Who Made Who Concert Preview & New Video Uploads!!

Before I head off to the Halloween Party at The Rockstar Bar, here's our first post of November 2019, and it features one more weekend concert preview and some new videos from the last while! Here's what you should know!

Toronto-based AC/DC tribute band Who Made Who will return to Sault Ste. Marie for another round of high voltage rock 'n roll TOMORROW NIGHT at The Canadian Nightclub! Once a frequent sight at The Canadian in the early 2010s, Who Made Who have played elsewhere in their most recent local dates, most recently at The Rockstar Bar last April. Fans who have seen Who Made Who locally will attest to their faithful looking and sounding take on AC/DC's live concerts, for both the Bon and Brian eras, and it'll be great to see them back in the area tomorrow! Tickets for this 9:00 PM and 19+ event are $15, and can be bought at The Canadian Motor Hotel's front desk, though the price jumps to $20 at the door. If you love AC/DC, you won't want to miss out on all of this classic action tomorrow, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Who Made Who live a couple of years back!

Next up, let's dive into some recent new videos, starting with three belated videos from the Michale Graves concert at the aforementioned Canadian Nightclub in September, courtesy of Christopher Paci's excellent YouTube channel in the past week! At the time, Chris had posted 12 videos from the night, including 8 of the former Misfits frontman's headlining set, but you can judge for yourself why these three were so delayed. The new videos are of Michale and company playing four "Famous Monsters" songs from the second half of his set, namely "Saturday Night", "Them", and as embedded below, his closing songs "Helena" (well, part of it) and "Kong Unleashed." You can tell that Michale's voice was tiring as the show progressed, but the videos are solid as usual, and the crowd response is great, especially on "Saturday Night"! Give these a look above and below, as well as Chris' initial batch of videos!



Also today, let's continue playing catch-up with the videos shared to Sault Michigan classical metal band Theatre of Night's Facebook group as they continue prepping for their Christmas tour (starting later this month!) On August 26th, keyboardist Craig Harrison shared this 30 second video of computer tracking for a studio version (with vocals) of "What Child Is This?", noting in the caption that he was editing and mixing Rachel's vocal tracks for 3½ hours, achieving "nuanced (and) small perfections." As best as I can tell, it sounds great! Five days later, some humorous photos were shared from bassist Scott Andringa's recording sessions featuring him having fun with guitarist Steve Giles and some unexpected props, with this video of him playing air guitar (I suppose) also being posted with them. While set to the band's studio tracking, this is far more light-hearted and silly, but it's worth a watch if you're in that mindset!

Embedded below is a minute-long video of Steve playing his guitar solo for Theatre of Night's version of "Star of the East", as bookended with shots of the computer tracking his performance. Casual setting but strongly performed as you may expect, so give it a look below, and look for more of their videos from this fall in the coming days!

Finally, remember the video of local party metal trio The Apocalypse Afterparty covering Lorde's "Tennis Courts" at their private "Spooktacular Soiree" at the revived Mellow D's Underground last month? Well, there's more where that came from, but not on their Facebook page. Despite being filmed by rapper Conika (according to the band), that video and one more from that night were uploaded to YouTube user Miranda Siegrist's channel earlier this week, plus extra footage from The Soo's Got Talent that we haven't covered on here. We'll get to those videos next week, but for now, here's the other video that Conika filmed/Miranda uploaded, and it's another cover, this time of MGMT's "Kids. Recording's a little rough, but the cover is lively and effectively made into an aggressive number (Paul's screaming has improved with time, he's worked at it!) Give it a look below, and stay tuned for more from this channel in due course!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post on the site next! Thanks everyone!

Michale Graves Concert Videos, Plus A Brand New Single!!

Today's video-centric post looks at lots of footage from a big recent concert, plus the latest from a prolific local solo artist, but let's begin with the concert in question, as Christopher Paci's YouTube channel now has 12 videos from the Michale Graves-headlined concert at The Canadian Nightclub last month! Kudos to Chris once again, he certainly doesn't have to go through all of this trouble, but it's great to see more footage make it online for the public to see! Eight of his videos are of the former Misfits frontman during his back-to-back performances of his two Misfits studio albums, with Chris filming Michale and band playing "From Hell They Came", "Dig Up Her Bones", "Crimson Ghost", "Day Of The Dead", "Shining", "Hell Night", and "Scream" (his only filmed song from "Famous Monsters".) Embedded below is Graves' opening song, the title track from "American Psycho",and these showcase the live show well with a solid crowd!

Vocals can be inconsistent as the set progresses, and you do get more of a sense of Michale's lack of banter between songs, but the show was definitely a hit with attendees, and you can relive much of the first half above & below!



Next up, Chris got three videos of local horror punk/metal quintet Frightlight's reunion set, where the guys (and guest guitarist Handsome Dan) played their original songs "C.H.U.D.", most of "Fright Night", and as embedded below, "World War Z." Solid performances with the guys fully in their element after the 11 month wait since their Halloween show last year, so give these a look above and below (and get well soon, Chris Freaknstein!)



