LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Highway 63, Soundcheck, And Tym Morrison), And Some Weekend Concert Previews!!

Another busy weekend of concerts is ahead in the Soo area, so let's tackle the first half of this weekend's hard rock and punk concerts today! This weekend's previously announced Scarkazm & Banned shows at Kewadin Casino branches and Saturday's March Mash-Up at The Canadian will be covered in tomorrow's weekend concert preview post, so look for them then, but for now, let's start this preview post with a bunch of SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, plus a few already announced!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to The Rockstar Bar for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only confirmed via the venue's Facebook event page earlier this week, and no, Soundcheck still don't have an online page to plug shows in advance. Coming a week prior to their already announced St. Patrick's Day show at Rednecks, this show will mark the debut of Soundcheck's new member, though public sources are still mum on his/her identity and/or what instrument(s) they'll tackle with the Mourning Wood side project. When something is publically announced regarding their lineup expansion, we'll let you know, but don't miss Soundcheck's 1980s-centric hard rock covers TOMORROW NIGHT! Note that this is a one nighter due to Saturday night's Rockstar Bar show from local pop rock cover veterans (formerly Cherry) Crush.

There is no announced cover charge for TOMORROW'S 19+ concert, which has a likely 10:00 PM start time. See the above links for more details, stay tuned for word on Soundcheck's new member, and hopefully videos turn up soon!

Next up, we'll take a brief trip across the border for the next announced show from Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63, who will return to Dondee Lanes for one night only THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, we only heard about this show via the Dondee's Facebook page on Wednesday, and the band proper have yet to acknowledge this concert publically. Just two weeks removed from the Monkey's Uncle successors' last shows at Dondee Lanes, this veteran quartet will continue their non-Rapids Lounge "travelling" with this weekend's gig at the South Mackinac Trail bowling alley, and as usual, their fan favourite covers should find another solid reception on SATURDAY NIGHT, so don't miss out at the Dondee! There is no announced cover charge for this show, which the venue advertises having an oddly early 7:00 PM start time, though expect this to be 21+. Check the above links for more details, and here's Highway 63 live earlier this year!

Heading back to Sault Ontario, we have one more late notice gig to note here, as prolific local hard rock solo artist Tym Morrison will return to The Barrelhouse Wine & Whiskey on Queen Street East THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, joining his previously announced Gliss Steak & Seafood gigs TOMORROW & SATURDAY! Apologies again for the short notice on the Barrelhouse show, it was only announced via it's Facebook event page this morning. This marks the second straight month where Tym played consecutive Saturdays at the downtown tapas restaurant, which is still unfamiliar for our coverage, but his acoustic hard rock should fit there fine in his fourth show there on SATURDAY! As for his Gliss shows, his long-term arrangement at The Quality Inn's restaurant continues to bring entertaining hard rock covers to patrons twice a week, so don't miss these matinees over the next two evenings either!

As usual for Tym's Gliss shows, expect 6:00 PM start times and no age limit (but remember that this is a formal restaurant), while SATURDAY'S Barrelhouse gig is at 10:00 PM and is 19+, while none of the three have an announced cover charge. For more details, visit the above links and the Facebook event page for the Gliss shows, and here's Tym live!



Finally, we'll preview one show that fully & completely received advance notice, as local alternative hard rock trio The Din will headline a Fishbowl Festival event at The Gore Street Cafe TOMORROW NIGHT! Similarly to their set at last year's inaugural Fishbowl Festival, The Din will be headlining at the laundromat in the midst of their sophomore festival of arts and culture, which has expanded to additional outside venues this year, but is still primarily held at the cafe. Last year's Din show during the Pisces astrological sign-timed festival was an all-acoustic affair, and while that isn't publically advertised to repeat tomorrow, remember that The Gore Street Cafe often hosts acoustic performers, so don't be surprised if a cajon is present. Local acoustic solo artist Andrew Pucci will open tomorrow, as he did with his dormant punk band Stereo North during last year's Din show at the Fishbowl Fest, and he should provide another quality set of his rising solo material, so don't be late! Previously advertised opening sets by Mike Mikus & Jackson Reed were either cancelled or moved up to last month's garage show with Id Iota.

