Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Parabol

Before we dive headfirst into lots of big news, notes, and videos, here's this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! This monthly feature looks at randomly chosen local metal, hard rock, and/or punk acts from the past, in order to spotlight them and their runs for modern readers, and we've got a very talented (if not frequently seen) local tribute band this month, so here's what you should know on them!

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Parabol: The Tool Experience

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Genre: Progressive Metal

Lineup:

John Barber (The Luxury, Redefined), vocals
Steve Myers (Odd Man Out, Sense Of Truth), guitar
Alain Fletcher (Half Past, Skeyes Of Seven), bass
Anthony Gagnon (The Luxury, Late Shift), drums

Audio/Video: Much of Parabol's publically posted media was lost when Facebook took their original Facebook page down for copyright violations (their faithful Tool covers were getting flagged as being Tool's own songs), and when a new one was launched in mid-2020, the band only posted photos and videos from their Soo Blaster headlining date the previous October there. As far as I know, their only other extant public video is from their debut in October 2018, where I filmed them covering "Schism" for the SMS' Facebook page. The band's two official Facebook videos from the 2019 Soo Blaster date include this compilation video, and as embedded below, the guys covering "Lateralus" in full!

Info/Analysis: Debuting as an unnamed Tool tribute band during J.D. Pearce's penultimate Halloween party at The Rockstar Bar in October 2018, the band returned there in December alongside inactive funk/hard rock band The Elements, who adopted a temporary guise as a Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute band here under the Scar Tissue moniker. After briefly choosing Lateralus as their name, the Tool tribute settled on Parabol in January 2019, and played one more Rockstar Bar show alongside "Scar Tissue" that March. After headlining the Shelby Kerns benefit concert at The Grand Gardens that June, Parabol rocked Soo Blaster to cap off their first year together in October. Following a road trip to Sudbury the following month, Parabol went on a 2+ year concert hiatus, heavily aided by the pandemic. They returned for what would be their final concert at Soo Blaster on June 4th, 2022, and have not been heard from since.

While John & Anthony have since moved on to paying tribute to The Tragically Hip with The Luxury, Parabol packed a lot of faithfully and extremely competently rendered Tool classics into their six local dates (and their Sudbury concert), and fans of Tool's progressive metal standards were in very capable hands if they saw them live! The late 2010s proved surprisingly fruitful for locally-based tribute rock bands, and Parabol were arguably the biggest of them all, playing to some big crowds (if not all that regularly), and hopefully the guys return if the time is right!

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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! This series will return on or around September 10th when we return to Sault Michigan for our next randomly selected band profile, as we'll be looking at local thrash metal solo project Drayton Fever! Watch for that then, and for a lot of big news and notes on the site next week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Dave Evans & Soundcheck), Plus New Videos!!

Let's get a new news post up on this very cold Saturday afternoon, and it's packed with some big stories, including a new teaser for an upcoming event, new video footage of a new local band, and leading off, here's two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for early 2019 that are big in very different ways!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will be among the performers at the Soo-Lebrity Showcase Saturday concert at The Machine Shop on Saturday, February 2nd! Organized by (Choose) Maxx Entertainment, this intended-to-be annual event will take place as part of this year's Bon Soo Winter Carnival (which begins the previous day), and it will unite local bands, local artists (photographer/promoter Josh Pace among them), and local craft beer for one high profile event. In fact, you could call this a mini-sequel to Toystock (if more adult in tone), as all four of the bands on February 2nd performed at the last two Toystocks, so fans of that event may want to take extra notice! Soundcheck will co-headline Soo-Lebrity Showcase Saturday at 9:00 PM, preceding country rock veterans Bone Yard at 10:00 PM, with their acoustic side project The Bearded Lounge and fellow unplugged country notables The Jeff & Jeff Show kicking things off at 8:00 & 7:00 PM each.

Admission is free with the purchase of a $7 Bon Soo button, and while an age limit wasn't stated, the presence of craft beer may just say it all. It's great to see a local performer-friendly concert back at Bon Soo this year, and while I do think that the outdoor Marquee concerts never lived up to their full potential, everyone can stay warm with the bands while enjoying local art and beer at the same time! Visit the official Facebook event page for more on the Soo-Lebrity Showcase in two weeks' time!

