YouTube Channel Profile Series: The Danger Cats

After a quiet weekend on the site (stay tuned for big news on the concert front shortly!), we're back with this month's YouTube Channel Profile, our monthly spotlight of a YouTube channel whose content is at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, or punk musicians and/or concerts! As always, this month's channel was randomly selected, and the channel in question has lots of entertaining videos from a notable local band's run in the early-mid 2010s, so here's what you need to know!
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The Danger Cats (http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGkKuEciMmLCAwA2iry4j-A) 

Owner: A member of defunct local hard rock/punk quartet The Danger Cats (possibly singer/guitarist Kate "Kougar" Drew, but I'm not 100% positive)

Channel Timeline: Launched on March 4th, 2014; Videos posted from that day through August of that year

Channel Summary: The official YouTube channel for The Danger Cats, it features 12 videos from their local concert appearances, primarily at The Rockstar Bar, Esquire Club, and Docks Riverfront Grill (now the HD Sports Grill) in 2014. The only non-concert clip there is a Shaw TV interview.

Why You Should Watch: Fans of this all-female power quartet would be well served to check out this channel, which is loaded with videos from the height of their year and a half together! However, note that 2013 concerts featuring original singer Summer "Snow-Leopard" Stevens are not featured on this channel, nor are their final shows from 2015, with updates not continuing following their breakup that year.

Our Recommended Videos To Check Out

The Danger Cats Shaw Interview: Back in July 2014, The Danger Cats (minus drummer "Calico" Katie Maskell) were featured in a Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie interview with then-correspondent and prolific former local rock bassist Jonna (Nathan) Bouliane, intended for his "Boardwalk Sessions" series with other local musicians. Jonna isn't seen on camera for the actual interview, with title cards showing questions on how the girls met, how they came up with their name, why Kate formed the group, their musical background, how the local music scene was, their plans for that year, and where you could find them online. Though teased songwriting for an album didn't meet that end, you do get to see Kate and guitarist Paula "Panther" D'Agostino perform two acoustic originals in this interview clip, which is informative and arguably conducted at the right time during their run!



Cherry Bomb, Big Balls By the Danger Cats: Though a part of the original rock scene in Sault Ontario at this time, The Danger Cats played a few well received solo weekends at The Esquire Club as well, with a July 2014 show there being the source of three videos on the channel, including one cover of Blondie's "Call Me", and one containing both The Runaways' "I Love Playing With Fire" and The Scorpions' "The Zoo". Featured here is The Danger Cats covering both The Runaways' "Cherry Bomb" & AC/DC's "Big Balls", which both feature bassist Jamie "Jaguar" Van-Schooneveld on lead vocals. Though the lighting is hit and miss, the covers are lively and well performed all around, and their confidence was definitely building! Two more Esquire Club videos from a show the following month were their channel's last uploads.



I Love Myself Today and Metal Queen Cover by The Danger Cats w/ Marisa!: The Danger Cats were good friends with the members of local power metal quartet Late & Loud, so it was a no brainer for them to open for that band's one-off farewell show at The Rockstar Bar on August 1st, 2014. Two videos of theirs were posted from that night, including one with their original "Give Me" & The Scorpions' "The Zoo" (both with guest guitar work by Late & Loud's Jonathan Tiberi), but featured here is the channel's most popular video, of the girls covering Bif Naked's "I Love Myself Today" & Lee Aaron's "Metal Queen" alongside current Red & The Muscle singer Marisa Valois. This was a nice surprise for gathered fans, especially given Marisa's own vocal talents, and hopefully she and Brendan got a nice send-off before their move to Britain from this well received show! Despite fans in camera range, The Danger Cats were on point here!
 
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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! Next month in this series, our random selection has given us multiple channels due to the first one only having one video, and the second being in the same boat. It's a triple header in April, as we're looking at the YouTube channels of C Auffrey (featuring a Hedley video; remember, random selection), the late Guy Thiffault (featuring a Hangdowns song), and excellentand (featuring a Treble Charger video.) Look for all of those then, and stay tuned for more news and this month's CD review soon! Thanks everyone!

New Metal & Hard Rock Concert Footage From OnStage On Shaw TV!!

Before we post this month's Defunct Local Band Profile, we have a new news post for your delectation, all focused on recent concert video uploads from a local TV channel that you can watch on Shaw Cable and/or online, so here's what you should know!

Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie's YouTube channel has posted new videos for their OnStage series on local musicians in concert, and they include three hard rock or metal bands! Running for a combined two hours, the new rotation of OnStage footage should premiere on Saturday night at 9:00 PM, though it remains to be seen if all of the bands will be aired in one lengthy block, or if they'll be spread out or rotated. The videos on Youtube include Shaw TV's footage of acoustic folk artist Jacob Quarrell (a.k.a. J.Q. or Shit Creek Survivor) at Live705's Easter Bash at The Rockstar Bar last month, while a house party event featuring DJ Seith and rappers Kodex and Joonas "J.S.K." Kamula was also posted, albeit in two parts that you can see here and here. Both are solid segments, with Jacob performing strongly and Seith & company delivering in a unique setting, so give these a look above! No word yet though regarding OnStage features from other bands at the Easter Bash.

The rest of the OnStage videos come from Live705's March Mash-Up event at The Canadian Nightclub, with three of that night's six bands featured in this current wave of videos (The Din and A Dire Setback were previously featured from prior concerts, and the usage of sampled material presumably rules out DJ Seith's set making the series.) That said, what should you know of the other three? In descending set order, we'll start with young blues/hard rock trio Electric Church, who are featured here playing 5 songs back in March, including an instrumental jam, "Muddy Waters", "Ain't Got None", "Carey Baby", and what may be called "Take Me Away" (I'm not 100% positive.) This is a solid performance of this fast rising band, and definitely are best quality and most substantial look at Electric Church yet, so give this multi-camera footage a look below, or on Shaw TV!



Next up, local death metal trio Pillory were also filmed in March for OnStage, who were filmed playing their songs "Angst of Existence", "Sculptor of Cadavers", "Wasting", "Abhorred Apprehension", "The Passing", and two songs whose titles I'm not 100% positive on (linked here and here), so like with Electric Church, click each song name to go to a specific track. This was a ferocious set from Pillory, who continue to brutalize fans like has become standard since their reunion, and this is arguably their best concert footage yet, so give everything a look below!



