The Soo's Got Talent 2024 Semifinals Recap & Results!!

Let's take some time today on the SMS to finally go over the semifinal results of the fifth annual The Soo's Got Talent, which went down on Friday at Soo Blaster! All twelve semifinalists competed by way of two songs that night, and judges sent through seven (not six) performers to the finals on Friday, November 22nd, those being singers Demoy MacSamuels, Robert Nevitt, Kristina Sagrak, and Chloe Tessier, alongside singer/guitarists Celeste Burton, Nicolette Rebello, and Madii Schomogyi. Eliminated on Friday were singer/guitarists Jennifer Joseph and Arin Karki, plus singers Haley Alopaeus, Rebekah Moran, and Ricky Roy.  The results were announced for social media in the Facebook video embedded below by judges Darren Robertson and Mario Naccarato, where they complimented the performances but also acknowledged a scoring discrepancy that initially kept Robert out of the final six.

No word on the teased audience save, though Chloe was acknowledged by Darren as being the audience favourite. It is good that the judges caught their error with their tallies, and that no one was eliminated by way of that! Darren also hinted at a change in how the finals would have been formatted as a result of adding a seventh finalist, but given how he described the plans for next Friday, it doesn't sound dissimilar to last year's finals. In any event, give the announcement video a watch below!

While videos from round 2 were never posted to the T.S.G.T. Facebook page for unannounced reasons, they did post footage of all twelve semifinalists there this week, with three videos being uploaded featuring four performers apiece. We only get minute-or-so-long clips of one song each, but it's better than nothing! Note that Celeste & Arin are the only semifinalists who were filmed playing guitar here, though I can't vouch for everyone's unfilmed second song. Video #1 features Celeste doing an apparent original song, Rebekah singing Anais Mitchell & Ani DiFranco's "Our Lady Of The Underground", Chloe covering Dolly Parton's "Jolene", and Jennifer covering Irene Cara's "Flashdance... What A Feeling". I would have embedded video #2 here, but unfortunately, Robert and/or Nicolette's backing track was content matched by Facebook, so it's unembeddable on external websites. Click here to check it out!

There, you'll see Robert covering Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead Or Alive", Nicolette covering Alannah Myles' "Black Velvet", and Demoy & Madii both singing apparent originals. Robert has a good handle on the classic Bon Jovi power ballad, and I'm glad to see that a judges' tallying error didn't send him home early! Nicolette did a good job with "Black Velvet" too, if a somewhat overplayed song (it being Cancon is acknowledged), and it's good to see another finalist doing a heavier song! There's clear talent across the board here, including songwriting talent for Demoy & Madii, so don't bypass it! We can embed video #3 here though, which features Kristina singing a possible original (maybe titled "Watch Yourself, Girl"?), Haley covering Demi Lovato's "Anyone", Ricky covering Greta Van Fleet's "Highway Tune", and Arin playing an original. Note that only Kristina advanced out of this group.

If it was up to me, I'd have balanced the semifinal videos better for Facebook, especially as everyone in video #2 advanced. Regardless, there are good performances here, though I will admit that I don't think Ricky picked a great song for his vocal range (the author's dislike for Greta Van Fleet is acknowledged, eventhough it's a hard rock cover). Check out the last four semifinal clips for yourself below!

The finals go down next Friday at 6:30 PM, with Celeste, Demoy, Robert, Nicolette, Kristina, Madii, and Chloe going head to head for the top prize! Demoy is the only returning finalist from last year, whereas Kristina finally made the finals of The Soo's Got Talent after being knocked out in the 2023 semifinals despite getting a golden buzzer last year. Can Demoy improve on last year's success and match his Shooters Talent Quest victory? This year's only golden buzzer went to Chloe, but will that be an omen of a solid finish next week? Madii was a finalist in 2018's inaugural T.S.G.T., but can she finally win it all in 2024? She has covered hard rock songs with her local cover band Lime, so will that bode well for the song with Mike Haggith's band, let alone Nicolette's Alannah Myles cover? Celeste has reliably played guitar throughout this year's competition, but will Nicolette & Madii break theirs out again?

And of course, fans of 2018-2022 power rock/classic metal band Re:Born will want to pay attention next Friday, as Robert was that band's original singer. Not only is his old bandmate Brandan Glew drumming for The Big Finish Band, but his replacement (2023 runner-up Elly McWatters) is now their rhythm guitarist, so we'll get a mini-reunion of sorts at Soo Blaster! We'll have more on the finals next week in that round of weekend concert previews, and we'll discuss Mike's halftime set in the near future as well, but visit the above links for more on all that went down at T.S.G.T. V on Friday night! Thanks everyone!

The Soo's Got Talent Semifinals Results, Plus A Live-Streamed Video!!

As you may know, the semifinals of this year's The Soo's Got Talent took place at Soo Blaster on Saturday, and while videos are not (yet?) out for the competitors, we now know the six finalists moving forward to the finals on November 4th! In alphabetical order by last name, the finalists are singers Xavier Pelletier LeBouef, Demoy MacSamuels, Greg McLeod, and Elly McWatters, plus singer/guitarist Storm Rausch and dancer Jophin Saju. The four eliminated competitors (all singers) are Arin Karki, Raedyn Matechuck Levesque, Celeste Rector, and Kristina Sagrak, with Kristina being the only Golden Buzzer recipient to not make the finals. Xavier and Greg were competitors in last year's T.S.G.T., with Xavier now making the finals in back-to-back years, while Greg has bettered his placement from 2022. From what I was told, Greg didn't actually perform on Saturday, so how did he advance?

