LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Banned, The Elements, And Tym Morrison) & Most Weekend Concert Previews!!

I know things have been quiet on the site over the past week, and while the weekend's two day break was partially for personal reasons, the last two days were definitely due to a recent slow patch for stories at our news desk. That said, a busy weekend of concerts is upon us, including a few SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for good measure, so we'll tackle most of those today, while saving Saturday night's Rudyard Musicians Festival for tomorrow's post to give it proper emphasis given it's scale and timing. Now, here's what you should know to start this weekend!

Kinross classic/hard rock trio Banned will play a rare concert at The Savoy Bar in Sault Michigan TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's official Facebook event page on Sunday. A one nighter due to Banned's road trip to Gould City for a concert there on Saturday, TOMORROW'S show is, as best as I can tell, Banned's debut at the 117 West Portage Avenue nightclub, as hard to believe as that is. Fresh off of their successful return to the annual Sugar Island Music Festival, this should be another solid local showcase for Alex, Don, and Wayne, so keep TOMORROW'S show in mind for some hard hitting and fan favourite covers! A 10:00 PM start time is in effect, you must be 21 or older to attend, and there is no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Banned live!



Next up, we'll head back to Sault Ontario, where local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements have reportedly been named as openers for TOMORROW NIGHT'S long-anticipated K.I.C.K. headlining concert at The Canadian Nightclub! Apologies again for the short notice, this show had been advertised for weeks as a solo event for the indie rock quartet, but The Elements were only just publically confirmed yesterday to kick things off. Arguably their biggest headlining concert yet, the Keep it Cool Kids will be playing multiple sets at The Canadian TOMORROW from their upcoming album along with new cuts, and this should be a prime opportunity for fans to check out K.I.C.K.'s skilled originals! As for The Elements, they're riding high off of their own headlining set last week at The Rockstar Bar, and their ska-influenced mix of heavy and alternative styles should help set the tone TOMORROW, despite their late confirmation! Another 19+ event, a 9:00 PM start time is advertised, though have money on hand in case there happens to be a cover charge.

K.I.C.K. have impressed fans routinely with their smooth indie rock sound in the past few years, and The Elements will add their own "element" to give fans of a heavier persuasion a little something TOMORROW NIGHT, so keep this huge show in mind, and here's The Elements live!



Lastly for new announcements, prolific local acoustic hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to Mark's Breakfast Plus at the Market Mall THIS MONDAY & TUESDAY to go along with his regular Gliss Steak & Seafood shows TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY! Again, apologies for the short notice on the Mark's gigs, these were only just announced via their own Facebook event page on Sunday, and while their timing would suggest that we'd cover them closer to Monday, I'm lumping them with the Gliss shows for synergy & to ensure that the Rudyard Musicians Festival gets proper emphasis in our next post. Three weeks removed from his debut "weekend" at the new breakfast-centric diner at the Second Line West mall (with collectibles store and ice cream parlour from the same owners also now open there), Tym will have two more evenings of unplugged rock classics in store for fans and patrons there on MONDAY & TUESDAY!

And of course, Tym's ongoing weekly run at Gliss marches on with evening gigs tonight through Saturday, so keep this run of 5 matinee shows in 6 nights in mind! All of these shows have 6:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and no age limits, but remember that both venues are sit-down restaurants, albeit with very different menus and environments. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here and above for more details on these 5 upcoming shows, and here's Tym live!



Finally for today's preview post, we'll close with a show that entirely had lots of advance notice, as Vancouver hardcore punk quintet The Alien Boys will make their local concert debut TOMORROW NIGHT when they rock The Rockstar Bar! Don't let their name fool you, this band is actually an all-female group, and are the current project from former Rebel Spell guitarist Erin McGillicuddy, so if you've missed that band on a local stage, here's a quality alternative! The Alien Boys' brand of upbeat yet edgy punk rock should find another solid audience tomorrow night, so keep them in mind for your weekend concert plans! Local openers will include online page-less death metal duo Twistory (in just their second public concert set of the year) and new local indie/hard rock trio Vol. in their second public concert total. If you missed Steve, Shane, and Matthew earlier this month, and don't want to wait for online media to be posted, come to The Rockstar Bar tomorrow to hear what Vol. have in store in their sophomore outing!