Next up, here's a surprising but very intriguing concert announcement, as original AC/DC frontman Dave Evans will make his Sault Ste. Marie debut on Saturday, May 4th at The Rockstar Bar! Diehard AC/DC fans will know that Dave Evans was their lead singer in 1973 & 1974, and featured on their debut single before being replaced by Bon Scott. While he didn't feature on the vast majority of AC/DC recordings, he does renditions of Bon-era songs live, as well as the two tracks from the above single, select originals, and outside covers. Dave's voice is deeper and somewhat more melodic than his successors, and while he didn't stick around long with AC/DC, it'll be interesting to hear how he handles these classic songs locally! In fact, his backing band will be an actual AC/DC tribute band named Thunderstruck, and while the Facebook event page indicates that they're from Australia, I've seen conflicting posts online about which specific AC/DC tribute named Thunderstruck is playing on Dave's 2019 Canadian tour.

No word at press time on potential opening bands. This 19+ concert has an 8:00 PM start time, and tickets run for $16 in advance at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk, or $20 at the door. Regardless of how long he was in the band, it is very cool to see an original member of AC/DC on a local stage, and hopefully this show is a hit come the spring! See above for more details!

Also today, here's some new videos from new local Tool tribute band Parabol, courtesy of their live concert debut at the aforementioned Rockstar Bar on October 27th during that weekend's Halloween Party! Uploaded to their Facebook page on Wednesday, these feature the then-unnamed band covering "The Pot", "Schism", and as embedded below, "Sober", which we hadn't previously featured here from prior videos shot that night. Camera angles are inconsistent (only "Schism" is filmed in landscape orientation, and the other two can be quite crooked), but their authentic sound and proficiency comes through nicely on each, so give these a look!



Finally, did you notice that the Facebook event page cover video for the Northern Film Showcase on January 27th at Shooters Downstairs Lounge was quietly deleted from our post from last Sunday? Well, organizers McBully Productions opted to replace it with a new video hyping three more music videos to be screened at this special event later this month. As embedded below, it confirms that local death metal band The Bear Hunters' new video for "I Fear No God" will be featured at this event, alongside new videos from solo artists Renee Landry and Britta Wolfert. Nice to see (at least) 8 diverse local music videos on the docket, and get more details at the above links!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (OZbourne), Two New Local Bands, A New Album, And More!!

We're back with a new news post on this Wednesday morning, and it includes some assorted recent updates, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, and first, two new additions to our band links, one with a new album, so without any further adieu, here's what you should know!

We have another new band to add to our active links on The Sault Metal Scene, and they are Parabol, the name finally bestowed upon the local Tool tribute band that debuted last fall! Taking their name from the Tool song "Parabola" (though they were briefly known as Lateralus upon their Facebook page's launch), fans will remember this band's live debut at The Rockstar Bar during the second night of last October's Halloween Party, with a headlining encore taking place at the same venue last month. There's very little posted on their page as of yet, but assuming there's been no quiet lineup changes, they are comprised of former Redefined/Driving Dave Home singer John Barber, Wild Iris/Odd Man Out guitarist Steve Myers, Skeyes of Seven bassist (and John's former Fingerbone bandmate) Alain Fletcher, and ex-Groove Committee drummer Anthony Gagnon (who also played with John in Late Shift.)

It's great to see the guys keep this tribute going with a permanent name, and as anyone who saw them at The Rockstar Bar in late 2018 will attest, their brand of Tool covers was extremely proficient and entertaining, and they put in the time to ensure that the songs sounded just right! If Coral Fang and Poison Girl can become actual bands following Halloween, why not Parabol? Become a fan of theirs at the above links!

Next up, here's a surprise: A Chase Wigmore solo album with a paid online release! Rather than his free EP postings and sporadic physical pressings, he has released an apparent paid debut album for his experimental metal project Awokest via their new Bandcamp page, which is sufficient to add them to our active band links as well! Still using the ribald alias "Dick Jerkins" in Awokest, he describes this project as an "experimental metal band (that) shifts between genres", with "old school industrial" cited alongside phases of black metal and grind. Though ostensibly a solo project, Chase/Dick alluded to frequent membership changes, despite never indicating any identities. The album itself is not the forthcoming "12 EPs of Christmas" entry named "The Mostest Awokest", rather a full studio album named "Enter the Nightlands", which features 10 songs, including "The Tweakening", a carried-over title from the free EP of the same name.

