LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison), And Much More Recent News & Notes!!

Happy New Year, everyone! To kick off 2016 at The Sault Metal Scene, here's our first news post of the year, including a lot of assorted recent updates, a new performance video, and first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS linked to one more concert preview for this weekend! Here's what you should know, and check out our 2016 preview post below as well!

Prolific local solo hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will continue his long-term weekly run at Gliss Steak & Seafood with a one-nighter at the downtown restaurant THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Playing only on the Saturday rather than on Thursdsay & Friday too for the second straight week, one can presume that the holiday is partially to blame for the cutdown, but note that Gliss and it's host hotel, The Quality Inn, are holding a big New Year's party tonight with performers Paul DellaVedova & Catherine Taddo, so that's at least partially to blame for Tym's one nighter this week. As well, with a new month upon us, we have added Tym's Gliss shows for the rest of January to our concert listings (we're still taking things a month at a time given his lengthy schedule there), so look for his diverse hard rock covers at Gliss from January 7th-9th, 14th-16th, 21st-23rd, and 28th-30th, adding up to twelve more Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nighters this month!

As usual, these are confirmed via his website's calendar, and Facebook confirmation will presumably follow closer to each weekend. All of this month's shows (Saturday's included) are 6:00 PM matinees with no announced cover charge or age limit, but remember, he is playing at a restaurant. For more details, visit the above links, and consider a trip downtown to Gliss to see Tym live to kick off 2016 on Saturday! For a preview, here's Tym Morrison rocking an acoustic cover live!



Next up, here's the latest episode of Local2's stripped down music performance series Bare, as uploaded to their YouTube channel last week, and this episode is actually of Toronto punk trio The Fairmounts (featuring prolific local punk musician Mikey Hawdon on vocals & guitar) playing their song "Common Sense"! While The Fairmounts proper haven't played a public concert in the Soo in a couple of years, Mikey and guitarist Simon Head joined forces for this Bare episode earlier this year, and it's interesting to hear it in a casual & more unplugged fashion, almost having a country twang in this form! For reference, this is far from the first Bare episode focusing on an out of town band, but it's the first that visibly fits the genres we cover on the SMS. As well, a recent Bare episode is of Mikey's former Inner City Surfers bandmates Brad Example & Dave Bahun playing Brad's solo original "Little Bird", which isn't a punk song, but works as a softer rock number! Check out much more from the Bare webseries above and below!



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

• According to their Facebook page on Monday, local doom metal trio AlgomA will apparently release a split CD with Finnish death/doom metal quartet Hooded Menace at some point next year! Hooded Menace confirmed the news on their own Facebook page, and the split will be released by Doomentia Records with art by the well-regarded Paolo Girardi. No word on if this means anything negative for the status of the yet-released AlgomA split with Chronobot (which hasn't been publically acknowledged in months), but this new split sounds like a huge deal, so stay tuned for more!
• In their first Facebook page post in two months, local rap/rock project The Apocalypse Afterparty revealed last week that their forthcoming debut EP will have the curious name "Bufflesnort", and they hope to be playing live again in the spring, noting that they've been "just grinding" recently. No word on who their new drummer is yet, but it's good to see that things are progressing in their camp! Keep posted above for further updates!
• Local vintage music store Rockin' Vinyl Records relocated from Northland Road to a formal storefront at 352 Wellington Street West (near the Carmen's Way underpass) last month, and was featured in a Local2 spotlight video on December 5th! The video features Jasmyn Rowley interviewing owner Steve Roberts about what you can find in store, why Steve moved out of his home into a bigger location, why he thinks vinyl records are making a comeback, where he finds store stock, and why people should have vinyl records. It's good to see Rockin' Vinyl Records expanding and finding success, so be sure to check out the "new" shop!
• On Christmas, local alternative/blues rock quartet Sykotyk Rampage released their newest free "album" entitled "Zombies 2: The Devil's Taint - Acoustic Sessions" to their Reverbnation page, which is their 55th official album (at least), and a sequel to 2011's "Zombiez", albeit unplugged like at their Zombie Walk appearances in October. Interesting listen, especially for the acoustic and zombified re-recordings of some established favourites, so check everything out above!
• Recently dormant local grind/thrash band Them have brought original bassist Rainey Vincent back to the band (replacing his ex-Revolution bandmate Austin McCrae for unannounced reasons), as per their Facebook page last month, while also promoting Strange Coyotes alum Chase Wigmore (a prior live-only member) to full vocal & guitar duties. Nice to see Rainey and Chase back in the fold full-time, but hopefully nothing bad happened with Austin, and stay tuned for much more from Them in 2016!
• We have moved local classic/hard rock cover quintet The Thrill Junkies to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity. Though their Facebook page posted a Merry Christmas message last week, the Turner Up successors have not issued a formal public update since plugging their last concert at The Rockstar Bar on December 13th, 2014. The Thrill Junkies were talented, and it's surprising that they didn't have more of a live presence, but hopefully they return at some point, and best of luck to Travis, Jason, Robert, Justin, and Rick in the future!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more news and notes as 2016 unfolds! Thanks everyone, and Happy New Year once again!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Mourning Wood & Havadder) And New Year's Weekend Concert Previews!!

