LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Wolf Fest II) & The Hails Art Hub Concert Preview!!

Before we begin this weekend's concert previews, I wanted to apologize for missing an acoustic concert at Beck's Bar on Tuesday that was headlined by the revival of The T.R.I.P., the sporadically seen acoustic side project of cousins/ex-Double Down bandmates Joel & Beej Syrette! Their late-era bandmate Dan Beaupre joined them on Tuesday for this pool night-concert (regardless of what happened with Double Down, Ric was never in The T.R.I.P.). I'm assuming that this wasn't musically far off from Double Down (being unplugged aside), and I do apologize for missing it, but we'll let you know if they get social media or play more public gigs!

This weekend looks to be a busy one for hard rock fans, buoyed by some late announcements this week, so we'll look at one big one today plus two shows that did have prior notice, with remaining Saturday-Sunday gigs to follow. We'll start with a big LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for SATURDAY NIGHT, as Wolf Fest II goes down on SATURDAY NIGHT at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion! Apologies for the short notice, as hosts Northern Superior Brewing Co. only finally announced the lineup in a permanently accessible location on their Facebook page last week, when I couldn't slot it into a news post in time to cover it before it became the week of the event. Alas, Northern Superior had teased the event without going into great detail via "Stories", memes, and hype posts for the last few weeks, and some performers had shared the lineup in their own "Stories", but nothing finite and sourceable. I get maybe doing it like this for year #1, but why again when the basic intent is the same?

I'd be getting the word out on who's playing, what's going on, and so forth with a lot more than ten days' notice! Nevertheless, Wolf Fest II (as hyped by Jan from Jan's Not Movin'!) is Northern Superior's second annual fall concert festival to give back to the community for their support, and there will be an eclectic array of local vendors (even barbers and an arcade!), plus beer tents, food, and of course, music. Things will be headlined by Toronto-based Coldplay tribute band The Coldplay Show, and while I can't pretend to be a fan of Coldplay, it is definitely a change of pace from tribute bands that usually come here. They do sound like the real deal, so keep them in mind! A band schedule hasn't been posted, but seven local groups will be opening, including two SMS-leaning acts, namely classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 (returning from last year) and alt-rock/punk cover sextet BookcluB (whose "Story" of the poster teased the lineup for me last month).

Also playing on SATURDAY are local Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tragically Hip tribute bands Mellowship Slinky and The Luxury, while indie rock band Jupiter Marvelous (who also played last year) and jazz cover group The Hustle Brothers will also take the stage under the big tent. "The Howling" will begin at 3:00 PM on SATURDAY with The Royal Canadian Army's 49th Field Regiment pipe & drum band, similar to how a Royal Canadian Navy band kicked off Wolf Fest I. Last year's lineup had five bands, so I couldn't ballpark when set times will be, but 2025 headliners The Killer Hooks played at 8:15 PM. Like last year, admission to Wolf Fest on SATURDAY is via donation to the Alzheimer Society of Sault Ste. Marie, and I have not seen firm reference to age limits. While the Pavilion's tent is acknowledged, 9&10 News is currently calling for scattered showers and thunderstorms that day, along with a high temperature of 23°.

The low temperature on SATURDAY is forecasted at 13°. I presume Wolf Fest will go on rain or shine thanks to the tent, but I do hope that they have most of the activities under the tent too (we don't need the mechanical bull shorting out!). In spite of promotional choices that I wouldn't have made, Wolf Fest II sounds like a fun time for fans of live music, craft beer, and local businesses, so consider heading to The Roberta Bondar Pavilion on SATURDAY now that you again have the answer to the question: What is Wolf Fest? Visit the above links for more details, and here's Silent 9 live last year!

Finally for weekend concert preview post #1, we'll head to The Art Hub At Spring (at 504 Queen Street East), where local hardcore punk/crossover thrash trio Hails will take the stage TOMORROW NIGHT! This "hardcore hometown throwdown" is part of frontman Brenton "B.G." Ellis' takeover of The Art Hub this month, following the kickoff of his Audio/Visual Eviscerate art exhibition there last week (running through next Saturday), and this all mirrors a similar residency that he and Ha!ls had there in 2023. In what could arguably be the heaviest concert to ever take place at the former Big Brothers headquarters, Hails will be joined by ska punk quartet ASDP (led by former Ha!ls guitarist Mikhal Muto) and the recently resurfaced local extreme metal quintet With Gunfire (featuring new Hails guitarist Anthony Orazietti and ASDP bassist William Wardlaw). Lot of close connections here, so the camaraderie should be neat alone!

This all ages concert has an admission fee of $10 or "pay what you can", and the concert starts at 7:00 PM tomorrow. If you want some explosive original-leaning action this weekend, this is your best bet, and hopefully the relatively intimate Art Hub space can contain the three bands, as it did when Brent hosted last week's Autopilot concert! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Ha!ls live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Led By Zeppelin, Bone Yard 225, Generations, and Tarnished previews in our next weekend concert preview post! Thanks everyone!

A New Local Punk Band, Crush Updates, And More Recent News & Notes!!

As we wrap up the busiest month (for post count) in the 19+ year history of the SMS, here's one more news post for the end of August before we go into autumn, and it includes updates from an EUP hard rock band, clarifications on who played a recent all-day charity concert, and some assorted shorter updates, but we'll lead off with a debuting supergroup that will be intriguing for many local punk and hard rock fans! Here's what you should know!