Lastly, Chris Paci filmed opening alt-punk trio A Dire Setback for a single clip of them playing their song "Everlasting Despair." This may be his only video of theirs, but it is the longest video he posted from this concert, so there's that! Solid and straightforward rendition of this familiar live standard, albeit sounding a little lower than I recall from earlier shows. Check this one out below as well, and stay tuned for more on their debut album!



Finally, here's our first look at a full track from local/Thompson, Manitoba solo hard rock artist Mike Haggith's upcoming 50th studio album "If Ever Comes The Day!" Remember, he is bumping "Bridges" to a later date due to a number of outside circumstances. Entitled "Communique", this song was unveiled in a live-stream on his Facebook page on September 24th. In it's write-up, Mike says that this was the newest completed song for the new CD, which he describes as containing his "best material yet." Apparently, "Communique" is more stripped down than other tracks on the album (as evidenced on the teaser for "The Best You Never Had"), and it helps illustrate his shift back to first-person storytelling on this CD, compared to the mental health advocacy themes on "Bridges." I'll hold full comment on the song until our presumed review of the full album on the site, but fans of Mike's solo material will want to give this a listen below!



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

Michale Graves Concert Review!!

Alright, it's time for a concert review I've been waiting to do since the infamous Mackinac Bridge closure last fall (no inclement wind yesterday!), as let's finally talk about Michale Graves' local show at The Canadian Nightclub! As it turns out, Michale and crew played a special acoustic pre-show for VIP ticket-holders, and from what I heard, it was a great time and he was very open and friendly with attendees, which is great to hear! Door admission was $30, so it did go up from advance prices, though the house wasn't as packed as I assumed it would be. That said, the floor was packed for Graves' set, and fans were very vocal, especially during "Saturday Night"!

Opening last night were local alt-punk trio A Dire Setback in their first concert since they released their debut music video, and they put forth a solid set of their original material for early fans! Alongside established originals like "Kicking & Screaming", "Faded", and "Nightmares", the guys played two newer songs that I don't recall hearing live or online ("Endless Dream" & "Drop Dead") which went over well and seemed to fit their existing sound. I wish Chris Nielsen bantered a little more with the crowd, but he has improved with confidence as a frontman since I last saw A.D.S., and he and Matt Quinn were solid compliments on guitar and bass, while Nick Kainula's drumming was on point (nice to hear a solo there too!) No major frills beyond on-sale merchandise, but A Dire Setback stuck to their guns and delivered a strong opening set!

Second up last night were horror punk/metal quintet Frightlight in their second one-off reunion show in as many years, and given how frequently they covered Graves-era Misfits in their original run and last year, what a night to come back! Rhythm guitarist Kevin "St. Mayhem" Powe was back in the fold last night after missing last year's set, but in a huge surprise, lead guitarist Rick "Styles" White was absent for unannounced reasons, a'la their initial 2014 farewell concert. Hopefully nothing bad happened! Jack Spades guitarist Daniel Horton filled in for the set, complete with the stage name "Handsome Dan" and "Aladdin Sane"-era David Bowie facepaint, and he handled things very well in relief! Playing their full "It's A...Live!" EP alongside "World War Z" and their "Bite It You Scum" cover (no Misfits songs for obvious reasons),  the guys picked up where they left off last year with another batch of horror punk favourites!

The set did seem a little rushed for time, but everyone played up to the standards we recall from their original run, with Johnny Pints' vocals strong and clear, and Eddie Fright's bass work was also nicely done in particular! Hopefully we see the guys back out there at some point in the future, but if Frightlight's last show is this one, it was an ideal finale, Rick's absence aside!

Finally, your headline attraction was former Misfits frontman Michale Graves & his solo band in a concert a year & a week in the making, though this time, he performed both of his Misfits studio albums ("American Psycho" & "Famous Monsters") back to back in full. To put it mildly, it was awesome hearing Michale in person doing such classic songs as "Dig Up Her Bones", "Walk Among Us", "Scream", and "Saturday Night"), and fans were very receptive, openly filling in the gaps by singing along! Michale himself was in good spirits, but his stage banter was minimal, and his voice was straining a bit as the set went along, especially noticeable at points where notes were held longer or screamed. However, things went by well, especially with a backing band more than up to the task of handling these familiar songs, and if you love horror punk, there was no better place to be last night! Hopefully they come back at some point!

Overall, this was a great concert full of entertaining and high energy punk rock, and if you called this the unofficial start to the Halloween season around here, I wouldn't dispute your logic! You can check out our photos at this link and/or our Facebook page, and as for our videos, here A Dire Setback playing "Endless Dream", Frightlight playing "She Screams", and Michale Graves playing both "The Haunting" & "From Hell They Came!"







