LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Bookclub & Generations), And More!!

Before we begin today's post, just a late heads up that there will actually be one more band joining Bone Yard and Skinbox at the Dragonfly Run (nee the Ride For ARCH) at Jay's Piston Broke Pub TODAY, namely a new local rock band named Nicky & The Southpaws, featuring Soo Fighters/Bourbon Blue alum Jules Cote. This is via Jules' personal Facebook page, as organizers have only confirmed Bone Yard's involvement publically. No word on what Nicky & The Southpaws play, but look for them TODAY during all of the festivities! Now, here's two big SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS & details on a familiar radio show's cancellation!

I spoke too soon about Slumshine being the only SMS-amenable act to play at the Fringe North Festival, as online page-less indie/punk cover quartet Bookclub will actually be the opening band on TODAY's program! Apologies for the short notice, I completely missed their inclusion on the program when doing the write-up on missing Slumshine's show there on Thursday (not helped by Bookclub not having known social media pages to plug gigs with, alas). TODAY's set will be the very first performance on the third day of Fringe North, with Bookclub playing on the outdoor stage outside of the Sault Ste. Marie Museum, and you can read some biographical information on the band (like how they formed and got their name) on page 35 of the official program. As you can see, Bookclub aren't really "opening" for anyone directly on the outdoor stage, with DJ Manskirt and drag performers The Haus of Gore playing under the tent well later.

The Inner City Surfers/Room 206 alum-laden Bookclub take the stage TODAY at 2:00 PM for this all ages set, which has a "pay what you can" model ($10 is suggested, $20 if you really want to support the band), and 9&10 News is calling for mostly cloudy conditions with a temperature of 24°. Hopefully things go well outside of the museum for Bookclub and Fringe North at large, and keep this one in mind if you want some afternoon punk and alternative covers! Apologies again for missing this one until now, and for a preview, here's Bookclub live!

Next up, Bookclub aren't done there for the weekend, as they and classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will join forces again for a block party on Queen Street East, this time TOMORROW! Again, I apologize for the short notice, confirmation of the bands only came this week, and not entirely from organizers. This is not a Downtown Association-held street party like the one that Bookclub and Generations played last week, as it is being put on by Wood, Resin, and Lye, a store on Queen Street East that sells handmade soap and artisinal products. The block party is 1980s themed and will be held in the Heritage Block, with Queen Street closed from Pim Street to East Street. Dozens of local vendors, refreshments, games, a beer tent, and much more will be on hand for the festivities, so for complete details on the non-musical aspects of the block party, visit Wood, Resin, and Lye's Facebook page to see what's in store TOMORROW!

Organizers only confirmed Bookclub by name as playing TOMORROW, where they will be the headline act, but Generations confirmed their involvement on their Facebook group, as well as that local pop rock quartet Lime will also be playing, though be advised that Lime have not publically acknowledged their involvement in this event. Also no public word yet on who will be on guitar for Generations here (key word: public). Curiously, Wood, Resin, and Lye said that "last year’s finalists from the Soo’s Got Talent competition" will be performing TOMORROW too, but they did not offer individual names. In case you forgot, six singers made the finals of The Soo's Got Talent last year, so click here for more on them in case that is true. It would be interesting to see them back on stage like this! Worth noting that Lime frontwoman Madi Schomogyi was indeed a finalist in The Soo's Got Talent in 2018, in case some promotional wires were crossed.

The block party is FREE and ALL AGES, with festivities taking place from 11:00 AM-6:00 PM, with Bookclub on last and Generations playing at 3:00 PM. 9&10 News is calling for partly cloudy weather with a high of 25°, so the weather will be optimal for most TOMORROW! I wish organizers were more detailed about the lineup, but this should be a fun time for the whole family, so see above for details on TOMORROW'S block party, and for a preview, here's Generations live!

Finally for today, this has no direct bearing on our local radio market anymore, but the nationally syndicated radio show Nights With Alice Cooper will end its run during the first full week of September, as per radio news websites like this. The cancellation is due to syndicator United Stations "going in a different direction" (I hate that excuse) after the company was sold to new management, and Alice did not end the show on his own accord. Alice was heard locally weeknights on Classic Rock: The Bear's old Newberry, Michigan affiliate (WIHC, 97.9 FM) from the fall of 2008 until WIHC was closed in February 2010, but remained on The Bear through early 2013, when you may have picked up their Cheboygan feed locally on 97.7 WCHY. Nights With Alice Cooper returned to The Bear in February 2019, by this point airing regionally on 95.3 WWSS out of Tuscarora Township.

Nights With Alice Cooper only aired on truly local radio for just over a year, but as one of the last vestiges of The Bear's Newberry affiliate beyond station branding, the playlist, and the recent return of The Bob & Tom Show, I wanted to acknowledge it here. Alice's playlist skewed towards classic rock more than metal, but you got to hear an eclectic variety within, plus his own songs, and lots of great stories from his career, and hopefully he continues hosting a radio show in some form elsewhere! If you can't pick up 95.3 FM over the air, you can hear Nights With Alice Cooper on The Bear's free online stream. That's all for today, but stay tuned for lots more news and notes on the site next week! Thanks everyone!

Tym Morrison's Live-Streamed Twitch Concert, New Covers, And More Updates!!

Let's keep things rolling on the SMS to close another supposed work week, and we have some assorted shorter topics and surprise covers to check out today, but leading off, here's what you should know for an extended live-streamed concert set from a familiar (if shorter-haired) face!

With his regular weekly acoustic shows at Gliss and elsewhere still on hold until further notice, former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison is adapting to the times by resurrecting his Twitch page and beginning to play live-streamed concerts from home, with the first one being recorded on Tuesday! A Facebook event page for the Twitch streams implied that he was going to be doing this yesterday as well, but no such video is uploaded, though he also scheduled sets for streams next Tuesday & Thursday as well. Tuesday's stream is entitled "Live Guitar & Singing Of All Mightyness 7th Show" (even though there weren't six preceding shows), and it is embedded below to watch, but what is on offer? First off, ignore the near-3 hour running time, the "Starting Soon" screen and initial setup takes up the first 48 minutes, but fans will still get 2+ hours of Tym in action! In performance order, Tym covers Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive" ...

