Let's tackle some big recent updates and media on this Tuesday morning, including new live videos from two E.U.P. bands, and our first look at a new Sault Ontario band on a public stage. However, we're leading off with the teased return of a once prominent concert promotion agency, so without any further ado, here's what you should know!
It looks like local concert promoters Live705 are gauging interest in returning to concert promotion after a 2+ year hiatus! On November 13th, they posted on their Facebook page to see if any local bands would be interested in opening for Orillia experimental/progressive band Tangents on their upcoming tour. They didn't specify the intended date or venue, but Live705's Matt Quinn did message me last month to bounce some ideas around, though I'll hold on any of the specifics until they say something. Tangents are a solidly brutal and proficient extreme metal band who would surely be welcomed on a local stage by genre fans, but of course, touring shows like this are still a work in progress in many respects post-pandemic. Live705 (the promotion agency founded by the members of local punk trio A Dire Setback) were very active from their 2016 launch through helping bring an Elton John tribute to The Rockstar Bar in November 2019.
Live705's planned shows in 2020 (including A Dire Setback's own CD release party) were all cancelled for obvious reasons, but the guys have kept the page active by plugging and hyping other local concerts, album releases, and musicians sporadically since then, which they had also done between their own events previously. They also still provide live audio and DJ services at other promoters' events, not unlike the confusingly named but separate 705Live Sound Co.. It is great to see Live605 kicking the tires on getting back to their late 2010s normal, but message them A.S.A.P. if you want to open for Tangents next year!
Next up, here's the first public videos of new local metal trio The BAG, courtesy of their Facebook group! Despite not posting there at all in over three weeks, The BAG did indeed play at The Esquire Club this past weekend, and attendees Jordan Dubois and Val McGillivray (likely a relative of Spencer's) both posted videos from the Saturday nighter to the Facebook group that are publically viewable! Unfortunately, all four of the videos are shot vertically, and none capture the full song. Jordan posted this clip of the guys playing a very familiar instrumental breakdown, with his other two videos (a cover of Rage Against The Machine's "Killing In The Name" and Spencer playing a guitar solo) being lumped in with pictures from that night. The longest of the four videos is Val's, who filmed their metallized cover of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues", as uploaded below.
While it is a shame that these are all vertical (primarily focused on Spencer as such) and don't capture full songs, you get a good sense of their sound and talent, and he, Austin, and Bradley are definitely on their way locally with a tight, heavy sound! Very strange hearing a band this heavy at The Esquire Club though, could this be a positive sign for 2023? Good stuff, so check out The BAG's new videos above & below!
We'll close today's post with new videos from two bands in Sault Michigan and area, starting with a highlights video of local hard rock quartet Tarnished's experiences opening for Steel Panther at The Dreammakers Theatre at the local Kewadin Casino last month! Uploaded to their Facebook page on Sunday, this video was edited together by former drummer Gary Croad, and features footage of them playing "Shortcut", as uniquely shot from behind the stage. I don't believe this video has been posted without the post-production edits, for the record. You'll also see clips of Tarnished being interviewed by Rock 101's Scott Cook at the venue for that night's episode of The Hair Scare, them getting ready backstage, their meetings & pictures with 3/4ths of Steel Panther (no Spyder, alas), plus the actual photos, including one with their merchandise crew, and some great concert pictures by Kayla Kirkwood (hopefully those get posted separately!)
The video ends with some thank yous to everyone who made this experience happen. Gary did a very professional job compiling everything, and while the raw footage of "Shortcut" would be nice to see (especially given the angle), it sounds good and Tarnished look like they had a blast, so fans won't want to bypass this one below!
Finally for today, a surprising amount of live videos from St. Ignace metalcore quintet Heavy Lies The Crown have surfaced on drummer Jaxon Massaway's new YouTube channel in the past two weeks! These primarily come from their Summerbash gig in Gaylord (2 hours south of the Soo) in July, where an attendee filmed ten videos of H.L.T.C.'s set, including them playing "Friend", "Every Step Of The Way", "A Hell Bound Heart", "A Sold Soul (A.S.S.)", "Voices", "Knucklebutter", "*69", "Time Diffuser Or Something Else", and "Choke". That's every song from their full length album except "Princess" and "Interlude", for the record. The videos are all shot from a side-stage angle and given the poor lighting at this outdoor camping-friendly event, it kind of looks like the guys are playing in a void, first row fans with cameras aside. The audio holds up for fans though!
Embedded below is the only new video on Jaxon's channel from a different event, namely them playing "Choke" at the French Road Bash in Alpena in August. While incomplete, this is the best video I have seen yet of the current Heavy Lies The Crown lineup, with the filmer getting a nice front row angle of the guys in action, aided by the daytime setting and neat forest backdrop. Cool to see all of these videos, so kudos to Jaxon for uploading them, and also check out his two solo vocal/guitar covers on his channel, as they're not bad either! Give "Choke" in Alpena a watch below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!
Before we begin today's post, I wanted to apologize for a missed concert in this past weekend's previews, as local classic/hard rock musician Tym Morrison returned to the stage for a special matinee concert on Saturday at... the Community First Curling Centre?! The gig, Tym's first since the end of his bi-weekly Shooters run, was as musical entertainment during day #2 of the Anita Boulevard curling rink's Labatt Ribeye Cashspiel tournament, but the venue never plugged Tym as the Saturday performer, and Tym only announced the gig via his Facebook event page an hour before showtime. I apologize again for missing this one, it was just on too late of notice, but I hope Tym's set was well received by music & curling fans alike!