The only Fishbowl Festival show this year to feature a hard rock or punk band (garage show aside, and barring a late notice addition), this is an ALL AGES show with a 7:00 PM start time, and there is a $5 admission fee, while I have not seen public reference to ticket packages for the entire festival. This should be a fun concert at a well respected and unique venue that seems to be doing well for itself in year 2 of the Fishbowl Festival, so keep tomorrow's show in mind, stay tuned for our preview of Saturday's March Mash-Up next, and here's The Din live in January!



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

Pop Evil Concert Preview, Plus Din & Project 421 Updates!!

Well, this post should have been up way before now, but I had a massive blonde moment. In recent days, you may have seen me reference TONIGHT'S Pop Evil concert as taking place on Tuesday, and that's just absent-minded on my part. I got this show mixed up with May's Alter Bridge show at the Soo Kewadin from the same promoters, as that show is on Tuesday. Huge apologies for the mix-up (and thanks to Chris Paci for alerting me to my error), so here's our delayed (though not late) preview of TONIGHT'S huge Sault Michigan concert, plus some big updates from two Sault Ontario bands!

The long anticipated return of North Muskegon, Michigan hard rock quintet Pop Evil will go down TONIGHT at The Dreammaler's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino! Apologies again for the lateness of this preview, there's no excuses for the day mix-up. Making their (at least) fourth local concert appearance, and first since August 2013's Jessica Jorgensen benefit show, this hard hitting band has became a staple of rock radio in the past few years, charting #1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock charts four times since with hits like "Trenches" & "Deal With The Devil". This should be Pop Evil's biggest show yet in the Soo, so don't miss out tonight if you're still able to get tickets! Note that this will also be Pop Evil's first local gig with new drummer Hayley Cramer since replacing Joshua Marunde last year. Openers will include Los Angeles hard rock quartet Badflower, whose old school-flavoured originals should fit right in tonight, while female-fronted Detroit hard rock quintet Kaleido (replacing Ohio rockers Red Sun Rising) will kick the night off.

Kaleido's high energy, pop-infused modern rock will set the tone well to start this show, so don't miss out on them either! Promoted by Allstar Promotions (in their first concert since 2015), there are still a couple dozen tickets available in the outside sections, plus standing room only seating, so you can get hooked up on short notice at this link, at 1-800-KEWADIN, or at the in-person box office, and yes, tickets are still a great deal at just $23.50. This should be a huge show once again, especially given Pop Evil's fast rise in the mid-2010s, so don't miss out TONIGHT, apologies again for the lateness of our preview, stay tuned for fallout, and here's Pop Evil live in the Soo in 2013!



Next up, here's the latest from Sault Ontario classic metal band Project 421, as guitarist Blair Burch posted their first update since the departure of Curtis McKenzie onto their Facebook page on Wednesday. In the post, he notes that Curt's departure last fall "was building for months prior", though he still doesn't know everything that happened that night, and doesn't want to sort out the full details at this point, Afterwards, the band took the holidays off, started slowly getting back into place last month, and resumed full jams this month. For now, Blair will resume lead vocal duties with Project 421 (as he previously did upon their debut and after Curt's first departure), but the band does hope to find a new full-time lead singer. Musically, Project 421 are planning to drop glam and hair metal material and replace that with thrash and speed metal, in an effort to bring back "the attitude" and give Blair songs he can sing more effectively, while some older originals may be reworked to that end.

As for as return to the stage, a date isn't set yet, but Blair assures us "that we aren't going anywhere", and will be back with a fresh feel "before too much longer". It's great to see that Project 421 are pushing onward, especially after the ugly reports that followed their intended last show in November and the related dissolution of sister band Eclipse, and hopefully Project 421 can return in full force later this year, as they've been missed over the winter! Read Blair's full statement at the above links!

Finally for today, here's the latest from local alternative/hard rock trio The Din, starting with opener clarification for their Gore Street Cafe/Fishbowl Festival concert on March 10th (one week from Friday), as Stereo North frontman Andrew Pucci has been confirmed to kick off this show! Our source is the official Facebook event page in recent days. Though the wait continues for Stereo North's return from hiatus, Andrew is a solid choice to open, and he's developing more & more of a profile for his acoustic solo music, so don't be late on the 10th! Note that Mike Mikus and Jackson Reed were once advertised to open, but they either had to cancel, or moved their Fishbowl Festival involvement to this weekend's garage show. Also, The Din have entered this year's CBC Music Searchlight competition to find the best up & coming Canadian musicians, and if you recall how well Northwest did in Searchlight, then the sky's the limit for them!

