Darwin Project Concert Preview, Plus A New Video, Concert Updates, And More!!

There, now with classes out of the way until Monday thanks to my American Thanksgiving break, I have more news on time today, and there's some good stuff to share this evening! So tonight's stories include updates on a major concert next month, three new Facebook pages from a trio of local bands, and a new concert video from a recent Kewadin metal show, but we will begin with an oddity: A mid-week local concert preview! Also make sure to check out my Total Chaos concert review below this post!

Just four days after rocking Rudyard, Cheboygan hard rockers The Darwin Project are coming back to Sault Michigan for a one night only concert at a venue we don't hear too much from! Yes, TOMORROW NIGHT, The Darwin Project will headline a show at The Savoy Bar on West Portage Avenue, which is in the same general area as The Corner Pub Bar & Grill, just in case you forgot where it was! I know they've hosted concerts before, but I can't think of any notable metal/hard rock ones off hand, but it should be cool! Now I don't believe this show has any weird or notable quirks compared to other local stops, aside from the weekday scheduling, so just expect some great hard rock if you go see them tomorrow night! There is a 10:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and because it's a bar, expect a 21+ age limit. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! If you're looking for some live music tonight, The Darwin Project's brand of alternative hard rock is a nice option! They come here often, but who knows when they'll be back, so make the most of it this weekend, as they have some great tunes in store tomorrow night! Check the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's The Darwin Project playing their original song "Do You Want It" from a concert in January!



Next up, here's the latest updates on Lion Ride's local return next month! A new Facebook event page has been launched to hype their December 28th show at The Canadian Nightclub, replacing the old one which was deleted earlier today. The big news out of this is the announcement of the opening bands, and if you were expecting metal or punk, than you'll likely be a bit disappointed. Don't worry though, there is quality music! The first openers are local country/punk quintet The Billy Bastards, who've developed a good local following with their unique brand of music that definitely calls into the more extreme underground brands of country than anything commercial! Plus, John Conway & Aaron Gibbs of Harsh Heads fame are members, so that's notable on the metal side of things! Joining them as openers are the local indie band named The Pinecones. Just like Wojtek from the Zombie Walk afterparty, I have to admit: I've heard of them, but I've never heard them, so I can't share a lot on them. They played at this summer's Clusterfolk concert and at numerous acoustic shows, including a Relay For Life fundraiser, but I can't tell you much else about them yet. The only other real update is the poster on your left, which looks pretty cool! Hopefully I'll see you guys at this concert, it'll be a good one! Check out the above links for more, and note that on their MySpace page, they now say their new album is "coming soon", eliminating the previous "fall 2010" timeframe. Interesting, I'll keep you posted!

Thirdly, here's a brand new local concert video from a recent major concert at Kewadin Casino! This comes from last month's Sevendust concert, in just the second video we've seen on YouTube from it, but shockingly, it's also not of Sevendust! This is of another of the opening bands, Florida Christian metal quartet Since October playing their single "Guilty"! This comes from YouTube user iamdickard's channel, and it appears to have been shot with a cell phone camera. That being said, it's just 39 seconds long, the audio is VERY scratchy, and it's best you listen to this on low volume to make out the song the best. The video quality isn't bad, but it's darkness helps lessen the good angle it was shot from. It's not the clearest or longest video we've seen from recent major concerts, but it works well enough, and hopefully we get more from the Sevendust show soon! Check out this new video below!



And finally, here's three quick updates all revolving around the same general topic: Newly discovered Facebook pages of local metal/hard rock bands! Each band name below sends you to their Facebook page where you can become their fan! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by band name:

• Sault Michigan hard rockers Elipzis launched their new Facebook page this past weekend! It features individual event pages for their four upcoming Michigan concerts (none local) but I did add them to the out of town concert listings on the SMS! Aside from those, the information is mostly stuff we've seen on their other pages, but become a fan today, as updates are sure to roll in there!
• Fresh off of their debut performance on Sunday, local grimecore trio Shit Liver have launched their own Facebook page as well! It features some interesting quotes in their description, a photo from the Total Chaos show, and a discussion board topic on if the band should sell t-shirts. If you like these guys, become a fan today, help get the page going!
• Guitar Studio rock camp alumni Unleashed have a Facebook page that I only recently came across! Though information is sparse, it does confirm the band's current lineup and the members' last names, which weren't given on their MySpace page. Unleashed now features singer Isaac Terrian (Shift frontwoman Amy Beairl's son) who also now plays bass, replacing Maddy Lamma, plus drummer Jake Hotland & new guitarist Chris Verhagh (replacing Eli Riley.) No updates have been posted since June, but become a fan, cause you never know what'll be coming!