Now, today's post is mostly devoted to recent Sault Michigan updates, plus a newly uploaded Sault Ontario concert video, but let's start across the river with the first known public video from The Dreammakers Theatre at the local Kewadin Casino this past Saturday night! From what I have heard, the concert was a hit on musical and humorous levels, so it's great to see that Steel Panther picked up where they left off here four years ago! The video comes from YouTube user splatfreak's channel in his first upload from a local event, though he has previously posted videos from concerts in northern Wisconsin. Despite the 10 minute+ runtime, this video only features one song, namely "Asian Hooker", with the first six minutes comprised of the band introducing each other as only they can.
Featuring Steel Panther's brand of 18+, sex joke-heavy adult humour in both the banter and the song (plus some Rick Allen jokes and a preceding brief Def Leppard cover), this is definitely NSFW but very fun for hair metal fans in on the gag, and underneath the comedy exterior, Steel Panther are a strong glam metal band! The video quality is quite good too, with Josh on first row, almost side-stage angle, and everything looks and sounds clear, to a point where I could even recognize some attendees! Check this out below, and hopefully more videos from the show turn up!
At press time, this was the only video from the concert that I've seen on a public source, but local openers Tarnished did post this short video onto their Facebook page a half hour before showtime, as filmed by a band associate backstage at the casino. Here, the guys give final hype for the show, noting that there were still a few tickets available, and if you didn't come out, Isaac and Josh were going to come to your place and.... well, watch the video to find out what! Amusing final push, and it sounds like the local hard rock band had a good set based on what I've heard since, so give their pre-show clip a watch below!
Also today, here's something that I apologize for forgetting to talk about on the SMS when it went live, namely a full concert set from inactive Sault Ontario doom metal trio AlgomA! This was shot during their appearance at Dank Fest, an 11 band all-ages concert marathon put on by Heavy North Entertainment at The Oddfellows Hall in April 2014, which was actually AlgomA's debut appearance at the late lamented Dennis Street venue. Uploaded to guitarist/vocalist Boyd "Darby Wigwaus" Rendell's current project Molten Imp's YouTube channel last month, the 42 minute set (eighth in the performance order) was filmed by a stationary camera behind assembled fans, so the view isn't optimal of Boyd, Kevin, and Jamie (a.k.a. Darby, Marty, and Geezer), but the sound mostly holds up! The songs performed include "Extinct Volcanoes", "Bedsores", "Electric Fence", "Phthisis", "Go On, Git!", and "Tertiary Syphillis".
Yes, only six songs, but the first two alone eat up half of the set! If you're curious, their set included all but two songs from their 2014 debut EP "Reclaimed By The Forest" plus both tracks from their 2016 split with Chronobot. The video is oddly slanted to the left (not a tilted angle, the video is skewed), and the red stage lighting can be overpowering, but AlgomA's slow, punishing ferocity is well captured, especially at this early stage of their local run, and fans are into it, even getting a few mosh pits going! Give it a look for yourselves below, and check out my review of Dank Fest in its entirety at this link, including my video of "Electric Fence"!
We'll close today back in Michigan for some of the latest from St. Ignace metalcore quintet Heavy Lies The Crown, who have been busy in studio as of late but got surprisingly busy posting videos and assorted teasers related to the sessions on their Facebook page, plus some fan engagement and meme sharing. As of November 12th, they were almost done recording two songs and were working on more riffs, so things are on their way! In their first new video of the month on the 11th, H.L.T.C. posted this 5 second clip with their duck mascot Iggy inserted into another meme, while this 7 second video of guitarist Ted Olson playing a riff through heavy video filters followed two days later. On November 21st, this video was shared to showcase the official Heavy Lies The Crown hockey jerseys that were ordered, albeit only ten, but they look sharp for hockey fans! Definite Mighty Ducks (movie) vibes from them for multiple reasons.
The buyers will look sharp in them, too bad they're limited edition! A video from singer Brandon West's Facebook page was shared yesterday featuring their song "Voices" set to that Belvedere vodka commercial with Daniel Craig, with teasers about new music ahead. Embedded below is their newest prior video that doesn't have any music to content match, namely this 19 second video from Saturday night where Brandon noted that they're "finishing off the recording (and) doing some sweet things". Time will tell where this leads, but give it and more a look above & below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes in the days ahead! Thanks everyone!
As I will likely be tied up all tomorrow with Christmas decorating and such, here's a special extended post on this Friday night, devoted to both recent promotional videos surrounding a major concert tomorrow night, and leading off, here's our preview of a big returning charity concert!
After a two year, pandemic-induced hiatus, Toystock is back for its ninth annual installment on SUNDAY at The Grand Gardens North! This special charity event will once again see ten bands/solo musicians in ten hours donating their time for Christmas Cheer, with admission by donation of new/gently used toys, non-perishable food, and/or money to help needy families at this time of year. Always a wonderful cause, so kudos to organizer & Bone Yard frontman Greg Simpson for sticking with the concept through the pandemic, and hopefully there's a great turnout on Sunday! Like in past years, expect a children's play area, face painting, appearances by Santa & Mrs. Claus themselves, but no word on the Stuff-A-Bus. 705Live will be on hand to provide sound on Sunday, with this being the sixth Toystock at its current 1324 Great Northern Road homebase. Now, who all is playing Toystock IX and when?