You can vote for them at this link, and their chosen song to stream there is "Alleyways & Apartments". The Din are one of 24 Northern Ontario entries this year, and as far as I can tell, the only other local band competing is folk rock outfit Tea With Lincoln, who have since relocated to Southern Ontario, but are competing in their home district for Searchlight, so consider shooting them a vote also! First round voting actually ends tomorrow afternoon, so good luck to both bands in making the regional finals! Lastly, in continuing with their teased abundance of videos from last month's headlining gig at LopLops Lounge, two more videos from that show have been posted their YouTube channel in the past week! These feature Mike, Tammy, and Brandan playing their originals "Alleyways & Apartments", and as embedded below, "Up In The Air".

The quality here is no different from their prior videos from this show, given that these are from the same camera, but the capture The Din in solid form from this recent concert, so give them and more a look above & below, and cast your Searchlight votes before it's too late!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our YouTube Channel Profiles next, and apologies again for the Pop Evil preview delay! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Gnaeus & The Din), Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

Lately, I'd have had this weekend's concert previews at least partially up by now, but with an apparent Thursday night cancellation (elaborated on later), we had wiggle room to get this up today, after this month's YouTube Channel Profile seen below this post. Tonight, we have this weekend's known hard rock and punk concert previews, plus a new cover video, so here's what you need to know!

Local alternative/hard rock trio The Din will return to LopLops Lounge for a headlining concert TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice,  the show was only just announced via the official Facebook event page on Monday. Just a month removed from their Boxing Day show at the same venue with KI.C.K. and Gnaeus (more on them in a second), The Din should have a solid set in store for fans at what frontman Mike Haggith calls his favourite stage, so don't miss this concert despite the late notice TOMORROW NIGHT! Two solo acoustic performers will open this show, including folk solo project Shit Creek Survivor and Stereo North frontman Andrew Pucci, both playing their first advertised shows of the year, so come early for some entertaining unplugged music! A $5 cover charge is in effect for this 19+ show, which has an advertised 9:00 PM start time. See above for more details, and here's The Din live!



Next up, local post-punk/garage rock quartet Gnaeus will themselves headline at LopLops Lounge THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, the venue again only announced the show via it's own Facebook event page on Monday. Having joined The Din at this past weekend's January Jam (and on Boxing Day at LopLops), both bands find themselves back on that stage a week later at LopLops, just on concurrent days. Unlike tomorrow's event, Gnaeus' show on SATURDAY features no advertised opening bands, similarly to their Movember fundraiser there, so if you want a night of wall-to-wall Gnaeus, you know where to be this weekend! Similarly to tomorrow's Din concert, expect a 19+ age limit, $5 cover charge, and 9:00 PM start time to be in effect for SATURDAY NIGHT! Visit the above links for more details, stay tuned in the coming days for word on their and The Din's big upcoming show in February, and here's Gnaeus live!



Finally for currently known hard rock/punk previews, we have some previously announced concerts to touch on, as long-time Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison is scheduled to return to Gliss Steak & Seafood TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Note that there's no advertised show tonight, as the Facebook event page doesn't acknowledge a Thursday gig at all, which would mark his third straight week of just Friday & Saturday nighters at Gliss. No word yet on if this is a permanent shift or a seasonal adjustment, but remember that Tym had been playing twice a week through June before returning to a thrice weekly schedule there. If his February-opening gigs next week don't include Thursday, we'll add them to our listings accordingly, but hopefully nothing bad happened! In any event, Tym apparently has new songs to debut in his extensive setlist tomorrow and Saturday, so keep these in mind if you're at The Quality Inn's house restaurant over the weekend!

As usual for Tym's long term arrangement at Gliss, expect 6:00 PM start times tomorrow and Saturday, and while these still don't have an announced cover charge or age limit, remember where these are being held. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!



Finally for tonight, here's a new solo cover video from former Ashes To Dust guitarist Alex Hemy's YouTube channel! It's been a long 10 months since Alex last posted a cover there, and while I don't know what took him so long, his return is welcomed! Now attending university in Southern Ontario, this cover is of Def Leppard's "Foolin'", though unlike some of his recent covers, this is more of a basic guitars-only rendition played alongside the original track. This is a solidly performed & recorded take on this hair metal classic, if a little reserved, so give it a look below, and see more from Alex above!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and this month's CD review in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soo Zombie Walk & Mourning Wood) And Sault Ontario Weekend Concert Previews!!

