Bone Yard 225 & Silent 9 Videos And Updates!!

Today's first post lets us play catch-up with two veteran and covers-heavy bands and their recent activity on stage, at private and public gigs alike, so here's what you should know on that front!

We'll start with new videos and updates from local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225, so what else have they been up to beyond their end-of-summer local dates? On July 20th, they posted this video to their Facebook page of Greg panning a camera around at a private wedding that they played at the previous night. No concert audio to speak of, but good to see that this booking went well for them! Note that bassist Warren Reville asked at the end of the video "What is Rotaryfest?" (the festival ended that night). That seems like a possible dig, and while I don't know the context, note that Bone Yard haven't played at Rotaryfest since 2022, after playing Stage 1 eight times since 2010. On August 11th, the guys revealed on their Facebook page that "its album tracking time", complete with a black & white photo of studio equipment, and this TikTok-exclusive video features a drum track teaser.

In this TikTok video (which was at least shared to their Facebook page), we see Warren and guitarist Alex D'Ettore performing backing vocals, and while the video implies that this is towards the album sessions, note that they appear to be singing the chorus to Mike Posner's "I Took A Pill In Ibiza" (that, or they wrote an original where they sing "All I know, sad songs" too). Good to see that the album is in full swing, and we'll let you know more when they give more updates from the sessions! Also in the realm of unembeddable videos, the Aubrey Falls Trading Post in Thessalon filmed two "Reels" of Bone Yard 225's set at their annual pig roast on Saturday that were shared on the band's Facebook page. There, you can see the guys covering AC/DC's "Ride On" and Kim Mitchell's "Lager & Ale". Unfortunately, as "Reels", they are short clips (90 seconds long) and vertical, but the filmer was far enough away to capture the full band in frame.

What we hear sounds good in both videos, even if I'd have zoomed in (or shot horizontally) to mask low crowd levels up front. Hopefully the pig roast show went well, but is there a new 225 video that I can embed here? Yes, from their prior Thessalon show on August 1st at their annual Community Day! This also vertical video (though not a "Reel") was posted last week from their outdoor set at Thessalon's marina, and it focuses on singer/drummer Greg Simpson during the end of their cover of Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show's "The Cover Of 'Rolling Stone'". Interesting Stryper-esque angle of Greg in action here, and the cover sounds good, if only the end of it, so give it a watch below, and don't miss them today at the older A&W's Cruisin' The Dub motorcycle show or at the Dragonfly Run, preview forthcoming!

We'll close today with some new videos from local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9's Facebook page! On August 10th, they shared a video of them covering part of Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" at a private camp party off of Bass Lake, the third straight year that they've played at that event. While sadly shot vertically, it's a strong rendition from what we hear, and the vivid stage lighting against the natural outdoor night setting is a good contrast! In more vertical footage from outside of town, Silent 9 shared a "Reel" on Tuesday from their Laird Fair gig on Saturday where we see clips of them covering "We're Not Gonna Take It" again as well as Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train". The filmed uniquely focused on fans more than the band, including folks who climbed into the rafters of the stage to rock out, which is a neat visual, and it looks like they had a blast out in Laird this past weekend! Also, here's a question: What is Wolf Fest?

The band shared this "Reel" from Northern Superior Brewing Co.'s Facebook page from Monday of people asking what Wolf Fest is, referencing a teased festival on Saturday, September 27th, though the brewery remains cagey on what is happening. Silent 9 sharing it would hint that they're playing, but we await firm confirmation on Wolf Fest, let alone if it's happening at the Tap Room or if they're thinking bigger. Stay tuned, but check out Silent 9's Bass Lake video below, and look for more from them soon!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Nameless & Silent 9!!)

While nowhere near as busy as what we saw locally in July, things are definitely busier locally for hard rock concerts this weekend, and we will have to stretch out our weekend concert previews to two posts as a result. As such, this weekend's Heavy Lies The Crown, Generations, and Tarnished shows will feature in tomorrow's post. Here's what you should know otherwise, starting with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS! 

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 have a busy weekend ahead, and it starts TOMORROW NIGHT when they return to The Tap Room at Northern Superior Brewing Co., followed by the featured headliners slot at the annual Laird Fair outside of town on SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice on both fronts, the band only announced both dates on their Facebook page on Monday, though they have been advertised for the Laird Fair in their own promotional materials before then. TOMORROW'S show is the second late notice one in as many weeks from an SMS-amenable band at the Tap Room, and is a bit of a surprise booking from Jess, Ryan, Paul, and Steve, as they normally take the summer off from standard nightclub shows, only playing festivals and private bookings then. In fact, while we're on the subject, they'll be back at the Tap Room on Saturday, September 27th as well!

That show was quietly confirmed on their website's concert calendar, and we'll wait on other public shows there for now due to the later scheduling but they will be more active publically this fall. As far as I can tell, there's no raison d'etre for TOMORROW'S brief pause of their summer break from bar shows, but the fun classic and hard rock covers will be in full swing at Northern Superior, especially at a venue better known for acoustic acts! TOMORROW'S and next month's shows are at 8:00 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover. As for the Laird Fair (a.k.a. the North Shore Agricultural Fair), Silent 9 are this year's headlining band, taking over for the now-defunct Soundcheck on SATURDAY NIGHT! The Friday band slot this year was replaced by karaoke. Loads of family friendly entertainment is in store in Laird (outside of Echo Bay), both for farming and agricultural events and for games and activities, so be sure to visit the fair's Facebook page for the complete schedule!

Silent 9 will set up shop on SATURDAY NIGHT under the covered (but not entirely indoors) stage at the fairground site at Lake George Road East once again, which bodes well for the rainy weather forecast, but do follow your preferred weather forecast for updates on Laird Fair events like this (9&10 News is calling for a high of 27° that night). The concert proper is a licensed 19+ event at 9:00 PM, and admission to the concert is included with fair passes, which run for $10 for the day and $20 for the full weekend. Visit the above links for more on Silent 9's busy short notice weekend, and for a preview, here they are live last year!