Reportedly, Greg had to miss the semifinals due to a death in his family, so he was given a spot in the finals as a result (this was announced live at the event, but as I wasn't there, I'll refrain from going into extra details just in case). It's impossible to say if he'd have qualified the normal way, but he's a talented singer, and hopefully he has a strong showing next month! Assuming a similar format to 2022, the six finalists will have two performances on November 4th, one standard and one alongside Mike Haggith & his solo band, which poses some interesting challenges. For one, Jophin Saju is a dancer, not a singer, and his T.S.G.T. videos have him dancing to Indian pop/rap songs. Will Mike & crew learn something along these lines, or will Jophin dance to something more rock-based? Also, will Demoy MacSamuels (whose filmed videos have all been of original songs) get the full band treatment for one, or will he try a cover?

It also remains to be seen how they'll handle guitars with Storm Rausch also playing guitar (note that, when singer/guitarist Colin Gasparelli took part in last year's finals, Handsome Sandwich guitarist Jesse Cook sat out the group's song with him). I will note that finalist Elly McWatters is well acquainted with Mike Haggith & his band, having guested on vocals with them live, let alone being a bandmate of drummer Brandan Glew's in Re:Born, but as far as I can tell, Mike signed on to perform at The Soo's Got Talent well before Elly decided to audition. Will that familiarity give her a leg up on the 4th? Come to Soo Blaster that day to find out! As per event advertising, admission for the finals will still be $22 for adults and $12 for kids, and a start time is to be announced (the semifinals began at 6:30 PM but last year's finals were earlier in the day due to Soo Blaster double booking Afroman that night.)

Between Elly's Re:Born work, Greg's classic rock base, and Xavier's past metal/rock covers in this event, there will be performers who fit Mike Haggith & his band better on paper, but how about them on their own? While the wait continues for official video from The Soo's Got Talent post-round 1, Mike live-streamed his half-hour long set (which was an intermission set between the semifinalists) to his YouTube channel. Oddly, he hasn't posted a description there, and this is regrettably shot vertically, but it's nice to see any video from the last two rounds! On Saturday, Mike's usual local bassist Jacob Quarrell was booked for a separate event, so he was replaced by Far From Fine bassist Matt Fronzi for the evening. In order, their set included "Hot & Cold", "If Ever Comes The Day", "MorningStar", "I've Seen It Before", a cover of Matt's old band Gnaeus' song "Lovers", and "Twist Of Fate".

Part of why only six songs were played is that Mike broke out his storytellers hat to promote his albums, explain his freak knee dislocation at Rotaryfest & recovery from it, and introduce the band/credit Matt & Gnaeus (this was apparently the first time Matt has played "Lovers" on stage in seven years!). Everyone performed strongly, and Mike was more animated than he was at the Northern Vibe Festival in August, including his intense vocals-only work on the closer! I do wish that this video was filmed horizontally, if not closer to the stage, but kudos to Mike for getting this at all, so check it out for yourselves below!

That's all for today, but look for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Soo's Got Talent) & Round 2 Results!!

So, have you been waiting for our second round coverage of The Soo's Got Talent, especially with the semifinals taking place TOMORROW NIGHT? Well, here's what I've got, and it's sadly less than I'd like! Despite the annual local talent competition posting videos of most acts onto their Facebook page from the audition level at Wacky Wings and the first round at Soo Blaster, they posted zero from the second round on September 29th. I knew that they weren't working with Passion Video Productions again this year (I wonder why not?), but they still had someone rolling a camera for prior nights, so what happened three weeks ago? Well, after sixteen acts were whittled down to twelve on September 15th, plans were for the judges (including guest Dustin Jones filling in for Mike Severin) to send the four Golden Buzzer winners and four other competitors to tomorrow's semifinals.

However, the judges opted to send ten of the twelve competitors through, with singers Christopher Halliday and Stan Fera being the only eliminations after round 2. In alphabetical order by last name, your semifinalists at Soo Blaster tomorrow (all singers unless otherwise stated) are Arin Karki, Xavier Pelletier LeBouef, Raedyn Matechuck Levesque, Demoy MacSamuels, Greg McLeod, Elly McWatters, singer/guitarist Storm Rausch, Celeste Rector, Kristina Sagrak, and dancer Jophin Saju. Unless plans change/have changed, six of them will be sent to the finals on Saturday, November 4th, and there is no longer a safety net for the Golden Buzzer recipients, so Xavier, Elly, Storm, and Kristina are fighting to advance like everyone else is now! With that said, these 10 performers will not be the only musical entertainment to expect tomorrow, so who else is playing?

Well, as you may recall in 2022, The Soo's Got Talent struck a deal with Handsome Sandwich to not only play a guest set during the semifinals, but also perform with the finalists, backing them up on their choice of song. This year, they're doing much the same thing, but with a new band, namely local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith and his all-local solo band! Tonight, they'll be playing a mini-set, likely after the actual competitors perform and before the judges' decisions are announced, marking Mike's first concert in Sault Ste. Marie city limits since his knee dislocation at Rotaryfest in July (though he and the band did play at The Northern Vibe Festival in Ophir in the interim). While a public post wasn't made about the lineup tomorrow, Mike's personal Facebook page did confirm that recent live bassist Jacob Quarrell will not be on bass for tomorrow's set, but he is expected to rejoin them at the finals next month.