We have a new local punk band to add to our links, and they are Dead II Society! While their Facebook page was only launched yesterday, they were one of the two mystery bands announced for October's Punk Rock Fiesta at The Rockstar Bar (we are still waiting for details on The Baby Rails). Self-described as "an outlaw punk rock (band) specializing in loud, high energy, foot-stomping songs", their lyrics are planned to revolve around members' personal lives, health, and relationships. The band features former Garden of Bedlam/Changing Lanes singer/guitarist Erik "Buzz" Boissineau alongside former Northwest/Terminal guitarist Mike Yakasovich, veteran local bassist Andrew Torgerson (most recently seen down south in The Epifats and Grant Boyer's backing band), and Billy Bastards drummer Charlie Yanni (he will be pulling double duty with both bands on October 3rd).

Dead II Society are working on original music for major streaming services and Bandcamp, and your first teaser is this video featuring an instrumental track and silent footage of the guys meeting up and jamming. Their first single and full-length video (presumably both for this song) premiere on September 16th, 2½ weeks before their Punk Rock Fiesta debut. Sadly, the video is both vertical and black & white, aspects that I hope don't translate to what we get in two weeks, but it's great to see this promising band full of established names making their debut shortly, and it'll be interesting to hear how Buzz's long-teased original punk songs turn out! See more from them above and below, and stay tuned for updates!

Next up, let's bolt across the border to Sault Michigan for the latest updates from local hard rock trio Crush! It's been a few months since we last talked about Tarnished's original-heavy splinter group, who haven't played a local concert in over four months (or downstate since May), but they haven't been completely idle. After jokey posts, AI-generated memes, and more love for Big Boy restaurants over the summer, they have announced two tour dates for September on their Facebook page, one being a show on Friday at Bemo's Bar in Bay City (3½ hours south of here, outside of Saginaw). Best of luck on the road trip for sure! The other gig is technically outside of our coverage range (an hour's drive from the Soo), but it will be their closest show since April at The Merch, and it will see Alex, Josh, and Iggy open for their friends in Rose City metal band Tribe989 at Bates Corner Bar & Grill in Gould City on Thursday, September 24th.

Hannahville "rez metal" band Ghidora (who Heavy Lies The Crown fans will know well) are also playing this show 90 minutes west of the Soo. If you can make the drive to western Mackinac County, this show may be of note, and despite Gould City being pretty small, they can book big names at Bates Corner (Buckcherry played there earlier this month!) Click here for details on the Gould City concert. Lastly, they posted this short teaser video for the Bay City show on Friday, with Iggy promoting it from an... unexpected place, while the caption at the end notes that Crush have been busy in the studio recently working on original material. Hopefully we hear more soon, so get Crushed above and below, and I hope next month's shows go well!

Also today, here's some clarification of the lineup for Maddy's Mighty Mutts Family Fun Day at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion in Sault Ontario on August 5th! The advertising for the event had conflicting details on who was and wasn't playing, but organizer Paige Dennie listed off performers in a personal Facebook post shared to Maddy's Facebook page the next day to thank everyone for volunteering. Ten acts ended up playing the Wednesday outdoor-ish concert under the big tent, with this AI-generated poster being accurate to the final bill aside from omitting Tex Riviera & The Relix Ride for one reason or another (not only did they play, they were up first!). The acts that dropped out (both for unannounced reasons) were solo musicians Arin Karki and Leslie Cook, with Tym Morrison being a last minute replacement for one of them. Of note, Jason Taillefer's sister Kelly guested for part of his solo set, which was implied to be keyboard-heavy.

Paige noted that 5 Dollar Bribe donated their drum kit and PA system for the day's full band's to use, which was nice of them, while TNT singer/guitarist Travis Sharpe helped with sound and managing set changes, and Bone Yard 225 were the headliners. It does sound like things went well, and Paige was very appreciative of everyone helping out, both from the concert aspect and towards supporting the dog rescue charity itself, so visit the above links for more on what went down four weeks ago!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual for our short-form story blocks, these are in alphabetical order by artist or company name:

 

• A memorial concert for late local musician Dale Corcoran will be held at the resurgent Rockstar Bar on Saturday, September 19th! Proceeds will go to his widow Clare for her own recent expenses, and the show is implied to largely be an informal and unrehearsed jam featuring friends and former bandmates rather than something with firmly scheduled and advertised bands (though I'd assume that we'll see members of Tex Riviera & The Ride). Could we see throwbacks to his local metal and hard rock work of the 1980s? Tickets cost $20 + processing fees at this link, and I do hope that this celebration of life is a huge hit across the board!
• I apologize for missing this among our backlog clearout, but a demonstration named Navigating the Modern Music Business As An Independent Artist was held at The Art Hub At Spring this past Tuesday. Hosted by local musician and manager Ryan St. Pierre of The Lonely Listeners Club and the upstart music management program Lisinin, the program was to promote his work and help encourage independent artists to explore today's music industry and better network in music communities. All are definitely good plans to help aspiring musicians in their career, so click here for more on what went down last week, and what Ryan continues working on!
• The performance order for the aforementioned Punk Rock Fiesta at The Rockstar Bar on October 3rd has been unveiled via this poster shared on the Punk Canada Facebook group two weeks ago! The running order is mostly what you'd expect given band notoriety, with everyone but headliners Random Killing having a half hour timeslot (the debuting Baby Rails lead off at 6:30 PM), but local crossover thrash trio Hails will surprisingly get the 10:30 PM co-headlining slot over the Billys and Fist Magnet reunions. This will be a huge show no matter when bands are on, so visit the above links for more on what to expect in just over a month!