Next up, let's skip over to Michigan for another new confirmation, as local hard rock quartet The Nameless will debut at The Goetzville Tavern in nearby Goetzville on SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced by the band on their Facebook page on Sunday, though the venue has been plugging this show on their Facebook page since last month. Stalwart Agricultural Fair aside, this is the first standard concert that we've covered in Goetzville (outside of Pickford) since 2014, believe it or not. The Goetzville Tavern may be better known to local readers as Yooperman's Bar & Grill, and it re-opened under its new name and ownership in April at 18017 East M-48. Concerts have sporadically taken place there since last month, with The Nameless being the first heavier-leaning act there, so welcome them to a new locale an hour south of here in style on SATURDAY!

The Nameless take the stage on SATURDAY at 7:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no announced cover charge. Note that The Goetzville Tavern technically closes at 10:00 PM nightly, but they will clearly extend their hours for concerts if need be, and The Nameless are advertised to play until 11:00 PM. The official Facebook event page strongly hints that the show will be outdoors under a tent, so given that, 9&10 News is calling for a 70% chance of rain on SATURDAY dipping to 40% at night, with temperatures expected in the mid-high 70s (a high of 27° Celsius). I have no idea if they have provisions to postpone the show or move it indoors due to rain, so follow The Goetzville Tavern and/or the band on social media for updates if you are all concerned. Otherwise, visit the above links for more details on the hard rock action in Goetzville on SATURDAY NIGHT, and here's The Nameless live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for the rest of this weekend's hard rock concert previews next! Thanks everyone! 

The First Half Of This Weekend's Hard Rock/Punk Concert Previews!!

Another busy concert weekend is upon us, necessitating two posts to cover it all. As such, look for our previews of this weekend's Bone Yard 225, Double Down, Tarnished, and Nameless concerts in tomorrow's second preview post, so don't worry, they are coming! Now, here's what you should know, starting with a big punk show TONIGHT!

Leading off this busy weekend is the long awaited return of Pomona, California hardcore punk legends Total Chaos, who will headline TONIGHT at The Stellar Door under The Distraction! The second basement show at the former East Street barbershop, this space won rave reviews when The Ripcordz played there this summer, and hopefully the good vibes of a good old fashioned punk basement show continue for Total Chaos in their first local concert appearance since they rocked the former Oddfellows Hall fourteen years ago. Hardcore punk fans won't want to miss their established and newer original fury, so don't miss out tonight! Opening here are Ottawa "post street punk" band BALM Squad in their local debut, and they'll be a strong lead-off band with their hard hitting original sound, so don't bypass them tonight either! Surprisingly, this show does not have any advertised local opening acts.

Note that local/Barrie crossover thrash band Spades GT opened for BALM Squad in Toronto in July, and will open for The Exploited at two GTA shows this weekend, so the local connection goes further than you think! If you hadn't bought the limited $25 advance tickets by now, door admission is via a "$20 or pay what you can" setup, the Mikhal Muto-promoted concert starts at 9:00 PM. and this is definitely an ALL AGES venue (no alcohol, please respect the space). Despite being on a work/school night, this should be a great night of hardcore punk action, so don't miss out at The Stellar Door under The Distraction tonight, and here's Total Chaos live!

Next up, let's dive into musicians on the weekend cover circuit, starting with prolific local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison, who will wrap up his summer 2024 arrangement at The Mike Case Memorial Stage outside of The Trading Post TOMORROW NIGHT before returning for another matinee  on SATURDAY at Misty's Fifties! As The Mike Case Stage only hosts live musicians seasonally, their live music schedule ends in early-mid September, hence why this is Tym's last Friday evening gig there of the year. If you like seeing Tym playing outdoors way down Great Northern Road, this is your last chance until (likely) mid-2025, so keep tomorrow's show in mind! If you prefer seeing him indoors and earlier in the day, his Misty's Fifties run continues until at least the end of the month, and we'll let you know if it gets extended at all. You can enjoy his unplugged classic & hard rock covers tomorrow at 7:00 PM and Saturday at 4:00 PM.

The Misty's show is likely 19+, and neither has a cover charge. For his outdoor swan song for 2024, tomorrow's Trading Post concert, we're looking at sunny-to-clear skies with temperatures at around 23°, so it should be a fine evening to wrap up the season's schedule with! Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here and here for more details, and for a preview, here's Tym live!

Also this weekend, former Haggith/Eclipse frontman Curtis McKenzie will hit the road just outside of town to play at the Rowdy Ranchers Horse Show at the Laird Fairgrounds TOMORROW & SATURDAY! This annual event is hosted by the local Rowdy Ranchers Round-Up horse club, and will see lots of family enterainment, vendors, and horse/pony shows and exhibits, so if you ride or just love horses, you might want to head out to Laird for all of the action this weekend! Visit the above links for more on the non-musical specifics. Curt will be the matinee musical entertainment during the day throughout the weekend, though he nor organizers have stated when exactly he's playing each night. On Saturday, there will be a nighttime headline band (pop rock cover quartet Lime), but given the formatting of this event, I hesitate to say that Curtis is "opening" for Lime. Regardless, the Rowdy Ranchers Round-Up is FREE & ALL AGES with gates opening at 8:00 AM.

Note that, according to Curt's Facebook page, he had been booked to play at The Dive Gastro Pub tonight but the show was cancelled, as the former Low & Slow had mistakenly double booked tonight's "Think It Over Thursday" gig (the actual performers there tonight are Aaron Lucas & Jeff July). Curtis hadn't announced a September 12th show in advance anyway, but hopefully we see him back at The Dive soon! As for the Rowdy Ranchers Horse Show, this may seem more like a country music-amenable event, but hopefully Curtis' hard rocking covers keep the good vibes going in Laird this weekend! See above for more details, and here's Curt live!