Three of the closing four bands are Toystock returnees, including Greg's own southern hard rock cover trio Bone Yard in their record eighth Toystock set, but first with their current lineup. They're closing at 9:00 PM, with veteran classic rock quintet Mustang Heart making their surprising debut at this event at 8:00 PM. Country musician Brendan Hodgson returns for his third straight Toystock at 7:00 PM, while classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will hit the stage for their fourth straight year at 6:00 PM. Yes, drummer Glen Thomas will be donating three drumkits to young attendees after their set, including the drums that he will be using, so keep that in mind! The preceding six acts are all new to Toystock, including new local pop rock cover quintet Bourbon Blue (featuring Soo Fighters/Cherry Crush alum Jules Cote on drums) at 5:00 PM, though specifics are still slight on this band as of yet.
Country musician Rob Wagner "and friends" are on at 4:00 PM, preceded at 3:00 PM by a debuting local band named Ravencore. This group still has not issued any public details on their lineup or sound, aside from their advertised involvement in the Matthew Nadon memorial concert (postponed from tomorrow to February), and while some personal Facebook posts have hinted towards possible band members, Ravencore are clearly keeping things somewhat quiet until showtime. We'll keep you posted! Rising young punk trio Vanity First take the stage at 2:00 PM, preceded by The Long & McQuade Band (presumably a student group from the MacDonald Avenue music store) at 1:00 PM, which will pick up where old Case's Music and Bocturoc student bands left off at Toystocks past. Acoustic singer/guitarist Jeremy Logan Newman will kick off the festivities at 12:00 PM.
Toystock IX is an ALL AGES event and kids are happily welcomed to come enjoy the holiday festivities and meet Santa Claus on Sunday! Again, admission is via Christmas Cheer donations, and this should be a great event once again to enjoy a diverse array of local musicians! In some musical respects, this is kind of like a winter Rotaryfest (if indoors), but the charitable causes are absolutely paramount with Toystock, so be generous and come on down if you want to kick the holidays off right! Visit the above links for complete current details, and for a preview, here's Bone Yard, Soundcheck, Brendan, and the other 2019 acts last time out!
Next up, here's something you don't see posted every day, an on-air interview with a major touring musician on The Sault's Rock Station, Rock 101! In his first upload on his YouTube channel in over two years, Hair Scare host Scott Cook posted his interview with Steel Panther drummer Stix Zadinia from his morning drive show Scott Cook In The Morning on Saturday, in advance of their Dreammakers Theatre concert tomorrow night at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino. If you missed the live interview on 101.3 FM, what can you hear in this one? The 17 minute audio interview (uploaded alongside a photo slideshow) features Stix talking about his experiences on tour and playing shows of varying sizes, his musical origins and influences, perceptions of their adult comedy lyrics and sensibilities, their upcoming studio album, his favourite drummer between Neil Peart and John Bonham, and more related topics about well loved bands and so forth.
Honestly, this interview comes across like Scott and Stix talking like old friends without a lot of hard hitting questions specific to tomorrow's concert, which is cool to see, and Stix sounds very friendly and natural on the phone here, so Steel Panther fans should be into this! Give the whole thing a listen below, and visit Scott's YouTube channel for a handful of other interviews he conducted for Rock 101 a decade back!
Finally, local hard rock quartet Tarnished (who are the first band up at tomorrow's concert) also got to promote things on local radio, albeit outside of the Sovereign umbrella, as they returned to local classic hits station Eagle Radio 95.1 on Wednesday morning! While the Eagle isn't a rock station (comparable in format to Oldies 93), it's good to see Timmy E and the crew there supporting local talent, especially given Tarnished's appearances on there in 2020 & 2021. The interview proper was not excerpted in video format, but Eagle 95.1's Facebook page did post this video of the guys covering Chuck Berry's Christmas classic "Run Rudolph Run" in studio, and it's a fun rendition! Here, Alex & Nathan handled guitar as you're used to from their plugged in gigs, with Isaac also joining in on guitar, and Josh handled tambourine. Far from my favourite Christmas carol, but Tarnished make it work despite the vertical camera angle!
Of course, Alex & Nathan also played "Run Rudolph Run" at the Eagle in 2020, and a pre-Isaac lineup did record a full studio version that you can watch at this link. Elsewhere, a "story" video was shared where Josh hyped the show during setup at The Dreammakers Theatre (with interjections from Isaac), but alas, it was not posted separately as a regular video, so catch it if you can, while you can. A contest was also held for two pairs of tickets for the show, as promoted in this jokey video where Nathan bought everyone tickets without knowing that they were playing. Amusing hype, and congratulations to the winners, but give their new "Run Rudolph Run" cover a watch below, and don't miss the concert tomorrow night!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site next week! Thanks everyone!
It's about time to tackle this weekend's hard rock concert previews, and while it's relatively quiet for announced gigs, the first full weekend of the holiday season is not lacking in scope! To give it proper emphasis closer to showtime, our preview of the returning Toystock charity concert will hit the site either tomorrow or on Saturday. Now, let's start the previews with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!
Local southern hard rock cover duo The Bearded Lounge will return to Gateway Casino for one night only on SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via the venue's Facebook page yesterday. Even without the late announcement, this show is a bit of a surprise given that this is Toystock weekend (Bearded Lounge frontman Greg Simpson organizes that event, which returns the next day). Maybe a low stress acoustic show on SATURDAY will be a good lead-in for him and Alex before the craziness at The Grand Gardens North on Sunday, so head to Sault Ontario's casino for all of their unplugged hard rock cover action! Last seen onstage at the same venue last month, this installment of the casino's SATURDAY NIGHT concert series has an 8:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no cover charge. See above for more details, stay tuned for our Toystock preview in the coming days, and here's The Bearded Lounge live!
