Slumshine/These Magnificent Tentacles Tape Details, A New Video, And More!!

News has somewhat been slowing down as of late, but here's a full news post to check out on this Tuesday evening, including a new performance video and some assorted recent stories. Leading off are details on physical copies of a local punk veteran's recent album exploits that may or not be belated for the SMS, so here's what you should know!

This may fly under the radar unless you know frontman Brenton Ellis personally, but he is (still?) selling his acoustic punk solo project Slumshine's 2021 EP "Slumlord" on cassette tapes, as well as tape copies of his inactive punk/alternative duo These Magnificent Tentacles' EP "Surfacing..."! Brent definitely released Slumshine's vowelless debut "SLMSHN" on tapes in 2019, but he hasn't posted on that project's Facebook page since 2021 despite playing live at Fringe North last year, and never promoted an active sale of "Slumlord" on tapes there.  However, I saw that Brent (a.k.a. B.G. Ellis) would be selling art at the Fishbowl Festival's flea market at The Klub at the Pall Mall on Queen Street East on Sunday, and in his teaser picture, there were cassette tapes! Not having any of Slumshine's tapes yet, I went down there and bought "Slumlord" and "Surfacing", which he charges $10 apiece for.

Brent is an accomplished painter & visual artist, so he hand-designed the art on his tapes, rather than use the Bandcamp cover art in a cropped or stretched form factor. On "Slumlord", Brent creatively gave the tape reversible artwork and liner notes, and while side A has "Slumlord" as seen on Bandcamp, side B (with reversible referencing artwork) has five bonus tracks named "Reversible Straightjacket", "Doubt For Life", "Prelapse", "Into The Inferno", and "Breeze Of The Sun". This is the sort of thing that I'm surprised Brent doesn't advertise, as it could boost sales of the tapes if people knew that Bandcamp only had 6/11ths of the story! Be advised that the "side A/B" labels fell off of my copy very easily, so have a glue stick handy. As for the These Magnificent Tentacles tape, it is less ornate for packaging and details, and has no bonus songs, but it uses thicker liner notes & promotes their Tidal Records affiliation.

What I didn't buy there was what appeared to be the original "SLMSHN" album on tape, distinguished by abstract painted liner artwork (as showcased in the Bandcamp copy's cover art), but at the time, I just took them for alternate art of "Slumlord" rather than a separate older album. If I described this accurately, then silly me, and hopefully Brent is selling his art again soon so I can grab that tape also and see how different/similar it is to the digital copy! Definitely keep an eye on when/where Brent will be selling art (or playing live) next to see if you can buy his recent albums on tape, and while copies of "Surfacing..." seemed limited, the Slumshine albums were well stocked. See above for more details!

Next up, let's take a brief detour to Sault Michigan for a new video from local classical metal band Theatre of Night's YouTube channel last week! A newly filmed live rendition of the Christmas carol "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", this is their first true performance video uploaded here featuring new bassist Luke Bernard, and he and the rest of the band are sure dressed for the occasion here! No videos from their abbreviated (and non-local) Christmas tour last year surfaced online, but this may help make up for that, if a few months late to really be seasonal. Filmed at their own space named "The Cave" (related in name only to Sykotyk Rampage's jam room), it looks like Theatre of Night pulled out all of the stops to give this video the presentation of their live concerts, complete with full staging and light/smoke effects, and it comes across very well in this video. I wonder if they filmed any more songs like this at the time?

We are 7-8 months out from this performance being timely, but the performance itself is solid and accurate to last year's studio revision, and fans of Theatre of Night's metal versions of Christmas classics should be right at home with this rendition below!