Chase certainly knows how to stay busy, doesn't he? Strange Coyotes aside, Bandcamp wasn't on my radar for his studio work, but it's great to see a digital download album of his there, and you can buy it for $7 right now. Also, "Enter the Nightlands" is now the favourite to be our next CD review on The Sault Metal Scene, so look for that later this month! I'll hold comment on the album until then, but fans of his diverse material will want to check it out above or below via a new upload on Chase's YouTube channel!



Also, here's that LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as Winnipeg-based Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath tribute band OZbourne will make their local concert debut on Friday, March 29th at The Canadian Nightclub! To my knowledge, this is the first Ozzy/Sabbath tribute band to hit Sault Ste. Marie since Blizzard of Ozz played at The Canadian in 2011, so fans of the Prince of Darkness have been waiting a long while for a comparable local tribute show, and this should make up for lost time. OZbourne call themselves "The Ultimate Ozzy Experience", and from the videos I've seen, they look and sound the part, and Ozzy lovers should definitely consider a trip to The Canadian in March for their faithful brand of old school metal! A cover charge is not yet advertised on the Facebook event page, but a 10:00 PM start time and 19+ age limit are expected. It's great to see The Canadian hosting a metal tribute again, so visit the above links for current details!

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

• Local alt-punk trio A Dire Setback revealed on their Facebook page two weeks ago that they have finished pre-production on vocals for their debut album, and were getting ready to record the final vocal tracks. They also teased that they'll return to the stage "this summer when it's all done." Hopefully things are on track for the album, and stay tuned for updates!
• Elliot Lake promoters AstroRabbit Entertainment are planning on hosting a major metal concert of some kind at the Elliot Lake Airport in early August, with hopes being to attract 10,000 fans. Elliot Lake is over 2 hours east of Sault Ste. Marie, well past our coverage area, but I mention it here because SooToday did cover it yesterday. There are a lot of unknowns regarding this event, including lineup, ticket prices, and the exact date, but there is clear ambition here, and might this be a spiritual replacement for Rock 'n Roar in Spanish? Follow AstroRabbit for more details!
• Local promoters Choose Maxx (or Maxx Entertainment) posted a photo on their Facebook page on Monday featuring the logo for a teased Bon Soo concert event called "Soo-Lebrity Showcase Saturday", which will take place at The Machine Shop on Saturday, February 2nd, and will feature local entertainment, artists, and brew. No word as of yet regarding the full format, lineup, prices, or Bon Soo frills, but there's already some positive buzz, so visit the above links for more details, especially if hard rock bands are in!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Soundcheck) & Most Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

Hey guys, it's time to begin another round of weekend concert previews! We have more hard rock shows this weekend than a normal post can contain, and while we usually hold the latest of the previously announced ones for the second post, I'm actually going to hold the Theatre of Night concerts in the E.U.P. until tomorrow morning due to their high profile and new information. Don't worry, they are coming! As such, let's begin this concert preview post with a SHORT LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck are reportedly returning to for The Rockstar Bar for one night only THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via the venue's Facebook event page on Tuesday, and as is often the case, the band hadn't acknowledged the show on their own Facebook page at press time. This will be the Mourning Wood successors' first concert at The Rockstar Bar in almost a month, and their first anywhere since rocking The Reggievelt two weeks ago. With their fan favourite, 1980s-leaning cover selection, fans at The Rockstar Bar should get their fill of hard rocking tunes from Soundcheck on SATURDAY, so don't miss out! As was the case last month, this is a one-nighter, though rather than a full "Cheeraoke" night tomorrow, it's due to a concert we'll be touching on in a bit. SATURDAY'S concert has a 19+ age limit, no cover charge, and a 10:00 PM start time. See above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

Next up, we'll move to previously announced concerts by going to The New American Pub, where local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will make their venue debut TONIGHT as part of a special fundraiser concert towards next year's Special Olympics' Provincial Winter Games being held in Sault Ste. Marie! This event should go a long way to help support and promote the annual games for Ontario athletes with special needs, and it's great to see that event be held locally in 2019, so be sure to visit the above links for all of the charitable details on the games! Three acts will perform tonight, including the aforementioned Wyld Stallyns for another set of unplugged rock favourites and possibly some more surprising pop hits, while the other acts will include folk singer/songwriter Catherine Taddo and Oosik Records owner Al Bjornaa tackling some 1990s-centric turntable mixes as DJ Oosik. Nice mixture of styles here, so keep everyone in mind tonight at The New A! This is a co-presentation of Exit Realty and Girl Friday Productions.

