A New Demo Release, Bottom Line Updates, And Much More!!

After devoting our last two posts to rolling in the remaining active punk bands on the site, we're gonna touch on some backlogged news for a bit before adding defunct and inactive punk bands to our links, but I guarantee that they're coming soon! Today, we have some new jam session videos, assorted stories, and updates from a Sault Michigan band, but first, here's details on a recent demo release for you grindcore and death metal fans!

We'll start with the latest from local goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore, who quietly released their new full length demo "Welcome To Earth" last Tuesday! A 33 minute release with 15 songs, the front & back cover are both up on their Facebook page, but I won't embed the cover art here due to imagery that some may find offensive. Frontman Tyler "Ringsnaps" Gibson distributed some advance copies at his Touch of Death Festival appearance in Cochrane last month, though unless C.T.W. are playing somewhere before next month's Archspire show, you can only buy a hard copy directly through Tyler at the moment. A full YouTube upload is expected for the coming weeks, but as a preview, Tyler did upload the ninth song "Gobbledeegook" onto label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel on Monday, which is over half spoken word and samples before getting to usual goregrind and death metal action, and fans of existing C.T.W. originals will like this one also!

In honour of the release, Crucify The Whore also played a private release party with Tyler's duo project Rotopsy and local rapper Phat Boii last week, and a video from their set also made it to the Blood Shed YouTube channel two days later, which captures both an intense original song with Mike Kyle-esque screaming mixed in, and the unique sight of a pool noodle fight among attendees! The video quality's medium, but fans of the goregrind will want to watch this, so give it a look below, and contact Tyler above to buy a copy of "Welcome To Earth"!

Next up, here's the latest from Sault Michigan hard rock quartet The Bottom Line, as they've added former RamWagon/Full Throttle frontman Ryan Kitzmiller to their lineup, replacing Mitch Goetz, as per their Facebook page on Monday. The band cited having to "go in a different direction" for Mitch's exit, and while there was no bad blood, "it's just part of the business", leaving the reasons for the switch to be vague otherwise. Ryan's a solid addition, as fans will have seen from his prior local cover hard rock bands, but Mitch has always shown talent in his other bands (The Highest of Fives still among them), and best of luck to him for sure! Ryan will debut with The Bottom Line at the Music & Arts Dockside Festival in Hessel on July 20th at 2:30 PM, but there might not be much longer for them after that, as a related comment on Facebook said that they "will most likely be playing our last show in just over a month" due to bassist Jack Slater's out of town college commitments, and they want to send him out on the right note, though details on that set have yet to be revealed.

Though disappointing if true, it's not all that unexpected, as Jack's return to college also contributed to 415E's break last fall. Things look like they've been going well for the band despite what's came out recently, so stay tuned for updates on what's next (or left?) from The Bottom Line!

Also today, we have some new videos from Sault Ontario hardcore/grunge duo Bad Back to share on here! Courtesy of drummer Nathan Sauve's new YouTube channel (not his old "suavij" one), he's uploaded two videos there in the past month, including this jam session clip of the band playing their original "Number 1 Single" and improvisations afterward, though the camera is pointed only at Nathan without singer/guitarist Jamie Vincent caught in frame. Solid quality otherwise, but embedded below is a 51 minute jam session clip from last month, so what should you know on this? Nathan actually listed the track order (including short jammed and solo asides) on the video's description, so click here for the full order, but you can see Bad Back playing originals like "Lung Bucket", "Two Tongues", and "Party Bus" along with cover jams ranging from Blink-182 to Limp Bizkit, and even their old local band Fuller!

Shot at a better angle to catch both guys, the video captures Bad Back in a looser and more carefree setting, and while it's not as polished as a formal concert, the high video quality helps, and it's fun to see a lot of new footage of Bad Back (I also like the concert poster collection on the wall!) Check out Nathan's new Bad Back videos above and below, and don't miss them opening for The Archaics at The New A next week!




Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter stories from the last few days, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• Thunder Bay grindcore trio Grindcorchestra have been added as co-headliners of the Archspire concert at The Oddfellows Hall on August 3rd, as per promoters Heavy North Entertainment on the Facebook event page on Monday, with the $10 admission price remaining unchanged. Solid addition, as Grindcorchestra's eclectic blend of death metal and jazz/progressive influences should lend themselves well to this all ages show! Hear more from them above!
• Bear Hunters drummer Johnny Belanger is working on a new punk band project, which will cover bands like Guttermouth, NOFX, Rancid, and The Alkaline Trio. Unlike his recent solo punk sets, he will be drumming in this band, and he's looking for a singer and/or lead guitarist to round out their lineup. Sounds cool, it'd be nice to get some more punk bands in the area, so message him at this link or at his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from last week for info!
• Leading from our story on The Bottom Line, I regrettably have to delete inactive local hard rock cover band RamWagon from our band links due to the recent deletion of their Facebook page, which was also their only online page. The band (which splintered off from Full Throttle for assorted Kewadin gigs & last year's LemmaFest) were essentially replaced by new local classic rock/country band Highway 63 in March, with the new band originally sharing 3 RamWagon members. I wish bands wouldn't delete pages, but best of luck to everyone in what comes next!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews, this month's Defunct Local Band Profile, and some new local bands in the next few days! Thanks everyone!

Shit Liver's Album Release, More Recent Updates, And The End Of RamWagon?

Returning to all news today after this weekend's concert previews, we have new videos from a young local metal band, big updates concerning an out of town trip that could pay big dividends, what looks like a band falling inactive, and first, a long awaited CD release, so here's what you need to know!

Local/Toronto grindcore trio Shit Liver have finally announced a release date for their debut album, complete with a commercial for it! Nearing two years after recording sessions began, the band announced on their Facebook page on Wednesday that the album (which will be self-titled) is scheduled to come out on Sunday, April 20th! The commercial (which is the first upload to their YouTube channel since 2011) is mostly text overtop of audio samples, but it does include this image (likely the album cover, I await a higher-res copy), a movie trailer rating card at the beginning, and references to the long delay in a release as it awaited mastering. The video confirms that upon release, Shit Liver's album will be available for a free stream on YouTube (it's already on their Reverberation page), while the album will be available online via this BandCamp link in three weeks on a "pay what you want" digital model (a'la the Hiroshima Mutant Mindframe's album), though there will be hard copies and merchandise for sale there as well.

Note however that the video doesn't confirm concert availability, or if there will be a release party here or in Southern Ontario, but they will be back home to open for Fuck The Facts on May 4th, so they could have hard copies then. It's great to finally see Shit Liver release their album (even if after they moved), so stay tuned for updates as we near April 20th, and check out the full trailer below!