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

 

• In a rare public acknowledgement of their status, Gates of Winter guitarist Bryan Belleau revealed in a comment reply on the Woods of Ypres Fanclub Facebook group on Saturday that the Sault Ontario progressive death metal band "didn't officially disband", but life caught up to them and took them "in different directions", though the guys still talk daily. Bryan noted that "Gates 2" (their unfinished album "Perihelion") "may exist at some point" in the future. Gates of Winter have been inactive since the spring of 2018 after working on the new album since 2010, and they haven't played live since 2008. Fingers crossed that we haven't heard the absolute last from them!
• Local indie punk quintet The Northwest's song "Shoreline" was featured on the February 25th episode of the CBC Radio One series In The Key Of C, where host Craig Norris spotlights rising Ontario musicians each Saturday at 5:00 PM. According to the show's Facebook page, The Northwest were the last of 12 bands played on that episode. If you missed the live airing on 89.5 FM (which is easy, as the band only announced that they'd be on that morning), the episode will likely come to the CBC Listen mobile application in time, though at the moment, the newest playable episode is from January 7th. Hopefully The Northwest got lots of new fans here!
• I have moved St. Ignace, Michigan metal guitarist Ted Olson's solo project to our inactive Sault Michigan band links. The Heavy Lies The Crown axeslayer has not issued a public update to his solo Facebook page since posting a picture of his headless guitars in November 2021, though of course, he has been more than busy since with H.L.T.C. in studio and in concert. Follow the band for more on what Ted's been up to in the past year+, but hopefully he resumes solo work down the road!
  

 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for St. Patrick's Day weekend concert previews and more on the site in the days ahead! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Hails & Tym Morrison), An Inactive Band Note, And More!!

Before we begin today's post, just a heads up that Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Project 906's planned show at Jack's Grub & Pub in Brimley tonight has been cancelled, as per their Facebook page this morning. The cited "health reasons" for withdrawing, but didn't specify what was wrong and with which band member(s). Of course, hopefully he (or they) get well soon, and that we see Project 906 back on stage before you know it! Now let's head back to Sault Ontario for some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (one on SHORT NOTICE) and related updates!

Local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to Reggie's Place for an acoustic matinee concert on SUNDAY! Apologies for the short notice, Tym only announced this show via its Facebook event page yesterday, with the notification popping up minutes after yesterday's post hit the site. While we're on the subject, Tym will also return to the YNCU Curling Center at 124 Anita Boulevard on Saturday, February 11th for his second gig there in three months, so if you want to see him in a traditional nighttime timeslot, that's your next opportunity! SUNDAY's show comes just two weeks removed from his last matinee concert at Reggie's, so expect more of his fan-friendly unplugged classic and hard rock hits then, and while it's standard fare this weekend, the show at the former Community First Curling Centre next weekend is again coinciding with a bonspiel, this time themed after the Super Bowl.

As you can see on the poster and in the write-up at this link, there's lots of entertainment lined up for competitiors and attendees online, with Tym providing musical entertainment in their on-site restaurant The House at 8:00 PM. SUNDAY's Reggie's matinee is at 3:00 PM, and both events have no cover charge and 19+ age limits (you don't have to enter the bonspiel to see Tym's set next week only). Visit the curling concert's Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and for a preview of SUNDAY's concert, here's Tym live in concert last year!

Next up, debuting local punk trio Hails and local folk punk/extreme metal solo musician Chase Wigmore will join forces at a special art exhibition/concert on Friday, March 17th at... The Art Hub at Spring?! Located at 504 Queen Street East (the name references the space being at the corner of Queen & Spring), The Art Hub is located at the former Big Brothers Association office, and it opened there as an art gallery and events venue last year, with this being the first concert to cross our genre radar. In fact, it is one of many arts and culture events behind held by the returning Fishbowl Festival, which takes place at various downtown venues during Pisces season (February 20th-March 20th), though this is the only SMS-amenable concert so far. This will mark a relatively rare live appearance by Chase, who has been largely focusing on studio material during the pandemic, so it'll be interesting to hear how he does next month!

As for Hails, they are the new band from Slumshine/These Magnificent Tentacles frontman Brenton Ellis, which sees him on vocals & bass joined by Vanity First bandmates Mikhal Muto and Keeghan McAllister on guitar & drums respectively (my source is Brent's personal Facebook page, as Hails don't have a public page of their own yet). This band will apparently be playing skate punk, so not too far off from Vanity First (just with Brent rather than Andrew), and remember that Vanity First are still active and have been regularly posting on their Facebook page so far in 2023. Despite their placement on the poster, Brent confirmed that Hails are headlining, which makes sense given the art exhibition angle of this event, entitled the Full Circle Rock & Roll Spectacular, as Brent is an accomplished painter & visual artist and will be showcasing art "celebrating connectivity and continuity" on this night.

