LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & HeadF1rst), Plus Weekend Concert Previews!!

Let's tackle another round of weekend concert previews on the SMS, though due to the amount, we'll push Saturday's Dos Amigos and Nameless concerts to tomorrow's post. Just for clarification, cover rock quartet Separate Wayz (featuring half of Soundcheck's final lineup) are at Jay's Piston Broke Pub this weekend, but we still await confirmation of their sound/setlist, while Sault Michigan's Tarnished are playing at the annual Michihistrigan Rendezvous motorcycle rally on Saturday in Gould City, which is a 90 minute drive from the Soo and thusly outside of our coverage range. Keep these dates in mind if you're interested though, but let's lead off with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Local hard rock quintet HeadF1rst are the latest local band to debut at Beck's Bar, and will do so on SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only learned about this booking via Beck's Facebook page on Tuesday, but the band first announced it on their Facebook page on Wednesday of last week, getting lost in the shuffle as we were focusing on that week's concert preview cycle. According to the band's Facebook page, "we're kicking off our tour" with this concert, their first since their album release party at Soo Blaster last month, though a planned Sudbury road trip was cancelled for last week. To promote the concert, drummer Anthony Boudreau stars in this Facebook "Reel" where he is seen having a spit take after leaving Millie's Mini-Mart nearby before checking out Beck's for himself. It's more hype for the venue than the band, but it's great to see that Beck's is catching on!

It's great to see HeadF1rst back at it, and hopefully SATURDAY'S debut at this new-ish west end venue is a blast for fans and regulars alike! This week's 3:00 PM Saturday matinee is Dodge This/ex-Phatstick frontman Jason Taillefer (no idea if his solo sets are basically one man Dodge This gigs or not), but this is a separate concert earlier in the day and he isn't "opening" for HeadF1rst. SATURDAY'S HeadF1rst concert (a one-nighter due to Friday DJ nights) has a 9:00 PM start time, no cover charge, and a 19+ age limit. Visit the above links for more details, and here's HeadF1rst live!

Next up, Sault Ontario classic/hard rock solo musician Tym Morrison will return to Beck's Bar for another matinee gig on SUNDAY! Again, apologies for the short notice, this gig was also only announced via Beck's Facebook page on Tuesday, but in this case, Tym quietly added SUNDAY'S concert to his batch Facebook event page for shows there, along with even more dates! His scheduled August 31st show was cancelled for unannounced reasons (granted, you could argue that it was rescheduled to any of the new dates), but the two new bookings are both Saturday matinees, which will see Tym rock the former Vibe Lounge on Saturday, June 21st and August 9th! He is scheduled for two further dates in the fall but we'll hold those for now due to the timeframe, so our concert calendar isn't clogged with one act's shows that far out. Good to see Tym getting lots of new bookings at Beck's, THIS SUNDAY'S included, so don't miss his busy summer slate!

As usual for matinees at Beck's (Jason Taillefer on Saturday included), Tym's shows on SUNDAY and ahead are all at 3:00 PM with 19+ age limits and no announced cover charges. See above for more details, and here's Tym live!

Moving to shows that had advance notice, it's a busy weekend for local alternative/punk cover sextet BookcluB, who will rock The Prince Township Pavilion TONIGHT to kick off Prince Township's summer concert series for 2025! This show is on the borderline of our coverage range going west, so it'll be a slight hike for fans in Sault Ontario proper, but their fun blend of atypical rock covers and ample live experience will serve them well at this outdoor-ish venue! The all ages show takes place tonight at 7:00 PM at 3042 Second Line West with a rare $10 cover charge. After that, Bookclub will perform at this year's Sault Ste. Marie Festival Of Beer at the Downtown Plaza on SATURDAY, where they are the only SMS amenable band playing this year's also outdoor-ish festivities for craft beer patrons and vendors on Queen Street East. The lineup was announced on Facebook last week, so who else is playing?

As per LopLops' Facebook page, the nominal headliners at 6:00 PM are local DJs (also opening the day's program at 12:30 PM), while musical performers include Winnipeg indie pop duo Sundayclub at 4:30 PM, BookcluB at 3:30 PM, and a mystery local band named The Catalina Wine Mixer at 2:30 PM. This show is free to check out at the Downtown Plaza with mostly cloudy weather of 14-15° projected by 9&10 News, as well as a 20% chance of rain. Hopefully things hold up there as they should tonight in Prince, so visit the above links for complete details on the Festival of Beer and tonight's concert, and for a preview, here's Bookclub live!

