Last Month's Poll Results & Our New Poll!!

Today's post is all about last month's and this month's polls on the SMS as we continue our "favourite _____ of 2017" poll run! Last month's poll is now closed, as we posed this question to you guys: "What was your favourite new local metal, hard rock, or punk album released in 2017?" Only 13 votes, though this was a jump in vote totals from the previous month, so thanks to everyone who case a vote! Now, here are the final results!

The Din - Suburban Dream (5 votes, 38.5%)

AlgomA & Shit Liver - Trading Faces (5 votes, 38.5%)

Other (3 votes,  23%)

Abhorrent Forest - "The End of Life" or "Ethereal" (0 votes)
AlgomA & Hooded Menace's split vinyl single (0 votes)
The Apocalypse Afterparty - Bufflesnort (0 votes)
Mike McCleary - In Ruins (0 votes)
Any of SweetKenny's 2017 score albums (0 votes)

What do you guys think? Well, given the vote totals, I'm not terribly surprised that digital-only albums and ones from solo acts received no votes, with the soft release of "Bufflesnort" and "In Ruins" being taken down for heavy revisions also not helping their cases here. I'm most surprised by the lack of votes for the AlgomA/Hooded Menace split, but with a longer, entirely local split with it's own release tour also coming out later that year, it's clear which one was a reader favourite. I can't speak for the 3 "Other" voters (perhaps some Pixo Control fans voted for Mike Mikus' solo debut?), but first place was a tie between last year's AlgomA/Shit Liver split cassette tape and The Din's final studio album, which both got high profile release concerts last fall and positive fan responses! As both got 5 votes, my tiebreaker in cases like this is which album was released more recently, as it had less time to get the same fan support, so the "winner" is "Suburban Dream", but that and "Trading Faces" were both solid releases to end 2017 with! Thanks to everyone who voted!

As for this month's poll, I'm once again posing this question to you guys: What was the biggest local metal, hard rock, or punk news story of 2017? For positive and negative reasons, 2017 was a very eventful year for our coverage (aside from one day in July...), and there was no trouble cobbling together 25 choices (plus "Other") for you all to pick from this month! From concerts to album releases, to band breakups, and everything in between, I hope that I covered the biggest stories from our covered genres last year! To make the poll, stories and news items must have primarily occurred in the 2017 calendar year, so don't look for the Big Wreck show or Re:Born's debut here (wait until our 2018 poll!) Of course, if I forgot something major, "Other" is an available choice, as I admit that I had a tough time debating some choices over others. There's lots of options below to pick from, so here's some info on all 25 news stories in this poll from last year!

AlgomA release splits with Shit Liver & Hooded Menace: No strangers to the concept of a split album thanks to their 2016 release with Chronobot, local doom metal trio AlgomA put out two splits in 2017, including a vinyl single with Finland's Hooded Menace in January, and their all-covers cassette tape split with fellow locals Shit Liver in September. Both releases got positive notices from fans, but where these your top story of last year?

Alter Bridge and In Flames hit Sault Michigan in May: One of the biggest hard rock shows of last year saw Orlando hard rock notables Alter Bridge and Swedish alt-metal veterans In Flames join forces for a well received concert at The Dreammaker's Theatre at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino. A lot of videos made their way online from this one, and both bands delivered with their old and new songs alike, but would you pick it in this poll?

Bankshot reunite for Guy Thiffault Memorial Concert: The second annual memorial show for late Hangdowns frontman Guy Thiffault brought numerous bands to The Canadian Nightclub in December, all seemingly returning after a break or a lineup change, but the most notable was the one-off reunion of late 1990s skate punk band Bankshot after a 17 year breakup! Featuring 3 members of their classic lineup, would you agree to select it here?

Bret Michaels rocks Kewadin Casino once again: Already well regarded by Hair Scare loyalists locally from his six prior headlining shows in the Twin Saults, Poison frontman Bret Michaels made it a lucky 7 in November when he headlined at The Dreammaker's Theater once again. As usual, attending fans had nothin' but a good time with his solo and Poison hits alike, and there's surely demand for Bret to roll back through, but would you vote for it?