On this last day of 2015, here's our final regular post of the year, but we have our reflective post on the year that was coming later tonight, so look for that then! Now, we have SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for shows taking place this weekend and beyond, as well as most of what you should know for hard rock this weekend to end the year (Tym Morrison's Saturday nighter and even later notice shows will follow), so read on to get caught up!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Mourning Wood will kick off 2016 with concerts at The OLG Casino THIS FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHT, which follow their previously announced New Year's Eve party at The Rednecks Saloon TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice on the casino dates, we had actually listed them on the site since drummer Glen Thomas announced them on his personal Facebook page in November (prior to their last OLG Casino weekend), but we forgot to mention them in a post at the time. This is a busy weekend ahead for Terry, Steven, Paul, and Glen, who will start things with their second straight New Year's Eve concert at the former Nicolet Tavern tonight, complete with a similar masquerade ball theme, and given the occasion, there will be party favours, a poutine bar, and champagne available free with admission, which will be $10 at the door, or via advance tickets at Rednecks or through band members.

The OLG Casino gigs (which, for sake of clarity, haven't been publically confirmed by Mourning Wood's Facebook page yet) are 9:30 PM shows with no announced cover, and all three shows are 19+. For more details, visit this link and above! Sounds like Mourning Wood have a big weekend ahead, with a fun party and a return to a still somewhat unique venue to come, so keep these shows in mind, and here's Mourning Wood live earlier this year!



Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Havadder will return to Studio 10 for a New Year's Eve party TONIGHT, which they'll follow with a one-nighter THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! Apologies again for the short notice on both shows, they were each only announced via separate Facebook event pages (here & here) earlier this week. TONIGHT'S New Year's Eve show brings them back to the Hudson Streeet gentlemen's club that they often rock on holidays (most recently on Halloween), and fitting the atmosphere, there will be a cold cut/shrimp buffet, drink specials, party favors, champagne, a door prize, and yes, adult dancers, so keep all of that in mind if you want to be at the Studio for this one! Tickets are $15 at the door or in advance at the venue, while couples have a discounted $25 rate. Doors open at 8:00 PM, Havadder's set will be at 10:30 PM, and this is obviously a 19+ event.

As for SATURDAY'S Rockstar Bar show (which appears to be a one-nighter with no gig tomorrow), this will be Havadder's first full show of 2016, so keep it in mind as they continue their recent streak of frequent appearances at The Algonquin Hotel's upstairs bar! That show will be a 10:30 PM affair and 19+ as well, but the cover charge will either be zero or much less than at the Studio. Whether you want to ring in the new year or just rock out with Havadder, keep their hard-edged fan favourite covers in mind for TONIGHT & SATURDAY! See the above links for more details, and here's Havadder live!