I hope you guys liked this concert review, and stay tuned for this month's CD review on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Soundcheck) & Most Of This Weekend's Hard Rock/Punk Concert Previews!!

With acts playing on Wednesday and Thursday covered, let's dive into our second weekend concert preview post for this busy stretch! Remember, we covered Tym Morrison and Tarnished yesterday, and The Soo's Got Talent will get a thorough look next. Now, here's what you should know for traditional concerts, starting with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to The Water Tower Pub for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was announced earlier this month via this concert calendar from the venue, but it slipped us by at the time, not helped by Soundcheck not advertising this show either on their own 2019 concert calendar or via a Facebook event page as of this writing. Last seen in short-handed form last week at The Esquire Club (and at The Water Tower Pub in July), TOMORROW'S concert will presumably have Paul back on bass, so if you want some live classic and hard rock covers this weekend, you know where to be! Remember, this is a one-night-only gig, as is standard for The Water Tower Pub, which traditionally books different acts nightly. As usual for Soundcheck's gigs at this central venue, expect a 9:30 PM start time, no cover charge, and a 19+ age limit. See above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

Next up, we'll take a brief detour to Sault Michigan, where Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm will return for two more headlining concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at The Rapids Lounge at their Kewadin Casino! Continuing their never ending run of concerts across Northern Michigan and the E.U.P., this will be Scarkazm's first concert weekend in Sault Ste. Marie since May, though we've seen them in St. Ignace a bit over the summer, not to mention Peril's recent northern trips as well. It's always great to see Adam, Dave, and Jeff rock one of the regional Kewadin branches, and hopefully they deliver more solid hard rocking action for local fans this weekend, and if you can't make it out, they'll be back in St. Ignace next week! As usual for their Kewadin bookings, tomorow's Soo shows are 9:00 PM affairs with no announced cover charges, and you must be 21 or older to attend. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Scarkazm live!

Also this weekend, let's head back to Sault Ontario, where local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will return to The Whiskey Barrel on Gore Street for one night only THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! While they have steep competition at The Canadian to deal with (more on that in a second), this rare Saturday nighter for the Elements side project should provide more solid entertainment, as Christina, Rob, and Jesse know their way around many diverse and often heavy covers! No word yet on potential October dates at The Whiskey Barrel, we'll let you know when/if they are announced. As usual for their frequent dates here, expect 8:00 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no cover charges on Saturday. Visit the venue's Facebook event page for September concerts for more details, and here's The Wyld Stallyns live!



Finally for this weekend (Soo's Got Talent aside), it's a concert a year in the making, as former Misfits frontman Michale Graves will make his long awaited local concert debut on SATURDAY NIGHT at The Canadian Nightclub! As many readers will recall, Graves and his touring openers were forced to cancel their planned show here last fall due to the Mackinac Bridge being closed amid severe winds. Luckily, weather reports aren't calling for any concerning weather on Saturday, to things should be good to go! No Argyle Goolsby or Nim Vind this year, but on this tour, Michale Graves will be covering both of his Misfits studio albums ("American Psycho" & "Famous Monsters") back to back, so prepare for 90 or so minutes of late 1990s horror punk intensity this weekend! Local openers will include the second one-off reunion in as many years from horror punk/metal quintet Frightlight (with St. Mayhem back in tow), and you'll recall how heavily Graves-era Misfits inspired them, so they are beyond fitting to open here!

As well, alt-punk trio A Dire Setback will kick things off with their first live gig since the release of their new music video, so don't be late for their set! Promoted by Frightlight frontman Johnny Pints (a.k.a. J.D. Pearce), this ALL AGES and licensed concert has an early start time of 8:00 PM advertised, and advance tickets run for $22.50 at this link, The Canadian's front desk, The Rad Zone, and at Vintage Games N' Junque (I do not know if the price jumps at the door.) One year and one week after the cancellation, it's awesome to see Michale and crew finally in city limits, so visit the official Facebook event page for more info, and here is Michale Graves live!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Soo's Got Talent preview and fallout (and more?) next! Thanks everyone!

Two Band Reunions, An Update To Our Band Links, And Much More!!

Let's keep the news train rolling on this Monday evening, so what will you find here? A couple of videos, bands being moved out of and into our inactive band links, and leading off, big updates concerning the openers of a major concert next month, so here's what you should know!

Inactive local horror punk quintet Frightlight and local alt-punk trio A Dire Setback will provide support at the Michale Graves concert at The Canadian Nightclub on September 28th, as per updates on the Facebook event page last month! A surprise announcement to say the least, this will one of A Dire Setback's biggest trio-era platforms ever, but of course, this will be Frightlight's first show since the Halloween weekend last year, and just their second since 2014, though this is being advertised a one night only reunion once again, so they remain in our inactive band links. Of course, Frightlight were well known for their covers of and inspiration from Graves-era Misfits, so they are a beyond fitting choice to open! Notably, this will also see the return of rhythm guitarist Kevin "St. Mayhem" Powe after he missed their reunion set last year, and as a teaser, Frightlight posted this short video onto their Facebook page on July 31st of Kevin (sans makeup) covering "Rust Angel".