Finally for this weekend, we'll head back into city limits for local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations' return to Jay's Piston Broke Pub TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen at the former Reggie's West early last month, these shows will be joined by Generations hosting Jay's weekly Thursday jam night tonight, so if such events interest you as a spectator or prospective performer, keep that in mind! It is worth noting that Generations frontwoman Valerie Powley does not take part in their jam nights, a'la Cameron Oliver missing Soundcheck's, but she will be back to sing all night this weekend, and the guys have teased having new Bob Seger and The Outfield covers to debut in their sets. Tomorrow and Saturday's traditional concerts (and jam night tonight) are 19+ affairs with no announced cover shows, and the normal concerts have 9:30 PM start times. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Generations live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for the second half of our weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck, Double Down, HeadFirst, And Curtis McKenzie!!)

For our last news post of the month, we're looking at LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (one on SHORT NOTICE), all via weekend nightclub cover circuit regulars, so here's what you should know on this Friday evening!

Former Project 421/Eclipse frontman Curtis McKenzie will return to The Dive Gastro Pub for concerts TOMORROW NIGHT and on Thursday, September 12th! Apologies for the short notice on TOMORROW's show, Curt only announced it via his Facebook page this afternoon, where he admitted that it was "a bit last minute, but I'll never turn down a gig". In one more kinda-new confirmation, he will be playing at the Rowdy Ranchers Horse Show at the Laird Fairgrounds on Friday, September 13th as well, joining the previously confirmed Saturday the 14th gig there, so whether you're into horses or just want to see his acoustic hard rock covers just outside of town, keep his dual bookings in Laird in mind in two weeks! Back to The Dive, Curt's show TOMORROW at the former Low & Slow will be an outdoor "Patio Play" gig, while his show on the 12th will be a part of the restaurant's "Think It Over Thursday" series, which is traditionally held indoors.

All three new shows are free, with The Dive shows being at 9:00 PM and 19+. The Rowdy Ranchers Weekend is definitely open to all ages, and while an 8:00 AM start time is listed, I don't know when exactly Curtis plays (pop rock cover quartet Lime are the Saturday evening headliners). The Weather Channel's current hourly forecast is calling for 20° temperatures and increasingly cloudy skies TOMORROW NIGHT, and there is a strong possibility of rain after midnight that could obviously abbreviate Curt's show, if not move it indoors. If you are at all concerned about the forecast, follow Curt or The Dive for updates. Visit the above links for more on Curt's September slate, and here he is live!

Next up, here's what was originally planned to lead off today's post before Curt's shows were announced, as The Esquire Club has announced their fall concert schedule through to the end of the year! After the Second Line West nightclub's two months summer break from the weekend cover band grind, they resume hosting live musicians next weekend, and surprisingly, only six different bands are in the rotation across these seventeen weeks. As per the official schedule shared on their Facebook page on Tuesday, they will welcome classic/hard rock cover quartets Silent 9 and Double Down there next month, but both bands already announced those dates on their social media and were thusly already announced here. Silent 9's website has all of their 2024 Esquire Club dates beyond listed too! The first new-to-us shows here from hard rock-leaning bands are courtesy of fellow classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck, so when can you see them?

Soundcheck (still no space) return to Second Line West for the first time since late June when they take the stage on Friday, October 25th & Saturday, October 26th, with returns slated for November 22nd-23rd and then on December 20th-21st! No word yet on if The Esquire Club will hold their Halloween party early with Soundcheck or if they'll wait a day to do so with Silent 9 for a second straight year, but we'll keep you posted! Also note that Soundcheck's December shows are the last before Christmas, so there could be holiday themes there too. All six of Soundcheck's shows have 19+ age limits, no cover charges, and 9:30 PM start times, and good rocking covers will be present at all three!

While classic/hard rock veterans Double Down had announced their September dates at The Esquire Club (playing there on the 13th-14th and on the 27th-28th), their calendar doesn't go further than mid-October, leaving out two upcoming concert weekends there. Fans can see the Syrettes, Brad, and Ric back on Second Line West when they take the stage on November 8th-9th and December 6th-7th, so if you want to see this union of Griphook, Bone Yard, and Mojo alumni, you have four upcoming west end weekends to take note of! No major frills or holiday weekend tie-ins to note here, but Double Down's hard rocking blend of covers should attract positive notices once again, so keep their shows later this month in mind along with their already-known dates this month! Again, these are 19+ events with no cover charges and 9:30 PM start times

Finally, the other new dates from an established hard rock-leaning band come courtesy of rising young hard rock quintet HeadFirst, who will return to The Esquire Club for one weekend only on the current schedule, that being on Friday, December 13th & Saturday, December 14th! The guys debuted here as late notice replacements for Mustang Heart (get well soon, Lorenzo!) in June, and while it is mildly surprising that HeadFirst (also no space) are only booked for the two gigs in this slate, they should inject things with a positive energy and lots of solid originals and covers! Note that new local classic rock band Headrush (who debuted at Toystock last year) are playing The Esquire Club for three weekends in the fall schedule. I plan to talk about them in an upcoming post, but despite both being bands with classic rock covers and having names starting with "Head" (which is bound to get confusing for some), they are very different.

Hopefully venues keep that straight if HeadFirst and Headrush are booked in close timeframes! Again, these are 19+ events with 9:30 PM start times and no cover charges. Sounds like a quality (if smaller than normal) lineup of upcoming bands at The Esquire Club, so definitely visit the above links for more on these bands, Bourbon Blue, and Mid Life Crysis' upcoming shows there! That's all for today, but stay tuned for our review of HeadFirst's debut EP on the site next! Thanks everyone!

The First Of This Weekend's Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

This weekend's slate of hard rock/punk concert previews is, while certainly busy, much quieter than last week, in that we only need two posts to preview everything, not four! That said, due to the amount, the Saturday-only gigs from The Nameless and HeadFirst, plus Sunday's Sylo-headlined concert, will be in tomorrow's post, with room for a late notice confirmation if one hits the desk. Stay tuned then, but here's what you should know to lead off for the next couple of days!