Moving to previously announced concerts, let's head to The Rockstar Bar for their New Year's Eve concert TONIGHT, as local classic metal quintet Project 421 will end 2015 on a heavy note as headliners! Replacing the usual Cherry Crush New Year's show there for unannounced reasons, this will be a partial sequel to their 2 year reunion and pre-Christmas shows at The Algonquin Hotel, with Project 421 (who will play at 12:00 AM to kick off 2016) once again joined by their online pageless nu-metal side project Eclipse, who will open the show at 10:00 PM, so if you've missed these bands or want to see them again, keep tonight's show in mind! However, in The Elements' place tonight, fans will get a rare Rockstar Bar appearance from young local glam rock/power pop trio Caroline Divine in the middle 11:00 PM slot, and their old school yet fresh sound should be a nice bridge tonight, so don't miss them either! Promoted by Project 421 bassist Daniel Horton (and curiously not as a PaperClip Productions show), there is a $10 cover charge in effect, but everything's standard otherwise, including a 19+ age limit.

For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! If you want some heavy metal for to send 2015 out with, this may just be your best bet, so definitely consider a trip downtown to The Rockstar Bar if you want to ring in 2016 with 421! For a preview, here's Project 421 live last year!

Finally for today's previews, let's head across the border to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino, where Sault Michigan hard rock quartet 415E will end the year with their own New Year's Eve concert TONIGHT! After a quiet few months from the former Hubbard-Menard Band's camp, the Van Halen-inspired local favourites will rock St. Ignace for the last time in 2015 tonight, and if you're up for their varied and often heavy covers, you know where to be for your New Year's plans! For reference, The London Gentlemen will end the year tonight at the Soo Kewadin, and no word on who's playing this weekend at either Kewadin Casino branch, as their entertainment page hasn't been updated yet for 2016 dates (we'll let you know when it is!) No word on if there's a special pricing in effect for the occasion (if there isn't, there'd be no cover as usual), but expect a 9:00 PM start time and 21+ age limit once again. Check the above links for more details, and here's 415E live!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our retrospective look back on the big moments of 2015 later today! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Mourning Wood), That's Chester/Tommy Updates, And More!!

Given my recent personal family commitments, SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, and not wanting to break up our upcoming Rotaryfest and Kewadin Casino-centric posts, here's a somewhat abbreviated second post for this Friday evening, with only three main stories. I can't project when our next post will be, but it'll likely either be a Rotaryfest fallout post or this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands profile, so look for them in the coming days when possible. Now, here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover trio Mourning Wood are apparently making their debut at The OLG Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! I apologize for the short notice, the shows were only announced by bassist Steven Flint on his personal Facebook page this afternoon, similarly to most of their recent shows. Fresh off of their Rotaryfest debut last weekend, these shows will mark rare hard rock-tinged appearance from local bands at the Sault Ontario downtown casino (which hosted Glitch in the past), and it's nice to see Mourning Wood continuing to spread their wings! Also, these will likely be just regular gigs (unfamiliar venue aside) following their country-focused weekend with guest performers, in case you missed their heavier songs. Both shows this weekend have 9:30 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no announced cover, so check the above links for more details, and here's Mourning Wood live last year!



Next up, here's some updates on this fall's live stage production of The Who's Tommy at The Machine Shop (featuring local classic/hard rockers That's Chester as the house band), including some updates on a variance in theme for the opening night on Wednesday, November 4th. As per this SooToday article from earlier this month, the opening gala performance will be a charity event in support of the Canadian Mental Health Association, as Tommy deals with mental illness in it's story. Nice connection for a great cause! The opening CMHA gala of Tommy will have $60 tickets exclusively through producer Marion Widgett at this link, with no general admission availability for that day. If you attend the gala, you'll get cocktails, food, and be able to participate in a silent auction and CMHA presentations. Sounds like a good time if you want to support a great charity! Remember, regular shows take place from November 5th-8th, though the above article clarifies that Friday the 6th is now an off day.

As a preview of this fall's production, That's Chester invited the Tommy cast to join them on stage at Rotaryfest's main stage at Clergue Park last week, and we now have a public video to share from it! Drummer Ric Datson posted this onto his YouTube channel earlier today, and it's of That's Chester and the cast's rendition of The Who's "Sensation", which is a nice surprise, as "Pinball Wizard" would be too predictable. The video is regrettably filmed from behind the band and cast, so the view and scope isn't too hot, but things sound good, and we get an angle of the stage that we rarely see! Give this Tommy video a look below, and stay tuned for more as it comes in!



