A New Video From Mike Haggith & Much More Recent News & Notes!!

(Updated at 6:12 PM) Before we begin, I wanted to give our belated condolences to the family & friends of Soo Profile Magazine founder and publisher James Mancuso, who passed away on August 20th of last year at the age of 58. You can read his obituary at this link, as well as The Sault Star's article about him, and he was survived by his wife Pon, his mother, two brothers, and other extended family. The Soo Profile was published from July 2009 until July 2019, and was available to read for free at various local businesses. Covering local history and culture in a way other publications weren't doing in the 2010s (especially post-Townies), the magazine occasionally intersected with The Sault Metal Scene, notably via late 2010s cover stories on local musicians like Greg Simpson, Ric Datson, and Tammy Hill. In it's early years, I even sent in concert listings for them to include in issues, for which I thank James for the early exposure!

Beyond the Soo Profile, James lived a full life, including a stint as an English & art teacher in Taiwan, establishing the Mancuso School of Fine Arts locally, and working in news video production in Halifax. Sadly, The Soo Profile has not continued production under a new publisher, and their website's domain name has expired, but you can still see covers and issue fragments from their decade-long run on their Facebook page. I didn't know James well, but he was a kind and talented person in multiple avenues, and he is definitely missed by those that met and worked with him. R.I.P. James!

Now, today's post features new videos from two familiar sights & some more news, but we'll start with local/Thompson, Manitoba solo musician Mike Haggith's fourth #LockdownLive after-show, which live-streamed on his Facebook page on Sunday night! As teased in this video to promote what to expect for this episode, the 33 minute video starts with us meeting Mike's cat Artemis, before discussing what went down in #LockdownLive X the previous day, and addressing the share contest where whoever shared yesterday's live-stream the most would pick a song that Mike has to cover on #LockdownLive XI on Saturday. This time, the video was shared 593 times, and the winner with 181 shares was Re:Born frontwoman Elly McWatters for a second straight week! Mike called her to announce the winner again, and she nominated "Sugar Daddy" from the musical Hedwig & The Angry Inch, specifically mentioning the Neil Patrick Harris version at the Tony Awards.

The amusing discussion about how Mike will approach this cover is worth a listen alone, so we'll have to see how things look on Saturday! Mike also lets Elly pick a song from "If Ever Comes The Day" to perform to help end the video, and she chose "Take Back The Moon", but commenters also requested "2145", so he ended up playing both, before wrapping the video and teasing the next #LockdownLive and possible changes to the share contest. Entertaining and informative video all around, so give it a look below, and stay tuned #LockdownLive XI on Saturday night!



Speaking of Re:Born, I was contacted via e-mail recently by that band's original lead singer Robert Nevitt, asking if I'd be interested in featuring some recent videos that he's posted on his personal Facebook page. These haven't been publically shared elsewhere, but as Robert asked, that's appropriate consent to feature them here! Since we last saw him on stage with the now defunct Big Mistake (their Facebook page was taken down, in any event), he has posted three videos of him covering songs for 45+ minutes, karaoke style, which you can watch here, here, and embedded below. I won't give these a blow-by-blow recap given how they were uploaded, but it's great to see Robert staying busy and keeping his solid vocals sharp! In the video below, you can hear him cover The Tragically Hip, The Barenaked Ladies, Rehab, Otis Redding, The Isley Brothers, Elvis Presley, Seven Mary Three, AC/DC, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, among many others there and above.

Unless you saw one of his few live appearances with his old bands or at The Soo's Got Talent 2018, you may not be familiar with his vocal style, but he has a nice melodic tone and good grit when need be, and he definitely has a diverse range of material that he can do, so his karaoke videos at home are definitely worth checking out above and below!



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

• Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished did not play a live-streamed concert on Facebook at all last week due to Alex and Josh moving their at-home live-stream setup to their regular recording studio, as per their Facebook page on Thursday. They plan to announce more details this week, which will reportedly involve full-band live-streams of some kind, so if you've been curious to see Nathan and Gary take part too, keep the above information in mind!
• I have deleted local recording sudio Scholomance Studio from our "Other Sault Michigan Metal Links" due to the closure of it's Facebook group, and there are no equivalent pages to replace it with. Launched by Werehold Records founder Jason Mills back in 2014 towards releases by label acts, the studio was primarily active through 2015, and was one of the presumed casualties of Werehold's closure in 2018. Look for new music from Jason in his current project X's & Y's soon, hopefully!
• I have deleted Sault Ontario live event sound company Twin City Sound & Entertainment from our "Other Sault Ontario Metal Links" section due to the deletion of their Facebook (and only online) page. Led by then-Mourning Wood bandmates Terry Eaton & Steven Flint, Twin City Sound worked assorted concerts from at 2014-2016, including the 2016 Speak Easy Battle of the Bands, but updates were slim to none in the late 2010s, even before Steven left Soundcheck. Hopefully we hear more from both guys soon! 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

The Former Crimes Concert Preview, New Mike Haggith Concert Audio, And Much More!!