Lastly for this new OnStage concert video batch, we have new local alternative hard rock quartet Bizotic's set from the March Mash-Up, and they were filmed playing their songs "Record Light",  "Psychic Vampire", "Subway Delay", an instrumental, "Echoes In Your Head", and one more instrumental. (I can't 100% verify either instrumental's name, but one was called "Dirty Time Machine".) This creative band are given a nice showcase here, and Louise's trumpet comes through much better on video than it did originally, so give Bizotic's best live footage yet a watch below!

 
That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile later today! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Gutter Demons & Stiffler's Mom), Plus New Videos!!

For the first time since April 1st, we have a new news post on the SMS that has no imminent concert previews! This has been a long time coming, but I'm back home, and we have some big stories to touch on regarding recent video uploads, and first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you should know!

Montreal psychobilly/punk trio The Gutter Demons will make their way to The Algonquin Pub for a headlining concert on Monday, May 1st! It's been too long since the last psychobilly headliners in the Soo, but The Gutter Demons will help fill the void with their creative fusion sound, as seen during numerous live concerts over the past 15 years, so prepare as they tear up a local stage in three weeks time! The local openers will notably both feature guitarist Jesse Cook and bassist James White, with their new punk/alt-rock trio Handsome Sandwich rocking out in their second live concert appearance and Algonquin debut. If you missed their debut at LopLops in February, keep this show in mind, especially as this uniquely named band has yet to post media of their sound! The advertised opening band are local funk/hard rock favourites The Elements in their first concert set of the year, so if you've been waiting patiently since Toystock, here's your next chance!

Promoted by Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce in his first announced concert of the year (nice to see him book his old bandmates as openers!), this show has a 19+ age limit, $10 cover charge, and 9:00 PM start time. Fans of punk, alternative, and psychobilly would be well served to check out this show at the beginning of next month, despite it's unfortunate Monday scheduling, so check the official Facebook event page for more details!

Next up, local party hard rock trio Stiffler's Mom will return to The Esquire Club for shows on Friday, June 9th and Saturday, June 10th! Announced with unusually long notice, these actually come from a concert calendar shared on the venue's Facebook page for shows in the second quarter of 2017, presumably also distributed in person at the venue, so if you're curious as to who's playing there through the end of June, give it a look! We'll likely see Stiffler's Mom elsewhere before June, but this will mark the guys' first concert weekend at this west end venue since December, and just their second weekend there in the past year. Greg, Mike, and Jon should be in their usual fine forms come June, so don't miss their fan favourite covers then at The Esquire Club! As usual, expect 10:00 PM-ish start times, no announced cover charges, and 19+ age limits for both nights. Visit the above links for more info!

And yes, I am aware of Mourning Wood concerts being listed on the above calendar, but given their teased assimilation into their newer Soundcheck project "very soon", I am waiting for public confirmation regarding whether these shows are now Soundcheck concerts, or if they're using the Mourning Wood name in transition. Stay tuned!

Closing with some new videos, remember how local alt-punk quartet A Dire Setback were interviewed by Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie prior to their headlining set at the January Jam at The Canadian? Well, it has finally aired on channel 10 and was posted to Shaw TV's YouTube channel last week, so what should you know? Aired as part of Shaw's "Community Producers" program and produced specifically by frontman Larry Babic, this features all four band members passing the mics to talk about their inception, original material, songwriting, and more, complete with on-screen graphics to credit band members, though they misspelled guitarist Chris Nielsen's last name. The interview is also interspersed with concert footage from A Dire Setback's set at the January Jam (as seen in full at this link), though we await Shaw TV's premiere of their footage from last month's March Mash-Up concert, which A Dire Setback headlined.

The interview proper isn't too long, but it's a fun and light way to introduce casual fans to A Dire Setback,who are on the fast track locally, and given their hints in the interview towards future recording sessions, hopefully they keep on their current trajectory in the local scene! Give their Shaw TV interview a look below, and stay tuned for more from their camp!



Finally, here's a new YouTube video featuring Sault Michigan classical metal project Theatre of Night, as set to footage of the video game Elite: Dangerous! Uploaded to the band's YouTube channel on Saturday, this is of a new 7 minute long demo instrumental named "3303". The song is appropriately epic for the space adventure setting of the game footage, giving things a suspenseful and grandiose feel without getting boring, and hopefully Theatre of Night can build on this with some more orchestral metal epics soon! Give it a look below, and see above for links regarding the game!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (AlgomA), A Dire Setback On Shaw TV, And More!!

Before we dive into another weekend of concert previews, here's some news and notes on this Wednesday afternoon, including a solo performance video, updates on what to see in a recent Shaw TV OnStage episode, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so here's what you should know!

Local doom metal trio AlgomA will hit the stage for the first time this year on Thursday, March 30th when they make a rare headlining appearance at The New American Pub!  The show is AlgomA's first at The New A since October, and it will serve as their kick-off event before they head across the pond for their first ever European concert dates, though the band hasn't publically acknowledged specifics yet. Very cool, hopefully the guys have a blast overseas and make lots of new fans! This is also AlgomA's first concert since the release of their split single with Hooded Menace, though the show isn't advertised as a release party, and they aren't hyping up sale of the split there (at least not yet.) The openers will be local death/thrash metal trio Pillory in what I believe is their New A debut, and they should shred some of their own brutality to kick things off, so don't be late! Obviously promoted by AlgomA's own agency Six, Two, Oh., this is a 19+ event with a $5 cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time.

Though this is a smaller show than usual for Six, Two, Oh., expect a concentrated blast of sludge & death metal at month's end, and hopefully it sets off their ambitious tour on the right foot! For reference sake, AlgomA drummer Jamie Vincent's personal Facebook page recently featured a video including the posters for two more upcoming Six, Two, Oh. concerts at The New A that have not yet been publically announced (as of press time.) When & if more comes out of a public nature, we'll let you know!

Next up, local alt-punk quartet A Dire Setback are featured in the third episode of Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie's new live music performance series OnStage! Originally advertised to air last month via Shaw Cable's guide, it instead premiered this past Saturday, following the second episode from Jay Aymar's show at The Tech in December. The new episode is the first to be a composite from different events, and it includes well done pieces on local rap label Underground Empire Records and local radio DJ/country musician Jeff McNeice opening for Brett Kissell, but the rest comes from Live705's January Jam at The Canadian Nightclub, which Shaw TV had a heavy presence at. The OnStage episode includes segments on only three of that night's bands, excluding Stegadeth, The Din, and headliners Gnaeus. In terms of Stegadeth's exclusion, I theorize that they didn't make the cut because they only played two original songs that night (Shaw can't clear cover songs for air easily, so they are usually removed in post-production.)