Of course, "Rust Angel" began life as a surf rock-inspired Fitswitch song before their successors adopted it in a heavier form factor, so fans of both bands will like this! The over-exposed lighting and tight camera angle don't add to the visual quality, but it's great to see Kevin playing this song again, and you can see him do so with his Frightlight brethren once more at The Canadian Nightclub next month, so give it a look below!

Next up, here's another notable band return for this fall, as inactive local Foo Fighters tribute band The Soo Fighters announced on their Facebook page last week that they have reunited with a new lineup! As such, they will return to the stage on November 1st, very likely at J.D. Pearce's previously announced Halloween Party that night, which they played at two years ago in their second and final concert to date. It does make sense that they would be the Foo Fighters tribute for this year, so if you liked them in 2017, here's your next chance! In a time where Parabol, Coral Fang, and Poison Girl can all exist as local tribute bands, why not one more? However, only singer/guitarist Jules Cote (with Dave Grohl wig in tow) will be back for their return, as he will now be joined by ex-2 Minute Warning guitarist Wes Greco, Jules' Chunks of Manh bandmate Max Ambeault on bass, and Elements/Winkstinger drummer Jonas Gasperas, all replacing Jeremey Salatuk and John & Jonny Amendola.

A reason for the lineup departures has not been announced, but remember that this lineup was from two years ago, and Jules & the Amendolas haven't played together with their primary pop rock cover band Cherry Crush since August of last year, so we would be considering them to be inactive for SMS purposes. The new lineup seems promising, but how will they sound at this year's Halloween party? Stay tuned for updates, and unless this proves to be a one-off, The Soo Fighters are back in our active band links!

Also today, I wanted to acknowledge a solo musician being moved to our inactive band links, namely Mike Cliffe. A constant presence in our band links as long as we've had them, Mike is a skilled veteran guitarist whose progressive and often heavy originals are always worth listening to, but as you may know, his music was increasingly entwined with his work as the host and curator of the local music podcast Audiofumes. The 24 archive episodes showcase an eclectic collection of music from the Soo and far flung locations that would be more than at home on public or freeform radio, and collaborations between Mike and artists heard on Audiofumes were once very common. While I have never found a statement confirming it's status. no new episodes have been posted since April of last year, nothing has been posted on the Audiofumes or Sound Bacon pages reflecting Mike's music or new episodes since last summer, and the Audiofumes Facebook group is now largely used as a posting board for songs and some local concerts.

Mike's a very nice guy and an extremely creative musician, so whether or not the podcast ever resurfaces, I hope he dives back into his own music again when the time is right, and you can hear lots of his surviving music on his Reverbnation page. As one of the few Sault Ontario-originated rock radio/podcasting outlets, Audiofumes deserved more listeners, and with the diverse, unconventional array of music in each installment, there was always something to hear and nothing you expect! We'll let you know if Mike and/or Audiofumes return to activity in some form in the future!

We'll close today with a new teaser video for local Tool tribute band Parabol's headlining concert at Soo Blaster on October 12th, as shared to their Facebook page on Thursday! Featuring an assortment of new-ish images and band logos alongside some opening post-production effects, the video is set to a bunch of assorted audio clips of the guys playing live, and while it'd be nice to hear the full songs, you do get a sense of how faithful their sound is to the real thing! Give it a look below, and click here for more concert details!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Michale Graves, The Faps, And Darsombra), Plus Northwest Updates!!

Alright, let's finally get caught up on some big recent news on the SMS, and I apologize profusely for the delays in covering these newly announced concerts on the site, one in particular! We also have big road trip and related coverage for a prominent punk band at post's end, but let's lead off with those LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS in chronological order!

Saskatchewan trash-punk duo The Faps will return to Sault Ste. Marie for their sixth live concert appearance on Wednesday, July 31st when they headline at the Dryer Fire summer pop-up venue at 123 Bruce Street! Certainly no strangers to local fans or this site, some readers will have just seen Blair & Skylar's intense and irreverent live show back in April at The New A, and while this isn't quite a return to autumn normalcy, it's great to see The Faps back at another downtown venue at month's end, presumably with women's clothing in tow! Local surf rock instrumental band The Dynowaves are advertised to open, and they should deliver a fun set of their own to kick things off! Remember, bassist Brenton Ellis opened for The Faps in April with his solo project Slumshine, more on them in a bit. Note that I have not found a local Facebook event page to plug this show at press time, but it is advertised at Dryer Fire via July event posters like this, so that'll do for now.