 

That's all for tonight, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the SMS next month! Thanks everyone!

A Newly Discovered Mike Haggith Performance Video, ASDP Updates, And More!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to apologize for a missed concert in our weekend concert previews, as local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison played at the Fraternal Order of Eagles Club's summer barbecue party/open house yesterday. Click here for details on the all ages festivities. It's been a while since Tym has played a regular nighttime show at Aerie #3991, and while he didn't plug his involvement on his solo project's Facebook group, I do apologize for missing what looked like a fun event! I'd have covered it had I known! Now, here's some new videos and related updates from three acts who played at a major concert festival this weekend!

While we await the teased full-set video from his Northern Vibe Festival return yesterday, local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith has a new long-form video to check out, but not from his own channels. When I was getting the link for his 2024 Northern Vibe video for our festival preview post last week, I stumbled across a 30+ minute acoustic set that he recorded for Underscored Sound, a acoustic performance-based webseries that records VH1 Storytellers-style sets from artists at the Canadian Musicians Co-operative headquarters in Barrie, in association with LiveBarrie and Alex Ciprian Media. Artists pay to appear and receive high quality copies of their sets in multiple formats. Mike was the 10th performer in season 1 of this series back in August 2024, with all five songs later being uploaded as separate videos (plus some vertical "Shorts") to the Underscored YouTube channel if you're so inclined.

I don't recall Mike mentioning his Underscored appearance at all, possibly because it was aimed towards Barrie and Southern Ontario at a time when we were focused on Northern Vibe and summer concerts here, but better late than never! The performance begins with Mike introducing himself and setting up his backstory, before introducing his first song "MorningStar" from 2020's "If Ever Comes The Day". He follows that up by tackling "Of Cars & Criminals" from 2015's "The Warinside", which is mildly surprising as it A. predates his modern Thompson/Barrie output, and B. was cut from The Din's live album "Technically Live" two+ years prior. Mike then reflects on his personal life and how it influenced his next song, "Back Away Slowly" (also from "If Ever Comes The Day"), followed by the title track of his 2021 album "Bridges". This acoustic showcase ends with "Brand New Day" from his not-yet-released 2025 album "Frequent Flyer".

The reason why there's only five songs is also why I compared it to VH1 Storytellers and not MTV Unplugged, as Mike outlines the personal inspiration and stories behind each song performed here, and Mike is candid about his life and the events that informed his music! The Soo does come up for the first few introductions. There's no interviewer or host, just Mike talking to the viewer, and the audio and video quality is excellent, including three different stationary camera angles. Really good stuff, even two years late, so fans of Mike's acoustic work will want to check out his Underscored set below!

Next up, we do have a public video to share from the Northern Vibe Festival in nearby Ophir this weekend! I'm expecting more in due course, especially with many musicians only coming back on the grid from the Poplardale Road bush today, but the festival went off without any weather-related glitches, and thank goodness for that! A festival representative filmed this video of Timmins pop punk band Saving Bambi covering Joan Jett & The Blackhearts' "Bad Reputation" on the rebuilt Forest Stage for their Facebook page. Alas, it's 39 seconds long and vertical (why accentuate the lawn like this when you can flip the phone sideways?), and this cover may be a slightly obvious pick for an all-female punk band, but what we do hear is lively and well performed, and it's great to see the Forest Stage looking refurbished and strong after the 2025 storm. Give Saving Bambi's video a watch below, and stay tuned for more from the festival when it goes live!

Finally, here's some updates from the subject of this month's album review from this morning (and another Northern Vibe act), local ska punk quartet ASDP! Apologies for only mentioning these after the fact (out of town or not), but checking Instagram is still not second nature for me, and the band still doesn't have Facebook. Last week, Mikhal, Tucker, William, and Ralph took their first ever road trip for shows out west, when they headlined at Shooters Bar in Kenora on August 21st, before heading to Winnipeg to play at the Sargent Skate Jam at the Sargent Skatepark the next day. Click here for more info and the posters of both concerts. As far as I can tell, an AI-generated skateboarding amplifier did not headline the Skate Jam, but it did feature Winnipeg punk quartet Shit Happens, who you may recall from headlining at the still-closed Distraction in March 2024. I do apologize again for not mentioning these at the time, but I hope the gigs went well, especially given the 12+ hour drive to Kenora alone!

A public video from their westward trip has surfaced though, but not from the band proper. 90 minutes east of Kenora, the guys stopped in Dryden, where they met the Christian musician Mr. World Peace at a 7-Eleven there (the idea of Northern Ontario having 7-Elevens still surprises me). The short & vertical video sees him and ASDP members doing a "World! Peace!" call & response in the parking lot. Kudos to both Mr. World Peace and ASDP for giving each other some exposure, so check this clip out below, and stay tuned for more from ASDP on the SMS likely next month!

That's all for now, but will we have one more post before August is done? Stay tuned either way, and thanks everyone!

ASDP - "Atom Bombs & Lemonade" EP Review!!

It's now time for our 206th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and this month, we're continuing filing through our new album backlog in chronological release order via local ska punk band ASDP's debut EP "Atom Bombs & Lemonade"! Independently released exclusively to their Bandcamp page on December 17th, the "crackrocksteady" band is represented here by Agnosticism frontman/Apocalypse Afterparty bassist Mikhal "Châ" Muto on vocals & guitar, With Gunfire/ex-Stoned To Deaf bassist William "Glistening Williard" Wardlaw, and Spaceship Opening drummer "Just" Ralph Barber. This album was recorded before Tucker Lidstone joined on second guitar, but it does feature a number of guest musicians, including Golden Scoundrels/ex-Shit Liver frontman Josh Penno on backing vocals and a guest verse, Cole Speers as a backing vocalist on "Party Song", ...

