The final weekend of concerts for a busy July 2023 is drawing near, so let's kick off our hard rock previews today! Due to the still high amount of hard rock-leaning shows this weekend, we'll hold Saturday return of Lopstock and Generations' show that same night for tomorrow's preview post, while focusing on bands playing tomorrow in some fashion here. With that said, here's what you should know to kick off the weekend!
We'll start with a pair of linked Friday-only gigs TOMORROW NIGHT, including prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's fourth straight weekly acoustic gig at The Mike Case Memorial Stage outside of The Trading Post! The Nostalgic Band frontman has been entertaining patrons at the 1332 Great Northern Road outdoor stage all month on Fridays, and this should be no different, as he breaks out some acoustic classic and hard rock hits before zipping to the west end for the shows we're covering next. Hopefully this is a good warm-up for Tym, whether you're joining him at Jay's or not! While we're on the subject, those LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS entail adding his previously announced Mike Case Stage shows in August to our calendar, so look for him there on August 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th! While he has played early September shows there in the past, he hasn't announced dates for then (yet?)
Tomorrow's and next month's dates in Tym Morrison's weekly summer series at The Trading Post have a 7:00 PM start time, no cover charge, and no age limit. Weather-wise, 9&10 News is calling for partly cloudy conditions at around 22° tomorrow, and while there are thunderstorms in the forecast, they should wrap up late tomorrow morning. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!
Next up, once his solo show wraps up by 9:00 PM, Tym will drive down to Jay's Piston Broke Pub to join his new Nostalgic Band for a one-nighter TOMORROW NIGHT! This will be the second straight week where Tym and The Nostalgic Band double up on the same day, also the second straight week where The Nostalgic Band are playing Friday only (I am unsure who is playing there on Saturday, if anyone). Oddly, tomorrow's show had lots of advance notice, unlike their short notice gig last week, so if you've been prepping to see Tym, Dutch, and Chet's hard rocking brand of classic rock and metal covers, head to the former Rosie/Reggie's West for all of the action tomorrow! Tomorrow's festivities have a 19+ age limit, 9:30 PM start time, and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's The Nostalgic Band live at the downtown Reggie's!
Now let's head to Sault Michigan and area, as both regional Kewadin Casinos are hosting touring bands at their on-site lounges this weekend! Starting in the Soo, fans can see Traverse City classic metal/hard rock cover trio Peril back at The Rapids Lounge TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Certainly no strangers to playing under the Kewadin umbrella, this will be Peril's first concert weekend in the Soo in just over two months, and we will have more from them/Scarkazm in an upcoming post addressing August and September hard rock shows at the casino. Hopefully Jeff, Adam, and Brooks lay down lots of rock favourites for fans in the E.U.P. this weekend as usual! This weekend's shows are 9:00 PM affairs as ever with 21+ age limits and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more on Peril's return to Sault Michigan this weekend, and here they are live!
Finally for this preview post, let's head an hour south to the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino, where Grand Rapids/Nashville psychedelic hard rock quartet Overdrive Orchestra will rock The Northern Pines Lounge TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Fans may recall seeing this band rock both the Rapids and Northern Pines Lounges in the spring of last year, and it is neat seeing Overdrive Orchestra return over a year later, especially as a rare example of a touring band playing here that isn't from the U.P., Northern Michigan, or Sault Ste. Marie. Their distinct brand of keyboard-laden prog rock with lots of hard rock flourish should get another strong reception from fans in Mackinac County this weekend, so don't miss out on Overdrive Orchestra's return! Like with Peril in the Soo, these are 21+ gigs with 9:00 PM start times and no cover. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Overdrive Orchestra's Facebook trailer video for this weekend!That's all for now, but look for our Lopstock and Generations previews (and more) next! Thanks everyone!
Here's a Sault Michigan-centric post to take in on this Wednesday night, and it includes a band moved to our inactive band links at the end, but let's kick things off with some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the summer season. Here's what you should know!
Local hard rock/metal quartet Tarnished will return to the local stage (as in, within an hour's drive of the Soo) when they return to Snows Bar & Grill in nearby Cedarville on Friday, June 23rd! Last seen in our coverage range at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino over Memorial Day weekend, this will be Tarnished's first Cedarville gig since playing at Snows in September of last year. It is one of four gigs announced for this month in the U.P. on their Facebook page yesterday, though the others (in Manistique, Curtis, and Gould City) are more than an hour's drive from here. Still, all are venues that Tarnished have played multiple times in the past few years, so if you live a little further west and these are local to you, keep them in mind! The Snows show on the 23rd is a 21+ affair with no cover charge and an 8:00 PM start time. Visit the above links for more details!
