LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Quite Frankly), The Go Skate Day Concert Preview, And Epic Rush Concert Videos!!

Let's close out this weekend's known hard rock concert previews tonight, along with new videos from a recent tribute band concert, so here's what you should know for this late Friday night post!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Quite Frankly will return to The Water Tower Pub for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band quietly announced the show on their Facebook page on June 2nd and it slipped us by until this week. Last seen on May 1st at Beck's Bar, this will be Quite Frankly's first Water Tower Pub stop in two months. This talented group should have another wide array of entertaining rocking covers in store for central fans TOMORROW, so keep this one-nighter in mind if it piques your interest! The Water Tower Pub never hosts the same band on consecutive nights, and as such, funk rock cover band The Rhythm Junction are playing there tonight (replacing the cancelled Yuk Yuk's comedy night). Linsaey, Frank, Harley, and Joe take the stage TOMORROW at 8:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's Quite Frankly live at The Water Tower Pub!

Next up, here's this weekend's last known hard rock concert preview, and it takes us to Queen Elizabeth Park outside of the John Rhodes Centre, where Go Skateboarding Day returns on SUNDAY! After promoters Underground Events SSM's planned debut as hosts of this event last year were severely impaired by heavy rain, I am pleased to report that 9&10 News is calling for sunny skies on Sunday with temperatures ranging from 16-19°, with no likelihood of rain, so Mikhal "Cha" Muto finally gets to put on the Go Skate Day he intended last year! Sponsors and vendors will be on site at the skatepark, and skaters of all ages & skill levels are encouraged to come down to hit the ramps and rails, play games, have fun, and of course, listen to live music! After last year's program was abruptly moved to a private event with late replacement bands, Mikhal has secured six acts this year, the largest Go Skate Day lineup in a decade, so who all can you expect on Sunday afternoon?

The presented lineup order lists the apparent headliners as Half Scoundies (Josh and Todd from The Golden Scoundrels) in an acoustic folk/bluegrass set. Preceding them are this year's two returning acts from Tidal Records-era Go Skate Days, including Shane "DJ Seith" Erickson with his fan favourite turntable mixes, as well as party metal trio The Apocalypse Afterparty (featuring Mikhal on bass). Fast-rising teenage hard rock quartet 5 Dollar Bribe will make their multi-band/outdoor debut on Sunday, preceded by Mikhal's ska punk trio A.S.D.P., who were a late addition to last year's private Go Skate Day rainout concert. Local jazz/EDM solo artist Mario "Yecharo" Kwan is listed last for this year's bill, and while he is a bit of a wild card, he does appear on Underground Events SSM's compilation album. Nicely varied lineup for sure, and the weather should hold up for the duration!

Admission is FREE whether you are skating or not, and this is definitely an all ages event, with bands presumably set up on top of the big ramp at the skatepark like they were under Tidal's supervision. Things seem to be shaping up well on musical and logistical fronts this year, and hopefully things go well at the skatepark on Sunday! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Apocalypse Afterparty live!

Let's close today with videos from last week's Epic Rush concert at The Full Throttle Saloon! Like at the Crazy Babies show there, a representative of the venue was filming videos for their Facebook page, but unfortunately, they were all shot vertically. We do get some longer videos this time though (all run for at least 3:45), and they include the former Rust playing the Rush classics "Time Stand Still", "Freewill", and as embedded below, "Red Barchetta". Notably, the latter cover was filmed from the back corner of the stage, giving us a unique angle of the proceedings, especially to really show off drummer Eric Kuthy channelling the late Neil Peart with gusto, but his playing comes off very loud as a result. I do wish that more fans were on the floor close to the band, let alone that the house lighting was at least darkened, but Rush fans got their fill from this talented Sudbury-based trio, so check out all three videos!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the SMS very soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Peril, Tarnished, And Go Skateboarding Day!!)

Tonight's news post gives us some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, including a big returning Sault Ontario event later this month and some intriguing concerts in the E.U.P. in the coming months. Here's what you should know!

