Neither Could Dylan, Salty Marie Trails Fest, And HeadFirst Concert Previews!!

Given that one of the remaining un-previewed hard rock/punk concerts in the Soo area this weekend is an afternoon matinee tomorrow, let's get our last weekend concert preview post up tonight to avoid putting things off any further! This last preview post looks at three shows tomorrow of varying appeal levels, so here's what else you should know!

We'll pick things back up TOMORROW with the second annual Salty Marie Trails Fest, which returns to Hiawatha Highlands with a bigger and better installment, now including live music! While the Trails Fest proper is a mountain biking/foot racing event featuring local vendors and family activities (click here for full details on how to attend or participate in the festivities), two local covers-centric bands will grace the "salty stage" tomorrow afternoon! Coverage of the bands hasn't been paramount in the recent festival promotion, but alt-punk cover sextet Bookclub are your headliners in their first show since Rotaryfest Stage 1 last week, and they should provide a fun soundtrack of scarcely heard covers for fans at Hiawatha tomorrow afternoon! No word on if bassist Dustin Jones (who missed Rotaryfest while on vacation) will be back in time for the Trails Fest or not, but note that ex-guitarist Dave Bahun returned to fill in for him last week.

Newer local pop rock cover band The Dead Stops (led by ex-Garden of Bedlam frontman Erik Boissineau) will open at 12:00 PM, and hopefully they leave a good impression! The "salty stage" will be set up behind Hiawatha Ice Cream at 780 Landslide Road, and 9&10 News is calling for sunny weather of around 16-24° during the Salty Marie Fest, so weather should be great for the outdoor bands, running, and biking, humidity aside! Attendance is free for spectators (click here to see what race events have openings, but most are booked solid), and while things begin in the morning, both bands play in the afternoon. Visit the above links for more on all of tomorrow's action, and here's Bookclub live!

Next up, after a quiet two months with only sewing events being promoted there, The Distraction on East Street returns to host a formal concert TOMORROW NIGHT, as Vaughan, Ontario "punkabilly" solo project Neither Could Dylan will be making their local concert debut! Neither Could Dylan blend many disparate genres into their original material and live show, with punk, power pop, and indie rock all being detectable in their live show, and it'll be interesting to see how Jaimee goes over to Saultites tomorrow! Sylo frontman Eli Russell will open with his indie rock project launched between Raincourt/Sylo's 2023 hiatus, so if you heard his solo album or saw him solo already, prepare for some talented singer/songwriter material! This concert takes place at 7:00 PM, there is no age limit, and admission is "$10 or pay what you can". Visit the Facebook event page for more details, and here's Neither Could Dylan live!

Lastly for known hard rock concerts this weekend, we'll head to Shooters Downstairs Lounge, where local hard rock quintet HeadFirst will headline their EP release party TOMORROW NIGHT! While attendees of last week's sets at Rotaryfest Stage 2 and Loud & Proud had first crack at buying advance copies of "Head Trauma", tomorrow is the full wide release of the EP beyond the 20 copies brought to the downtown festivals for early birds. If you didn't buy a copy last week (like I did), they cost $15 and feature four songs: "Hot Blooded Woman", "Take You (Down)" (which Liam & Anthony trade roles for live), "Little Darling", and the advance single "Don't Care, Don't Mind". At the moment, "Head Trauma" is exclusively available at their concerts, with the band noting on their Facebook page on Monday that there's "no online store yet", but availability of the full EP on major streaming services is expected tomorrow or soon after.

For the record, "The Walk" is not on the EP (singer Red Jettison told me that it's more intended as a live jam for now), but the band will be playing multiple non-EP originals tomorrow along with the four included songs and some covers, as this is a four set deal a'la weekend headliners on the cover band circuit. There will also be giveaways of signed gear and free CDs to "three lucky winners who rock out with us", so if you want to win some swag, stay until midnight for the reveal! Remember, Shooters hosts DJs on Fridays this year, hence why this is a one-nighter. Tomorrow's concert has no cover charge, a 19+ age limit, and a 9:30 PM start time. See above for more details on HeadFirst's big night, and note that the official trailer for the EP release is online, and it happens to feature live performance footage of the guys at what appears to be Robbie Adamson's old church in Leeburn!

No, this wasn't from a public concert (that I know of), but HeadFirst aren't the only band to use the church for a shoot. Remember The Bear Hunters' music video? Opening with lit firecrackers, the video (uploaded to their Facebook page on Tuesday) features clips of the guys playing live there, but "Hot Blooded Woman" aside, the songs seem like they were edited to look synced up and actually weren't. Lots of post-production graphics and effects (including a filmstrip motif) spice things up, and it's a good teaser of what's to come tomorrow, so check it out at this link! I can't embed it here due to Facebook content matching the studio material clips, but for a preview, here's HeadFirst live at Shooters!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Bookclub & HeadFirst) Plus New Studio Song Teasers!!

Today's post features some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for mid-2024 and some teasers for new studio material from two local bands, so here's what you should know on this sunny Tuesday!

Local hard rock quintet HeadFirst have announced their concert calendar for the next month via their Facebook page! I will hold their shows this weekend for our weekend concert previews due to being announced on late notice, and we already knew about their set opening for Greg Rekus & The Inside Job at The Distraction on Thursday, May 23rd (event page linked here), but they will be back at Reggie's Place on Queen Street East for a one-nighter on Friday, May 31st! This appears to have fallen into place due to their booking on Saturday, June 1st at Shooters Downstairs Lounge (which has been booking DJ nights on Fridays in 2024), so they're ending May on the right foot before kicking off June in style a little further downtown! Bone Yard 225 had already confirmed that they're playing at Reggie's on June 1st after a one-nighter at The Water Tower Pub on the 31st, so both bands solved their full weekend booking problems!

If you want to check out HeadFirst for a full weekend at Reggie's afterwards, they will be back there on Friday, June 7th and Saturday, June 8th, so keep these four new dates in mind! All are 9:00 PM affairs with 19+ age limits and no cover charges, and remember, we will be addressing this weekend's HeadFirst shows in our weekend concert previews on Thursday. Meanwhile, remember how HeadFirst vaguely teased on Facebook last month that "Something. Is. Coming." on May 18th (this Saturday)? Well, we now know what exactly. Is. Coming. on the 18th, namely their first studio single! Rather than release the previously filmed "The Walk" thusly, the single (strongly hinted to have been recorded at Mission Control Studios) will be for their original "Don't Care, Don't Mind", and it will be accompanied by a music video featuring footage of the band performing at Case's Music.

The 67 second teaser clip also features the band hanging out, fans dancing at one of their shows, and cigarette package imagery. No vocals, so you aren't spoiled too much yet! Oddly, the teaser video was uploaded sideways, so if you want to watch it without tilting your device/head, you will sadly have to watch it as a "Reel". I can't embed "Reels" here, so the sideways teaser is embedded below, but check it out if you want before the launch on Saturday, and stay tuned on Thursday for our late notice preview of their shows this weekend!