As the reveal wasn't made publically, I won't jump the gun on who the replacement bassist is tomorrow, but he's a familiar face! If you want to attend the semifinals of The Soo's Got Talent, then all of the action begins at 6:30 PM tomorrow at Soo Blaster! For the record, apologies for the short notice, I was waiting for media to turn up from round 2 and it'd have been Murphy's Law that I posted this much sooner and videos then turned up. This all begins at 6:30 PM tomorrow, and admission is $22 for adults and $12 for children, with proceeds going to the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Unit at Sault Area Hospital. Just as a reminder, judge Valerie Powley will head west from Soo Blaster to The Esquire Club after the semifinals wrap up to perform with Generations, so things will end before that concert begins at 9:30 PM. Hopefully she, Mike, and Darren Robertson have a good time once again judging the semifinals!

Hopefully someone shoots videos that are publically viewable at the semifinals tomorrow, but regardless, I hope to have more timely coverage of who advanced to the finals in two weeks on the site! In any event, if you want to show your support for the remaining contestants, support a good cause, and see Mike Haggith back on stage in the Soo, consider heading to Soo Blaster TOMORROW! For a preview, here's Mike & his band in Ophir in August, but that's all for today, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the site next week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Soo's Got Talent Round 3) & Second Round Footage!!

As promised, let's close out this weekend's hard rock concert previews with a full extended look at an ongoing talent competition, and like last week, this is a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT. Here's what you should know!

After two weeks of competition, local rap metal trio The Apocalypse Afterparty have advanced to the semifinals in The Soo's Got Talent, which goes down TOMORROW NIGHT at Soo Blaster! Apologies for the short notice, we again held our coverage of the following round due to the short turnaround time, though followers of the event knew that the third round was the week afterwards. Last week's action at The Verdi Hall saw the remaining 14 acts perform for the judges, with Marilena Blair, Andrea Dantzer, Ciara Pelletier LeBeouf, and Greg McLeod all not advancing to the final 10, so The Apocalypse Afterparty will continue flying the metal/alternative flag, even if they hate genres! However, "an issue beyond our control" forced organizers to postpone the semifinals from today to TOMORROW, and while it's not clear how related it is, the location has indeed shifted to Soo Blaster, which is a bigger venue fitting the increasing stakes, so keep the changes in mind!

Despite the changes, admission details remain similar from last week, including an 8:00 PM start time (doors at 7:00 PM), and a $10 cover charge for adults, $5 for kids 16 and under. Visit the above links for more information on what to expect at Soo Blaster TOMORROW, and for a preview, here's the second episode of The Soo's Got Talent's televised airing from SaultOnline's YouTube channel! As ONNtv subscribers may already have seen on Monday, this captures all 14 second round performers, though despite the six eliminations since week 1, they still got a 2+ hour video out of the footage shot last week. Better camera usage this time, including multiple angles and a closer primary camera, so that helps accentuate the contest progression! Remember, these performances all feature a singer covering an existing song unless otherwise stated. In performance order, we have The Apocalypse Afterparty (Lorde's "Tennis Courts", surprisingly), ...

...Madison Blair (Rihanna's "Stay"), Marilena Blair ("Amazing Grace", which was performed by Leila Rabanez on night #1), Andrea Dantzer ("A Change In Me" from Beauty & The Beast), The Dancing Divas (Taylor Swift's "Welcome to New York" with locally relevant lyric changes), Killabeatz doing another original beatboxing performance, Colin Gasparelli (a medley of the jazz standard "Summertime" & a-Ha's "Take On Me"), Bethany Pelletier LeBeouf (Avril Lavigne's "Head Above Water"), Ciara Pelletier LeBeouf (Meghan Trainor's "Me Too"), Greg McLeod (George Strait's "Write This Down"), Cameron Oliver (Ozzy Osbourne's "Mama, I'm Coming Home"), Coulson Perri (Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up"), Juliana Regan (Donny Hathaway's "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know"), and Adrian Sullivan playing an original song, before ending with an improvised bonus Killabeatz performance with a guest rapper, followed by the announcement of who advanced to the semifinals.

Note that singer/guitarist Lauren Kroll is not featured in the week 2 performances, apparently signalling her withdrawal from The Soo's Got Talent after the opening round for unannounced reasons. Hopefully nothing bad happened, she sounded good! Regarding the metal-spectrum covers, Cameron effectively handles Ozzy's classic ballad in more of a folksy acoustic format, and while I don't assume this is indicative of his complete repertoire, he seems like he can do a wide range of material. As for The Apocalypse Afterparty, the drum beat first had me thinking they were covering Death From Above, but they effectively rocked up Lorde here, and the eclectic costumes continued to surprise in their post-mask era. Barring any more unforeseen exits, they will be back TOMORROW for the semifinals along with the other 8 remaining acts, and with a bigger venue and production quality, hopefully this is another hit! Give the video a look below, and stay tuned for fallout next week!



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

The 2016 VM Radio Battle Battle Of The Bands Preview (Night #1!)