The annual local Go Skateboarding Day concert returns to Queen Elizabeth Park outside of the John Rhodes Center on Sunday, June 21st! After nine prior installments (eight with live music) were held by Tidal Records from 2014-2019 and 2022-2024, local promoter and musician Mikhal Muto inherited the reins of this annual event last year, only for Go Skate Day to be rained out as intended, the first time that the local version was ever called off for a reason other than the pandemic. An indoor skateboarding event at Prince Township was held on short notice, with a partial lineup of bands playing a private event afterwards, but weather permitting, the original format of Go Skate Day is back for 2026 via Mikhal's new promotional agency Underground Events SSM. This includes all-ages and free skateboarding for all skill levels from 12:00-5:00 PM, plus skate games and giveaways from sponsors.

For the first time since 2016, the local Go Skateboarding Day concert will have six advertised acts atop the half-pipe at the skate park, and while the performance order isn't clear from the Facebook event page, there will be two (kinda three) returning acts. Local party metal trio The Apocalypse Afterparty (who played in 2024) and Shane "DJ Seith" Erickson (who played in 2015 and 2016) are back, while ska punk trio A.S.D.P. will play their first John Rhodes Centre gig on the 21st, though they (and DJ Seith) played at last year's private fill-in event. Go Skate Day newcomers will include Half Scoundies (Josh & Todd from folk/bluegrass quartet The Golden Scoundrels going acoustic), new local hard rock quartet 5 Dollar Bribe (in their first ever public multi-band concert), and local jazz/EDM solo musician Mario "Yecharo" Kwon, who is on Underground Events SSM's compilation album.

Quite an eclectic lineup of musicians (I never would have connected the Scoundrels... er, Scoundies with extreme sports) will be on hand, but of course, Mother Nature is very much a factor as to if Go Skate Day 2026 will occur as planned, and part of me is surprised that it took until 2025 for one to be impaired due to weather. I do hope that everything goes off without a hitch for Mikhal and crew this time, so visit the above links for more on all of the action one week from Sunday!

Next up, Traverse City, Michigan classic metal trio Peril have announced their concert calendar through September via new schedule images on their Facebook page! We knew about their car show-weekend gigs in St. Ignace on the 26th and 27th, but when else will Jeff, Howard, and Brooks be rocking a stage within an hour of the Soo? Their next shows in our coverage area will be on Friday, July 10th and Saturday, July 11th at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino, and they will be rocking out after the Steve Earle concert at The Dreammakers Theater on the 11th, so if you wanna keep the party going, head to the lounge afterwards! In August, they have two shows in St. Ignace, but not at Kewadin Casino. They'll instead set up shop at American Legion Park for one-nighters on Thursday, August 6th and Friday, August 21st as part of the Music By The Bay concert series!

 

Those are outdoor shows (bands play under a canopy at the park), and while these are rare non-Kewadin gigs for Peril in our neck of the woods, they have played at the Music By The Bay series before, weather permitting. Hopefully things go well for the guys in all six of their regional concerts this summer! The Kewadin dates next month are at 9:00 PM with 21+ age limits, the St. Ignace outdoor shows run from 7:00-8:30 PM with no age limits, and none have a cover charge. Visit the above links for more on this hard rocking veteran group's regional shows ahead!

 

Finally for this post, we'll stay in St. Ignace, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Tarnished will return for some non-Kewadin shows of their own in a few months! They too will return to American Legion Park for St. Ignace's Music By The Bay series on Friday, July 31st and Saturday, September 5th, with the latter falling over the Labour Day long weekend (they'll actually be the penultimate band of this series for 2026). As best as I can tell, Tarnished and Peril are the only heavier-leaning bands playing Music By The Bay shows this year, but there are other familiar names that you can see on the daily schedule at this link. Alex, Josh, Chris, and Ron will make another hour's drive south on Friday, September 18th when they rock The Driftwood Sports Bar again, this time during the Richard Crane Memorial Truck Show weekend! You may recall seeing Tarnished play three different locales during this event last year.