Tickets are $20, which may seem steep, but remember where proceeds are going. You can buy them at Exit Realty at 207 Northern Avenue and at The New A itself, and while a 6:00 PM start time is advertised, posts on the Facebook event page hint that musicians' sets won't begin until 7:00 PM. This should be a fun night of varied local musical entertainment helping a great event, so see above for more details, and here's The Wyld Stallyns live!

Also, let's head to the aforementioned The Rockstar Bar, where fans of this year's Halloween Party concerts at the same venue will get an encore of sorts, with two of that weekend's tribute bands returning for an encore in a different holiday season! The advertised headliners are the Tool tribute band from the second night, with Redefined, Half Past, Wild Iris, and Late Shift alumni all expected back for one final(?) turn covering the progressive metal standouts. If they've decided on a name for the band, I don't know it, but it's great to see John, Steve, Alain, and Anthony tackling Tool once again tomorrow! The opening band will be the Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute band from the first night, and while not credited as such on the Facebook event page, they are local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements playing an entire Chili Peppers cover set once again. Whether or not you saw them over the Halloween weekend, fans of The Elements will know that they can handle this band very well, and expect a fun set from them once again tomorrow!

Note that the marquee board outside of The Rockstar Bar also mentions karaoke tomorrow, going along with the venue's recent focus on Friday karaoke nights for Christmas Cheer, but the event page does not reference a karaoke element, so tread with caution if you're expecting that tomorrow night. A $5 cover charge is in effect for this 19+ event, which has an advertised 10:00 PM start time.If you love progressive metal and funk rock, this would be a great night to see both, and with the talent on display in both bands, hopefully they can live up to their Halloween weekend promise! Visit the above links for more details, and here's the Tool tribute live!

Finally for today, let's head back to the Gliss Restaurant on Spring Street, where former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will continue his weekly matinee concert arrangement with shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! One week removed from tripling up with an extra Thursday nighter at the Water Tower Pub, Tym is visibly only playing at Gliss this weekend, but fans of his unplugged hard and classic rock covers would be well served for a trip to this popular downtown restaurant over one of these two weekends, so keep both shows in mind if this is up your alley! As usual for Tym's long term Gliss gigs, these remain 6:00 PM events with no announced cover charges or age limits, but remember that this is a sit-down restaurant. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Theatre of Night previews and much more next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tool Tribute, Soundcheck, And Fluid 5ive), Plus A New Punk Band!!

Before we dive into weekend concert previews, we have a bunch of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to touch on, mostly at one popular venue, but first, here's a new addition to our band links!

We have a new local punk band to add to our active band links on the site, and they are the Distillers tribute band from last month's Halloween Party concert at The Rockstar Bar, who are no longer simply a one-off! Following a positive response to their set, the band has decided to continue as a full project under the name Coral Fang (taken from The Distillers' 2003 album), so if you liked what you heard late last month, they are reportedly open for more bookings! Channeling Brody Dalle up front is Stegadeth/Jack Spades guitarist Tiffany "Spades" Stocco, with bandmate Johnny Belanger joining her in a third active band on drums, and their lineup is rounded out by A Dire Setback's Chris Nielsen on guitar and Destroilet's Adam Larocque on bass. Aside from teasers of more dates both here and out of town, we don't know much about Coral Fang, but can they sustain in the long-term just as a Distillers tribute, or might original songs or outside covers join their rotation? It will be interesting to find out, but like and follow Coral Fang at the above links!