Let's start with prolific local classic/hard rock musician Tym Morrison, whose regular weekly runs at at The Mike Case Memorial Stage outside of The Trading Post TOMORROW NIGHT and at Misty's Fifties THIS SATURDAY march on for another week! Nothing strange to report this week from the usual for Tym's summer arrangements this year, so if you want to enjoy his acoustic rock hits and the great live production that he gives them, be way down on Great Northern Road tomorrow or at the Second Line West nightclub on Saturday! As usual, both of Tym's shows this weekend have no cover charge, and while tomorrow's Mike Case Stage show is all ages, his Misty's Fifties show on Saturday is a 19+ matinee at 4:00 PM. Now, be advised that 9&10 News is calling for scattered thunderstorms during Tym's 7:00-9:00 PM timeframe tomorrow, and he has called off shows due to weather before.

At press time, I have not heard anything about how tomorrow's forecast may or may not impair Tym's outdoor concert at The Trading Post, but if you are at all concerned, keep tabs with Tym on social media closer to showtime. Regardless, it'll be cloudy (when not raining) with temperatures hovering in the 20-21° range. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here and here for more details, and for a preview, here's Tym live!

Next up, we'll head just outside of town in Laird, where the annual North Shore Agricultural Fair (a.k.a. the Laird Fair) will welcome two covers-heavy bands from Sault Ontario as musical entertainment this weekend, namely southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 TOMORROW NIGHT and classic/hard rock quartet Soundcheck on SATURDAY NIGHT! Both bands are capping off the nightly festivities this weekend, and there's a lot of family friendly activities to take in through Sunday, both indoors and out, so be sure to visit the fair's official Facebook page for complete non-musical details! Both bands are playing under the covered stage at the fairground site at Lake George Road East at 9:00 PM on their respective evenings, there's no age limits or cover charges stated in festival materials, and camping on site is encouraged if you are so inclined. Shuttle buses will also be provided to get willing attendees to and from Sault Ste. Marie if needed.

The stage is covered but it's not fully indoors, so expect temperatures of around 20° tomorrow and a little higher on Saturday. 9&10 News is calling for rain tomorrow, but again, the space where the bands are playing has a roof. The Laird Fair is not historically known for hosting live rock bands like this, but it'll be interesting to see how things go for both Bone Yard and Soundcheck this weekend outside of Echo Bay! We'll have more from the former band in a bit, but for a preview, here's Soundcheck live!

Now we'll take a brief detour to Sault Michigan, where local hard rock sextet Exit 808 will return to The Rapids Lounge at the local Kewadin Casino branch TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! One week removed from their debut at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin, this talented group will rock the Soo Kewadin for their second weekend there, following their mid-July shows that were heavily impaired by member absences (singer Amy Beach was ill and guitarist Will Robbins was on vacation), let alone that debuting bassist Myke Young only played half of the songs. Now at full force, hopefully tomorrow & Saturday's concerts are hits as Exit 808 continue on their upward trajectory! Both are 21+ events with 9:00 PM start times and no cover. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's two brand new St. Ignace videos via their Facebook page!

One was live-streamed by attendee Diana Davis near the start of Exit 808's first set on Friday, and it has them covering 97 seconds' worth of AC/DC's "T.N.T." (with Dillion Semasky on lead vocals and Amy backing). While they thanked her for the "videos", only that one was publically shared... so far? Embedded below is a much longer (though sideways for the second half) direct upload of them covering Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild" with Dillion and Amy alternating on verses & sharing choruses. Given their vocal ranges, this is a much better cover for them than AC/DC, but the new lineup sounds good overall on both, so check these out above & below, and don't miss Exit 808 in the Soo this weekend!

Finally for weekend concert preview post #1, let's head back north to Sault Ontario, as the aforementioned Bone Yard 225 will take their "uncorked" show to a third venue when they debut at Gino's Fired Up Kitchen & Bar THIS SATURDAY! Since commencing hosting local acoustic acts on their large patio this summer, the 1076 Great Northern Road restaurant has sparingly hosted some hard rock-leaning musicians (like the aforementioned Tym Morrison) on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with Bone Yard playing two of the final three Saturdays of this month there. If you liked their unplugged shows at The Water Tower Pub and the Gateway Casino, you should like what Greg, Alex, and Warren have in store at Gino's on Saturday, but of course, if you'd rather see them "corked", they'll be in full electric mode at the Laird Fair tomorrow night! Saturday's concert has no age limit, a 6:30 PM start time, and no cover.

While Gino's patio is covered, 9&10 News is calling for scattered thunderstorms around the time that your local 225 are slated to take the stage (70% chance in general that day). Otherwise, the forecast has mostly cloudy skies with a high of 22°. The roof is very much acknowledged, but if you are at all concerned about the show being cancelled, curtailed, or moved inside due to the possible storm, keep tabs with the band and Gino's on social media for further updates. Visit the above links for more details on Saturday's show, and for a preview, here's Bone Yard "uncorked"!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Nameless, HeadFirst, and Sylo previews (and more?) next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Generations & Curtis McKenzie), Exit 808 Updates, And More!!

Before we dive into another busy (if not as busy) weekend concert preview stretch, let's catch up on some recent news and notes, mostly from Sault Ontario, including LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next month, updates from a recent concert, and more. Here's what you should know!

Former Haggith/Eclipse singer/guitarist Curtis McKenzie will return to The Dive Gastro Pub for one night only on Saturday, August 3rd as part of their "Patio Play" acoustic concert series! Newly confirmed on his Facebook page earlier today, this will be Curt's first show at the former Low & Slow since playing there on July 13th, so things must be going well at The Dive for him to get called back three weeks later! This will also be one of two shows that he plays there in a six day span, joining his previously announced "Think It Over Thursday" gig on August 8th. That show (weather permitting?) has a 9:00 PM start time, no cover charge, and a 19+ age limit. In another new confirmation, Curtis will be the Saturday matinee entertainment at the Rowdy Ranchers Horse Show at the Laird Fairgrounds just outside of town on September 14th! On name alone, you'd assume that country music would be booked instead, but you'd be wrong!