Finally for this preview post, we'll stay downtown, as local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will return to Reggie's Place for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! These will be their first public concerts in two weeks (also at Reggie's), after cancelling their "uncorked" show at The Water Tower Pub this past weekend due to a double booking. They have since heavily implied that they were playing a private event on Saturday (as teased in this Facebook video from that evening), so now you know what was going on. Good to see the guys back and plugged in at Reggie's this weekend, and hopefully these two "sermons" deliver all of the old school rock action and originals that fans are hoping for! Yes, Bone Yard did tease on their Facebook page on May 30th that "the album is coming along nicely", and they hope to have it ready by the end of the year. First I heard that they're working on a full album, which is great news!

Time will tell if their existing three original songs will be on it, but hopefully things go according to plan for your local 225! Tomorrow & Saturday's Reggie's shows have 19+ age limits, no cover charges, and 9:30 PM start times. Visit the above links for more details on Bone Yard's gigs this weekend, and here they are live! 

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more weekend concert previews tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Project 906, BookcluB, And Headrush), Plus A Monday Concert Preview!!

With a special Monday night concert to preview, let's fill things our with some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the summer, so here's what you should know as we kick off May 2025's last work week!

Local alternative/punk sextet BookcluB have announced their "summer series" via this picture on their Facebook page, so when will fans be able to see this supergroup next? In Prince Township on Thursday, June 12th, as they will be kicking off the summer concert series at the Prince Township Pavilion at 3042 Second Line West. Keep this one in mind if you're in Prince or are up for the hour's drive west! This all ages event has a $10 cover charge for attendees over 10 years of age (kids are free) and BookcluB take the stage at 7:00 PM. Two days later on Saturday the 14th, BookcluB will perform at this year's Beerfest Sault Ste. Marie Festival of Beer, with a musical lineup setting up shop at the Downtown Plaza while attendees buy and sample craft beer at this LopLops-curated outdoor event on Queen Street from 12:00-7:00 PM. We await confirmation of when exactly BookcluB are playing, who else is, and more finer details, so stay tuned!

While listed after their planned Rotaryfest Stage 1 return on Saturday, July 19th (I'm waiting for the full schedule reveal from organizers), they'll also previously return to Thomson Farms Cider & Winery on Sunday, June 22nd to serve as musical entertainment for their teddy bear picnic for a second straight year! Fun excuse to bring the family/kids to the farm to see their operations, enjoy kids entertainment and treats, and teddy bears are welcome! Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door, and it should start at 1:00 PM once again. BookcluB performed outdoors under a tent last year, so fingers crossed that the weather holds up for all three of these shows! Visit the above links for more on BookcluB's June concert slate!

Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quintet Headrush will rock The Roberta Bondar Pavilion for the first time on Saturday, June 28th when they open for Toronto-based Eagles tribute band Hotel California! This has to be the biggest concert yet for Headrush, even if their own sound descriptions pin them as playing "80's music at its finest", whereas The Eagles broke up for the first time in 1980, but they'll cover a lot of bases that way! While The Eagles don't really fit the SMS' coverage (the occasional Don Felder or Joe Walsh song acknowledged), Hotel California will be a familiar tribute band for fans, having played at The Sault Community Theater Center multiple times in the past, most recently in December, and they have been a touring presence in Canada for decades. Fans of classic rock and country rock should have a ball next month, so keep this outdoor-ish show under the big downtown tent in mind!

This is absolutely an all ages show with a 7:00 PM start time, and tickets are on sale at this link for $37.27 apiece. Visit the above links and this SooToday press release for more details on this concert, and don't miss Headrush at The Esquire Club this weekend, previews forthcoming!

Also upcoming on Saturday, June 28th is the return of Sault Michigan blues/hard rock quintet Project 906 to The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley! The band has yet to publically confirm this booking on social media, but Bay Mills' website's calendar lists the date, complete with this poster advertising it on its own event profile page (the band photo used doesn't include hand drummer Brian Duford, but I wouldn't read anything into that, as that was the casino's call to reuse an older band photo). Project 906 were last seen live in Hessel earlier this month, with their Brimley gig next month being their first at The Back Bay Grill since early April. Hopefully a strong turnout of hard rock fans gives Project 906 a solid reception for their quality rocking covers at Bay Mills next month! As usual for concerts there, this is a 21+ event with a 9:00 PM start time and no cover. See above for more details!