It's almost time to commence this month's battle of the bands action, so let's kick things off with our extended preview of TOMORROW'S first night of the 2016 VM Radio Battle of the Bands! One year after Gnaeus claimed victory in the premiering multi-night battle, local concert promoter J.D. Pearce has joined forces with VM Radio (and parent company Village Media), Tidal Records, and sponsors Case's Music, The Rad Zone, Maxx Graphics, and Labatt Breweries to bring this huge battle of the bands back to The Canadian Nightclub one year later, with thousands in cash & prize awaiting this year's competitors! As band registrations were disappointingly quieter than last year (partly as each of last year's finalists have been busy in studio lately), this year's battle has just 5 bands split across two semifinals rather than 11 bands over three nights, but a talented lineup of local talent will take the stage over the coming weeks, and expect a similar format and judging criteria for this month's action!

Like last year, thousands in cash & prizes await the finalist bands, and when there's public confirmation of the specific awards, we'll let you know! Click here for a complete rundown of last year's award recipients, just as a reference point. Though not publically confirmed, I believe I can confirm that last year's judges (Tidal Records owner/Rising Tide frontman Dustin Jones, Village Media representative & Elements frontman Rob Speers, and myself) will be back to judge this month's competing bands. It's a privilege and honor to be asked back for year #2, and I again pledge to keep our battle coverage impartial in respect to the nature of the event! After having to take the last 6 months or so off from attending concerts while dealing with family health matters, it will be nice to see some live music again in Sault Ste. Marie, and there's no better place to do it than at this month's battle, so I can't wait to see you all out there!

The schedule will see three bands competing tomorrow, with the other two and a guest band playing next week on March 16th, with all playing sets likely in the 35 minute range once again. Both weeks' winners and the highest scoring runner-up band (as the wild card) will return on Wednesday, March 23rd for the final showdown, but who can you expect to see tomorrow? Here's some info on TOMORROW'S first semifinalists!

The Din: The most battle-tested band in this year's field, the former Mike Haggith & The Din competed in last year's VM Radio & Speak Easy Battles (with Curtis McKenzie on guitar), but they did not place in either event. With their more firmly established alternative hard rock sound & live presence, as well as their new guitarist Tammy Hill, will The Din prove that the third time's a charm by making the finals this year, and can they channel frontman Mike Haggith's past battle success with the band Haggith? Visit their own Facebook event page for this battle to show your support!

Heavy Head: Though technically making their battle debut, new local pop/hard rock quartet Heavy Head have ample battle experience via members' past top-3 runs in local battles with The Suicide Kings, The Bear Hunters, Winkstinger, Soldiers of Misfortune, Haggith, and Punch. However, this is just Heavy Head's second concert, and they're somewhat of an unknown commodity unless you saw their debut. Can Heavy Head pick up where their other projects left off by making the finals? Support them at their own Facebook event page for this battle as well!

Stereo North: In their own sophomore concert set from last year's VM Radio Battle, local pop punk quartet Stereo North were part of an ultra close contest during the second night, where just 8.5 points separated first place from fourth place, so they only narrowly missed a finals spot. With an extra year of live concerts, original songwriting, and fan attention under their belts, can Stereo North improve on last year's battle run by advancing to the finals on March 23rd with their fan favourite originals & covers? To show your support, visit their own Facebook event page for the battle too!

Again, tomorrow's winner will join either Eclipse or K.I.C.K. (next week's competitors) and the wild card band to be announced on March 23rd at The Canadian, and stay tuned in the coming weeks for previews of those nights! And yes, you can also see The Din, Eclipse, Heavy Head, and next week's guest band Jack Spades in THIS THURSDAY'S second annual Speak Easy Battle of the Bands, where they'll compete against four other local act for the $400 top prize, so click here for full details on this fan voted battle at Algoma University, and look for our preview of it tomorrow! For battle attendees, nightly admission for this 19+ battle will be $5 for the semifinals and $10 for the finals, while each night has doors opening at 8:00 PM and the bands starting at 9:00 PM. For complete current details on this year's VM Radio Battle of the Bands, visit the official Facebook event page!

With both of last year's returning bands, and a local supergroup chock full of high placing battle veterans, this should be an exciting night of battle action, and as far as I'm concerned, the field is wide open this year! i'm excited to see how each band does, but will The Din claim a finals spot in their third battle? Will Heavy Head show the Soo what they've got by making the finals in their second show? And can Stereo North pick up where they left off by moving onto the finals in their second battle? Head down to The Canadian TOMORROW for all of the action, and I hope to see you all there! Thanks everyone, and stay tuned for our preview of The Speak Easy Battle next!

VM Radio Battle Of The Bands Night #1 Recap/Pixo Control Review!!

Hey guys, it's now time for our recap of last night's VM Radio Battle of the Bands opening night! As I was one of the judges, this will not be a review with personal judgements or criticism of the 3 competing bands, instead just a post to recap what happened and was observed by all. The setup at the battle was nice though, featuring a merchandise table for Tidal Records and plenty of banners for event sponsors, while Maxx Entertainment's Greg Simpson was on hand to provide solid sound for last night and the rounds to come! After a random draw to determine the band order, local folk/garage band Honest Job took the stage first last night, making their first local concert appearance in 14 months, as well as their first live concert appearance as a quintet, now featuring Jared Fridy on bass. Their set was comprised entirely of originals (save for a cover of Dick Dale's "Pipeline"), and included songs like "Waterslide" and "Page of Cups" from their "Numbers Game" EP.