Between his music and artistic endeavours, Brent has a big night ahead next month, and hopefully there's a great turnout for him on both fronts in six weeks! This event has a $10 cover charge ("pay what you can" is also an option), it is ALL AGES, and doors open at 7:00 PM at The Art Hub on Spring. Visit the official Facebook event page for much more on this event, and if you're a Facebook friend of Brent's, do check out his pictures of his paintings and such to get an idea of what he's bringing to the table for this!

With Brent having launched this new band, I have reluctantly opted to move his local punk/alternative quintet These Magnificent Tentacles to our inactive band links. Their last public update was only in July when plugging their participation in the Open Act contest, and while 6+ months on its own isn't enough for us to be consider them inactive, Hails' launch is definitely of note, while founding guitarist Steve Edwards has been posting on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group in the past week, noting that he's "getting back out there after a short hiatus" and is now working on a 1990s-centric cover band that already has a singer and bassist attached (click here if you want to try out on guitar or drums). All of this doesn't paint a supremely positive picture for the Tentacles' future, alas. T.M.T. launched as a two man studio band in May 2021, releasing their "Surfacing..." EP one year ago this month.

After adding Handsome Sandwich's Mitch Sirie and half of Gnaeus' original lineup last May, the expanded Tentacles played a handful of multi-band events in the ensuing month+, but updates ceased in July, and their quiet withdrawal from the Northern Vibe Festival in August may make a little more sense now. It's a shame that These Magnificent Tentacles appear to have dissolved, as they were an entertainingly diverse yet punk-leaning act, and I liked their EP, but between Hails, Handsome Sandwich, and Steve's new group, most of the band is definitely keeping busy. Best of luck to Brent, Steve, Mitch, Brad, and Brendan no matter what, and stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post next! Thanks everyone!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: quasarwaves, These Magnificent Tentacles - Topic, and steelsour7319's Channels

Here's this month's YouTube Channel Profiles, continuing our monthly feature spotlights of YouTube channels whose content is at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, and/or punk artists and/or concerts! As the first channel that we randomly selected only had one video, and the second only had four songs (one a re-recording) primarily from one EP, we're tripling up this month, but there's an interesting array of performances to take in, so here's what you should know! 

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Lee T Maines (http://youtube.com/quasarwaves)  

Owner: Former Gates of Winter frontman and Woods of Ypres guitarist Lee Maines

Channel Timeline: Launched on January 8th, 2010; Only surviving video posted on December 2nd, 2011

Channel Summary: As fans should remember, local progressive death metal band Gates of Winter slowly worked on a third album named "Perihelion" from their 2010 return from hiatus as a studio project through their last public activity in 2016, with most teaser clips from the sessions being taken down as the guys worked on perfecting the material. Alas, the album never came out, but one of the few surviving clips is Lee's only remaining video on his YouTube channel, where he played 51 seconds of the riff from a song tentatively named "Wormhole Mechanics" to test track mirroring. It's a shame that "Perihelion" was never finished, as Gates of Winter's pure technicality was excellent on their 2010s sample media, and Lee's in fine form here, but hopefully we'll hear completed songs in some form down the line!

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These Magnificent Tenatcles - Topic (http://youtube.com/channel/UCJIHHa1lrPJwMyCeErf9k8g)

Owner: An original member of local alternative/punk band These Magnificent Tentacles, identity unclear, though the uploaded music was from their run as a duo

Channel Timeline: Launched on March 23rd, 2022; All videos uploaded that same day

Channel Summary: This is an auto-generated YouTube channel made to host songs submitted by Brent & Steve to YouTube Music, thusly featuring their debut EP "Surfacing..." from the previous month and the original (but very similar) studio version of its opening song "The Abyss", which is actually the most viewed upload there. These Magnificent Tentacles have since expanded to a full five-piece band, but have been publically dormant for four months now, so it remains to be seen how fast they could put out new material for streaming services. Still, these are entertaining and varied songs that point to a promising future, and hopefully that will be realized in 2023!