A rare Six, Two, Oh. concert to take place at The Rockstar Bar, tomorrow's 19+ show has a $5 cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time. This should be a solid night of diverse musical action with some punk and metal sprinkled throughout, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Alien Boys live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Rudyard Musicians Festival preview and more tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Alien Boys, Rudyard Musicians Festival, And Project 906!!)

With a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT hitting the wire this afternoon, here's a surprise second news post for your Thursday night! That is also joined by two more new concerts taking place over the same weekend in just under a month's time, so read on below for what you should know, and check out other weekend concert previews and more in the post below this one from this morning!

Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Project 906 will return to Moloney's Alley for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced this show via their Facebook page earlier today. Still a largely unfamiliar venue for our coverage, the 227 West Portage Avenue bar played host to a private Project 906 show last month for Sault Area High School's class of 1997 reunion, but as far as I can tell, TOMORROW'S show is a regular, publically attendable show. Last seen at the King's Club Casino in Brimley two weeks ago, Project 906 are no strangers to branching out to atypical concert venues in the E.U.P., and hopefully things go well at Moloney's Alley TOMORROW! No word however on if the show will be outdoors again or indoors, but the picture they used to promote the event was from their outdoor set at the aforementioned reunion. Expect a 9:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and a 21+ age limit, so check the above links for more details, and here's Project 906 live last month!

Next up, here's some more new concerts with more than a day's public notice, starting with another new show from Sault Ontario promoters Six, Two, Oh.! Unusually taking place at The Rockstar Bar rather than their usual New A stomping grounds, this event on Friday, August 18th will be headlined by the local debut of Vancouver hardcore punk quintet The Alien Boys, but despite their name, they're actually an all-female group featuring former Rebel Spell guitarist Erin McGillicuddy. This will be nothing new for fans who saw Beaver Slap locally last month, but The Alien Boys' solid and energetic brand of punk rock should gain them their own audience locally, so don't miss them on the 18th! Local support (both in their Rockstar Bar debut) will include death metal duo Twistory's second live set of the year, as well as the second concert appearance period from Vol., the new indie/hard rock trio from Pixo Control and Aldous alumni. Nice diverse lineup, so don't miss out next month!

A $5 cover charge is in effect for this 19+ concert, and a 9:00 PM start time is in effect. Check the official Facebook event page for more details, and don't miss out on what should be a fun night of varying kinds of alternative music action! And yes, we are aware of a major concert event announced by Six, Two, Oh. for this fall, but we are waiting on confirmation on the venue and if it technically has a public address before we get ahead of ourselves on here. Stay tuned though, as this will be a big event!

Finally for tonight's post, the full lineup for this year's second annual Rudyard Musicians Festival in nearby Rudyard, Michigan was finally announced on Tuesday, so who all is rocking Rudyard Township Park on Saturday, August 19th? Mostly the same bands as last year, with only Stoned Ape Evolution, Second Offense, and The Gaskins not returning, so if you liked the inaugural Musicians Fest lineup, here you go! Despite previously indicating that there would be "NO METAL" this year, hard rock acts do populate two of the three top slots, with the aforementioned Project 906 headlining at 11:00 PM, as preceded by classic rockers/event promoters Steelhead (with guest performer Jimmy Bishop) at 10:00 PM, and sporadically seen experimental hard rock group The Karstens as one of this year's new bands at 9:00 PM. Good to see them back on stage! Fellow newcomers The Whole Shabang will tackle their own classic rock covers as well at 8:00 PM, while remaining performers are mostly in the online page-less country or bluegrass realm unless otherwise stated.

Other acts will include The North Country Band at 7:00 PM, The Wednesday Night Headliners at 6:00 PM, Robert & Bob Malaski at 5:00 PM, Jimmy Williams at 4:00 PM, pop artist Hayley Malaska at 3:30 PM, festival newcomer Kevin Blakeney at 3:00 PM, Crossroads alum Denny Verrett at 2:00 PM, Traverse City experimental outfit The Neighbourhood Dogs at 1:00 PM, and The (New?) Jazz Trio opening at 12:00 PM. Lots of talent on hand this year, so keep them all in mind! As well, organizers have confirmed that Friday the 18th will play host to an open mic night, as all of their equipment will be set up already, so "we might just as well use it" for a "Friday night free for all." You never know what you'll get with an open mic night, so if you're in the neighbourhood, this might be worth checking out! Free rustic camping will be available on sight for that weekend, while there will be a pig roast and other concessions for good measure. Admission is $5 a person, but kids 10 years old or under get in FREE, and like last year, all proceeds go to Rudyard Area Schools' music and band programs, which is always a worthy cause!