Honest Job also showcased a unique sound featuring accordion work from frontman Mister Tahti that seemed to get a positive reception from early fans, and they had more of a rock sound than I recalled from the last time I saw them live, though activity on the floor wasn't too prominent yet. They were followed by newer local hard rock trio Infamous in just their second ever promoted concert (that I've heard about, at least), and they were admittedly still a bit of an enigma thanks to their lack of an online page, so what did we learn? Their lineup still features singer Lizzie Pearson, guitarist Damon King, and Them's Anthony Boudreau on drums (no bassist yet, which was sometimes very noticeable), and their all-cover set included renditions of bands like Bon Jovi, Asking Alexandria, and Halestorm, among others. Infamous got a better group of fans on the floor though, and hopefully this set was a good step in their development!

Capping off the night's competitive block was local death metal band The Bear Hunters in their first set of the year, who played a seven song set including their songs "The Omen", their newest "Neckbreaker", and their CD's title track "Collapse The Sun". The guys easily got the best crowd of the night, complete with a bunch of headbangers and a few mini-mosh pits, but did they do enough to win? Fans would find out after the last set of the night, as Tidal Records' newest signing The Pixo Control played a special non-competitive guest set to fill out the 4 band lineup, allowing me to revert to my usual reviewer/photographer mode for their set! Rocking an energetic set of originals like "Vicinity", "Alphabetical Order", and "Call Me A Liar" (plus their slowed down "Twist 'N Shout" cover), the guys showed off their clear skill and talent to a solid group of fans, with Michael Mikus' stage presence and Kurt Cobain-inspired vocals nicely meshing with Steve Edwards & Keeghan Rosso's solid rhythm!

The Pixo Control are making fans fast in the local scene, and it definitely showed last night with their skilled originals and stage presence (complete with an amusing hyped-up intro from a friend), and if The Pixo Control were actually competing in the battle, they'd likely have been strong challengers in the final tally! After their set, battle promoter J.D. Pearce took the stage to announce the winners of night #1, as the judges chose.....

...The Bear Hunters!! The death metal veterans were the last band to qualify for the Rockstar Bar Battle finals 2 years ago and they're the first band to do the same this time around, so they have ensured themselves a top 4 finish for the second time in their four-battle resume! We'll see them again at the finals on March 25th (complete with some teased "surprises"), and while I won't reveal anything else regarding the scores or placement at this time, I will say that the judges didn't unanimously agree on the band order. Congratulations though to Honest Job and Infamous for their sets too, they put in strong efforts in their own right, and we'll know in 2 weeks whether one of them is the wild card or not! The crew from SooToday and Local2 were on hand last night, with Donna Hopper capturing 19 photos at the battle, including 5 photos each of The Bear Hunters & Honest Job, 4 of Infamous, 2 of The Pixo Control, and one each of the judges, J.D., and Tidal Records business cards. Though all black & white, they're great as usual, so give them a look at this link!

Also, look for Local2's video coverage of night #1 in the coming days, as video cameras were rolling throughout the night. Fans can also see if The Bear Hunters can continue their hot streak at local battles at TONIGHT'S Speak Easy Battle of the Bands, which also features Gnaeus, Mike Haggith & The Din, and Project 421 from the March 18th lineup, plus fellow local acts Infinity Grinder, Jesse Merineau, and Long Shot. I plan on attending, so check the above link for more info on this battle! It was great to be involved in another local battle, so thanks to everyone at Village Media and Tidal Records for their hospitality, and I can't wait for next week's semifinals! Of course, we'll see The Danger Cats, Haggith, Mannapool, and Stereo North battle for the second finals spot this coming Wednesday (March 11th), and I hope we'll see everyone out next week for night #2!

We'll close today with videos (which you can see on our Facebook page, alongside our Pixo Control photos), and remember, the competing bands were filmed with the camera stationary on a tripod, as I was judging. Here's Honest Job playing their song "Queen St.", Infamous covering Sixx A.M.'s "This Is Gonna Hurt", The Bear Hunters playing their song "The Void", and The Pixo Control playing "This Is Momentary, Forever"! Thanks everyone, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews next!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (VM Radio Battle of the Bands Semifinals)!!

Today, we're devoting an entire post to the complete semifinal lineup for next month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands at The Canadian Nightclub, as promoter J.D. Pearce announced the daily schedule for the first three nights (March 4th, 11th, and 18th) a little early via the Facebook event page last night! So, who's playing on what day, and which band was (re-) added last night? Read on below for complete details, though note that the lineup is subject to change!

We'll start on March 4th (one week from Wednesday), where four local bands will battle for a guaranteed spot in the finals on March 25th, and they are death metal quartet The Bear Hunters, indie/garage rock quintet Honest Job, newer hard rock band Infamous, and doom/punk trio The Revolution! Of next week's competitors, The Bear Hunters will be making their fourth local battle appearance next Wednesday, and will also begin their defense of their 2013 Viva La Battle title, but will their metal brutality carry them to the finals? The sporadically seen Honest Job will make their Canadian debut and first live appearance of the year next week as well, which will also see them debut their new lineup and new originals, but can they make a big impression of their own? The pageless Infamous will also be making their local battle debut (following the cancellation of the Rock For Dimes youth battle) and second announced concert appearance that I can tell, but can Lizzie, Damon, and company make a huge splash next week?