...Roxette's "It Must Have Been Love", Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)", Night Ranger's "Sister Christian", Jim Croce's "Time In A Bottle", Yes' "Owner Of A Lonely Heart", Cheap Trick's "The Flame", Phil Collins' "One More Night", A-ha's "Take On Me", a familiar sounding instrumental, Amanda Marshall's "Trust Me (This Is Love)", Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud", The Beatles' "Here Comes The Sun", Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise", Tom Petty's "Yer So Bad", Richard Marx's "Hold On To The Nights", The Animals' "House Of The Rising Sun", The Travelling Wilburys' "Handle With Care", Fleetwood Mac's "Never Going Back Again", Chicago's "Hard To Say I'm Sorry", Kansas' "Dust In The Wind", Tesla's "Love Song", and Eric Clapton's "Tears In Heaven", before closing with his original ballad "Say That You Care". There's a lot to take in here, but Tym's vocal & guitar talents are on full display!

It's rare to see such an extensive lengthy video of his acoustic solo act, so savour this one, even if it leans more to classic rock than metal, and he performs to his usual standards! That said, the echo on his performance was very noticeable during breaks, and at times, the audible Facebook notification sounds on Tym's computer made me think that I had messages. Time will tell if he does this again on Tuesday as scheduled, but give Tym's 2+ hour live-streamed set from home a look below!

Next up, here's a pair of recent videos posted onto SooToday's YouTube channel (with accompanying articles linked here & here) featuring Rising Tide/Inner City Surfers frontman Dustin Jones and his daughter Jett covering some country classics at Mission Control Studios! Friends of Dustin's may recall seeing him post videos on his personal Facebook page where he and Jett sing together during this pandemic, but these two are publically shared, and they include a cover of Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler" and, as embedded below, Johnny Cash's "I've Been Everywhere", which fans of Dustin's will recall him performing with both The Surfers and The Tide in the past, such as in this video. The new covers are cute and lively, and are definitely worth a watch if you've missed Dustin's bands on stage as of late! Give them a look above & below, and look for Dustin's son Jaycee in a late cameo during "I've Been Everywhere"!



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

• In a bit of foreshadowing for a future installment of our WLSO 90.1 FM retrospective series, I have added an old show of theirs to our Other Sault Michigan Links Section, namely Classic Rock Nights With Gerard, which aired on Lake Superior State University's college radio station during the 2013-2014 school year on Tuesdays at 8:00 PM. Hosted by Gerard Guysky, their Facebook page still features a number of episode previews and even a couple of full playlists that heavily feature hard rock in them, so see more above, and look for part 3 of our WLSO series in the near future!
• Sault Ontario punk/metal quintet Jack Spades' song "They Live" will be featured on independent Hamilton record label Lockdown Records' fourth punk rock compilation, which will be released on May 20th on their Bandcamp page! It will be on sale there for $10, and while the most familiar band on this compilation (from past local shows) are Broomfiller, many other name acts can be found on the preceding three compilations. Very solid exposure for the Spades crew, and see above for more details!
• The Music City Sault Ste. Marie program is moving into it's next phase of municipal development in music and the arts, as per this SooToday article from earlier this week. Plans now include a music industry assessment survey, interviews with takeholders, and coordination of a task force to develop a future strategy regarding building the city's music and cultural sectors. There's a lot of technical details to take in, but things sound like they're well thought out and planned, so see above to dig into the Music City plans so far!

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

The End Of The Roosevelt Hotel, Plus New Project 421 Videos!!

Today's post has some new videos you guys might wanna see at the end, but the main topic relates to the confirmation of some rumours from recent weeks that we only now have proof on, and it's definitely bad news for local metalheads, so read on below to get caught up.

The Roosevelt Hotel as we currently know it will close tomorrow, as the popular Korah Road bar and concert venue has apparently been purchased by a new owner, and will soon be changing it's name as well. Though rumoured for a few weeks, the news was only just confirmed on The Rosie's Facebook page last night, where they also plugged yesterday's karaoke night prior to the changes. An official statement has not been made to elaborate further, but numerous online reports state that Reggie Daigle (owner of the popular downtown country bar Reggie's Place) is the new owner, and The Rosie will be reverted back to a country-leaning bar upon it's relaunch, though it's not clear whether that will be on Friday or if there will be a period of renovations first. If we get any firm announcements or clarifications, we'll have them here! If true, this will mark the second local bar/concert venue in under 5 months to have a name change and subsequent shift to a country theme after The Nicolet Tavern became the Rednecks Saloon in November.

Assuming the new focus of 306 Korah Road ends all metal and punk shows, it is safe to say that the Heavy Thursday series at The Rosie has ended as well just two months after it's inception. To that effect, promoter J.D. Pearce confirmed in a personal Facebook discussion that the Tribune show on April 17th and the Cross Dog show in July are now off from their originally intended forms, and while he apparently has a new plan for Cross Dog, the Tribune show will depend on a venue being secured in the next few weeks. Until a new venue is announced for either, I'll remove them from our concert listings, but stay tuned for official word on them (also, remember that the Babysitter show on April 3rd had already been cancelled last week.) J.D. was exploring the late notice possibility of hosting one final Heavy Thursday tonight as a send-off & thank you to The Rosie's staff and management for all they've done for these kinds of music in the past 3½ years,  but the venue opted for another karaoke night due to time constraints, leaving Griphook's headlining show on Saturday as the last hard rock concert at The Roosevelt Hotel.

No matter what your views were on The Rosie (location, certain incidents, the on-stage pole, etc.), this will be a huge blow to local metal and punk bands and concerts if the reports of an all-country bar go into effect. Beyond just the Thursday night series', The Rosie became a reliable home for metal and punk shows since the fall of 2010, and while I know Reggie's is a very successful bar with a working formula, I hope they don't completely lock out rock bands and continue to host a mixture of styles and bands once the new look and focus takes effect (though in all fairness, an official statement is hopefully forthcoming to fill in any gaps.) If this is the end though, I'll offer my thanks to Robin Istace and the rest of the staff at The Rosie for their hospitality and support throughout the last 3 years, and to Rich Moreland, Typhoid Meaghan, Stephane Vincent, J.D. Pearce, and Mitch Sirie for their work in promoting the 64 Thursday night metal & punk shows (and more) at The Rosie during that span!