An exact cover charge is not public yet, but The Faps' last local show charged $5, and many Dryer Fire events are "pay what you can" or free to enter as it is. While this is a mid-week show, Dryer Fire concerts generally take place at 7:00 PM and are ALL AGES as a rule, so don't let the Wednesday scheduling scare you off. This should be a fine attraction for new and old fans alike who want The Faps' minimalist noise punk attack, so don't miss the action then, and see the above links for more details!

Next up, Baltimore, Maryland psychedelic hard rock duo Darsombra will return to The New American Pub for their second local concert appearance on Saturday, August 17th! This show comes over two years after this exceedingly unique band last played The New A, and if you recall that concert, you'll remember the audiovisual presentation, extended jam sessions, lack of a singer or drummer, and their unique hybrid sound that united psychedelia, drone rock, and classic metal stylings. Darsombra has to be seen to be fully appreciated, I highly recommend tracking down videos (or coming to the show proper next month!) Online page-less folk solo project Slumshine will open in what is advertised as their album release show, while Brent will have original artwork for sale during the concert. A local act launching an album in a support slot isn't unheard of locally (Telephone & Address did the very same in 2016), and hopefully Slumshine make a big splash in this regard next month!

A second opening act is to be announced, though for reference, 2017's Darsombra show was opened by Pointless and late fill-ins Pillory. Presented by Six, Two, Oh. once again, this concert has a 9:00 PM start time, an $8 cover charge (up $1 from last time), and a 19+ age limit. It should be quite a night when Darsombra come back to the Soo, and with this being a Saturday nighter for a change, hopefully that + the strong reception in 2017 will help make this even bigger and better! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for updates!

Lastly for our overdue concert announcements, but certainly not least, former Misfits frontman Michale Graves has finally announced the make-up date from last year's cancelled Canadian Nightclub concert, as he'll be there on Saturday, September 28th, exactly one year & one week later! As many fans may recall, Michale and the two touring opening bands were unable to make it into the U.P. (let alone Canada) last September due to severe winds closing the Mackinac Bridge, and forcing a very short notice tweaking of the concert into a free, all-local jam night. Well, if you've held onto your tickets from last year for this long, then you can absolutely use them on September 28th to see Michale Graves in concert, though on this American Monster Tour, he is performing his two Misfits albums ("American Psycho" & "Famous Monsters") in their entirety during his set, so how's that for extra incentive? Opening bands have not been announced yet, but for reference, Argyle Goolsby & The Roving Midnight, Nim Vind, and locals Jack Spades were to have opened last fall, and I'd be shocked if Jack Spades didn't open still.

Still an ALL AGES and licensed concert promoted by J.D. Pearce, this 8:00 PM event will have slightly lower advance tickets going for $22.50 at this link, with in-person availability to be announced. And remember, tickets from last year's show are accepted for the new date, except if you got a refund. It's great to see Michale Graves finally trying again for a local concert date, and with a year's anticipation and full Misfits albums in his set, this should be a packed house, weather permitting! Visit the official Facebook event page for continuing updates as they roll in!

Finally for today, here's the latest from local indie/punk quintet Northwest, and apologies again for the delay in this making the site! Back in April, you may remember seeing local news releases where organizers of the Rock on the River Festival in Timmins were looking for Northern Ontario bands to send in submissions to play at their Northern Roots Stage on July 26th or 27th. Well, Northwest took them up on it, and they will represent the Soo at the festival on Friday, July 26th! They're the first listed band that would be playing on the Northern Roots Stage, while they'll be playing on the same day as past local headliners like The Sheepdogs, Tim Hicks, and The Road Hammers. Definitely a huge opportunity for Northwest, and hopefully they make lots of new fans 6 hours east in three weeks' time! To hype up the set, the band posted this 15 seconds-long video onto their Facebook page last month, which features black & white band photos, a brief song clip, and text promoting the festival.

Short but sweet advertising that gets the point across, so give it a look below, and click here for full details on the Rock on the River Festival, including on how to attend if you're up for a road trip or live in/near Timmins!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Downtown Street Party #3), Michale Graves Cancellation Info, And A New Video!!

Today's news post at the SMS is mostly devoted to SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (and how) concerning a big community event taking place.... in a few minutes! However, we do have some details on a very recent cancellation to take note of as well, so here's what you should know!

A couple of local hard rock cover bands will perform at TODAY'S third and final Downtown Street Party of 2018, starting with local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns, who will open "Stage 2" near Soo Blaster TODAY (as in, at 12:30 PM!) Profuse apologies for the short notice, The Wyld Stallyns never publically confirmed their participation, though they were confirmed by festival organizers on the Facebook event page 2 weeks ago. In what could be a tune-up before their open mic night on the Norgoma on Tuesday, this should be a prime chance to see their fan-friendly blend of covers, but you've gotta act fast, as they're playing at 12:30 PM, which isn't far away! A DJ from Soo Blaster will headline TODAY at 5:30 PM, while the remaining lineup (with aide from Dryer Fire and ex-Gore Street Cafe owner Nicole Dyble) will see Waterloo folk musician Richard Garvey at 4:30 PM, Wild Iris side project Stone Orchid at 3:30 PM, indie pop singer/guitarist Shae Tull at 2:30 PM, and Sault Michigan solo artist Magnet Moslov at 1:30 PM.