Next up, Grand Rapids/Nashville psychedelic hard rock quartet Overdrive Orchestra will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino for concerts on Friday, July 28th & Saturday, July 29th! A rare band not from the Soo, U.P., or Northern Lower to play at regional Kewadin lounges, you may recall seeing this rising band rock both regional Kewadin branches in March and April 2022, and it's good to see them come back this direction! Overdrive Orchestra's momentum has grown in the past year+ with new material and even more fans, and hopefully some new and returning attendees come out to make July's shows worth the road trip! No word on a Rapids Lounge return at press time, but these are one of just two sets of new heavier dates listed for July 2nd-31st on Kewadin's entertainment pages for both lounges, with the others following in a second.
Overdrive Orchestra's genre-transcendent brand of hard rock can be enjoyed on July 28th & 29th at 9:00 PM, shows that have no announced cover charge and 21+ age limits. Visit the above links for more details on Overdrive Orchestra!
The other newly confirmed shows at one of the two regional Kewadin lounges will actually also be on Friday, July 28th & Saturday, July 29th, as Traverse City classic metal trio Peril will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin branch that weekend! Fans in St. Ignace can see them at The Northern Pines Lounge next weekend, but the end-of-July shows will mark their first at the Sault Ste. Marie branch since early last month. The summer season is clearly good for attracting Jeff & crew for gigs north of the Mackinac Bridge, and hopefully next month's Soo shows go well for fans of their old school hard rock and metal covers as usual! Peril's sister band Scarkazm also confirmed the shows via this Facebook image listing dates from both bands and their acoustic side act Project 6, but there's nothing here that local fans didn't know unless you're inclined to take a road trip to see any of them.
As usual for Peril's Kewadin concert dates, these have 21+ age limits, 9:00 PM start times, and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more on Peril's Soo return next month, don't miss them in St. Ignace next week, and stay tuned for more from them and Scarkazm when we hear it!
Finally, I have moved local hard rock quartet 415E to our inactive band links. As best as I can gather in checking available sources, they have not played a publically advertised live concert since a Halloween party on Sugar Island in 2021, and my referencing them as returning to the stage in our 2022 year-end post appears to have been erroneous. Originally active from 2012-2017, the former Hubbard-Menard Band relaunched in January 2019 with a new rhythm section in tow, and while social media updates remained minimal, they were still seen frequently at regional Kewadin Casino branches, while also making a couple of trips to Sugar Island for gigs at The Hilltop Bar. The current existence of Rhythm & Brews (who also feature guitarist Chris Hubbard and bassist Brett Blackwood) should be noted, but the two bands did publically coexist in mid-late 2021 before 415E updates dried up, and Chris was the only common link at first.
Alas, public media of 415E was always slight (few photos and no band-uploaded videos), which must have been their method of encouraging fans to actually go out and see them live, though the similar sounding Rhythm & Brews have at least had more of a visual presence. Despite their lack of media, this union of Nixxon Dixxon, Splitshot, Bucksaw, and Clownsack alumni were a safe bet for fan friendly hard rock covers and the usual Van Halen classic here and there, but don't miss Chris & Brett in Rhythm & Brews and Jason with Fake Chow and Project 906, and hopefully we see Dave behind the mic again soon! That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!
Here's a rarity: a concert weekend in the Twin Saults and area with too many shows for one weekend concert preview post! As pandemic measures lessen (assuming the trend continues), this may seem like less of a novelty like in the 2010s, but enjoy the moment! To break things up, I will tackle known Sault Ontario concerts in tomorrow's post, with this post solely focusing on Sault Michigan-area events. Here's what you should know!
Grand Rapids/Nashville psychedelic hard rock quartet Overdrive Orchestra will return to the E.U.P. TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT when they headline at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino! These shows come just three weeks after this fast-rising band rocked The Rapids Lounge in the Soo, and it looks like those two gigs went well, so look for even more entertaining original music in Mackinac County this weekend! Overdrive Orchestra's brand of vibrant old school yet decidedly hard-edged rock n' roll should deliver another knockout punch, so do check them out to see what they'll bring to the table this weekend, as who knows when/if they'll be in the E.U.P. again! As in the Soo earlier this month, these are 9:00 PM affairs with no cover charge and 21+ age limits. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Ovedrive Orchestra live in 2020!
Next up, local hard rock quartet Rhythm & Brews will be rocking out at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT themselves! The 415E side project were last seen at The Rapids Lounge a month ago with their late notice fill-in gigs for Traverse City dance rockers Risque, but luckily, this weekend's shows had advance notice via the casino's entertainment page. Good thing too, as the band only acknowledged the gigs on their Facebook page yesterday, though personal accounts have plugged them with more depth. Kewadin's entertainment page has been updated to reflect new shows through the end of June (more on the hard rock shows within soon), but Rhythm & Brews are not on the schedule in the Soo or St. Ignace, so if you want to see this union of Nixxon Dixxon, Clownsack, and Monkey's Uncle alumni short term, don't miss out!
