Our Recap Of An Episode Of Metal Nation On KLT!!

For this post, I wanted to talk about a radio show that, while not technically airing in the Sault Ste. Marie market, can be picked up in the Soo with the right location and equipment. Last fall, a new 3 hour radio show named Metal Nation premiered on KLT: The Rock Station out of WKLT 97.5 FM in Kalkaska (serving Traverse City), and as you may be aware, KLT has long gotten fringe reception in the Soo via its more easterly repeater stations, formerly including WKLZ 98.9 in Petoskey. In 2020, that affiliate was moved to WBCM 93.5 FM in Boyne City during a station swap when KLT was sold to their current owners, but also joining the KLT network that year was WRGZ 96.7 in Rogers City (serving Alpena). Your mileage may vary, but for me, I have an easier time pulling 96.7 in the Soo, and the presence of KLT there is a big factor as to why it's hard for me to latch any kind of signal for the McMillan/Newberry-based Flash 96.7 (WMJT) in city limits.

Just for context, from my experience hearing the three Northern Michigan FM rock stations with fringe reception in the Soo, KLT plays more recent music than Classic Rock: The Bear (WWSS 95.3 FM) but more classic rock than Rock 105 & 95.5 (WGFM 105.1 FM), so assess that balance as your music preferences dictate. All three have their merits, but for general rotation, I honestly prefer Rock 105. It is worth noting that Alice's Attic (the successor to Nights With Alice Cooper via a separate syndicator) debuted on KLT on Sunday nights in 2024 after the prior show aired on The Bear (albeit on weeknights), so if you missed Alice's radio show, keep that in mind!

The idea of a new dedicated local-ish metal radio show on a regional station seemed worth noting on the SMS, but if you can't pick up 93.5 or 96.7 FM with your radios, KLT's online stream is available on their website, TuneIn, and so forth, and is not geoblocked in Canada. Metal Nation is hosted by Sean "Finster" Finnegan (a.k.a. "The Mayor of Metal"), who has co-hosted the morning drive show Omelette & Finster on KLT since 2006, save for a 2016-2023 spell where he worked on other regional stations. If you're familiar with The Hair Scare on Rock 101, the same basic idea applies, but Metal Nation is devoted to metal of varying subgenres in an identical three hour timeslot. A big distinction with Metal Nation is that the show airs live, and Finster does take on-air requests from listeners, though an online pre-request is recommended for deep cuts or local bands so he can make sure the song is ready.

Compared to The Hair Scare, there's a lot of sponsorship, but hey, you've gotta pay the bills somehow! Select songs are introduced as weekly picks based on theme or timeframe, including the "80's Metal Haircut" (not always a hair metal band though), "Rusty Old Metal" (40+ year old songs), the "Metal Remake of the Week", and the "Request from Hell", where "Satan" calls in! There's also a "Metal Minute" featuring metal news, and a recent change is that a Metallica song leads off each hour. I listened to the show on Friday, and 29 songs were played across the 3 hour runtime, ranging from the "Rusty Old Metal" pick (Motorhead's self-titled song) to four cuts from this year. 17 of the songs came from the 1980s and 1990s, and there were no songs chosen last week that were released between 2011-2020 (not that this is indicative of every playlist; remember, Finster does take requests).

In terms of subgenres, Finster and listeners do lean to classic metal legends (the big four of thrash all got played), but with a surprising amount of modern nu-metal and radio metal. For example, Linkin Park's "In The End" followed Venom's "As Above So Below" to end hour #1, and in hour #3, W.A.S.P. and Pantera sandwiched the new Machine Gun Kelly & Fred Durst song. Metal has many flavours, and requests happen, just be prepared for variance! At least last week, nothing more extreme than Slipknot was played. I did like what I heard for the most part, and being a live show means that unscripted moments and amusing ad-libs can happen. You can tell that regulars and familiar faces do call in, from an 11 year old drummer to the frontman of Elmira hard rock band Driving Dawn (who played here last year), and Finster is a knowledgeable host who clearly is a metal fan and is happy to promote stuff that he enjoys!

Other names heard on Friday included Rob Zombie (twice, thrice if you count The L.A. Rats), Corrosion Of Conformity, Faith No More, Primer 55, and Testament, among a bunch of others. If you can pull KLT on 93.5 or 96.7, this would be a good companion piece to both The Hair Scare on Saturday nights and Eddie Trunk Rocks (Sunday nights on Rock 101) to give metalhead Yoopers and Saultites a three day weekend of classic-leaning metal on the FM dial. A little too much AI art for my liking, but if this interests you, tune in from 9:00 PM-midnight on Fridays on KLT! We'll get back to fully local news and notes on the SMS next! Thanks everyone!