Finally for today, here's a special Monday night concert preview for TONIGHT, as Victoria, British Columbia noise rock duo Pet Retina and drummer Max Patterson's solo project i.o will both return to Sault Ontario, this time at The Art Hub At Spring! This special concert will see the touring bands opening for a local artist, that being outsider folk musician Shae Tull, who is launching her new album "Statues Of Teeth On Every Street Corner" following its digital release in March. Hopefully Shae gets a great response for the new material, and check everything out on Bandcamp! Readers may recall seeing Pet Retina & i.o here just over a year ago when they rocked The March Street Stage (which, like The Art Hub, is technically on Queen Street East), but now they get to take their creative original music indoors, and hopefully old and new fans alike take to the noise rock cacophony ahead tonight!

Promoted by Piecing It Together Shows (née Dryer Fire), this all ages concert has an advertised start time of 7:15 PM on the Facebook event page, and admission is $15 or "pay what you can" (last May's i.o/Pet Retina show was strictly "pay what you can" but remember that it was outdoors and had no local album release attached). The work night scheduling isn't ideal, but it should end early, and it'll definitely be a unique night of talented noise and outsider music, so visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Pet Retina & i.o live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next! Thanks everyone!

Sault Ontario Hard Rock Concert Previews, Including Lots Of New Videos!!

Another concert weekend is upon us to start a new month, and while this isn't that busy compared to what we saw in July 2022, I'm breaking up our previews into two posts, as one of the bands playing this weekend has a ton of new videos to address. Here's what you should know to start the weekend, and don't worry, E.U.P. readers and/or Tarnished fans, we'll cover their Saturday gigs tomorrow!

We'll start in Sault Ontario at Shooters Downstairs Lounge, where cover-centric hard rock acts are playing the next two nights, starting with local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck TOMORROW NIGHT! Fresh off of their regular weekly Reggie's West jam night hosting duties tonight, this will be Soundcheck's first traditional concert at Shooters in almost two weeks, so downtown fans of their often heavy blend of classic covers will wanna head down to the Dennis Street nightclub tomorrow only for all of the action! This is a one-nighter, no word on if Soundcheck are playing anywhere on late notice on Saturday. Tomorrow's concert has an 8:00 PM start time, no cover charge, and a 19+ age limit. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, we have a lot of new videos to share from drummer Glen Thomas' YouTube channel....thirty-one of them! There is a lot to take in, so what's to see?

All shot at their Prince Township pavillion gig this past Saturday, these all appear to focus primarily on Glen drumming, almost from behind him & the rest of the band. Unique vantage point, but it does highlight the crowd engagement, for better or worse depending on the video. Of their two guitarists, Cameron Oliver gets most of the vocal duties here, via Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" & Kenny Loggins' "Footloose" (both in the same video), Morgan Wallen's "Whiskey Glasses", Sublime's "Santeria", Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' "Mary Jane's Last Dance", The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's "Fishin' In The Dark", Bryan Adams' "Summer of '69", Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl", Eric Church's "Drink In My Hand", Garth Brooks' "That Summer", Def Leppard's "Hysteria", Collective Soul's "Shine", Jimmy Eat World's "The Middle", Big & Rich's "Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)", 38 Special's "Hold On Loosely", ...

...John Mellencamp's "Hurts So Good", Luke Bryan's "Country Girl (Shake It For Me)", Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl", and Blink-182's "All The Small Things". Meanwhile, guitarist Terry Eaton handles vocals on David Wilcox's "Riverboat Fantasy", Shania Twain's "Man! I Feel Like A Woman!", The 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up", Van Morrison's "Wild Night", Styx's "Too Much Time On My Hands", The Go-Gos' "We Got The Beat", REO Speedwagon's "Take It On The Run", Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me", Grand Funk Railroad's "Some Kind of Wonderful", Theory Of A Deadman's "Lowlife", Big Sugar's "Diggin' A Hole", Bryan Adams' "Cuts Like A Knife", and Trooper's "We're Here For A Good Time (Not A Long Time)". How's that for a motherload of live videos? The acoustics at the venue aren't great, but Soundcheck are dependably strong and engaging throughout, with grit added where needed!

Interesting how often Cameron is seen just singing, guitar either slung on his back or not on him at all, I've never seen him just on vocals this much before in their videos. Also, while Cameron does lead Terry 19-13 for lead vocal duties in the 32 songs, the two guitarists actually split the two filmed covers each of Van Morrison & Bryan Adams. Look for some of these songs and more tomorrow at Shooters in the Soo proper, and here's Soundcheck covering Def Leppard, as linked above!