I know many of you are expecting my Sewer Swampstravaganza review, and it's coming, but I thought I'd get a new news post up right now due to a special Tuesday night concert that needs previewing, but until then, check out most of our videos and all of our photos at our Facebook page! This post also has some recent media from the Swampstravaganza that's of note, and much more recent news items, so here's what you need to know! (Updated at 11:07 PM)

AlgomA drummer Jamie Vincent and Oh! Right Arm! Promotions will get back into the promotion game TOMORROW NIGHT with an ALL AGES concert at The Moose Lodge on Trunk Road, though a planned headlining set by Montreal hardcore/street punk trio Crimes will no longer take place. Apparently, they just broke up according to the Facebook event page for their now-cancelled Toronto gig today, so promoters are under the assumption that they aren't coming. As a result, local grind/experimental duo This Is Your Band On Drugs (who now have a Facebook page, more on them this week) will be filling in on short notice tomorrow night in their second local concert in four days! T.I.Y.B.O.D. have been making fans with their unique sound since re-emerging locally at the Fuck The Facts show, and seeing as they're sharing the stage with two other bands from Saturday night's Sewer Swampstravaganza, they'll be in good conpany! The other bands are Blood Shed Productions metal bands Brutaly Fatal and Rotopsy, and  Brutaly Fatal made some new fans on Saturday night with their doom/punk mash-up sound, while Rotopsy's energetic goregrind originals have their own loyal audience, so both should provide solid action!

Admission is $7 for tomorrow's ALL AGES show, and there's a 7:00 PM start time in effect. For more information, visit the official Facebook event page! After the success of last fall's Biipiigwan show at The Moose Lodge, this should be another entertaining all ages show from O!RA!, and though it is definitely disappointing that Crimes broke up and likely won't be playing, fans of Saturday's show will get a second go-round tomorrow, so don't miss out! For a preview, here's This Is Your Band On Drugs live on Saturday!



Next up, remember how Haggith drummer Mike Haggith played a rare solo set at the Swampstravaganza at The Oddfellows Hall on Saturday night? Our review of it is coming tomorrow in all likelihood, but fans may be interested to see that Mike posted live concert audio from his set later that day! Posted on his YouTube channel on Saturday (and also on his BandCamp page on a "name your price" model as the EP "Live at Swampstravaganze IV"), these were recorded at the soundboard by Sykotyk Rampage's Dirk Becker (who did sound on Saturday), and only comprised of Mike's last two songs ("This Potato May Be Used As A Flotation Device" & "Miss 76") due to early technical issues. I won't review the performances yet, as our full concert review is coming, but the soundboard recording quality is good and comparable with some of Mike's studio releases! As these songs are for sale on BandCamp, I'll confirm however that we're not imminently reviewing this release as emphasis goes to full studio releases, and Mike has tons for us to cover first. Check out the two released live songs below, and stay tuned tomorrow for our full review of Mike's solo set on Saturday, and for details on his new album's release!



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

• The 360 Sault Media Arts Collective is looking to provide equipment for music video projects and workshops for interested local musicians and filmmakers. There's already been some notable interest, but if you or your band want more info, message Iam James Lloyd at this link, or the 360SMAC page for more details!
• Local hardcore punk quintet Destroilet have dropped out of THIS FRIDAY'S Jack Spades EP release show at The Rockstar Bar, as per a post by guitarist Christian Foisy on the Facebook event page earlier today. He cited "personal issues & events" as the reason for their exit, but didn't elaborate further. This is disappointing, especially as they haven't played live in 5 months, but hopefully things are alright in their camp! No word on a short notice replacement yet though.
• We won't call this as 100% official until promoters confirm it, but Munising, Michigan metal quartet Infathom indicated on their Facebook page last week that they'll be playing at the fourth annual LemmaFest on June 21st in Sault Michigan! If true, this will be their third appearance at this annual tribute concert, and first since 2012. It'll be great to have Dillion and company back east for this year's installment, but stay tuned for more formal word on the lineup!
• According to a post on frontman Curtis McKenzie's solo music Facebook page on Wednesday, local hard rock band Punch have "been put on hold" due to members' busy schedules with other projects, including the band members' more recent work with bands like Project 421 and The Suicide Kings. Note that this isn't a hiatus or breakup, so I assume we'll see them again sooner or later, and stay tuned for more from members' current music work!
• Last week, a Facebook post by Brimley, Michigan's Scholomance Studio revealed a recording schedule for four Werehold Records-affiliated metal bands (Drayton Fever, Swampghas, East Branch, and the still-unrevealed Awaken Eidolon) through May 25th, with Drayton Fever recording material there on the day of this post. Might this all be for next month's planned Werehold Records Friday the 13th event, or is something else up their sleeve? We'll keep you guys posted!
• Yesterday, local concert promoters Heavy North Entertainment were gauging interest on their Facebook page towards getting openers for a show on Thursday, June 12th to be headlined by Montreal thrash trio Warsenal (who headlined the Sewer Swampstravaganza last year.) This isn't official yet, and a venue hasn't been confirmed, but message the label at the above links if you want to play at a second local Warsenal concert!