Next up, let's head to Michigan for two heavier concerts that did get advance notice, starting with Sault Ste. Marie hard rock quartet Rhythm & Brews' apparent debut at Huck's Pub & Grill in nearby Rudyard THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! The band hasn't updated their Facebook page since September, but members' personal Facebook pages have confirmed the date with the help of Photoshop. Saturday's gig at the former Joe's Bar will double as Ladies' Camo Night, not just Ladies Night, so don't forget your camouflage attire before heading out for this one! There are drink specials as well, if that's your thing, and it is worth noting that Huck's will also be screening the Michigan vs. Ohio State NCAA football game on Saturday afternoon. You can enjoy this this talented supergroup on Saturday at 9:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no cover charge. See above for more details, and no preview videos yet!
Lastly for today's previews (Toystock will be featured closer to Sunday), let's head back to Sault Ste. Marie proper, as Los Angeles glam/comedy metal quartet Steel Panther make their long awaited return to The Dreammakers Theatre at the local Kewadin Casino branch THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen there almost four years ago, this will be the first stop on Steel Panther's Claws & Paws Holiday Tour running through December 4th. Well known (if not notorious) for their ribald comedy glam metal songs & parodies like "Death To All But Metal" & "Party Like Tomorrow Is the End Of The World", Steel Panther got a great reception from Hair Scare loyalists in 2018, and here's hoping the guys deliver more hilarious but proficient goods on Saturday! Opening the first two dates of the tour are Columbus, Ohio hard rock quintet Harmless Habit (they swap out for The Small Town Titans for the remainder), and their melodic modern hard rock sound should deliver the octane well!
Local hard rock quartet Tarnished will play one of their biggest local concerts as the first band on Saturday, and fresh off of their Wednesday nighter at The Merch, hopefully Alex & crew set this one off on the right foot with their modern and classic hybrid sound! Presented by Allstar Promotions (who also brought Steel Panther here the last time), this 7:00 PM show has tickets running for a flat $29.50 (up $4.50 from 2018) and they are still available from the third row onward! You can get yours at 1-800-KEWADIN, at this link, or at the in person box office. Should be a great show to help kick off the holidays, so visit the above links for more details, and here's Steel Panther at Kewadin last time!
Now, the Steel Panther show is getting a lot of promotion as of late, with two different radio stations interviewing performers on Saturday this week, which we'll address on the site tomorrow (videos are online from both). We'll close today with this short clip of Steel Panther frontman Michael Starr promoting the show, as uploaded to Allstar Promotions' Facebook page on November 12th. There's nothing new to learn here, but it's always cool seeing major touring musicians plug their local date like this, and Michael is sure enthusiastic in this clip, so check it out below!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for a new news post tomorrow, which may or may not have our Toystock preview, pending how long it ends up being, so that may not hit the site until Saturday. In any event, stay tuned!
As promised, let's round out this weekend's known local hard rock concert previews (both in Michigan's Upper Peninsula), while also covering some new video finds on the Ontario side of the border! First, let's start in the E.U.P. with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!
Local hard/blues rock quartet Project 906 will take the stage TOMORROW NIGHT in nearby Brimley at... Jack's Grub & Pub?! Apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed this gig via their Facebook page on Monday. I've never heard of Jack's before, but it's a family-owned bar & restaurant at 9915 West 6 Mile Road (right close to the Brimley Bridge over the Waiska River), and it is owned by & on the same property as Willabee's Motel. While open since at least 2015, Jack's only sporadically hosts live bands, so it'll be interesting to hear how Project 906 do in their debut there TOMORROW NIGHT! This 21+ event has an 8:00 PM start time and no cover charge, and Brimley is 20 minutes southwest of the Soo. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's a brand new video of Project 906 in action, as also uploaded to their Facebook page on Monday!
Filmed at their most recent show at The Strongs Tavern in nearby Eckerman this past Saturday, this video features Billy, Joe, Dustin, and Odin covering Creed's "What If". I have to be honest, this isn't the best video that I've seen of Project 906, both for the camera angle (beside Odin & facing the crowd) and the somewhat choppy audio that really muffles the vocals, but while I'm also not a Creed fan, this cover does sound faithful to the original and they at least went with one of Creed's harder edged songs! Give it a look below, and don't miss Project 906 at Jack's in Brimley TOMORROW!
Next up, here's one more hard rock concert preview for this weekend (one that did have advance notice), as local hard rock quartet Tarnished are advertised to return to The Islander Bar in nearby Hessel TOMORROW NIGHT! Now, I must preface this show with a disclaimer, as the band has not promoted it on their Facebook page whatsoever, and I have not seen The Islander Bar's Facebook page reference this show since including it in a concert calendar post back on September 22nd. No one has said it's cancelled, but the lack of recent promotion is definitely noted, so keep this in mind if you're planning to make the 45 minute drive south tomorrow. If the show (tied in with the opening of deer season) is still on, you can enjoy Tarnished's hard rocking covers & originals at 9:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no cover. See above for more details and/or to see if this show is indeed cancelled, but that's not all from Tarnished!
Show on or off, we can leave Tarnished here in this post, as they announced on their Facebook page on Wednesday that they will be opening for Steel Panther at The Dreammakers Theatre at the local Kewadin Casino on November 26th (two weeks from tomorrow!) Last time out, Steel Panther had a touring opener (Wilson) but no locals, so this is a slight surprise, but Tarnished are an ideal pick given their talents, old school covers, and sense of humour! For a preview, Tarnished posted this 30 second Facebook video where Alex announces to his visibly unprepared bandmates (minus Nathan) the good news. Amusing clip, so give it a look below, and Steel Panther tickets are still available for their second local stop!