Finally for today, let's address the Shooters concert on SATURDAY NIGHT, as local southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek will take the stage for a one-nighter of their own! I'm unsure whether this is a one-nighter due to or the result of the Soundcheck show tomorrow, but it's on, despite Fort Creek's surprising lack of a Facebook poster for this event. Alas, I can't confirm if there will be a merchandise giveaway on Saturday or not, but as their solo bar dates go, you know they've been pretty regular up to now. Fort Creek last rocked Shooters on the same day they played at Rotaryfest last month, so at least on Saturday, they won't be as overworked with two gigs in the same day! You can take in their hard rocking brand of covers and presumed originals from their upcoming EP on Saturday at 8:00 PM with no cover charge or age limit. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Fort Creek live!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for the Tarnished concert previews and more on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck & Handsome Sandwich) And This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

Another weekend is upon us, and it's a relatively quiet one for hard rock concert previews after a busy July. It still has to be extended past one post due to the amount of shows ahead, so Tym Morrison's Sunday matinee at Shooters will be in a news post coming either tomorrow or Saturday. In the meantime, here's what you should know for the next two days, including SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!!

Local punk/alternative quartet Handsome Sandwich will return to Shooters Downstairs Lounge for solo headlining dates TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, these were only announced via the venue's Facebook event pages last week, but I didn't hear about them until this past weekend. Last seen two weeks ago at both Rotaryfest's Stage 2 and Shooters on the same weekend, TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S shows are again promoted as being from "members of Handsome Sandwich" (albeit without the "Ourselves" branding this time), though I honestly don't understand why the venue makes the extra distinctions. All four members are pictured on the poster, and the band don't call themselves "Ourselves" or "Members of..." in their own promotions. Maybe it's because of their extra cover focus to fill four sets? No word on why Sault College was hashtagged with the poster.

In any event, you can take in Handsome Sandwich's brand of music weirder than your uncle's jorts TOMORROW & SATURDAY at 8:00 PM, and these shows are 19+ affairs with no announced cover charge. We'll have more from the Sandwich to share soon regarding some new videos and album teasers, so stay tuned for that, but here they are live in concert last year!

Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's West on Queen Street East for a traditional concert TOMORROW NIGHT before making their previously announced Prince Township debut on SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice on TOMORROW'S concert, I only heard about it via drummer Glen Thomas' personal Facebook page earlier today (the band has not updated their own Facebook page since July 4th). TOMORROW'S Reggievelt show will follow up their usual open mic hosting duties at the same venue tonight, so if you want a normal concert from Soundcheck (presumably with Cameron), prepare for their classic and hard rock covers there TOMORROW NIGHT! As for Saturday's gig, this is part of the summer concert series at the Prince Township Outdoor Rink at 3042 Second Line West (20 minutes west of the Soo proper).

It will be interesting to see/hear how they do at a new-to-them location, so don't miss out if you're in the area! Both of Soundcheck's concerts (TOMORROW at Reggie's West included) are 8:00 PM affairs with 19+ age limits, but while there's no cover at the former, the Prince Township show (which is both licensed & covered from the elements) will have a $10 entry fee. Visit the above links and the Prince show's Facebook event page for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

Now let's head to Sault Michigan and area for some shows that had prior announcements, starting with local hard rock quartet Tarnished, who will play a very rare hard rock concert at The Merchants Bar in Sault Ste. Marie TOMORROW NIGHT before heading to Huck's Pub & Grill in nearby Rudyard on SATURDAY NIGHT! After the better part of a decade without a known heavier concert to plug on here, The Merch at 108 West Spruce Street should prove to be a fitting venue for Tarnished's upbeat hard rocking originals and covers, so don't miss out in the Soo tomorrow! Meanwhile, their one-nighter at Huck's (née Joe's Bar & Grill) is part of the greater events schedule for Rudyard's annual Summerfest this weekend (click here and here for more details), with Saturday's festivities being the effective afterparty for the Dice Run, which ends there before the concert begins (click here for details if you're so inclined).

Note that due to or resulting in the Merch show on Friday, Huck's will instead host local classic rock cover band Steelhead (featuring Tarnished frontman Alex Traynor's old Banned bandmate Alex Schrovenwever) that night. They're talented too, don't bypass them! Both of these 21+ shows have no announced cover charge, and while tomorrow's Merch show begins at 8:00 PM, Tarnished will be on at 9:00 PM at Huck's (11358 West Main Street) on Saturday. Visit the above links for more details on both shows, and here's Tarnished live!

Finally for today, Manistique hard rock duo Fyrbird will return to our neck of the woods for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino! These shows are the culmination of a mini-tour east for Jamie & Rikk, which also included a show in Curtis (outside of our coverage range) tonight. This weekend's St. Ignace stops will be Fyrbird's first within an hour of Sault Ste. Marie since January, and hopefully Fyrbird's gritty, to-the-point brand of two man hard rock covers find a solid audience this direction once again! If you miss out, Fyrbird will return to The Rapids Lounge in the Soo in November, and to St. Ignace over the Christmas weekend. Tomorrow's & Saturday's concerts have 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 21+ age limits. See above for more details, and here's Fyrbird live!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Tym Morrison previews and more in the days ahead! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Loud & Proud, Soundcheck, And Tym Morrison!!)