Hair Scare Live Concert Videos, Plus Big Changes For KLT!!

Can you believe there's no weekend concert previews today? Still wrapping my head around that one. In today's pandemic-free news post, we're focusing solely on Michigan topics, so let's kick things off by belatedly looking at the final known public videos from The Hair Scare Live at The Dreammakers Theatre at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on February 22nd! One more YouTube user posted footage from that night onto their channel, namely attendee Carter Barsalou, who filmed two of the bands that night, though if you want footage of Kix's set, there's a fair amount from other attendees online. One of Carter's videos is of headliner Tom Keifer tackling his old band Cinderella's classic song "Shake Me". This is a solid rendition that was well filmed from the floor, though attendee heads can take up a lot of space, and the camera zoom can be somewhat choppy. Nice to see one more video of Tom & crew, so check it out below!



Carter's other video from Kewadin Casino last month was of opening Los Angeles hair metal band Faster Pussycat covering The Supersuckers' "2003 song "Pretty Fucked Up" (they titled it, not me!) A surprisingly modern song to cover at a 1980s hair metal throwback concert, it still seems to have gone over well, and drinking songs never go out of style! Unfortunately, Carter filmed this one from a vertical angle, but in this concert-devoid quarantine we're in, this may be the last Dreammakers Theatre metal show we see for a while, so savour all of the footage we can get! Give it a look below as well!

Finally, I wanted to close today with some news that doesn't directly affect the local FM radio market, but given the reach of the station in question, it is relevant for a number of listeners. Since 1991, Kalkaska-based rock radio station KLT has aired a simulcasted feed in Petoskey at WKLZ 98.9 FM, which did often reach Sault Ste. Marie with a fringe reception, and from my experience, picked up better here than Rock 105 or the modern day Classic Rock: The Bear. Well, in December, then-owners Northern Radio of Michigan agreed to sell WKLZ to the Educational Media Foundation, who plan to turn 98.9 FM into a Northern Michigan affiliate of their contemporary Christian radio network K-Love (keep in mind, the E.U.P. and Sault Ontario already have six Christian stations on FM & AM.) If you are so inclined, click here for details on the WKLZ sale. That said, KLT isn't gone from this part of the state!

Last month, Northern Radio of Michigan (who already failed to close a sale of KLT to Blarney Stone Broadcasting in 2016) struck a deal to sell KLT to regional radio giants Midwestern Broadcasting, complete with new digs at their Traverse City headquarters, staffing changes (Omelette's back on in the mornings!), and a new simulcast signal to replace WKLZ. Now, their main WKLT signal at 97.5 will also broadcast in Boyne City at WBCM on 93.5 FM, which had previously served as a simulcast of Traverse City country station WTCM. The rebroadcaster signal swap is similar to what happened with The Bear's tip-of-the-mitt feed two years ago (moving from 97.7 FM in Cheboygan to 95.3 FM in Tuscarora Township), and like then, the new signal isn't a positive for Soo listeners. Boyne City is slightly south of Petoskey already, but according to Radio-Locator's predicted coverage maps, 93.5 FM has a weaker signal, and it's estimated fringe reception doesn't even make it to De Tour Village, which may complicate things for existing northern fans.

I was able to pull KLT on 93.5 FM this morning, albeit with very staticy reception, so it can be done with the right equipment and location. Honestly, KLT's coverage range is now very comparable to Rock 105 and The Bear in terms of it's E.U.P. reach, but the strongest signal from it's originating tower belongs to Rock 105, so I expect you'll have the best luck of pulling 105.1 FM locally going forward. In any event, KLT is still worth a listen for local fans who want a playlist that's more classic-oriented than Rock 101, so click here for much more on the KLT sale and other recent radio changes downstate, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

Moon Tan Concert Video Showcase, Plus Assorted Recent Updates!!