Solid lineup that definitely feels like a "Stage 2", so don't miss this varied roster outside of Soo Blaster TODAY, with The Wyld Stallyns beginning within the hour! For a preview, here's The Wyld Stallyns live!

Next up, that's not all for SMS-covered bands at the last Downtown Street Party of the year, as local classic/hard rock quartet Soundcheck will play outside of GFL Memorial Gardens as part of "Stage 1" entertainment! Again, massive apologies for the short notice, the band only announced the set on their Facebook page this morning, though event organizers had also confirmed their involved on the same Facebook event page two weeks ago. This will be Soundcheck's first public concert appearance since the retirement of drummer Scott McLurg, and while the band hasn't announced a permanent replacement yet, Peace Vibe/Flat Stanley drummer Glen Thomas will reportedly fill in TODAY, reuniting him with former Mourning Wood bandmate Terry Eaton. Solid choice, Glen should fit in fine here! Other acts playing outside of the former Essar Center THIS AFTERNOON will include a DJ from Ace Studios at 4:30 PM, country/rockabilly veterans The Steeltown Playboys at 3:30 PM, ...

...new local acoustic rock quintet Chunks of Manh at 2:30 PM, and country duo The Crossroad Magdalenes opening at 12:30 PM, while Soundcheck's set is after them at 1:30 PM. Of course, this is a FREE and ALL AGES event courtesy of the Downtown Association, as the prior 2 Downtown Street Parties were, and fans can expect local vendors, food and drinks, all-day shopping, games, and prizes from Elgin to Dennis, so be sure to visit the above links for complete non-musical details! Sounds like a diverse lineup with a dash of hard rock for good measure, so head down to Queen Street East TODAY (as in, very shortly) for all of the action! For a preview, we have a new public video of Soundcheck to feature here, courtesy of a share onto the event page from Scott McLurg's wife Monique's personal Facebook page, so what should you know on it? Filmed at a rare out of town concert of theirs, this was filmed when Soundcheck played a drag racing event in Wawa last month.

The video features their cover of The Beatles' "Come Together", though I do hear more of an Aerosmith glimmer here. Solid performance and well filmed overall, and it's nice to find a new public video of theirs, so give it a look below, and don't miss Soundcheck (and Glen) TODAY at 1:30 PM!



To close today's post, I wanted to acknowledge what happened to last night's Michale Graves-headlined concert at The Canadian Nightclub. As you likely know by now, the concert was cancelled shortly before doors were to have opened, as all three touring bands were stopped in Mackinaw City due to yesterday's severe wind forcing the closure of the Mackinac Bridge. The same closure also cancelled yesterday's Soo Greyhounds home opener, so this was definitely a serious weather hazard. Promoter J.D. Pearce confirmed to attendees last night and Facebook contacts that he will be making a statement next week regarding refunds and a planned rescheduling of the Michale Graves concert, so keep tabs on that for details on what looks like a new date. In any event, J.D. has confirmed that tickets bought for yesterday's concert can be used for the rescheduled concert, or carried over towards next month's Ten Foot Pole concert at The Harp, or his annual Halloween parties at The Algonquin Pub.

In place of last night's expected concert, planned local openers Jack Spades played alongside friends and special guests for a free all-local jam, which we will be reviewing in our next news post. Alas, Mother Nature had other plans for the horror punk extravaganza last night, but what can you do about that sort of cancellation? This was out of everyone's hands. Hopefully Michale and company can make it here in the future for a second try, as I know how eagerly many fans were awaiting this concert! Stay tuned for more details, and for our review of last night's fill-in show soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tym Morrison), Weekend Concert Previews, And Much More!!

(Updated on Friday at 1:00 AM) Before we begin this weekend concert preview post, we have a pair of concert cancellations to take note of, as Traverse City, Michigan classic metal trio Peril will not be playing at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino tomorrow & Saturday night. Don't worry, there's no "different direction" excuse, Peril cited a scheduling conflict as the reason on their Facebook page, and the shows have been postponed to an unspecified future date. Disappointing, but stay tuned for word on the shows' new dates! Now, let's dive into a this weekend's concert previews, plus some other stories, and starting with a SHORT NOICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison is staying busy with a return to La Terrazza Franzisi in Richards Landing THIS SATURDAY! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced late on Thursday, after this post originally went online, so I opted to add it while we still could. At least this show has slightly more notice than his previous L.T.F. concert from this past Sunday! This will be the fifth weekend out of seven where Tym has played at least one weekend matinee at the waterfront restaurant on St. Joseph Island, and with the Gliss re-opening date still a mystery, it's nice to see Tym getting some relatively consistent bookings in the interim! Fans in Richards Landing and area can see Tym's skilled blend of hard and classic rock covers on SATURDAY evening at 5:00 PM, and while there is no age limit or cover charge, remember that this is a formal sit-down restaurant. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!