CKY and The Wild rock The Canadian Nightclub in June: One of the biggest nightclub shows of 2017 in Sault Ontario saw the local concert debuts of Pennsylvania alt-metal trio CKY and Kelowna hard rock quartet The Wild, whose set lived up to their name! Also featuring Jack Spades' then-new lineup and A Dire Setback, this packed show gave fans quality looks at CKY's current sound and The Wild livin' hard & free, but was it the #1 moment of last year to you?

Diamond Head perform at The Rockstar Bar in September: After helping kick of the summer with CKY, promoter J.D. Pearce helped send it out by bringing British NWOBHM legends Diamond Head to Sault Ontario for another highly anticipated local concert bolstered with hits like "Am I Evil"! Also featuring Jack Spades and one of the final live sets by Project 421, The Rockstar Bar sure was rocking on this Saturday night, but does it have your vote?

The Din dissolves following final CD release concert: With frontman Mike Haggith moving to Manitoba late last year, his local alt-hard rock trio The Din announced their breakup following their farewell concert at LopLops Lounge in October, which doubled as their release show for their second and final studio album "Suburban Dream", with a belated live album also recorded that night. This sure was a bittersweet night, but was it also the most notable?

Dokken & Firehouse play at The Essar Centre: After a couple years away from local concert promotion, Sault Michigan's Superior Entertainment returned to that area in September with the regional returns of hair metal legends Dokken and Firehouse, though curiously across the border at Sault Ontario's Essar Centre rather than The Dreammaker's Theatre. Despite comparatively low attendance, the bands delivered for assembled rockers, but were you among them?

Gnaeus suddenly disbands in March: In one of the biggest SMS-covered band breakups of 2017, local post-punk/garage rock quartet Gnaeus surprisingly announced their demise last spring, despite publically storyboarding a music video the previous month. This talented quartet came out of nowhere in 2014 to become one of the most prominent local bands of the mid-2010s, including 2 battle wins and their "Meditations" CD, but did their end win here?

Grooves Music reopens as Crooked Music: A long-time staple of Sault Michigan business and music equipment changed hands and names last spring when Gary Hatch sold Grooves Music to solo musician/ex-Half Stupid frontman Zac Crook, who changed the music equipment store's name to Crooked Music and promptly refurbished the business, including bolstering their stock with a large selection of records. Things sound good at Crooked Music, but would you vote for it?

Handsome Sandwich debuts: In a lean year for metal, punk, and hard rock band debuts, Handsome Sandwich were one of the few to make a notable impact on concert stages with any regularity. Featuring Bear Hunters, Elements, and Winkstinger alumni, this punk/alternative trio became a fan favourite sight on local stages last year with their varied array of covers. We haven't heard much from them yet in 2018, but was their launch your biggest story last year?

HMV closes and is replaced by Sunrise Records: After a decade-long run as The Station Mall's resident record store, HMV began liquidation sales early last year as part of the entire chain's closure, shutting it's doors for good at the end of March. However, the location didn't stay vacant for long, with Sunrise Records coming to the Soo in it's place as part of their newfound national expansion. It's great to have a new music store, but would this change be your choice?

Jack Spades return with lineup overhauls: After a 9 month hiatus, local metal/punk quintet Jack Spades returned to the stage at the CKY concert in June, but it was the public start of major lineup changes in their ranks, with all but J.D. being replaced in time for that show (including new guitarist Daniel Horton), and by year's end, Rob Speers would join on bass, and they'd welcome back Tiffany Stocco and Johnny Belanger for good measure. Was this your top story in 2017?

Lita Ford & Great White's outdoor concert in St. Ignace: As part of Kewadin Casino's summer concert series at their St. Ignace branch, a rare outdoor concert took place there in June, where hard rock legends Lita Ford and (Jack Russell's) Great White took the stage for fans on the waterfront! Despite the drop-out of April Wine, this concert was well received and seems to have helped encourage more St. Ignace bookings, but does it earn your vote?