As for The Din & Gnaeus, they were the sole focus of episode 1 of On Stage, via The Din's CD release show last summer, so it's probably too soon, but might their footage and Stegadeth's originals be used in some form in the future? In terms of what Shaw did include in the OnStage episode, you can check out over 20 minutes each of opening indie/folk trio The Autumn Roots (who debuted second guitarist Chase Wigmore that night) and the local debut of Ottawa electronic project SleepWellCity (featuring veteran local punk bassist Nathan Bouliane), and both are nicely recorded and edited as you'd assume, so be sure to check them out (plus U.E.R. and Jeff's segments) via the above links! Now to A Dire Setback, and before we get too far, note that the interview segment with Shaw that they filmed pre-show is not in this episode, no word on when that will make it's way online and/or to channel 10. That said, what does the 25 minute video capture from their set in January?

In order, you'll see A.D.S. playing their songs "Catastrophe", "Nightmares", "Wasting Away", their newer originals "Faded" & "Forget This Memory", and "Kicking & Screaming", so click each link to go to each song! Like with the Autumn Roots & SleepWellCity videos for OnStage, this is well filmed and edited on  multiple cameras, and A Dire Setback sound vibrant and energetic as ever, though note that their OneRepublic cover and some between-song banter has been cut from Shaw's airing. Solid performance and video all around, so check out A Dire Setback's January Jam set below, and don't miss them, The Din, and four other bands THIS SATURDAY at The Canadian!



Finally for today, here's the first new posting on veteran local hard rock guitarist & Audiofumes podcast host Mike Cliffe's YouTube channel in eight months! This is of an original song named "Crimson Pogostemon", so named because it features a pre-recorded drum track by Mississippi drummer Bill Ray named "Green Patchouli". Mike is on guitar and bass here, as tiled with some trippy visualizations, before an epliogue where Mike talks to the camera about some musical effects and tones that he added to this track with his computer. I'd have put that first to set up the song proper, but it's a quality psychedelic yet hard-edged instrumental, so check it out below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

Shaw TV's OnStage Premiere, Plus More New Videos!!

With our review of Saturday's January Jam now online, let's dive back into the news with an all-video showcase from four local bands, and coincidentally, three of the four played on Saturday night! These include some new assorted Facebook clips, recent live concert footage, and first, the debut content of a recent local TV debut, so here's what you should know!

As you may know, Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie premiered a new series called OnStage this past Saturday night at 9:00 PM, and in the first episode of the planned weekly program on channel 10, the featured concert was August's CD release concert from The Din & Gnaeus at The W.W. Baldwin Auditorium at The Tech! Fans may recall Shaw TV's Christian Lemay and crew filming the show live on multiple cameras, and with music clearances and red tape out of the way, we can finally see the finished product after a 5 month wait, so what should you know? Ironically, both bands were playing at The Canadian on Saturday during the premiere, but they, you, and I can now see the full original contents via Shaw TV's YouTube channel, and kudos to them for getting these online so fast! Starting with The Din's headlining set, the local alternative/hard rock trio can be seen below playing the band Haggith's "75" (with "Leamington, Ontario" intro), then their originals "Alleyways & Apartments",  "In Search of the Perfect Moment", ...

..."Out Of My League", and "Remember", an abbreviated cover of Mike Haggith's solo song "Of Cars & Criminals", "Flux", Mike's own "Potato (Should've Known Better)", "The Rose", "A Drive Through The Peninsula", and for an encore, "Differences". Featuring their entire debut album plus two non-album tracks, this is a solid set of original alt-rock action, with great filming by the crew at Shaw to accentuate the scale, but at times, the audio can be slightly muffled, and The Din's covers of bands outside of Mike's career are not included. Still, this is an awesome extended look at The Din, so be sure to give it a look below!



Next up, here's the video of opening post-punk quartet Gnaeus, who were filmed first that night in their own Tech debut! Coming off of their own CD release show at the time (The Din opened for that one in return), Gnaeus mostly played tracks from "Meditations" on this August night. In order, the video features the guys playing their songs "Mountains", "Circles", "The Edge", "Exercise In Self Awareness", "Lovers", "Fire", "Electricity", and "The Sound", notably omitting "Calling Out" and "Where You're Gone" that night, while a performed Cold War Kids cover is not included in Shaw's public footage. Notably starting with Mike Haggith introducing Gnaeus and apologizing for delays (a fire alarm went off in the building before their set), this video is of comparable quality and stature to The Din's video, and given that they only covered one outside artist, it's is a fuller video for those that recall this set, so you aren't missing too much!

Solidly and reliably performed as usual, so check out Gnaeus' half of the OnStage episode below, and stay tuned for more on both bands' next concerts in the coming days, which are sooner than you may think!



Also today, here's a couple of new video finds from new local alt-punk quartet A Dire Setback, and while they also have some new videos from Saturday's January Jam concert to share, these are actually from last month's YouTube Party at The Canadian Nightclub. Guitarist Chris Nielsen's wife Heather filmed these and posted them to A.D.S.' Facebook page a few days afterward, and they include renditions of their original songs "Wasting Away" and, as embedded below, "Catastrophe". The stage set-up seems to be a little standard despite the teasers and hype for the YouTube party, but Heather had a great view of the band, who were their usual energetic selves for these solid performances! For reference sake, a banner in memoriam to late Canadian Nightclub DJ Jay Perron (who died in October) can still be seen on the back wall of the stage in these clips. Give these "new" A Dire Setback videos a look above and below, and apologies for the month's delay!



Finally, here's a trifecta of new Facebook videos from local death/thrash metal trio Pillory! At the moment, these are Facebook exclusive, and aren't on Bret's YouTube channel yet. One video features bassist Jordan Leach (in fake voices) jokingly interviewing frontman Robert Sartini, with occasional asides by drummer Bret Shuttleworth, while another shorter video features Bret getting similar questions, before turning the tables and interviewing Jordan briefly. Both are light and amusing, and give you a more casual look at the band! The other video is a sideways jam session instrumental clip, and the band seemed to acknowledge that, titling the video "Sideways, 'The Foundational Esoterica'" If that is the case, I guess I'm out of the loop for understanding the angle choice, but the performance is suitably brutal and heavy, and fans of Pillory's recent work will enjoy the metal action regardless of angle! Give them a look above & below!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Banned), New Videos, And Much More!!