We'll close today's post with some happier news courtesy of one of the last metal bands to play at The Rosie, local classic metal quintet Project 421! Like their Black Sabbath cover that we shared the other day, these come from last weekend's set at the Medifest fundraiser at The Grand Theatre, and were shared via their Facebook page yesterday. One was filmed by (and shared from the account of) attendee Joey Phuckel, and it's of Project 421 covering Kiss' "Cold Gin", which sounds really good and has a nice angle, but with one big problem: the video's sideways for the entire duration! Couldn't he have flipped it to the right angle before uploading? The other video is filmed by the same attendee who shot their Sabbath cover (I think), and it's a cover of Judas Priest's "Living After Midnight"! Solid quality again, but the angle does dip on an angle for much of the early runtime. Check out the new Project 421 videos above and below!



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

The Roosevelt Hotel Metal Nights: A Look Back

Three years ago on Monday was the premiere of the most successful regular metal concert series of recent memory in Sault Ontario, as former local concert promoter Rich Moreland launched the Roosevelt Hotel Thursday metal night series on November 11th, 2010! The series made it to 47 brutal and entertaining installments under three different promoters before quietly falling inactive after it's last installment in July 2012, and though it's faded out, it's still fondly remembered for giving metalheads a regularly scheduled outlet to see live metal, hard rock, and punk bands on a local stage! Coinciding with an increased push into more active concert bookings and renovations, The Roosevelt Hotel soon became a must-attend location for metal concerts in the area, helping promote and give rise to our current wave of death metal bands, and serving as the backdrop for a number of notable concerts, from Woods of Ypres' last local show to the long awaited return of The Dayglo Abortions. Though the last 10 installments were more spread out and not as prominent as during the series' 2011 peak, many fans still miss the metal nights at The Rosie, and I'm among them!

Sure, Thursdays were an adjustment compared to the weekend, but this series made Thursdays the most metal night of the week for 20 months, and I always enjoyed going to The Roosevelt Hotel to see the bands in action! I'd never given The Rosie much thought before Rich began booking concerts at The Rosie, but look at it now, and he deserves a lot of credit for his role in creating and promoting this series' during it's longest and biggest era! That's why today, on the first Thursday after the third anniversary, I thought I'd spotlight some facts, numbers, videos, and memories from the series' run, starting with a listing of all 47 official shows in the series, and note that the lineup order of each show is not guaranteed to be accurate: (Updated at 2:15 PM)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rich Moreland/Dismembertainment period (November 2010-October 2011)

November 11th, 2010 (1): Breaking The Fourth Wall (Montreal), As It Stands, Bring The Fallen, and Winkstinger
December 9th, 2010 (2): As It Stands, Bring The Fallen, and State of Misery
December 23rd, 2010 (3): The Bear Hunters, Sativa Rose, Shit Liver, and State of Misery
January 6th, 2011 (4): As It Stands, The Bear Hunters, and Bring The Fallen
January 20th, 2011 (5): Shit Liver, Winkstinger, and State of Misery
February 3rd, 2011 (6): As It Stands, The Bear Hunters, and State of Misery
February 17th, 2011 (7): The Bear Hunters, Shit Liver, and Changing Waves
March 3rd, 2011 (8): As It Stands, For All That Is Lost, and Changing Waves
March 10th, 2011 (9): Woods of Ypres, The Bear Hunters, and State of Misery
March 31st, 2011 (10): As It Stands, Shit Liver, and Skull After Betrayl
April 14th, 2011 (11): Bring The Fallen, For All That Is Lost, and State of Misery
April 21st, 2011 (12): As It Stands, The Bear Hunters, and Shit Liver
April 28th, 2011 (13): Late & Loud, Sativa Rose, and Changing Waves
May 5th, 2011 (14): The Bear Hunters, Sativa Rose, and For All That Is Lost
May 12th, 2011 (15): No Bragging Rights (California), Hallows Die (Toronto), Farewell To Freeway (Guelph), and As It Stands
May 19th, 2011 (16): Shit Liver, Sativa Rose, and Changing Waves
May 26th, 2011 (17): As It Stands, For All That Is Lost, and Changing Waves
June 2nd, 2011 (18): The Bear Hunters, Sykotyk Rampage, and Bring The Misery (later March Into Regression)
June 9th, 2011 (19): The Bear Hunters & Shit Liver
June 16th, 2011 (20): The Dayglo Abortions (Victoria), Frightlight, Shit Liver, Sativa Rose, and Skull After Betrayl
June 23rd, 2011 (21): The Bear Hunters, Shit Liver, Winkstinger, and Bring The Misery (later March Into Regression)
June 30th, 2011 (22): As It Stands & Sativa Rose
July 7th, 2011 (23): As It Stands, For All That Is Lost, and Changing Waves
July 14th, 2011 (24): RedD Monkey & Changing Waves
July 21st, 2011 (25): Garden of Bedlam, The Bear Hunters, and Winkstinger
July 28th, 2011 (26): As It Stands & Redundant
August 4th, 2011 (27): The Bear Hunters & Changing Waves
August 11th, 2011 (28): Black Moor (Halifax), Sanktuary (Halifax), The Bear Hunters, and Shit Liver
August 18th, 2011 (29): Abriosis (Vancouver), Method (Winnipeg), For All That Is Lost, and Changing Waves
August 25th, 2011 (30): Annex Theory (Winnipeg), Laika (Winnipeg), Thekillingfield (North Bay), and Shit Liver
September 1st, 2011 (31): Tribune (Vancouver), Redundant, and Changing Waves
September 8th, 2011 (32): Late and Loud & Shit Liver
September 15th, 2011 (33): Thekillingfield (North Bay), The Bear Hunters, and Shit Liver
September 22nd, 2011 (34): Empyrean Plague (North Bay), The Bear Hunters, and Shit Liver
September 29th, 2011 (35): La Promesse (Rimouski) & Late and Loud
October 6th, 2011 (36): The Nailheads (Montreal), Fifth Column (Espanola), and Redundant
October 13th, 2011 (37): The Dead Peasants Revolt (St. John's) & Shit Liver
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stephane Vincent period (November 2011-March 2012)

November 10th, 2011 (38): The Bear Hunters, Shit Liver, and Redundant
November 24th, 2011 (39): Late & Loud, For All That Is Lost, and View To A Kill (later The Valentine's Day Massacre)
December 8th, 2011 (40): The Bear Hunters, Shit Liver, and General Striker
January 19th, 2012 (41): As It Stands, The Bear Hunters, and Changing Waves
February 16th, 2012 (42): For All That Is Lost, Winkstinger, and The Valentine's Day Massacre
March 15th, 2012 (43): Waster (Winnipeg), Farewell To Freeway (Guelph), and As It Stands
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mitch Sirie period (April-July 2012)