NLFB Meltdown battle takes place at LopLops Lounge: The only battle of the bands-styled event to take place in Sault Ontario last year was a local branch of the annual NLFB Meltdown competition at LopLops in April, with six acts competing to earn a slot on the Northern Lights Festival Boreal festival lineup last summer. Solo artist M.D. Dunn pulled off the surprising win over bands like The Din and Id Iota at this well recieved event, but was it your #1 choice?

Oh!No Music Festival debuts in Leeburn in September: Promoters Six, Two, Oh! revived plans to host a large-scale concert festival when they held the first annual Oh!No Music Festival at "Robbie's Church" in nearby Leeburn, Ontario last fall, which was a big hit with attendees and campers! Bands like Lightmares, Beaver Slap, Artificial Dissemination, the reunited Winkstinger, and many more took to the stage, and with year #2 announced, would you vote for year #1?

Pop Evil returns to The Dreammakers Theater: The first major headlining hard rock concert in the area of 2017 saw Muskegon rock standouts Pop Evil return to Sault Michigan on February 25th to wake the lions at Kewadin Casino once again! Featuring openers Badflower and Kaleido, this concert was another hit for the increasingly popular band and their array of rock radio hit singles, and fans surely are hoping for a return engagement, but is this your preferred option?

Project 421 breaks up in October: Another major band breakup in 2017 was the demise of llassic metal quartet Project 421 after a four year run (shortly before sister band Eclipse's quiet second and final breakup.) 421's end was more surprising, especially given their high profile resurgence in mid-2017, but they accomplished a lot in the mid-2010s and made lots of new fans that will hopefully follow to their successors Re:Born. Is this your top pick?

The Quiet Riot & Rock the Border Fest cancellations: In early 2017, Sudbury promoters CSA International announced plans to bring metal pioneers Quiet Riot to The Machine Shop in March, and then the Josh Todd-headlined Rock the Border Fest at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion in June. However, both were cancelled for differing reasons, with restless fans and online discussion a big point of discussion in the latter case. Did these sagas win your vote here?

Skeyes of Seven return after 2 year stage hiatus: Despite a talented pedigree with Sense of Truth, As It Stands, and Half Past alumni, local hard rock quintet Skeyes of Seven's live concert appearances have been sporadic at best, with their opening set at September's Project 421 show at The Canadian being their first since 2015. Fans welcomed them back with open arms, and while their debut EP and next show are still up in the air, was Skeyes of Sevens return your top story?

The Tea Party headline free ONTour concert in July: As part of the Ontario Government's ONTour concert series in honour of the province's 150th birthday, Toronto hard rock trio The Tea Party came back to Sault Ste. Marie for the first time in almost 20 years with a free concert at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion to a rousing response! Also featuring Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker, Andrew Hyatt, and McLean, this was a nice surprise over the summer, but do you agree?

Theatre of Night launch their Christmas tour in December: After years spent as a 2-3 man studio project with occasional female vocal input from overseas, Sault Michigan classical metal project Theatre of Night announced a Christmas tour for the holidays, including shows at the renovated Soo Theater and in Pickford, plus dates in Jackson and Midlothian, Illinois. Their metalized Christmas carols gave a boost to the holidays, but were they your favourite item out of all others here?

Theory of a Deadman end year with Kewadin show: Ending 2017 with a bang, Allstar Promotions brought Burnaby, B.C. hard rockers Theory (of a Deadman) back to Sault Michigan for a sold out new concert, with fans eager to hear old and new originals alike, including their new hit "Rx (Medicate)"! Also featuring a return east from Munising hard rock quartet Infathom as openers, was Theory's December 30th show here your top story last year?

Treble Charger return for LopLops headlining concert: Despite promotion being oddly under the radar for a while, local/Toronto punk/indie quartet Treble Charger played a sold out "sneak peak" concert at LopLops Lounge last summer to end a 2 year public hiatus, with a Kingston festival date also following. Also featuring A Dire Setback as openers, it was great to see Greig, Bill, and company back, but would you agree?