Today's post is mostly devoted to new concert videos from a recent show, as we previously hinted on Wednesday, but we have some extra assorted updates at post's end as well. Let's start with those videos, courtesy of prolific local concert filmer Chris Paci's YouTube channel, as he was on hand for last week's short notice Moon Tan concert at The New American Pub! He did film each band, so let's start with the nominal headliners (even if they didn't actually play last), as Chris filmed the Winnipeg prog/funk rock trio playing their songs "The Cure", this instrumental jam (I can't place the name), and as embedded below, "The Faceless Knight". Moon Tan have a solid look and sound on these videos, combining moon faced costumes with songs that seem to combine Rush with funk rock, and it works well for them, with fans visibly getting into the groove! Check out Moon Tan live at The New A below, and see more from their debut local set above!



Next up, Chris filmed both of the night's local bands, including this video of alternative/hard rock trio The Din covering The Foo Fighters' "Learn to Fly", albeit from a further camera angle than Moon Tan had. Well done cover that suits The Din's sound, though an attendee up front does get in the way of Tammy at times. Check it out below!



Chris' other video from last week's concert is of local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements, who enlisted guest saxophonist Josh Norling once again for this show, which is always a nice addition! I'm not 100% positive, but it also looks like Winkstinger's Jonas Gasperas filled in for Alex Hagerman on drums, which he has done in the past. This video has The Elements, Josh, and Jonas covering Tenacious D's "Kielbasa" with enthusiasm, and Rob Speers has some solid conviction to his voice here, so check out this new Elements cover below, and don't miss them as "The Plaid Martens" in two weeks!



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

• Petoskey, Michigan classic rock radio station KLT (WKLZ, 98.9 FM) and it's originating station in Kalkaska were among eight stations sold by Northern Broadcast to Blarney Stone Broadcasting last month. Though KLT remains on the air as usual, early reports have the KLT stations either becoming simulcasts of existing Grayling rock station Q100.3, or vice versa with KLT adopting Q100's larger and more request-driven playlist rotation. We'll let you know if we hear anything, but pay attention to 98.9 FM (which gets fringe reception in the Sault Ste. Marie area) for potential changes!
• Lake Superior State University's campus radio station WLSO (90.1 FM) officially re-branded this summer as The 46th Parallel Radio (referencing the circle of latitude that the Sault area sits upon), and plan to launch online streams of the station via TuneIn Radio and Apple Music. This followed a listener contest to name what was announced as their "new online station", but it has since been confirmed that they meant the FM station proper and it's online stream. The new name doesn't really reflect the school so much as the region, but be sure to check The 46th Parallel Radio out, and remember that they do occasionally run heavier music!
• New Sault Ontario outdoor concert venue The Yard has a new co-owner, namely Treble Charger frontman Greig Nori! The news was revealed in this Sault Star article by Brian Kelly earlier today, where Greig reflects on the fondly remembered Charlevoix, Michigan outdoor venue Castle Farms, and his hopes to bring a similar concert roster and feel to the Huron Street location. The idea of making this a "new" Castle Farms has been floated before, and it'd be great to see that come to fruition, so hopefully Greig can help make The Yard a regular and major concert destination in the future!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more news and updates next week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Turner Up), Another FM Rock Station, Plus More Band Updates!!!

Well, now that my 21st birthday is over and done with, it's back to work on the SMS! Big update to kick off June with, featuring some pretty big stories, including a new local album announcement, new tour dates for a local band, another group's search for a new member, and my recent discovery of yet another Mackinac Bridge-area FM rock station! But first, here is a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!!

Turner Up are back at The Canadian Nightclub on Saturday night! "The Sault's Party Band" will hit the stage there at 10:30 PM on Saturday to rock the night away with some great rock covers, including some heavy stuff if you stick around! Luckily, a Facebook event page was launched for this show, so I found out about it a little sooner than I had in recent weeks, so visit there to confirm your attendance! It is definitely 19+, I'd expect a cover charge of $5 or less. Should be fun, as usual, Turner Up are a good band and definitely play some great tunes, even when they play more accessible material! For more information on Turner Up, visit their official Facebook group! And yes, it's just a Saturday night show. Why nothing Friday? Well, according to an e-mail by The Canadian's Mary Lou Johnson to members of their Facebook group, there's apparently a Rush tribute band playing there on Friday! Now I can't reasonably verify this yet, because she didn't specify which Rush tribute band it was, and in my internet searching, I've found none with a scheduled date for Sault Ste. Marie on ANY date. So I won't plug the show yet, BUT if someone can verify which specific Rush tribute band is playing on Friday at The Canadian (if one still is), LET ME KNOW!!