Despite promoters' earlier claim of no metal this year (no word on if that's specifically why Stoned Ape Evolution aren't back), it's nice to see some music on the heavier spectrum again this year, so if you're a fan of country or some more rocking music, you have options in this sophomore event, which is for a great cause and definitely looks to be a friendly event for fans of all ages! Visit the above links for complete details on this year's Rudyard Musicians Fest, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the SMS in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

Ruptured Birth/Thekillingfield Concert Review!!

For the first time since last summer's Iskra concert, I made it to The Oddfellows Hall to review a show there, as last night saw the return of Ruptured Birth and Thekillingfield to Sault Ste. Marie! Before we get into the bands, here's some other scattered notes from last night. In case you missed our late update to Saturday's news post, this show only featured four bands, as Crucify the Whore quietly dropped out of the show last week due to"technical & equipment difficulties", as per promoters Heavy North Entertainment on the Facebook event page. Disappointing, especially given the wait for a new C.T.W. set at a public venue, but hopefully we see Tyler Gibson back at it soon! A search for a replacement band was unsuccessful, so last night only had 4 bands. Regarding the attendance, the show only bounced around 2 dozen attendees for most of the night, but that number easily doubled for The Bear Hunters' return set, which was encouraging for them, but I wish more people had stuck around for the out of town headliners.

Tyler is an accomplished and reliable promoter, but this needed a lot more advance word, especially with no local poster or announced cover charge until the day of the concert. Hopefully things get ironed out for H.N.E.'s next shows! Also, the new sign outside of The Oddfellows Hall will take some getting used to, but it at least looks newer and more vibrant.

Last night's action was opened by online page-less local death metal duo Twistory in their first public concert set in about a year, and the first time that I've been able to see them live, so what are my thoughts on them? There's work to do, but they sounded promising! Fronted by former Pillory guitarist Josh Amendola (and featuring that band's frontman Robert Sartini on drums), the guys have obvious chemistry and a solidly heavy sound that fit their backgrounds, with Josh even sharing some vocal resemblances to Robert at times! That said, their set was short, didn't have a lot of clear breaks between songs, and often felt more like an extended jam session, and the lack of a bassist was at times noticeable. Josh did admit that they've only jammed a few times to prepare for this concert, but they had a brutal and raw sound that was a perfect fit for the occasion, and I am curious to hear much more from them in the coming months!

Next up was the long awaited return of The Bear Hunters after a 7 month stage hiatus, and they picked up where they left off with a crushing set of old and new death metal originals alike! Alongside newer songs like "The Dying Den" and classics like "Bloodthirst", the guys also broke out their fan favourite "Guardians of Asgaard" cover, and even got an encore to cap off their set with, which was awesome to see! Having missed last fall's Norilsk concert, this was my first time seeing The Bear Hunters live in over a year, and it's great to see that the guys haven't lost a step, and sounded on par with their past four-piece shows! Nik Deubel's vocals were inaudible on their opener, but the sound was quickly fixed so we could hear him, and he was on form from their early 2015 and early 2016 gigs, while Mitch Sirie shone on guitar, and Justin Lam held his own on bass as usual! Very solid return for The Bear Hunters, and here's hoping we're not waiting 7 months for their next show!

Third up in this show full of returns to the local stage was North Bay tech/death metal trio Thekillingfield in their first local concert set in 5½ years, and closer to their first tour in 2 years! It's a shame that this show didn't have more promotion, as Thekillingfield were definitely a favourite touring attraction here in the late 2000s, and they picked up where they left off in 2011 with a blistering set of progressive death and extreme metal! If you're familiar with Thekillingfield, you'll know that they have a lot of instrumental material in their sets, and last night was no exception, with vocal-less songs like "Mass For Shut-Ins" joining familiar tracks with lyrics like "To Be Joedy" for about a 50/50 split, but screaming or not, TKF had remaining fans right where they wanted them! A now-bald Justin Robinson still screams and shreds with the best of them, and Dean K.'s drumming was reliably complex, adding up to a welcome return for Thekillingfield, and here's hoping we see them back soon!