...a lead guitarist credited as "Keagles", Mason Mahoney as a narrator, and Floor Between Us frontman Colin Gasparelli on trumpet. Aside from Ralph's Spaceship Opening bandmate Andrew MacDonald being credited for engineering, the band didn't give production details in the liner notes. Adam Smith Death Parade recorded 10 songs for this album last year, but three of the songs are covers that are only available on the paid download, and as they're sprinkled throughout the track order there, they are not considered to be bonus tracks. If you want to hear them, then buy "Atom Bombs & Lemonade" for $7 on Bandcamp in mp3 format! Otherwise, you can hear the album's seven songs as free streams there too, but those three covers eat up 11+ minutes of the 26 minute runtime.

Let's kick off this A.S.D.P. album review with its opening song, "Taller Ants"! Lyrically about still wanting to live the hard-drinking punk lifestyle despite the process getting harder with time, things open with a phone message from someone angry at "Andrew" about borrowed items still owed. The song itself (the only one here what William co-wrote) has a suitably bouncy ska punk riff. A fairly steady song without much in the way of tempo changes, there are no empty moments, and it interestingly ends with a guitar solo (if that's "Keagles", he did well!). The production wasn't crystal clear, but the ska action wasn't bad to start! Next is "Bay Of Pigs", which is the only one of the seven original songs here to crack 3 minutes in length. It is this song where ASDP got the name of the EP, and the lyrics speak to views of a bleak future, using the Bay of Pigs fiasco in a metaphorical sense.

Opening with a 30 seconds-long spoken word sample about fascism, this is a rougher edged song that, while still having a ska essence, feels more lo-fi and crust punk-influenced. To a point, I feel like Mikhal was over-exaggerating his singing for effect, and should have kept things simpler. This is the song with Josh Penno's guest verse, and it's cool hearing him scream on a new original song, if not for too long! Strong bass and drums here too, but the song got messier and noisier, so I did think the song started stronger than it finished. Third on paid copies is the first of the paid buyer-exclusive covers, namely "One Dead Cop" by the legendary New York crust punk band Leftover Crack. The ASDP version gets two spoken word sections (from someone who sounds jarringly like John Wayne), and is otherwise a shorter and tighter cover that keeps the same progression and style of the original.

Lo-fi production aside, you do get some context as to why Mikhal and crew have the sound that they do, so if you're not familiar with Leftover Crack, you will connect some dots here. The guitar riff is sure catchy, and the screaming is sure impassioned near the end, so this is a worthy incentive for the $7 price tag! Next on any version of the EP is "Prelude To The Sacred Rat", which is a 38 seconds-long intro to the following song "Rat Hymn", and honestly, I'd have just combined them as one (relatively) long song, as they clearly are meant to be heard back to back. The slower intro with screamed vocals leads into a wordy and politically charged song about how we are the metaphorical rats in the sewer fighting fascism, capitalism, and inequality (note the Shit Liver and "Booze N' Doobs" references!). More than any other so far, this song leans heavily into hardcore punk, so this will be an easy mosh pit instigator live.

The sing-along choruses are honestly the song's low point, as they feel low energy and melancholy compared to the ferocity around them, but largely, this song is among my highlights for the punk intensity and driving guitar work, even if the prelude was separate! Song #5 (free)/#6 (paid) is "Grunt", which is another anti-capitalist song, with lyrics about the class divide and the perceived aims for the higher income bracket to get rid of those with a lower income. While it starts with a "ska break", it rolls along well from "Rat Hymn" as another hardcore punk-influenced song with a crust influence, with Mikhal unleashing some of his heaviest and most aggressive vocals yet here, and he and William play off each other nicely. The darker breakdown with guttural vocals late is well done here too, and for my metalhead sensibilities, this is easily a highlight of this EP! Is that Keagles on the ending solo again? 

Paid buyers of "Atom Bombs & Lemonade" get the second cover next, that being "Kill Yer Parents" by the Pennsylvania ska-core band No Cash. This cover is fairly identical to the original, if played slightly slower, though the instrumentation does feel more filled out. As a pure song, I prefer this to the first cover, and it has more of a varied structure and dynamic guitar playing while still delivering the ska goods and some suitable crust punk anger, and the performances under the production quality are sound! We next get to "Party Song", which is basically a retreat into community and singing revolutionary and folk songs that talk back/down to one's oppressors. If any song here feels like it probably should have been written for Mikhal's dormant folk punk solo project Agnosticism, it's this one, as it's a blistering 100 seconds-long acoustic number featuring guest performer Cole Speers.

Mikhal plays banjo, washboard, and cajon on this largely solo track, and while I do prefer ASDP's full-band, aggressive songs, this gets the job done for Agnosticism fans, and Mikhal doesn't let his foot off the gas musically or lyrically despite the short length! Free copies of the EP end with its last original and shortest song "Pantry Fiends", a 33 seconds-long number that appears to be a brief memorial to the musician Sam Sadowski of the San Francisco folk punk project Closet Fiends. A bass-heavy number while it lasts, it had potential as a fuller song had they chose to expand it (especially thanks to Ralph's drumming), but it serves its intended purpose! If you paid the $7, "Atom Bombs & Lemonade" ends with a cover of "Wait Around" by the Chicago crust folk band The Suburbanists, which is the only 4+ minute song on the full album. The ASDP cover has a fuller sound than the original, and has the most of Colin's trumpet work.