At long last, our fourth and final consecutive day of Rotaryfest weekend concert previews has reached its conclusion, as today we have SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for TODAY to cap things off with, as well as one more new show that, shockingly, has a couple weeks' advance notice! Here's what you should know!

There will indeed be a couple of hard rock acts playing at the Loud & Proud Family Fun Day at The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre TODAY as part of this year's Sault Ste. Marie Pridefest! Apologies for the short notice, organizers have not announced a schedule on social media, so huge kudos to ex-Project 421 frontman Blair Burch for inquiring with the right people! Of course, Loud & Proud unites live music, vendors, artists, refreshments, and lots of family entertainment to help support LGBTQ+ empowerment and inclusivity in the area, which is always more than welcomed, so definitely consider a trip to the Bushplane Museum TODAY to show your support!  The 4 hour event will feature sets from hip-hop duo Planet Rock at 4:10 PM, drag performer Bebe Lala at 3:30 PM, local alternative/punk quintet These Magnificent Tentacles at 2:50 PM (capping bassist Mitch Sirie's very busy weekend), ...

...a speech by LGBTQ+ advocate Teddy Syrette (a.k.a. Ozhawa Anung Kwe) at 2:40 PM, rising young punk trio Vanity First at 2:00 PM, and a set by a mystery act named Woodwind at 1:20 PM. As best as I can gather, the Tentacles never advertised their involvement in Loud & Proud online in advance (they often don't as of late), but Vanity First did via this event poster that curiously doesn't detail the Family Fun Day's name/purpose, just the location. Yes, it does list two upcoming events in Goulais River this weekend, I will include them in our next batch of weekend concert previews, but I'll refrain from embedding the poster here because it includes a private address (though publically advertised, one of the shows is at a cottage). As for Loud & Proud proper, it is absolutely FREE & ALL AGES, and inclusivity and outreach are very much encouraged, so don't be shy to come out & enjoy yourself!

I wish organizers had publicized the schedule in advance (thank you again, Blair), but a nice diverse lineup of entertainment is in store at the Bushplane Museum TODAY, so don't miss out on all of the action THIS AFTERNOON, and yes, Magnificent Tentacles fans, I am well aware of the contest they're in right now, I hope to address that on the site this week. It's just so busy for concerts this weekend, but I promise we'll start to make up for lost ground tomorrow! See above for more on Loud & Proud, and here are These Magnificent Tentacles live!

Next up, let's finally close up shop on this weekend's hard rock concert previews, as prolific local singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to Reggie's Place on Queen Street East for a matinee concert THIS AFTERNOON himself! Again, apologies for the short notice, Tym only announced this show via its Facebook event page last week. Usually, Tym only plays at Reggie's about once a month, so getting to see him twice in a three week span for their SUNDAY afternoon matinees will be fun for fans and patrons! Believe it or not, Tym has never played Rotaryfest as a solo musician, so if you're game for some classic and hard rock covers from this talented musician after the festival concludes, and can't make The Trading Post on Wednesdays, you know where to be TODAY! As usual for matinees there, this has a 2:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!

Finally, let's jump ahead(!), as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will play a rare gig in nearby Prince Township on Saturday, July 30th at the Prince Township Outdoor Rink! It is rare for Prince Township (20 minutes west of the Soo) to turn up on the SMS, but their recreation committee has been holding a summer concert series at their rink, and weather-wise, note that the stage is under a pavilion. The band has not confirmed this date on their own Facebook page at press time (given their usual patterns, don't expect them to until the week of), but their brand of often heavy classic covers and select country hits should find a receptive audience in Prince Township at month's end! This 19+ event has an 8:00 PM start time, and unusually for Soundcheck concerts, this one does have a $10 cover charge, but remember that this is a community skating rink, not a nightclub who does this all the time, and admission fees help them host more events.

As for the location, the Prince Township Outdoor Rink is outside of the township's Community Centre at 3042 Second Line West, which is proof that even though Prince is technically separate from the Soo, it's still reasonably close given that Second Line straddles here and there. Should be a fun concert and a change of pace from Soundcheck's usual rotation in city limits, so definitely keep it in mind if you live in the area, and see above for more details! That's all for today, but stay tuned for some actual news that isn't related to imminent concerts tomorrow! Thanks everyone!