Make it 7 in 11 for our run of posts largely geared towards the Sault Michigan area, which is very nice to see, and hopefully the E.U.P. scene continues to grow in the coming months! Today on the SMS, we're tackling some assorted recent notes, new videos from each side of the border, and first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next month, so here's what you need to know!

Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned will rock The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino over the I-500 weekend on Friday, February 3rd & Saturday, February 4th! Announced yesterday on Banned's Facebook page (the venue has yet to publically confirm 2017 shows online), the shows are great timing to coincide with the annual snowmobile race, with Banned having also played last year at both Kewadin and inside the beer tent at the race proper, so hopefully there's some great crowds next weekend to take in Banned's varied but often heavy originals! No word yet on who'll be playing in the beer tent this year, or on if these shows will officially be a part of the annual I-500 pub crawl. Aside from the I-500 timing, next weekend's shows have 21+ age limits, no announced cover charge, and 21+ age limits. For more details, check the above links, and stay tuned for more updates on their 2017 concerts soon!

Next up, here's some new videos from Sault Ontario death/thrash metal trio Pillory! Drummer Bret Shuttleworth (under the name "Bret Martin") has launched his own YouTube channel featuring 6 Pillory videos, and while four are re-postings of videos from their Facebook page, one of those is new on either source, and there's also two exclusive concert videos too! The new clip is of a new "song" entitled "Juicebox", though the video is just of Bret playing a drum solo with his shirt over his head. Considering he's playing blind, the solo works out even better! Of the re-uploads, their drum-cam performance of their newer original "Exhaustive Incarnation" is especially worth mentioning as it's angle has been fixed (remember how it was sideways when posted on Facebook originally?) As for the concert videos, those were quietly uploaded on Halloween, as filmed by an attendee when Pillory opened for Norilsk at The Oddfellows Hall on October 28th, so what should you know on them?

The videos feature Pillory playing their originals "The Passing" and, as embedded below, "Abhorred Apprehension", but the video quality of these leaves something to be desired. The audio is alright, but the picture is grainy, the venue lighting gives odd tints with this camera, and the filmer switches from portrait to landscape view during the songs (halfway through the former, a minute into the latter.) Still, it's nice to see some new Pillory live footage, and the audio works, so give these a look above & below!



Also today, here's a new video from Sault Michigan classical metal band Theatre of Night's YouTube channel, that being a rough draft of a new original song named "Break Down These Walls". Uniquely filmed at a top-down angle with only Craig Harrison's hands showing (and shot in black and white), the song is apparently "about those you are trying so hard to help", so I'd have to assume there's a personal meaning here. The song (so far) is somewhat morose, yet also orchestral, and it's true to that side of Theatre of Night, so check it out 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, promoter, or channel name:

• Sault Michigan concert promoters Allstar Promotions asked on their Facebook page yesterday what people thought of Orlando hard rock quartet Alter Bridge, best known for hit songs like "Isolation", "Open Your Eyes", and "Rise Today". They didn't firmly say if they were considering booking Alter Bridge for a show here or not, but it'd be huge if they did, so comment above if you're interested in voicing support! For reference, Alter Bridge are playing a couple of midwestern U.S. gigs in May.
• Former Fitswitch/Sense of Truth bassist Curtis Beauchamp is looking for a singer for a new metal band that he's working on, and they play heavier stuff than we've previously seen him in, like All That Remains, Children of Bodom, and Trivium. It's great to see Curtis back in the scene, but if you're interested in trying out on vocals, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from yesterday!
• Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie will premiere a new series TONIGHT at 9:00 PM called On Stage, which is intended to be a weekly series featuring full local concert performances. The premiere episode will feature The Din's CD release concert at The Tech on August 12th with openers Gnaeus, so if you're wondering what would become of Christian Lemay's full footage of that event, here's your answer. Ironically, the premiere comes during tonight's January Jam at The Canadian (which both The Din & Gnaeus are playing, and I'm attending), so I can't watch the premiere live, but I'll try and tape it so I can give it a review!

That's all for today, but again, I'll see you guys at The Canadian TONIGHT! Thanks everyone!

FireHouse & Ripcordz Concert Updates, New Din Videos, And More!!

August is already upon us, so let's keep things rolling with a new news post on this Monday morning! Today, we have some assorted recent notes, new video features from a talented rising band, and lineup shifts for an upcoming show, but first, here's some late major updates for what could be the biggest Sault Michigan-area show of 2016!

We have lots of big updates concerning THIS SATURDAY'S FireHouse-headlined outdoor concert in Sault Michigan, so what's new to report on it? In terms of location, the show has indeed been moved from behind Moloney's Alley to a proper street party locale on Ashmun Street, specifically the stretch between Harmony Health Foods and Zim's between West Portage Avenue and Maple/Ridge Street. Both listed establishments will act as sponsors and contributors for the show as well, with Zim's providing refreshments during the festivities, and hosting an autograph signing & afterparty inside their bar on Saturday at 10:00 PM. No word of if live hard rock bands will return to Zim's in the process, but it's great to see them going all out for the occasion! As for the lineup, Rochester post-hardcore band Lights Out Paris have quietly dropped out for unannounced reasons (for what it's worth, the band hasn't posted on Facebook since May), but the teased battle of the bands is on for this Saturday!

To take place at 3:00 PM as the opening sets for this ALL AGES show, promoters Superior Entertainment have yet to confirm the performing lineup or prizes at all, but might we see past local battle winners Tantrym Tyme back for it, especially given drummer Ethan Twardy's ties to Harmony Health Foods? If/when we hear anything on the battle lineup, we'll let you know, but visit the official Facebook event page for full details on this intriguing show! Updates have been slow to come for this event, but everything seems to be falling into place for the returns of FireHouse and Redburn, so get your tickets for $25 (less for children) at this link A.S.A.P.!

Next up, and staying in the realm of concert lineup updates, the full lineup for the Ripcordz-headlined all ages show on Saturday, August 13th at The Canadian Nightclub is now out, as Sault Ontario classic metal band Project 421 & their sister hard rock group Eclipse will return to the site of their most recent battles of the bands next weekend! Though neither skew to the hardcore punk stylings of The Ripcordz, both bands are very talented, and should set the tone well before Jack Spades and the headliners rock the stage! It should be noted that Project 421 (who were added to the lineup first) are a replacement for local hardcore punk quintet Destroilet, who have quietly withdrew from this concert for unannounced reasons, though note that they haven't played live since (ironically) The Ripcordz' local show last October, due to varying personal matters. Hopefully we see the guys back at it soon, but see above for more on next week's ALL AGES Ripcordz show!