No word on if Damon's recent musician searches relate to Infamous or not though. And finally, The Revolution will be looking to build on recent progress and the addition of Jordan Leach on bass, but will their new lineup make a big splash in their 2015 debut? This is arguably the heaviest night of the semifinals, but there's great talent all around for many tastes, so don't miss the action next Wednesday!

Night #2 of next month's battle on Wednesday, March 11th will feature four more local bands, including all-female hard rock quartet The Danger Cats, grunge/alternative quartet Haggith, progressive rock quartet Mannapool, and newer punk quartet Stereo North! The Danger Cats will be playing their first ever battle, their first ever Canadian Nightclub set, and second gig of the year, but will their originals and high profile bring the girls to the top? Haggith (who were originally slated for next week before being switched with The Revolution) will be looking to build on their 2013 Rockstar Bar Battle run, where they finished second after a wild card finish, but can lightning strike twice for them on the 11th? Mannapool's progressive and jazz rock originals have been making many fans in the past year, but will their technical skill translate to battle success in their battle debut and first concert set of 2015?

And finally, Stereo North are arguably the biggest wild card on the 11th, especially as this will be just their second ever live concert, but can their pop punk sound put them into the finals two weeks later, and will bassist Bill Bennett's "Best Sound" winning performance with T-Rex Manning at 2012's Humane Society Battle provide some extra experience? This might be the best lineup for punk & alternative fans over the semifinals, but again, there's a little something for everyone, so don't bypass the second night!

The last semifinal on March 18th will only feature three bands, as a planned lineup of 12 bands fell just short, but there's a talented lineup ahead, including local rap/metal project The Apocalypse Afterparty, post-punk quartet Gnaeus, and classic metal quartet Project 421! The Apocalypse Afterparty were actually added late to the lineup last night after being previously removed from the bill, so it's great to see them back on! The masked bandits (featuring "songwriters" from local battle alums RedD Monkey & The Fury) have been teasing the addition of female band members in recent weeks, and possibly a temporary live drummer, but how will they look and sound on the 18th? Both Gnaeus and Project 421 will be making their second battle appearances (following next Thursday's Speak Easy Battle, results to be determined), while Gnaeus will be making their Canadian debut, and this will be Project 421's first Canadian appearance since opening for Anvil last year (more on Anvil in our next post!)

Can Gnaeus' rising post-punk and garage originals claim them first place, or might Project 421's old school metal classics do the trick? In place of a fourth competing band, promoters are teasing "a surprise special guest appearance", but who is intended? A Tidal Records-affiliated band? A band featuring event promoters or staff? A previously eliminated act? Another band entirely? We'll let you know if anything is announced! Either way, there's a nice varied mix of bands to take in on March 18th, with one of the three guaranteed to make the finals the following week, and remember, a wild card runner-up band will join each week's winner in the finals on the 25th! Remember, the winning band next month wins $1,000 in cash and much more, while there are other prizes for the best original song, most energetic act, best individual performances on different instruments, the fan favourite band, even the best fan, and more, so visit the event page linked above for all currently announced prize details!

Also, keep in mind that The Bear Hunters, Gnaeus, Project 421, and members of Haggith are all competing at next Thursday's Speak Easy Battle of the Bands, but will the fan voted results seen there be a bellwether of what's to come at The Canadian by month's end? For attendees, remember that next month's VM Radio Battle costs $5 at the door for each semifinal & $10 for the finals on March 25th, but if you buy a $15 advance ticket package through competing bands, you will save $10 off of the total cost of attending all 4 nights, so keep that deal in mind! Each night's action begins at 8:00 PM, and yes, all 4 nights are ALL AGES & licensed! Visit the above links for current details, and stay tuned there and to the SMS for more details as they come in! Thanks everyone, this is going to be a great month!

Rockstar Bar Battle Of The Bands Semifinals Recap (Night 3)

As promised, here's my recap of last night's last semifinal of The Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands, but be sure to check out last month's poll results in the post below, and VOTE TODAY in our current poll on your favourite concerts from 2012 in full on your right! Also, like the last two weeks, remember that I will NOT be giving in-depth reviews or critiques of last night's bands, or revealing scores beyond bands' placement each day, out of respect to all bands, organizers, and my judging position. Like the past two semifinal nights, three more local bands gathered at The Rockstar Bar to compete for one (or two) spots in next week's finals, with the only major differences from past weeks being a 10:15 PM start time (not 10:30 as was previously announced), less band introductions, and Boot Hill Crooners singer/guitarist Sheldon Jaaskelainen helping out on sound in place of Craig West. For details on each night not covered above, check out our last two battle recaps on the site!