That's all for today, but I have more news and notes to come very soon, so keep an eye out! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Keep The Faith), Poll Results, Our New Poll, And Our Sevendust Preview!!

Packed update today, so here's what's on the docket! As it is the 18th of the month, it's time to reveal the final results of last month's SMS poll and launch a brand new poll, and as promised, our Sevendust preview is coming up today as well. But kicking things off today is a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so here's what you should know!

Keep The Faith are coming back to Sault Ontario! Over four months after the self-professed "Quintessential Tribute To Bon Jovi" last played here, they will mark their return to The Canadian Nightclub next weekend to rock the night away! This is actually the second Bon Jovi tribute show in Sault Ontario in the past two months, following a concert by another Toronto-based Bon Jovi tribute band, Crush, on September 18th. But if you've specifically missed Keep The Faith, here's your chance to see them again! Like with their past shows, there's a start time of 10:30 PM and a $5 cover charge. You must be 19 to attend, as this is a bar. Note that Keep The Faith are hyping this concert as a Halloween party, so break out your costumes and enjoy some hair metal classics next Saturday! For more details, visit the band's Facebook group, and a huge thanks to Jay Perron for informing me about this show! If you like Bon Jovi, these guys pull off their sound VERY well, so make sure to head to The Canadian next Saturday if this is up your alley! More as I hear it, including news on a possible Led Zeppelin tribute show, which I'm waiting for extra confirmation on before I announce it here.

Now, to last month's poll results! As you may remember, last month's poll asked this question: "What's your verdict on last month's Kiss concert?" This is a straightforward question, and probably our last major SMS posting about the Kiss show, just in case some of you are Kissed out. We had 21 votes for this question, which is a bit small, but at least the results were telling! As is normal, we'll go in ascending order to say the results. Tied for last place with a vote each were "It was disappointing", "It sucked!", and "I couldn't get a ticket". I'm not too surprised for the former two choices, as I could tell from the crowd reaction that they enjoyed it, but I have to say, I figured more people would have chosen that they couldn't get a ticket. With only about 5,000 people in attendance, I would have assumed more people would be in that camp for the poll. Tied for third with 2 votes each were "It was alright" and "Other". I can't comment on "Other" without the voters' reasons, but I'm not shocked that a few people said it was just alright. I'm sure some fans might have not been blown away, but still had fun, so having a couple here makes sense! And in second place with 6 votes, was "It was awesome!" I had a hunch this would be high in the voting results, and you could definitely see at the Kiss show that the vast majority of fans loved the show! If I was to vote, it'd be for this choice, and with no reservations!

But in first place, with 8 votes, 38% of the total, was "Kiss sucks, I didn't go". Now, I have to admit, I'm not surprised this won the poll, because Kiss can be polarizing, and I know of many people who visibly don't like Kiss and never considered going. I am glad to see that, as a whole, more choices implying people went outnumbered this choice, but I will admit that Kiss aren't universally loved, and this is proof. But aside from that, of the people who did go, the majority said it was awesome, so I'd say that speaks for itself!

So now it's time for our next poll, which will run until November 18th. So what is the question this month? Well, after some thinking, I decided to tackle an aspect of local bands' live shows that can be a point of discussion from fans. Some friends of mine have been vocal on this, others don't mind, but let's see what you think. This month, I pose this question to you guys: "What is your opinion on local bands & cover songs?" The idea of covering other bands in a set or concert is a frequent sight in the twin Saults. Bands like Caveman Morrison and Turner Up are known for sticking to sets largely comprised of covers, among other bands of varying genres. Many others will include covers in setlists that at least have a balance of covers, while some only play originals from the get-go. What do you guys think? Voice your opinion with these choices!