 

No word on if they'll be similarly busy in 2026, but if you love big rigs and transports, this truck show will be up your alley, and kudos to The Driftwood for capitalizing on all of these vehicle shows in St. Ignace by booking bands during them! We'll address the band playing there on Thursday, September 17th in an upcoming post. Like with Peril, the Music By The Bay shows are at 7:00 PM with no age limit or cover charge (weather permitting), while the Driftwood concert during the truck show weekend is at 9:00 Pm and will be 21+. See above for more on Tarnished's Mackinac County shows ahead, and look for weekend concert previews and our next Defunct Local Band Profile on the SMS in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Ethereal Tomb & Go Skateboarding Day), Plus New Sault Michigan Videos!!

Here's another news post to check out before another weekend concert preview cycle begins, and it includes new videos from the E.U.P. and two interesting LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for Sault Ontario fans, so here's what you should know on this Wednesday night!

The tenth annual local celebration of Go Skateboarding Day goes down on Saturday, June 21st at Queen Elizabeth Park outside of the John Rhodes Center, and for a ninth straight installment, there will be live bands! In a big change from past years, the advertised promoter this year is local punk/metal guitarist Mikhal Muto, with Dustin Jones/Tidal Records nowhere to be found on the Facebook event page. No public word as to why Dustin isn't visibly involved with this year's local Go Skate Day, but Mikhal has loads of promotional experience to keep the free and all-ages skateboarding action going! Like in past years, there will be contests, prizes, and snacks from sponsors and supporters. Local crossover thrash quartet Hails will play Go Skate Day for a third straight year on the 21st, joining The Cover-Up as the only bands to play this event three times, though all members but Carmen also played there in 2022 with different bands.

Two bands new to Go Skate Day will hit the stage atop the big ramp on the 21st, namely death/thrash metal trio Pillory in a rare outdoor concert from them, as well as newer local space rock duo The Spaceship Opening (featuring ex-Redundant bassist Andrew MacDonald), who still don't have a known online page. As well, Shane "DJ Seith" Erickson will bring his turntable mixes back to Go Skate Day for the first time since 2016, so don't miss his skilled tunes as well! This is a FREE & ALL AGES event, skaters do not need to register to take part in that way, and things run from 1:00-5:00 PM. Weather permitting, this should be a fun time, so visit the above links for more details!

Next up, Ha!ls have one more show announcement to take note of, this time indoors at Soo Blaster on Wednesday, July 16th, where they will open for a touring trifecta of metal bands! Making their local debuts on this night are Barrie/Toronto doom metal band Ethereal Tomb, Brampton hardcore quartet Mile End, and Chilliwack, B.C. hardcore punk quintet Smuther, which presents an interesting style contrast with all three bands having distinct sounds that may not gel with all listeners, though Ethereal Tomb & Mile End do play together often. Stoner and screamo fans will find a lot to like here, let alone with Hails' locally tested fury as they continue the lead-up to the Ripcordz show late next month! Another Mikhal Muto-promoted concert, this is all ages as usual for Soo Blaster, with doors opening at 6:30 PM and an admission fee of $15 at the door or via online tickets to be revealed. Visit the Facebook event page for more on this intriguing concert!

The second half of today's post takes us to Sault Michigan, starting with lots of new videos of local hard rock quartet The Nameless at The Merchants Bar on Saturday night! These were first uploaded to new drummer Jamie Costner's personal Facebook page on Sunday, with the band sharing them publically a couple of hours later. The five videos are all included in a batch post, though lengths are inconsistent. Therein, you will see The Nameless covering Kenny Wayne Shepherd's "Blue On Black" (the only one of the five shot vertically), The Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Dani California" and "By The Way", Nena's "99 Red Balloons" (perhaps the Goldfinger version?), and Wolfmother's "Joker & The Thief". "By The Way" is embedded below as it is the longest of the five videos, and notably, frontman Joshua LaCoursiere just sang on the Chili Peppers covers without playing guitar, which is true to the Peppers' lineup.

It's good to see some new videos of The Nameless in concert (they had only uploaded two of their own to Facebook prior to these), and they have a good handle on all five songs on offer here, with the Chili Peppers covers having an extra aggression to them that adds to both songs! Jamie slots in well behind the drumkit, and Mike has some solid guitar work in particular here, so don't miss these new Nameless clips at The Merch above and below!