After a random drawing, last night's first band was local "blue Chinese metal crash punk" quartet Sykotyk Rampage in their first battle of the bands with their current lineup, and they played a selection of more recent original songs like "Hay Zeus" and "Bucket of Ham", along with a medley of their drinking songs (as seen at The Locals Attack in November.) Though they had some loyal fans out, their crowd response wasn't fantastic, and the free-flowing banter and casual energy of their usual sets wasn't as visible. Second last night was Giwakwa (pronounced with a hard G, as in "Gates"), the new local death/sludge metal quartet featuring Bring The Fallen alumni Josh Stephney & Nolan Rainville, veteran local guitarist Chris Page, and Frightlight drummer Chris Thompson. They played an abbreviated set of just 4 songs (including "Winter's Hunger", "Endless Bummer", and "Iron Lung") which attracted a solid crowd response on the floor! Soundwise, they're reminiscent of Bring The Fallen, if a bit doomier and with no guitar solos (which Chris Page told me is on purpose.)

Last up last night was local melodic death metal quintet The Bear Hunters (in their Rockstar Bar debut), and they won immediate points visually for both their new banner and their bear hunter costumes (complete with camouflage garb & "bear blood"!) Their set attracted the biggest crowd and cheers of the night, which saw them play 5 original songs including "Servitude", "Collapse The Sun", and "Deception". After their set, judges Len Ward, Jay Case, and myself deliberated on the results, and while I won't reveal the final scores, I will say that once again, we all agreed who finished first, second, and third. With that said, your third semifinal winners & battle finalists are.... THE BEAR HUNTERS! As a result, the guys have secured their best ever battle of the bands finish (following last year's narrow 6th place run at the Humane Society Battle), and it could mark another prize winning run for members who took awards in bands like Bring The Fallen & Operation: Killdozer in recent years! And yes, guitarist Mitch Sirie will compete twice in the finals following his other band's victory last week, so we'll have to see how that goes! That said, who got the wild card?

Well, last night's second place band (who I'll confirm were Giwakwa) didn't quite break the tie going into last night, but rather than make a tough decision, organizers and judges mutually decided to give BOTH of the tied wild card bands a spot in the finals, and with that said, the wild card finalists are.... HAGGITH & THE PESTO SHIRTS! For The Pesto Shirts, this marks members Steve Myers & Jacob Rendell's first upper level run at a local battle since Sense of Truth & Blues Harvest made the Kiss Battle Finals in December 2009, while Haggith will get a second chance to make a huge impression in their first collective local battle next week! So for next week, The Bear Hunters, Haggith, and The Pesto Shirts will join the first two week's winners (Late & Loud and The Suicide Kings) in a massive 5 band final round, and there's a little something for everyone at next week's finals, with death metal, grunge, hair metal, indie rock, and hard rock all represented by the different bands, and there's interesting notes throughout the finals to take note of!

Will The Bear Hunters lock up their first local battle win and give guitarist Josh Stephney his fourth battle victory in the past 4 years? Can Haggith prove themselves to be above the wild card with a first place run in their battle debut? Will Late & Loud give Jonathan Tiberi a huge local send-off with their second local battle win in just over a year? Can The Pesto Shirts knock off their heavier competitors with their talented indie/jazz blend and professionalism come next week? And will The Suicide Kings keep up their prolific recent successes with a victory in the finals? This is gonna be a huge night of finals action THIS WEDNESDAY, and as a note to all 20 competitors next week: Bring your A-games! Leave it all on the stage, don't just play the same set with the same effort. Prove you deserve the victory, bring your fans, and leave everyone in attendance next week wanting more! You've made it this far, now turn it up to 11 and make the most of this opportunity! No word yet on a start time, but I imagine it'll be similar to past weeks, while the 19+ age limit remains in effect, and admission will cost $10 (but believe me, it's worth it, more bands and only the top bands!)

Which band will claim the $1,000 grand prize, the recording time at Case's Music, the opening slot at an upcoming Johnny Pints concert, and maybe more? Who will claim the other podium spots? Be at The Rockstar Bar NEXT WEEK to find out, and I know I'll see you guys there! Congratulations to the finalists for making it this far, and here's my videos from last night, of Sykotyk Rampage playing their newer song "Disbeliever", Giwakwa playing their song "Stoned To Death", and The Bear Hunters playing "Bloodthirst"!







That's all for today, but stay tuned for previews of both this weekend's metal/hard rock concerts and Woods of Ypres' Juno nomination tomorrow morning or afternoon! Thanks everyone!

Rockstar Bar Battle Of The Bands Preview (Night 3)

TOMORROW NIGHT is the last night of semifinal action in the Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands, so like the last two weeks, it's time for a preview of the last qualifier for next week's final round! As brought to you by The Rockstar Bar, Case's Music, The Rad Zone, and The Sault Metal Scene, the last three semifinalist bands will be at The Rockstar Bar tomorrow to compete for the right to join week 1 winners Late & Loud and week 2 winners The Suicide Kings in the finals, where they (plus the wild card band to be determined) will compete for prizes like $1,000, recording time at Case's Music, a guaranteed opening slot at one of co-promoter J.D. Pearce's upcoming concerts, and more! Me and fellow judges Jay Case & Len Ward will have perhaps the heaviest night of the battle so far tomorrow to weigh in on, with all three bands playing hard rock or death metal. All have plenty of recent battle experience, with two competing in battles in the last 3 years, and all three feature at least one musician with a top 2 finish to his name, but which band will return to such successes at this current battle, and can one of them supplant the wild card tie to earn a clear path to next week's finals?