Next up, online page-less local alternative/punk cover sextet Bookclub will perform at this year's second annual Salty Marie Trails Fest at Hiawatha Highlands at 780 Landslide Road on Saturday, July 27th! If you're not familiar, the Salty Marie Fest is a festival of mountain bike and foot races alongside family activities, refreshments, local vendors, and more (click here for SooToday's coverage of last year's event), and this year's sophomore outing is shaping up to be bigger and better, so click here and above for current details on what's going on this year and, if you're up for it, how you can enter one of the races! Among the upgrades for year #2 is live music on "the salty stage", with Bookclub playing in their first confirmed summer festival gig of the year, so don't miss their up-tempo and atypical covers slate then! I have no idea if other musicians will be playing in two months, we'll keep you posted if we hear of anything.

Note that The Salty Marie's Facebook promotion gives us our first official (non-live) photo of Bookclub since adding Josh Norling on saxophone and since Brandon Ruch replaced Dave Bahun on guitar. Presented by Red Pine Tours, the trails fest is absolutely an all ages event, and as best as I can tell, the only admission fee would be for registrants taking part in the bike/foot races. A start time for The Salty Marie has not been announced yet, let alone for Bookclub's set, but based on last year's public media, I'd be shocked if Bookclub weren't on during daylight hours. Visit the above links for more details on the festival and races to come in July!

We'll close today with some punk cohorts of Bookclub's founding members, namely veteran local punk quintet The Gambit, who posted on their Facebook page last week to reveal that they are recording in studio! An 18 seconds-long video was attached featuring drummer Clint Wilson drumming at what appears to be a home studio, and we don't hear any tracks from the rest of the band, but it is a good sign that the former Sick Sons are working on studio material! Fans will recall seeing this band play a few originals live, and you can hear at least five in their live-stream from the Fuller reunion concert at LopLops in December, which I had titled as "Lonelier Tomorrow", "Lucky Seven", "Depth", "Clickbait", and "Faultline" (some could be mislabelled, blame the audio quality of the stream). Are they just recording a one-off single, or is more afoot? We'll keep you posted, but watch Clint's video below, and stay tuned for more from The Gambit!

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

Recent Sault Michigan Updates, Including Band Breakups, Songs, Page Deletions, And More!!

While I'm out at The Algonquin Pub with The Ripcordz and local metal openers, I have a special auto-post for you Sault Michigan/Eastern U.P. readers on our 48th straight day of SMS posts, so what do we have today? Along with some recent assorted news, we have two likely band breakups and two other familiar hard rock band page deletions, but first, let's start with some more upbeat news courtesy of new material from a regional solo artist, that being Dafter solo musician Ken "SweetKenny" Sutton, who posted a couple of new original songs onto his YouTube channel in the past couple of weeks! One is "I'm Lost Without You" from his most recent EP "Doo Hickey", but the other is a brand new track named "Burn Notice" (title inspired by the show), and the song comes complete with an epic action movie-style graphic! A hard rock instrumental, it's not blisteringly fast, but it's well performed and has a nice groove to it's riffs (though no word on if it will be on an album of the same name or his announced next disc "Perception".) Check out "Burn Notice" below, and stay tuned for more SweetKenny updates!

Next up, we have two band breakups/descents into inactivity to note across the river, starting with the news that young Sault Michigan hardcore band The Eleventh Hour have apparently parted ways. A reason wasn't announced, but their Facebook page (and only online page, sadly) was recently deleted, which usually indicates that a band broke up. Featuring Hoist The Sails & Chained Memories alumni, their early demos showed promise, but I've found that newer extreme metal bands in Sault Michigan have often struggled to get off the ground. Hopefully the guys all stay active in music, and best of luck to Sean, Cathy, Cody, Josh, Joe, and their other former bandmates in the future! The other likely defunct band is Elements of Madness, a Sault Michigan/Newberry hard rock project that was active from June 2011 through last April, and they'll have hit a year since their last Facebook page update on Thursday, so it's very likely they've fallen inactive too. Their YouTube samples had glimmers of promise, but I don't think they ever were able to get off the ground beyond those clips. Like with The Eleventh Hour, I wish Cody, Tyler, Joe, Kyle, and Landon nothing but the best going forward, and hopefully they get in new bands down the road!

Also today, here's notes on two defunct Sault Michigan hard rock bands that now have no surviving online pages, those being the early 2010s Nixxon Dixxon-successor bands Splitshot & Trail's End. Both had their Facebook pages deleted for unknown reasons at some point in recent months, though both haven't been active in a year or more anyway, so that's likely linked. As you may remember, Splitshot saw Nixxon Dixxon's Chris Hubbard & Kyle Beaumont joining forces with their dads and singer Dave Menard for covers-centric shows all over the Eastern U.P. from late 2010 until the end of the next year, later adding Nixxon Dixxon bandmate Jake LaLonde on drums after he returned from the Musicians Institute in California. After Chris, Kyle, and Jake launched Trail's End in the fall of 2011, Splitshot disbanded by the end of the year, and Trail's End (who had some original material) played live a handful of times in early 2012 before quietly parting ways, with Chris joining Dave from Splitshot in 415E, and Kyle & Jake joining forces with Fallen Heroes in The London Gentlemen.

These page deletions haven't meant a loss of major info, and aside from Trail's End's song "Run" (which was deleted from their YouTube channel for unknown reasons too), they had no media, but these (and The Eleventh Hour) still contribute to a pet peeve of mine, which is broken up bands deleting any trace of their existence. Fans still wanna read up on & check out defunct bands, and I wish old pages would be left alone so that we didn't rely mainly on memories for our old band remembrances. Still, I know their current bands have already accomplished a lot more than Splitshot & Trail's End did, and hopefully they see much more success soon, but maybe down the road, "Run" or some videos of either band will finally surface!

Finally for today, here's four shorter recent stories from the Sault Michigan area, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band or artist name:

• Toast guitarist Mike Libertoski is looking for a singer to provide vocals for at least three of his solo technical/progressive metal original songs ("Information", "Matter", and "Particles"), all of which are streamable on his Soundcloud page. If you're interested, send vocal samples or a message to Mike at this location, and hopefully he finds someone who can match his noticeable talents!
• Local classical metal standouts Theatre of Night have posted a new song named "Winter" onto their Reverbnation page, which may be a reworked variant of the deleted "A Wintery Mix", but it has a very heavy symphonic metal feel that fans of their earlier original work should appreciate! Check it out at the above links, and look for more Theatre of Night originals soon!
• After a few months of quiet activity, Eckerman studio/label Werehold Records revealed on their Facebook page yesterday that they may find some new material to share online during "spring cleaning", and it may not have to wait for another Friday the 13th posting spree in September to get unveiled. Might we finally hear Awaken Eidolon in these plans, among their diverse metal/techno roster of Michigan artists? I'll keep you guys posted!

That's all for now, but stay tuned later today for my review of the Ripcordz concert! Thanks everyone!