May 31st, 2012 (44): As It Stands, The Bear Hunters, and Shit Liver
June 7th, 2012 (45): Winkstinger, Changing Waves, and Borderline Divine
June 21st, 2012 (46): The Bear Hunters, Shit Liver, and Inhuman Methods
July 5th, 2012 (47): The Valentine's Day Massacre, Changing Waves, and March Into Regression
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rosie Metal Night Trivia, Facts, And Other Notes

By The Numbers: 22 different local bands played at Rosie metal nights, with The Bear Hunters playing a record 20 times, followed by Shit Liver (19), As It Stands (15), Changing Waves (13), and For All That Is Lost (8). Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie holds the solo appearance record, playing at 21 metal nights as an official band member (the 20 Bear Hunters sets, plus once with Borderline Divine), making him extra fitting to be the series' final promoter! The Bear Hunters & Shit Liver shared the stage at Rosie metal nights 12 times, more than any other combination, none of which occurred more than 5 times. Aside from members of the above bands, local death metal singer Steve Rhodes fronted bands at 11 metal nights, including 6 with State of Misery, 3 with The Valentine's Day Massacre, and 2 with Bring The Misery. Shit Liver were arguably the iron men of the series, playing 3 straight metal nights twice in June & September 2011. Somewhat surprisingly, despite playing at a combined 27 metal nights, none ever took place featuring Shit Liver and For All That Is Lost on the same night.

Firsts & Lasts: Five local bands made their live concert debuts at a Thursday Rosie metal night, including The Bear Hunters & Skull After Betrayl (both then featuring guitarist Mike Vincent), State of Misery & Bring the Misery (each featuring Steve Rhodes & Ray Cowan at the time), and the one-off classic metal band General Striker, who were essentially Late & Loud minus singer/guitarist Brendan Christie, as they didn't want to play under the Late & Loud name without a full lineup present. General Striker aside, bands that played their last concert ever at a Rosie metal night included Changing Waves, Inhuman Methods, and March Into Regression, notably all during the Mitch Sirie era. As well, Woods of Ypres' last local show was in this series (preceding a number of out of town gigs), and Bring The Fallen's last gig during their active run was a Rosie metal night (though they returned for a one-off farewell concert in July 2013.)

Promoter Changes: An active promoter in the Sault area since the mid-2000s, Rich Moreland launched Dismembertainment in March 2012 to fully focus on regional metal & punk concert promoting. His exit from the metal nights and promotion at The Rosie was at least partly due to his purchase of Foggy Notions (renamed Feedback under his tenure) in the fall of 2011, though the series outlived Feedback, which is now the current location of Coch's Corner. Rich continued to promote concerts under the Dismembertainment banner at Feedback and The Canadian through May 2012 (including the Ypres Metal Fest that April) before moving to Alberta, though he hasn't closed the door on promoting shows there. The Rosie's then-kitchen manager Stephane Vincent took over the series in November 2011, running 6 installments through the spring of 2012 before handing the series over to Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie that April in advance of his move to Toronto. Mitch's four Rosie metal nights joined a slate of other early-mid 2012 concerts that he promoted, but he stopped actively promoting concerts (including this series) in late 2012 so he could focus on his music projects.

Out Of Town Bands: In both size (5 bands) and scope, the 20th Rosie metal night on June 16th, 2011 was arguably the biggest, thanks in large part to the short notice return of The Dayglo Abortions to Sault Ontario, attracting close to 200 raucus fans, and instant talk of a return engagement, though they didn't return until October 2013. 9 of the last 10 Dismembertainment-promoted metal nights featured one or more out of town headlining bands, after having only 3 shows with out of town headliners in the preceding months. By contrast, only 1 of the last 10 metal nights had out of town bands (Stephane Vincent's last one on March 15th, 2012, which was also the only metal night to experiment with an all ages model.) In all, 19 out of town bands (not counting the regional For All That Is Lost & Inhuman Methods) played at official Rosie metal nights, including such local favourites as Thekillingfield, Empyrean Plague, and Hallows Die, though you could arguably include Woods of Ypres too given their mostly non-local membership at the time of their appearance.

Press Coverage: The 21st Rosie metal night on June 23rd, 2011 was spotlighted by ex-Free Beer singer Christian Lemay in a news piece for Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie, featuring interview segments with two attendees & then-promoter Rich Moreland on the event, venue, future plans, and his concert promoting in general. The full video (which aired on TV for a week that summer) features clips of Winkstinger & Bring The Misery from that night, including the only known footage of Bring The Misery with Daeson Lesage on rhythm guitar before their hiatus & lineup/name changes. The November 10th, 2011 relaunch of the series was covered in two separate Sault Star articles by Jeffery Ougler (links here & here), complete with a video from the event, though the articles incorrectly noted the length of the series' hiatus, and generalized some aspects of the series' past promotion & bands. The video features clips of The Bear Hunters & Shit Liver's sets & interview clips with Stephane Vincent & Bear Hunters members Justin Lam & Johnny Belanger.

Rosie Punk Nights: The Roosevelt Hotel tried a punk night series alternating with the metal nights for 5 installments from February 10th to April 7th, 2011, as promoted by Typhoid Meaghan. Regular performers included RedD Monkey (4 times), Sykotyk Rampage and Shit Liver (twice each), along with attracting one out of town band (Skepsis) for the March 17th installment. However, the series failed to take off at the same success level, with some fans noticing that the punk nights usually had at least one band who couldn't be classified as punk (like The Bear Hunters.) After the punk nights ended, Dismembertainment started running the metal nights weekly in their place in April, and slowly began adding some punk-influenced bands to the metal nights that summer (including Redundant, Frightlight, RedD Monkey, and select out of town bands) until they cut ties with the series that fall. Under later promoters, Redundant played the return show on November 10th, 2011, but no full punk bands followed before the series' demise.