Finally, here's an advance single from local metal solo project X's & Y's' upcoming sophomore album "Ruination Coactive"! Uploaded to their YouTube channel yesterday, this video is for the album's opening track "Arrival", with the song set to spacey yet cubist visualizer effects. I won't comment on the song yet, as I plan on reviewing "Ruination Coactive" on the SMS this month, assuming it is released as planned on June 13th, but check out X's & Y's newest song for yourselves below!

That's all for now, but another busy round of weekend concert previews begins next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Silent 9, Half Past, And Go Skateboarding Day!!)

For today's SMS post, we're entirely tackling LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the coming months, including a big returning annual show next week and some covers-friendly action for later this summer and into the fall, so here's what you should know!

Tidal Records' annual Go Skateboarding Day event returns to Queen Elizabeth Park outside of The John Rhodes Center for its ninth installment (and eighth with live bands) on Friday, June 21st! As newly announced on social media yesterday, this will be the first installment of the local Go Skate Day to take place on a Friday, believe it or not, so that should help bring out a solid crowd compared to past mid-week installments, weather permitting! For the first time since 2017, just three bands will be playing on June 21st as opposed to the usual 4+ acts, and while it's ambiguous who's headlining, local skate punk trio Hails will return from last year's festivities, so look for another hard hitting set of original thrash punk next Friday! Guitarist Mikhal Muto will pull double duty with his party metal trio The Apocalypse Afterparty in their Go Skate Day debut, and rising hard rock quintet HeadFirst will round out the lineup.

Like in past years, bands will be stationed on a stage atop the big halfpipe at the skatepark, and of course, the skateboarding and extreme sports are the main attraction, with skaters of all ages and disciplines encouraged to come out to enjoy themselves. There will be contests, prizes, and refreshments as usual, so see above for more on the non-musical activities! Everything goes down from 6:00-9:00 PM next Friday, and there is no cover charge or entry fee to attend as a fan or skater. This should be a fun time as usual for punk and hard rock fans, let alone skateboarders, so definitely visit the above links for more details!

Next up, here's another outdoor show announcement, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 will be performing at Strathclair Park at 639 Black Road on Saturday, July 6th as the musical entertainment during that day's COPPA Giovanni Soccer Tournament! Silent 9's performance comes during day 2 of this event, which sees local soccer teams (men's and women's) compete in a World Cup-style tournament, and the band will reportedly be playing near the main field. It's rare when soccer crosses paths with our coverage, but hopefully Jess, Ryan, Paul, and Steve deliver some solid tunes for fans! Note that the final day of the soccer tournament (Sunday, July 7th) coincides with this year's Giovanni's Italian Festival, which expands to The Roberta Bondar Pavilion that day with its own huge slate of events (free to the public ones, at that), and they will reportedly be playing under the tent that day at 3:30 PM!

I have only seen sporadic mention to the performer lineup on July 7th, with Elvis Presley tribute artist Larry Tschekalin being the only artist that day currently advertised by Giovanni's Facebook page, but Silent 9 confirmed their involvement on their website's calendar. Hopefully this busy weekend goes well as they pause their summer break! They'll be playing at 7:00 PM at the COPPA tournament on the 6th, both events are all ages, and neither has an admission fee for spectators (if you're interested in signing a soccer team up or sponsoring the COPPA tournament, click here). While we're on the subject, now that other bands have confirmed shows that far ahead in the year, let's add their remaining fall 2024 dates to our calendar, as they'll head to The Water Tower Pub for Friday nighters on September 27th and November 22nd, bookending a full weekend at The Esquire Club on November 1st & 2nd, so keep those shows in mind!

It's too soon to say whether the Esquire Club gig on November 1st will have a belated Halloween theme or not (it is closer to Halloween than Saturday, October 25th is), but we'll keep you posted either way! The other new show will see them hit the road 3½ hours north for White River to play at this year's Winnie's Hometown Festival (a.k.a. Poohfest) on August 17th, much like Jess and Steve did with their prior band Obsession in 2022. As for the new local dates, all four are 19+ with no cover charge, with 8:00 PM start times at The Water Tower Pub and 9:30 PM kickoffs at The Esquire Club. Visit the above links for more on Silent 9's summer/fall slate, and stay tuned for more on their teased Rotaryfest debut next month!