Next up, remember how we reported earlier this month that a new country rock band named Highway 63 had replaced local hard rockers RamWagon for this weekend's gigs at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino? Well, it looks like a replacement for more than just those gigs, as their lineup is almost exactly the same as RamWagon's most recent full incarnation. Only bassist George Belleau is not a part of Highway 63, with Ryan Kitzmiller, Nathan Switzer (now on bass), and Ron Suchey all joining frontman Henry Switzer (Nathan's dad and Ron's former Monkey's Uncle bandmate) in this new project, while this past weekend's shows were considered a "test run". Highway 63's lineup has a solid level of talent and experience, so country and classic rock fans should enjoy them, but what does this mean for RamWagon? Given that Highway 63 features most of their last lineup, and has taken over this past weekend's dates (and presumably more), I'll reluctantly consider RamWagon to be inactive for our purposes.

Active for just a year, RamWagon became a popular sight from numerous Kewadin Casino gigs and other assorted events (like their LemmaFest debut) throughout 2013, but an ambitious 2014 concert lineup was slashed to only a few scattered dates last month, and both George and Ron were removed from their Facebook page's lineup around then, with no updates following. If RamWagon are done as an independent band, it's definitely disappointing, as they had been growing fast in prominence, but I wish the guys well with Highway 63, and the same goes for George, Cody, and Marcel in the future!

Also in the news, local hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings and some other notable local bands have applied a big upcoming concert event a few hours east of the Soo! As announced on their Facebook page on Thursday, they'll be among the competitiors at the fourth annual battle of the bands in Spanish next Saturday to determine openers for this year's Rock 'N Roar festival, where the top 5 bands (out of 14 this year) will win cash ($1,000 for first, $500 for second-fifth) and opening slots for Randy Bachman & Honeymoon Suite on Saturday, August 16th! I can also confirm that reunited local rock band Wishbone are joining them this year, and that their new lineup is almost a reunion of their late 2009 incarnation (longtime frontman Dennis Duguay, returning guitarist & drummer Jeremey Salatuk & Brent Royer, and Jeremey's Lucky 13 bandmate Jeff Gray in place of Chris Smith.) The official performer lineup has not been announced yet, but Saultites are no stranger to the Rock N' Roar battle, as Havadder & The Thrill Junkies both made the top 5 in the last two years, and Griphook also competed last year.

Both The Suicide Kings and Wishbone have made the podium of recent local battles (The Suicide Kings' Steven Flint even played with Wishbone at the Humane Society Battle), but will their local good luck translate to Spanish next weekend? We'll keep you guys posted if and when we hear more, but good luck to the local competitors, do us proud!

Finally for today, here's some new video footage from local goregrind duo Rotopsy! One is a new upload to the Blood Shed Productions YouTube channel, and it's their new studio track "Your Blood on my JR Shooz", though viewer discretion is advised due to the adult content on the pictured artwork. To be included on Rotopsy's upcoming solo demo, it has the needed heaviness and will entertain fans, but those not acclimated to the grind on display will find it to be rough sledding. The other new video is from the Commencing Human Desperation concert at The Oddfellows Hall last weekend, though it was oddly shared on bassist Tyler Gibson's main band Crucify The Whore's Facebook page rather than Rotopsy's. Originally shot by promoter Tyler St. Amour and uploaded to his personal Facebook page last Saturday, this is of Rotopsy playing their original "T.F.T.", and though the video has dark lighting and is often blurry, it captures the extra spontaneity of the live setting well, so check it out below!



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

The Rest Of The Weekend Concert Previews, Assorted Updates, And The Return Of No Arrow?

Today's post both closes this weekend's hard rock & metal concert previews and covers some recent news items (including a band resurrection and some cancelled shows), but remember to check out yesterday's post for previews of shows taking place today! Now, here's what you need to know!

A special benefit event named Medifest 2014 goes down TOMORROW NIGHT at The Grand Theater! The first hard rock-featured show of the year at this venue, the event is designed to raise proceeds and awareness for the expiring Medical Marijuana Access Regulations program, and to help preserve existing rights to medical marijuana usage in Canada and promote awareness to the cause. For all information on that angle of Medi-Fest, visit the Facebook event page! In terms of the music, there are now 6 acts due to a late notice addition, so who's playing? The event will be headlined (and promoted) by new local alternative/funk rock quartet The Elements in just their second live concert appearance, while bassist James White's punk trio Redundant are also on board for their first Grand Theatre appearance since the Motion Carried days, and classic metal quintet Project 421 will make their own Grand debut tomorrow night while riding the momentum from the Anvil show! As well, Skeyes of Seven frontman Cory Murchison will make a rare solo appearance tomorrow night in his first public concert set in almost a year, which should be interesting!

A debuting local band named Obviously D'uh are also scheduled for tomorrow's show, but I still have no information on them, though I'll update this if I hear anything! The late notice addition is The Craig West Experience, a new local rock trio featuring most of local prog-rockers Machines Dream (minus Keith Conway), so don't miss their experienced talent! Admission is via a $10 donation (but advance tickets are available on request), an 8:00 PM start time is advertised, and age limits are unclear. Check the above links for more information! Though I don't smoke marijuana at all, I understand it's benefits, and if Medi-Fest succeeds at spreading awareness, then things will work out well! Hopefully there's a huge turnout, and for a preview, here's The Elements at their debut show!



Lastly for known hard rock concerts this weekend, Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's weekly concert/jam night arrangement at The Harp Pub & Grill continues TOMORROW NIGHT! Entering the 16th week of his current regular run at the former Madison's Pub, this week's show was postponed from it's usual Friday night placement due to tonight's Glitch show at The Harp, so if Saturday doesn't work out for you, Tym will be back at his normal day next week! Regardless of day, his acoustic hard rock covers are always a reliable option for your weekend concert/live music plans, and if you're a prospective open mic performer, there's always that angle to keep in mind too! There's no announced cover charge for Tym's show tomorrow, you must be 19 to attend, and there's a 10:00 PM start time as well. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Tym should be at usual form for his unplugged and diverse covers tomorrow, so take note of it, and for a preview, here's Tym covering Extreme's "More Than Words"!

Next up, remember defunct local grunge trio No Arrow? Well, they re-emerged online last week, over 3 years after their last show, though their future status is somewhat muddled. The return of sorts appears to mainly be an outlet to finally release their debut album "Souls For Sale" (which was started in 2007) through Right Notes Recording, which I believe is drummer Joe Falco's new independent label, and they're even getting some internet radio play this week. However, there has been something of a falling out between Joe and frontman Dann Pichette since, and while I won't get into details on that aspect, Joe has updated the new No Arrow Facebook page since, and he also changed a few song names (i.e. "Sikkha" is listed as "Sik Master") via their streaming copies on Soundclick. Even before recent revelations, these plans just looked like a posthumous release of the album, especially with Dann living out of town & the band's various bassists not being visibly part of the new activity, though who knows what will happen now if Dann and Joe aren't on the same page.