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Steel Sour (http://youtube.com/steelsour7319)  

Owner: A member of 2018-2019 local hard rock band Steel Sour, identity unclear

Channel Timeline: Launched on May 9th, 2019; Only video uploaded that same day

Channel Summary: The official YouTube channel for this short lived group, their jam session video cover of The Tragically Hip's "New Orleans Is Sinking" was their final public act before dissolving later that year. Steel Sour featured a massive seven piece lineup (at least for this jam), including Robert Nevitt on vocals, backing vocalist Nicole Ambeault, guitarists Rick Atkins, Randy Russell, and Fred Dunn, bassist Steve Bentley (with impressive wig), and drummer James White, notably featuring multiple members of Re:Born, Lockdown, Big Mistake, and Dealing Without. Despite the manpower in this basement, the cover is lively, energetic, and doesn't feel rushed, and it's a shame that Steel Sour didn't keep going!

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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profiles! To end 2022 in this series, we're doing multiple channels again, as the first randomly selected channel only has one video, and the second only has a handful of similar uploads. As such, we'll be looking at the channels of YouTube users AtYourC3rvix (featuring a live Uncanny Valley video) and mikemccleary3123 (featuring five original songs of his, some with accompanying videos or lyric tracks). Look for them on or around Boxing Day, nd stay tuned for more news & notes (and this month's CD review) in the coming days! Thanks everyone! 

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & Vanity First), New Videos, And More!!

Before we finish off this weekend's concert previews, I wanted to note that Soo Blaster's website advertises a show from Ottawa indie rock band No Hits on Sunday night that local alt-punk quintet These Magnificent Tentacles were allegedly opening. As best as I can tell, that is an outdated listing, as the Tentacles have never plugged the show on social media, physical posters at Soo Blaster only mention Distich as opening, and their own Facebook page says their next show will be The Northern Vibe Festival in Ophir next month. A reason for T.M.T.'s withdrawal from this show has not been announced, but note that frontman Brenton Ellis indicated in a personal Facebook post that drummer Brendan Garlick was unavailable for their recent outdoor festival gigs, so that could be related. No Hits aren't a hard rock/punk band, but they are talented for genre fans, so look into this minimally advertised show if you're at all curious, as I am pretty sure it is still on!

Now, today's post otherwise features LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (mostly on SHORT NOTICE), plus a new videos from a performer playing this weekend, so here's what you should know!

Local punk trio Vanity First will play a special matinee gig THIS SUNDAY at... Harmony Beach Lakeview Resort in Goulais River?! Apologies for the short notice, the show was announced via this concert poster on July 10th, but between last weekend's concert preview slate and the generally busy times for the SMS this month, it got pushed back and back. SUNDAY's show will see Andrew, Mikhal, and Keegan playing at Harmony Beach's annual beach clean-up, which takes place at 11:00 AM at the resort, with the free-by-registration event seeing attendees helping clean up the beach. Nice idea, if somewhat sad that they have to make a point to giving the conceit an annual event, but hopefully everyone does their part to keep Harmony Beach beautiful! Organizers didn't go into great detail about the format of Vanity First's concert, but they will have an opening band (Sylo, who I know nothing about, stay tuned in case anything pertinent comes out).

Note that Vanity First will also be playing a house party event tomorrow at a cottage in Goulais River, and as I'm wary about advertising events at private residences, I won't cover it here due to the nature of the location, but be advised that the address is on the poster linked above. Hopefully it goes over well! SUNDAY'S beach clean-up is an all ages event, lunch and refreshments will be provided, and the resort is at 128 Harmony Beach Road. Assuming they're playing outdoors, be advised that 9&10 News is calling for a 35-40% chance of scattered thunderstorms with temperatures of 19°. See above for more details, and here's Vanity First live!