Hosted by the local Rowdy Ranchers Round-Up horse club, this FREE & ALL AGES event features horse and pony shows, local vendors, kids entertainment, pony rides, a petting zoo, a movie, and more so be sure to visit the above links for more on all that the Rowdy Ranchers are bringing to Laird that weekend! Curt will be performing matinee sets during the day, with pop rock cover quartet Lime headlining as the featured Saturday night musicians. I don't know when musicians take the stage on September 14th, but doors open at 8:00 AM. Visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for more on Curtis' upcoming unplugged hard rock shows

Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations' next public concert goes down on Saturday, August 10th at Shooters Downstairs Lounge, as per drummer Tony Santoro on their Facebook group on Monday! After a string of weekly gigs leading up to their Rotaryfest Stage 1 set this past Thursday at their casino gig on Saturday, this union of Jus' Chillin, Obsession, and Flat Stanley alumni will be taking the next couple of weekends off (interim gigs for Pierre and Tony S. with Tex Riviera & The Ride aside), so if you enjoy their classic and hard rock cover range, keep this show in mind! A one-nighter due to Shooters' Friday DJ nights this year, this show has a 9:30 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and stay tuned for lots of video footage from Generations' Rotaryfest set in the coming days, likely over the weekend!

Also today, let's take a brief detour to Sault Michigan for some updates from local hard rock sextet Exit 808, whose shows at The Rapids Lounge at the local Kewadin Casino this past weekend had a lot of different faces! We knew going in that Project 906 guitarist Joe Jenkins was filling in for Will Robbins (who was on vacation), but they had one more guest musician, as singer Amy Beach was ill over the weekend and had to sit out the gigs. Rather than go full Infathom with Dillion singing all weekend, they recruited Jeremy Sheckell of the Marquette hard rock band No Expectations to fill in for her parts (the two bands have shared the stage in the western U.P.). Also, Exit 808 have officially confirmed that Division of Sanity/Exiled alum Myke Young is their new permanent bassist (replacing the long since departed Isaac Royer), though Myke and recent fill-in Blaze Beairl both played sets this weekend.

There's been no shortage of moving parts in this band since they formed as Double Jack last fall, but hopefully the current lineup holds long term! While Exit 808 implied that "videos" were shot at these gigs, only one has been uploaded to their Facebook page so far, and it features everyone covering Nazareth's "Hair Of The Dog" with Dillion on lead vocals (Jeremy backing) and Blaze on bass. Shot in odd dimensions (vertical but wider than 9:16), the cover is well performed, but if you ask me, the two singer balance doesn't work as well when it's two guys, and there seemed to be an awkward jump into the chorus in the clip. Check it out below, and look for more updates & content from Exit 808 soon!

Finally, here's three assorted shorter news items out of Sault Ontario from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

 

• In the past three weeks for Shooters Downstairs Lounge's annual Talent Quest karaoke competition, the guest judges were members of pop rock cover band Bourbon Blue on July 7th, southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 on July 14th, and Mike Haggith & The Big Finish Band on July 21st. The latter is notable in that guitarist/backing vocalist Elly McWatters won Talent Quest last year, so it'd have been neat to have her on the other side of the table this year! Three qualifiying rounds (judges unclear) remain before the 25 semifinalists return on August 18th, so visit Shooters' Facebook page for more on that event!
• The first public video of local classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down with new guitarist Beej Syrette was shared to their old Facebook page (the personal account that I thought they abandoned after Adam left) last month! It features the guys covering Big Wreck's "That Song" at Reggie's Place on June 21st with Beej's cousin Joel on lead vocals, and was shot by attendee Lisa Corbett for her personal Facebook page before being publically shared by the band. Sounds good to me, and Beej's guitar playing seems sound! I can't embed the video here due to privacy settings on Lisa's account, but stay tuned for lots of Double Down footage from Rotaryfest soon!
• I have removed defunct local classic/hard rock trio The Nostalgic Band from our inactive band links due to the quiet deletion of their Facebook group (and only social media band page) in recent months. This band united Caveman Morrison and Nikkfitt alumni on the weekend nightclub circuit from May-September 2023, but activity abruptly ended last fall due to personal differences. Note that bassist Randy "Dutch" Vanderploeg prefers to take down his bands' Facebook pages if they break up, hence why Browbeat aren't linked on the site. The Nostalgic Band were a promising veteran act, but don't miss frontman Tym Morrison's acoustic shows at multiple venues all summer!
  

 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for another busy concert preview weekend on the SMS in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Soundcheck), Plus Mikey & His Uke, Mike Haggith, And HeadFirst Updates!!

Before we dive head first into this weekend's hard rock and punk concert previews (we have no choice, it's Rotaryfest weekend), let's get one more news post up, including a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, a new cover video, upcoming album updates, and more Rotaryfest band updates, so here's what you should know on this Wednesday morning!

Joining the previously announced concert by Bone Yard 225 at this year's Laird Fair on Friday, August 16th, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will also hit the road for this annual event just outside of town one day later on Saturday, August 17th! One week after Bone Yard will take over for Soundcheck at this year's Algoma Tree Services meet & greet, both bands will head outside of Echo Bay to deliver their brands of cover hard rock for fans at the Laird Fair (a.k.a. the North Shore Agricultural Fair), so keep both shows in mind! Of course, visit the fair's Facebook page for complete non-musical details on that weekend's family friendly events. Note that Bone Yard 225 are debuting at Gino's Fired Up Kitchen on August 18th, but I don't know if that is due to or the result of Soundcheck playing in Laird that night. Both bands are playing under the covered stage at the fairground site at Lake George Road East at 9:00 PM.

I don't believe there's a cover charge to just see one of the bands, and there's no age limit for fair attendees. Note that camping is encouraged if you are so inclined, and buses will be provided to get Saultites home safely if needed. Summer concert-goers have some solid options here, with Soundcheck's brand new confirmation rounding out what should be a fun weekend out in Laird, so visit the above links for more details, and look for our preview of Soundcheck's Rotaryfest return soon!

