Before heading back home after spending the Halloween weekend out of town (I hope to be at Rednecks tonight though!), let's close the month with a concert video showcase post from Friday night's Norilsk-headlined show at The Oddfellows Hall! These all come from prolific local concert filmer Christopher Paci's YouTube channel, so kudos to him once again for getting more solid videos, it's great of him to do so! Chris filmed six videos on Friday, including two of the headlining Gatineau, Quebec doom metal quartet, with their videos being of their songs "Japetus" (well, most of it), and as embedded below, "Potsdam Glo", which are both featured on their debut EP and full length album. The lighting is inconsistent, and harsh vocals can be very hard to make out, but Norilsk deliver a nice & brutal blend of doom metal that pairs nicely with AlgomA in particular! Check out Chris' videos of Norilsk from Friday night above & below!
Next up is a twelve minute long video of local co-headliners AlgomA playing what I believe is "Extinct Volcanoes" (if I'm wrong, this will be corrected), and their relentless doom/sludge attack is in full force with this performance, with both Boyd and Kevin unleashing their vocal ferocity with purpose! Check out this new AlgomA video below!
Also from Chris' channel is this video of local death/thrash metal trio Pillory playing a song whose name wasn't captured in this upload, but I can't confirm the title offhand. Uniquely featuring frontman Robert Sartini wearing headphones and bassist Jordan Leach in a mask (remember, this was a Halloween weekend show), Pillory continue to hone and intensify their death metal sound, even with Jordan singing some lead vocals that fit the mood, but the lighting and further camera angle don't help on the visual end. Check out Pillory from Friday night below!
Finally from Chris' videos are local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters, who were surprisingly the opening band in their first live concert appearance in five months! This video is of The Bear Hunters playing one of their newer songs for their upcoming second CD "The Dead Testament", but I can't verify it's exact title (all I know is what songs it's not.) Back as a quartet with Josh still living out of town, The Bear Hunters are in devastating form comparable to their more recent four-man shows, just with Justin's shorter haircut. Check it out below, and hopefully we hear more from The Bear Hunters soon!
That's all for today, but I'll hopefully see you guys TONIGHT at The Rednecks Saloon to cap off the season! Thanks everyone, and Happy Halloween!
Another stacked Halloween weekend is upon us in the Sault Ste. Marie area, so here's our first of at least two weekend concert preview posts! We're going in rough chronological order, specifically hard rock shows that take place from Thursday-Saturday with no later dates, so if you're hoping to see previews of Sunday's punk rock bingo, the newly announced 3 Day Millionaires shows, or the late notice Rednecks Saloon show on Monday, watch for them in our next post! Now, here's what you need to know for this weekend to start! (Updated on Friday at 9:15 AM)
We'll start at Gliss Steak & Seafood TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY, as long-time Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return for three more acoustic concerts! In a unique twist (presumably to tie in with the holiday), the Facebook event page notes that Tym will be playing longer tomorrow & Saturday night, with those shows extended to 12:00 AM, so if you have later plans or just want to see him at a more typical time, you have options! Tonight's gig remains a 4 hour event ending at 10:00 PM. This prolific local singer/guitarist should be up to his usual tricks with a weekend chock full of unplugged hard rock favourites, and fans should definitely keep these matinees in mind! However, we can't confirm if Gliss and/or Tym will harbour any seasonal Halloween themes or not, but Gliss' Facebook page does not hype up Halloween at all, for what that's worth.
As usual for Tym's long-term run at The Quality Inn's house restaurant, expect 6:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and no age limits, but remember where this show is being held. Check the above links for more details, and here's Tym live a few years back!
(Note that, according to a personal Facebook posting this week, Tym did not play his usual Gliss show this past Thursday, despite it being a listed date on last week's Facebook event page. Other than to say that he "had the Thursday off", he didn't elaborate on why he only played twice last week. Hopefully nothing bad happened, and apologies for missing that, we'd have indicated the contraction had we known!)
Next up, the first of two seasonal concerts from local metal promoters Six, Two, Oh. goes down TOMORROW NIGHT, as Gatineau, Quebec doom metal quartet Norilsk will make their local concert debut when they headline at The Oddfellows Hall! Touring in support of their latest album "The Idea of North", Norilsk's brutal blend of doom and death metal has quickly been winning crowds over in the past four years, and they should deliver a heavy punch to local fans at The Oddfellows Hall tomorrow, so don't miss out! Local openers will include doom/sludge metal trio AlgomA, death/thrash metal trio Pillory (in their first live appearance in 3 months), and for the first time since the spring, a set by local death metal standouts The Bear Hunters! It's been way too long to see The Bear Hunters on stage in the Soo, so welcome them with open arms and horns! Doors open at 7:00 PM tomorrow for this ALL AGES concert, and while admission is $10, you can save $3 by bringing a canned good donation with you, which is a great gesture!