Next up, local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will play matinee concerts THIS SUNDAY and next Sunday the 31st, but not at Reggie's Place, at Shooters Downstairs Lounge! Again, apologies for the short notice, Tym only announced these shows via their Facebook event page on Monday, with Shooters posting their own yesterday on their Facebook page. Clearly, Shooters' deep dive into live concert bookings in 2022 is going well, as they're now trying their hand at the Sunday matinee like the downtown Reggie's has hosted for years, and Tym's up first there THIS SUNDAY and next Sunday! Despite playing there two straight weeks, this isn't the start of a new weekly arrangement for Tym, as the Dennis Street nightclub will be hosting multiple artists for their Sunday matinees, including country singer/guitarist Leslie Cook on the first two Sundays of August.

Shooters' Sunday matinees have 3:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits. Tym's acoustic classic and hard rock covers should find a receptive audience further down Queen Street THIS SUNDAY and next Sunday, so definitely keep these shows in mind for some dinner-time music! See above for more details, and here's Tym live!

Let's close today with some new videos from Vanity First guitarist Mikhal Muto before these get pushed back any further in our backlog! In between sporadic full band-related updates on their Facebook page, two videos were posted there of Mikhal solo on June 27th & July 8th, with the first being a 32 second clip of him playing the guitar solo from their song "White Ghosts". Very well done, any punk band in the Soo would be lucky to have Mikhal on board playing like that!. Embedded below is the slightly longer second video, which sees him playing a section of a new original (and partially eponymous) song named "Habitual Vanity", which they're reportedly debuting the house party in Goulais River tomorrow. The video is not as high quality (and it's clearly mirrored), but it's still a solid showcase of Mikhal's skill, and as a new song, it was worth sharing here! Check out both videos, and don't miss Vanity First at Harmony Beach on SUNDAY!

That's all for today, but our Rotaryfest concert video coverage will continue on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Killer Dwarfs, Anvil, And Just Leppard), Plus The Opening Act Contest Details!!

With the Rotaryfest weekend concert preview barrage finally over, we can start clearing out our news and video backlog (if slowly), so let's start on the right foot with three LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for big touring bands at the same venue in the coming months! Rounding things out is an admittedly overdue plug for a contest that a few familiar local faces have entered, so here's what you should know!

Toronto metal legends Anvil will return to Soo Blaster for their fifth modern era concert appearance in Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday, August 27th! Fans will have seen the "Metal On Metal" pioneers and documentary stars at different venues in 2012, 2014, and 2015, before rocking Soo Blaster in June 2019, so it'll be great to see Lips, Chris, and Robb play established songs and material from their new CD "Impact Is Imminent" next month! Opening bands have not been announced at press time, but for reference, Jack Spades (now Spades GT) opened for Anvil at their last three local dates, and their current drummer just so happens to be Anvil drummer Robb Reiner's son Tyler. Also, keep in mind that Spades GT will return to town that same weekend for the Northern Vibe Festival in Ophir, so yeah, coincidence or not, the timing is noted! We'll keep you posted when/if opening bands are clarified either way.

Tickets will cost $20 in advance or $25 at the door (which is on par from 2019), and they will be on sale at this link, but at press time, they were not on sale online yet. Yes, I saw the No Hits show coming up this weekend, and I wish the local openers had said something before now, but look for more on that soon. This is a 19+ show, and doors open at 7:00 PM. Should be a good time for fans of old school metal, especially given Anvil's fun nature and influence on bigger bands in their wake, so don't miss out on their latest Soo stop next month, and see above for more details!

Next up, Oshawa hard rock icons The Killer Dwarfs will return to Soo Blaster themselves on Tuesday, September 13th! Announced just last week via this image (the show has since been moved a day ahead to accommodate a White River booking the previous night), this will be The Dwarfs' first local appearance since headlining at Soo Blaster in April 2019, a show that got a great reception at the time for their fun-loving old school sound, built on hits like "Dirty Weapons" and "Keep the Spirit Alive", and it'll be great to see them back in town this fall after three+ years! No word on a possible opening band yet, but note that the now-defunct Re:Born opened the 2019 show. Like then, this concert is presented by Ernest Skinner of Border City Rock Talk, so you might see some advance interviews with the band there in due course, knowing the big gets he often talks to there (he even interviewed Randy Rhoads' siblings in his newest video!)