Finally for today's post, we have a new show announcement and cancellations to note all at once, as reunited local hard rock quartet Half Past will return to Shooters Downstairs Lounge for one night only on Saturday, August 3rd! Fans at the Dennis Street nightclub will have seen Half Past play their first public concert in over twelve years there in February, and while we have to wait almost two more months for their Shooters encore, it's good to see Jordan, Alain, Arthur, and Johnny back at it later this summer! This is another one-nighter due to Shooters hosting DJ nights on Fridays this year. Where we gain a show, we also lose two, as Half Past have quietly cancelled their advertised Reggie's Place gigs on July 5th & 6th, as per the deletion of those shows' promotional poster from their Facebook page. A reason for the cancellation wasn't announced, but note that Reggie's hadn't confirmed the dates that I had seen, even if they were almost a month away.

Hopefully nothing bad happened, and that we see Half Past there in time! The Shooters show on August 3rd is a 9:30 PM event with no advertised cover charge and a 19+ age limit. Visit the above links for more details on the hard rock cover action ahead, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

Go Skateboarding Day 2022 & Tym Morrison Concert Previews!!

To start another work week at the SMS, here's another mid-week concert preview post, as we have hard rock/punk shows to spotlight over the next two days, including a major returning annual event with a stacked lineup, so here's what you should know!

After a pandemic-induced two year hiatus, Tidal Records will bring back its annual Go Skateboarding Day festivities and attached concert TOMORROW at Queen Elizabeth Park outside of the John Rhodes Center!  Of course, Go Skate Day is a special holiday to encourage people (especially youths) to, well, go skateboarding, and safely indulge in other extreme sports activities, and Tidal Records held local Go Skate Day events from 2013-2019, including live bands atop the ramp from 2014 onward. It's great to see Dustin and company back for a belated eighth year, and hopefully there's a great turnout of skateboarding and music fans tomorrow! Skate games, refreshments, and other family friendly activities are to be expected, partially thanks to presenting sponsors. The expanded five band lineup includes headlining punk/alternative quintet These Magnificent Tentacles, who should turn some skater heads to close the day!

Promoter Dustin Jones' own online page-less punk cover quartet The Cover-Up will return from their own pandemic hiatus as co-headliners, in their first announced show since their turn as "You First & The Givee Givees" at a tribute concert in December 2019. The Cover-Up are this year's only returning band from any prior Go Skate Day, so you know their upbeat skate punk covers will be a fitting soundtrack! Unplugged roots/ska group Unorganized Township will chill things down in the middle slot tomorrow, while two rising young alternative bands will open the proceedings, including punk quartet Vanity First, who will be making their first announced public concert appearance outside of Korah C&VS tomorrow! The guys actually played a set at Korah's Relay For Life cancer fundraiser event on the 9th, and the band shared photos on their Facebook page to end their three month break from posts there.

If that was a publically attendable event beyond Korah students & staff, I apologize for missing it, but again, Vanity First never plugged their involvement. Lastly, hard rock quartet Raincourt will open in their first announced show outside of White Pines C&VS, and with their new Tidal-assisted studio recordings making waves, hopefully they kick things off on a strong note! Go Skate Day 2022 is a FREE & ALL AGES event that is projected to run from 4:00-9:00 PM, and be advised that while 9&10 News projects partly cloudy weather of 24-28° during showtime, there is a chance for thunderstorms around 8:00 PM. If you love skateboarding and live punk-leaning music, head to The John Rhodes Center for all of the action tomorrow, and remember to bring the kids if they want to shred at the skatepark or even learn how! Visit the above links for full details, and here's These Magnificent Tentacles live!

Finally for today, here's one more mid-week concert preview, as local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to The Mike Case Memorial Stage outside of The Trading Post for a fourth straight week on WEDNESDAY NIGHT! My pre-call last week that Tym would be back at the Mike Case Stage this week was accurate, as even if he hasn't firmly said so on his Facebook group, as he launched a Facebook event page earlier today for this week's stop. As such, he does appear to be on a Gliss-esque weekly arrangement for Wednesday evening gigs there, so if you're up for some classic and hard rock covers way down Great Northern Road in two nights' time, you know where to be! Night #4 of Tym's Trading Post series has a 7:00 PM start time, no cover charge, and no age limit, and 9&10 News is projecting a sunny evening with temperatures of 12-15°. See above for more details, and here's a full concert of Tym's from back in 2020!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

The Faps Concert Preview, New Steel Panther Videos, And More!!