Like with Overdrive Orchestra in St. Ignace this weekend, tomorrow & Saturday's Rhythm & Brews shows are 21+ affairs with no cover charge & a 9:00 PM start time. Hopefully these shows go well for this very talented foursome, so visit the above links for more details, and we'll let you know when publically shareable media of Rhythm & Brews surfaces!
Let's close out the known E.U.P. previews elsewhere in the Soo on SATURDAY NIGHT, as new local metal band Buddy Repperton & The Camaros will make their live concert debut at Three One Three on Ashmun! A rare SMS-fitting concert at the former Back Door, this will be local metalheads' first chance to see this promisingly heavy new group, but there are changes to their last publically recorded lineup. For one, their current bassist is Dennis Rudis, who replaced Brett Blackwood in the band last year but was never publically confirmed as such in posts on their Facebook page. No word on why Brett left, but you'll still be able to see him with Rhythm & Brews this weekend! Also, a post on frontman David Waite's personal Facebook page indicates that guitarist Doug Reed will be unavailable for the show, at the very least. Whether Doug is out of the band or not, I can't say, but hopefully nothing too serious happened!
David did indicate that the show will still go on with him handling lead guitar, and hopefully a three man attack can translate their thrash and groove metal covers & originals as smoothly as possible, as bands of this style don't launch out of Sault Michigan often! New local rock band The Nameless will open on Saturday, and while they do have a Facebook page now, updates so far are very slight aside from photos of their gear, and I have no clue on their lineup, genre, or anything else. We'll let you know when more comes out! This well hyped and anticipated concert will have a 9:00 PM start time, no cover charge, and a 21+ age limit, while attendees can also enter a skateboard draw. It will be great to finally see Buddy Repperton & The Camaros in concert, even if shorthanded, so hopefully there's a strong turnout on Saturday night! See above for more details, and here's Buddy Repperton & The Camaros jamming last year!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for Sault Ontario weekend concert previews and more next! Thanks everyone!
To close out a promisingly busier month at the SMS, here's this weekend's (currently known) hard rock concert previews, aided by LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (mostly on SHORT NOTICE), and a newly uploaded cover video! Without any further ado, let's get things rolling!
Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's Place for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the Facebook event page for these shows was only posted on Tuesday. Fresh off of tonight's open mic night at Reggie's West, these will be Terry, Cameron, Paul(?), and Glen's first shows at the original downtown Reggie's in three weeks. With bookings ticking upward for this popular veteran foursome, hopefully their hard hitting blend of covers (including a few country cuts for the locale) will go over well TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at usual! Note that they teased "a band birthday" coinciding with TOMORROW's show, but they did not specify which band member's big day was ahead. 9:30 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no cover charges are in effect, so see above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!
Next up, local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will also return to Reggie's Place on Sunday, April 10th during their usual Sunday matinee block! After somewhat unusual nighttime shows there last weekend, next Sunday's show will bring Tym back to his more expected timeframe at the popular Queen Street East bar/venue, and with his prolific setlist on hand, you know you'll get loads of well performed & familiar songs from him on the 10th! Expect a 19+ age limit and no cover charge, but as this is the Sunday matinee, this show has an early 3:00 PM start time. Not too much to say different from this show compared to Tym's modern acoustic offerings, but classic had hard rock fans should find a lot to like at Reggie's next weekend, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details!
Moving back to this weekend, here's our preview of concerts that had lots of advance notice, as Grand Rapids/Nashville psychedelic hard rock quartet Overdrive Orchestra will rock Sault Michigan for the first time TOMORROW & SATURDAY at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino! A band that has been turning a lot of heads downstate with their psychedelic-influenced brand of bluesy hard rock, hopefully Overdrive Orchestra (not just "Overdrive") will leave a strong first impression on the E.U.P. this weekend! Note that as of tomorrow, fully vaccinated Canadians may cross the border without needing to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test on the return trip (notifying ArriveCAN of your return is still required), so curious Sault Ontarians take note if Overdrive Orchestra interests you at all! In any event, they will also rock St. Ignace's Kewadin branch in three weeks.
Despite the relative distance for Overdrive Orchestra compared to the standard bands that play at Kewadin's on-site lounges, tomorrow & Saturday night's shows have no cover charges, while the 21+ age limits and 9:00 PM start times are about normal for there. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Overdrive Orchestra live!