I always enjoyed No Arrow during their active run, and while I'd love to see "Souls For Sale" finally out in a completed state, I'd definitely rather see it happen if Dann & Joe (who were with the band from the beginning) came to a consensus on everything. I would question why three song names were changed when that's what they've been called since the late 2000s, but I'm not involved in the process to know all that went on. If more comes out on these No Arrow plans, I'll have them here!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news stories from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• These Sins of Time frontwoman Alexa LeClair is looking for a bassist to play "rock originals", though it's not clear whether this is to fill the vacant bass slot in T.S.O.T. or for an unrelated music project (for what it's worth, she previously looked for a drummer without clarifying the intended band earlier this year as well.) If you're interested in trying out, message Alexa at this link or via her Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from this past Sunday!
• The previously announced Heavy Thursday at The Roosevelt Hotel on April 3rd has quietly been cancelled, as per the deletion of it's Facebook event page on Monday. A reason has not been announced, but as of last Saturday, Victoria punk band (and projected headliners) Babysitter listed their local date on Facebook as having a venue to be announced. Disappointing, but hopefully the series persists, and don't miss the next confirmed installment with Tribune on April 17th!
• It looks like next weekend's scheduled RamWagon dates at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino have been cancelled, as new local country rock band Highway 63 (which I believe features ex-Monkey's Uncle frontman Henry Switzer) are now advertising that their debut concert weekend will take place over the same nights. The venue has yet to confirm this, but I'll note that RamWagon haven't updated their Facebook page since they severely cut their 2014 concert schedule last month. Stay tuned in case we get any extra clarification!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profiles and new Anvil videos soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (415E, Peril, Driven, And RamWagon), Including Some Cancellations!!

First off, I just want to congratulate Team Jacobs on winning gold at the Olympics in Sochi this morning! You've done Sault Ste. Marie proud, we can't wait to see you guys get your medals! Now, today's post at the SMS is 100% devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS across the river at the Sault Michigan and St. Ignace Kewadin Casino branches, as the respective entertainment pages for each location (links here & here) are now updated for concerts at The Rapids Lounge & Northern Pines Lounge through the summer, and yes, a bunch of hard rock bands have new dates! Now, due to the amount, we'll save the two new shows from Banned (which are last chronologically) for another upcoming post just to spread things out, but they are coming! Also, if you look at the entertainment pages, you'll notice a new band named #YOLO (which did include the hashtag) that's playing three upcoming weekends through July, though another recent personal Facebook post credits them as No Decision.

While public updates are minimal on them, I can confirm that they're more or less the same as defunct rock cover band Toast's late-era acoustic lineup, just with former Shift frontwoman Amy Beairl on vocals instead of the now relocated Melissa Strand (and I believe their name was once Pushing Forward Back according to older Kewadin schedules.) Promising, we'll have to see how they sound, and thanks to guitarist Mike Libertoski for the info!

We'll start our verified hard rock cover announcements with Sault Michigan hard rock quartet 415E, who will apparently play their second through fourth concert weekends of the year at the local Kewadin branches, including their long awaited returns to St. Ignace on March 21st & 22nd and on May 30th & 31st! The March weekend will be the former Hubbard-Menard Band's first shows at The Northern Pines Lounge in 8 months (barring interim announcements), while they'll also return to the Sault Kewadin for the first time in almost 5 months with a weekend there on June 13th & 14th. Nice to see the guys playing more following their late-2013 hiatus, so hopefully they get a solid turnout for these dates, sporadic as they may be! Again, I can't verify if their lineup as the same as last year though, but in this case, no news might mean no change. Like usual, these shows have 21+ age limits, no announced cover charge, and 9:00 PM start times, so check the above links for more details, and don't miss 415E's Van Halen-influenced intensity later this year!

Also with three upcoming Kewadin concert weekend to add to their schedule is Charlevoix classic metal trio Peril, who will return to The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace for shows on May 23rd & 24th and on July 25th & 26th, which sandwich a Rapids Lounge return in the Soo on June 6th & 7th! For upcoming concerts, these join their already announced St. Ignace gigs next weekend, while the June stops in Sault Michigan will be their first there in over 4 months. Peril's entertaining metal covers should fit in nicely again as they return to the Eastern U.P. in mid-2014, so if you're up for some live heavy action, you know where to be! For the record, no new dates for frontman Jeff Hudson's other metal band Scarkazm were among the recent announcements at the regional Kewadin branches, but hopefully their April shows go well so they come back up here! Like the 415E shows, expect 21+ age limits, no cover, and 9:00 PM start times, so check the above links for more details, and be there for Peril's next U.P. shows!

Now to some summer exclusives, Cheboygan classic hard rock trio Driven will make their long awaited return to the Upper Peninsula for a concert weekend on Friday, June 27th & Saturday, June 28th at The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace! These will be this skilled veteran band's first Kewadin Casino dates in 9 months, so it's been a long time coming for the regional return of Driven, who have carved out a very solid reputation for themselves! I just wish there was more media online to check out of theirs. As above, you must be 21 to see Driven in June, there's no announced cover charge, and everything starts at or after 9:00 PM. Check the above links for more details, and fingers crossed these aren't Driven's only Eastern U.P. stops of the year, as fans will know how good they are!

Finally for today's new shows, Sault Michigan hard rock quartet RamWagon have a new Kewadin concert weekend announced, as they'll apparently return to The Rapids Lounge on Friday, August 8th & Saturday, August 9th! Promising sign for this rising newer quartet (featuring Monkey's Uncle and Full Throttle alumni), but there have been a ton of cancellations too. Aside from the above shows and their scheduled Sault Kewadin weekends on March 28th & 29th, October 24th & 25th, and November 28th & 29th, Kewadin's entertainment pages no longer list other announced RamWagon dates that were confirmed on their Facebook page last month, with it's schedule being refined on Sunday. Their March 14th & 15th Soo shows are now divided between Banned alum Alex Schrovenwever's current cover rock band Ricochet and a live UFC 171 broadcast, while their May 9th & 10th dates in St. Ignace and August 1st & 2nd shows in the Soo are now slotted for local acoustic rock duo The London Gentlemen (though the latter shows are still listed on RamWagon's Facebook page.)

Also, the shows on July 11th & 12th, October 17th & 18th, and December 19th & 20th have replacements to be announced, and the cancellations leave RamWagon with no upcoming St. Ignace dates in 2014, or anywhere for a four month stretch starting in April. A reason for the cancellations (or withdrawals?) has not been publicized, but something big must have happened to suddenly lose 6 concert weekends. Hopefully all's well in their camp though, and hopefully their modern hard rock covers go over well next month! The new August shows also have a 21+ age limit, no cover, and 9:00 PM start times, and check the above links for more details!

That's all for today, but I'll see you guys TONIGHT at The Rockstar Bar for Late & Loud's reunion show! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Stiffler's Mom), Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

Four posts in two days, we're off to a fast start for 2014! Today's post mostly relates to weekend concert previews, including a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for Saturday night, but we also have lineup notes and debuts for two hard rock bands playing this weekend, and some more assorted notes to round out today's post. As for Tym Morrison's weekly arrangement at The Harp, while I assume it'll continue tomorrow night, I am currently awaiting official confirmation, but when announced, that will be up on the site as soon as possible. Now, let's begin today's news/preview post!

