Before we get into this post, we have the public go ahead to say that Soundcheck will be featuring guest singers Elly McWatters (ex-Re:Born) and Valerie Powley (Generations) for their short notice show at The Esquire Club TOMORROW NIGHT! Regular singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver will be on vacation out of town, and thanks to him for posting this in comment replies on our Facebook page this morning, as the band/venue hadn't publically confirmed anything prior! Both Elly and Valerie have great voices, and with Valerie helping out TOMORROW, could fans get a mini-encore of their show last year featuring most of Obsession's lead singers? Cameron will be present for tonight's Soundcheck show before he hits the road.
Now, today's post otherwise looks at this weekend's remaining weekend concert previews, a couple of new videos, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as Sault Michigan hard rock trio Tarnished will play their first show of the year on Saturday, February 24th when they return to The Fraternal Order Of Orioles Nest in Kincheloe! This will be Tarnished's second appearance at Nest 311, having headlined the Orioles' New Year's Eve party this past December, and clearly that went well for them to get re-booked already, let alone without any apparent ties to club events! For the record, the order's Facebook page hinted that Tarnished would be back in February, but we didn't hear a date until Tarnished gave it themselves on their Facebook page yesterday. Expect this to be an 8:00 PM event next Saturday with no announced cover charge and a 21+ age limit.
As for the Orioles Nest, it is located at 4916 West Curtis Street in Kincheloe, which is only a 20 minute drive south from Sault Ste. Marie. Fingers crossed that Alex, Parker, and Josh have a solid encore for fans at this somewhat atypical locale next week, and visit the above links for more details!
Now let's dive into the remainder of this weekend's hard rock concert previews, specifically via two Saturday nighters that had advance notice, starting with veteran Sault Michigan blues/hard rock quartet Project 906's return to The Strongs Tavern in nearby Eckerman TOMORROW NIGHT! After a three month winter break, this will be Project 906's first show of 2024 and their first at The Strongs Tavern in over seven months, which is a very unusual gap for them given how often they've played there over the years. Hopefully their hard rocking array of covers find another solid audience out in Eckerman tomorrow night! Expect an 8:00 PM start time, 21+ age limit, and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's a brand new video of Project 906 live! This is from an undated Strongs Tavern show from no later than July 2023, unless there was a private gig since that I was unaware of.
The 31 second clip (as uploaded to their Facebook page two weeks ago) sees Project 906 and an uncredited guest singer covering Rage Against The Machine's "Killing In The Name". A good (if very overplayed) song gets a strong rendition from what we see here, so check it out below, and don't miss Project 906's first show of the year tomorrow!
Lastly for known hard rock concerts this weekend, we'll head north to Sault Ontario, where newer local hard rock quintet HeadFirst will rock Shooters Downstairs Lounge for the first time TOMORROW NIGHT! After exclusively playing at Reggie's in recent months (aside from Toystock), this newer quintet will finally spread their wings to some other nightclubs this month, with Shooters first up tomorrow for new and existing fans alike. Hopefully Red, Raine, Liam, Claire, and Anthony leave a strong first impression on a new (to them) venue tomorrow with their hard rocking and classic covers, along with their current original material! A one nighter due to Shooters' DJ nights on Fridays, tomorrow's concert has a 9:30 PM start time, no cover charge, and a 19+ age limit. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's HeadFirst playing "The Walk"!
We'll close today with new videos from newer local pop rock cover quintet Bourbon Blue, whose general setlist isn't heavy enough to make our full coverage, but they'll be no strangers to many readers. Bourbon Blue are basically the successors to the short-lived 2021 cover band Lockdown, with singer/guitarist Jules Cote, vocalist Nicole Ambeault, and guitarist Randy Russell now joined by ex-Band Camp Rejects bassist Ryan Bell and new drummer Alvaro Scheid (replacing Turner Up/Settle For Silver alum Brent Royer). Yes, you'll also know Jules and Nicole from The Soo Fighters and Nicky & The Southpaws. In between their recent drummer switch, Bourbon Blue kept gigging with guest drummers, one being Soundcheck's Glen Thomas during their shows at Jay's Piston Broke Pub over the Christmas weekend (this was the same weekend where Double Down's Ric Datson drummed with Soundcheck in lieu of Glen).
Glen had fourteen videos shot and uploaded to his YouTube channel from one of his two gigs with Bourbon Blue, and while most don't cross our genre radar (hewing closer to Jules' old band Cherry Crush), the two newest videos are SMS amenable, including covers of The Interrupters' "She's Kerosene" and (as embedded below) Poison's "Talk Dirty To Me". Strong renditions that clearly attracted a good crowd to the floor, and while they don't lean heavier in setlist contents, Bourbon Blue can effectively add some rock to the likes of Miley Cyrus and Bruno Mars where need be, so don't bypass Glen's other dozen videos! Check out Bourbon Blue above & below, and they'll be at Reggie's tonight & tomorrow!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes over the Family Day long weekend! Thanks everyone!