Also today, here's some new features on local alternative hard rock trio The Din from two prominent local news video sources! One is the newest episode of SooToday's music webseries Tuned with Donna Hopper, as posted online yesterday, so what should you know on it? Filmed at Rotaryfest's Stage 2 last month (where The Din opened the day's lineup), Donna interviewed all three band members about their formation, musical evolution, upcoming debut CD and release concert, their songwriting process, and frontman Mike Haggith's extensive solo discography, with clips from their set interspersed within as usual. In terms of scoops, the Tuned episode does give some extra info on Pretoria Hill Productions (where their CD was largely recorded), while drummer Brandan Glew did note that they hope to work with Dustin Jones at Mission Control Studios again on future projects. Solid episode that covers a lot of ground, so give it a look at the above links!

As SooToday's video host doesn't allow external embedding, we can't feature it here, but this one is embedded below, courtesy of Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie's YouTube channel on Friday! Filmed at a jam session with interview segments in their van (Id Iota's Christian Lemay conducted it but isn't heard on camera), it treads some of the same ground as the Tuned episode, but it features extra insights on why they dropped "Mike Haggith &" from their name, the band's fast rise, The Din's efforts to involve the crowd in their sets, and their social media presence. Another solid feature that touches on their personalities well, so give it a look below too, especially if you missed it on channel 10 last month!



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

• In case you haven't noticed lately, Facebook has unveiled a new streamlined look and design for pages (including ours), which includes easier tab access and more of a vertical layout. It takes some adjusting, but it seems to address some problems with the earlier layout, so just a heads up on the update, which you can get more info on at this link! It wasn't my call, other Facebook pages should look the same on your computer!
• Local post-punk quartet Gnaeus were spotlighted in this SooToday article from Donna Hopper on Saturday, where they discussed how they began working on their debut CD "Meditations" (out THIS FRIDAY) and their songwriting process, while also noting the spots where you can buy it, including one surprise spot: M&M Food Market, as bassist Matt Fronzi's parents own the frozen food shop chain's local branches, so if you buy groceries there, add "Meditations" to your shopping list! Solid read, so check it out above, along with 7 black & white photos from their LopLops show on July 22nd! Sadly, none of Long Shot's set are included.
• This is probably late to the party, but I thought I'd acknowledge it. Local musician Kyle Derasp is looking for people to jam with at his place, which has a full set-up with drums. He has "beers & beats" every weekend, and requests those interested to not ask him to bring his drum kit to you. If you're interested in jamming with Kyle, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from last month!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post next! Thanks everyone!

Mid-Week Concert Previews, Plus New Videos From Shaw TV!!

With hard rock or punk concerts taking place TONIGHT & TOMORROW in Sault Ontario, today's post is half devoted to special mid-week concert previews, with the remainder focusing on a pair of recent videos aired on local TV that have a metal relevance! Now, here's what you should know!

Vancouver hard/blues rock quintet Cocaine Moustache will make their local concert debut TONIGHT when they headline at The New American Pub! This "heavy soul" outfit will bring their fun live experience to the Soo for what should be a hopping Tuesday nighter at The New A during their first cross-Canada tour, and their sound should make lots of new fans for "Canada's party band", as they like to say! Though not the other touring band, debuting local "hard and heavy" jam trio Gianni Gagoots will make their debut concert appearance tonight as well, with their lineup uniting former Redefined bandmates Matt Sibilo & Josh St. Amour with veteran local punk drummer Frank McCormick. This interestingly named band will apparently have improvised hard rock and punk songs in store, but how will they sound? Be at The New A to find out! Vancouver grunge/punk trio War Baby will open the show in their own local debut, and their genre-melding "apocalypse rock" should deliver a jolt of energy to kick off the proceedings!

Note that this show was originally scheduled to be the fifth installment of promoters Six, Two, Oh.'s punk rock bingo series, but any bingo references have quietly been removed from the Facebook event page for unannounced reasons (maybe Brent's unavailable?) Hopefully this isn't it for the punk rock bingo events, they have gotten a good reception from attendees! This 19+ show has a $5 cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time, so check the above links for more on what should be a fun night of hard rock and punk mayhem, and here's Cocaine Moustache live!



Next up, here's one more special mid-week concert preview at The New American Pub, as local grunge/punk solo project Telephone & Address will rock The New A TOMORROW NIGHT as the opening act for Hamilton blues duo Frankie & Jimmy! Marking a rare appearance at the Bay Street bar and concert venue, Chris Shoust's solo project Telephone & Address will be playing their first local concert set since closing The Gore Street Cafe's Fortnight Festival, and Chris should have an entertaining night of acoustic punk originals for fans at The New A tomorrow! Frankie & Jimmy are hitting the Soo in the second stop of their western Canada tour, and their creative and experimental blend of blues originals should get a good following tomorrow, and yes, copies of their vinyl LP will be on sale! Apparently promoted by Chris, this 19+ show has NO COVER CHARGE, and has a listed 8:00 PM start time. This should be an entertaining, if low-key, night of unplugged music for punk and blues fans alike, so visit the Facebook event page for more details, and here's Telephone & Address live!

We'll close today with new videos, including something that I apologize for missing when it first aired. In late May, you may have seen references online to local punk/metal favourites Jack Spades having a special broadcast on Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie (channel 10), with the program even showing up in Shaw TV guides, so what exactly was this? Basically, it's an extended version of their previously aired profile piece that aired on Shaw TV in the spring, as filmed by Id Iota frontman Christian Lemay, and uploaded to the local Shaw's YouTube channel on June 1st. This still features the interview clips filmed with the band (sans Jesse Cook) at The Oddfellows Hall in April, but now contains full performance footage from their set at March's Speak Easy Battle of the Bands, rather than just clips, complete with some introductions & extended interview segments. Notably, this may be the last professional footage of Jack Spades with the departed Tiffany Stocco to make it's way online, unless SooToday's Go Skate Day footage pops up with audio.

The included songs in the video are "Rise", "Crossroads", "Motorwolf", and "Negative Headspace", so click each link to go directly to the videos. The spacing on the title bugs seems doubled at times, and Jesse's absence is noticeable in the interview, but this is otherwise well put together, and showcases Jack Spades delivering a solid and heavy set at full strength, even if they didn't place at that battle! Give their full Shaw TV piece a look below, and apologies again for missing it at the time, I thought it was the shorter original getting a re-airing!