We'll have more on the Halloween tribute end of things in a bit, but first, let's kick off those LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, starting with local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck's return to the aforementioned Rockstar Bar for one night only on Saturday, November 17th! While not confirmed at press time by the band, the show was announced via the venue's Facebook event page on Sunday. This will be Soundcheck's first stop at The Algonquin Hotel's upstairs nightclub since June, and unless there's a short notice surprise this weekend, their first anywhere since rocking the Reggievelt over Halloween weekend. Soundcheck's fan favourite blend of 1980s-themed hard and classic rock covers should go over as well as ever in 10 days time, so keep this one-nighter in mind for next week! No word yet though on if bassist Paul Belair will be back in the fold on the 17th. There is no cover charge for this 19+ show, which has a 10:00 PM start time. Visit the above links for more details!

Also, here's another Rockstar Bar show that was newly announced via a venue-created Facebook event page this week, as local classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive will return there for one night only on Saturday, November 24th! This will be their first concert since playing at the same locale early last month, and their second with new guitarist Liam Vaillancourt, so if you haven't seen their fan-friendly blend of rock covers yet, this would be a good time to be introduced! In another new show announcement, Fluid 5ive will be the musical entertainment at the third annual Habitat For Humanity Builder's Bash at The Grand Gardens North on Friday, November 30th! This special event is a fundraiser for local Habitat for Humanity operations (always a great cause),with dinner, a silent auction, some type of gaming, a photo booth, and yes, Fluid 5ive in concert, so keep this in mind if you want to show your support! Keep all of the above details in mind when you note the $40 ticket cost, or $375 for a reserved table for 10.

Contact organizer Sandi Wheeler at (705) 941-9646 or sandi@habitatsault.ca for ticket availability (reportedly, drummer Jeff Pennett has tickets too), and a 6:00 PM start time is advertised. Meanwhile, the Rockstar Bar show the previous week has a 19+ age limit, likely 10:00 PM set start time, and no cover charge. See the above links for complete details on both of Fluid Five's shows this month, and stay tuned for possible updates!

Finally, we have one more Rockstar Bar show to acknowledge, as two more tribute bands from the aforementioned Halloween parties there will join forces for an encore on Friday, December 14th! The announced headliners are the (two-off?!) Tool tribute band from night #2, featuring Late Shift's John Barber & Anthony Gagnon, The Wild Iris' Steve Myers, and Skeyes of Seven's Alain Fletcher. It;s great to see the guys bring their proficient and authentic brand of tribute prog/alt-metal back for another go-around, and in case this is it for this tribute, don't miss out! The other announced band is a Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute, and while not firmly stated on the Facebook event page, this appears to be a encore of The Elements' themed set from night #1 of the Halloween party. If accurate, they should have another fun blend of Chili Peppers hits in store on December 14th, so don't be late for their set either! No other bands are advertised, but wouldn't it be fitting if Coral Fang played this too?

A $5 cover charge is advertised for this 19+ concert, which has a 10:00 PM start time. This is a solid way to help continue the holiday concert season, and after how good the Halloween Party sets were, who will complain about one more set from each? Visit the above links for more details, and that's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

Re:Born's New Singer, New Videos, And Much More Recent News & Updates!!

With Halloween proper fast approaching, here's a new news post for your Monday afternoon delectation, and it includes lots of shorter recent updates, and a new video from a concert this past weekend, but let's lead off with the reveal of a newer local band's new frontwoman!

Local power rock quintet Re:Born have announced the addition of Elly McWatters as their new lead singer, replacing Robert Nevitt. Fans will recognize Elly from her guest backing vocal appearances at Re:Born's last two shows (and once with The Band Camp Rejects), and as it turns out, she's already a close friend of Re:Born and a frequent presence at their jam sessions already. As revealed on their Facebook page yesterday, the band "weren't afraid to be a little experimental" with their singer choice, and by all accounts there, they are very happy with how she's performed so far! We don't have to wait for their next concert to hear Elly in action with Re:Born though, as seven videos from her formal audition were posted to their Facebook page yesterday, so what can you see there? The 7 videos include their version of Kissin Dynamite's "Sex Is War" (which is one of the songs Elly guested on already), plus the originals/421 carryovers "No One Rides For Free" & "Running Away", and four additional covers.

