Ten Kings' entertaining hard rock covers this weekend! Here they are live this summer!



Next up, local metal/classical project Theatre of Night have posted three new videos to their Facebook page last week, so what should you know? Two of them are just 10 seconds long each, and feature keyboardist Craig Harrison working on parts for new original material, and while they're too short to effectively comment on, you can watch them here & here! Embedded below though is a 2 minute clip of Craig performing an instrumental passage for a new song, this time with a stationary horizontal camera. Suitably dramatic (albeit obviously incomplete at this stage), it's good to see Theatre of Night staying busy, so give this video a look below, and see more from the guys above!



Also today, here's a new original song from Sault Ontario goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore, as uploaded to label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel on Monday! Entitled "Don Q", the song references Tyler's favourite rum brand (not Don Quixote, the rum's literary namesake.) Aside from a late hiccup of a different song entirely, this is a nice wallop of goregrind brutality for C.T.W. fans, and the song has been teased to be included on their next full length CD, planned to be released by the spring. Give it a listen below, and stay tuned for more from the Blood Shed!



Finally, here's a new solo performance video from Ten Kings guitarist Joe Jenkins, as uploaded to his YouTube channel on Sunday! It's the third version of his own solo composition "Pitch Black" to be posted there, and he noted in the description he re-recorded it for an uncredited friend that wants to add a drum track to it, and he does plan to upload that when complete. Sounds good as before, but definitely empty without added instruments. Give it a look below, and don't miss Ten Kings at the Soo Kewadin TONIGHT & TOMORROW! (Note that the Guitfiddlin reference is to an Instagram page that spotlights guitarists daily, Joe included.)



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Scarkazm & Ten Kings), And New YouTube Postings!!

Keeping things rolling on this Saturday morning, we have some new videos from each side of the border, but leading off, we'll touch on LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the remaining new hard rock show announcements for late 2015 from Kewadin Casino's entertainment page, which ideally would have been their own post, but we tied Highway 63, Banned & Peril's with their separate own concert previews and/or announcements in our last two posts, hence the wider spread. Now, here's what you should know!

Traverse City, Michigan metal trio Scarkazm will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino on Friday, November 6th & Saturday, November 7th! As announced via Kewadin's entertainment page, this will mark the Peril sister band's first weekend in St. Ignace in about 4 months, though they have played at the Kewadin Casino in Manistique since. Since we last saw them, the guys won $10,000 in a battle of the bands at the Traverse City Music Festival and opened for Pop Evil, so they're bound to still be riding high with their metal covers and originals in four weeks' time, and this will likely be your last chance to see Scarkazm live in the E.U.P. this year as well! As usual for Kewadin Casino concerts, there is no announced cover charge, you must be 21 or older to attend, and there will be 9:00 PM start times. For more details, visit the above links, and stay tuned for more on their and Peril's next regional dates as they roll in!

Next up, Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Ten Kings are advertised to rock The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace themselves the following weekend (Friday, November 13th & Saturday, November 14th!) Aside from a private event last month, Ten Kings have been fairly quiet since the summer (and haven't announced the November shows yet themselves, for the record), but this talented local cover band should attract a solid crowd once again next month, so keep their advertised returns to the stage in mind then! And again, there's no word from Kewadin Casino's entertainment page regarding new Rapids Lounge shows at the Sault branch from any band, though it remains to be seen if it's an oversight or if something's going on with that venue. Like with the previous week's Scarkazm shows, these are 21+ affairs at 9:00 PM with no announced cover charge, so keep their entertaining hard rock covers in mind for then, and stay tuned for more from a band member in a second!

Also, here's a surprise new studio recording by Sault Ontario/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver, as per their YouTube channel yesterday, and it's a cover of fellow local metal trio AlgomA's original "Fell Down A Well"! You don't see a local band covering another local band very often (not counting cases of bands covering songs from a member's prior band, like with Shit Liver's old OBCD covers), so this is a nice surprise, and it's interesting to hear this sludge metal song effectively sped and grimed up all at once! Fans of both bands should get a kick out of this, so check it out below!