Local party/hard rock mainstays Stiffler's Mom will kick off 2014 in style with a headlining concert THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only just announced on Monday, and I held it until today to avoid a redundant re-post. The first local concert date for Stiffler's Mom since we officially rolled them into our full coverage, Greg, Mike, and Jobn were last seen upstairs at The Rockstar Bar six weeks ago, and if you're familiar with their fun live concert dates and skilled experience, you'll know they'll be up to their usual tricks again in their first date of the new year! A $5 cover charge is likely for Saturday night, a 10:00 PM start time is likely as well, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the above links (as for one reason or another, this show doesn't have an event page like their late-2013 shows.) This should be an entertaining and often heavy show, so keep it in mind for THIS SATURDAY, and for a preview, here's the guys covering Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train"!



Now to the weekend's heavier dates that we knew about already, including the new Griphook lineup's public debut TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at The Roosevelt Hotel! As you may remember, the band officially replaced Ottawa-bound frontman Jim O'Leary with bassist Dan Beaupre's former 100 Gran bandmate Joel Syrette last week, so this weekend's concerts will be the local hard/classic rock quartet's first verifiable live gigs with Joel up front and their first public non-stag & doe appearance since the Ray Brown benefit in October (not counting 7 Year Itch dates.) Last seen at The Rosie in April, it'll be interesting to hear how the new Griphook lineup does, but Joel & Dan have chemistry from the 100 Gran days, and while Joel isn't overly similar to Jim musically from what I've seen, he is a very talented singer & guitarist, so this should work well! Admission should be free for this weekend's 19+ dates, and a 10:00 PM start time is likely. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and for a preview, here's Griphook's original lineup covering AC/DC last year!

Finally for currently confirmable heavier shows this weekend, prolific Sault Michigan hard rockers RamWagon will debut a new lineup of their own TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT when they make their first 2014 stops at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino! These will be RamWagon's first dates since replacing the departed Marcel Grengs with former Monkey's Uncle drummer Ron Suchey, and given Ron's past work in that band with RamWagon bandmate Nathan Switzer, there should be ready-made chemistry for the new lineup's debut this weekend! Also in lineup changes, the band appears to have parted ways with guitarist Cody Reed at some point late last year, as per his absence from their currently listed Facebook lineup. Unlike with Marcel, a reason has not been publically announced for Cody's departure, but it sounds like it happened somewhat recently, as Cody's personal Facebook page still has RamWagon's banner as his cover photo. He has not been replaced as of yet, but hopefully the split was amicable, and best of luck to Cody in the future!

With lots of wide-ranging modern and older hard rock covers in store, kick off 2014 in good order for the first heavier shows of 2014 across the river with RamWagon! Like usual, there's no announced cover charge, a 9:00 PM-ish start time, and a 21+ age limit. For more details, visit the above links, and for a preview, here's RamWagon's original lineup covering Cameo at LemmaFest last summer!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news stories from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band or company name:

• If you didn't hear any more formal word on why Colosimo's Music Store closed, it's likely related to the closure of it's original Thunder Bay location last August due to declining business as a result of online shopping, as per this news article. Info on the Soo branch (which replaced the relocated Case's Music on Spring Street in 2012) isn't given there, but it definitely closed around the same time last summer. At least nothing bad happened locally, but best of luck to the former staff!
• Were you still curious as to the identity of The Debts, the new punk band that headlined the Danger Cats-featured X-Mess acoustic show at LopLops last month? I assume it's safe to say now that their lineup includes prolific local musician (and Case's Music owner) Jay Case, Blues Harvest/Pesto Shirts alum Jake Rendell, and his former Garage Inc. bandmate Ryan Seabrook. I know they're not a metal band, but I just wanted to answer an open question from our coverage of this event! My source is personal Facebook postings.
• "The original crash band" Sykotyk Rampage have announced a new album for release in 2014, that being a sequel to last year's "Environ-Mental Suits" (subtitled "Anvil of Antioch".) It's album cover was posted on their Facebook page on Tuesday, and it's considered their 45th album, indicating that at least one more is in the works for this year (as they have 43 officially so far.) Release details are forthcoming, but this will likely be a free release like their other recent albums. I'm curious to hear more, and stay tuned!

That's all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow in case there's any late-notice concerts to plug, with other news also lying in wait! Thanks everyone!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Peril, Scarkazm, and RamWagon), And More!!

In our last post before Christmas, we have a few assorted news items (including a band withdrawal for an upcoming concert), but first, here's a bunch of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next year at two linked regional Eastern Upper Peninsula concert venues!

Sault Michigan hard rock quintet RamWagon have confirmed their early Kewadin Casino concert dates for all of 2014 via their Facebook page (with no changes to the original tentative posting), so when can you see them in the new year? If the current word is any indication, mostly at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino, with 12 shows scheduled there for January 3rd & 4th (their first with new drummer Ron Suchey), March 14th & 15th, May 9th & 10th, July 11th & 12th, October 17th & 18th, and December 19th & 20th! They'll also be back at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin branch on March 28th & 29th, August 1st & 2nd, October 24th & 25th, and November 28th & 29th, though the band has noted that they'll announce more dates when confirmed. All 20 concerts have 21+ age limits, no announced cover charges, and 9:00 PM-ish start times, so check the above links for more details! It'd be nice to hear of some new gigs outside of the Kewadin Casino umbrella (there haven't been a ton since their launch), but hopefully we hear more soon from their camp, and don't miss the new lineup's debut next weekend!

Also in new Kewadin Casino concert announcements, Charlevoix classic metal trio Peril will return to the U.P. for the first time in 2014 with shows at The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace on January 10th & 11th, plus on February 28th & March 1st, while they'll play their first Soo Kewadin dates of next year on February 7th & 8th! Currently their only announced shows at any location of 2014, their current concert schedule through March 1st was announced on their Facebook page yesterday, with their shows denoted in red (as the poster outlines all of frontman Jeff Hudson's bands' early 2014 concerts.) Like the above RamWagon concerts, these should have 21+ age limits, no cover, and 9:00 PM start times, and check the above links for more details! It's great to have Peril's entertaining classic metal cover sound back in the Eastern U.P. for some more dates early next year, and hopefully these are just the first of many, so keep an eye out for updates!

Now, speaking of Jeff Hudson's bands, you may know that he plays in a few other active rock groups that aren't frequently seen in the Soo area. That might be changing though, as Jeff's Traverse City-based metal trio Scarkazm as playing at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino for two weekends on January 31st & February 1st and on April 25th & 26th! The former dates are listed on the schedule above, while the April shows are via their website. A melodic groove metal band featuring Jeff on drums, Scarkazm have recent original material along with a wide array of covers, they have a solid crunch and chemistry that I'm enjoying on early listens, and hopefully these upcoming shows will encourage more dates for both Scarkazm and Jeff's non-Peril bands up here! As above, these are 21+ shows with no cover and a kick-off time of 9:00 PM, so check the above links for details, and stay tuned for more concert announcements as we get them!