As promised, let's touch on the rest of the known local hard rock concert previews for this weekend in today's post, but we also have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (including a SHORT NOTICE one for TONIGHT), and some new videos from each side of the border! Here's what you should know!
Prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to The Road House Bar & Grill on Trunk Road TONIGHT for a one-night only concert! Apologies for the short notice, Tym only announced the show via it's official Facebook event page yesterday, and it's not listed on his website's calendar. Joining his usual weekly matinees at Gliss Steak & Seafood (which continue tonight & tomorrow), TONIGHT'S Road House gig will bring Tym back to more traditional confines (not to mention, a more typical timeslot) as he rocks a venue that he also used to play a weekly arrangement at, so if you've missed his nighttime bar shows, this might be up your alley! This will also be Tym's first Road House show in just over a month, no word yet though on if he's playing there monthly now or not. This show has a 10:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and a 19+ age limit, so for more details, visit the above links, and don't miss Tym's acoustic hard rock hits there or at Gliss TONIGHT! Here's Tym live a few years back!
Moving to previously announced concerts (and taking a trip to the Eastern U.P.), let's first look at Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned, who will return to The Runway Bar in Hessel TONIGHT, but also have a pair of new concerts to touch on in future weeks! As announced on their Facebook page yesterday, this talented local band will make their "debut" at Three One Three on Ashmun on Friday, February 26th, making them the first hard rock band to play at the former Back Door since it's re-opening and renaming (though they played there under the old regime), so definitely keep that show in mind to check out what's new at 313 Ashmun Street! Note that this is a one-nighter due to Banned's previously announced trip to Manistique that Saturday. Banned will also return to their hometown of Kinross on Saturday, May 21st when they rock The Oriole's Club inside the Kinross Township Hall at 4916 West Curtis Avenue, marking their first show there in three months, and while this is a largely unfamiliar venue, I can't confirm if this is tied to an outside event.
As for TONIGHT'S Runway Bar show in Hessel, it'll be Banned's first there of 2016, and should be a fun time for Alex, Don, and Wayne's varied and often heavy setlist, so don't miss out if you're in the area! Tonight's concert has a 9:00 PM start time, while their Three One Three show is at 9:30 PM, and the Kinross show is an earlier 7:00 PM event. All shows are presumably 21+, and none have an announced cover charge. Check the above links for more details, don't miss Banned in Hessel tonight, and here they are live in 2014!
Lastly for known hard rock concerts this weekend (barring anything on even shorter notice), Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63 are scheduled to return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Last seen in our area just under a month ago at the same venue (though they played in Christmas in the interim), it'll be good to see the Switzers, Chris, and Ron back on stage as they continue their 2016 schedule of playing at the Soo and St. Ignace Kewadins at least one weekend a month, so be sure to consider checking them out this weekend for lots of familiar and hard hitting favourites! It should be noted, however, that Highway 63 haven't plugged these shows on their Facebook page yet this month, but unless something is announced to the contrary, I wouldn't worry about any changes. Expect 9:00 PM start times, 21+ age limits, and no announced cover charges for tonight & tomorrow night's shows, as usual for their Kewadin dates.
For a preview, here's a new video of Highway 63 that was shared on their Facebook page last month that we only just found today! Filmed by fan Annie Root at their Rapids Lounge weekend at Sault Michigan's Kewadin branch last month, it's a short 40 second clip of Highway 63 covering Warrant's "Heaven", and while it's obviously incomplete, it's a strong performance from what we can hear of this hair metal ballad, and kudos to Annie for filming it! Give it a look below, and don't miss Highway 63 this weekend in St. Ignace!
Finally for today, here's the latest videos from local alternative/hard rock trio The Din (who we'll have much more on shortly regarding their return to the battlefield next month), so what can you now see from them? As uploaded to their Facebook page in recent days, one video is a promotional clip for TOMORROW NIGHT'S Rockstar Bar show, featuring guitarist Tammy Hill plugging the show, and referencing bandmates Mike Haggith & Brandan Glew being a bit too into the Valentine's Day theme. There's a twist that I won't spoil here (it'd be a "sacrifice" to do that), but be sure to give it a look, as it's amusing and good promotion for the show! Also, note that the video doesn't plug Shit Creek Survivor as opening, but Jacob is definitely still playing tomorrow. The other video's actually been up since January 11th (apologies for the delay), and it features a drum battle between Brandan (The Din's regular drummer) and Mike (who drummed for Haggith & The Strange Coyotes, and also drums on his solo CDs.)