We'll close tonight's post in Sault Ontario... well, we'll first take a detour east to North Bay, as a video from local indie punk quintet The Northwest's recent show there is now online! This comes from their gig playing alongside David "Dino" White as part of the Guerrilla Grooves concert series on October 20th, where organizers host musical acts at a mystery venue that is only teased for the bulk of the promotion, and advance ticket buyers do not know where they're going. The venue (typically non-traditional and intimate in scope) is only revealed 36 hours prior to showtime, and in this case, The Northwest & Dino took the stage at Canadore College's aviation hangar. The staging won't be too out of the ordinary for local fans who have seen bands set up inside the Bushplane Museum, but the promotional aspect sure helps this stand out. I wonder if the Guerrilla Grooves concept could fly in the Soo? I can definitely think of some intriguing locales.
Plugged in advance with this promotional video featuring Wayne & Greg, the show proper seemed to go over well with North Bay locals, and you can bear witness yourself via this video from Guerrilla Grooves' YouTube channel earlier today, featuring The Northwest playing "Lights". The dual camera footage captures this Greg-sung track nicely, but I would like to see some more disparate angles of the hangar to frame how unusual the venue is from where you would normally attend concerts at. Solid (if mellow) rocker, so give it watch below, and stay tuned for more from them!
Finally for today, here's a video that I apologize for the delayed mention of, as here's a 19 second clip of Toronto-based Rush tribute band Crush playing "The Spirit of Radio" at Reggie's Place back in July! This was live-streamed on Reggie's Facebook page, but slipped us by until now. The light blue haze and dark stage lighting aren't a good compliment, but what little we hear of the song sounds good, pause in the lyrics aside, and hopefully there was a decent turnout to see The Ultimate Rush Experience (and their original sister band Pyramid Theorem) that night! Give this clip a watch below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile on the site next! Thanks everyone!
If you were listening to Rock 101 this morning at 9:00 AM, you'll have heard a major LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this season, so let's lead off today's post there, with more recent updates to cap things off with!
Los Angeles glam/comedy metal quartet Steel Panther will return to The Dreammakers Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino for their second local headlining date on Saturday, November 26th! This show comes almost four years removed from their prior show here on December 1st, 2018, and with the pandemic at a much lesser state, it's awesome to see Steel Panther back! Of course, if you're unfamiliar with them, they are the throwback glam/hair metal act who pay homage to the sounds and look of the era, tongues firmly in cheek, with very adult, joke-filled parody lyrics, so even if it's not advertised as such, this is a 21+ experience. With staple songs like "Death To All But Metal" and "Community Property", fans will be eager for round #2! No word on opening acts yet, but Wilson had the honours in 2018. This show is a presentation of Allstar Promotions, whose 25th official booking was the prior Steel Panther date here.
The first stop of Steel Panther's seasonal Claws & Paws Holiday Party Tour (no word on if they'll play "Sexy Santa" or not), tickets for this 8:00 PM show run for $29.50 (up from $25 in 2018), and while official Steel Panther fan club members can immediately get tickets, the public on-sale date is Friday at 10:00 AM at this link, at 1-800-KEWADIN, and at the in-person box office. Sault Michigan is known to love hair metal (look at The Hair Scare's following for proof), and Steel Panther are a loving parody of the genre with loads of honest musical talent beneath the hairspray, so don't miss out in two months, and see above for more details!
Next up, here's a video interview I profusely apologize for covering so late on here, as Sault Ontario hard/psychedelic rock quartet The Uncanny Valley (sans drummer Dylan Turner) appeared on local internet streaming television channel ONNtv's morning show First Local on April 22nd! The interview can be seen within the original episode on SaultOnline's YouTube channel, but was simultaneously uploaded (and embedded below) separately if you don't want to jump ahead 20 minutes. Conducted by ONNtv correspondent Colette Linden with the members joining remotely, the almost 7 minutes long interview features the band talking about how they came up with the Uncanny Valley as a band name, why they withdrew from the Clusterfolk concert at The Rockstar Bar the following day (guitarist Matt Ferlaino contracted COVID-19), the band's influences & sound, and where to listen to their songs online.
Clearly, this interview was supposed to tie in with Clusterfolk, so it's a shame that one of the key bands withdrew, but at least Colette and the band tried to give it some press! Good and optimistic interview that alerts newcomers as to who The Uncanny Valley are, but I'm surprised that the Clusterfolk album never came up, and the transitions between the interview & the clips from the "Stuck In Rotation" music video weren't mixed overly well for levels. Give it a watch below, and stay tuned for more!
Also today, here's the latest from local classic/hard rock cover quartet Obsession, who have yet to play a public concert in town with new frontwoman Jess Amodio, but they haven't been idle since she came on board! Of course, the new lineup debuted in White River last month, and on Saturday, they posted on their Facebook page to note that they were "ready to kill it tonight at The Machine Shop". Despite not hinting at this fact, the gig was private, hence why we never covered it on here, and The Machine Shop is a little big for one covers-centric local band with no attached greater event. Obsession still aren't scheduled for a public gig in city limits until Halloween weekend at The Esquire Club, so at least the new lineup has time to get in sync! We do have a partial video sampler of the new lineup though, as the band posted this video of just Jess and guitarist Gabe Tessaro covering Stevie Nicks & Don Henley's "Leather & Lace" on Sunday.
No word on if this is a new setlist addition for the full band or if it was learned for the event (based on attendee attire, it looks like a wedding reception), but it's well handled and the performance definitely earned the slow dancing on the floor! Give it a look below, and stay tuned for more updates from Obsession when they roll in!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:
A mystery fourth act has been added to the Garbageface concert (featuring industrial metal project Molten Imp) at the Dryer Fire temporary venue on Wilson Street on October 21st, as per recent updates to the Facebook event page. The artist in question is No Funeral, a noise pop act who I also can't find a verified online page for, much like fellow local openers Owen MK, though Google links to obituaries are an inevitable consequence of that search. We'll let you know if we hear anything relevant before showtime!