This stop on The Killer Dwarfs' 40 Years Still Standing Tall Tour has a 19+ age limit, and doors open at 7:00 PM. Tickets currently cost $22.23 at this link, with a $319 VIP package also available, but note that the above-linked image for the old September 12th date lists a presumably in-person-only advance fee of $19.50 that jumps to $30 on September 1st. There is no such advertised price jump on that date on Eventbrite, so keep that in mind just in case. More good times ahead for classic metal fans in the Soo, so see above for more details, but that's not quite all!

There's more hard rock tribute action hitting Soo Blaster this fall, as Sudbury-based Def Leppard tribute band Just Leppard will return to town on Saturday, November 12th, but this time, they aren't coming alone, as The AC/DC Show will also be joining them in their own local debut! Both are relatively new tribute bands, though Just Leppard have played here at The Canadian and The Rockstar Bar in 2019 & last year, and their faithful take on Def Leppard's hair metal classics should find an audience once again! Guitarist Gino del Sole is in both bands, and while Sault Ste. Marie is no stranger to AC/DC tributes (Who Made Who and Hells Bells have each played here multiple times in the last 15 years), The AC/DC Show deliver a similarly fitting version of their high voltage rock 'n roll, so don't bypass either band if you're fans of the real thing! Not every day that two tribute bands play the same show here, after all.

Tickets for this 19+, 7:00 PM show are not on sale yet, but head to this link for updates on that front, and also keep tabs on the Facebook event page. Note that both of Just Leppard's prior local dates had $15 advance tickets and a $20 door charge, but neither of those had a second band, so it could well be higher. This should be a fun time for 1980s hard rock fans, and it'll be interesting to compare and contrast The AC/DC Show from prior AC/DC tributes that have played here, so stay tuned for updates! 

To close today's post, let's finally address something that fans of these two bands have been getting steady reminders about as of late, as local party metal duo The Apocalypse Afterparty and punk/alternative quintet These Magnificent Tentacles have both entered The Opening Act, an Audacy-hosted contest to find a band to open at the ninth annual We Can Survive, a massive charity concert at The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California for suicide prevention causes this fall. Given the distance and the lack of a sonic link to either band for genres (none of the 2021 We Can Survive acts would normally be covered on the SMS), this seems like a long shot, but as a wise woman once said, "Shoot your shot!" Both bands, along with local indie/pop rock musician Jesse Merineau, have entered The Opening Act, and while I don't know how Audacy is separating the acts by "group", Jesse is currently second place in his group!

The Afterparty are sixth in their group at press time, and the Tentacles are thirteenth in theirs. The winner of The Opening Act also gets $10,000 USD, so stakes are high, and you can cast daily votes (with verification) via the band names linked above, or cast "Together Votes" by donating to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (each $1 donated = a vote). SooToday's Chris Belsito covered the contest (sans The A.A.) at this link, featuring remarks from Jesse and Tentacles guitarist Steve Edwards about why they entered and their recent activity, so don't bypass it either! Vote if you can for all three, and we'll see what happens, as only the top 20 bands advance when this round closes on Thursday!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for a couple of mid-week concert previews and new videos on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Loud & Proud, Soundcheck, And Tym Morrison!!)

At long last, our fourth and final consecutive day of Rotaryfest weekend concert previews has reached its conclusion, as today we have SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for TODAY to cap things off with, as well as one more new show that, shockingly, has a couple weeks' advance notice! Here's what you should know!