In what may be our last news post of July 2019, we are tackling some new YouTube video discoveries (some more belated than others), but leading off, here's a preview of a special Wednesday night concert for you punk fans!

Saskatchewan "post-gar(b)age-punk" duo The Faps will return to Sault Ste. Marie TOMORROW NIGHT when they rock Dryer Fire's pop-up summer venue at 123 Bruce Street! The second stop on The Faps' current Ontario tour, this will be Blair & Skyler's sixth local concert appearance, and first since rocking The New A in April, though this gig at Dryer Fire's temporary homefront may represent new ground for many fans of theirs.  With their intense, fan-engaging, and often intriguingly dressed live show making many local fans in the last few years, hopefully the mid-week placement doesn't scare off too many possible attendees! Local surf rock instrumental quartet The Dynowaves (featuring Brent "Slumshine" Ellis from April's Faps show) will open tomorrow's proceedings with their own proficient and unique originals, so don't miss them either! Promoted in-house by Dryer Fire, this is an ALL AGES concert with a $10 cover and a 7:00 PM start time.

While the Wednesday evening scheduling is unfortunate, The Faps are a proven attraction locally now, and their hard hitting minimalist punk attack should attract new and old fans alike at Dryer Fire tomorrow, so don't miss out on this show if you can help it! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Faps live!



Next up, here's some surprising new discoveries: More video footage from the Steel Panther concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino back in December! One video was only posted online in June, as filmed by attendee Brad Madigan for his YouTube channel, marking his first upload from a local concert. This captures the first 15 minutes of the Los Angeles glam/comedy metal quartet's headlining set, which (after a sampled recording of Van Halen's "Everybody Wants Some") featured their songs "Eyes of a Panther" and "Goin' In The Backdoor", before bantering, joking, and jamming for the remainder of the clip. Musically, Steel Panther (and guest bassist Spyder) sound like their usual entertaining and ribald self, which definitely extends into the post-song bantering, and the impressive crowd is certainly on board! Brad got a great front row view of the band and audience, with only a speaker on stage breaking things up.

I don't know what took so long to post this video online, but if you love hair metal and enjoy very adult humour, Steel Panther will be right up your alley, and this video captures them in their element, so give it a look below!



The other belated Steel Panther video comes from attendee Brandan Penno, whose video of Steel Panther covering Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" is his only upload on YouTube to date, as posted in April. Clever and amusing touch having frontman Michael Starr perform while dressed as Ozzy himself and acting like him on stage, even seeming addled and confused like he often came across on The Osbournes. The cover's solid and lively, and Brandan got a nice zoomed-in view of the front of the stage, so give it a look below also!



Finally, here's SooToday's brief video feature from last month's Go Skateboarding Day festivities at Queen Elizabeth Park in Sault Ontario, as posted onto SooToday staffer (and ex-Garden of Bedlam drummer) Derek Turner's YouTube channel! I have no idea why this isn't on SooToday's proper channel. As was the case in their prior video features from this annual event, there's no audio of any bands, as skateboarding is the focus, though you do briefly see The Cover-Up playing atop the big ramp 22 seconds in. Derek himself does not feature on camera, but the video features co-organizer and Id Iota frontman Christian Lemay promoting the event and it's goals in a one-sided interview, though given his long-time association with Shaw TV, it is very odd to see him holding a SooToday microphone. Go Skate Day is a great event to promote skateboarding with new and old athletes alike, and hopefully this year's installment was a hit as usual! Give SooToday's video a look below, and here's to 2020!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and more very shortly! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Wyld Stallyns & Soundcheck) And Sault Ontario Weekend Concert Previews!!