Finally, here's some new YouTube video postings from Ten Kings guitarist Joe Jenkins, courtesy of his YouTube channel in the last few days! His new postings (with varying filters added in post) include covers of Soundgarden's "Outshined" and Kenny Wayne Shepherd's "True Lies" (both with his own spin on them), along with this demonstration video and song "Jedi Flip" using his new fuzz pedal, and as embedded below, this original funk rock guitar solo. Not bad at all, he shows his range and skill nicely on these, though on the covers, the original songs could be a little louder, and sound thrown in. Check out Joe's new videos above and below, and stay tuned for more new solo content from Joe's Instagram page!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Highway 63), Dusty Tucker/Nailheads Concert Preview, And More!!

News has been slow as of late, but we're back for this Tuesday morning, so what's in store? Along with new recording session videos from this side of the border, we're mostly sticking with the Sault Michigan area today, including some new interview finds, some solo videos, and first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you should know! (Updated on Wednesday at 7:19 PM)

For a second straight year, Sault Michigan classic/hard rock quartet Highway 63 will play a Halloween party at The American Legion on Saturday, October 31st! Though not a typical concert venue in the area, the Monkey's Uncle successors obviously had a successful Halloween show last year at the Legion (at 3 Legion Drive, off East Water Street), so keep this one in mind at month's end if you're unsure how you want to spend the holiday! The band's on at 8:00 PM, expect a costume party with cash prizes, and note that last year's Halloween show also had a $5 cover charge, door prizes, an all you can eat buffet, and no announced age limits. Also, Highway 63 will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino on Friday, December 4th & December 5th, which are among the new show confirmations on Kewadin Casino's entertainment page. This will be their first announced St. Ignace concert weekend since the summer, and like usual, expect a 21+ age limit, no cover, and 9:00 PM start time.

Note that there are more hard rock show announcements from Kewadin's entertainment page that we will further outline in a post later this week, partly as one band has late notice shows elsewhere to touch on this weekend, so stay tuned for those in a few days! It's good to see Highway 63 staying busy in the latter months of 2015, so keep these shows in mind, and stay tuned for more from them!

Next up, here's a preview for a long-announced concert going down TOMORROW NIGHT at The New American Pub (more on that in a second), as Red Deer, Alberta hard rock quintet Dusty Tucker and Montreal punk trio The Nailheads are slated to join forces! Dusty Tucker's southern rock-influenced blend of heavy original music should find a strong audience tomorrow, while The Nailheads (replacing the now defunct locals The Danger Cats) will be playing the Soo for the first time since rocking a metal night at the former Roosevelt Hotel four years ago, and it's about time their old school punk attack is in our area again! The advertised local openers are post-punk quartet Gnaeus in their first announced show of the fall, and it'll be nice to see them out of the studio for this one! However, promoter Brent Ellis (replacing Mitch Sirie) noted on the Facebook event page this evening that the show had been moved from the previously announced Rednecks Saloon to The New A for unannounced reasons, so keep the late notice venue shift in mind!

This 19+ show has a 9:00 PM start time, and rather than the former "pay what you can" format, there is now a flat $5 cover charge.  Check the above links for more details! Despite the surprise late venue change (and slow recent promotion of the gig), this should be an entertaining and diverse concert with a little something for everyone, so check out all three of these talented bands, and keep this Wednesday nighter in mind for TOMORROW! Here's Dusty Tucker live in Alberta last month!



Also, here's the latest Instagram video postings from Sault Ontario death metal favourites The Bear Hunters, as they continue to record their second album "The Dead Testament" at Mission Control Studios! One is a short clip of drummer Johnny Belanger and producer Dustin Jones checking out part of the drum track for "Transcend Judgement", but embedded below is our first glimpse at "For Glory", one of two songs from the CD that we have yet to hear live (the other being the title track.) This is just a short instrumental preview from the studio tracking, but what we do hear does sound Bear Hunters-esque, so give it a look below, and see more above!