LemmaFest Fallout, Chris Hubbard News, And A Local Band's Likely Inactivity!!

The blitz of Sault Michigan-centric posts continues today with our third all-American post in the past three days! In this case, we have news on a local guitarist's latest band project and performance video, the likely negative status of a local hard rock band, but first, here's some notable early fallout from a big recent concert event! (Edited on Monday at 12:22 AM)

Let's start with some fallout from yesterday's second annual LemmaFest outside of Dondee Lanes, and by all accounts I've heard so far, the event went great! A nice big photo album has been posted onto Brimley metal trio Half A Man's Facebook page featuring over 300 photos from the event, so we can get some insights into what happened and the differences from last year, so here's what I've noticed! This year, the stage was covered (unlike last year), which is handy to provide some shade and rain protection, but I believe the weather was clear all day. Half A Man got nicely varied photos of each outdoor band except themselves (understandably) and indie rock quartet The London Gentlemen, as the band was hauling gear during their set. The photos also include a Brimley-based solo musician named Caitlin LeBlanc, who appears to have been a late lineup addition before Chump Change's set. Even without advance word, I can tell that she is a talented young singer/guitarist thanks to the videos on her YouTube channel, which includes two from LemmaFest, the first I've ever seen from either year on YouTube. Feel free to check out her videos, she definitely can go places in the area for her genre!

Other notes from the photos: Munising metal band Infathom played as a quartet last night (guitarist Josh Stadler currently lives out of state), Half A Man were indeed selling some type of demo CD at the event (looks similar to the demo that Elipzis sold in 2010), Bucksaw's lineup appears to be the same as last year's (no word on their genre or possible online pages though), there were speakers on stage this year before the last two outdoor bands (possibly Mike Lemma's family?), Half A Man drummer Mikey Bishop joined Infathom on stage later in their set (no word on if he played anything though), and there were some nice aesthetic touches among the outdoor setup, including a floating lantern and a LemmaFest 2012 banner that the bands and attendees signed once again. Check the above links to see all of the new photos! Everything sounds like it went great for the second annual LemmaFest, and hopefully next year's event is even bigger and better! Mike would be proud of everything that happened last night, I'm sure! Stay tuned for more fallout from LemmaFest as it comes in, including hopefully some more videos and clarification to any lingering questions!

Next up, here's some news relating to talented local guitarist Chris Hubbard! The Nixxon Dixxon alum is apparently working on a new original project with former Splitshot bandmate Dave Menard named Hubbard-Menard that are apparently planning to release an album of some type! Now, album plans for local bands can mean anything from a full release to just a collected free posting, so we'll have to see if this ever gets compiled for sale, but Chris announced on his personal Facebook page that he's hoping to release this all on CD by "the end of the month". The Hubbard-Menard project will feature Dave on vocals and Chris on all instruments, and instrumental demos of three original songs have been posted onto Facebook at this location, but as Facebook video files, I can't embed them here. They definitely sound promising and have a nice heavy sound with proficient guitar work, and they sound a bit heavier than Nixxon Dixxon's originals did, but I'm especially curious to hear Dave's singing voice with this material. Splitshot never posted media from their run, so he's still a wild card in some ways, but hopefully the guys can create some magic in this new project! Stay tuned for more on the Hubbard-Menard project as I hear of it, including hopefully an online page or something similar!

That said, what's the current status of Chris' local hard rock band Trail's End? I'm not entirely sure, but it's not looking good. The band formed last fall by Chris and his ex-Nixxon Dixxon/Splitshot bandmates Kyle Beaumont & Jake LaLonde have been relatively quiet on the local scene since late January, with their online pages never acknowledging their announced Kewadin Casino dates in February and April. I also haven't seen any of the three guys refer to Trail's End on their respective Facebook pages since the winter, with Chris' current original work with Dave Menard and Kyle & Jake's new band The London Gentlemen seeming to be their primary focuses right now. With that all put into consideration, plus the lack of announced future dates, I've decided to move Trail's End to our inactive Sault Michigan band links, but if I hear anything relating to a return, I'll be sure to move them back! Chris, Kyle, and Jake have recorded a lot of great music in the past few years, and even if Trail's End didn't take off as fast as their older work did, their older bands and the successes they hit will be sure to remain high in our minds, and hopefully they continue to keep on the right path in their next musical steps!

We'll end this post on a related positive note, as Chris posted a new solo performance video onto his YouTube channel last week! It's of Chris covering another Van Halen song ("She's The Woman"), but like some of his other videos, it's not showcasing him as much as his equipment, this time his wide array of pedals & switches. He plays this song excellently, and he definitely shows is deep Van Halen appreciation here, but even though I understand showcasing his gear, it'd be cool to see him playing this cover as well. Check it out below, and stay tuned for much more material and news from Chris' music work!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news as the week rolls along! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Turner Up), Most Weekend Concert Previews, And More "Woods V" Reviews!!

Hey guys, it's time to preview most of this weekend's local metal & hard rock shows, but first, I've gotta apologize for one missed date last weekend. Apparently, Sault Michigan hard rockers Powerslug returned to Golanka's Bar (a.k.a. The Bird) across the river this past Saturday for what (I think) was their first stop there of 2012. Guitarist Chris Gurnoe confirmed the gig on his personal Facebook page that afternoon, but the short notice (and the band's lack of an internet page) prevented me from hearing about it until it was too late. I apologize to Powerslug and anyone who could have been affected, I'll try to stay more on top of their next gigs! Now, to the concert previews, and while we're saving the battle of the bands profile until later today due to it's size, we've got some big shows going down this weekend to cover (including a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT) and some "Woods V" reviews, so here's what you need to know!

The new show is courtesy of Sault Ontario classic hard rockers Turner Up, who will return to The Sportscentre Bar & Grill on Wellington Street West THIS SATURDAY! I apologize for the short notice, this show was announced on Tuesday but I could only slot it into a post today. Though they won't be at tomorrow's Sault Humane Society Battle of the Bands anymore, this talented quintet will bring their set full of entertaining hard rock covers back to this new-ish concert venue on Saturday, two months after playing their first gig at this West End bar. I'm still not familiar with the Sportscentre Bar & Grill as a concert venue, but I'm hearing good things from people who've played there, and it's slowly becoming a more prominent place for local bands, so keep it mind this Saturday! This is a one night only gig (possibly for the same reasons why they're not at tomorrow's battle), with Turner Up hitting the stage at 10:30 PM on Saturday. You must be 19 to attend, and there's no cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's always good to see Turner Up rocking the local stage, and hopefully they deliver some great classic hard rock tunes for their fans on Saturday! For a preview, here's the old Turner Up covering a Guns N' Roses classic at The Rockstar Bar last year!