Finally for today, here's a handful of assorted recent news items, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• Windsor progressive hard rock band Awake To A Dream are looking to play in Sault Ontario in early 2014 (preferably January-February), so if you can help their solid melodic rock sound towards a local date, message frontman Chris Wilbur on Facebook at this link! They've already gotten some local contacts via Chris' post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group earlier this month, but just in case, see if you can help!
• Local power/classic metal band The Hydra's Teeth have dropped off of THIS THURSDAY'S Heavy Winter concert at The Roosevelt Hotel due to a scheduling issue, as per the Facebook event page. Disappointing for sure, but promoter J.D. Pearce is working to get them on a 2014 show of his, and if any late lineup replacements are announced, we'll have them here!
• Former Blind Baby frontman Tadd Gravelle is looking to join a new Sault Michigan-area music project, as per his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post last week. He's aiming to jam and write original music, and it'd be nice to see him in a new band, so message him above or at this link for further details!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for some Christmas surprises TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!

RamWagon Updates, New Videos, And Much More!!

We're back with some more news as we close in on Christmas, so what's in store for this Monday morning? New songs by two Sault Ontario solo singer/guitarists, and more assorted notes, but first, here's the latest from one of the most prominent new hard rock bands in Sault Michigan this year!

We'll start today with the latest from Sault Michigan hard rock cover quintet RamWagon, as they've officially added former Monkey's Uncle drummer Ron Suchey to their lineup, replacing Marcel Grengs. As announced on their Facebook page last week, Marcel left RamWagon to "pursue another drumming gig", though I don't know extra details at present, or if this will mean anything concerning his role in The Highest of Fives. Hopefully he's got some big plans though, and we'll hopefully keep you guys posted! Ron should be a good addition for RamWagon though, especially if you're familiar with his band work, and his addition reunites him with fellow Monkey's Uncle alum Nathan Switzer, so there should be pre-existing chemistry! The new lineup is projected to debut in January at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino if the recent "tentative" schedule posting on their Facebook page is any indication, but given that they admitted it was tentative, we won't call them on here until we get extra confirmation (either from the band or Kewadin's entertainment page.) Stay tuned for updates though!

Next up, here's some new YouTube video uploads from prolific local solo musicians, starting with a new song from Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's YouTube channel, as uploaded on Friday! Entitled "Tonight" and based around the conceit of holding a party & having a good time, this is a heavy original (if paced slowly) with Tym making grate use of his upper vocal register! I would have paced the song a bit faster and had more varied lyrics, but this is a solid new original, so give it a listen below!



Also, Ashes To Dust guitarist Alex Hemy uploaded a cover of Michael Buble's version of the Mariah Carey song "All I Want For Christmas Is You" onto his YouTube channel on Saturday! Staged far differently than his other solo covers (this time well dressed, and seated beside a Christmas tree), the multiple camera angles and transitions work really well, and he handles this version of the song well, if with slightly less of a Michael Buble sound, but if you're up for some seasonal covers, check out Alex's new video below!

And finally for today, here's three shorter assorted stories from the last little while! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or venue name:

• As they've now hosted two distinct hard rock-featured concerts within the same year (let alone the same month), I've now added LopLops Lounge to our active Sault Ontario concert venue listings! This artistic and higher end lounge (right near The Grand Theater) has suddenly hit the SMS' attention via two recent Danger Cats concerts, and stay tuned soon for videos from one of them!
• Only a third of RedD Monkey will be playing at THIS SATURDAY'S Another Year, Another Santa 2013 concert at The Algonquin Pub, as the Facebook event page now only credits frontman Steve Mozarowski among the performers. A reason for Pete & Joe's absence hasn't been publically announced, and I don't know yet what form Steve's set will take as a result, but I'm curious to find out! Get more details above!
• Dafter, Michigan solo hard rock artist Ken "SweetKenny" Sutton's upcoming new album "Ink!" now has it's official album cover, featuring striking yellow & black "warning sign" stripes, so give it a look at this link, and stay tuned for updates on the CD!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes soon, along with some seasonal surprises! Thanks everyone!

Most Of This Weekend's Metal/Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

Today's post is devoted to previews of local metal & hard rock concerts for this weekend, but due to the amount of shows and the dates of them (plus to give one added emphasis), I'll save our preview of Haggith's farewell show on Saturday night for TOMORROW'S post, so watch out for it then! We'll begin our previews in Sault Ontario tonight & tomorrow, before shifting to a pair of Sault Michigan bands' full weekend sets, so read on below for our first of the weekend previews!

Two nights before their announced farewell concert, local grunge/alternative quartet Haggith will hit The Station Mall for a surprising penultimate concert set TONIGHT as part of the mall's holiday season entertainment! Originally announced to take place in front of Sears and HMV in the mall's east end, the concert will actually now take place inside of Sears at their Department 75 section for unannounced reasons, which will definitely lend a unique flair to this concert set! Haggith's entertaining originals and covers should go over well with a general audience for this special appearance, so if you're at the mall this evening (or aren't 19 or older), take a stroll down to Sears! Given the mall location, this is an ALL AGES performance with no admission cost, and their set will now take place at 6:00 PM (rather than the previously announced 5:30 timeslot.) For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Don't miss this unique live set before it's too late, and for a preview, here's Haggith live at The Rockstar Bar in April!



Next up, Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return to The Harp Pub & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT for his second live concert at the former Madison's Pub! Announced last week, this comes five weeks after Tym debuted at this recently renovated central pub (in the Food Basics plaza), so if The Roadhouse is too far east for you (or if you miss Tym playing more often at other venues), definitely keep tomorrow's Harp show in mind! As usual, he'll have a night full of metal and hard rock covers in store, again in his usual unplugged setting, and from what I've heard, his first Harp show went well, so I'd assume things will go well again tomorrow! A cover charge is unknown, but you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time is advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Tym should entertain as is usually the case tomorrow, so head down to The Harp for his latest solo gig, and for a preview, here's Tym covering Heart's "Alone" at The Service Grill!

Moving to the Sault Michigan area to close today's post, local hard rock bands are gracing the stages at both the Sault Michigan & St. Ignace Kewadin Casinos TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, including hard rock trio Power Slug at the Soo Kewadin's Rapids Lounge! These will be Bob and the two Chris' first stops at The Rapids Lounge in over 3 months, and though they're still without an online page, their entertaining hard rock sound and grit should be welcomed back to the stage this weekend! Like usual at the Sault Kewadin's bar, there shouldn't be a cover charge, the shows should start at 9:00 PM, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the above links! Currently, these are Power Slug's last announced dates of 2013, and though I'm sure the guys have more in store for next year, concert announcements have slowed in recent months from their camp (that I can tell), so don't miss this weekend's Kewadin shows! For a preview, I'll gladly share this video of them covering Puddle of Mudd at The Bird this summer (and it's so good to say there's videos of theirs now!)