Those other videos are of Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back In Town", Diamond Head's "Am I Evil", Iron Maiden's "Wasted Years", and as embedded below, Dio's "Rainbow In The Dark". While the covers overall aren't as fine tuned as they are in concert, Elly's lead singing debut is the focus, and she holds her own nicely here! She had a good range that fits melodic 1980s metal well, and while her stage presence is a little stiff yet, she has a lot of promise, and it'll be very interesting to hear her in a live concert setting! See for yourself above and below, and stay tuned for much more on Re:Born!



Next up, here's a new video from this year's Halloween Party at The Rockstar Bar, specifically Saturday night's second half, and it's of the one-off Tool tribute band playing the second half of "The Pot"! This comes from Live705's Facebook page yesterday (as filmed by co-owner/A Dire Setback bassist Matt Quinn, I believe), and he wasn't afraid to move around the floor and get some close angles of John, Steve, Al, and Anthony in action. Of course, the guys put on a great performance and had Tool's sound down pat on Saturday, so give their set another look 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 or venue name:

• I have finally added Albert Street West nightclub Room 21 to our active venue links on the SMS, belatedly acknowledging their recent busy schedule. Likewise, I have moved 180 Projects, The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Center, and (very reluctantly) The Oddfellows Hall to our inactive venue links, as none have hosted a verified public metal, hard rock, or punk concert in the past year. Hopefully this helps keep things updated there now!
• In a belated clarification on the makeup of the tribute bands at Friday's opening night of "The Howling" at The Rockstar Bar, the H.I.M. tribute (named Poison Girl) comprised of local punk trio Stegadeth alongside ex-Gates of Winter keyboardist Brian Holmes, while the Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute was local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements, with the previously announced Tiffany/Chris/Adam/Johnny one-off covering The Distillers only. Apologies for any confusion from our preview of that show, coverage of the bands' identities was personal and vague until on the days prior to showtime. Hopefully everyone had a great night!
• Following the success of Soo Blaster's first Indie Music Showcase on October 5th (which featured new indie rockers Man Feelings & solo artist Wes Armstrong), organizer/veteran local drummer Anthony Fabiano is looking for two more original musical acts for the second in this burgeoning concert series, though a date wasn't specified. If you're interested in playing at the second Indie Music Showcase, message Tony at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Thursday!
• The Soo's Got Talent wrapped up at The Tech on Friday, with singer Daniella Brewer being chosen by judges as the inaugural competition's winner, earning $450 for first place. Congratulations to Daniella, she is definitely a talented young artist, and it'll be interesting to see where he goes from here in music! You can see videos of her Sia and Snow Patrol covers from the final round at the above link. No word on where the other acts finished, but organizers have only shared videos of the acts who advanced out of each round. We'll let you know if this event comes back in 2019!
• Former Soundcheck drummer Steven Flint filled in for absent bassist Paul Belair at his old band's Halloween weekend concerts at Reggie's West, as per his personal Facebook page. Different instrument, but Steven knows the band well, and hopefully things went smoothly this past weekend! No word on why Paul missed the shows, but he didn't play at the previous week's Esquire Club gigs either.
• Presumably in conjunction with the ongoing drummer search for his newest band project, former Vol. frontman Steve Edwards is now looking for a bassist, or at least wondering "where all the bassists at", as per the Musicians Wanted Facebook group on Wednesday. It'd be great to see Steve finally find some like-minded and similarly aged (i.e. 18-late 20s) musicians for this new project, so if you're a bassist looking to jam, contact him above or at this link!

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

The Halloween Party (Night #2) Review!!

Here's our review of last night's second half of "The Howling", J.D. Pearce's 14th annual Halloween party concert event! First off, both this concert and Friday's first half took place upstairs at The Rockstar Bar, not downstairs at The Algonquin Pub. Apologies for any confusion, earlier promotion only said this would be at "The Algonquin Hotel", which tends to mean downstairs if advertising isn't specific. The venue was nicely decked out for the occasion, and there were lots of memorable costumes among the strong attendance, including Wayne & Garth, Wario, Elliot & E.T., Guy Fawkes, and Frankenstein's Monster, among many others! I was in steampunk garb, FYI.