Lastly, here's one more Shaw TV piece that aired on channel 10 earlier this year, actually getting posted to YouTube one day after the extended Jack Spades feature! This focuses on local artist Darren Emond and his work on the new Iron Maiden comic book, with an unheard Shaw reporter interviewing him at his release & signing event for it at The Rad Zone on May 21st (similarly to SooToday's earlier feature.) The interview features Darren discussing how he got the gig to work with Iron Maiden, reactions from fans, and more, but this video goes beyond to show Darren's process as to how he completes pages of a comic book, as he demonstrates with his own rough sketches, and how the inker completes the colouring and shading, before getting lettered and printed. This is an entertaining look at the work it takes to draw and sketch the art in a comic book, and Darren is definitely a big talent in that regard, so check out the full Shaw TV piece below, and get your copies of the Iron Maiden comic at The Rad Zone for $5!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Project 421 & The 3 Day Millionaires), Concert Cancellations, And A New Video!!

Before our review of last night's Project 421 show goes up on the site, we have a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT and related show cancellation to take note of, so we'll round things out with some more new shows and cancellations, and a new video posting! Now, here's what you need to know! (Updated at 1:05 AM)

Local classic metal quintet Project 421 and sister modern hard rock band Eclipse have been enlisted to replace Barrie AC/DC tribute band Hells Bells TONIGHT at The Rockstar Bar for their second show in as many days there! Apologies for the obviously short notice, we only heard about the replacement via guitarist Blair Burch's personal Facebook page this morning, with this Facebook event page following to confirm Eclipse's involvement. Martin Fiser from the venue confirmed on The Rockstar Bar's Facebook group this morning that the Hells Bells show "has been postponed", with a rescheduling to be announced soon, and while advance tickets purchased for tonight will be honoured for the new date, ticket holders can get a refund at The Algonqin Hotel's front desk if desired. A reason for Hells Bells dropping out wasn't given, but I don't believe it's related to the recent renovations at the venue, as Project 421's show last night went off without a hitch. Disappointing news, but hopefully Hells Bells are back A.S.A.P.!

As a result, Project 421 & Eclipse make sense to double up, as they had strong sets last night, and hopefully they can deliver similarly on short notice TONIGHT! In Shit Creek Survivor's place, Curtis McKenzie (who fronts both bands) will open TONIGHT with a rare solo set, where he'll play acoustic originals & 1990s covers, which should be very intriguing for fans of his somewhat mysterious solo project, so come early for all of the action! There's a 10:00 PM-ish start time, a $5 cover charge, and a 19+ age limit in effect, so see above for more details, and here's Project 421 live!



Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires are advertised to rock The Rockstar Bar on Friday, May 27th & Saturday, May 28th! Though neither the venue nor band has confirmed the bookings online yet, the dates are included on paper flyers of the May 2016 schedule that are distributed at the venue itself, so there's your source until an online announcement is made. Last seen at The Park Grille last week, this will be the first Rockstar Bar weekend from this union of Havadder, Boxcar Junction, and Lucky 13 alumni since the St. Patrick's Day weekend. The 3 Day Millionaires are fast becoming fan favourites, so don't miss their next announced shows at The Rockstar Bar at month's end! As usual for their shows there, a 10:00 PM-ish start time is in effect, you must be 19 or older to attend, and there's no announced cover charges. See above for more details, and stay tuned for more from The 3 Day Millionaires!

For reference sake, the same flyer at The Rockstar Bar also lists fellow classic/hard rock veterans Havadder as having played there this past Saturday, but from what I can tell, the venue never confirmed the show online, and Havadder haven't posted on their Facebook page since March, so I doubt the show took place. If we're wrong though, my sincere apologies, and hopefully we see Havadder back soon either way!

Also, we have some concert cancellations to take note of, as it looks like The Park Grille's live band experiment has abruptly ended after just six weeks. We noted this briefly in our second post yesterday, but the news came out via members of local classic/hard rock cover quartet Mourning Wood's personal Facebook pages last night, revealing that the Industrial Park Crescent restaurant (depending on your source) has either ceased concert bookings until further notice, or permanently. As such, Mourning Wood's show there last night did not take place (they instead played an ultra-late notice show at The Rednecks Saloon, apologies for missing it on here!), and we have removed The 3 Day Millionaires' & Mourning Wood's Park Grille shows over the next two Fridays from our concert listings. Mourning Wood drummer Glen Thomas cited revenue concerns and retaining dinner crowds as factors in the decision via his personal Facebook page, but note that The Park Grille has not confirmed anything online since.

The Park Grille had hosted live bands since the beginning of April, with blues rockers Mojo also among the three-band roster, and while it's disappointing to see the live band experiment end this soon, I know all three will have lots more concerts in store for the near future! And apologies again for missing Mourning Wood's late Rednecks Saloon show, we'd have plugged it had we heard about it beforehand!

We'll close today with a new Shaw TV feature on local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades! Posted to Shaw's local YouTube channel on Thursday after an earlier run on channel 10's rotation (which I don't recall being plugged online by the band), this combines multi-camera video footage from the band's set at March's second annual Speak Easy Battle of the Bands with interview clips that were shot at last month's Motherfuckers-headlined show at The Oddfellows Hall, with Id Iota frontman Christian Lemay filming (at least) the concert clips. The interview features Jack Spades (sans guitarist Jesse Cook) discussing their formation and early beginnings, their experiences playing out of town and opening for major punk bands, the unpredictability of their concerts, and more, and it's an informative piece that gives Jack Spades some solid press! Give the full video a look below, and don't miss Jack Spades at drummer Johnny Belanger's birthday show next week!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Project 421 concert review from last night next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Stiffler's Mom), A New Local Band, And Much More!!

After a busy week (for me, personally), let's get back up to speed a bit with a stacked news post today, so what's on tap? Some assorted notes, a new Shaw TV piece on a rising young band, and a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for TONIGHT, but first, here's a new local band that you may remember from one of last month's battles of the bands!