Spiritual Successor:  Following his role in securing The Dayglo Abortions as headliners for the 20th metal night, local metal/punk singer and concert promoter J.D. Pearce has booked occasional metal & punk concerts on Thursday at The Rosie since May 17th, 2012 under his "Johnny Pints Presents" banner, among other shows on other days at this and other venues. All of his Thursday shows featured out of town bands on their originally announced lineups, though they're not part of a distinct revival of the metal night series. 7 have been held since, with regular bands in his Thursday night shows including Sykotyk Rampage (4 times), Redundant (3 times), Frightlight, and Haggith (twice each.) The February 21st, 2013 show (a.k.a. Axed Theory Night) was promoted as the return of the Rosie metal nights on their Facebook page, but it was likely an in-name return only due to their last promoter Mitch Sirie's performing involvement with The Bear Hunters, and their page has not been used to market future Thursday shows at The Rosie. Keep an eye out via the above links for the next Johnny Pints Presents concerts, as he's got a lot of great stuff in the works!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sample Videos From The Series

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last Month's Poll Results & This Month's Latest Poll!!

Before we preview TOMORROW NIGHT'S Airbourne concert (and cover some more recent updates), here's the results of last month's poll at the SMS, with our newest poll to follow! A month hit today for the voting period, in which we posed this question to you guys: What was your favourite Sault Ontario metal concert in the first half of 2013? Only 14 votes, which is lower than I'd have hoped (especially compared to some past years), but admittedly, the big July-August concerts weren't covered in it. The results are clear though, so here's the full breakdown!

What was your favourite Sault Ontario metal concert in the first half of 2013? - See more at: http://poll.pollcode.com/gy8q5_result?v#sthash.DjjOczir.dpuf

The Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands from April 3rd-24th (4 votes, 29%)

Striker at The Roosevelt Hotel on June 25th (2 votes, 14.333...%)

Skeletonwitch at The Canadian Nightclub on June 3rd (2 votes, 14.333...%)

The Ripcordz at The Algonquin Pub on April 13th (2 votes, 14.333...%)

The Golers at The Roosevelt Hotel on June 20th (1 vote, 7%)

The Crusade at The Canadian Nightclub on May 20th (1 vote, 7%)

40 Sons at The Rockstar Bar on February 28th (1 vote, 7%)

Other (1 vote, 7%)

The Suicide Kings at The Nicolet Tavern on January 25th (0 votes)

Axed Theory Night at The Rosie on February 21st (0 votes)

Apocalypse: The Musical at The Canadian on March 1st (0 votes)

Lucky 13 at The Rockstar Bar on March 17th (0 votes)

Soul Killing Female at 180 Projects on March 24th (0 votes)

40 Sons at The Rockstar Bar on April 5th (0 votes)

The Rabid Whole at The Roosevelt Hotel on April 11th (0 votes)

Garden of Bedlam at The Rockstar Bar on April 26th (0 votes)

Royal Red Brigade at The Oddfellows Hall on May 10th (0 votes)

The Suicide Kings at The Roosevelt Hotel on May 17th (0 votes)

Greber at The Roosevelt Hotel on May 18th (0 votes)

Sleep When You're Dead at Oddfellows Hall on May 29th (0 votes)

For Those About To Rock at Rockstar Bar on June 21st (0 votes)

What do you guys think? In ascending order, I am somewhat surprised that of the 20 included concerts, only 7 got a vote in the poll, though some of the included shows weren't as high profile as others. I'm most surprised that Garden of Bedlam's April show and Apocalypse: The Musical didn't get any attention, but as I've said before, it's all in who votes. The first 40 Sons and Golers shows of the year, The Crusade cancer fundraiser, and "Other" tied for fifth with a vote each, all about where I expected given their respective successes compared to some other choices. A three-way tie for second went to the Striker, Skeletonwitch, and Ripcordz concerts this year, all of which I was in attendance for and can attest to their high entertainment and success levels, so it's good to see them get multiple votes! However, the winner (with 4 votes and 29% of the total) was the Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands in April, which definitely was a hit event that got the attention of local music lovers, and I was there to witness the rising local talent in action each week to know it was a success (especially for The Suicide Kings!)

Also to note, all shows that got a vote in the poll were at least co-organized by local musician/promoter J.D. "Johnny Pints" Pearce, which is a testament to his hard work getting big shows to the Soo this year, so thanks to him for sure for what he's been doing, and support one of his biggest shows yet by going to see Airbourne TOMORROW NIGHT! Thanks to everyone for voting, and stay tuned early next year for our poll on favourite metal/hard rock shows from July-December of this year!

With that poll now closed, we open another one, this time focusing on the topic of concert series (more specifically, a constant scheduled run of concerts from the same promoters at the same venue on a reliable schedule.) The biggest recent of these for metal/hard rock fans were the Roosevelt Hotel metal nights, which ran on Thursdays (usually weekly) for 47 official installments from November 2010 to July 2012. There are other citeable examples, like the short lived early-2011 Rosie punk nights and The Rockstar Bar's one-off attempt at Wednesday metal nights in 2009, but the Rosie metal nights got the most recent attention thanks to their lengthy run, big name bands, and local media coverage. Usually, local concert bookings happen whenever a workable day can be scheduled, but I know many people miss the reliable scheduling & focus on heavier genres that the Rosie metal nights got. With that said, this month's poll question is: "Would you like to see a regularly scheduled metal/hard rock concert series like the Roosevelt Hotel metal nights again at a local concert venue?"

I've picked seven choices to cover hopefully all ground for this poll, which I have a feeling will get some good responses from fans, so read on below for more info on each choice, s we flesh out whether a regular run of metal/hard rock shows like the Rosie metal nights would be welcomed again locally!

Absolutely, I miss them!: Some fans lamented the slowdown of Rosie metal nights under later promoters after Dismembertainment left the series in October 2011, but the series' descent into inactivity in late 2012 happened without much fanfare. Are you among the fans who wish there was a regular and reliable series of concert at a local venue to attend again, or perhaps want more than just one?

Depends on the included bands/genres: Not everyone will agree on their preferred metal/hard rock subgenres, but death metal fans sure enjoyed the Rosie metal nights during their run, especially if you liked regularly appearing bands like The Bear Hunters & Shit Liver! Would your enthusiasm and attendance of a new regular metal concert series depend on the variance and genres of involved bands?

Depends on the venue/location: The Rosie metal nights helped make The Roosevelt Hotel a top destination for heavier original concerts, but everyone has their preferred venues (even The Rockstar Bar briefly tried a Wednesday metal night series in 2009), while some prefer all ages venues, or just prefer to stray close to home/work. Would a new metal night series only pique your interest based on location?