Finally, here's a new cover of The Foo Fighters' "Everlong" by St. Ignace solo musician Austin "Grayham" Graham's Facebook page! You may recognize the former Grayham Entertainment from his set opening for Tarnished at July 2020's Rock the Block concert at Crooked Music in Sault Ste. Marie, but his setlist is too varied for softer music compared to what we usually cover. That said, Grayahm posted this Foos cover (recorded last year) earlier today as a tribute their late drummer Taylor Hawkins. The abbreviated acoustic rendition is solidly done, if toned down vocally, and kudos to Austin for sharing this in tribute! Give it a watch below!
That's all for this month, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site in April! Thanks everyone!
Alright, now there are TWO big touring headline shows announced in May that fit our coverage, the new one a rescheduling in Sault Michigan, but I'm going to hold both of those for tomorrow's post due to weekend concert previews and LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS coming sooner in the schedule. Don't worry, if you're looking for coverage of a "glorious" or "wylde" nature, check back tomorrow! Now, here's what you should know for this weekend and some of the new spring concert dates for our Yooper readers!
Kewadin Casino's website's entertainment pages have been updated to reflect lounge concert bookings through the end of April, and in that month, hard rock bands will take the stage on four consecutive weeks at The Rapids Lounge in Sault Ste. Marie! To make room for Sault Ontario concert previews at post's end, I'll hold the latest of these shows for our next post, but let's start with the local debut of Grand Rapids/Nashville psychedelic hard rock quartet Overdrive Orchestra, who will rock The Rapids Lounge on Friday, April 1st & Saturday, April 2nd, before heading to The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace on April 22nd & 23rd! Erroneously just named "Overdrive" on Kewadin's own advertising, Overdrive Orchestra have been turning heads on the live circuit with their distinct brand of trippy and progressive, yet undeniably heavy brand of original rock, and it will be really neat to have them in the E.U.P. next month!
Despite the further drive compared to the usual Kewadin lounge suspects, all four of Overdrive Orchestra's shows next month have 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 21+ age limits as usual. If there are posted public health measures at the lounge/casino still, please follow them to ensure everyone has a safe and responsible time. See the above links for more details, and definitely check out Overdrive Orchestra's albums on major streaming services, as they are quite a talented group!
Next up, Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm have new dates booked at The Rapids Lounge in the Soo on April 8th & 9th, and then at The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace on April 29th & 30th,which join their previously announced Northern Pines Lounge stops TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! An unusually busy two months for E.U.P. gigs starts this weekend for the Peril sister band, with Adam, Dave, and Jeff bringing their original and cover attack back to both regional Kewadin branches, and whether you're coming out tomorrow, Saturday, or next month, you have plenty of chances ahead to rock out with these seasoned and talented veterans! Like with Overdrive Orchestra, all three of Scarkazm's upcoming concert weekends are 21+ affairs with no cover charges and 9:00 PM start times. See above for more details, and to preview this weekend's shows, here's Scarkazm live!
Lastly for today's new Kewadin hard rock concert coverage (with the remainder coming tomorrow), Marquette hard rock quartet Spun will return to The Rapids Lounge for concerts on Friday, April 15th & Saturday, April 16th! These will be the Nudge. successors' first E.U.P. stops of 2022, last playing there at the St. Ignace Kewadin in early December, and last at The Rapids Lounge in the fall, so fans of Spun's varied and often heavy setlist now know the dates when they can see their hard rocking live show again! Note that Spun have not confirmed concerts taking place next month on their Facebook page at press time, but that should come in due course. Again, these concerts have no cover charge, 21+ age limits, and 9:00 PM start times, and please respect and follow any extant public health guidelines at Kewadin. Visit the above links for more on these and other upcoming Kewadin lounge concerts!
Finally for today, let's go back to this weekend's concert previews with a trip north to Sault Ontario, where local southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek will play their first shows of the year TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at Reggie's Place! Fans last saw Justin, Shane, Matt, Robin, and Tony on stage four months ago, biding their time with merchandise giveaways and teasers during the holidays and re-imposed pandemic restrictions, but they're back in action this weekend at the downtown Reggie's, complete with new additions to their setlist and more in-person merchandise giveaways for good measure! Tomorrow's show only will also have an opening act, a concept Fort Creek began experimenting with last fall to promote rising local talent, and the opener will be Whiskey & Beer guitarist Jeremy Logan Newman in a solo set. Both shows will be 19+ with no announced cover charge and 9:30 PM start times, about standard there.
Notably, this weekend is the first since Ontario dropped the vaccine passport requirement for nightclubs and restaurants, so you do not need to show it at the door to get in! Obviously, indoor mask mandates are still in effect, and please follow any posted public health measures at Reggie's, as we really don't want things rolled back in the province again. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Fort Creek live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more on those big new May concerts and more on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