Finally for today, here's a short new video from Sault Michigan classical metal band Theatre of Night, as per keyboardist Craig Harrison's YouTube channel! A brief 22 second clip of him demoing a new track on keyboard, it's a short but sweet clip that has promise from what we can hear! Give it a look below, and stay tuned for more from Theatre of Night as we hear it!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and such when I have some free time! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Suicide Kings), Glitch Concert Preview, And More!!

For today's post, we're concluding this weekend's known heavier concert previews, elaborating on some recent local metal album updates, and sharing a new video previewing some new material, but first, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next month!

Rockstar Bar Battle winners The Suicide Kings will return to the site of their live concert debut on Friday, May 16th and Saturday, May 17th for solo headlining dates at The Rednecks Saloon! Fresh off of their second place finish at the Rock N' Roar Battle of the Bands in Spanish, these will mark this talented hard rock quartet's first shows at the former Nicolet Tavern since March of last year, and despite the name change and transition to a country theme last fall, I don't expect Mike, Steven, Mitch, and Ben to alter their established sound and setlist for these concerts, as the Rednecks Saloon still welcomes rock bands (like Griphook this weekend.) The Suicide Kings last played a double weekend set at the former Roosevelt Hotel in January, so the convenience of two nights will be a plus for fans of their modern rock originals and covers, so be at this popular Albert Street West venue next month! Admission is likely free both nights, you must be 19 to attend, and there are 10:00 PM start times in effect. Visit the official Facebook event page for more info, and stay tuned for updates!

Next up, here's the last of our known heavier concert previews for this weekend, as newer Sault Ontario party/hard rock cover quartet Glitch will make their first ever appearance at an unfamiliar venue TOMORROW NIGHT, as they'll be rocking The OLG Casino at 30 Bay Street West! We've never covered the Sault Ontario casino on here for a concert, so I'm unfamiliar with it's setup, but I do know that they have both the Northern Gateway Restaurant and Bivouac Bar on site that could serve as logical host areas for a live band, so keep both in mind if you attend tomorrow. I'm unsure whether this is an early venture into more frequent band bookings, or a one-off agreement, but with a talented lineup featuring Sneaky Pete, Tripod the Dog, and Downfall alumni, the good tunes will be a constant, especially as they continue diversifying their live venue range! No idea on a potential cover charge, but you must be 19 to attend, and everything starts at 10:00 PM. Check the Facebook event page for more details, and here they are at The Rockstar Bar last year!



Moving to some well anticipated album news, local doom/sludge metal trio AlgomA have unveiled some new items relating to their forthcoming debut album "Reclaimed By The Forest", including the complete finished artwork by Adam Geyer! It had previously been leaked online, but it wasn't band-acknowledged, and that copy didn't feature the band's name & album title, so I waited until now. Very detailed in it's imagery, it calls to mind a more graphic interpretation of a song like Woods of Ypres' "Keeper of the Ledger" (look up the lyrics to see what I mean.) While a release date and formats for this album aren't out yet, AlgomA's brand new Bandcamp page features a download copy of their song "Fell Down The Well" from it, and you can buy it before the release for just $1! They even thought to include lyrics, but as is usual protocol for us, we'll hold full thoughts until the full album review. I'll confirm that the production is great though, so stream "Fell Down A Well" above, and stay tuned for news on the CD release!

Finally for today, Theatre of Night keyboardist Craig Harrison posted another preview video onto his YouTube channel on Wednesday to document new music for his Sault Michigan classical metal band! This time, it's of a studio piano piece (presumably for an original song to be completed), as included with assorted GoPro clips of him and bandmates Steve & Greg Giles playing in their jam room, though all fade in and out and use different camera angles, lighting, and post filters. The end of the video promises that new music is coming soon, and while this isn't a finished look, Craig's playing is as solid as ever, so check it out below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile on The Merves TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Great Sabatini & Glitch), A New Local Band Page, And A New Song!!