The more collaborative sound helps add more of a ska punk flavour here, and it strikes me as something that would go over well live for singing along while also having some faster moshing potential. Maybe a little over-long compared to prior songs here, but it's a faithful cover when compared to the original. Fun closer regardless! Overall, what are my final thoughts on ASDP's debut EP? If you can get past the lo-fi production quality, you'll find a solid collection of varying punk subgenres here! This feels more like the fully realized band that I think Agnosticism was hinting at, but with more of a ska punk influence, if not as much as one as some of their branding would suggest. The "crackrocksteady" descriptor is not new to ASDP, and while their take seems to favour the noise and crust punk angle more often than not, the ska bounce and liveliness is definitely there when called upon. 

Mikhal let his emotions and frustrations out strongly on vocals, William's bass work did exactly what it needed to do, and Ralph's drumming was a steady highlight. For the guest performances, they could sometimes be hard to identify, but the collaborative nature is nothing new if you're familiar with ASDP live. The biggest issue for me was the rough production quality, but I do understand that Mikhal likes the lo-fi DIY folk punk aesthetic, and I know they weren't going for pristine here. Your mileage may vary, of course! Beyond that, I did prefer the heavier, hardcore punk-leaning songs, the guitar solos should have been placed earlier in songs when utilized, and the lackadaisical choruses on "Rat Hymn" weren't ideal, If you are more right-leaning politically, you may want to tread lightly for some of these lyrics too, but folk punk and crust punk aren't subgenres known for holding back.

ASDP's first studio EP is a good debut that leans well into Mikhal's prior output as a singer/guitarist, and while I do wish that they had a stronger social media presence beyond Instagram (how are they not on Facebook yet?), there's some solid music to be had for crust and ska punk fans, so buy/stream the EP at the above links! I hope you guys liked this month's album review, and after a two month spell in Sault Ontario, we're returning to the EUP next month when we kick off the fall with a look at St. Ignace, Michigan deathcore band Heavy Lies The Crown's most recent EP "Notions", as we finally begin reviewing local metal, hard rock, and punk albums from 2026! Thanks everyone, and look for more news this week!

Prince Fest, Tarnished, And The Nameless Weekend Concert Previews!!

Let's mow through most of the rest of this weekend's hard rock concert previews today, by looking at Saturday-only Sault Ontario gigs as well as hard rock shows in Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula, which is where we're leading off, so here's what you should know on this Friday morning! Previews of tomorrow's Bone Yard show and frontman Greg Simpson's Sunday matinee gig will be in our next news post.

Local classic/hard rock cover band Tarnished will return to Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT at their new(?) Lakeside Lounge! The last scheduled concerts of any kind for their summer slate there (as per this calendar), Tarnished confirmed on their Facebook page that these will be acoustic concerts featuring just singer/guitarist Alex Traynor and guitarist Josh Fair. This goes in line with the Lakeside Lounge's live music schedule, which has only scheduled solo artists and duos. We'll let you know when they return to the stage fully plugged in with Chris and Ron in tow, let alone with Isaac in Crush! You can enjoy their hard rocking acoustic covers this weekend in Brimley at 8:00 PM both nights with 21+ age limits and no cover, but for unclear reasons, Saturday's show is a half length affair ending at 10:00 PM rather than midnight. See above for more details, and here's Alex & Josh live!

Next up, local hard rock quartet The Nameless are advertised to rock The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Last seen locally at the finale of the Hell To Paradise motorcycle rally elsewhere at the Soo Kewadin last month (with a road trip to Republic in the interim), The Nameless are getting their maiden bookings at The Rapids Lounge just in time, as it is closing this fall in advance of heavy renovations and the construction of a new sports bar opening at the Sault Ste. Marie branch next year. Bands are scheduled through at least the end of September, but of course, we'll let you know if The Rapids Lounge survives past then or closes early (for what it's worth, the band has not posted on their Facebook page in over two weeks). Assuming everything is a go, the hard rock cover action is at 9:00 PM tonight and tomorrow with 21+ age limits and no cover. See above for more details, and here's The Nameless live!

Now north to Sault Ontario, but 20 minutes down Second Line West, as the first annual Prince Fest takes place TOMORROW! To be held at the corner of Second Line and Airport Road in the baseball field adjacent to co-promoters DeMarco's Boots & Saddles Roadhouse, this festival is being well hyped across multiple AI-generated posters on social media, with vendors, family activities, food & drinks, kids entertainment, and on-site baseball and basketball tournaments, so be sure to visit the DeMarco's Facebook page for full non-musical details! The musical portion will be headlined at 9:00 PM by Toronto-based Kiss tribute band Destroyer, who have played here multiple times since the SMS launched (including at the former Soo Blaster three years ago), so it will be good to see their faithful and entertaining take on Kiss' classic catalogue again tomorrow night! Local acoustic punk cover duo Dos Amigos will play the middle set at 7:00 PM.