Finally, local classic/modern hard rock quintet RamWagon will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the aforementioned St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT themselves! Last seen at this venue two months ago, these will be both their last concerts of 2013 (barring any interim announcements) and the last of the Kewadin shows they picked up from guitarist Nathan Switzer's older band Sir Charge after their breakup earlier this year. RamWagon have an entertaining blend of covers in store for their fans this weekend, so don't miss out if you're in the St. Ignace area or missed their recent Kewadin shows! Like this weekend's Power Slug shows, you must be 21 to attend, there's no announced cover charge, and a 9:00 PM start time is very likely. Check the above links for more details, and hopefully this weekend's shows go awesomely for RamWagon! For a preview, here's RamWagon at their debut set at LemmaFest this summer!



That's all for today, but stay tuned TOMORROW for our preview of Haggith's farewell concert and more! Thanks everyone!

This Weekend's Concert Previews, Plus A New Ripcordz Video!!

Happy Halloween, everyone! Before we post our review of last night's Devil's Night all ages show at The Oddfellows Hall (the video uploads are likely gonna take a while), we have previews of this weekend's known & verified hard rock/metal concerts in the Twin Saults, and therefore, the first of November 2013! Note that while I know some bars in the area are doing late Halloween events tomorrow, none of the concerts we're previewing have an explicit seasonal theme, so be wary if you want to wear a costume. We also have a new Ripcordz video to cap off this post, but let's start with the only verified hard rock concert in Sault Ontario this weekend!

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will make his debut at The Harp Pub & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT! A rare solo concert outside of The Roadhouse Bar & Grill (at least in recent months), you may remember that The Harp (at 701 Pine Street in the Food Basics plaza) used to be Madison's Pub until renovating and shifting to an Irish theme this summer, so Tym is both the first non-open mic performer of a hard rock vein at The Harp, and the first at this location since 2009. Aside from the central venue, Tym's show should be business as usual tomorrow night, with his diverse selection of unplugged covers (including many metal/hard rock classics) sure to entertain fans and Harp regulars! There's no announced cover charge, you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time is advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Though I'm fairly certain that The Harp is acoustic-centric (like the new Coch's Corner), it's good to see some metal back at the former Madison's, even in this form, and hopefully Tym knocks it out of the park again! For a preview, here's Tym covering Heart's "Alone!



Switching to Sault Michigan for the rest of our previews, we'll start at Dan's Place in nearby Rudyard, Michigan, where Kinross classic hard rockers Banned will return to the stage TOMORROW NIGHT! Fresh off of their Halloween weekend set in Gould City (and a more local solo date for Alex Traynor in Pickford), this will be Banned first date within an hour of the Soo since playing at Dondee Lanes on October 4th & 5th, and their first in Rudyard in three months, so if you've missed Alex and company, keep tonight's show in mind for some entertaining covers and originals! Still curious as to why they no longer list their lineup on Facebook, is there more member turnover than we would assume? Tomorrow's show (which is about a half hour between the Soo and St. Ignace) goes down at 9:00 PM, there's no announced cover charge, and you must be 21 to attend. For more details, click here! Hopefully tomorrow's concert goes well, and hopefully we'll hear more on Banned's current lineup (and get some more videos) in the coming months! For a preview, here they are playing their song "Deadbeat Dog" in Charlevoix!



Finally for the previews, Sault Michigan modern hard rock cover quintet RamWagon will play at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT for the third time! One of the various late 2013 concert weekends picked up from guitarist Nathan Switzer's now-defunct other band Sir Charge, this should be another entertaining weekend of heavier covers from this newer local band (featuring alumni of The Highest of Fives, Monkey's Uncle, and Full Throttle), so don't miss their sets this weekend in the Soo! There's no announced cover charge, both tomorrow & Saturday's shows should be 21+ events, and each should start at around 9:00 PM. For more details, check the above links! RamWagon have left a good early impression since their LemmaFest debut, and here's hoping they keep it up this weekend, so don't miss their return to the Sault Kewadin this weekend, and for a preview, here's the guys covering Cameo's "Word Up"!



Finally for today, here's a new video of Montreal hardcore punk legends The Ripcordz from their headlining set at The Roosevelt Hotel this past Thursday during J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween party! Filmed by ex-Chronic Demonic singer Sabrina Strange and shared on Destroilet's Facebook page last week, it focuses on the crowd moshing during two Ripcordz songs with little direct attention to the band, but this is a unique and neat angle to see the costumed moshers in full swing! Nice video, so give it a look below, and stay tuned for some new Destroilet videos in our next news post!



That's all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for our review of last night's Bear Hunters-headlined all ages show at The Oddfellows Hall, with photos and videos ongoing for their uploads tonight! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Caveman Morrison & Lucky 13) & This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

Today's post is 100% devoted to this weekend's metal & hard rock concert previews in the Sault Ste. Marie area, with a handful of mostly cover bands hitting the scene through Saturday night on both sides of the border. We'll start with some SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for Sault Ontario, so read on for the previews for these upcoming shows!

Local metal cover trio Caveman Morrison will return to The Roosevelt Hotel TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT for another weekend of hard rock & metal hits! Apologies for the short notice, these shows were only just announced on Tuesday. These will be their first Rosie concerts since July, and come under a month after their most recent gigs at The Water Tower Pub, so if you've missed Tym & company's wide ranging cover tunes, you should take note of this weekend's gigs! Both tomorrow & Saturday's shows have 19+ age limits, no announced cover charge, and a 10:00 PM start time, so for more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see Caveman Morrison back for some more gigs, flowing with their recent general trend of playing live one weekend a month, and their metal & hard rock renditions should be as proficient and fun as ever, so be at The Rosie this weekend to catch it all! For a preview, here's Caveman Morrison covering a Neil Young classic at The Roosevelt Hotel!

Also in newer show announcements, local alternative hard rock cover quartet Lucky 13 will head back to The Rockstar Bar for a one night only gig THIS SATURDAY! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only just announced by the venue on Monday. Oddly described as a "rare appearance" on the official Facebook event page despite only last playing live in August (and with their Ray Brown benefit set coming next week), there's no Friday gig due to The Rockstar Bar hosting a Thin Ice concert tomorrow night. Featuring Aftersight, Wishbone, Turner Up, and Gully Yodelers alumni, this talented veteran quartet should be raring to put in another gritty and appealing set of 1990s and newer alternative rock covers, so if you've missed them, you know where to be on Saturday! I'd expect a cover charge of around $5 for this show, along with a 19+ age limit, and everything should start at around 10:00 PM. For more details, check the above links! "Rare" or not, it's nice to see Lucky 13 bringing their unique cover sets back to the stage this Saturday, so keep it in mind, and for a preview, here they are at Toystock last year!