Depends on the scheduling: Sure, Thursday nights became an important date on local metalheads' calendars for over a year & a half, but Thursday is still a school/work night, with many local bars reserving weekends for cover bands, karaoke, and dance parties. Is a new regular heavier concert series only something you'd sign off on if they were booked on a day that worked with your personal schedule?

Depends on the promoter: With Rich Moreland, Stephane Vincent, and Mitch Sirie successively promoting the metal nights, things were in good hands for that series, but be it for musical or personal preferences, some people have local concert promoters that they prefer over others. Would the identity of a hypothetical metal series' promoters increase your regular attendance odds?

I just want more concerts in general: Thanks to Johnny Pints and Jamie Vincent (among others), we've had a solid amount of high profile metal/punk concerts in recent months in Sault Ontario, and though the only regular scheduling has been with Tym Morrison's current Road House arrangement, many recent concerts have been well promoted and recieved regardless of day. Do you just want more shows overall?

No, rigid scheduling can hurt shows: Though reliable at it's peak, some could argue that a regularly scheduled run of concerts like the Rosie metal nights would feel watered down, too restrictive, or too predictable. Admittedly, some were prone to repetitive lineups, late notice announcements, and minimal promotion, though there were peaks and valleys within. Do you want your concerts to not fall into a firm schedule?

VOTE TODAY!! You guys have until September 18th to cast your votes, so hopefully we'll get a firm grasp on what SMS readers are thinking! I will say that this poll is NOT to directly assist a local promoter to gauge interest in a new metal concert series, I'm just curious to see what people think over a year after the Rosie metal nights ended in terms of if such a concept should be done again by any promoter. That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Airbourne concert preview and more later today! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Trapt), Sault Ontario's Next Battle Of The Bands (And How You Can Apply), And More!!

With no metal/hard rock concerts on the horizon for this weekend yet, we'll focus on some big new stories on this last day of the month, including news on a huge new battle of the bands in Sault Ontario and all of it's current information, along with some other assorted stories, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for a major modern rock show across the river this spring!

Less than two weeks out from the next big hard rock show at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, another big package of bands is coming there on March 24th, including one hard rock leaning band, that being platinum-selling California alternative metal quartet Trapt! Best known for their songs "Headstrong", "Still Frame", and "Stand Up", Trapt are definitely a catchy favourite dating back to their early 2000s heyday, and they should put in a solid set of hard rock originals in what I think is their first ever local concert appearance! They'll actually be one of two bands opening for multi-platinum Oklahoma post-grunge quintet Hinder at this concert, in their second stop in the area! Last seen headlining at Kewadin Casino in September 2010, this band remain popular thanks to their hit singles "Lips of an Angel" and "Get Stoned", and while they aren't quite metal, they do have a solid fanbase here that's sure to remember their 2010 date here well! The other opening band will be Los Angeles indie rock trio Acidic, who I'm not overly familiar with, but they appear to be on the rise with their more minimalistic but well performed material, and hopefully they make some new local fans on March 24th! Also, there's been no announcements yet concerning possible local openers.

This show is being presented by Allstar Promotions in their second Dreammaker's Theater show of 2013, and tickets will go on sale TOMORROW MORNING for $29.50 at this location, at 1-800-KEWADIN, or in person at their box office, and I'd expect a 7:00 PM start time and no age limits. This show should attract a lot of fans, and even though I don't really dig Hinder or Acidic, I know they'll impress in March (as will Trapt), so check the above links for more details, and get your tickets starting tomorrow!

Next up, another battle of the bands is on the horizon in Sault Ontario (the first since the Battle for the Blood last June), and there's some big prizes on the line! The Rockstar Bar (in cooperation with Case's Music, The Rad Zone, and local singer/concert promoter J.D. Pearce) are hosting a four week long battle of the bands over each Wednesday in April, but how's this going to work? Competing bands will play 25 minute sets on April 3rd, 10th, and 17th at The Rockstar Bar, with the winners (and likely some wild cards) returning on the 24th for the finals, and first place prizes will include $1,000, recording time at Case's Music, and a guaranteed opening slot at one of J.D.'s concerts this year! Other prize details will likely be announced in the next couple of months. There are no genre restrictions (trust me, growling and yelling is A-OK!), and as best as I can tell, registration forms will be available starting TODAY at The Rockstar Bar/Algonquin Hotel, The Rad Zone, and Case's Music. To apply, there will be a $150 registration fee, but you'll also be given 10 ticket packages for all 4 nights of the battle that you can sell, which means that the registration fee will essentially be cancelled out if you sell all of your tickets! Click here for more information!

Judges for the battle will include James Case from Case's Music, Len Ward from The Rad Zone, and myself (so our coverage of the battle on the site will aim to be fair & impartial with no major critiquing of the competing bands), and judging criteria will be available at all ticket locations. As for admission costs for fans, a full 4 night package will cost $15 (or $3 for each of the 3 qualifiying rounds & $10 for the finals only), so consider the full ticket package, as you'll save $4 across the whole month! I don't know if tickets will be on sale today, but I'll confirm the news as I hear it! I would expect 19+ age limits though, and start times will likely depend on the amount of bands each night, but slots are limited, so apply A.S.A.P.!! I'm very excited for this latest battle of the bands, and of course, to volunteer and contribute to the process, and I really hope there's a huge response from bands interested in applying to compete! This could be a huge opportunity to further yourselves locally and make a larger name (and entertain your fans), so apply at any of the above locations as soon as possible, and come April, may the best band win! Click here and check the above links for more details!

Just for fun, I thought I'd throw in some random local battle of the bands trivia and facts to tie in to April's battle! As far as I know, this will be the first ever battle held at The Rockstar Bar and the first local battle to take place over multiple nights since the Kiss Battle of the Bands in late 2009, but it's staggered rounds format could call to mind some of the old Bon Soo or Eastgate Hotel battles as well! Much of the crew on board for this battle have recent experience with them, as all of the judges have judged battles recently (James at the Case's Music battles, Len at Downtown Showdown, and me at the Humane Society battle), while James competed at the Kiss Battle with Huckster. Plus, the aforementioned J.D. Pearce promoted last year's Battle for the Blood and competed at the Humane Society battle with T-Rex Manning, so there's no shortage of people on board with first hand battle experience in recent years! Again, there's no sound restrictions, so who could sign up? Recent battle winners? Newer talent? Reunited favourites? Anything's possible, so stay tuned to the SMS and the links above for details on confirmed bands, updated information, and more!