Vol. debuts: Last year's other major hard rock band debut in Sault Ontario, Vol. (pronounced "volume") merged Pixo Control and Aldous alumni into a high energy indie/hard rock outfit that became a frequent sight at shows in mid-late 2017, including a trip to Leeburn for the Oh!No Fest, and preliminary plans for a debut album were also announced. We haven't heard much from Vol. yet this year, but was their debut your #1 story?

Other: Did we miss your favourite story of 2017? Perhaps a band debut, concert, album release, or general news event that we didn't address was your pick as last year's biggest story on the metal, hard rock, or punk spectrum? If we missed your preferred choice, vote for "Other"!

VOTE TODAY!! You guys have until April 18th to cast your votes, and it'll be interesting to see what comes out on top over the month ahead! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news this week! Thanks everyone!

Last Month's Poll Results & Our Next Poll On The SMS!!

Now, let's tackle the results of last month's now-closed poll on the site, and open our new poll, but of course, check out our new news post (including a show TOMORROW) at the post below this one! As you may remember, last month's poll posed this question to you guys: What was the biggest local metal news story of 2013? 36 votes, which is respectable though a bit lower than I had figured, but thanks to everyone who did vote! So, what did you guys select? Here are the final results!

Blood Shed Productions continue local growth (13 votes, 36%)

Woods of Ypres win Juno Award for Best Metal Album (4 votes, 11%)

Bam Margera plays at The Canadian Nightclub (3 votes, 8%)

Airbourne run wild at The Canadian in August (3 votes, 8%)

Late & Loud part ways after April battle of the bands (3 votes, 8%)

Shinedown rock Kewadin Casino (2 votes, 5⅔%)

Destroilet returns to the stage after 2 year break (2 votes, 5⅔%)

Other (2 votes, 5⅔%)

Haggith's breakup & farewell show (1 vote, 3%)

The Dayglo Abortions overcome rain for local return (1 vote, 3%)

"Heart of Gold" tribute CD honours Woods of Ypres (1 vote, 3%)

The Ripcordz make long awaited returns to the Soo (1 vote, 3%)

Bring The Fallen reunite for Oddzfest & release EP (0 votes)

The Canadian Nightclub floods again in September (0 votes)

Echo Bay welcomes The Big Loonie Bus Show (0 votes)

For All That Is Lost surprisingly disband (0 votes)

Garden of Bedlam play live in Quebec (0 votes)

Pop Evil headline Team Jessica benefit at Kewadin (0 votes)

Queensryche play at Kewadin Casino in January (0 votes)

Ray Brown honoured with benefit concert (0 votes)

Sebastian Bach rocks Sault Michigan in January (0 votes)

Soo Zombie Walk moves to the Bushplane Museum (0 votes)

SooToday buys Local2 (0 votes)

The Suicide Kings win Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands (0 votes)

What do you guys think? In ascending order, I am surprised that half of the choices got no votes, and most seemed deserving of at least one (like the Ray Brown benefit), but it's all in who actually casts a vote. Of the four choices tied for ninth with a single vote, I'm most surprised that the Dayglo and Ripcordz returns didn't get more attention, but I like that someone voted for the Woods of Ypres tribute album! I'm not surprised with the placement of the three choices tied for 6th with 2 votes (though I can't speak for the people who voted for "Other"), while the three way tie for third between Airbourne, Bam Margera, and Late & Loud's breakup is encouraging all around, as those were all big items from last year! Second place with 4 votes was Woods of Ypres' posthumous Juno award win and nomination, which would probably be the most significant story of the year (especially on a national scale), but the winning choice, with 13 votes and 36% of the total, was the unexpected and fast growth of Blood Shed Productions in the area!

Now, I do know that there was some online campaigning for people to vote for Blood Shed in the poll (something I had discouraged for any choice last month), but Tyler and Austin have put in a lot of effort and work to get this independent label/studio off the ground and more prominent in the past year, so while the votes may have been sparked by some Facebook advertising, their growth has been a surprise in the past year, and they're still on the up & up! Thanks to everyone for voting!