Capping off their busy weekend of three shows in three days, hopefully Dustin & Mikey have a solid audience west of the Soo tomorrow evening! Frequently seen Boots & Saddles performer Mike Robitaille will kick off the music with an acoustic country set at 5:00 PM, and both local openers are blocked for two hours apiece. While Prince Fest is an all ages event beginning at 12:00 PM, organizers have clarified that only the first five hours have free admission. The three musical acts will have a separate ticketed admission of $35, which is up $15 from Destroyer's show here in 2023, but remember that that wasn't part of a festival. Weather-wise, 9&10 News is calling for 19-23° temperatures during the band portion of Prince Fest and mostly cloudy skies, plus a slight chance of rain early in Destroyer's set. Keep tabs with your preferred weather forecasts for potential updates. It will be mostly cloudy in the afternoon too with a high of 24°.

Should be a fun time if you're out east or are up for a drive (if not quite as nice for sky conditions as The Northern Vibe Festival will get 90 minutes east), and between Destroyer's well known take on Kiss' hit singles, Dos Amigos' unplugged punk covers, and Mike's own talents, music fans will have a little something to like regardless of genre preference! Visit the above links for much more on what to expect outside of the Boots & Saddles on Sunday, and here's Destroyer live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Bone Yard/Greg Simpson previews and more next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Northern Vibe Festival XI!!)

The full daily lineup for the band-centric Forest Stage at the eleventh annual Northern Vibe Festival was finally announced on their Facebook page this past Friday, so here's two big LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS! Apologies for the short notice, Northern Vibe routinely announces the full schedules on short notice, though at least they do it now, unlike in the early 2020s (note that the EDM/DJ-centric Roost River Stage lineups had not been posted at press time). After five years curated by former Frightlight/Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce, the curator baton of the Ophir-based concert festival was passed to Golden Scoundrels/ex-Shit Liver frontman Josh Penno, and luckily, the weather gods appear to be welcoming him, as the forecast looks much better this weekend than it did last year, when a severe thunderstorm wrecked the Forest Stage overnight, rendering it unusable on the Saturday and forcing a number of band dropouts.

The Forest Stage has been rebuilt, and organizers, staff, and vendors are ready, with Josh cobbling together a whopping sixteen acts this weekend, which is the most ever for a Forest Stage lineup post-pandemic (and no one has dropped out!). With all of that said, who all is rocking Poplardale Road at the old Hempfest stomping grounds this weekend?

Starting with TOMORROW'S shorter band lineup, the 10:00 PM headlining slot (in a mild surprise) will go to local funk rock cover quartet The Rhythm Junction, with their set following the annual fire lighting ceremony at 9:45 PM. Newer blues rock cover quintet Sunday & The Broken Hearts will co-headline at 9:00 PM, while tomorrow's only returning act plays at 8:00 PM, namely local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith (presumably alongside The Big Finish Band). Mike and crew have played each of the last three Northern Vibes, but they were among the acts who salvaged a set on plywood after the Forest Stage's destruction last year, so it will be good to see Mike's hard rocking originals back on the stage proper! Local blues singer/guitarist (and mayoral candidate!) Josh "The Preacher" McNally will take the stage alongside his Jackleg Band at 7:00 PM, while alternative hard rock band Riverside Stasis will open the festival at 6:00 PM.

Featuring members of HeadFirst and The Barbarians from last year's Northern Vibe, they're used to kicking off a local summer concert festival this year, having also done so at WestFest, and while Raine & Anthony got their set in before the storm really wreaked havoc, Tea and Rob will like being back on The Forest Stage proper! We'll detail admission specifics at post's end, but 9&10 News is calling for 13-20° temperatures and clear skies throughout the band program TOMORROW, and if you're arriving at the festival grounds early, the nice conditions will be present all day. Visit the above links for more on the Friday bill, and here's Mike Haggith & the gang live at Northern Vibe two years ago! You can guess why they didn't film last year's set.

Now to the larger SATURDAY lineup, and after splitting some touring acts on both days last time, this year's four touring acts are all backloaded on this day's bill, so hopefully the forecast holds up! Headlining at 10:00 PM is Flint, Michigan ska punk band The Write-Ups (the first American band to play at Northern Vibe), with this being their second local gig in a four month span. Things clearly went well at The Speak Easy for them to get a callback so soon, so don't miss out if you love ska punk original action! Josh Penno's own folk/country quartet The Golden Scoundrels will co-headline at 9:00 PM in their third straight year at Northern Vibe, with country singer/guitarist and former Way Backs frontman Jeffrey Wright kicking off the country nighttime block at 8:00 PM. All-female Timmins pop punk quartet Saving Bambi will make their local concert debut in Ophir on SATURDAY at 7:00 PM.

Newer Sudbury hard rock quartet Pressure Event will play our neck of the woods for the first time at 6:00 PM, preceded by local ska punk quartet ASDP (whose debut album will be reviewed on the SMS by Monday!) at 5:00 PM. Rappers take the Forest Stage for the two sets prior, including Sudbury MC Ronin705 (a late replacement artist at Northern Vibe in 2021) at 4:00 PM and local rap collective Soundsxvad at 3:00 PM, with the merger of Sound Syndrome and Fvcksxvad returning after playing the Friday bill last year. Like last year, there is a "bingo break" slotted in the SATURDAY afternoon (I don't know if last year's happened in spite of the Forest Stage damage or not), but this is dependent on volunteer availability. Have your dabbers ready just in case for 2:00 PM? Solo artists will kick off the music on day #2, including local/Peterborough folk singer/guitarist Michelle Moran at 1:00 PM.