Next up, here's the latest from local hard rock quintet HeadFirst, who will be releasing their debut EP "Head Trauma" a week sooner than originally thought! The release party at Shooters Downstairs Lounge on Saturday, July 27th will still be happening, but as "we're so excited" for it, they've decided to sell limited CD quantities of "Head Trauma" at both of their gigs this weekend, including their sets at Rotaryfest Stage 2 at Clergue Park on Saturday and at Sault Pridefest's Loud & Proud family fun day at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion on Sunday! Just 20 copies will be available (they weren't clear if they meant total this weekend or 20 each day), and they will cost $15. The cover artwork for the EP was also released, which has a good concept but the layout isn't as even for the filmstrip proportions as I'd have liked. The wide physical release of "Head Trauma" begins at Shooters next Saturday, as does its release on major streaming services.

While not super transparent in advance about their EP plans (we still don't know the full track listing, and the guys hadn't even confirmed that it'd be on CD until yesterday), it's awesome to see HeadFirst move so fast to have their debut EP ready, so look for copies at both of their downtown festival gigs this weekend! I currently have "Head Trauma" pencilled in for review on the SMS next month, as this month is reserved for new hardcore punk solo project Choking On Appendages' debut EP "Macabre".

Also, song #11 in local punk supergroup project Mikey & His Uke's 30th anniversary series of covers of Green Day's breakthrough album "Dookie" went live on the project's YouTube channel on Monday! While it took just over a month after song #10 ("When I Come Around") for this one to be uploaded, it wasn't as long as the prior wait, for what it's worth. For the rest of the series, Mikey and crew are tackling late-album deep cuts, as all of the "Dookie" singles already occurred in chronological order, so while this cover of "Coming Clean" may not seem like it'd be of more note than prior covers, don't pre-judge. Here, the guest singer is Gob frontman and Sum 41 guitarist Tom Thacker, who is a huge get for Canadian punk fans! Bookclub frontman Mikey Hawdon (on ukelele, then guitar) and ex-Goldfinger drummer Darren Pfieffer are back as usual, while Buck-O-Nine bassist Andy Plafoot returns on bass here for his sixth appearance so far.

This cover is very soundly performed for Green Day fans, with a good melodic base that Tom's vocals definitely help amplify! No concept or story within the remotely filmed clips here, but everything is crisply filmed & edited, with Tom singing from the comforts of a bathroom, while Darren broke out another baseball jersey for his video, albeit one that many readers will be A-OK with! We have two songs (three if they tackle the bonus track "All By Myself") left, with "Emenius Sleepius" coming next. Given past timelines, it should arrive between Sunday and August 20th (the current average would be on July 31st). Stay tuned as the series resumes, and check out "Coming Clean" below!

Finally, here's some updates from local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith, who recently took part in a 2+ hour YouTube interview, but we'll touch on that in an upcoming post given how busy things are on his and our fronts. Next week, Mike will get a complete do-over as anthem singer and guest at a Barrie Baycats baseball game after the game that he sang "O Canada" at on June 13th was rained out. Yes, the anthem happened last time, and you can watch it at this link, but they called Mike back for another game on July 10th that was also postponed due to rain before it even started, and will now be on July 24th. Hopefully the game and CD giveaway go off without a hitch then, and we'll keep you posted when the live-stream goes up! Mike returns to the local stage for the first time in 2024 when he opens Rotaryfest Stage 1 this Friday, and his local band appears in this new Facebook "Reel" jokingly modeling stage attire!

Now named "The Big Finish Band", everyone (sans Mike) is seen wearing clothing that drummer Brandan Glew (if he isn't the one modelling the outfit) criticizes. Amusing for what it is! Embedded below though is a new video (sadly vertical, but not a "Reel"!) where The Big Finish Band rehearsed for Rotaryfest, but noticed that something was missing, namely Mike himself. Was he missing for normal "lives/works out of town" reasons? Watch on below, but it's another fun clip for fans, so give it a look below, and stay tuned for our Rotaryfest previews on the site in the near future!

That's all for now, but stay tuned as we begin the biggest weekend concert preview run of the year next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Bone Yard 225)!!

Local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 have updated their website's concert calendar to reflect their slate of summer concerts taking place in August, so when can you check them out then? Their first show that month will be out of town, as they'll be heading 90 minutes east to Thessalon to play at the Aubrey Falls Trading Post & Outpost Camp on Saturday, August 3rd for their Civic Holiday weekend pig roast. Thessalon is outside of our coverage range, but hopefully this show goes well despite the atypical venue, and keep it in mind if you're in Central Algoma moreso! And yes, it is that Aubrey Falls, namely Bone Yard singer/drummer Greg Simpson's old That's Chester bandmate. Your local 225's first truly local show of August 2024 will see them rock Algoma Tree Services' sixth annual community meet & greet/charity barbecue on Saturday, August 10th! This will be Bone Yard's first ever appearance at this event.

Readers may recall that the musical entertainment at the Goulais River-based business over the past two years was local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck and classic rock band Angry Joe & The Growlers, and according to their website's calendar, Bone Yard 225 will be replacing Soundcheck as the headliners this year for unannounced reasons. In the past two years, I didn't hear a peep about this event until after it took place, so kudos to Bone Yard for publicizing it, and hopefully lots of money is raised for the Kiwanis Club that weekend! The Growlers kick things off at 1:30 PM with Bone Yard headlining at 7:00 PM, and there is no cover for this public, outdoor, and all ages event. Click here for more updates! On Friday, August 16th, Greg, Alex, and Warren will hit the road (if still nearby) to perform at the opening night of this year's Laird Fair outside of Echo Bay! 