Finally, your headliners last night were Sudbury sci-grind/death metal quartet Ruptured Birth in their first local concert appearance since opening for Vesperia two years ago, and they delivered another heavy and devastating set of originals to send remaining fans home happy! This was my first time seeing Ruptured Birth live, and I definitely enjoyed their set, which was chock full of brutal and well written originals with some technical flourish, and I liked their usage of pre-recorded backing tracks on many songs to help set the mood. Last year's full length CD "Transmutant" was a frequent source for their setlist, including such songs as the title track and "Projectile Copremisis", and former Before the Black Gates singer James Bok gave brutal voice to them all, though his stage presence of mostly walking back and forth can be worked on. Musically, everyone sounded good, including guitarist Shane Scovron and former Archelon bassist Aaron Cividino, and I'd definitely be interested in seeing these guys on a local stage again soon!

Overall, this was a very solid night of death metal action, and while I wish there was a higher turnout, everyone delivered musically, and given that none of these bands have played on a local stage in 7 months or longer, it was extra unique and notable on that basis! You can check out our photos from last night at this link or at our Facebook page, and as for videos, here's Twistory playing "The Retribution", The Bear Hunters playing their newer solng "The Wrath of Angmar", Thekillingfield playing their instrumental "Apple of Eden", and Ruptured Birth playing "Blood Siren"!









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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Astral Gunk, The Din, And Mourning Wood), And More Weekend Concert Previews!!

As promised, here's our second weekend concert preview post for this weekend, and it includes LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (including some on SHORT NOTICE), plus a few more new shows for next month to fill things out! With that said, here's what you should know for this weekend & beyond!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Mourning Wood will reportedly return to Reggie's Place on Queen Street East TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT, after previously playing there yesterday too! Apologies for the short notice, and for missing last night's show, we only got wind of the shows yesterday via members' personal Facebook pages (and remember that Mourning Wood never announce Reggie's Place shows in advance publically for one reason or another.) Playing their first solo shows in almost a month (though they played at the Redneck Rock Bash two weeks ago), these will be Terry, Steven, Paul, and Glen's first dates at the original downtown Reggie's since the May 7th weekend. I wish they'd plug their Reggie's shows publically, but fans should take to Mourning Wood again TONIGHT & TOMORROW, and I hope yesterday's show went well! There's no announced cover charges for these 19+ shows, which have 9:30 PM-ish start times. See above for more details, and here's Mourning Wood live!



Next up, here's some more new shows coming up next month, including a unique event at The Gore Street Cafe on Wednesday, July 6th that will be headlined by Sackville, New Brunswick "punk gnar-wave garage psych" quartet Astral Gunk in their local debut! A talented genre-melding blend of old school punk rock and multiple retro-leaning genres have blended into a strong chaotic attack that should provide a solid capper on July 6th, so be sure to check Astral Gunk out! Opening will be The Leash Kids, the pageless experimental/rap duo from venue co-owner Sam Decter and rapper Mikey Thomas that debuted at Redneck Rock Bash II earlier this month, and while they're not a perfect genre match, they should deliver an entertaining opening set! A "pay what you can" event like most Gore Street Cafe shows, this is an ALL AGES event, and the show will start at 7:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and stay tuned for any further details!

In another new concert, local alternative hard rock standouts The Din and Id Iota will hit the stage at LopLops Lounge on Saturday, July 16th at the venue's second straight Rotaryfest Stage 2 afterparty show! Though not 100% stated on the Facebook event page, this strongly hints that the two bands will be making their first appearances at Rotaryfest's all-original second stage this year, joining Gnaeus & K.I.C.K. on the bill, but we await finite information on the date and schedule from the festival before plugging that on here. In any event, it's great to see the former Second Stage promoters hosting another afterparty, and The Din and Id Iota are a nice compliment with lots of talent between them! For reference sake, while we've seen The Din often since, this is Id Iota's first announced local concert since their local CD release show in April, but the band did play a private family event last month.

A $5 cover charge is in effect for this 19+ show, which starts at 9:00 PM, but remember, the two bands are likely for the Second Stage, so if you want to see them earlier, outdoors, and without age constraints, head down to Clergue Park beforehand! Check the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more on Rotaryfest soon, plus The Din's next show on Tuesday!