We have a new local band to add to our band links, and they are the alternative hard rock duo Infinity Grinder! Though they didn't have a known online page by the time of their debut, they now have a Facebook page, so now we can list them on the site1 Featuring Northern Tragedy singer/drummer Terrence Gomes and ex-No Arrow/SBD bassist Brad Griffith in their lineup, you may recognize Infinity Grinder from their set at last month's Speak Easy Battle of the Bands, and they'll follow that with a set at the fifth annual Swampstravaganza at The Canadian on May 9th. Their Facebook page is still incredibly bare at the moment, aside from a a link to their new Soundcloud page, which features an instrumental recording named "Initiate The Time Vortex", but you can also see them live via this YouTube video of an original from last month's battle of the bands.

Both showcase a heavy grinding sound that is definitely more similar to Brad's past band work than Terrence's (especially Sounds From The Green Room), and it does add an extra dimension to the recent influx of two man bands in the area! No word on what Infinity Grinder's existence (if anything) means for The Northern Tragedy's active status, as that band hasn't played live in over a year. Check out Infinity Grinder above, and hopefully we hear more soon!

Next up, here's a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as local classic/hard rock cover trio Stiffler's Mom will return to The Rockstar Bar for a headlining gig TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced the show on their Facebook page yesterday. A one nighter due to the Havadder concert yesterday, this will be Greg, Mike, and Jon's first show since the Ride For Sight chili cook-off, and their first at The Algonquin Hotel's upstairs venue in three months. These fun established veterans should deliver a great night of hard hitting covers for fans and revelers at The Rockstar Bar TONIGHT, so keep this show in mind for your Saturday plans! There's no announced cover charge for tonight (but bring cash just in case), a 10:00 PM start time is likely, and you must be 19 to attend. See above for more details, and here's the guys live last summer!

Also today, here's a neat new Shaw TV piece on a rising local band, that being alternative hard rock trio The Pixo Control! Recently airing on rotation on channel 10 for local Shaw customers (and uploaded to the local Shaw YouTube channel on Tuesday), the video was filmed at a recent set by the guys at Superior Heights Collegiate & Vocational School, and it features performance footage and interview clips that were apparently conducted by Habitat Shuffle's Christian Lemay, but he's not heard on camera. In the video, The Pixo Control's members discuss how they met and formed the band, how fast things have developed for the band since launching, their ongoing album plans and creative process, their set opening for Treble Charger in February, and where you can check them out online, as interspersed with footage of their set that day.

In terms of brand new items, frontman Michael Mikus did reveal that their album will be called "Probably Not", and they're hoping for a release by June and a tour run in the summer. Solid video overall with nice thoughts and remarks on the band's run and plans so far, though the vocals (when heard) are often buried in the mix.  Check out The Pixo Control's Shaw episode below, and on TV if you can! Note that local acoustic duo Deviant (featuring 2/3rds of Infamous) were also featured in a recent Shaw TV piece from Superior Heights, so give that a look here if you want.



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

• Local rap/party metal quartet The Apocalypse Afterparty have dropped out of the aforementioned Swampstravaganza next month, as per a comment reply by "songwriter" Paul Stanghetta on the Facebook event page yesterday. Paul vaguely cited "the lineup" as being why they and fellow locals AlgomA & Bad Back aren't playing, but read into that however you want. Promoter & fellow A.A. songwriter Steve Mozarowski (credited as "faceityoureametalband" again) will replace them with a solo set, so keep an eye out for that!
• Local death metal veterans The Bear Hunters are fielding fan response towards possibly playing an acoustic concert at LopLops Lounge, which would be a first for them in terms of sound and venue. While not unprecedented for extreme metal bands in the area (Gates of Winter went unplugged at LopLops in 2006, and Sault Michigan's Condemned were 100% acoustic), this would be an intriguing change of pace, but voice your opinion at the band's Facebook page!
• Chicago Cookshop (the new steak restaurant at 384 McNabb Street) has "closed until further notice" after just 5 months in business at the former Aurora's building, as per this recent SooToday article. The reason is reportedly due to financial issues, but Facebook posts and discussion will explore other areas that we won't get into here. This fits the SMS as Tym Morrison played a show there in February, but either way, hopefully the restaurant reopens down the road!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Emergency), The Danger Cats On Shaw TV, And More!!

Keeping the news coming so we can beat the next rainfall, we have an intriguing LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month for those of you who missed The Second Stage, and some new videos featuring some known female hard rock talent in Sault Ontario, so here's what you need to know, and check out this month's YouTube Channel Profile in the post below this one!

At least three acts that fit the SMS' coverage range will be taking part in LopLops Lounge's new concert festival The Emergency, which will be taking place on Saturday, August 9th both in LopLops and outdoors on Queen Street East! Possibly a successor or replacement for the Rotaryfest Second Stage (which LopLops had co-organized before it's 2014 hiatus), this all ages downtown festival will see bands playing all day at three outdoor locations, along with a stage set up inside LopLops itself. This adds up to four stages in  all, named respectively "The Emergency Stage", "Acute", "Shock", and "Pulse", so click each name for each respective Facebook event page! As it currently stands, the fourth Pulse stage has no announced performers, and the first Emergency stage (which features local bands like Kalle Mattson and out of town headliners like The Treasures) has nothing visibly heavy, but how about the other stages?

On the second "Acute" stage, fans will be able to see Role Models frontman/Inner City Surfers alum Brad "Example" Lacell in a likely acoustic punk solo set, which should be entertaining among the early stages of The Emergency! This stage is solely comprised of solo artists, with Lorrie Bolduc & Mark Kulmala headlining at 2:00 & 1:00 PM respectively, while Greg MacLachlan will open at 11:00 AM. As for the third "Shock" stage, it's essentially a reprise of Lopstock from earlier this month, with alternative hard rockers The Pixo Control and post-punk rockers Gnaeus returning for sets at 2:00 & 12:00 PM respectively, and both should be riding high off of their recent successes! That stage will be headlined by acoustic trio K.I.C.K. at 3:00 PM, with newer band Mashagama returning in the 1:00 PM slot, and remember, this is the only Emergency stage advertised to take place indoors. Along with the musical entertainment, promoters are advertising farmer's markets, artisans, and patios to take in as well for the event, with the Emergency expected to wrap up at 10:00 PM after The Treasures' first stage set.