Opening the Howling was (effectively) local punk trio Redundant in their second show in a three day span, as they tackled a Weezer tribute set... well, mostly! With bassist James White absent for unannounced reasons, the guys had originally enlisted Travis Sharpe to fill in for the tribute, but with his band Soundcheck playing at the Reggievelt last night, veteran local punk bassist Andrew MacDonald took over the low end instead. Great choice, and familiar to Justin Langlois and Rick White already from their old bands Fitswitch & The Scary Uncles, but how did the set proper go? As advertised, the guys covered a selection of Weezer songs like "Hash Pipe", "Say It Ain't So", and "El Scorcho" (albeit sans "No Scrubs" interlude), and despite warnings from Justin about their amount of jam time on these songs, they all sounded fine! If anything, some of the vocal rhythms were a touch off, but that's minor. If you're not a Weezer fan, than don't worry, as Redundant didn't just cover them!

In a second half stretch, they broke out some renditions of Operation Ivy, Vaselines, and Rise Against tunes, and even one original ("That December" from their new EP), so that was a nice bonus for diehard Redundant fans! Andrew fit in very well on these songs, and everyone handled the Weezer end nicely despite any prep-time issues, so what more could you ask for! Justin even had a sweater on for "Undone"!

The second band last night was the one-off Tool tribute, who didn't have a proper name, though they did jokingly refer to themselves as the actual Tool. Comprised of alumni of bands like Redefined, Sense of Truth, Half Past, and Late Shift, fans familiar with those groups knew the talent on display from this quartet, and it's clear that they brought their A-games for this one! Tackling a range of Tool singles like "46 & 2", "The Pot", and "Parabola", their knowledge and handling of these familiar prog-metal tracks was crystal clear, and if this was a full time band, they'd already be worthy of headline status! I haven't seen John Barber and Anthony Gagnon on stage in a few years, and it felt like no time had passed, with John having a very strong handle on Maynard's distinctive vocal style, and both Steve Myers and Alain Fletcher had every song down pat, even if Steve's wig didn't survive long! These guys got the best crowd on the floor of the night, and with this excellent performance, can you blame them?

Headlining last night was the long awaited reunion set from local horror punk/metal favourites Frightlight, in their first public concert appearance since the Halloween party four years ago! Lineup-wise, this was a reunion of their 2011-2014 incarnation, albeit sans rhythm guitarist Kevin "St. Mayhem" Powe for unannounced reasons (though he did design this concert's poster.) Hopefully nothing bad happened! Much like their first 2009-2010 gigs, Frightlight played on as a quartet for a very nostalgic set that included their entire "It's A...Live!" EP, plus later originals like "World War Z", and a cover interlude where they tackled a GG Allin standard and, of course, three Misfits songs. It was great to see the guys don the face paint and member vests one more time, especially Rick Styles and Eddie Fright, who we haven't seen play guitar or bass on stage in far too long. Johnny Pints' vocals sounded rougher than normal, but his commanding stage presence was still intact, of course!

While a rhythm guitar presence was missed, Frightlight gave fans one more entertaining fright night for the Halloween season, and here's hoping there's more in the pipeline when the time is right! Overall, this was a fun way to cap off a busy Halloween weekend, and while there is more to come given the mid-week Halloween timing this year, hopefully this weekend's parties helped satiate your metal and punk desires! You can check out our photos and videos (which do work this time!) at this link or at our Facebook page, all courtesy of my new Fujifilm Finepix S8000FD, which is definitely proving to be a wise purchase based on the photo quality so far! There are still some kinks to work out, especially regarding how far I can push it's battery life, but things will become more consistent at future shows. As for our videos, here's Redundant covering Weezer's "My Name Is Jonas", the one-off Tool tribute band tackling "Schism", and Frightlight playing "Dead Town Anywhere"!







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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Project 906) & More Halloween Weekend Concert Previews!!

(Updated at 7:27 PM) The always busy Halloween concert weekend is now the entire focus of today's news post, as due to a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for TOMORROW NIGHT, I have opted to add it to this post and bump our shorter news item block to our next news post, likely coming by Halloween night. Now, let's dive into previews of the Saturday night Halloween weekend metal and hard rock shows in the Sault area, including one more new show for next month!

Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Project 906 will end a nearly 2 month public hiatus when they return to Bird's Eye Outfitters (and/or The Superior Cafe) TOMORROW NIGHT for their monthly musicians showcase! Apologies for the short notice, the band only signalled their involvement via their Facebook page earlier today. I'm not sure where Project 906 have been so far this fall, but it's great to see Billy, Dustin, Joe, and Tommy back on stage, let alone in their first gig at Bird's Eye since August, so keep this show in mind! The band will also return there on November 2nd (next Friday) in a presumed solo concert, so if you want to see the solo experience of this fan favourite hard rock band, circle your calendars for that date! TOMORROW'S show will indeed be Halloween themed with drink specials and a costume contest, but I cannot confirm any of the other performing artists at press time. Both of these shows have no announced cover charges or age limits, as usual for this venue.

As for starting times, TOMORROW'S musicians showcase will begin at 6:00 PM, while next Friday's concert will start a little later at 7:00 PM. Hopefully Sault Michigan fans get their Halloween party fill TOMORROW at The Superior Cafe, and don't miss 906's return to the public stage then or next week! For a preview, here they are live this summer!

Next up, the second night of promoter J.D. Pearce's 14th annual Halloween party (alternately named "The Howling" this year) goes down TOMORROW NIGHT at The Algonquin Pub, and it will be toplined by a one-off reunion of local horror punk/metal quintet Frightlight! Four years after their concluding their 2009-2014 run at this same event, this fan favourite band will be resurrected for another set full of horror-tinged action, so how about one more "fright night" for old time's sake? No word on how their lineup will be comprised tomorrow, but aside from their drummer, Frightlight's lineup was pretty stable when not counting temporary absences. I can't confirm whether Frighlight will go all-Misfits to play along with the tribute theme, but the opening bands are definitely playing tribute sets, albeit as one-off bands without a publically stated name. Personal Facebook postings have confirmed each band's lineup, so who can you look for tomorrow?

One will be a Tool tribute band featuring former Late Shift bandmates John Barber & Anthony Gagnon alongside Wild Iris guitarist Steve Myers and Skeyes of Seven bassist Alain Fletcher (prior references to HTs bassist Ryan Disano being involved have not been followed up on in recent weeks.) Very talented lineup, and fans may have seen members cover Tool in some of their prior bands already, so they should have a good handle on things tomorrow! The opening band is a tribute to Weezer, and they will be a trio featuring Redundant bandmates Justin Langlois and Rick White, while James' bass spot will be filled for this set by Soundcheck singer/guitarist Travis Sharpe. No word on how Travis' involvement will impact Soundcheck's show at Reggie's West tomorrow night, but he theoretically could head there after the Weezer tribute's opening set and still play most of that show too. Again, this tribute band looks good on paper, but how will they sound tomorrow at The Howling?

And yes, expect lots of Halloween frills tomorrow, as well as a costume contest, so come on down to The Algonquin Pub (not Soo Blaster) if you want some live horror punk, alt-rock, and prog-metal tribute action! Unless you bought a $15 weekend pass for both nights of the Halloween party in advance or at tonight's opening half, admission for tomorrow's 19+ concert will be $10, and a 10:00 PM start time is advertised. With Halloween being mid-week this year, come out to The Algonquin Pub for some early seasonal rock tribute action tonight and tomorrow, and have your costumes ready! For a preview of tomorrow's concert, here's Frightlight live in 2014!



Lastly for known hard rock and punk concerts in the area this weekend, we'll head to The Harp Pub & Grill for our first concert preview there in over 2½ years (and first non-Tym Morrison preview there since the Madison's Pub era), as local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will make their debut at the Pine Street bar TOMORROW NIGHT! After years away from booking multiple local music acts on a regular basis, The Harp recently relaunched and has begun hosting more concerts (albeit generally acoustic ones), with the Elements side project being the first of a heavier vein in this new era. Oddly, the venue has not hyped this show up with any Halloween themes or specials, but The Wyld Stallyns' fan friendly blend of covers and audience participation should go over well at this intimate central venue tomorrow! A 9:00 PM start time is advertised for this 19+ event, which has no announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, here's The Stallyns live, and The Harp's back in our active venue links!

 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next! Thanks everyone!