The Laird Fair (a.k.a. the North Shore Agricultural Fair) is new to me as SMS coverage goes, but music is not new there, with last year's featured act being local country singer Mark Tarantini and his solo band. If similarly staged/plotted, Bone Yard 225 will rock a covered stage at the fairground site at Lake George Road East at 9:00 PM. Specifics on this year's fair are not out yet (follow their Facebook page for updates), but this should be an all ages event, and I didn't see reference to a cover charge last year. See above for more on the 2024 fair so far! On August 17th and 31st, Bone Yard are slated to go "uncorked", but not at one of their usual two acoustic haunts, as they'll rock Gino's Fired Up Kitchen & Bar at 1076 Great Northern Road for the first time on those Saturday nights! Gino's (which re-opened after heavy remodeling early last year) began hosting live musicians on weekends on their patio this past Friday.

So far, Gino's has welcomed Matthew James and Leslie Cook for shows at their covered patio (apparently the largest one in town), and while there is a roof on the patio, one imagines that live music will only be a seasonal thing if Gino's keeps it going into 2025. Will hard rock-leaning acoustic performers beat Bone Yard 225 to the Gino's stage before August? Stay tuned, but both of their shows are 6:30 PM affairs with no cover charge or stated age limit. The Gino's dates sandwich two shows elsewhere in August, starting with Bone Yard's return to the second annual Dragonfly Run (the rebranded/re-organized Ride For ARCH) on Sunday, August 25th! Their concert events move from an outdoor stage outside of Jay's Piston Broke Pub to The Grand Gardens on Great Northern Road this year, and Bone Yard 225 knows the new locale very well via their involvement in the annual Toystock charity concerts there in November.

Of course, the Dragonfly Run is a motorcycle rally supporting the Algoma Regional Community Hospice, which has attached community events to support ARCH, the concert included. No word on who else will be playing, but Bourbon Blue offshoot Nicky & The Southpaws and alt-rock band The Haze (née Skinbox) also performed last year. Just for the record, I am not getting into the recent controversy over this event vs. the unrelated ARCH Run that Jay's Piston Broke Pub is hosting the previous day at/outside the Korah Road venue, but if you want to read the Dragonfly Run organizers' statement about why they didn't return to Jay's for 2024 and their view on a competing rally/festival that same weekend, click here. Expect family activities, a bike show, and yes, the rally proper based at The Grand Gardens on August 25th, and this is an all ages event as usual.

There is no cover unless pledging/riding in the rally, with Bone Yard 225 playing at 7:00 PM. Lastly, the guys will return to The Water Tower Pub for one more "uncorked" show on Friday, August 30th as they kick off the Labour Day long weekend! As usual, that one-nighter has an 8:00 PM start time, no cover, and a 19+ age limit. Like last year, Bone Yard 225 are prioritizing special events over normal nightclub gigs to end the summer, so there's a lot to take in as such with their classic, hard, and southern rock cover attack, so see above for more details, and look for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

A Big New Outdoor Concert's Band Search, A Notable Band's Likely Status, And Much More!!

Here's some more news for this Sunday morning, and there's some notable stuff to address and cover! Today, we've got updates to one of our monthly feature series, a bunch of assorted news and notes, videos of a local metal guitarist, and the likely status of a local metal band, but first, here's some information on a planned major concert event that YOU can apply to play on!

Are you or your band interested in playing at a multi-band outdoor concert in the Sault Ontario area next summer? Applications are being taken right now for some sort of concert event to be held in June 2013, as per postings by organizer Rita Slater on our Facebook page, and a related "Sault Ste. Marie Outdoor Concert" Facebook page that she's launched. Rita is the general manager of Laird International Raceway and the organizer of the relaunched Hot Rides Cornfest that was held there this month & last August, and from what I can gather, this event (which may also be a festival) would likely take place in Laird as well, though it's not planned to be country music-centric like Cornfest is. Details are otherwise scant on this planned event, but headlining bands will apparently be announced later this year, and she's hoping to find 10-12 local acts to perform. If you or your band are interested in playing this outdoor concert event in Laird next June, e-mail Rita A.S.A.P. at theboomboomshow@hotmail.ca! I know the new Cornfest has been successful, but a new music festival in the area with rock integration (and hopefully some metal) would be neat, especially in June rather than later months where it'd have more competition. I'd say take Rita up on this offer to apply for this event, you never know how big it could be, so send your e-mails A.S.A.P., and stay tuned for updates on this event!

Next up, I wanted to note a band that we're regrettably moving to the inactive band links on the SMS, that being local classic metal quintet Sativa Rose. Though we're not at the one year-inactivity threshold for them (they were last visibly active in December via some concert video uploads), an immediate future for Sativa Rose is unlikely due to members Andrew Angelic & Adam Veale's planned move to London for college early next month. Nothing official has ever came out regarding Sativa Rose's status, but with Andrew & Adam focusing on the also-moving Valentine's Day Massacre, guitarist Anthony Orazietti now in Winkstinger, and drummer Alex Palmer living out of town himself right now (I think), the writing seems to be on the wall. It's disappointing to see Sativa Rose fall into inactivity, especially knowing their musical talent and the unrealized potential that their final lineup (including singer Marisa Valois) had following that lineup's first & last show in November. No matter what, they gave us a lot of great shows and originals from their summer 2010 debut through last fall, and classic metal fans had a lot to like and headbang with! Best of luck to Marisa, Andrew, Anthony, Adam, and Alex in the future, and maybe Sativa Rose will pop up again in some form down the road!

Thirdly today, remember how we shared videos from new Sault Ontario thrash metal band Pillory and their 2011 predecessors Roadkill on Thursday? Well, guitarist Robert Sartini has posted 10 solo thrash covers aside from his recent band work on his YouTube channel as well! With one exception, these were all filmed last year, and they include covers of Metallica's "Jump In The Fire" and the solo from "Disposable Heroes", and Viking's "Case of the Stubborns", but the rest are all Megadeth, including versions of "In My Darkest Hour", "Set The World Afire", "Victory", "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due", and the solo from it in a separate video, so click each link to see Robert in action! He has skill at metal guitar work for sure, but his guitar is tuned a bit weirdly on some of the videos, and there are some rough patches. He does have talent though, and I'm curious to hear more from Robert in Pillory or solo uploads, so check out his cover of "Holy Wars" below, and see more at the above links!