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

• Local death metal quartet Crimson Crusade will apparently begin recording sessions next month! No word on if these are linked to an album of some kind, but this is somewhat surprising given Crimson Crusade's minimal concerts in recent months. If the improvement they shown last year continues though, this could be very cool, so click here for more information!
• Speaking of recording plans for local metal bands featuring Robert Sartini, his local thrash band Pillory have recently had some prospective EP artwork designs posted on their Facebook page by bassist Jonathan Tiberi, partly including imagery & credits for late guitarist Andres Duchesne (which is awesome of them!) Nothing's 100% yet on the final product, but check the above links to give the artwork prototypes a look!
• The Facebook page for the Roosevelt Hotel metal nights was updated yesterday to credit the February 21st Annex Theory-headlined concert, even saying that they're returning that day, but is that entirely true? While the series' most recent promoter Mitch Sirie is playing at this show, J.D. Pearce is booking it, and his other recent Thursday shows at The Rosie weren't part of the series, so I hesitate to say it's a full return (at least right now.) If that changes though, I'll correct myself, but no matter what, don't miss this onslaught of death metal!

That's all for now, but stay tuned tonight for our review of Destroilet's new CD to cap off January 2013! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Banned), The Rosie Metal Nights' Future, And Much More!!

Before we get to the meat of this post, I just wanted to send my condolences to everyone up in Wawa following the major flooding and highway closure and everything else that's been going on there over the last few days. Hopefully everyone's OK and I hope you guys can bounce back from this and emerge stronger and closer than ever! Today at the SMS, we have more updates to our monthly CD reviews, clarification on a local solo project, the whereabouts of a popular concert series, and more, but first, here's a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!

Were you Sault Michigan-area fans hoping for a heavier Halloween weekend concert? Well, good news, as Banned are back TONIGHT for a Halloween show in Moran! Almost two months after their last announced concert, the Traynors and company will return to Todd's Tavern (the former Bullwinkle's) this evening, and it'll be great to see them back on stage a few weeks of quiet updates! Apologies for the short notice, it was only just announced last night on Banned's Facebook page. Halloween costumes are encouraged, as you might expect, and like their other recent concerts, I expect they'll be without guitarist Alex Schrʚvenwever due to him being out of town for college. There is no announced cover charge for tonight's concert, which goes down at 8:00 PM, and a 21+ age limit is likely. Check the above links for more details! It's great to see Banned back on stage this weekend, and there's no better weekend to break out their entertaining hard rock originals and covers, so if you're up for the drive, don't miss them tomorrow night in Moran! For a preview, here's Banned playing their song "Cocaine Riot" last month in Sault Michigan!



Next up, have you been curious as to the status of the Roosevelt Hotel metal nights? The Thursday concert series has been dormant since the 47th installment on July 5th, but yesterday, I heard some information on it's future from Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie, who was the metal nights' latest promoter. Mitch told me through Facebook conversations that he's no longer booking the Rosie metal nights so he can focus on other musical projects right now, including The Bear Hunters' demo & some solo work. However, Mitch did tell me that the series will likely be handed over to a new promoter to relaunch it in the near future, although I'll wait until official details are announced before mentioning future prospects. Mitch promoted the last four Rosie metal nights after picking up main promotion duties from Stephane Vincent in April, and he also holds the record for most appearances as a performer, playing at 21 Rosie metal nights to date as a member of The Bear Hunters & Borderline Divine.

It's disappointing to see Mitch no longer book the Rosie metal nights, but he's making the best choice for himself as a musician right now, and everything will pay off the way it's meant to, I'm sure! Hopefully the promoter he has in mind will be able to sustain the series for the long term as well, and when/if updates roll in, I'll have them here! On a related note, Mitch also told me that his newest solo project The Sorrow Fields (who have been alluded to online recently) is actually one and the same as his April Eyes/Animas project & not something separate like Eden Plague was. The name change is due to him finally finding a solo project name that he liked, referring to the earlier names as placeholders until he found something better. However, public updates specifically referring to The Sorrow Fields have been scattered and minimal to date, and their Facebook page that was launched in June was later deleted, so while the project is alive and being worked on, not a lot is public about it under it's new name yet. Still, I've restored this project to our active Sault Ontario metal band links with the new name, and stay tuned for Sorrow Fields updates as I hear them!

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

• Pillory bassist/Late & Loud alum Jonathan Tiberi posted on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group on Thursday to extend an open offer for local bands to message him if they want to play a show in "late November". No word what type of concert is in the works (Pillory's live debut, maybe?), but if you're interested in playing live next fall for this concert, message Jon at this location or visit the above links!
• The aforementioned Mitch Sirie is also apparently looking to work on another local band project, as per his own Musicians Wanted group posting yesterday. He doesn't wanna play anything country or pop, and is open to covers, jamming, and songwriting anything from soft rock to metal. We know he's got the talent, but if you wanna do anything musically with Mitch, message him at this location or the above links!
• Keeping with the Musicians Wanted theme, this topic is now the basis of it's own section on SooToday's classified page! It remains to be seen how often this is used, but hopefully it picks up steam, so keep it mind for your band member searches! I've added it (and the Facebook group) to our "Other Sault Ontario Metal Links" section on the page's left, and kudos to local drummer Steve Porco for suggesting it to SooToday!

Finally for today, here's some more updates and edits to our monthly CD reviews! As previously stated, these generally have all had photo restorations due to dead links, and don't have actual content edits to the review portion of the post out of respect to their original intent.  In our review of Mike Haggith's 43rd solo album "Suspended Animation", I've updated references to his label Rotten Records' renaming to Galactic Records, and added links to the album's free YouTube posting, with each song linked in the review itself now as well, while I also edited our review of Destroilet's debut EP to note it's likely out of print status, given their newer album plans, including re-recordings of the EP's tracks. Finally, I also edited the reviews of Foothill Road's self-titled EP and their first disc "Seventy" to note guitarist Mario Carlucci's later departure from his most recent band Sneaky Pete. Keep an eye out for updates to our 2012 and Sault Michigan CD reviews hopefully soon, and check the above links for the updated reviews!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news next week, and I'll see you guys TONIGHT at The Algonquin Pub for the 7th annual Halloween Party! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Fuck The Facts), Rosie Metal Night Updates, And Much More!!