Now to previously announced non-battle concerts this weekend, and we'll take a quick detour to Sault Michigan for the next concert by local hard rock trio Trail's End! The new-ish local band from 3 former Nixxon Dixxon & Splitshot bandmates are scheduled to return to The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino TOMORROW NIGHT for just their fifth advertised concert since forming late last year, though unlike their previous two concert weekends, this will only be a one night engagement. Despite earlier listings on Kewadin Casino's entertainment page, they will not be playing on Saturday night due to a showing of UFC 145 at The Rapids Lounge, so Trail's End's Kewadin weekend plans are halved, much like Swayze Train's were in February thanks to UFC 144. Should be a good card though, and Trail's End have big plans in 2012 beyond tomorrow, I'm sure! Admission should be free for tomorrow's concert, you must be 21 to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time is likely. For more details, check the above links! Though Trail's End haven't publically acknowledged this show, Kewadin entertainment page is as reliable a source as any, and hopefully the guys have a great set full of covers & originals tomorrow night! For a preview, here's their original song "Run"!



Finally for the previews, local metal trio Caveman Morrison are returning to the stage for their third concert weekend with their current lineup for shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at The Nicolet Tavern! Their current lineup of Tym Morrison, James White, and Johnny Belanger appears to be settling in well, and you know that they'll deliver a great weekend of hard rock and metal covers for their fans at The Nic this weekend! Nothing seems to be too different from the usual Caveman Morrison concert weekend, but if you're up for some live music all weekend, you can't go too wrong with these shows! However, I will note that drummer Johnny Belanger is still scheduled to compete at tomorrow's Humane Society Battle of the Bands with The Bear Hunters, so fingers crossed that they're earlier in the night so he can play at both events without issue! Both tomorrow & Saturday's Caveman Morrison gigs should have no cover charge, you must be 19 to attend, and 9:30 PM start times are listed. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! These should both be solid concerts, so hopefully there's big crowsds both nights for Caveman Morrison's latest weekend at The Nic! For a preview, here they are covering a Foreigner classic at The Rosie in December, and message Tym A.S.A.P. if you can help return his stolen acoustic Yamaha guitar!



And finally for today, here's some more reviews of local blackened doom metal band Woods of Ypres' last recorded album "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light"! In January, Lior Stein of the website Metal Temple gave this album an "almost perfect" rating of 9/10, calling it a "masterfully crafted release" and highly praising the late David Gold's vocal range and the album's peaceful mood it created. Nice review with some interesting thoughts on the themes of the CD, so click here to check it out! In a review on The Metal Crypt last month, writer Christopher Foley gave "W5" a 3.75/5, calling it "a quality selection of songs" and giving high marks for it's crossover appeal, while noting some lyrical deficiencies and that the album might turn off black metal purists. Brief and more straightforward review, but if you're looking for one with less sentimentality, this may do the trick, so see this review at this location! Finally for today, Ryan Grant from the metal website HereToDestroy.com gave "Woods V" a very positive review earlier this month, and while it's more personal with connections to how Woods of Ypres' music has been life changing for him, he still gives good thoughts on David's vocal intensity and the increased emphasis on melody, among other well termed thoughts. Another nice review, and you can tell how much it meant for him to write it, so check it out by clicking here! Stay tuned for more "Woods V" reviews hopefully soon!

That's all for now, but stay tuned later today for our extended preview of TOMORROW'S Sault Humane Society Battle Of The Bands! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Fifth Way & Peril), A Band Breakup, And More News From Sault Michigan!!

Hey guys, here's a special auto-post while I'm rocking out at the Ypres Metal Fest, and it's 100% devoted to the Sault Michigan metal scene! Tomorrow, I'll work hard to get videos of all 12 bands from tonight's show online with a review going up likely early Monday, but for now, you Yoopers should enjoy the news we've got tonight, including LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for Kewadin Casino over the next few months, a local band's breakup, a bassist departure, and Half A Man's latest updates, so here's what you need to know!

According to Kewadin Casino's Facebook page, Detroit hard rock standouts Fifth Way will return to Sault Michigan on April 27th! Though we had heard about their planned concert weekend with Brimley metallers Half A Man that same weekend (more on them in a bit), this show doesn't appear to be directly linked to those plans, as Fifth Way will open for platinum selling Arizona pop rock band The Gin Blossoms that night at The Dreammaker's Theater! Best known for hits like "Hey Jealousy" & "Follow You Down", they're not really a hard rock band, but they have lots of well known songs, and they're worth a listen! As you may remember, Fifth Way feature Rudyard native & LSSU grad Zak Stelmaszek on guitar, and this show will be their first local concert appearance since the Kewadin Casino 25th Anniversary Festival in July 2010, so this is a long time coming! Also, it'll mark their current lineup's first local gig, as Mike McMann & Chris Castro replaced Nicholas Cole-Klaes & Dave Reingardt on bass & drums respectively last year. Fifth Way will be sure to deliver a great set of original material, including songs from their upcoming new album "Sacrifice", so keep their local return in mind later this month!

Tickets are $32.50 for this concert, and you can buy them at 1-800-KEWADIN, this location, or the Kewadin box office. The show starts at 7:00 PM, it's all ages presumably, and there are still tickets in the second row and back available, so act now if you wanna go! I'm aware that this show is probably better suited to Gin Blossoms fans, and Fifth Way may be too heavy as openers, but they'll leave their mark for sure at this show, as they did in 2010 opening for Tesla and Three Doors Down at Kewadin! Stay tuned for more on Fifth Way's next local shows as they come in!

The other new shows come courtesy of new additions to the schedule at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino, as per Kewadin's entertainment page! One was for a planned Swayze Train concert weekend in July, but that's likely off now (more on that in a second), and they also confirmed that Trail's End will ONLY be playing there on Friday, April 20th due to a planned screening of UFC 145 in The Rapids Lounge on the 21st. Disappointing, but they'll be back for much more, and the Jones/Evans fight should be good! However, one new metal concert weekend was added to the Rapids Lounge schedule, as Charlevoix metal trio Peril will return to Sault Michigan on July 20th and 21st! Almost four months after their latest local stops last weekend, they'll be sure to deliver a solid weekend of metal and hard rock covers and originals this summer, so keep these shows in mind this July! They're both likely 21+ events, there's no announced cover charge, and 10:00 PM start times are likely. Check the above links for more details! Peril are always a fun time with some great covers in store, so don't miss them this summer! Stay tuned for much more in new Sault Michigan concerts as they roll in!

Thirdly for today, here's some surprising news, as Sault Michigan hard rock quintet Swayze Train have disbanded. The news was broken Thursday evening on the band's official Facebook page, where they said that they were "at an end" and thanked everyone for the support during their run. A reason for the band's demise has not been publically made, but the tone of what I've read doesn't indicate an acrimonious split. As a result, the band's scheduled Rapids Lounge concerts through July are likely cancelled, barring a new band with common members picking them up in the interim. Swayze Train had been active since succeeding members Melissa Strand & Tony Rogers' earlier acoustic band Electric Motor Fish at the first annual LemmaFest last June, and have since rocked the Sault Michigan and St. Ignace areas over the past 9 months to solid reviews, despite never posting video footage that I've seen. I'm honestly really surprised to see Swayze Train break up, as they had a very talented lineup and I'd heard almost universally positive things from their live shows, but this is likely the best internal option for right now for them. Best of luck to Melissa, Mike, Scott, Tony, and Tyler in the future, and hopefully they stay active in local music in the near future (or at least post some old Swayze Train videos finally!)