As for this month's poll, we'll now begin winding down our "Favourite _____ of 2013" polls with this question: "What was your favourite local metal/hard rock concert in the second half of 2013?" Simple enough question, as there were a lot of big shows that went down late last year that should be weighed in on, and I'm curious to see what wins this poll! Now, for this month, we're only counting shows that took place between July 1st and December 31st of last year, so there's no concerts from June 30th or earlier (we already covered them) or from 2014 (those will be in a few months.) Like before, this only touches on Sault Ontario shows with at least a 50% ratio of metal & hard rock bands, so events like Rotaryfest, Hempfest, Ride For Sight, X-Mess, and the Black Cat Attack show did not make the cut, but you can vote for them if you want by choosing "Other".

And like last month, I strongly discourage online campaigns by bands or promoters to ensure that X show "wins" the poll, as the point of these is to gauge full neutral preferences of the shows, not to have a popularity contest. With that said, here are your choices (plus "Other") for your favourite metal/hard rock show of 2014!

Bands: The Golers, Haggith, and The Northern Tragedy
Venue: The Roosevelt Hotel
Date: July 4th, 2013
Info:  Just two weeks after headlining at The Rosie, Vancouver crossover/thrash quartet The Golers returned for another well received and intense night of metal on the Fourth of July, with recent Rockstar Bar Battle competitors Haggith & The Northern Tragedy picking up where AlgomA and Destroilet left off as openers! Like the June show, The Golers' local encore was a hit, but was it your favourite late-2013 event?

Bands: West of Hell, Bring The Fallen, The Bear Hunters, Shit Liver, James Watterworth, Giwakwa, and Crimson Crusade
Venue: The Oddfellows Hall
Date: July 26th, 2013
Info: In honour of Bear Hunters guitarist Josh Stephney's impending move out of the Soo, he held Oddzfest 2013 Metal Mash-Up at The Oddfellows Hall on July 26th, which featured a one-off reunion of his death metal band Bring The Fallen, his last show with sludge metal quartet Giwakwa, and an explosive headlining set from Vancouver metal standouts West of Hell! Rain and a fire alarm threw wrenches into the fun, but was this huge show worth the trip?

Bands: Frightlight, The Bear Hunters, Redundant, and Chronic Demonic
Venue: The Roosevelt Hotel
Date: August 1st, 2013
Info: To raise funds for Frightlight bassist Mike "Eddie Fright" Gingras' then-upcoming short film "The Kid Who Made The Face", a benefit show was held on August 1st featuring an assortment of established local talent, plus a one song preview appearance by new local punk/metal band Chronic Demonic! The movie came out to positive reactions this year, but was the benefit your favourite from the last half of last year?

Bands: Warsenal, RedD Monkey, The Bear Hunters, Haggith, The Northern Tragedy, Sykotyk Rampage, James Watterworth, Crimson Crusade, and Guy Smith
Venue: The Oddfellows Hall
Date: August 10th, 2013
Info: The third annual Sewer Swampstravaganza went down last August, and despite inconsistent attendance and the late dropoff of Goatface Killa, fans were treated to a nice diverse lineup of local talent (covering everything from folk to death metal), with Montreal thrash trio Warsenal brutalizing in an explosive headlining set! A fourth installment kicks off in May, but was last year's Swampstravaganza tops to you?

Bands: The Bunchofuckingoofs, The Last of the V8 Interceptors, Destroilet, and Shit Liver
Venue: The Roosevelt Hotel
Date: August 12th, 2013
Info: Hardcore punk fans at The Rosie were treated to another huge night of music on August 12th, when notorious Toronto favourites The Bunchofuckingoofs headlined this show alongside Victoria, B.C. trio The Last of the V8 Interceptors' first local stop of the year, and fans ate it up! Notably also featuring Shit Liver's last public date before moving to Toronto, was this your favourite show of this 6 month stretch?

Bands: Airbourne, Bleeker Ridge, Garden of Bedlam, and The Suicide Kings
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: August 19th, 2013
Info: In one of the highest anticipated concerts of last summer, Australian hard rock standouts Airbourne made their Sault Ste. Marie debut in August to run wild all over The Canadian, with Orillia's own Bleeker Ridge finally getting a regional make-up date as well! Also featuring local hard rock standouts Garden of Bedlam and The Suicide Kings, this was a big success, but would you agree the most?