Another busy weekend of hard rock and punk concerts is upon us, so here's what you should know to start! To spread things out and not overload this post, our preview of this weekend's Scarkazm shows in St. Ignace, Michigan will be in our next post, but don't worry, they are coming! Now, here's what you should know on the Canadian side of the border, starting with a handful of SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's Place on Queen Street East for a second straight weekend with shows TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, these concerts were only announced via their Facebook event page yesterday, but at least we had enough notice to plug them all on here beforehand, unlike last week! With the popular downtown nightclub back up and running, it's not a surprise to see Soundcheck back with rare non-country concerts there, but with two full weekends in as many weeks (even with Thursday nighters), are they making up for 2 years of lost time? Notably, the event page reveals that ex-Phatstick frontman Jason Taillefer will be filling in for a vacationing Paul Belair TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY, with his presence noted for at least a few weeks. Fans may recall seeing Jason back on a local stage this year with scattered solo gigs as it was.

It's great to see Jason playing live again now that he's back home, and hopefully his bass work is on level! Note that Soundcheck's Reggie's West gigs earlier this month were with guest bassist Cory Valentine, a Sault native who recently played in the Southern Ontario cover band Southern Belle, and hopefully his appearances were well received! Thanks to drummer Glen Thomas for the information. As for TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY at the downtown Reggie's, expect 10:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits. See above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!



Next up, local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will return to The Whiskey Barrel on Gore Street for another headlining concert TOMORROW NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's Facebook event page on Tuesday. For the past couple of months, The Stallyns have exclusively played at The Whiskey Barrel, so if you enjoy Jesse and the Speers' varied and often heavy cover selection, you'll have to head to the former Konoba Tapas location, and TOMORROW will provide more of the same live entertainment from this fan favourite unplugged group! As usual for Wyld Stallyns shows at this venue, a 9:00 PM start time is advertised for TOMORROW NIGHT, there's no announced cover charge, and I'd expect a 19+ age limit given the timing. See above for more details, and here's The Wyld Stallyns live at The Whiskey Barrel earlier this year!



Moving to previously announced concerts, let's next head to Queen Elizabeth Park outside of the John Rhodes Center, as Tidal Records will host their seventh annual local Go Skateboarding Day festivities TOMORROW! Yes, the independent label are once again championing this yearly day honouring extreme sports, and skaters of all ages are encouraged to come down to the local skatepark for a day full of demonstrations, contests, vendors, a "low budget barbeque" and family friendly camaraderie! Visit Tidal's Facebook page for complete details on the non-musical activities. For a fifth straight year, local musicians will take the stage for the Go Skate Day festivities, and as usual, the performer roster is largely comprised of event newcomers, with only online page-less punk quartet The Cover-Up (featuring promoter Dustin Jones) returning from last, or any, year. The advertised headliners are funk/hard rock quartet The Elements, so hopefully they warm up well with this set before Rob & Jesse head down to The Whiskey Barrel for the Wyld Stallyns show!

Remaining performers will include Distillers tribute band Coral Fang and surf rock instrumental rockers The Dynowaves, so don't bypass their sets either! This FREE & ALL AGES event has a 4:00 PM start time, and luckily, they are calling for a nice summer day tomorrow, so hopefully things go off without a hitch. With four entertaining bands atop the half pipe once again this year, hopefully this is the biggest and best Go Skate Day yet, so see above for more details, and here's The Cover-Up live earlier this year!

We'll close today's Sault Ontario weekend concert previews with the ongoing weekly concert slate from prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison, who is only scheduled for two shows at press time this weekend, both at Gliss Restaurant as standard TOMORROW & SATURDAY! After last week's surprise Sunday matinee at La Terraza Franzisi in Richards Landing, this is looking like a return to Tym's usual scheduling of two dinner-time shows at the Spring Street restaurant this weekend, but if he surprises us with another St. Joseph Island trip this weekend, we'll let you know. Of course, Tym's prolific and proficient setlist should provide ample entertainment for Gliss regulars and fans alike, so don't miss either show there over these two nights! As usual, expect these concerts to have 6:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and no age limits, but mind the locale. Click here for more details, and here's Tym live a few years back!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Scarkazm previews and more on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Go Skate Day & Project 906), Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

Before we begin today's post, I wanted to apologize for a missed concert, as local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns played at The Whiskey Barrel on Gore Street last Friday, which was announced last Thursday on their Facebook page but slipped us by entirely for our weekend concert previews. I profusely apologize, but hopefully it was a great show, and we will work harder not to miss future Stallyns shows there! Now, today's post features this weekend's (few) hard rock concert previews, new video finds, and leading off, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for later this month!