While we're on the subject of ends for bands featuring bassist Tony Rogers, I'll note that when he confirmed Swayze Train's end on his personal Facebook page Thursday afternoon, he also announced that he'd left Clownsack, the popular local funk/hard rock band where he'd performed as Slappy since their inception. In referring to leaving both bands, he said he was just "clearing the slate", and later added that Clownsack were still around, "just not funny anymore", so read into that however you want. Clownsack have not officially confirmed Tony/Slappy's departure, but note that they haven't updated their online pages since August, so imminent confirmation of the news isn't a guarantee. It's really disappointing to see Tony leave the Clownsack ranks, as his considerable bass skills helped define Clownsack's sound, especially on "Rotten Candy", but hopefully he gets into a new band at some point in the near future. He'd definitely be an asset, that's for sure! As for Clownsack themselves, there's big clown shoes to fill, but hopefully they return to activity soon in general! It's been too long since their last concert and the "Funny Farm" release, so fingers crossed that we see them back at it in 2012! Stay tuned for more as I hear of it!

And finally for this all Sault Michigan post, here's the latest news from Brimley metal quartet Half A Man! No, we haven't heard concrete details about their planned concert weekend with Fifth Way on April 27th & 28th yet, but the Gin Blossoms gig for Fifth Way doesn't necessarily mean that they're off. If I hear anything definitive, I'll let you guys know! The rest of the band's recent updates have related to Half A Man's long delayed debut demo release, which they revealed some big news on last month on their Facebook page. It has a planned May release, it will feature their songs "Drunk", "Die In Disgrace", "Cripple", "Bad Way", and a newer track named "Release Me", and it will not feature new singer Dillion Semasky, instead having guitarist Erik Rintamaki handling lead vocals as he originally did with Half A Man. A reason for that wasn't publically disclosed to my knowledge, though they hinted at a new recording location, so that could be linked. I'm still curious to hear Dillion sing on Half A Man's originals, but Erik singing will at least be familiar to their earlier incarnations! Stay tuned for more from Half A Man at the above links, and even if the April shows don't go down, they'll be at LemmaFest this summer, so Half A Man will be back in full force before you know it!

That's all for today, but keep an eye out tomorrow for photos & videos from the Ypres Metal Fest, with my review to follow it! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison) And This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

Another weekend is upon us, so it's time to preview this weekend's slate of local metal & hard rock concerts in the Twin Saults! I know of at least six heavier-leaning shows in the area between tonight & Saturday (let me know if you know of others), so let's begin with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for this weekend!

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison is returning to the stage THIS SATURDAY with his acoustic solo show, but at two different venues! His day begins (as expected) at Bossy's Pub N' Grub on Pim Street for his seventh straight solo concert there in his current weekly arrangement, but after that wraps up, he'll return to The Service Grill on Korah Road for his first show there in over a month on Saturday evening! In other words, he'll be busy on Saturday, and you have double the chances to see him deliver his acoustic hard rock and metal covers live! Admission should be free for both shows, and I believe neither has an age limit, and as for times, Tym's set at Bossy's is at 2:00 PM as usual, while he'll be on at The Service Grill at 8:00 PM on Saturday. For more details, click here and here for each show's respective Facebook event page! It's great to see Tym staying active with his solo concerts, so while we wait for Caveman Morrison's return, definitely consider seeing Tym at either venue on Saturday! For a preview, here's Tym and former Half Past frontman Luke LeBlanc covering Extreme's "More Than Words" a few years ago!



Now to the previously announced concerts for this weekend, starting with the 42nd Roosevelt Hotel metal night taking place TONIGHT! After a four week break (are they now monthly?), bookers are bringing three talented Algoma District bands to the Rosie's stage to melt some faces, and headlining tonight are local extreme metal quintet Winkstinger! Almost 7 months after their last Thursday metal night appearance, this explosive local band will be sure to unleash the fury tonight in what should be their first concert since the departure of singer Alan Wells in December. Band pages haven't announced his replacement yet, so who'll be behind the mic? Tonight, we'll find out! Desbarats death metal quartet For All That Is Lost will become the fifth band to play a Rosie metal night 8 times when they hit the stage tonight for a brutal set of death metal originals, so be sure not to miss them tonight in their first local show of 2012 either! Opening tonight's festivities will be local deathcore quartet The Valentine's Day Massacre, who'll be playing their first show since changing their name from View To A Kill last month. They reportedly have new original songs to debut tonight, so be at The Roosevelt Hotel early to avoid missing any of the metal action!

Admission is free for tonight's concert, you must be 19 to attend, and The Valentine's Day Massacre will open the show at 10:30 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! The more sporadic scheduling of the current metal nights is a bit concerning, but it's still awesome to see a new one tonight, and I definitely plan on coming out to hear what's new with the bands performing! I hope to see you guys there, and for a preview, here's Winkstinger playing their song "Jimmy Got His New Legs (Derp)" at The Rosie last summer!



Now, a quick trip to Sault Michigan for our next previews, as local hard rock trio Trail's End are returning to the stage for their second concert weekend since their inception on Friday & Saturday night! Though their Facebook page has yet to acknowledge these dates, this new local band featuring Splitshot & Nixxon Dixxon alumni are listed as performing at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino for two concerts this weekend, and Kewadin's entertainment page has always proven to be a good source, so I imagine a formal band announcement is forthcoming soon. I've heard positive things from their live debut at The Rapids Lounge last month, so consider a trip to Kewadin for their return this weekend for some hard rocking good times! There is no announced cover charge, you must be 21 to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time is likely. Check the above links for more details! This should be a fun concert weekend from this talented young band, and hopefully good crowds turn out to see Trail's End all weekend long! Hopefully you guys can make it out, and for a preview, here's Trail's End's first original song "Run"!



And finally, Sault Ontario classic hard rock quintet Turner Up are back this Saturday for their first ever concert at The Sportscentre Bar & Grill! After four weeks off from "turning 'er up", this prolific cover outfit will be sure to deliver a solid night's worth of great classic hard rock songs for their fans, but how about this venue? It's in the West End at 624 Wellington Street West, near the Steelton area and a road over from Carmen's Way, and this is the first concert that I can ever remember reporting on there that's SMS-calibre. I'm sure it's a good venue though, as Turner Up (old or new) know good spots to play at! This one-night-only show on Saturday has a 19+ age limit and a 10:00 PM start time, and there's no announced cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Though the new Turner Up's live concerts have definitely been more sporadic, they always rock the house, and definitely consider checking them out on Saturday night if you're up for a trip to a different venue! Check the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's the old Turner Up (featuring 3 identical members) covering Guns N' Roses' "Mr. Brownstone" last year!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for last month's poll results & this month's new poll on Saturday, plus more news and notes throughout! Thanks everyone!