And no, I have no idea if Halloween costumes are encouraged or not, but Six, Two, Oh.'s punk rock bingo event on Sunday (which we're previewing tomorrow) will no doubt be more timely either way. This should be a fun concert for local metalheads, with a four-way of extreme metal in store for all ages, so see above for more details, and here's Norilsk live!
Moving on to The Tech, fans will see local party/hard rock cover trio Stiffler's Mom rock the former St. Mary's College THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at their own Halloween party! An event in support of The Tech's athletic programs, this will see Stiffler's Mom rock out with their fan favourite classics, but the Halloween-specific attractions will include a "haunted hallway", food and refreshments, prizes & giveaways, and a "secret unveiling" of a new Northern Superior Brewing Company product that will take place at 11:00 PM tomorrow, so be there Saturday to get the scoop! No word though on whether Stiffler's Mom are playing in The W.W. Baldwin Auditorium or somewhere else. Despite the venue's long history as a high school (and the event's 8:00 PM start time), this is sadly a 19+ concert, while admission is $10 via advance ticket sales at The Tech and presumably at the door.
This is somewhat unusual compared to the shows we usually see Stiffler's Mom play at, but it does come with the Halloween territory somewhat, and I'm sure Greg, Mike, and Jon will rock out solidly at The Tech tomorrow night! Definitely keep this event in mind for something a little different in your weekend plans, click here for more details, and here's Stiffler's Mom live!
We'll finish this concert preview post at The Algonquin Hotel for one half of their double decker of Halloween concerts THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, as promoter J.D. Pearce (in association with Tidal Records) is hosting his 12th annual Halloween Party concert downstairs at The Algonquin Pub! Hitting this venue for the fourth time in five years, Jack Spades' frontman is throwing another huge Halloween weekend bash, with a likely costume contest joining a talented lineup of hard rock and punk bands, and for just the second time since leaving Coch's Corner in 2012, it's all local this year! Returning to last year's tribute band theme, the currently advertised bands are local hard rock quartet Eclipse and funk/hard rock quartet The Elements (back from last year), who will cover System of a Down & various 1990s rock songs under the temporary monikers "SSM of a Down" & "The Plaid Martens". Both styles play to the bands' strengths, so don't miss out on this tribute band action!
The planned headliner was Hey, What About Us?!, a one-off tribute to Me First & The Gimme Gimmes with J.D. on vocals, but that has quietly been removed from the Facebook event page for unannounced reasons, and at press time, a band was still waiting to be announced. We will let you know when/if one is added! Costumes are definitely encouraged for this 19+ concert on Saturday, with a $5 cover charge in effect and a 9:00 PM start time advertised. This should be a fun show, as fans of J.D.'s annual Halloween shows should have come to expect, so get your costumes ready for some hard rocking tributes at The 'Gonq, and here's "SSM of a Down" live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more weekend concert previews tomorrow, and yes, I promise that The 3 Day Millionaires, punk rock bingo, and Monday's Rednecks Saloon show will all be in that post, perhaps with more late notice confirmations too? Thanks everyone!
We have another packed news post for your Thursday evening, so it's better we get this up now before we let things get too delayed like in this morning's preview post! Today, we have our last of the currently announced weekend concert previews, and first, some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS on both sides of the border, including a major Sault Michigan announcement for next month, so here's what you need to know!
Winnipeg pop punk trio Mulligrub will make their local concert debut on Friday, October 14th (one week from tomorrow) when they headline at The Gore Street Cafe! The second Winnipeg act in as many weekends to rock the laundromat (joining indie pop duo Iansucks on Saturday), this is the second stop on the 2/3rds-female outfit's "Fall Outta Love" tour of Eastern Canada, and Mulligrub's lively indie-influenced punk sound should attract positive interest next week, so don't bypass them for some pop punk action! The local openers will be most of local alternative/hard rock trio The Din, with Mike Haggith and Tammy Hill playing an acoustic set to kick off the evening's festivities! No word on why Brandan Glew will be absent, but The Din are no strangers to the cafe, and have played acoustic sets here in the past, so they'll fit in fine! As usual for Gore Street Cafe events, this is a "pay-what-you-can" ALL AGES concert with a 7:00 PM start time. Pop punk and alternative fans should pay attention to this concert, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details!