A video posted by The Bear Hunters (@thebearhunterscanada) on Oct 5, 2015 at 5:49pm PDT

Finally for today, here's some recent press materials from Dafter, Michigan hard rock solo artist Ken "SweetKenny" Sutton, including two interviews from last November! Published on the underground music website Arm The Pit, they appear to be generic questions for any artist, given the questions referencing bands and labels given to an independent solo artist, but you go get some interesting insights into his recording methods, and plans (at the time) to form a live band. One interview is about SweetKenny in general, and the other is focused around his then-new CD "Amazonian", so read both at this link! We were going to round out our SweetKenny updates with a review from Woodbangers Entertainment of his recent album "Charlie Hidelburg: Ancient Hunter", but it's either down or deleted. In any event, it's link is/was here, but stay tuned in case it comes back, and keep an eye out for more from this prolific Eastern U.P. solo musician as we hear it!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and concert previews soon! Thanks everyone!

Punk Rock Bingo Preview, SweetKenny Album Updates, And New Videos!!

News has been somewhat slow lately, hence the recent quietness at the SMS, but let's end the month strong with this one! Today, we have some new video finds, and big album updates from a regional solo artist, but first, here's a preview for a special event that, while not a concert, is intriguing for punk fans, so here's what you should know!

The long anticipated debut of punk rock bingo goes down TONIGHT at The New American Pub!  Presented by Six Two Oh, this is a concept that has been done successfully in some other cities, and it's exactly what it says on the tin: Bingo with a punk rock theme and prizes! There are plans to show cult punk movies on the TV(s?) there tonight, as well as play punk music, with "stupid prizes" planned, but no one has spilled the beans yet on what specific prizes may be up for grabs. Destroilet singer and recent concert promoter Brenton Ellis (a.k.a. Buck Norris) will be the caller, which should be fun in & of itself! You guys should know how to play bingo, and to participate TONIGHT, cards will be $1 each, with no cover charge otherwise. This is a 19+ event, and everything will start at 9:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Though not a concert, this sounds like a fun & unpredictable event for punk and/or bingo fans, so get your dabbers ready TONIGHT at The New A, and hopefully this becomes a recurring event!

Next up, here's the latest from Dafter, Michigan hard rock solo artist Kenneth "SweetKenny" Sutton's prolific studio output, so what should you know? His previously teased new album "Charlie Hidelburg: Ancient Hunter" was released a little earlier than expected on August 21st (apologies for the delay) to his Bandcamp page and other online outlets, and it's a concept album themed as a score for a TV show or video game, with the cover art bearing a resemblance to Tomb Raider. Though new references cite "Cartoons" to be his fourth original album released in 2015, there are three more new albums that aren't on Bandcamp that you can stream on Spotify and find on various online stores (most notably on Google Play) entitled "In The Groove", "The Island", and "The Specialist Parts 1-2". All were released since mid-August, and three more albums (entitled "Anything Go's", "Underwater Adventure", and "Desert Romance") are planned for release next month and are now available for pre-order.

Other than visible themes on the albums (possibly intended as scores as well), we don't know a whole lot on this sudden influx of new SweetKenny albums, which he hasn't plugged on his website or Bandcamp page that I've seen. Are these extra albums not considered in the main line, or is extra acknowledgement of them coming? In any event, our next SweetKenny CD review won't be until 2016, as we just reviewed "Fleabag Hotel" in July, but check this massive haul of new material out above, and here's his newest posting to his YouTube channel, of his new song "Kiss Kiss Bang" set to footage from the video game James Bond 007: Nightfire!



Also, here's one more new video discovery from AlgomA guitarist Boyd Rendell's YouTube channel, and in this case, it's actually of the doom metal trio in action! Uploaded on April 2nd, this is of AlgomA playing their original song "Phthisis" (which is about tuberculosis) during their last jam at "Das Bunker" in Garden River before Boyd moved from the location. Though he noted that the video was fuzzy due to "half resolution", it's of solid quality and captures this shorter but crushing newer original in solid fashion! Give it a look below, and remember to check out punk rock bingo TONIGHT, as put on by the guys in AlgomA with Six Two Oh!



Finally for today, here's a new video of Ten Kings guitarist Joe Jenkins improvising to a Joe Satriani-esque backing track, as uploaded to his YouTube channel yesterday! His first posting there of the year, it's a strong instrumental performance that captures his original skill nicely, and if you're curious to see more of his own solo videos, don't worry, we have a ton more coming from a non-YouTube source in the coming days! Give Joe's new video a look below, and also stay tuned for news on Ten Kings' next shows!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews tomorrow! Thanks everyone!