Now to the previously announced regional metal/hard rock concerts in the region (all across the river), starting with the return of Kinross hard rockers Banned to Dondee Lanes in Sault Michigan TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Announced on their Facebook page last month, these are currently this prolific regional band's only announced concerts of the entire month, and will be their first Dondee "jobs" in almost 7 months, but fresh off of their Grand Rapids shows, Alex, Don, and company should be riding high! I will note however that Banned have not posted anything on Facebook since this weekend's shows were announced on September 15th, but I have heard nothing negative relating to anything relating to Banned or this show since, so I wouldn't be too worried. Both tomorrow & Saturday's shows have early start times of 8:00 PM, along with 21+ age limits and no announced cover charges. For more details, visit the above links! This should be another fun weekend of originals and covers from this diverse local band, so head to the Dondee for Banned tomorrow or Saturday, and for a preview, here's the guys live in Charlevoix in August!



Finally for the weekend hard rock concerts (barring any late notice announcements), Sault Michigan modern hard rock cover quintet RamWagon will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT themselves! Though these are among the dates that RamWagon picked up from the now defunct Sir Charge, this newer local band will continue to carve their own path with these latest shows, and with a lineup featuring Monkey's Uncle and Highest of Fives alumni, you know the talent's there! Admission for these shows should be free, a 21+ age limit is likely, and a start time of 9:00 PM should be in effect. For more details, visit the above links! RamWagon should deliver some fun hard rocking times this weekend in St. Ignace, so if you're up for a drive or live in the area, head to the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino this weekend to check them out! For a preview, here's the guys at LemmaFest earlier this year!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes by this weekend! Thanks everyone!

Sault Michigan Weekend Concert Previews, Plus New Night Ranger Concert Videos!!

In what's likely our last weekend concert preview post of September 2013, we're focusing on Sault Michigan only today, including some new videos from a major recent concert across the river! As usual, read on below for all the details, starting with the show previews for this weekend!

We'll start with newer hard rock trio Plastic's newest concert, which sees them debut at The Merchant's Bar in Sault Michigan TONIGHT! Their only upcoming local concert date scheduled at present (though they're playing all over Michigan and even in Wisconsin through early December), the band featuring Half Stupid, Cherubic Red, and Hammerspace alumni are hyping "lots of fun stuff up our little sleeves" for tonight's show, so if you're in the mood for a mix of grunge, alternative, and hard rock covers & originals, be at The Merch tonight! There's no announced cover charge for this 21+ show, and there's a 9:00 PM start time advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Even if Plastic's announced opening set for The Misfits in Detroit had to be called off (for financial reasons), the guys are on a surprisingly fast rise & spread in the region, and if there's no other local dates imminent, hopefully this satiates fans well! For a preview, here's Plastic covering Black Flag's "Can't Decide" at LemmaFest!



Lastly for this weekend's heavier concert previews (barring any late notice ones), local modern hard rock quintet RamWagon will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino TONIGHT AND TOMORROW NIGHT for their second ever concert weekend at this popular local venue! Their only 2013 Sault Kewadin dates that weren't picked up from the now defunct Sir Charge, this rising local band (featuring 4 ex-members each of Full Throttle and Analog Deficiency) should have two nights full of diverse covers for their fans and revelers at The Rapids Lounge, so don't miss out on their latest regional concerts this weekend! Both have no announced cover charge, both are 21+ events, and both should start at around 9:00 PM. For more details, visit the above links! These should be solid concerts, so don't miss them, and for a preview, here's RamWagon's only known online video, a cover of Cameo's "Word Up" from LemmaFest that we can only now share here thanks to Facebook now allowing external video embedding!

We'll close this post with new videos from the Night Ranger concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino from this past Sunday night! We'll start with new videos from YouTube user Chuck G. (a.k.a. Goblue610), who posted four clips from the show onto his YouTube channel yesterday, joining prior uploads from the most recent Tesla concert across the river. Two are of opener John Waite playing his solo hit "Missing You" and covering his old band The Babys' "Every Time I Think Of You", but the Night Ranger videos are of "Sister Christian" (of course) and, as embedded below, "(You Can Still) Rock In America"! Though this is one of the heaviest Night Ranger videos I've seen from the show, the quality suffers on each thanks to choppy video movements and staticy audio (plus, the video below isn't complete.) Chuck had a great angle though, and the lighting's bright, so give his videos from Sunday night a look above & below!



As for the other videos, these come from YouTube user Sharon SanAngelo's channel again, who we previously mentioned the Night Ranger videos of on Wednesday. As I alluded to then, she also filmed 6 videos of John Waite's opening set, including "Missing You" and four Babys covers, so if you like that band, there you go! That said, the songs from his set don't tend to stray into hard rock territory (unless there was a Bad English cover that I missed) but fans did get at least one taste when he covered Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" on Sunday! He can pull it off, and the quality's good, but the problem is that the video's only 28 seconds long. Enjoy what Sharon did film though below and at the above links, and hopefully someone got this in full!



That's all for now, but stay tuned either tonight or tomorrow as we start clearing out a lot of stockpiled news stories that have gathered over the past week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & Plastic), Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

Kepeing our recent streak of middle of the night posts going, today's mostly focuses on weekend concert previews, but we have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS tied to most of them, including some short notice ones, and some recent feature post updates, so read on below to learn more, starting with some new shows for the next few days!

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison has announced two solo acoustic gigs for this weekend, including yet another Friday nighter at The Road House Bar & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT and a rare solo show at The Roosevelt Hotel THIS SATURDAY! Apologies for the short notice, the Rosie concert was only just announced yesterday, and I held the other one to avoid redundantly plugging it twice in a few days. Tomorrow's concert continues his recent regular run at the Trunk Road tavern, while Saturday's stop at The Rosie will replace what was originally going to be a full Caveman Morrison concert, but as they haven't found a new bassist to replace James White yet, Tym has taken over the Saturday booking to instead play his unplugged cover set. Should be an entertaining weekend regardless, and Tym's prolific acoustic sets are bound to entertain whether you're in the East or West End this weekend! Both shows have 10:00 PM start times and 19+ age limits, and neither have announced cover charges. For more details, click here & here!

Tym's solo gigs are always an entertaining time, so don't miss his unplugged metal/hard rock covers this weekend at either The Road House TOMORROW or The Rosie on SATURDAY, and for a preview, here he is covering Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" in concert!

Also in new concerts, new Sault Michigan hard rock trio Plastic have confirmed their third local concert date, as they'll make their Merchant's Bar debut on September 27th! This (along with their newly confirmed Alpena gig in October) was previously announced on drummer Paul Burns' solo Facebook page last month, but there was no direct indication of what band was playing it until Sunday. Hard at work with new concert bookings and song postings (including new original demos "Muffin Man/Parasitic Greed" & "Plant The Seed" at their Facebook page), the new shows join their second live gig (and Rudyard debut) THIS SATURDAY at Dan's Place, so we'll preview that show now as well! With two regional dates lined up for this month, look out for a varied blend of heavier and alternative originals & covers from Zac, Nick, and Paul at a venue near you, including at Dan's Place on Saturday! Admission prices for both this weekend's show and their gig at The Merch on the 27th haven't been publicized, but both have 9:00 PM start times and 21+ age limits.