Tidal Records will host their seventh annual Go Skateboarding Day festivities on Friday, June 21st at Queen Elizabeth Park outside of the John Rhodes Center, and for a fifth straight year, local bands are on the docket! As finally revealed on their Facebook page this morning, local skateboarders can come down to the skatepark next Friday for skateboarding demonstrations, vendors, refreshments, and more family friendly entertainment as usual, so if you're a past Go Skate Day participant or new to the event, you may want to circle this on your calendars! Musically speaking, this outdoor concert event (presumably back atop the half pipe) has a mostly different lineup from last year, as is usually the case, but online page-less local punk quartet The Cover-Up will join The Din as just the second band to play in consecutive years. Next week, they'll be joined by headlining funk/hard rock quartet The Elements, Distillers tribute band Coral Fang, and surf rock instrumentalists The Dynowaves, all in their Go Skate Day debuts.

Solid lineup of punk and alternative sounds that should provide an ideal soundtrack for the skate action, and hopefully the weather holds out for everything! This FREE & ALL AGES event takes place at a special 4:00 PM start time next Friday, and (Choose) Maxx Entertainment will apparently be handling sound for the day. Another fun lineup of music and extreme sports is just over a week away, so don't miss out on all of the action next week, and visit the above links for more details on next week's events!

Next up, let's take a detour to Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula, as local blues/hard rock quartet Project 906 have announced just their third public show of the year, which will see them return to The Strongs Tavern in nearby Eckerman on Saturday, June 29th! This concert was first announced on their Facebook page on Monday, where the band acknowledged their public hiatus since their last shows in February, blaming it on personal life matters (i.e. new houses, babies, and jobs for their members), but they do have some openings for shows this summer. In a somewhat unusual move, the guys revealed four Fridays in June (including next Friday) & August, plus Sunday, August 25th that they're looking to get shows booked on, and to contact them if you can help set anything up. Hopefully they get some concerts scheduled, it's been too long, but in the interim, they will be back at The Strongs Tavern in a couple of weeks, so you know where to go if you've missed Project 906 over the spring!

The Strongs show on June 29th will be a 10:00 PM affair with no announced cover charge and a 21+ age limit. It's great to see that Dustin, Joe, Billy, and Tommy are still active with the band, but alas, personal lives can throw a wrench into any band's plans, even if they're all positive. At least we'll be seeing Project 906 in a couple of weeks, and see above for more details!

Also today, here's our preview of (surprisingly) this weekend's only publically announced hard rock shows in the Soo area, barring any late notice confirmations, as Sault Ontario hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will continue his long-term arrangement at Gliss Restaurant with solo acoustic concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY! No nighttime shows elsewhere this weekend, so if you want to take in Tym's prolific and proficient brand of classic and hard rock covers, you'll need to come by the Spring Street restaurant around dinner time over these two days. With Tym's well tested and fan approved sound, this should be another solid weekend of live entertainment, so don't miss out tomorrow or on Saturday! As usual for Tym's Gliss shows, expect 6:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and no age limits, but remember that this is a formal sit-down restaurant, not a nightclub. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!



Finally for today, here's three belateds video hyping up Sunday's Anvil concert at Soo Blaster, and I apologize for these being late, Facebook videos can fly under the radar very easily, especially from sources you don't expect. Soo Blaster's Facebook page posted three videos to hype the Anvil show up last month, confirming the promotional involvement of Thunder Bay's Loffredo & Associates in the process, with the first video being a commercial for Anvil's local and Thunder Bay shows, as set to videos of vintage and modern Anvil, plus teasing a contest to win tickets. The third video is totally devoted to the Soo show, serving as a commercial for just Sunday night's festivities, as set to the "Badass Rock 'N Roll" music video. Tucked in between is the video embedded below, which features an audio recording of Anvil frontman Steve "Lips" Kudlow hyping up the concert, oddly over top of a photo of Lars Ulrich. Short but to the point, hopefully this helped get some tickets sold, and give all three a look above and below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post of some kind tomorrow! Thanks everyone!