So, I'm sure by now that you know that FM radios in the Sault area can often pick up signals from the Mackinac Bridge area, right? That's how we can pick up Real Rock 105.1 and the new feed of Classic Rock: The Bear on 94.5 FM. Well, just by accident, I found another rock radio station from that area yesterday! If you turn your dials to 98.9 FM, and if the signal picks up, you will be treated to KLT: The Rock Station, a mainstream rock station out of Petoskey! KLT also has a feed out of Kalkaska that serves the Traverse City market at 97.5 FM for that area. KLT sort of falls between The Bear and Rock 101 in terms of what it plays, basically more classic stuff than Rock 101 but more new stuff than The Bear, if that makes sense. It's a good station from what I've caught, it's a wonder I haven't came across it before! Maybe I'm just so used to most stations being in the 100s. They have some cool features, like custom listener playlists on Thursday, a "KLT's Garage" program showcasing area talent (Rock 101 should do that!) It's a good station, flip your radios to 98.9 FM to hear some more great rock! Getting tougher though to choose FM stations to listen to, as we get Rock 101, WLSO, Real Rock, KLT, AND The Bear here!

Next up, Woods of Ypres have announced the first tour dates for their first ever American tour AND their mini-Eastern Canada swing afterwards! As posted in a topic on the band's forum, Woods of Ypres will spend a little over two weeks touring the United States beginning with a show in Portland on June 28th! Their travels will take them to California, Arizona, Texas (where they'll play FOUR shows), and New York, before wrapping up their American tour in Worcester, Massachusetts on July 15th! Then, the band come back to Canada for shows in Toronto and Ottawa on July 16th and 18th, with a possible Montreal show still on the 17th still to be finalized. Check out all dates on the right of the page, or by clicking the above link! Great to see Woods of Ypres hitting the road this much, but I have a tiny little request: Come here for a show, we'd welcome Woods of Ypres back, I'm sure of it! I'd love to hear some of the new "Woods IV" songs live!

Also, if you're worried about Woods of Ypres future (as in, are they breaking up), well, let this put you at ease. David posted this in a reply to an inquiry about playing shows in Britain and Ireland on that same forum topic: "...yeah, it will happen eventually. We're always ready. All we need is an invite for a 'one-off' (festival etc...). We're touring Canada and at least some of the USA this summer, 2010, so our first trip to Europe might be a logical next step for 2011." There you go, no band breakup! But there is SOMETHING major David Gold is planning to do concerning Woods of Ypres, the question now is what?

Alright, now are you local metalheads wondering what ever happened to Sault Michigan hard rockers Clownsack? Well, here's an update! The band has posted a new bulletin on MySpace (check it out by clicking here) where they have announced that they are looking for a new guitarist, two possibly! Current guitarist Butter Cookie is still with the band for now for recording of their next E.P. and a few shows, but is leaving eventually, hence the need for a new guitarist. If they go with two, the band would want a rhythm guitarist with a seven string guitar, along with a lead player, so keep that in mind if you want to audition. Also, because this is Clownsack, make a note that you'd have to dress like an evil clown with a clown-like stage name, a'la Schloppy and Slappy. This could be a big opportunity, Clownsack are definitely one of the more recognizable and popular of the Sault Michigan hard rock bands, hopefully the right guitarist(s) comes along! E-mail the band at their official MySpace page for audition info! Sad to see Butter Cookie leaving eventually though, I loved his work on "Rotten Candy"!

And finally, a new album from a local band has been officially announced! Which one though? Is it Garden of Bedlam? Lion Ride? Sense of Truth? Nope, actually, it's Sykotyk Rampage! Guitarist Dirk Becker uploaded the album cover for the band's 23rd album onto Facebook the other day, and you can check it out on your right! Interesting artwork! The album will be entitled "Bella Disgusta", and according the photo's caption, it will be released in "June 2010". Good sign, but will it be released for sure this month? No idea yet, but if it counts for anything, their last album "22" was released months after what was originally announced. But if it does come out, might it be June's SMS CD review? Only time will tell, but expect "Bella Disgusta" to be another one of a kind album from the kings of "blue Chinese metal crash punk"!

That's all for today, I have some extra assorted news updates lying around to share in my next post, with hopedully some more big stories, including (hopefully) news on that Rush tribute band at The Canadian on Friday, and much more! Also, on Friday, I have an announcement to make concerning the SMS' 3rd anniversary on July 4th. No, it's not bad, just look out for it, cause I need your help with something!