News On Toronto's David Gold Memorial Show, Site Updates, And More!!

Let's keep the news rolling on this Sunday morning, so here's what's on tap! We've got updates to one of our monthly feature series, notes on a couple of band deletions from our local band listings and what led to that, a new video from a prominent local guitarist, and leading things off, some details on an upcoming tribute show for a missed local metal musician, so here's what you need to know!

Today, I wanted to start with news on the other David Gold tribute show coming up in April, and though it is in Toronto, it's definitely worth some extra coverage given his untimely passing in December. An event page for what is being called "A Memorial Concert For David Gold" has been posted online, and the event will take place at The Annex Wreckroom in Toronto on Thursday, April 5th. David played at this venue with both Woods of Ypres & Gates of Winter in 2008 & 2009, so it's a fitting spot for the Toronto memorial! This event will serve as both a memorial concert and the CD release show for "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light", which will be played over the speakers for attendees (and presumably be on sale too, but that's not confirmed.) The lineup isn't final yet, but the show will be headlined by Chicago doom metal mainstays Novembers Doom, and also joining them will be Kittie, Hallows Die, and Gypsy Chief Goliath (all of whom will be at the Ypres Metal Fest in Sault Ontario two days later.) The other bands currently confirmed for the Toronto memorial are all Ontario black metal outfits, including Toronto's Eclipse Eternal, North Bay's Empyrean Plague, Pagan Ritual from Oshawa, and Panzerfaust from Mississauga. More artists are to be announced, and a "surprise performance" may happen as well.

This may be 7 hours away, but it's shaping up to be an awesome tribute to David Gold's memory, so here's some extra details! Admission is strictly by donation, and all proceeds will go towards both David's final expenses and (this is news to me) a David Gold Music Scholarship that's being started in his memory for music students at Sault College! Now that's a nice and fitting gesture by his family! For more details and information on how you can attend or contribute, visit the official Facebook event page! This all sounds good to me, and though I doubt I can hit this event (given the distance and my night classes on Thursdays), I hope a huge local contingent can make it to this show & the local memorial that Saturday and pay a fitting tribute to David! I'm a bit surprised that no bands have been announced for the Toronto gig featuring ex-Woods of Ypres members (be they recent lineups or older), but maybe some will factor into the implied surprise performance in Toronto. I've also heard that some bands at both of the memorial concerts plan to cover Woods of Ypres material in their setlists, which would be awesome, but we'll have to see what's in store come April! Stay tuned for much more on the David Gold & Woods of Ypres fronts soon, and keep an eye out for the initial release of "Woods V" TOMORROW!

Next up, Trail's End guitarist Chris Hubbard posted another Van Halen cover onto his YouTube channel on Friday, and like his last video, this is of a section of a new Van Halen song from their new album "A Different Kind of Truth". This time, he covered the intro of "China Town", and covers it pretty well, though I'd like to see him tackle a full song from the new CD soon as well. His talents are impressive, and he definitely loves Van Halen, so give his cover of the intro of "China Town" a look below!



Now, I wanted to address a couple band deletions from our local band listings on the SMS. As I've alluded to on the site in May, Facebook has slowly been changing all groups on the site to the new group format, which is designed for smaller circles of people, rather than the old format that was basically a Facebook pages predecessor. As such, while wall posts, photos, and biographies are retained, all group members that weren't administrators are removed (but can rejoin) and the groups basically all look the same, barring continued use. Our old inactive Facebook group has already been changed over, for example, but not all have. As such, a couple of local hard rock bands whose primary online pages were Facebook groups now lack enough information to really warrant a link on the SMS (no offense to the members.) One is The White Knights (featuring Frightlight & Fingerbone alumni) and the other is the Stillbroke-predecessor quartet The Jesters. The former is a closed group that had minimal info to begin with, and the latter has been reduced to just a photo and one sentence of information, so not a lot is lost by removing them from our links, but the member's newer bands have had much more success! I just thought you guys should know what happened, and if your band's Facebook group still hasn't been converted, make sure you save info and media there just in case!

And finally for today, here's some updates to our Defunct Local Band Profiles to make their more accurate and current. Due to photo links changing thanks to the Facebook group change-overs, I've restored one to the AtrophiA profile and replaced another on the M7K profile (the latter now has a newer photo of guitarist Mike Vincent from an old Bear Hunters gig.) I also edited The White Knights' profile to allude to missing info, now that their Facebook group has been crippled even further from the Facebook group changes. The rest of the new edits aren't Facebook group related, I promise! On the Renderware profile, I added a reference to ex-bassist Wayne Watkins' current work in the partly-local indie rock act The Small Town Rivals, while the Out Of The Mouth Of Babes profile now has a reference to former singer Josh McNally's current work in the blues rock band The Moves. I also edited the State of Misery profile to note frontman Steve Rhodes' current band's name change from View To A Kill to The Valentine's Day Massacre. Finally, I added references to the Bring The Fallen profile to note bassist Nolan Rainville's current work in the stoner rock trio Giwakwa. Hopefully things are up to date with this series again, so check the above links for the updated profiles, and stay tuned for our Paraside defunct profile next month!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news as the week rolls along, including updates on the "Woods V" release tomorrow and much more! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Half A Man), Sault Michigan Weekend Concert Previews, And The Latest From Rock 101!!

As promised, here's our second weekend concert preview post for this weekend's metal & hard rock shows in Sault Michigan! While there's a few shows across the river for your metal needs, including a notable local band's debut, we also have news from Rock 101 and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for this summer as well, so here's what you need to know! (And I apologize for not being able to make the Rosie metal night tonight, we have errands to run very early tomorrow morning. I'll be at TWO shows on Saturday though, so I hope to see you guys then!)

Brimley hard rockers Half A Man have announced their first concert after a long break from the stage, and it will take place at this year's LemmaFest! Yes, the Sault Michigan concert festival in honour of the late Michael Lemma will return to the stage outside of Dondee Lanes on June 23rd, as per this Facebook event page, but full details aren't out yet. For Half A Man, this is their first announced concert since May of last year, and barring any additional dates announced in the interim, this will be their first concert since adding new singer Dillion Semasky and parting ways with guitarist Denny Breslin, so things will look and sound noticeably different from their past live run. Notably, Half A Man were tentatively lined up for the first LemmaFest last year before they opted out due to other commitments, so it'll be good to see them taking part this year! Again, full details aren't out yet, but admission last year was $10, it was an all ages event, and it went from 12:00 PM through the night last year with bands like Swayze Train, Infathom, Scofflaw, and Powerslug among the performers, so that's an indication of what could be ahead. It'll be great to finally see Half A Man back on stage after over a year away, but stay tuned for more from them and LemmaFest over the coming months at the above links, and check out Half A Man's tribute song to Michael Lemma at this location!