Bands: The Dayglo Abortions, The Last of the V8 Interceptors, Destroilet, Cross Dog, and Jack Spades
Venue: The Roosevelt Hotel
Date: September 9th, 2013
Info: Despite a major rainstorm that flooded The Canadian, the show went on at The Rosie as Victoria, B.C.'s Dayglo Abortions made their long awaited return to Sault Ste. Marie for an intense night of hardcore punk brutality! A skilled lineup including local musician Mark Rand's new Peterborough trio Cross Dog opened the proceedings, and attendees who braved the weather had a ball, but were you among them?

Bands: The Creepshow, The Hellbound Hepcats, Frightlight, and Sykotyk Rampage
Venue: The Roosevelt Hotel
Date: September 16th, 2013
Info: Though only the local acts harboured any metal leanings, the headlining out of town bands got a lot of positive attention in their local return from psychobilly fans, with Toronto's The Creepshow making a well recieved return to the Sault on this September night, and The Hellbound Hepcats delivering too! Though Frightlight & Sykotyk Rampage delivered the metal, was the whole show your #1 favourite?

Bands: The Hydra's Teeth, Haggith, and The Danger Cats
Venue: The Algonquin Pub
Date: September 20th, 2013
Info: A fun set by Haggith at their peak was sandwiched by two local hard rock debuts, with Late & Loud successors The Hydra's Teeth headlining in their first (and to date, only) live concert set, and with all-female hard rockers The Danger Cats wowing in their live debut to open the evening! This show was significant for the debuts, and it was a hit for the music, but was it your favourite of 2013's second half?

Bands: Boxcar Junction, The Thrill Junkies, Lucky 13, Griphook, Valerie Powley & friends, Tym Morrison, and Mike Case's Junior All-Stars
Venue: The Verdi Hall
Date: October 11th, 2013
Info: Occurring just a month before he lost his battle with cancer, friends and family of late local drummer Ray Brown put on this benefit show to raise money for Ray's final expenses, and a stacked lineup of local talent (mostly local cover acts) came together to show their support! Ray was able to attend, and attendees spoke of the event's success and emotion, but were you there to agree with those assessments?

Bands: Crash Karma & One Bad Son
Venue: The Rockstar Bar
Date: October 18th, 2013
Info: Canadian rock supergroup Crash Karma made their second local stop last October for a well attended show at The Rockstar Bar, and like at their local debut, they brought a rising hard rock band (Vancouver hard rock quartet One Bad Son) along for the ride! SooToday was on hand, and the show was a hit with attendees, but was it your favourite of late 2013?

Bands: The Ripcordz, Jack Spades, and Destroilet
Venue: The Roosevelt Hotel
Date: October 26th, 2013
Info: Local promoter/Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce's long-running Halloween party moved from The Algonquin Pub to The Rosie last fall, and hosted an out of town band once again too, as Montreal hardcore punk legends The Ripcordz made their second local appearance of the year as the headliners! Though Frightlight couldn't play, Jack Spades & Destroilet kept the intensity rolling, but did you enjoy it the most?

Bands: The Bear Hunters, Crimson Crusade, Crucify The Whore, Rotopsy, Chase Wigmore, Project Legion, James Watterworth, and Brutaly Fatal
Venue: The Oddfellows Hall
Date: October 30th, 2013
Info: Upstart independent label Blood Shed Productions and future Heavy North Entertainment owner Tyler St. Amour made their first public concert splash (outside of house parties) on Devil's Night last year with this all-local feast of death and grind metal, including many fans' first glimpses of Blood Shed acts! Notably featuring Crimson Crusade & Project Legion's last sets to date, was this show your favourite?

Bands: Diemonds, T-Rex Manning, and Punch
Venue: The Algonquin Pub
Date: November 21st, 2013
Info: Local metal/hard rock fans were entertained by the long awaited local return of Toronto rockers Diemonds last November at this Algonquin Hotel concert, and their sleazy and reckless sound got many fans going! Also notably featuring T-Rex Manning's return from a few months off, and the first non-battle appearance by new supergroup Punch, was this the top late-2013 concert to you in the area?