The opening two acts will get half-length sets, including late addition & Steel Rock alum Darius McRae at 12:30 PM and a solo set by Josh credited as "Pen Pen Happy Fun Time" at 12:00 PM. Still don't quite get that name (I'd go with Quarter Scoundies myself). Following an expectedly calm forecast overnight, 9&10 News is calling for partly-to-mostly cloudy skies on SATURDAY with a high of 25° and a low of 16°, but this is going up too soon for an hourly forecast for the evening and beyond. Of note for campers, rain is expected on Sunday, but that is always the wake up/tear down day and has no scheduled bands. See above for more on the SATURDAY Forest Stage program, and for a preview, here's The Write-Ups live!

Outside of the bands, visit the festival's Facebook page or website for the full list of DJs playing on the Roost River Stage, even if the schedule isn't out (yet?) Notably, among the arts and culture vendors in Ophir this weekend will be magician Ryan McFarling, who was a scheduled Forest Stage performer in 2023 but was just present on the festival grounds for other years. Northern Vibe XI will have camping encouraged as usual, so click here for the ground rules re: what to expect if you're spending a night or two, and how to respect the space and prepare for being off the grid. Online ticket sales ended on Wednesday, and organizers can't guarantee availability of passes at gate, but this is a 19+ event, and early bird full-weekend passes had been on sale for $125, so keep that in mind re: what chancing admission on-site would cost. If you're up for a weekend rocking out in the bush, this will be a hell of a way to end the summer, so hopefully you have your tickets!

With weather forecasts on Katrina's, staff's, performers', and vendors' side, hopefully everything goes off without a hitch after last year's rather hitch-laden band schedules (too bad Avessel haven't came back for a drier second go-around yet), so visit the above links for full details on this year's Northern Vibe Festival and its band schedules TOMORROW & SATURDAY, and weekend concert previews for the Soo and EUP resume next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck & Curtis McKenzie) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

Time got away from me yesterday, so between that and arguably the last mega-busy concert weekend of the summer, we'll push this month's YouTube Channel Profile up slightly to dive into what will be at least four posts with weekend concert previews as we wrap up August 2026! Today's previews look at shows from bands in Sault Ontario playing shows tomorrow in some form or fashion, but we'll start with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Former Project 421/Eclipse frontman Curtis McKenzie will reportedly return to The Dive Gastro Pub for one night only TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, Curt only announced this show via his Facebook page on Monday, and as increasingly usual, The Dive has not corroborated this gig on their Facebook page at press time. Last seen at Beck's earlier this month, fans were last able to see Curtis at the former Low & Slow in early July, and hopefully there's a decent crowd at The Dive TONIGHT for his unplugged hard rock and grunge covers once again despite the few days' notice! While not firmly stated, this should be a "Patio Play" gig based on the recent Thursday gigs that The Dive did actually promote, so weather-wise, 9&10 News is calling for clear skies with 13-15° temperatures TONIGHT. The show begins at 9:30 PM with no cover, so see above for more details, and here's Curtis live!

Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will reportedly rock Jay's Piston Broke Pub for a second straight week TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, I only learned of these bookings via personal Facebook postings on Wednesday, and Jay's has not newly confirmed the shows (this AI-generated poster was made by the venue for prior bookings). The band has dropped out of their planned Friday-only Water Tower Pub concert for unannounced reasons, with his weekend's apparent return to Jay's being Soundcheck's second pair of concerts since announcing the retirement of bassist Jim Michaud, but they nor their sister band Separate Wayz have confirmed if Jim has been replaced yet or not. You can find out for yourself who (if anyone) is on bass at Jay's TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! These shows are not "epic crossovers" with Separate Wayz, but Nicole will be back with Terry, Johnny, and *insert bassist here* (and Travis?) next month.

For what it's worth, I believe I have identified former Korner Monsters guitarist Rusty Barrel as the synth player seen in some prior live photos. Rusty guested with former Soundcheck singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver on cajon at many of his final local gigs before moving to the USA, and he also played cajon for TNT (Travis & Terry's acoustic side project) during their Nicole-bolstered set at Maddy's Mighty Mutts' Family Fun Day earlier this month. As best as I can tell, he is a guest performer regardless of band name (he didn't make the Chapleau trip), but it's good to fill in that blank! TOMORROW & SATURDAY's concerts are at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover. See above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

Now to shows that did have advance notice, and we'll start with local acoustic punk duo Dos Amigos, who will kick off a busy end-of-summer weekend with shows at Thomson Farms Cider & Winery TODAY and at The Whisky Barrel TOMORROW NIGHT! Doubling these up here because they're both standard concerts, just at two very different locales, with Mikey & Dustin first heading north to the Third Line West cider mill, farm, and winery for another evening of acoustic punk covers outdoors this evening, though the end of summer doesn't necessarily mean the end of shows there for 2026, as Thomson Farms will remain open through the end of October. The BookcluB side project will then head downtown tomorrow night for a concert at The Whisky Barrel on Gore Street, marking their first stop at this Irish pub since early last month, so if this is better located or timed, keep this show in mind for tomorrow!

Our preview of Saturday's Prince Fest will be in our third weekend concert preview post, as Northern Vibe will be next given that its Friday lineup begins sooner than the cover bands that night in city limits. This evening's Thomson Farms show is at 6:00 PM (9&10 News has light clouds and temperatures of 16-19° during the three hour showtime on the patio), while tomorrow's Whisky Barrel concert is at 8:00 PM indoors. The former is all ages, the latter is not, and neither has an announced cover charge. See above for more details on stages #1-2 of their busy weekend, and here's Dos Amigos live!