I love covers, they're great!: Many music fans love to hear familiar songs, hits from their favourite bands, and a local band's take on them. Some just want to hear the music, others will enjoy to hear these songs locally because it's easy and convenient to hear them at a nearby bar than at a major venue elsewhere. I even know a couple of people who don't like originals because they want to attend a concert and immediately know every song that will be played. So if you're in the grouping that loves covers without question, vote here!

Covers are OK, but play originals too!: Let's say you like hearing covers, but at the same time, you don't want to hear them all concert long. Many local bands play a balance of both, like Browbeat or Half Past, be it their standard method or as a slow progression to an all originals set, like Garden of Bedlam and Sense of Truth have done. If I was voting, I'd pick this choice, as I like the familiarity of some hits and want to hear the original songwriting from the band members too. What do you think though, is this the choice you'd vote for?

That depends on the band: Vote for this choice if you like hearing covers ONLY if you like the band or their take on certain songs. It's perfectly understandable if you dislike one band's version of a song and wouldn't want to hear it, and like another band's rendition. Or, you just like one band more than another. Straightforward choice, so if you agree, vote for this one!

I don't care, as long as the music's good: Covers, originals, if it doesn't matter to you, this should be your vote! Maybe you go to concerts for the musical talent, the concert atmosphere, and the good times, rather than to hear a specific song. If you prefer the music to the songs being played, then vote here!

Covers are pointless, why bother?: Ah yes, the other end of the spectrum. I know of a number of people who don't get the appeal or point of cover bands or playing sets of mostly covers. Likewise, there are a few notable bands locally that only play original songs, be they for this reason or just evolving from covers. Maybe some of you think that the original songs should only be played by the band, or maybe you just don't want to see bands take up all of their time playing the same old songs over and over. I think there's a place for covers from local bands, and they have a clear appeal, but if you don't enjoy them, you know where to send your vote!

Other: If I missed an opinion or option, feel free to vote "Other"! Nothing much else to say here, I just added this to make sure all bases are covered.

VOTE TODAY!!! You have until November 18th to cast your votes, and then after a couple more new polls, we'll begin our "Best of 2010" polls in January with on the biggest news story, best concert, and maybe best CD release if enough make it out by January 1st. But worry about our current poll right now, cause I'm really interested in what you guys have to say!

And capping things off today is our preview of a major local metal concert taking place TOMORROW, so here's what you should know! Yes, Allstar Promotions is proud to present The Harddrive Live North Americal Tour 2010 at The Dreammaker's Theater at Kewadin Casino tomorrow night, and here's the lineup! Your headliners are Atlanta metal quintet Sevendust, who have sold over two million records, with such hits as "Unraveling", "Driven", "Enemy", and "Angel's Son"! I'm a huge Sevendust fan, and it's great to see them playing in the area, so expect a great night of alternative metal! There will also be three support bands, including Knoxville, Tennessee hard rockers 10 Years (best known for their hits "Wasteland" and "Beautiful), Florida Christian metal band Since October, and Austin Texas hard rockers Anew Revolution. All of these bands are really good, and though 10 Years and Sevendust will be most familiar, don't count out any band from delivering some great hard rock and metal! Note that Oklahoma rock band Aranda (who opened for Papa Roach at Kewadin last year) are NOT scheduled for the show tomorrow night, though they are on certain other Harddrive Live shows this year.

This show will take place TOMORROW NIGHT at 7:00 PM at The Dreammaker's Theater at Kewadin Casino, with Anew Revolution kicking off the concert. Tickets are just $20, which is a fantastic value for the amount of metal you'll get at his show! Now I have heard nothing about this being sold out (there were some early criticisms of the slow sales), so there should still be some tickets available. If you're interested in going and don't already have a ticket, you can pick them up at this location, at the Kewadin Casino box office, or by phone at 1-800-539-2346 (that's 1-800-KEWADIN). And yes, this concert is ALL AGES! As it currently stands, this is the last major metal/hard rock show at a major venue of the year, so be sure to hit this show! I'd go if I had a ticket, I'm a huge fan of Sevendust especially, and hopefully a great crowd shows up! I'll have all the fallout on this show mid-week as it comes in, and for a preview, here's the music video for Sevendust's hit song "Driven"!



That's all for today, but stay tuned likely tomorrow for a post full of assorted news, including the latest from Riverin, Sneaky Pete, possibly that Led Zeppelin tribute if I get confirmation, and more! Stay tuned!