Local/Barrie crossover thrash quartet Spades GT's long teased gig opening for Anvil in Brampton on Friday went off successfully, if Facebook page updates are to be believed, though the band featured Caym alum Jay Sarrazin on bass in lieu of Daniel "Odie" Rodbard once again (still no word on why he's missed their last few gigs, but he is still listed as their bassist on Facebook). Drummer Tyler "Jeeb" Reiner also starred in a 23 second video to promote the concert, though aside from being a plug for a show from the former Jack Spades, there's nothing local to speak of, with him just talking to the camera in his vehicle. Stay tuned for more!
According to personal Facebook posts, Handsome Sandwich/Soo Fighters drummer Johnny Belanger subbed in for Derek Turner during The Wyld Stallyns' headlining concert at The Whisky Barrel this past Friday. A reason for Derek's absence was not announced, but this is hardly the first time that Johnny has filled in with The Stallyns, prominently doing so in the summer a couple of times. Hopefully all's well with Derek, and that Friday's show was a hit!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates in the days ahead! Thanks everyone!
In what may be our last news post of July 2019, we are tackling some new YouTube video discoveries (some more belated than others), but leading off, here's a preview of a special Wednesday night concert for you punk fans!
Saskatchewan "post-gar(b)age-punk" duo The Faps will return to Sault Ste. Marie TOMORROW NIGHT when they rock Dryer Fire's pop-up summer venue at 123 Bruce Street! The second stop on The Faps' current Ontario tour, this will be Blair & Skyler's sixth local concert appearance, and first since rocking The New A in April, though this gig at Dryer Fire's temporary homefront may represent new ground for many fans of theirs. With their intense, fan-engaging, and often intriguingly dressed live show making many local fans in the last few years, hopefully the mid-week placement doesn't scare off too many possible attendees! Local surf rock instrumental quartet The Dynowaves (featuring Brent "Slumshine" Ellis from April's Faps show) will open tomorrow's proceedings with their own proficient and unique originals, so don't miss them either! Promoted in-house by Dryer Fire, this is an ALL AGES concert with a $10 cover and a 7:00 PM start time.
While the Wednesday evening scheduling is unfortunate, The Faps are a proven attraction locally now, and their hard hitting minimalist punk attack should attract new and old fans alike at Dryer Fire tomorrow, so don't miss out on this show if you can help it! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Faps live!
Next up, here's some surprising new discoveries: More video footage from the Steel Panther concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino back in December! One video was only posted online in June, as filmed by attendee Brad Madigan for his YouTube channel, marking his first upload from a local concert. This captures the first 15 minutes of the Los Angeles glam/comedy metal quartet's headlining set, which (after a sampled recording of Van Halen's "Everybody Wants Some") featured their songs "Eyes of a Panther" and "Goin' In The Backdoor", before bantering, joking, and jamming for the remainder of the clip. Musically, Steel Panther (and guest bassist Spyder) sound like their usual entertaining and ribald self, which definitely extends into the post-song bantering, and the impressive crowd is certainly on board! Brad got a great front row view of the band and audience, with only a speaker on stage breaking things up.
I don't know what took so long to post this video online, but if you love hair metal and enjoy very adult humour, Steel Panther will be right up your alley, and this video captures them in their element, so give it a look below!
The other belated Steel Panther video comes from attendee Brandan Penno, whose video of Steel Panther covering Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" is his only upload on YouTube to date, as posted in April. Clever and amusing touch having frontman Michael Starr perform while dressed as Ozzy himself and acting like him on stage, even seeming addled and confused like he often came across on The Osbournes. The cover's solid and lively, and Brandan got a nice zoomed-in view of the front of the stage, so give it a look below also!
Finally, here's SooToday's brief video feature from last month's Go Skateboarding Day festivities at Queen Elizabeth Park in Sault Ontario, as posted onto SooToday staffer (and ex-Garden of Bedlam drummer) Derek Turner's YouTube channel! I have no idea why this isn't on SooToday's proper channel. As was the case in their prior video features from this annual event, there's no audio of any bands, as skateboarding is the focus, though you do briefly see The Cover-Up playing atop the big ramp 22 seconds in. Derek himself does not feature on camera, but the video features co-organizer and Id Iota frontman Christian Lemay promoting the event and it's goals in a one-sided interview, though given his long-time association with Shaw TV, it is very odd to see him holding a SooToday microphone. Go Skate Day is a great event to promote skateboarding with new and old athletes alike, and hopefully this year's installment was a hit as usual! Give SooToday's video a look below, and here's to 2020!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and more very shortly! Thanks everyone!
Today' post is emtiely devoted to fallout from the Steel Panther concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on December 1st, and by all accounts that I've heard on social media in the past week+, the show was a big hit and full of their usual ribald hilarity! It should be worth noting before we get into the videos that bassist Lexxi Foxx dropped out of their current North American tour (including the Soo date), which Steel Panther (presumably jokingly) chalked up to his checking into "an undisclosed sex rehab." Filling in on bass is Spyder, a long-time friend of and backstage doorman for the band, and from what I've seen from the show, he fits in well, but hopefully Lexxi's back in full force next year! In terms of YouTube videos, I know of two filmers who posted footage from that night, including the ever-prolific Christopher Paci, who got 12 videos on the 1st, including 8 of the hair/comedy metal standouts in action, so what should you know there?