Next up, one of the biggest Sault Ontario punk concerts of the year will finally go down TOMORROW NIGHT, when former Misfits frontman Michale Graves will make his local concert debut as the headliner at The Canadian Nightclub! Though his solo output far outnumbers his Misfits run from the 1990s, Michale's work with that band lives on locally from such fan favourite songs as "Saturday Night", "Helena", and "American Psycho", and his brand of metal-tinged horror punk should get a huge audience at The Canadian tomorrow! It may not be the "secret show", but this one will more than suffice! Michale will be joined tomorrow (as on his Course of Empire tour) by West Virginia "horror death" outfit Argyle Goolsby & The Roving Midnight and Vancouver horror punk artist Nim Vind, and from the former's dark-yet-melodic originals to the latter's hard-edged "electric music", genre fans will find lots to love from this three headed monster! Local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades will provide local support in a massive no-brainer.

Given promoter/frontman J.D. Pearce's frequent covers of 1990s Misfits songs in his various bands, who better to open up for Michale himself?! Despite the Facebook event page still advertising "another act TBA", none have been publically confirmed. This 19+ concert has an early 7:30 PM start time listed, and advance tickets are now $20 at this link, The Canadian, and The Rad Zone (the price did drop from $25, but that may still be the door charge.) With 6 months of hype, this concert should be a huge hit for late-period Misfits fans and horror punk aficionados alike, so see the above links for complete details, here's Michale live, and don't miss this one!



Also, we'll head downtown to LopLops Lounge, where Toronto-based Ramones tribute band The Gabba Heys will make their local concert debut THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Fronted by veteran local punk musician Mikey Hawdon, this will be his first local appearance as a band frontman in almost 2 years, and the first time he's channeled his inner Joey Ramone locally since bringing his prior Ramones tribute The Merves here for the fifth and final time in 2015. Mikey's Ramones fandom is well known, and his effective, fan favourite tribute experience should go over as well on Saturday with The Gabba Heys as it did with The Merves, so don't miss out! Mikey's long-time bandmate Dustin Jones will open with his (online page-less) punk cover quartet The Cover-Up, which is a fitting choice, but may fans get a mini-Surfers or Rising Tide reunion on Saturday? The advertised opener is Mikey's former Merves bandmate Amy "Gabba" Zucchetto with a Joan Jett tribute set, but I have read conflicting reports regarding whether she's opening or playing during The Gabba Heys' set.

If we have any Sudbury readers, keep in mind that all of these performers will be playing there tomorrow at The Townehouse Tavern, so click here for details on that concert. As for Saturday's local show (a presentation of Tidal Records), this is a 19+ event with a 9:00 PM start time and a $10 cover charge. Misfits one night, and Ramones the next, punk fans are definitely blessed with some classic songs this weekend, and with some familiar faces from the past two decades of local punk music, fans won't want to miss out on all of Saturday's action at LopLops! For a preview, here's The Gabba Heys with Amy Gabba live in Toronto last year!



Finally for today here's six assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or event name:

• New local grindcore solo project Awokest quietly dropped out of Tuesday night's Truth of All Death concert at The New American Pub, as per promoter Chase Wigmore on the Facebook event page. Other than to say Awokest's exit was "at the last second", a reason for their removal wasn't announced, but hopefully nothing bad happened in their camp! Chase himself filled in with a solo set, which should have went over well for assembled fans!
• Local solo metal musician and ex-Bear Hunters guitarist Mike Vincent is looking for other musicians to jam with. Mike says that he's up to play "any genre... literally", and he has a guitar, keyboard, and electric drums. If you're interested in jamming with Mike and seeing where things go, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post yesterday!
• The Soo Zombie Walk will not take place next month, as per organizers on their Facebook page on Tuesday. Despite meetings and plans for the event's 10th installment, funding issues have led the organizing committee to postpone the annual walk until 2019. This popular Halloween season event didn't feature live music last year as it was, but this is definitely an unfortunate announcement, as I know how fun the Zombie Walk was for attendees of all ages. Hopefully they can regroup in time for next year!
• The teased acoustic performers have been announced for the #TeamBear benefit concert at The Sault Theatre Workshop on October 6th, namely Machines Dream frontman Craig West, ex-Blackberries frontman Norm Rosteck, folk singer/guitarist M.D. Dunn, and a mystery act named The Cheesemakers (we'll let you know if we can confirm their identity.) Solid choices overall, so look for some proficient tunes at this event to help Pirie Kaufman through his cancer battle, and click here for more details! As well, local drag queen performer Paris Gore will also have a live performance of some kind that day.
• If you missed the Weekend Warrior Fest concert at The Marconi Club earlier this month, than you can relive the event via this SooToday article from James Hopkin from September 9th. The beer launch is given precedence over the concert aspect, but Northwest frontman Wayne Watkins is interviewed for the piece, given that he works as a sales account manager for Rogers Radio's stations here, including Weekend Warrior Fest sponsors Country 104.3. Hopefully the event was a big hit for craft beer fans and music lovers alike!
• Local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will host the weekly open mic night at the M.S. Norgoma museum ship at 91 Foster Drive this coming Tuesday, as per it's official Facebook event page. We don't treat open mic nights as "concerts" for our coverage on the SMS due to the uncertain nature of the lineups and format, but Rob, Jesse, and Christina should prove to be solid hosts with their fan friendly live sets! Ex-Gore Street Cafe owner Nicole Dyble has been hosting open mic nights and night markets at the Norgoma in recent months, and hopefully Tuesday's helps towards keeping the Norgoma downtown long-term!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Michale Graves), New Videos, And Much More!!