Now to this weekend's concert previews for the metal & hard rock concerts that I know of in the Sault Michigan area, so here's what you need to know for your concertgoing needs across the river! First, a new local band makes their concert debut TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT as local hard rock trio Trail's End will play their first concerts at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino! As you may remember, this is the new band from Splitshot/Nixxon Dixxon alumni Chris Hubbard, Kyle Beaumont, and Jake LaLonde, who'll debut their new band three weeks after Splitshot's last concerts in St. Ignace took place. We know that the guys have clear talent from their past local work, but how will Trail's End's live show do? Time will tell, so definitely consider checking them out this weekend! Note that they aren't publically advertising these shows on their Facebook page, but Kewadin Casino's entertainment page still confirms these dates, so I assume they're on as scheduled. Both tonight & tomorrow's concerts should have no cover charge, 21+ age limits, and 10:00 PM-ish start times. Check the above links for more details! It's great to see Trail's End debut, and hopefully Chris, Kyle, and Jake reach new heights with this new project! Go see them at the casino if you can, and for a preview, here's their first original song "Run"!



Also this weekend on the heavier side of things is Kinross hard rock quartet Banned's next concert, taking place on SATURDAY NIGHT at The Bird, a.k.a. Golanka's Bar! One week after their set at Yooper's Got Talent in Rudyard, this rising local band will play their first "real" public concert in three weeks when they rock The Bird with a mix of covers and originals (more on that in a second) in their first public headlining show of the new year! Note that Banned are NOT playing tonight, this is a one night engagement for this weekend. Admission is likely free, everything starts at 10:00 PM tomorrow, and you must be 21 to attend. Check the above links for more details! Banned should deliver a solid set of hard rock covers for their fans this weekend, but for a preview, here's a brand new video of their current lineup! Filmed by guitarist Alex Traynor's sister Ashley (and drummer Don Traynor's daughter), this comes from the Yooper's Got Talent event in Rudyard this past weekend, and it was uploaded to Ashley's YouTube channel yesterday. This is the first footage I've seen of Banned with new members Jim Pentland & Mike Straw, and it's of an original song also called "Yooper's Got Talent", fittingly enough!

Featuring Alex on lead vocals and guitar, and Mike on backing vocals, this is the first original I've heard Banned do, and it has sort of a bluesy/southern rock vibe. It's not bad, though it could stand to be a bit heavier, but Alex uses his vocal range and solo guitar skills well! I like the audience participation element too, nice touch! Check out the video below, and also check out Ashley Traynor's YouTube channel linked above for Alex and Don's set at what looks like the same talent show last year with a Banned predecessor outfit!



And finally for today, here's a piece of news from The Sault's Rock Station, Rock 101. On Tuesday, it was announced that our local rock radio station has reached an extension on their deal with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, that will see radio broadcasts of all our Ontario Hockey League team's regular season & playoff games continue on 101.3 FM for at least three more years, running through at least the 2014-15 season. Rock 101 originally picked up the Soo Greyhounds' broadcasting rights in 2009, when the Hounds left Sault Ontario country station Q104. The new deal doesn't mention anything about that Tuesday talk show that was hosted at Wacky Wings, but I'm not sure if it even still airs. I'm a Greyhounds fan, and I'm glad to see that they've formed a solid and successful partnership with Rock 101, but I know there's Rock 101 fans in the area who don't like the radio broadcasts cutting in to the rock music time, or would rather see a Sault Ontario team broadcasting on a Sault Ontario station. I bring it up here because we cover Rock 101 and this is on their schedule, but regardless, this is a great relationship for both parties, and hockey fans should be glad that they have an awesome partner in place to broadcast their games!

Besides, if you want rock radio on a weekday evening or a Sunday afternoon, or whenever games air, there's always WLSO and the Mackinac City-area stations to tune in to, so put them into consideration for your rock radio needs when the Hounds are on. For more on this topic, read Jeffery Ougler's Sault Star article on the new deal at this location, and go Hounds go!

That's all for tonight, but I have a logjam of news to get to tomorrow, so stay tuned for all of that, including some big stories and new videos! Thanks everyone!

New Videos, David Gold Updates, And A New Rock 101 Contest!!

Here's one more news post for this Saturday afternoon! I may not be able to make the Tym Morrison show today due to some prior commitments, but I'll try real hard to make it next Saturday if another Bossy's show is confirmed! No matter what though, I'll be at The Canadian tonight for The Merves and Frightlight! On today's post, we've got some new solo guitar performance videos from two local musicians, the latest David Gold updates, and leading things off, here's news on a cool new radio contest that could pay off for one lucky person!

Hey Rock 101 listeners, do you wanna win some extra cash? Can you sing? If not, can you at least complete song lyrics? The Sault's Rock Station, in conjunction with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (whose games are broadcast on Rock 101) are joining forces for the "Be A Rock 101/Soo Greyhounds Rock Star" contest where lucky fans can earn the chance to complete lyrics to one of five songs at an upcoming Soo Greyhounds game, with $101 in store for the winner! According to Greyhounds announcer Gerry Liscumb Jr.'s post on Local2 (which you can read at this location), entries for the contest begin this Monday on Rock 101 during "Scott & Brian In The Morning", which airs weekdays from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM. To enter, you'll need to call Rock 101's toll free contest line at 1-855-876-2536 (or 1-855-8-ROCK-FM) when prompted, though I don't know specific times or rules for calling in beyond what's on Local2, so be sure to listen in for complete details! Three winners will be selected from those who successfully call in over the coming week, and they'll be announced on Friday. The following week, the five songs that could be chosen for the actual contest will be revealed each day, leading up to the actual contest on Sunday, January 29th at the Greyhounds' game that night against the Plymouth Whalers.

Presumably during the intermission, the three contestants will attempt to complete the lyrics to one of the five chosen songs, and fans in attendance will choose the winner, who will win $101 in free money. Check the above links for more details! This sounds like an interesting contest, and it's good to see Rock 101 and the Greyhounds connecting a bit beyond just game broadcasts and that Wacky Wings talk show. If you're interested in entering, bone up on your rock lyric knowledge and singing voices, and tune in to Scott & Brian over the next week to try and qualify for this contest!

Next up, here's the latest David Gold/Woods of Ypres updates! I apologize for being late on this, but David Gold's brother Michael announced on the David Gold's Legacy Facebook page on New Year's Eve that he was looking for input on locations that should be stopped at or featured in the tour that's planned to gather footage and material for the documentary on David's life. From what I can tell, Michael's planning to do the tour using David's tour bus, and he has been working on the schedule over recent weeks. I have no clue if he's done, but give him a shout at this location if you have any suggestions! The only other real news I have today relates to the various tribute articles to David, and there's plenty online, way too many to accurately cover without getting repetitive or downplaying certain ones. The official Earache/Joel Violette-ran David tribute page has a bunch of them, but I will especially note that a recent podcast by Mainstream Resistance Radio is now online featuring a ton of great remembrances of David by the hosts, along with guest interviews (including one with ex-Woods of Ypres drummer Evan Madden) and 18 songs spanning Woods of Ypres' career being played. It's a very long, but great listen, so click here to stream it and read more! Stay tuned for more Woods/David news as I hear it!