Starting with the headliners (pictured here from the meet & greet with Rock 101's Scott Cook), these videos were only just posted to Chris' channel 2 days ago, and his Steel Panther clips include their cover of Van Halen's "Unchained", and their originals "Goin' In The Backdoor", "Poontang Boomerang", their seasonally timed "The Stocking Song", "Community Property", "Gloryhole", and "Death To All But Metal", but embedded below is their opening song "Eyes of a Panther", as preceded by a recording of Van Halen's "Everybody Wants Some". Full disclosure, some of these songs are raunchy, as indicated by some of the song titles, but don't shoot the messenger, I didn't name them! Chris had a good, if shaky, angle of Steel Panther, and while the audio has it's scratchy moments, you can hear their glam metal tribute/parody well, and you'll get lots of amusement if you stick with these videos and pay attention for the lyrics! See more above & below!
Chris' other four videos are of opening Detroit hard rock sextet Wilson, who were filmed playing "Windows Down", "My Hustle", "Dumptruck", and as embedded below, their two set-closing songs, namely "Like A Baller" & "House of Fuckery". Fans of Wilson's 2013 Sault Ontario set may be surprised to see a more hip-hop influenced sound on many of these songs, even including a DJ in their expanded lineup, and while they're still very much a heavier rock band, the songs here are more upbeat and lively. Myself, I prefer their early-mid 2010s work, but they were a good fit for energy and lyrics earlier this month, and judge Wilson's new sound for yourself below!
Kudos to Chris for his great videos once again! We'll close with a single video from another channel, namely that of YouTube user topshelfalpena, who headed north for the Steel Panther concert and got the video below of guitarist Satchel playing a guitar solo, while also manning the bass drum?! That's a new one! Of course, Satchel shreds at his best here, and fans of extended guitar solos should like this well shot clip, though it's a shame that the filmer didn't post more videos that night. Give this clip a look below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and weekend concert previews on the site soon! Thanks everyone!
In what I project to be our final post of November 2018, we have the conclusion of this weekend's metal/hard rock concert previews, but we'll start with lots of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, including a pair on SHORT NOTICE, so here's what you should know! (Updated at 2:45 PM)
Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck are advertised to return to Reggie's West for concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard about these shows via SooToday's events calendar earlier today, as the band hasn't publically acknowledged these shows on their Facebook page. Assuming these are still on, this will be Soundcheck's second concert weekend inside the former Roosevelt Hotel, following their Halloween weekend gigs there, though presumably now with their full lineup. If the videos floating around on personal Facebook accounts are any indication, Soundcheck's Toystock set on Sunday was a hit, and here's hoping they continue that positive momentum TONIGHT & TOMORROW! You can take in their hard and classic rock hits at around 10:00 PM both nights, you must be 19 or older to attend, and there's no announced cover charge. See above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!
Next up, here's some shows with lots of advance notice, starting with local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns' New American Pub debut on Thursday, December 13th, when they play a special fundraiser concert towards the Special Olympics' Provincial Winter Games taking place here early next year! Of course, the Soo hosting this sporting competition for those with special needs is a big deal, and it'll be great to see everyone compete and showcase their athletic skills from January 31st-February 3rd, and this concert will see all proceeds going to the Special Olympics, so keep that in mind in two weeks! Dubbed "Music Night", this concert will see three local acts perform, with The Wyld Stallyns joined by local folk singer/songwriter Catherine Taddo, as well as Oosik Records owner Al Bjornaa mixing some 1990s tunes as DJ Oosik. Presented by Exit Realty and Girl Friday Productions, this concert has $20 tickets, and you can buy them at Exit Realty at 207 Northern Avenue and at the venue proper.
An early 6:00 PM start time is advertised, and while this is a nightclub, I can't confirm if an age limit would still be in place given the timing. This should be a great way to support a wonderful event, and kudos to The Wyld Stallyns, Catherine, and Al for hopping on board! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for updates as they roll in!
Also, the Friday, December 21st LopLops Lounge concert teased on personal Facebook accounts is finally public, as online page-less punk quartet The Cover-Up and new local Distillers tribute band Coral Fang will join forces that night for a double dose of punk cover action! This will be The Cover-Up's first show since opening for The Gabba Heys at the same venue in September, and if you've seen the personal Facebook videos of them jamming, you'll know what Dustin, Marco, Marshall, and Aaron have in store in three weeks time! As for Coral Fang (not pictured, that's The Distillers proper), this will be their second ever public concert, following their well received debut at The Rockstar Bar over the Halloween weekend. Featuring members of Stegadeth, A Dire Setback, Destroilet, and Bear Hunters in their ranks, this supergroup should deliver a fun set of Distillers classics on the 21st, so don't be late!
Presented by Tidal Records, this 19+ concert has a 9:00 PM start time, and while an admission fee isn't given, bring $5 just in case. With the Northwest CD release show taking place the next day, Tidal and LopLops have a stacked weekend in store for your pre-Christmas delectation, but if you want wall-to-wall punk hits, that Friday is worth circling on your calendar! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details!
Last but not least, let's preview the last major Dreammaker's Theater concert at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino for 2018, as Los Angeles glam/comedy metal quartet Steel Panther will make their local concert debut TOMORROW NIGHT! This band has became a fast favourite among glam metal fans for their amusing and often too-adult-for-radio original songs like "17 Girls In A Row", "Death To All But Metal", and "Party Like Tomorrow Is the End of the World, and the buzz is high for their entertaining yet musically proficient stage show, with covers and originals in store! I saw Steel Panther open for Judas Priest in Detroit a few years ago, and if that was any indication, they could steal the show for the whole year tomorrow, so don't miss out then! Detroit hard rock quintet Wilson will open in their first area concert since opening for Bam Margera in Sault Ontario 5 years ago, and as attendees of that show will attest, their brand of intense party rock should kick things off in high gear tomorrow as well!