Before everyone settles in for the Greyhounds' first playoff game, here's a new news post for your Friday reading needs! Along with some assorted recent news and notes, we have some videos from each side of the border, and to kick things off, a huge LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so without any further adieu, here's what you need to know!

Former Misfits frontman Michale Graves will make his local concert debut on Friday, September 21st at The Canadian Nightclub!  Fans of the horror punk legends will recognize Michale as their post-reunion frontman in the mid-late 1990s, and as the voice as such classic songs like "Dig Up Her Bones", "Helena", and "Scream", it'll be great to see Michale perform songs like those and his newer solo material in person this fall! The tour proper is fully infused with horror punk entertainment, including "horror death/rock & roll" group Argyle Goolsby & The Roving Midnight (featuring the former frontman of Blitzkid) and Vancouver solo artist Nim Vind. The former have a solid darker take on this genre range, while Nim Vind have a Volbeat-meets-The Misfits quality that's intriguing, if that makes any sense! Local opening acts will include local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, who are a beyond-fitting choice given how often frontman J.D. Pearce has covered Graves-era Misfits with his old bands!

One more local opener is to be announced. Promoted by J.D. Pearce, this ALL AGES (and licensed) concert has $25 tickets that are now on sale at this link, and while in-person and in-store availability has not been confirmed yet, keep in mind that "limited quantities" of tickets are available. Also, note the availability of $40 VIP tickets, including a meet & greet session! This should be a huge concert to help kick off the fall with, so if you're at all a fan of 1990s-era Misfits and/or horror punk, do not miss this show! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for updates!

Next up, here's another new video from local alt-punk trio A Dire Setback as they continue work on their debut studio album! Posted to their YouTube channel on Wednesday, this behind the scenes video features Chris, Matt, and Nick discussing tempos and working in their jam room, as partially set over a song by the band Overlake. This is more of an off the cuff, "whatever happens" video, but you get to see A Dire Setback hard at work, and there is some levity from their banter! Give it a look below, and back them on Patreon for even more updates!



Also today, here's a new video from Eckerman, Michigan metal band Moss, in their first new public update in over three years! Last seen on the February 2015 Werehold Records Friday the 13th new music event, this band has finally resurfaced with a new song called "The Drive", as posted to the Werehold YouTube channel on Wednesday. An instrumental hard rock number, this doesn't have the technicality of some of Moss' labelmates, but it has a solid riff and an accessible sound, and it'd be interesting to hear vocals added! Give it a listen below, and Moss are back in our active band links!



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

• Project 906 guitarist Joe Jenkins is looking to join or launch a new band in the Sault Michigan area, interestingly as a bassist this time around. Joe has years of live & recording experience, can sing backing vocals if needed, is versatile for different genres, and has his own gear. This doesn't seem to mean anything negative for Project 906, who are still active with Joe on guitar, but if you're interested in enlisting Joe on bass, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Monday!
• The Northern Vibe Festival will return to Ophir, Ontario (on the former Hempfest grounds) for it's fourth installment over the August 25th weekend! $75 early bird tickets are now on sale at their website, but full details and lineups have not been announced yet. Though never a metal or punk hotbed, the Northern Vibe Fest has played host to bands like The Billy Bastards and Gianni Gagoots in the past, and hopefully we'll see a few SMS-covered bands on the 2018 bill, so stay tuned for updates as they come in!
• After a few days of cryptic teasers, Rotaryfest's Facebook page announced that Calgary classic rock/country trio The Stampeders (of "Sweet City Woman" & "Carry Me" fame) will be this year's announced headlining band on Stage 1 of our annual summer festival on Saturday, July 21st! While we have seen a handful of general cover bands from out of town since, The Stampeders will be the first non-tribute headliners on the main Clergue Park stage since The Road Hammers in 2009. This should be a solid attraction for fans of Canadian classic rock, so check the above links for early details on this year's Rotaryfest!

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