Next up, we can finally call the previously teased Norilsk-headlined concert on Friday, October 28th on here, as promoters have confirmed that it will be held at The Oddfellows Hall! Yes, the Gatineau, Quebec doom metal quartet should devastate local metalheads with their dark and aggressive originals over the Halloween weekend, so come check them out and pick up a copy of Norilsk's new album "The Idea of North" as well! Local doom metal trio AlgomA will open this
show, as previously announced, while the hinted second local openers
slot will be filled by local death/thrash trio Pillory,
in their first announced show since opening for Iskra in July. Arguably
most intriguingly of all is the advertised inclusion of local death
metal veterans The Bear Hunters
as a surprise third local opener, especially as they haven't played since drummer Johnny Belanger's birthday show in May.
With that said, guitarist Mitch Sirie has indicated on the Facebook event page that they're merely "tentative" for this show due to work schedules and life, but we'll keep you posted on if they're confirmed or have to drop out! In any event, this Six, Two, Oh. promoted event is an ALL AGES concert with a 7:00 PM start time and $10 admission fee, but uniquely, you can save $3 if you bring a canned good donation, which is a nice gesture! No word though on if Halloween costumes are encouraged. This should be a brutal concert for local metalheads, complete with the possible return of The Bear Hunters, so stay tuned for updates when they roll in!
Also, Poison frontman Bret Michaels will make his long awaited return to The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on Saturday, November 5th! Making his (at least) sixth local concert appearance next month (joining prior Kewadin gigs in 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2014, and his Eastgate Hotel show in 2005), the hair metal legend will rock the Soo next month in what the venue is calling the "mega pre-party" before the casino celebrates it's 31st anniversary the following weekend. The concert itself will no doubt see Bret break out more of his classic Poison hits and more recent original songs, including some country-influenced material if you're familiar with his later solo career, so don't miss out when the voice of Poison returns to Kewadin Casino next month! It's been well over a year since the last major hard rock band (Theory of a Deadman) played at The Dreammaker's Theatre (even earlier for the last hair metal act, Europe), so kudos to Kewadin for ending this lengthy drought, and hopefully there's more coming!
Tickets for this ALL AGES, 8:00 PM event are $48.50 for general admission, $58.50 for "gold" seating (re: the front 6 rows on the outside sections and row 6 in the center), and $250 for VIP passes, which will get you a priority seat in the front 5 center rows and a meet & greet with Bret, while funds will go towards Bret Michaels' Life Rocks Foundation's charity drives. It's seemed like tribute bands had taken over The Dreammaker's Theater since last summer, but your Hair Scare fans should definitely circle November 5th on your calendars for Bret Michaels' long awaited return, so visit this link, 1-800-KEWADIN, or the in-person box office to get your tickets A.S.A.P.!
Finally, here's the last of our currently known weekend concert previews, as Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63 are advertised to return to The Rapids Lounge at the aforementioned Soo Kewadin Casino branch TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, the band hasn't recently plugged these shows online, but earlier concert calendar announcements confirmed that they'll be back at this particular Kewadin lounge this weekend. This veteran cover outfit remain a fan favourite sight at local concerts, and they should be up to their usual standards this weekend, so make sure to consider checking out the Monkey's Uncle successors tomorrow and/or Saturday! These are 21+ shows with 9:00 PM start times and no announced cover charges, so check the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Highway 63 live this summer!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news, notes, and updates soon! Thanks everyone!
The month of August is winding down, so let's get at least one more news post in for good measure! Today on the SMS, we have some assorted recent news and notes that tie into our lead stories, plus a pair of new concert video finds from out of town, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this fall, so here's what you need to know! (Yes, I know about THIS SUNDAY'S Dumpster Mummy show, but due to the late notice, we're holding our full preview for Thursday's weekend concert preview post.)
Six, Two, Oh.'s punk rock bingo series will return to The New American Pub on Devil's Night (Sunday, October 30th), and local doom metal trio AlgomA will be among the local openers! Playing their first announced show since next month's Castle concert, this should be another solid avenue for their crushing sludge attack, so don't miss AlgomA at The New A the night before Halloween! The show will be headlined, in another varied genre event from the promoters, by Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan southern rock trio Johnny 2 Fingers & The Deformities, who are a skilled and energetic band in their own right! Also, note that frontman John Dale actually only has 2 fingers on one hand, but trust me, he plays guitar very well with them! One more local opening band is to be announced, and if some recent Six, Two, Oh. shows have taught us anything, it's that anyone could be signed on, so stay tuned for updates! As a Halloween weekend event, there will also be a costume contest, so come dressed to impress and you may win a prize!