As promised, here's a stacked news post with recent news and notes relating to the local metal scene, so what's in this post? Today, we've got a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for a big metal show later this month, an update for another show by the same promoter, what lies ahead for a notable concert series, news on an upcoming concert festival, and another popular music site's recent upgrades, so here's what you need to know!

Another huge metal concert from Dismembertainment is now scheduled for May 23rd at The Canadian Nightclub, and it will be headlined by the return of Fuck The Facts! Exactly one year & two weeks after they last rocked Sault Ste. Marie, the Juno nominated death/grindcore metal band from Ottawa will be sure to deliver a brutal and intense set of original songs, including material from their new albums "Die Miserable" and "Misery", to their local fans on May 23rd! They melted the faces of all last year, now it's time for more brutality! There will be four opening bands, including local metal standouts Garden of Bedlam, grimecore trio Shit Liver (the only returning band from last year's Fuck The Facts show), death metal quintet The Bear Hunters, and Desbarats' own white masked metallers For All That Is Lost, which should add up to a huge lineup of metal talent! Of the opening bands, all are returning to The Canadian for the first time since the Ypres Metal Fest, except for F.A.T.I.L., who were last seen there at Dead In The Van in March. Doors open at 8:30 PM on May 23rd, there will be a $10 cover charge, and like Dismembertainment's other recent concerts, it will be an ALL AGES event! For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

This sounds like another huge concert, and kudos for Rich bringing Fuck The Facts back to Sault Ontario! It's good to see Dismembertainment back in the swing of things for booking local shows, and hopefully this string of all ages Canadian Nightclub gigs continues to be a success! I would say that Garden of Bedlam don't seem to fit in terms of genre with the other bands, but knowing their success and local following, they'll only help this show for attendance and collective talent, so don't miss them on May 23rd! Before we move to another topic, I'll also note another recent update for a Dismembertainment show, as a new headlining band has been added to next Sunday's Canadian Nightclub show featuring Tribune and returning local bands State of Misery & Borderline Divine. The new headliners are Vancouver metal band West of Hell, who are fronted by Zimmers Hole singer Chris Valagao, which is an awesome sign in itself! I'm really digging the West of Hell material I've heard, and if you like classic speed & thrash metal with modern influences, you'll absolutely enjoy these guys! With their addition, the cover charge is now $10, but the raise is worth it, so hopefully I'll see you guys at The Canadian on May 13th for this 4 band onslaught! Check the above links for more on Dismembertainment's next two shows!

Next up, here's the latest updates relating to the Roosevelt Hotel metal nights! According to a new post on the Thursday concert series' Facebook page last week, The Roosevelt Hotel has brought on Bear Hunters & Borderline Divine guitarist Mitch Sirie to help promote, book, and schedule future installments of the series. Though not mentioned there, current promoter Stephane Vincent is apparently moving to Toronto this summer (my source is his personal Facebook page), so I assume Mitch will take on primary promoting duties after that. Solid choice, as Mitch has played at Rosie metal nights a record 18 times with The Bear Hunters, and he's recently been ramping up on local concert bookings, so hopefully he can help sustain the series for many more installments to come! That said, is the May 10th Die Mannequin-headlined show at The Rosie being considered the 44th Rosie metal night? Not officially, as the metal nights' Facebook page says that the next metal night will actually come on May 24th, though performers and a future schedule have yet to be publicized. I had my doubts, as next Thursday's show has a different promoter, a heavy punk concentration, and a need for tickets, but it had metal night veterans and was next on the old "every 4 weeks" schedule, so you can see why some would be confused.

No matter what, The Rosie's Thursday metal nights appear to be in good hands, and though it looks like we'll be on our third promoter in under a year for the series in a few months, Mitch should be an excellent promoter to keep metal rocking The Rosie in 2012! Stay tuned for more updates on metal nights at The Roosevelt Hotel as they roll in!

Also in recent news, here's the latest updates concerning Sault Michigan concert festival LemmaFest! Tickets are now on sale for the second annual Michael Lemma tribute festival outside of Dondee Lanes on June 23rd, and they are $10 once again in advance, though note that purchases at the door will be $15 this year. Advance tickets can be purchased at the Dondee, Grooves Music, and The Merchant's Bar, where you can also make pre-orders for LemmaFest 2012 t-shirts for $12 ($15 for sizes 3X and up) and mugs at some locations, so visit the Facebook event page for more details! They've also recently confirmed that minors can't be in the bar after 8:00 PM, there will be drink & bowling specials, raffles, and food by donation, which should add up to a great festival in Mike's memory! As well, while the band lineup has yet to be altered, I can confirm that Brimley metallers Half A Man will be performing as a trio in their opening set at LemmaFest next month, as per their Facebook page. While specifics weren't given, I assume that singer Dillion Semasky won't be a part (despite his set with Infathom later that evening), which makes the most sense given that he won't be on their debut EP. If we hear anything more as to his band status, I'll have it here, but Half A Man should rock no matter what! Check the above links for more details, including how you can suggest what covers "3/8ths A Man" should do!

And finally for today, here's yet another music website that recently overhauled it's look! We've had to deal with Facebook, YouTube, and Reverbnation upgrades recently, and now, it's the old CBC Radio 3 music site. In February, CBC launched a new digital music service called CBC Music, and though it was treated as a new site, it essentially saw the imports of all the artists who had band pages on the old CBC Radio 3 page, which is now just for information and streams related to that radio station. CBC Music is now the home of band pages for Canadian bands & artists that previously signed up on CBC Radio 3, but how does the new site compare? For bands on there, the pages are nicely laid out with an effective use of tabs, and the music player's solid, but the experience is definitely better for bands who actively use CBC more for band needs, and I'd like to see more colours beyond grey. There's also a really diverse selection of streaming genre-specific radio stations, though metal & hard rock are lumped together and not given as much attention. Though not the widest used music site for local bands, it's a good and well run site that bands should look into! After all, if Frightlight, Woods of Ypres, and Sykotyk Rampage use it (among many others), then CBC Music must have done something right! Check out the new CBC Music at the above links!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for a special all video auto-post this evening while I'm rocking out at the Roberta Bondar Pavilion for the FREE ALL AGES metal show! Thanks everyone!