Before we get to the meat of this post, just a late notice reminder that the announced Tym Morrison show TONIGHT at The Harp has been pre-empted due to an Easter weekend set from prolific local musician Jay Case & friends, but Tym will be back on his new usual double bookings there next weekend! Today's post features a new original song from an upcoming album, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the next while, and first, a long awaited local band's online page launch, so here's what you need to know!

It took a breakup and reunion for it to happen, but local acid jam/hard rock band Mike Haggith & The Din finally have their own official Facebook page! Launched last May before breaking up in October (and then reuniting in January), fans may best remember this band from appearances at last July's second Bushplane Musical Madness event, along with being a late addition for Heavy North Entertainment's Oddfellows Hall show in January, plus various private events in 2013. Not solely a live concert outlet for Mike Haggith's own solo material, him and The Din play a free-flowing and often improvised brand of music that takes from various genres across widely varying song lengths, as seen on their four free "albums" ("Perpetual Musings", "Chaotic Symphony", the live "Despite The Insects...", and the half-finished "Dinner With The President".) Their new Facebook page confirms that their current lineup features (but isn't limited to) 5 members, similarly to the variable collective lineup of Sault Michigan's Highest of Fives.

Mike and drummer Daniel Horton are now joined by founding bassist Curtis McKenzie, newer bassist Tyler "Ringsnaps" Gibson, and returning saxophonist James Watterworth, though keep in mind that everyone in the band is multi-talented, so members can cover other instruments if need be. Also, note that the cover photo features a Haggith jam session, not The Din, so don't be confused by Caleb Cachagee's appearance there. It's great to finally see a Din Facebook page, so stay tuned for new updates from this unique band, they're now in our active band links, and hopefully we see them live again in the near future!

Next up, we have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the coming months, starting with a surprising new gig from local classic/hard rock quartet Glitch, as they're apparently playing at the OLG Casino at 30 Bay Street West one week from today on April 26th! Apologies for the short notice, guitairist Marco Pedalino announced the show on their Facebook group three weeks ago but it slipped through the cracks since then. In that post, he said info was to be announced, but as we're still waiting, I thought I'd help get the word out! The local Sault Ontario casino has never been a frequent concert venue for heavier shows, so I'm not familiar with it for our purposes, but they have both the Northern Gateway Restaurant and Bivouac Bar on site, so I'd have to assume Glitch's show will be at one of the two areas. Hopefully we get some more info by then (including on a possible cover charge), but a 10:00 PM start time and 19+ age limit are likely. This should be an interesting diversion though for this talented veteran outfit, so stay tuned for updates!

Also in new concerts is the newest metal show from local concert promoter Jamie Vincent and Oh! Right Arm! Promotions, as they're bringing back Montreal doom/grind quartet The Great Sabatini for a headlining show at The Moose Lodge on Tuesday, June 10th! Last seen at the former Foggy Notions in April 2011, this band left a solid impression with their classic-influenced and very sludgy sound, and hopefully fans welcome them back with open arms after 3 years away from our area! The local openers include local sludge/doom metal trio AlgomA in their first announced show since TONIGHT'S Dank Fest (and first ever Moose Lodge appearance), while a debuting local band named Habitat Shuffle are advertised to open this show. At present, there's no public information on them beyond a confirmation from AlgomA's Darby Wigwaus that they're "awesome", so we'll have to see if anything leaks out before showtime, or if they're operating under intended secrecy until then. This ALL AGES concert (Jamie's second at The Moose Lodge in under a month) has a 7:00 PM start time and an $8 cover charge at the door. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and stay tuned for more on this promisingly brutal summer show!

Finally for today, we come full circle with some more Mike Haggith updates, as the prolific local musician posted the first finished studio track from his upcoming 48th solo album "A Place Of Our Own" onto his YouTube channel yesterday! Entitled "Let Me In", it was projected to be the album's first song, but as we've learned, his albums often see late order and song changes, so it remains to be seen if it still is. As we do hope to review "A Place Of Our Own" on the site, I'll hold thoughts on the song until review time, but it does have an orchestral rock base, and isn't as soft as some of his recent solo work, so give it a look below, and stay tuned for more on Mike's album plans!



That's all for today, but I'll see you guys in a few hours at The Oddfellows Hall for Dank Fest! Thanks everyone!