It's a strong clip to see the two drummers' performing in their element, and with Mike & Brandan drumming simultaneously, it is more of a battle than it would be if they went separately! Yes, a winner is declared, but I won't spoil the end result here. Give these new Din videos a look above and below, and don't miss them alongside Eclipse, Stereo North, and Shit Creek Survivor at The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes this weekend! Thanks everyone!
With an unusually busy concert weekend for early November, here's our second weekend concert preview post, and if there's any extremely late notice hard rock shows to touch on, look for them tomorrow! Now, we have previews on both sides of the border, a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, and an apparent band breakup impacting shows this weekend, so here's what you should know, and check out our first of the weekend's concert previews in the post below this one!
Local party hard rock cover trio Stiffler's Mom will return to the stage for one night only THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at The Canadian Nightclub! Apologies for the short notice, the show was only announced on the venue's Facebook group on Wednesday. Filling in for singer/drummer Greg Simpson's country band Bone Yard after guitarist Alex D'Ettore broke his wrist, the bands are still returning to The Canadian this weekend after Maxx Entertainment took last weekend off to focus on the Tommy production. Hopefully Alex heals up fast, but Stiffler's Mom's fun sound and strong reputation should lead to a good turnout on Saturday! No word on why Stiffler's Mom aren't playing tomorrow night though, but for reference, Bone Yard were scheduled to play the Friday too before they dropped out. There is no announced cover charge on Saturday, you must be at least 19 to attend, and there's a 9:00 PM start time. Check the above links for more details, and here's Stiffler's Mom live last summer!
Moving to previously announced concerts, we were planning to look at this weekend's concerts from Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Ten Kings at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino for tomorrow & Saturday night, but I have doubts that they're playing now. Why? Because their Facebook page was quietly deleted for unannounced reasons at some point in the past three weeks, and that has historically been a good indicator that a band has broken up (also, their Instagram page was made private.) I have not seen any official statements about Ten Kings' status on members' personal Facebook pages since their last shows in the Soo over the October 24th weekend, and I'll monitor things in case something comes out, but we won't treat these shows as on unless something is publically said otherwise. Sadly, without an active online page (I wish they'd have left it up), we'll have to delete Ten Kings from our band links as well.
If Ten Kings are indeed defunct, this is very surprising and sudden, especially given how fast they'd risen since launching in January, including their set opening for Theory of a Deadman this summer, and a strong lineup featuring many familiar faces, but you can still see bassist Barney Gravelle in Retro Troop in the meantime. It'd be nice to be wrong, but if they have dissolved, best of luck to Brandon, Joe, Barney, and Will in the future!
However, there is one hard rock show that is definitely going down this weekend in the E.U.P., albeit at an unusual venue, as Kinross classic/hard rock trio Banned are scheduled to play a rare concert in their hometown THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at The Kinross Township Hall! More specifically, they'll playing at the Orioles' Club inside the hall at 4916 West Curtis Avenue, and while I don't recall prior hard rock concerts at this venue, I'm sure Banned don't mind playing in their hometown for a change! Saturday's show follows an off weekend for the Traynors & Wayne, and will mark their first show within an hour of the Soo since their St. Ignace stops three weeks ago, so if you've missed Banned's diverse & often heavy covers, head to Kinross on Saturday! If you'd prefer a local bar show however, they'll be live at The Runway Bar in Hessel next weekend, so keep those dates in mind.
For what it's worth, a Fall Fest has been held at The Orioles Club at this time in past years with dancing, music, beer, and so forth, and you can click here for details on 2013's, but I can't definitively say if Banned are playing at a 2015 Fall Fest installment or not. If it is, expect a $5 cover and 21+ age limit, but in any event, they are playing at an early start time of 8:00 PM. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Banned live last year!
Finally for this weekend's known hard rock previews, we'll head back to Sault Ontario for the long awaited return of Barrie-based AC/DC tribute band Hells Bells, as they'll be headlining at The Rockstar Bar THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Though we've never had a shortage of AC/DC tributes coming through the Soo in recent years (notably Who Made Who), this will be Hells Bells' first local stop since headlining at The Canadian Nightclub way back in May 2010, so if you liked and missed this band's dose of high voltage rock 'n roll in particular, the 5 year wait is over on Saturday night! I have seen them live, and they will definitely get AC/DC fans going, so keep this one in mind! Advance tickets for $12 are still available at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk, but The Rockstar Bar's Martin Fiser noted on the venue's Facebook group that tickets are 90% sold out, and there's no guarantees of availability at the door (but if you want to try, note that there has been no announced hike in the price at the door either.)
This concert is definitely a 19+ event, and a 10:30 PM start time is advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and if you love AC/DC, get your tickets A.S.A.P. to check out Hells Bells' faithful tribute set on Saturday night! For a preview, here's Hells Bells live in Orillia!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