We'll close this post with some new videos, starting with the latest solo performance video from Sault Michigan guitarist Chris Hubbard! You probably know him best from his work in Nixxon Dixxon and Splitshot, but he'll debut with his new band Trail's End next week. Aside from that (which we'll have more on soon), he's also kept busy with this new video of his cover of Eddie Van Halen's guitar solos from the new Van Halen single "Tattoo"! Just days after the song was released, Chris had already learned the guitar solos (remember, he's a huge Van Halen fan), and he definitely has a good grasp on the parts he learned! The response to this video has been great so far, but see what you guys think below, so here's Chris Hubbard's cover of the "Tattoo" solos, as posted on Thursday onto his YouTube channel!



And finally, here's some interesting notes on a YouTube channel from a user named SundayFoggyNotions. I believe this person was a former Foggy Notions employee before it became Feedback, and his original post on YouTube was a live video from a 2010 Tym Morrison acoustic show there. Since June though, he's posted some more YouTube videos featuring what appear to be his own solo guitar work. Only one lasts more than 48 seconds, but he does have skill! One is a 7 string guitar solo, and the others are covers of the guitar solos from the White Lion songs "When The Children Cry" and (as posted a few days ago) "Wait", and they do sound good! I don't know who SundayFoggyNotions is definitively, but he is a good guitarist, and he does White Lion justice on these recordings! Check out his "Wait" solo cover below, and more at the above links!



That's all for today, but I'll hopefully see you guys out and about for some concerts, including 100% definitely at The Canadian tonight! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Caveman Morrison, Swayze Train, Trail's End, And Peril) Plus Weekend Concert Previews!!

We've got lots of new concerts to get to in tonight's post, adding up to ELEVEN LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS in total, but first though, I'll note that the previously advertised concerts from Sault Michigan hard rockers Monkey's Uncle at The Rapids Lounge this weekend were moved to the Kewadin Casino in St. Ignace earlier this year for unannounced reasons, with rock n' roll cover band Crossroads replacing them at the Sault Kewadin. Disappointing, but Crossroads have talent, and St. Ignace isn't light years away if you wanna rock out with Monkey's Uncle one more time this year! That said, we have just one metal/hard rock show to note this weekend for previews (to my knowledge), so we'll start with that, and it's new as well! Here's what you need to know!

Fresh off their successful return to the stage this past weekend, local metal cover trio Caveman Morrison will hit Feedback on Saturday night for their third show with their new lineup! Apologies for the shorter notice, I've been dealing with exams over the last little while. This concert will be the band's first show at the former Foggy Notions in over a year, so this is a long time coming for them to hit the popular Queen Street bar, even with their return fresh in our minds! That said, the Saturday placement of it implies that frontman Tym Morrison won't be at The Service Grill on Saturday night, but I'll keep you guys posted if any new dates there pop up in the coming weeks. So if you wanna rock out with Caveman Morrison on Saturday night, be there at 10:00 PM, there's no announced cover charge (bring cash just in case though), and you must be 19 to attend. And remember, they are ONLY playing at Feedback on Saturday night, with tomorrow is reserved for a house music night with live DJs (click here for details), so keep that in mind. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see Caveman Morrison keeping busy after their return, and if I can swing it, hopefully I can make it to Feedback on the weekend for the show! Hopefully you guys keep this show in mind for the weekend, and for a preview, here's Caveman Morrison's new lineup covering Judas Priest's "The Ripper" at The Rosie this past weekend!



Now to the remainder of the new shows, and they come courtesy of The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino in Sault Michigan, as they've updated their entertainment page to reflect scheduled bands at Kewadin's bar through March! Luckily, 10 of the confirmed dates through the first quarter of 2012 involve some form of hard rock, but if you check out the concert listings, you'll also notice scheduled dates from the aforementioned Crossroads and local country singer Paul Perry. There are also some notable absences from the early 2012 Kewadin schedule, such as Monkey's Uncle and Powerslug, who were both frequent sights at The Rapids Lounge last year. I wonder if that means anything towards either band's status? With no actively updated pages, this could be hard to prove, but I'll keep an eye out for news on their next steps! Now to the newly announced metal & hard rock concerts at The Rapids Lounge in 2012, so here's what you need to know!

First up, local hard rock quintet Swayze Train have two more concert weekends lined up for 2012, including new concerts on January 7th & 8th (one weekend after their Rapids Lounge debut over New Years' Weekend) and on February 24th & 25th! We haven't heard a whole lot from Swayze Train over the fall, and they have yet to publically confirm any Kewadin Casino appearances on their Facebook page, but you know that this talented quintet featuring Clownsack, Electric Motor Fish, Slackjawed Rats, and Insipid Brutality alumni will be sure to deliver the goods at their upcoming dates! I imagine all four of their new 2012 concerts will have 10:00 PM-ish start times, no cover charge, and 21+ age limits. Check the above links for more details! It sounds like Swayze Train have some great concerts lined up for 2012, and hopefully as more details come out, the anticipation will grow for this very promising local band! Before all that though, keep their shows at the end of the month in mind, and as more news from Swazye Train comes in, I'll be sure to have it here!

Also next year at The Rapids Lounge is the local debut of new hard rock trio Trail's End! The new band from Splitshot & ex-Nixxon Dixxon bandmates Chris Hubbard, Kyle Beaumont, and Jake LaLonde will make their live debut (barring another show announcement) on the weekend of January 20th and 21st, followed by another weekend at Kewadin Casino on February 17th & 18th. Like with Swayze Train, Trail's End have not officially announced these shows yet, but Kewadin Casino itself is a good source, and I imagine that once Splitshot part ways at the end of the year, they'll devote more time into Trail's End updates. The same 10:00 PM start time, no cover charge, and 21+ age limit should be expected at these new concerts, so check the above links for more details on these shows! It's great to see Trail's End getting off to a quick start next year, and hopefully Chris, Kyle, and Jake continue their high promise for years to come in Trail's End, so help get them started on the right foot on January 20th and onward! Stay tuned for more Trail's End news as it all comes in!

Finally for the new hard rock shows at Kewadin next year is the return of Cheboygan classic metal trio Peril to The Rapids Lounge! Last seen in the area in September, the band featuring former Bad Side drummer Brooks Elliott are lined up for just one weekend at our local Kewadin Casino so far in 2012, that being on March 30th and 31st, but it will be nice to see them back in town after 6 months away! Once again, Peril haven't publically confirmed these shows yet, but a 2012 concert schedule of some type should be coming onto their online pages, so it's only a matter of time! Again, I'd assume that both of Peril's shows in March will have 21+ age limits, 10:00 PM start times, and no cover charges, as is standard at The Rapids Lounge. Check the above links for more details! It's been too long to see Peril and their classic metal onslaught locally, but hopefully they'll remind Saultites how much they rock when they come back to the area in the spring! Get more on these and all other upcoming announced Rapids Lounge concerts at the above links!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more by the weekend, including new videos and much more! Thanks everyone!