That's all for today, but stay tuned next for our Sewer Swampstravaganza concert review! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Alice Cooper), Early LemmaFest Info, And Much More!!

In our last news post of the month (with our Shit Liver album review coming tonight), we have a huge LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, first news on an upcoming annual concert festival, and lots of other notes, so check everything out below, especially if you're a Yooper!

Detroit shock rock legend Alice Cooper will make his long awaited return to our area on Friday, June 27th when he rocks The Dreammakers Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino! No stranger to the Twin Saults, you may remember Alice and his solo band from two Kewadin dates in August 1998, followed by returns in October 2001 & August 2007 (plus his New Years Day show at the former Sault Memorial Gardens in 1990), and it will be awesome to have his wild stage show back for the first time in almost 7 years! This show is part of his 2014 Raise The Dead tour, and for reference sake, his band's lineup is almost entirely different from 2007 save for himself & bassist Chuck Garric. Get ready for Alice's hit songs like "Under My Wheels", "Poison", and likely cuts from his upcoming covers album on June 27th, with tickets going on sale THIS FRIDAY at 10:00 AM! They will cost $58.50 or $68.50, and you can buy them then at this link, at the in-person box office, or at 1-800-KEWADIN. For more details, visit the above and links and this press release via SooToday!

Alice Cooper's a legend and has entertained and shocked with his intense and highly theatrical live concerts for decades, and hopefully fans get more of the same in his return north in June, so stay tuned for updates as they roll in, and GET YOUR TICKETS A.S.A.P.!!

Next up, we have the first official details on this year's fourth annual LemmaFest, so what should you know? As revealed on it's Facebook event page, the Michael Lemma tribute concert event will return to it's home outside of the Dondee Lanes once again, and it will take place this year on Saturday, June 21st (which is close to past years on the calendar, but not on the fourth Saturday of the month for the first time.) Similarly to past years, there will be a pig roast (with "all the extras"), door prizes, drink specials, a 50/50 draw, and commemorative t-shirts and mugs, while all proceeds will be going to the family of "Hot Tub" Johnny Hackworth, though I'm yet unsure of the cause. The band lineup will be announced in the next few weeks, but according to an event page post, former Integrated System of Machines drummer Bart Rennels will be coming back home to play at 8:30 PM with a band he formed for this event named Nightmare Grin, though we await confirmation of their full lineup and sound.

As well, local alternative hard rockers Plastic are hoping to play this year pending the addition of a new drummer to replace the departed Paul Burns, so if you know anyone who'd like to try out, message the band at this link! Any other lineup notes are just speculative at this point, but for reference, the only bands to play each of the last 3 LemmaFests were Scofflaw and Dirtbag In A Dress (formerly Bucksaw.) Admission will be $10 this year, so stay tuned for updates on the bands and more, and hopefully this year's LemmaFest is the best yet!

Finally for this post, here's six assorted shorter news items from the last while (including some from Sault Ontario), and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or event name:

• A free & all ages live music showcase named The Coffee House Concert will take place at Superior Heights Collegiate & Vocational School's front foyer at 7:00 PM tomorrow, which will feature grade 11 & 12 students in their guitar class. Though not classified by genre, a few students with metal & hard rock ties will be among the performers, including Brutaly Fatal drummer Tyler St. Amour and Ashes To Dust alumni David Peredun & Kyle Breckenridge, so keep this event in mind!
• Local concert promoter J.D. Pearce has indicated on his promotional Facebook group that he has upcoming local dates to be announced for both The Ripcordz and The Dayglo Abortions, who you may remember from major & well received local dates last year. Stay tuned for official announcements when they occur for both bands!
• Speaking of his concerts, local thrashers Pillory were recently removed from the lineup of the Havok/Anciients show at The Canadian on June 24th. A reason hasn't been announced, though Pillory have dropped out of a number of recent and upcoming shows following recent inactivity and their bassist departure, so this may be related. Hopefully things are alright in their camp, but if you're interested in replacing them at the Havok show, message J.D. at this link!
• After a quiet start to the year, local hard rock cover trio Power Slug will return to the stage for the first time in 5 months when they rock The Team Spirits Bar at the Manistique Kewadin Casino this Saturday! Nice to see the guys back at it, so if you're up for the drive west, go chug your mug with them this weekend! (For reference, they have scattered dates there after this, but none yet at the regional Kewadin branches.)
• I've added Brimley, Michigan recording studio Scholomance Studio to our Other Sault Michigan Metal Links! Owned by local metal musician and Werehold Records founder Jason Mills, this is (I think) a newer studio that is being used by Werehold artists. I'll assume we'll hear work from there on June 13th for Werehold's next Friday the 13th event, so keep an eye out for that!
• The long teased Earache Records reissue of Woods of Ypres' second album "Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth" is now available to pre-order! Copies will soon be available on CD and on limited edition coloured vinyl records (along with bundle deals involving shirts), with the official re-release coming on June 23rd. Awesome news, so click here for complete pre-order package details!

That's all for now, but stay tuned tonight for our review of Shit Liver's debut album! Thanks everyone!