Remember, like the past weeks, I will NOT be critiquing the individual bands or predicting any results, as to remain fair & impartial given my judging role. I'll just be promoting and hyping the bands and tonight's action, and hopefully encouraging you guys to come out and support the bands again! Now, which (two?) of the final three semi-final bands will punch their final round ticket tomorrow night? Here's some info on each, in alphabetical order:

The Bear Hunters: One of the biggest local death metal bands of recent years, The Bear Hunters will bring their melodic/groove influenced sound to The Rockstar Bar for the first time tomorrow, where they'll look to improve on their 6th place run at the Humane Society Battle last April. Can that, plus members' past battle experience with D.O.T.H. & Operation: Killdozer, help put them over the top this time? Also, can guitarist Mitch Sirie make the finals with both of his local bands, joining fellow finalists The Suicide Kings?

Giwakwa: After almost two years of preparations, new local stoner/death metal band Giwakwa just debuted at The Rosie last week, but can they make a big early impression tomorrow night to make the finals? Their members have big show experience in bands like Lead The Dead and Frightlight, but one big asset is members Josh Stephney & Nolan Rainville's string of three battle wins out of four tries with Bring The Fallen in 2009 & 2010. Can they repeat that incredible run of victories with Giwakwa tomorrow night?

Sykotyk Rampage: The only non-death metal band tomorrow, this creative veteran quartet will bring their blend of alternative rock, punk, and blues originals (all improvised in studio) back to The Rockstar Bar for the first time in 3 years tomorrow! Playing their first competitive battle since their third place run at 2010's Sault College Battle, can their entertaining originals & drinking songs bring them similar success, and can new bassist Tony Briglio's second place run at 2010's Downtown Showdown with The Fury prove beneficial?

Also to note, Giwakwa frontman Josh Stephney will pull double duty tomorrow as The Bear Hunters' rhythm guitarist, but will the judges put one/both of his bands through to the finals, or do Sykotyk Rampage have something to say about that? Barring a sudden cancellation, tomorrow's winning band will return for the final round NEXT WEEK, where they will face Late & Loud, The Suicide Kings, and the wild card band (who are being announced tomorrow night.) As we've said on here before, we're going into tomorrow's last semifinal with a tie for the wild card, so if tomorrow's second place band doesn't surpass them, the judges will likely have a tough decision to make for who gets the fourth finals spot. As for attendee details, there will be a special start time TOMORROW of 10:30 PM, but the 19+ age limit and $3 cover charge are still in effect. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page or the above links! We've had two great and competitive nights of battle action so far, but who will be the last two bands to complete the final four next week?

Will The Bear Hunters ensure their best battle finish ever with a finals run? Will Josh & Nolan channel Bring The Fallen's battle successes with Giwakwa tomorrow night? Can Sykotyk Rampage show up the death metal bands with their creative crash music? Will one of these bands prove to be the clear wild card band for the finals, or will a tie-breaking decision come into play? The complete final round will be determined TOMORROW, so join us at The Rockstar Bar to enjoy the music and see who comes out on top! Thanks everyone, hope to see you guys there!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Half A Man) & The SMS March Mayhem Semifinals!!

Hey guys, I apologize for this being later than it usually is, but that's the joys of vacation plans. This post shall lead off with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, but then we'll transition into the latest SMS March Mayhem updates, including the debut of the final four! Let's get things going!

Brimley hard rockers Half A Man are playing a rare all ages concert on The Fourth of July! This will serve as both an official outdoor show and as a Fourth of July barbeque to take place at 6816 South Main Street in Brimley. I believe this is likely at or near a band member's house, but don't quote me on that. This event has a 1:00 PM start time, but I imagine the band might not play until later. It is definitely an ALL AGES show, and there is no listed admission price. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Sounds like a fun time, and what better way is there to spend both Independence Day & the SMS' 4th anniversary? Details aren't entirely out there yet for what's going on, but stay tuned to the above links for info as it comes in!

Now it's time to update the SMS March Mayhem bracket as we finish the quarterfinals, narrowing the bands down to a final four! Who made the final four? Here's the results of the third round!

As It Stands def. Destroilet 35-17

Frightlight def. Lion Ride 39-19

Mike Cliffe def. Shit Liver 109-106

Sykotyk Rampage def. WinkStinger 48-22

What do you guys think? As It Stands' victory is what I predicted, though it was a bit more of a blowout than I was predicting. Destroilet had a good run though! Same goes for the Frightlight/Lion Ride match in terms of the finish, as I thought Lion Ride would have at least lost by a closer amount. Mike Cliffe's surprising Cinderella run continues with a stunningly high vote total, narrowingly beating Shit Liver in this past round! Who'd have thought we'd get over 200 votes on a matchup? Sykotyk Rampage's win of WinkStinger is also a surprise, though their fanbase is quite devoted! So these are the quarterfinal winners, and here's the updated tournament bracket!

As you can see, the winners of last week's first two matchups and the winners of the last two matchups will face each other, starting TODAY, in fact! With that said, here are the matchups for the SMS March Mayhem Semifinals!


Can Frightlight continue their gauntlet run in the tournament with a victory over hardcore mainstays As It Stands? And in the battle of surprise semifinalists, can Mike Cliffe pull off yet another upset victory as he takes on Sykotyk Rampage? The winners of these matchups face off in ONE WEEK in the finals, so VOTE TODAY and pick your finalists! That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news very soon! Thanks everyone, and GET VOTING!