Bands: Havadder, The Suicide Kings, and Late Shift
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: November 23rd, 2013
Info: Though public band confirmation for this event was late, a very nice crowd came out to The Canadian on November 23rd to help raise funds for Suicide Kings frontman Mike Gaetano's girlfriend Amy Ellis' own cancer battle! Also featuring debuting hard rock quartet Late Shift and the new lineup of cover rockers Havadder, there was lots of good will and entertainment that night, but were you there to agree?

Bands: The Bear Hunters, Biipiigwan, and Bad Back
Venue: The Moose Lodge
Date: November 24th, 2013
Info: A rare metal event at The Moose Lodge (excluding stag & does) took place on November 24th with Ottawa doom metal favourites Biipiigwan brutalizing at this all ages show, with The Bear Hunters and grungecore duo Bad Back bookending the festivities with their own well received sounds! Definitely a well received show, but was it your favourite of late 2013?

Bands: That's Chester, Boxcar Junction, Glitch, The Thrill Junkies, 2 Buck Beers, Lucky 13, Stiffler's Mom, Obsession, Redline, and Mike Case's Junior All-Stars
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: December 1st, 2013
Info: The second annual Toystock saw 10 local bands (mostly of the cover variety) gather at The Canadian to raise funds and donations for Christmas Cheer, another great cause that attracted a solid crowd and reception, similarly to the Ray Brown benefit that shared many of the same performers! Toystock has quickly became a big part of the local concert calendar, but was last year's your favourite of any show?

Bands: Haggith, Sykotyk Rampage, The Danger Cats, Project 421, and The Strange Coyotes
Venue: The Algonquin Pub
Date: December 7th, 2013
Info: Local grunge quartet and Rockstar Bar Battle runners-up Haggith surprisingly announced their breakup after this show last December, but they went out with a bang, playing some of their best songs for the occasion! Also featuring the debuts of members Daniel Horton & Mike Haggith's new bands to open the show, this was a bittersweet event, but was it your #1 last year?

Bands: Fuckface Unstoppable, Wilson, Destroilet, Jack Spades, and The Bear Hunters
Venue: The Canadian Nightclub
Date: December 14th, 2013
Info: Some fans didn't know what to expect when it came out that Bam Margera's band was rocking The Canadian last December, but it was a party & a half from his band Fuckface Unstoppable and openers Wilson, with skilled local support from Destroilet & Jack Spades as well! Notably featuring Viva La Battle winners The Bear Hunters (with the returning Josh Stephney in tow), was this your favourite show last year?

Bands: Garden of Bedlam & Destroilet
Venue: The Algonquin Pub
Date: Decembet 27th, 2013
Info: 2013 ended with a bang from local metal standouts Garden of Bedlam, who delivered a great show in a long awaited headlining set at The Algonquin Pub over the Christmas holiday, with Destroilet's hardcore punk assault setting the tone well to open the night! We haven't seen either band since, but was this show the perfect way to end a stacked year for the Sault?

Other: Are we missing a show you'd rather vote for as your favourite from July-December? For reference, metal & hard rock bands like Aggressive Acoustic, AlgomA, Catgut, Caveman Morrison, Crued, Crush, Last Bullet, Mama Kin, Mike Haggith & The Din, Riding Shotgun, Sailor's Tongue, Social Suicide, Telephone & Address, and The Throwbacks also played live in this 6 month period, along with other shows featuring bands in the above choices. Perhaps you also preferred a show from Sault Michigan over any on this side of the border? If for any reason your top show of late 2013 isn't here, vote for "Other"!

VOTE TODAY!!! You have until April 18th to cast your votes, and then, the top vote getters will join those from our poll on the first half of 2013's shows, so we can see what you guys picked as the winner once and for all next month! Cast your votes A.S.A.P., and stay tuned for more news and weekend concert previews this week! Thanks everyone!