For more details, click here and here! Plastic's new songs are very different, with "Muffin Man/Parasitic Greed" taking on a gritty sludge metal sound, and "Plant the Seed" taking on more of a classic southern rock vibe, but their cover selection indicated such a spread, and there's still lots of aggression to go around! Hopefully both shows go great, and don't miss them in Rudyard THIS SATURDAY! For a preview, here's the guys covering The Misfits' "Vampira" at LemmaFest!

Lastly for the known heavier concerts this weekend, newer local hard rock quintet RamWagon will make their first ever stops at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! As you may remember, these shows were among those originally scheduled for the now defunct Sir Charge before their breakup, but luckily, RamWagon (featuring Sir Charge's Nathan Switzer) picked up their gigs afterward, so we'll still get some quality covers from one of his bands this weekend! This talented band will be on at around 9:00 PM tomorrow & Saturday, you must be 21 to attend, and there's no cover charge for either night. For more details, check the above links! RamWagon have been impressing in recent months with their classic & modern rock covers, so don't miss out on their Rapids Lounge debuts this weekend, and in lieu of an embeddable preview video, click here for their unembeddable cover of Cameo's "Word Up"!

Finally for today, here's some updates to a few of our monthly feature posts in our Defunct Local Band & YouTube Channel Profile Series (MySpace changes/deletions and YouTube video expansions aside!) In our profile on Devastation of the Heavens, I replaced Operation: Killdozer with Jack Spades to freshen up bassist Justin Lam's other band work, and I made a similar addition to our Faithless Sin profile to add bassist Ryan Gratton's new band Chronic Demonic. In our YouTube Channel Profile on Elements of Madness' channel, I amended the info to note that the band is now inactive, while I added hoopy31's latest local concert upload (of Shinedown playing "Simple Man" at least month's Kewadin Casino concert) to his channel's profile, as he now has 2 local hard rock concert videos there. I also noted that while his channel doesn't have a 50% concentration of local videos anymore (4 of hoopy31's 6 current videos are from a Detroit-area metal show), I'm not going to change history and remove it from the site, as it had 100% local hard rock videos (albeit just one total) at the time we chose it. Stay tuned for more updates in the YouTube series soon!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post hopefully tomorrow, including a long awaited local debut from a newer local band! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Banned & Tantrym Tyme) And Most Of This Weekend's Sault Michigan Concert Previews!!

The last concert weekend of the summer holidays is upon us, so today's post will largely focus on previews of most of the shows! To avoid it getting lost in the shuffle, we'll preview Tym Morrison & 415E's previously announced shows tomorrow, but I promise they're coming! All Sault Michigan-area previews for today, and we'll start with some SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you need to know!

Kinross hard rockers Banned have added to a very busy stretch of shows this weekend with two shows at Golanka's Bar (a.k.a. The Bird) in Sault Michigan TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! I apologize for the short notice, Banned announced these shows on Sunday, but I held them until now to avoid a redundant double post in a short span. Fresh off a set in Gould City this past weekend, these add to their existing Chippewa County Fair sets on Thursday (which we'll get to in a minute) and Friday afternoon's solo set at the fair in Kinross, which Banned even admitted might be a record for them on their Facebook page. Ever the prolific band for their scheduling, I have no doubt that they'll be on fire at the fair and The Bird this weekend, so keep all 4 dates in mind! As best as I can tell, the Bird shows will be Banned's first at that venue since March of last year, while their Friday matinee at the Chippewa County Fair will be their first non-battle performance at this yearly event. Banned will be on at 4:00 PM on Friday in Kinross, with the Bird shows going down at around 9:00 PM.

No cover charges are announced, but click here for fair ticket details, and while the fair is obviously all ages, you must be 21 to attend their Soo shows this weekend. Check the above links for more details! Nice to see Banned keeping busy (perhaps on an accelerated scale this weekend though), so don't miss their varied hard rock sound at The Bird or the fair on Friday and Saturday! For a preview, here's the newest live video courtesy of the band's official YouTube channel two weeks ago! Filmed at their battle of the bands performance at the Charlevoix Venetian Festival last month, this is their first video upload in 4 months, and it features band members Alex Traynor, Jim Pentland, and Don Traynor, with Alex's former TraynWreck bandmate Sam Lalruatpuia filling in on guitar for Denny Smith. I'll assume Denny just sat out this song/gig (as he's pictured in more recent live photos), but I'm starting to wonder if singer Tara Starr left Banned? If I hear confirmation, I'll let you guys know!

The video is of Banned playing a new original song named "Deadbeat Dog", and while the lighting is very dark despite the daytime setting, it does fit with past original songs of theirs, with the chorus showing solid aggression that the laid back choruses lack! Nice to hear some new material from Banned, so give their new video a look below, and don't miss them at The Bird this weekend or at the fair tomorrow night!



Also in short notice concert announcements, young local metal cover quartet Tantrym Tyme will play at The Malamute Saloon at 3047 West Mile 80 in Kinross THIS SATURDAY for a second straight week! I apologize for the short notice again, but the guys only announced this show on their Facebook page yesterday via the poster on your left. I'm not sure if this is part of a new regular run there or not, but last weekend's show must have been a hit for Tantrym Tyme to get the call for a second show at The Malamute Saloon! The poster sells this talented young band well, and hopefully there's a good turnout on Saturday on the outdoor patio (which I assume is where they played last weekend also.) The show starts at 9:00 PM on Saturday, you must be 21 to attend, and there's no announced cover charge. Check the above links for more details! Hopefully Saturday's show goes well for Tantrym Tyme, who continue to make waves as they get more experienced, so don't miss out, and for a preview, here's Tantrym Tyme covering Poison's "Talk Dirty To Me" last year!



Speaking of shows involving Tantrym Tyme, TONIGHT marks the return of the Rock Till You Drop battle of the bands, where three local bands will gather to compete for the top prize at the annual Kinross fair! Like in past years, winners are determined in a busker style, with money donations placed into a bucket after the bands' sets, with the winning band being the one who raised the most cash. Donations will be given to Team Jessica to help support local student Jessica Jorgensen's battle with leukemia, which is an awesome cause (as Pop Evil attendees will attest to), so don't be stingy with your donations, as it all will help! This year's three competing acts include two returning bands from last year, including the aforementioned Banned and Tantrym Tyme (who won in 2011 as Abstract), while new local hard rock quintet RamWagon will replace 2012 participants Missy & Chelsea as the final band for tomorrow's battle. Rock Till You Drop goes down at 7:30 PM tomorrow, it is definitely all ages, and click here for more details, including how to get tickets for the fair in general!

I believe Missy & Chelsea won last year (don't quote me on that though), though this year's lineup is still high quality and should be ready to entertain fairgoers tonight! Will Tantrym Tyme win their second Rock Till You Drop in 3 years? Can Banned claim top spot amidst their busy concert weekend? Or can RamWagon make a big first impression in their Kinross debut? Find out TONIGHT, I'll have fallout if it comes in, and check out the bands above! (I'd preview a RamWagon video here to keep things fair, but I don't think they have any embeddable ones yet.)

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Tym Morrison & 415E concert previews (and more) TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!