As well hyped on SaultOnline, this concert (the 25th concert presented by Allstar Promotions to date) is at 7:00 PM with no announced age limits, but remember the very adult content of many of Steel Panther's songs. While center seats are sold out, left & right aisle seats are still available from the 10th row and back for $25 at this link, at 1-800-KEWADIN, or at the in-person box office. It's great to see tickets selling so well for what should be a wild and hilarious night of glam metal, so don't miss out on the Sunset Strip experience live in the Soo tomorrow, and here's Steel Panther live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates next month! Thanks everyone!
Here's a new news post for your Monday afternoon reading, and today's is largely devoted to Sault Michigan news and notes, though we do have a handful of shorter Sault Ontario stories to cap things off with. Along with a prominent band's latest happenings, some local radio updates, and a new teaser clip, read on below for what you should know!
We'll start today with the latest from local classical metal project Theatre of Night, starting with some more clarification for dates on their Christmas tour, which starts in Blanchard this weekend! Based on new event pages, the planned December 8th show was moved from Holland (where they are still playing two weeks later) to The Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids, while they will be appearing on Grand Rapids cable access channel GRTV on November 16th for a special televised performance. That should be some great exposure, so keep this in mind if you're in the Western Lower Peninsula and have Comcast! No word yet though on the teased December 1st weekend shows in Grand Rapids or the Sunday, December 16th gig in the Soo, those three dates do not have event pages or confirmed venues at press time. The guys have also posted a pair of videos to their Facebook page as the build towards the tour continues, including a re-posting of their version of "Carol of the Bells" with former studio singer Gaby Koss.
Embedded below is their newest video from Saturday night, a live-streamed rehearsal performance of "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" by all of the tour performers sans singer Rachel Mender, who hasn't surfaced in any of their jam teaser clips. Filmed by keyboardist Craig Harrison (who's still playing one handed here), this is a strongly done rendition at this stage, and they're sounding good in advance of their Blanchard gigs! Give this a look below, and see much more from Theatre of Night's Christmas tour plans above!
Next up, here's a first, if brief, overture into new Sault Ontario streaming box local TV channel ONNtv (via local news website Sault Online), as this preview video for the Steel Panther concert at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on December 1st was posted to their YouTube channel last month! The 16 second video just features singer Michael Starr announcing the show and encouraging fans to get their tickets A.S.A.P., even in spite of work the next day. Short but sweet, so give it a look below, and tickets are still available at this link for $25! Center seats are almost sold out, but there are still tickets in the left and right sections from the seventh row and back!
Also, I wanted to acknowledge Lake Superior State University's campus radio station The 46th Parallel Radio,
which has been a familiar sight on the dial at WLSO 90.1 FM since
1993. Station followers may have noticed a severe decline in (off-campus)
public updates on WLSO after the fall of 2016, with 90.1 FM not visibly
broadcasting since early last year, their website closing after March
2017 following years of disuse, and Facebook page updates ceasing before then, despite their well hyped 2016 rebranding and online relaunch. With no major off-campus statements from LSSU, I have done some research, and here's what I've learned. While WLSO still has an FCC license (source here), it does look like the FM signal was taken dark, with operations continuing as an internet radio station only, even if slightly under the radar. LSSU's website links to this web player, and through it's assorted links, we can confirm that the station is a part of the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System's Student Radio Network, via Backbone Radio.
On
a listen to what LSSU alternately calls "Laker Radio", it still has an
adult album alternative/indie rock base for it's setlist, albeit with an
even more underground roster of artists, and even a few metal surprises
like Deafheaven. Oddly, the streaming player above crashes before
scheduled station identification breaks, and I have to restart it to
resume the music, so make of that what you will. Barring a sudden
resumption of WLSO on the FM dial, this appears to be where we're at,
and while the move off of terrestrial radio is disappointing, hopefully
the internet station is working as well as hoped for university and
station staff! Give it a listen above!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:
11 months removed from their last public update, Sault Ontario rap metal/party rock group The Apocalypse Afterparty resurfaced on their Facebook page
on October 19th to say that "hibernation is ending", complete with a
photo of a guitar and amplifier for good measure. The band has only
posted three times on their Facebook page in the past 2 years, despite a
handful of gigs last summer (largely of the unadvertised "pop up"
variety), and an unfulfilled teaser of something coming on November 8th
of last year. Hopefully X, z, X, and z have more up their sleeves in the
near future!
Prolific local rock bassist & SleepWellCity
mainman Nathan Bouliane is looking for local musicians & bands with
music videos for an upcoming Northern Film Showcase that he is holding
next year, similar to a fantasy-themed film event he held in April. The
idea is to unite musicians and filmmakers as a means of promoting visual
arts locally, with the creators introducing and discussing their work
on the big screen, and perhaps even performing live. If you're
interested in submitting a music video or getting more information,
message Nathan at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Friday!
I will be moving local hardcore punk trio Programmed To Fail
to our inactive band links soon, as they have not issued a public update
since their last Facebook page posting one year ago tomorrow. Active
off and on from 2016-2017, Programmed To Fail (p.k.a. The Transjenners)
never appeared in a public concert, and never visibly revived their
deleted Soundcloud page from their first run, despite showing some raw
promise on "We Push Back". Hopefully we hear more from Justin, Craig,
and Corry in the future!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!