Finally for weekend concert preview post #1, we'll head to Reggie's Place, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will take the stage TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! For as experienced and frequently seen as Generations are, these will surprisingly be their first Reggie's concerts since July of last year, and thusly their first stops at this Queen Street East staple with new guitarist Joe Miller (who hasn't played at Reggie's in way longer than that). Hopefully there's a solid turnout tomorrow and Saturday for their old school rock favourites, and the band has teased maybe debuting some new songs in their sets this weekend! Both shows are at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's a new video of Generations live at The Water Tower Pub last month! This was shared to their Facebook group via Joe's personal Facebook page.

The 2+ minute video sees Generations covering most of The Headpins' "Don't It Make Ya Feel", which is some welcomed hard rockin' Cancon that Valerie sings with gusto, and while the song isn't fully captured via this stationary camera, at least it's horizontal. There is a couple blocking our view of Pierre and Tony, but they're enjoying their evening at a provided table, so I blame the camera placement. Still a solid cover, so give it a watch below, and see more from Generations at Reggie's this weekend!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our extended Northern Vibe Festival preview next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Bone Yard 225) & Mid-Week Concert Previews!!

An unusually busy stretch of mid-week hard rock concert previews is upon us, so before the actual weekend concert previews begin in earnest, here's what you should know for hard rock concerts tonight and tomorrow, starting with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will play a special "uncorked" concert TOMORROW at the old A&W at 121 Great Northern Road! Apologies for the short notice, the band never publically confirmed this booking on social media, but it is on their website's calendar and postings from members' personal accounts. The band isn't confirmed in the AI-generated poster for the event either, but Bone Yard are no strangers to playing charity car & bike shows at either A&W on Great Northern. Typically, they're booked for the Cruisin' The Dub car shows at the newer A&W down the highway, but the smaller and older A&W is typically used for motorcycle shows, and TOMORROW'S will be the annual August one in support of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. Expect raffle prizes, merchandise, and lots of bikes, with prizes also existing for bikers entering their rides, and click here for full details on the event.

In frontman Greg Simpson's first of two shows in the coming week (more on the second in a few days), your local 225's acoustic outdoor set takes place TOMORROW from 5:00-7:00 PM with no cover or age limit, but consider buying a Teen Burger, as $2 from each purchased TOMORROW will be donated directly to MS Canada. At press time, 9&10 News is calling for 23° temperatures with sunny skies. Kudos to "the dirty three" for supporting a wonderful charity again, and you know they like motorcycles, so visit the above links for more on the bike show, and here's Bone Yard live!

Next up, let's dive into two mid-week shows that did have advance notice, starting with the continuation of prolific local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's summer concert arrangement at The Mike Case Memorial Stage outside of The Trading Post TODAY! After this Wednesday evening gig at the outdoor stage at 1332 Great Northern Road, Tym will have just three shows left in this run for 2026, barring an added gig on another day of the week, so consider a run north for his unplugged hard rock covers and other hits! As usual for Tym's shows here, this is a 7:00 PM gig with no cover charge or age limit. 9&10 News is calling for similarly sunny conditions as Bone Yard 225's A&W bike show gig TOMORROW, but for Tym tonight, the temperature is projected to hover around 18°, which is cool for this outdoor series. Visit the official Facebook event page for more on today's concert (Tym's only publically advertised show for this week), and for a preview, here he is live!

Finally, let's look at this year's second Downtown Street Party TOMORROW on Queen Street East! As well promoted via You Belong SSM's Facebook page, tomorrow's festivities will be a double-length street party from Elgin Street all the way to Dennis Street, effectively combining last month's cancelled street party (from Elgin-Brock) with this month's Brock-Dennis event. Fingers crossed that there's no sudden forest fire smoke hazards again, but it will happen rain or shine otherwise! Non-musical activities from the cancelled party will be implemented tomorrow, like Nicole Does Trivia and a screening of Jaws 1 (both at the Downtown Plaza), along with lots of expected family entertainment, vendors, deals and promotions from Queen Street businesses, games, and even a rock climbing wall by the Gardens, so click here for much more on what to expect on this huge stretch of Queen!

While no musicians from last month's cancelled street party were booked tomorrow, there will be three stages of action, one more SMS-geared than the rest. Attendees will want to look up (way up!) towards the roof of Village Media headquarters at the corner of Queen & Bruce Street for a stacked lineup of musicians on "The Canopy", and the elevation alone will set this rare concert apart! Bands there tomorrow will include headlining alternative/punk cover sextet BookcluB at 9:30 PM, local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith (with his Big Finish Band presumably in tow) at 8:15 PM, and Dustcovers singer/guitarist "Just" Tom Peer opening at 7:00 PM. Timeslots are identical on the other two stages tomorrow, including a folk/blues lineup of Jay Case, The Preacher & His Jackleg Band, and Matthew James playing at the OLG Stage at the corner of Queen & March Street.

Also, EDM artists Flummoxx, Hippie Business, and Skeletune will perform at an outdoor stage near Outspoken Brewing, so if your musical interests lean in any of these three directions, you have lots of options on Queen tomorrow! Downtown Street Party #2 is FREE & ALL AGES with a 6:30-11:00 PM complete timeframe. 9&10 News has temperatures starting similarly to the Bone Yard 225 A&W gig TOMORROW, but dipping from 23° to 18° by night's end, and some clouds will arise. Hopefully things go smoothly for the City, attendees, vendors, and musicians alike for what should be a packed evening, including the rocking lineup on top of The Canopy! See above for more details, and for a preview, here's BookcluB live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and more on the SMS shortly! Thanks everyone!