Fourthly, here's three assorted shorter news stories from the last little while, and as always, these are in alphabetical order by band or musician name:

• Local classic metal quartet Late & Loud have quietly uploaded their entire upcoming debut EP to their Reverbnation page! It's good to hear all of these songs in full, but as always, I'll hold on full thoughts until it's hopeful release. Check all five tracks out at the above links, and stay tuned for their long awaited return at the end of the month when they open for Skull Fist!
  
• Former Bear Hunters/Skull After Betrayl guitarist Mike Vincent is looking for a hardcore/metalcore vocalist for his new project, which will apparently cover bands like August Burns Red and Whitechapel. This could be interesting if it gets to the level of Mike's older bands, but I don't know a whole lot on them yet. If you're interested, message Mike at this location or find his post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group from August 6th!
• Also new on the Musicians Wanted group, local hardcore band With Blood Builds Character are officially looking for a drummer (they had temporarily enlisted Travis St. Amour for their debut show.) Frontman Jeremy Hannah indicated in a post late last month on the group that they're hoping to tour in January, so make note of that. If you're a technical metal drummer and are interested in joining W.B.B.C., message Jeremy at this location or read more at the above links!
  

And finally for today, here's some updates to our YouTube Channel Profiles, to make that monthly feature series more accurate and current! On the profile of YouTube user AshTraynor's channel (which is centric towards Kinross hard rockers Banned), I updated references to their current lineup (namely the return of Alex Schrovenwever as their new second guitarist), and made lineup adjustments accordingly, along with some date fixing. On the StateOfMisery2011 channel profile, I updated it to reflect State of Misery's latest breakup from earlier this summer, and finally, I edited the GardenofBedlamBand channel profile to note the current amount and usage of newer band channels, as it's been replaced twice over in the last 3 years. That's all for that latest batch of updates, but as more updates come up relating to our monthly feature series, I'll let you guys know so you don't miss anything that's added, removed, or switched! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes shortly, including our next YouTube Channel Profiles and our Dead & Divine concert preview in a few days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (For All That Is Lost), A Band Breakup, And New Concert Videos!!

Before we get to the news, I wanna offer my condolences to the family and friends of former Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord, who passed away today at the age of 71. Jon was a founding member of Deep Purple in 1968 & featured heavily on their albums during his tenure with the band, along with stints with respected acts like Whitesnake, and a respected career as a composer. I've always enjoyed & respected Deep Purple and their musical contributions, and Jon was a huge part of that, especially in their early years, and his loss is definitely being felt by many. R.I.P.! Now, to today's local metal news, as we have a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month in the Sault Ontario area, a band breakup, and a couple of new local concert videos, so here's what you need to know, and also check out our latest all-Woods of Ypres/David Gold post below this one!

After last month's successful F.A.T.I.L. Gathering in Laird, local death metal quartet For All That Is Lost will host and headline another similar event named "A F.A.T.I.L. Requiem" at 436 Neebish Road in Laird (which I believe is a band member's home) on Saturday, August 4th! This time however, the concert will be shorter and a bit tighter organized due to noise complaints, but much metal will be had at this concert! For All That Is Lost are listed to headline and open the show at 5:00 & 10:00 PM respectively on August 4th, with four other local bands joining in. Those include local death metal bands The Valentine's Day Massacre at 9:00 PM, The Bear Hunters at 8:00 PM, and Crimson Crusade at 7:00 PM (all of whom played last month's F.A.T.I.I.L. Gathering), but the 6:00 PM slot is currently open (though I have heard tentative news on that slot, which I'll have for you guys soon!) There will be a $10 admission charge for this show, it will be an all ages event, and it all starts at 4:00 PM that day with bands to follow. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Hopefully this is another great F.A.T.I.L. event, and even with plans to make this smaller, hopefully the quality's just as good, so stay tuned for updates, and hopefully I can make the trip out to Laird for this one!

Next up, this might be somewhat of a broken record statement, but local death metal band State of Misery have disbanded once again. Drummer Nick Kainula confirmed the news via e-mail correspondence the other day, saying that they were "completely done", though he and bassist Kevin D'Orazio are working on a new project. Like their previous breakups, the writing was on the wall once again, thanks to their return set at the West of Hell concert two months ago not going well, half of the band's current primary projects (The Valentine's Day Massacre & March Into Regression), and imminent out of town school plans for a member, so I'm not surprised to see them end again. I was hoping that this second return would lead to local prominence akin to their early 2011 run, but who knows what exactly happened behind the scenes, and hopefully their current paths are the best for them individually. Best of luck to Steve, Ray, Kevin, and Nick in the future, and if they come back for a third time ever in the future, you know we'll cover it here!

We'll close this post with new videos, starting with a new "music video" for an out of town metal band, featuring footage from a local concert! Sudbury improv/comedy death metal trio 85 Pound Poutine's set-closing song "Bacon Fuck" (as titled/suggested by an attendee) was filmed at their co-headlining appearance at the Hallows Die show at The Canadian Nightclub on June 29th, and it's been posted onto the band's YouTube channel, complete with song lyrics! Filmed at the side of the stage by another attendee, the video quality is very washed out, but everything is heard well enough, and if you have trouble deciphering Gravy Smith's death growls, the added lyrics help (and though I know this is how their other videos look, why paste the words over the middle of the video?) Nice stuff, and amusing, so check out 85 Pound Poutine in the Soo below!



Finally, here's a new video from our newest addition to our band links, young local hard rock/metal quartet Ashes To Dust! An attendee of their set at the second Sewer Swampstravaganza filmed them covering System of a Down's "Aerials" on Friday, and the results were posted onto their YouTube channel after their set. Quality's pretty good for the camera, and the guys sound good here, but I dunno if this is the best song for Noah Morden vocally, as parts of it are a bit above where his range can go. It's nice to see another video of them in action, especially at a non-Superior Heights performance, so check it out below, and stay tuned for more Ashes To Dust updates as they come in!