As for the punk rock bingo, this is the fifth installment of that series, and first since April's Black Tremor show, so if you missed this event over the summer (especially after it's removal from July's Cocaine Moustache show), get your dabbers ready for October 30th! Brent Ellis will also return as the caller. A $5 cover charge is in effect for this 19+ concert, which has a 9:00 PM start time, and additional fees are applicable for the bingo cards, though remember that prizes await! For more details, visit the Facebook event page, and stay tuned for more from Six, Two, Oh. at post's end!
Next up, here's a new video of local punk/metal quartet Jack Spades playing at the annual Spiderfest in Meyersburg, Ontario last month! No strangers to this annual punk festival an hour east of Peterborough, this was posted by YouTube user eatmills yesterday as part of their massive slate of uploads from the festival, and it's both the band's most recent concert to date, and if personal Facebook postings are accurate, their last before bassist Justin Lam cut his hair short. The 24 minute video features Jack Spades playing "They Live", "Rise", "Breakneck Speed", "Crossroads", "Motorwolf", their cover of The Ripcordz' "X" (with Paul Gott himself on guest vocals), "To The Left", and "Negative Headspace", so click each link to go to each individual song! Though the video starts with some odd post-production usage of band photos in the titles, and an introduced rendition of "Fear Corps" wasn't played, the video is well shot from a good angle, and fans don't get in the way much thanks to the raised stage!
Jack Spades sound solid as ever, and they make the most of their current one-guitarist sound, so kudos to eatmills for the footage, give it a look below, and don't miss Jack Spades THIS THURSDAY at The Rockstar Bar when they open for SNFU!
Also, here's a new video posting of inactive local/Toronto indie/punk veterans Treble Charger from their set at the annual Koi Music Festival in Kitchener in September 2013! Posted by YouTube user BandAid Babe two weeks ago, this is one of numerous concert videos on her channel, though no word on why this took three years to come online. The video is of Greig, Bill, and company playing their classic song "Red", albeit on a very far angle from the vertical cell phone camera perspective, and for only 58 seconds. If you can get around those elements, the audio is fantastic, and it's nice to see this footage at last, so check it out below!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter items from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band or event name:
The aforementioned AlgomA (and Saskatchewan stoner metal band Chronobot) had their split vinyl EP reviewed by Patrick "Dragon" Whitaker of Metal Nexus earlier this month, where he positively critiqued both bands' halves of the split, essentially saying that the two bands aren't for the weak hearted, but are recommended for genre fans. Not a bad little review, if with some reservations, so check it out at this link!
Remember how it was suggested on Facebook that THIS THURSDAY'S SNFU show would be J.D. Pearce's last promoted show of the year? Well, in a comment on the Facebook event page (linked above) for October 30th's punk rock bingo event, he confirmed that he'll "be hosting a Halloween party that night." If this remains a publically attendable concert like before, it'll be his 12th straight, but the Sunday placement would be atypical compared to past years. We'll keep you guys posted when/if more is announced!
Along with the punk rock bingo announcement, promoters Six, Two, Oh. have also plugged a show for Friday, October 28th (just three days prior) to be headlined by Gatineau, Quebec doom metal band Norilsk, with AlgomA and a yet-unknown local band opening. With that said, we are awaiting confirmation of a venue before officially calling it on here, but for reference sake, Six, Two, Oh. usually promotes at either The New A, The Oddfellows Hall, The Moose Lodge, or 180 Projects. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and when a venue is confirmed, we'll let you know!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and previews this week! Thanks everyone!
Before heading back home after spending the Halloween weekend out of town (I hope to be at Rednecks tonight though!), let's close the month with a concert video showcase post from Friday night's Norilsk-headlined show at The Oddfellows Hall! These all come from prolific local concert filmer Christopher Paci's YouTube channel, so kudos to him once again for getting more solid videos, it's great of him to do so! Chris filmed six videos on Friday, including two of the headlining Gatineau, Quebec doom metal quartet, with their videos being of their songs "Japetus" (well, most of it), and as embedded below, "Potsdam Glo", which are both featured on their debut EP and full length album. The lighting is inconsistent, and harsh vocals can be very hard to make out, but Norilsk deliver a nice & brutal blend of doom metal that pairs nicely with AlgomA in particular! Check out Chris' videos of Norilsk from Friday night above & below!