For more details, visit the above links! The Emergency sounds ambitious on the surface, but with LopLops past relationship with the Second Stage, I'm not worried about how this is ran. Fans of the Second Stage (whether it comes back next year or not) will be right at home with The Emergency, which retains a very similar band lineup with a focus on indie & roots rock, plus select out of town bands, and it's nice to see some of the younger Ears & Eyes-affiliated bands get a showcase too! I'm curious to see how the Pulse stage fills out, and especially, to see if this is a success, so stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

We'll close today with new videos, including a long teased feature on Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie featuring local all-female hard rock quartet The Danger Cats! If you're not a Shaw customer and can't turn your dials to channel 10 for the rolling hourly airing of the piece, then never fear, as the girls posted the video onto their YouTube channel last night, so what should you know? Hosted by veteran local bassist Nathan Bouliane with camera work by Free Beer's Christian Lemay, I believe this is part of the new Boardwalk Sessions series that Nathan's been working on with Shaw TV. The interview features an interview with the band (minus drummer Calico Katie), while bassist Jamie Jaguar doesn't feature in the outdoor performance clips, which are of two acoustic guitar original songs, parts of which are shot in black & white. Oddly, Nathan doesn't feature on camera interviewing the girls, with questions shown in Clerks-esque title cards, but what's in the interview?

The video features Kate Kougar, Paula Panther, and Jamie talking about how they met, the inspiration for the band's name, why Kate wanted to form an all-girl band, their musical backgrounds, their view on the local scene, their upcoming plans for 2014, and where you can find them online. In terms of new items, the band did reveal that they want to have proper songwriting sessions this year towards a CD, which would be cool to see happen! Solid interview, though the girls did seem a bit shy on camera, but Danger Cats fans will definitely enjoy it! Check out the full video below (or hourly this week on channel 10), and stay tuned for more videos from them soon!



Finally, here's two new solo performance video from Shadowthrone guitarist and solo metal singer Sabrina Strange (a.k.a. Isla Encanto), as uploaded to her YouTube channel on Sunday! Both are solo vocal & keyboard covers of Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box", with the shorter first take viewable here, and a longer version embedded below. These are just practice renditions and not intended to be refined final copies, but she does take this grunge classic and make it darker and more symphonic, and it's interesting to hear! For reference, some fans may have heard that Shadowthrone will be playing (I think) their first live concert in Garden River next month as part of an AlgomA-hosted event named Das Bunkerfest, alongside Pillory's first set since the winter, and numerous other bands, but that's an invite-only house party, hence why we haven't plugged it on here as a public show. If you've received an invite, keep it in mind, and give Sabrina's newest videos a look above & below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews soon, along with Rotaryfest videos and more updates! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Beaumont Avenue & Late Shift), Plus New Video Finds!!

Kicking off a new week at the site, let's cover some recent news and notes today, including LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the coming month, more videos from a major recent concert, and a cool punk video to share on here, so here's what you need to know!

Local hard rock cover quartet Late Shift will return to the stage THIS FRIDAY for a solo headlining gig at The Rednecks Saloon! This will likely be the first appearance by this internet page-less band at the former Nicolet Tavern, and if we haven't missed any in the interim, their first public concert appearance since playing at LopLops Lounge in May. Featuring alumni of Fingerbone, Redefined, Northwest, and The Groove Committee, you may also recognize Late Shift from the Amy Ellis benefit show at The Canadian last fall, and if that and their scattered early 2014 gigs (public & private alike) are any indication, they should have a solid cover set in store! No word on why they're not playing on Saturday though, but there might be a prior booking that day. Regardless, there's no announced cover charge, you must be 19 to attend, and there's a 10:00 PM start time in effect. For more details, visit the Facebook event page, and stay tuned for updates if we get them!

Speaking of new shows at The Rednecks Saloon, local hard rock quartet Beaumont Avenue (formerly The Suicide Kings) will return to the old Nic for a full weekend on Friday, July 25th & Saturday, July 26th! Oddly, these shows were only just announced on Friday via the new cover photo on their Facebook page, which still bears their old name as of this writing. Following their second appearance at Rotaryfest in a couple of weeks, these will be their first shows at this venue since May, so if you're up for a weekend full of hard rock originals and covers (especially as you won't see the originals at Rotaryfest), be at 304 Albert Street West on the last weekend of the month! Like this Friday's Late Shift show, expect 19+ age limits, no announced cover, and 10:00 PM start times. For more details, visit the above links, and don't miss the newly renamed Beaumont Avenue then or at Rotaryfest!

We'll close this post with new videos, including what's likely our last fallout from last month's Heart/Jason Bonham concert at The Essar Centre! As you may know, crew from SooToday and Local2 were on hand for the show, filming footage among their other articles, and some of their material made it in the newest episode of their ongoing video series Tuned with Donna Hopper, which went online on Wednesday! The main articles of the episode include Donna's interviews with Southern Ontario rockers The Weber Brothers (the first band she ever interviewed in 2006) and local folk band The Faraway Neighbours (with performance footage of each), while the concert calendar segment plugs The Archaics' show at The New American on July 15th. The last chunk devoted to more Local2 footage of the Heart show, including clips of Heart & Jason playing "Barracuda", "What About Love", and Led Zeppelin covers, some of which were seen before, but they're solid all the same! Click here for the full episode, as Local2 videos doesn't allow external embedding.

And as for embeddable videos, YouTube user hbogie123 uploaded six more videos from the show onto their YouTube channel last week, joining the 13 existing videos that we covered on here! All from the Led Zeppelin cover portion, these videos (generally incomplete again) include Heart & Jason playing "The Ocean", "Immigrant Song", "Kashmir", "The Rain Song", a 13 second clip of "The Battle of Evermore", and as embedded below, their show-stopping rendition of "Stairway To Heaven", which fans will definitely want to check out! Solid quality with a good angle as before, so give hbogie123's last videos a look above & below!

Finally for today, I wanted to slowly begin sharing some local punk videos on the site, and to reserve certain ones for our YouTube Channel Profile Series, we'll feature some from channels without a 50% majority of SMS-fitting videos on the site just to give them some solid attention! This one was originally a Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie news piece by ex-Free Beer frontman Christian Lemay that aired on Channel 10 last January, and it's focused on the Searchmont Resort fundraiser that month at The Water Tower Inn that featured a concert set by local punk/alternative standouts Treble Charger! While largely focused on the fundraiser and it's impact on the resort from staff, the latter half of the video features footage of Treble Charger's set (their first with a full quartet lineup in the Soo since 2003), and it's nice to see clips of them in town! As I remember, this fundraiser had expensive tickets, but it was for a good cause, and it looked like a successful event! It'd have been interesting to see Greig or Bill interviewed on camera though. Check out the full report below, and see more Shaw TV pieces at their YouTube channel!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and band features this week! Thanks everyone!