There will indeed be a couple of hard rock acts playing at the Loud & Proud Family Fun Day at The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre TODAY as part of this year's Sault Ste. Marie Pridefest! Apologies for the short notice, organizers have not announced a schedule on social media, so huge kudos to ex-Project 421 frontman Blair Burch for inquiring with the right people! Of course, Loud & Proud unites live music, vendors, artists, refreshments, and lots of family entertainment to help support LGBTQ+ empowerment and inclusivity in the area, which is always more than welcomed, so definitely consider a trip to the Bushplane Museum TODAY to show your support!  The 4 hour event will feature sets from hip-hop duo Planet Rock at 4:10 PM, drag performer Bebe Lala at 3:30 PM, local alternative/punk quintet These Magnificent Tentacles at 2:50 PM (capping bassist Mitch Sirie's very busy weekend), ...

...a speech by LGBTQ+ advocate Teddy Syrette (a.k.a. Ozhawa Anung Kwe) at 2:40 PM, rising young punk trio Vanity First at 2:00 PM, and a set by a mystery act named Woodwind at 1:20 PM. As best as I can gather, the Tentacles never advertised their involvement in Loud & Proud online in advance (they often don't as of late), but Vanity First did via this event poster that curiously doesn't detail the Family Fun Day's name/purpose, just the location. Yes, it does list two upcoming events in Goulais River this weekend, I will include them in our next batch of weekend concert previews, but I'll refrain from embedding the poster here because it includes a private address (though publically advertised, one of the shows is at a cottage). As for Loud & Proud proper, it is absolutely FREE & ALL AGES, and inclusivity and outreach are very much encouraged, so don't be shy to come out & enjoy yourself!

I wish organizers had publicized the schedule in advance (thank you again, Blair), but a nice diverse lineup of entertainment is in store at the Bushplane Museum TODAY, so don't miss out on all of the action THIS AFTERNOON, and yes, Magnificent Tentacles fans, I am well aware of the contest they're in right now, I hope to address that on the site this week. It's just so busy for concerts this weekend, but I promise we'll start to make up for lost ground tomorrow! See above for more on Loud & Proud, and here are These Magnificent Tentacles live!

Next up, let's finally close up shop on this weekend's hard rock concert previews, as prolific local singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to Reggie's Place on Queen Street East for a matinee concert THIS AFTERNOON himself! Again, apologies for the short notice, Tym only announced this show via its Facebook event page last week. Usually, Tym only plays at Reggie's about once a month, so getting to see him twice in a three week span for their SUNDAY afternoon matinees will be fun for fans and patrons! Believe it or not, Tym has never played Rotaryfest as a solo musician, so if you're game for some classic and hard rock covers from this talented musician after the festival concludes, and can't make The Trading Post on Wednesdays, you know where to be TODAY! As usual for matinees there, this has a 2:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!

Finally, let's jump ahead(!), as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will play a rare gig in nearby Prince Township on Saturday, July 30th at the Prince Township Outdoor Rink! It is rare for Prince Township (20 minutes west of the Soo) to turn up on the SMS, but their recreation committee has been holding a summer concert series at their rink, and weather-wise, note that the stage is under a pavilion. The band has not confirmed this date on their own Facebook page at press time (given their usual patterns, don't expect them to until the week of), but their brand of often heavy classic covers and select country hits should find a receptive audience in Prince Township at month's end! This 19+ event has an 8:00 PM start time, and unusually for Soundcheck concerts, this one does have a $10 cover charge, but remember that this is a community skating rink, not a nightclub who does this all the time, and admission fees help them host more events.

As for the location, the Prince Township Outdoor Rink is outside of the township's Community Centre at 3042 Second Line West, which is proof that even though Prince is technically separate from the Soo, it's still reasonably close given that Second Line straddles here and there. Should be a fun concert and a change of pace from Soundcheck's usual rotation in city limits, so definitely keep it in mind if you live in the area, and see above for more details! That's all for today, but stay tuned for some actual news that isn't related to imminent concerts tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Rotaryfest Stage 2!!)