Let's get back into the swing of things with the first of this weekend's concert previews, including SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, including a big returning event! Sault Michigan previews and any even-later notice concerts will come in out next post, either tonight or tomorrow, so don't worry, they are coming! Now, here's what you need to know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Mourning Wood will return to The Rednecks Saloon for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced the show via their official Facebook event page earlier this week. Playing at the former Nicolet Tavern for the first time since last month's Garth Brooks tribute afterparty, Mourning Wood has indicated that "the full band" will be back for TOMORROW'S show, implying that their last few gigs there were shorthanded (though I thought all 4 members played last month.) No word on why this is a one-night-only concert though, which is reasonably unusual for them, though if it's due to a Saturday night booking elsewhere, it hasn't been publically announced. You can take in Mourning Wood's varied and often heavy blend of covers TOMORROW at 10:00 PM, there's no announced cover charge, and you must be 19 or older to attend. See above for more details, and here's Mourning Wood live!



Next up, the musical contingent for this year's Soo Zombie Walk afterparty has finally been announced, as local alternative punk/blues veterans Sykotyk Rampage, Northwest guitarist Greg Callaghan, and Stereo North frontman Andrew Pucci will be rocking out at The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Center THIS SATURDAY prior to the walk! Apologies again for the short notice, organizers didn't publically confirm any performers until Tuesday on the Facebook event page, much later than usual. For this eighth annual local Zombie Walk (and fourth straight at the Bushplane Museum), local zombies of ALL AGES will patrol downtown for brains and to combat the resistance, so click here for full details on events in regard to the walk proper and how to get involved! This year's music lineup will be familiar as well, with Sykotyk Rampage and Greg making their sixth & fourth straight appearances at the annual Halloween season event, with Sykotyk Rampage's involvement being especially notable as this will be their first public local concert since last year's Zombie Walk! Only Andrew is new, and if you're familiar with Stereo North, you'll know his vocal & guitar talent!

It's been way too long to see Sykotyk Rampage back on a local stage, so if you've missed them in 2016, be at the zombie walk on Saturday for their crash music! No word though on if their set will be acoustic again or not. Also, there are no online references to an afterparty for this year's Zombie Walk, and if there is no afterparty, it would mark the first walk without one since the inaugural event in 2009. For reference, last year's afterparty took place at Coch's Corner, which also hosted 2010 & 2013's afterparties, and it featured the same music lineup as the pre-walk festivities had. If anything is confirmed regarding an afterparty, we'll let you know! Sykotyk Rampage are on last on SATURDAY at 5:00 PM, with Greg and Andrew playing at 4:30 & 4:00 PM respectively, and their sets sandwich children's and adult's brain eating contests. After orientation and rules, the walk itself will take place from 6:00-7:00 PM, with award presentations following upon return to the museum.

Admission to this year's Soo Zombie Walk is $3 with a canned good donation (kids under 10 only need a canned good), while click here for full details on waiver and registration forms, particularly if you're underage. While the music announcements are on short notice and with some lingering questions (re: the afterparty), there's a fun lineup in store, including the long awaited local concert return of Sykotyk Rampage, so whether you're hungry for brains or just want to enjoy some live punk music, be at The Bushplane Museum on Saturday! For a preview, here's Sykotyk Rampage live!

Finally, we'll close with prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's previously announced concerts, as he is scheduled to return to Gliss Steak & Seafood for three more acoustic solo concerts TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY! With the month of October winding along, Tym's three-peat of weekly concerts at The Quality Inn's restaurant should be another reliable and reserved attraction for fans this weekend, so keep Tym's latest unplugged shows in mind for some acoustic hard rock cover action! Remember, he is playing at Gliss next weekend, in case you want some Halloween weekend plans. As usual for Tym's long-term arrangement at Gliss, tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday's shows are 6:00 PM matinee events with no announced cover charges or age limits, but remember where these are being held. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym Morrison live a few years back!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for Sault Michigan weekend concert previews and more next! Thanks everyone!