After a pandemic-induced two year hiatus, Rotaryfest's Stage 2 will return in 2022, so what should you know about its comeback? Of course, Stage 2-amenable acts were condensed into the 2020 virtual lineup and 2021's drive-in stage at Lowe's Plaza, but it is great to see the full Second Stage back for its fifteenth installment since debuting at Rotaryfest in 2005! If you're familiar with the Stage 2 format after it returned from its 2014 hiatus, it'll mostly be back to business as usual from the mid-late 2010s, with the Second Stage (which they used for the bands at Lowe's Plaza last year) back at its regular Clergue Park location beside The Art Gallery of Algoma. However, for just the second time since the 2015 Stage 2 relaunch, there will be multiple days of music, with the usual Saturday bill joined by a smaller band lineup on Friday, July 15th. Thirteen local acts are scheduled for 2022, so here's what you should know on them!

In a nod to the original Second Stage from 2005-2013, July 15th will be themed "Friday Night Blues", as sponsored by the Sault Blues Society, and while there's no hard rock acts that night, the lineup will pique the interest of genre fans and Stage 2 followers! It will be headlined by accomplished local musician Rusty McCarthy and his backing band at 8:30 PM in Rusty's first solo set on the Second Stage since 2013 and third total, with local blues rock quartet Smokehouse making their Stage 2 debut at 7:30 PM. Blues/folk quartet and four time Second Stage veterans Big Wheel & The Spokes will reunite with some barley soup for the funky-ass soul at 6:30 PM, in their first Stage 2 set since 2011, while online page-less acoustic blues trio The Swamp Cats (featuring Bone Yard's Warren Reville) will play Rotaryfest for the first time as the 5:30 PM openers. As usual, the Friday music is FREE & ALL AGES!

Also, the Sault Blues Society will be taking membership registrations for $25 if this interests you. Blues fans will definitely want to head down to Clergue Park for this solidly talented lineup in just under two weeks' time, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details! As for the Saturday, July 16th lineup, this is basically the continuation of Stage 2 as we knew it from 2015-2019, with an original music-focused lineup of youth-leaning bands, typically leaning to folk and indie genres, but some punk and hard rock stylings are incorporated as usual. Of course, a lot has changed since 2019, pandemic-related or otherwise, so seven of the nine Saturday acts are debuting on Stage 2 this year! Who all can you expect?

The headline act at 8:30 PM is local indie/punk quintet The Northwest in their third Stage 2 set (and first as The Northwest), following support appearances in 2017 & 2019. Still riding high from the release of "All In", this will arguably be their biggest local date of the year, so don't miss out on their skilled original material! Young local classic hard rock quartet The Uncanny Valley (who played on the condensed Stage 1 last year at Lowe's Plaza) will make their official Stage 2 debut at 7:30 PM, while instrumental surf rock trio The Dynowaves will give some seasonally appropriate jams at 6:30 PM. Alternative/punk quartet Handsome Sandwich will precede them with their own varied and hard-to-pinpoint original attack at 5:30 PM, with DJ Seith's hip hop duo project Planet Rock returning for their second Stage 2 set at 4:30 PM, having kicked off the 2019 bill. The remaining Stage 2 newcomers include new local indie rock band The Hollow Heads at 3:30 PM.

I know very little about The Hollow Heads beyond their bio on the Facebook event page, but singer Gabrielle Dumas took part in the Clusterfolk Music Festival's music video series, and the members seem to be around their early 20s. Big platform to launch in front of an audience, hopefully things go well! Fellow Clusterfolk alumni Jupiter Marvelous will bring their pop rock stylings to Stage 2 at 2:30 PM, while another performer at the Clusterfolk concert (but not the videos/album) will precede them at 1:30 PM, namely indie/folk duo Sainte Marie. Punk/alt rock quintet These Magnificent Tentacles will open the day's music at 12:30 PM with their own building profile, and given their experienced lineup, they'll kick things off with a bang! Again, Saturday's Stage 2 music is FREE and ALL AGES, and this all goes down concurrently with Stage 1 closer to the library, so you can easily hop back & forth to see everything if you're so inclined!

Fans of the last five Stage 2s, as well as Clusterfolk and recent Dryer Fire events, will be right at home with the Saturday lineup in two weeks time, and there's a lot of newer talent and established names to take in that day, not to mention with Blues Night the previous evening, so visit the above links for complete details on the return of the Second Stage! That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post 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!