Finally for today, here's our likely last concert preview of the weekend, as London sludge/punk trio Foam will make their local concert debut THIS SUNDAY NIGHT when they headline at The New American Pub! Fans of sludge metal and noise rock should take to Foam's grungy, brutal sound on Sunday during this stop on their "West Toast Tour", so don't miss out if this sound is up your alley for your weekend plans! Newer local death metal duo Twistory (featuring Pillory & Faceityoureametalband alumni) will provide some of their own brutality as openers, so if you haven't seen them yet, keep their set in mind! New local death metal quintet Kaepora Gaebora (featuring Bring the Fallen and RedD Monkey alumni) will kick off the show with their own metal assault, so don't be late for them either! Promoted by Six, Two, Oh., this 19+ show has a $5 cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's, despite it's short length, the only Foam concert video that I could find!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news, updates, and concert previews soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Foam And Telephone & Address), And Archive Concert Photo Notes!!

For our first full news post of the month, we're splitting things down the middle for two specific topics: An easier way to check out some of our earliest concert photos, and first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for two summer shows at the same venue, so here's what you should know!

London sludge/punk trio Foam will make their local concert debut on Sunday, June 19th when they headline at The New American Pub! Citing many different genre influences, Foam's grungy, hard hitting, noise assault should get a solid response from fans in two weeks' time, so don't miss out! Local death metal duo Twistory (featuring ex-Pillory bandmates Josh Amendola & Robert Sartini) will make their New A debut as openers on June 19th, and while they still don't have an online page, fans have been receptive to their sets since debuting, so check out their attack as well! At least one more local opening band is to be announced, and we'll let you know when they're confirmed. Promoted by Six, Two, Oh., this 19+ concert will have a $5 cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and don't miss the Grave Party show there the very next day!

Next up, local punk/grunge solo project Telephone & Address will also rock The New American Pub this summer, as they'll be opening for Hamilton blues duo Frankie & Jimmy on Wednesday, July 13th! A rare appearance by Chris Shoust's acoustic solo act at The New A, this will be Telephone & Address' first set since their Fortnight Festival appearance at The Gore Street Cafe, and with Chris' talented and experimental originals in full effect, he should set the tone well next month! Frankie & Jimmy's bluesy yet avant garde sound has a lot of creativity going for it, and they should leave a good impression when they make their local debut next month in the second stop of their Western Canada tour! Apparently promoted by Chris, this 19+ show has a listed 8:00 PM start time, but a cover charge isn't given on the Facebook event page (have money on hand just in case.) Fans of acoustic rock and experimental music should like this show, with Telephone & Address handling the punk side of things, so see above for more details!

Finally for today, I wanted to note on here that I've done something that I should have done a long time ago: Move old concert photos from our inactive Facebook group and inactive Photobucket page to our current Facebook page! I've meant to migrate them over for a while, but only got around to doing it yesterday, but to make it a little more special and more in line with our concert photography work since, I fixed the lighting or colour on the photos where needed, and straightened out camera angles where possible. These shows took place between 2007 & 2009, early in the SMS' run, and while I didn't have a camera at each of our earliest shows (November 2008's Wolven Ancestry/Woods of Ypres show is a notable absence), a good number are now on our current Facebook page to check out! One album contains a Bellevue Park Bandshell concert from August 2007 featuring Sindicate, Atrophia, and two other bands, as well as select photos from April 2008's Skid Row Battle of the Bands at The Speak Easy.

Other albums are dedicated to individual shows, and they include the Sandman/As It Stands show at The Canadian Nightclub in June 2008 (my first 19+ concert), the Helix/Stillbroke show there the following month, most bands from July 2008's Rock 2 Roll skatepark fundraiser at The Canadian (headlined by Ministry of Zen), and Gates of Winter's trilogy of Grand Theater shows in late 2008 prior to their ongoing stage hiatus (opening for The Womb in August, Inflict in September, and Fuck the Facts in November.) Those are all from our old Facebook group, while moved over from our Photobucket page, we now have January 2009's Ministry of Zen/Fingerbone concert at the old Coch's Corner, the Stillbroke show at The Verdi Hall that April, most bands from The YMCA Battle of the Bands at The Grand that April, the Cattle Decapitation show at The Oddfellows Hall that same month, May 2009's Who Made Who show at The Canadian, and Fitswitch's month-ending reunion show at Coch's Corner.

The quality of these photos ranges from OK to mediocre, but using a succession of cameras and not being as experienced with photography as I am now, I'm just glad I did get photos at some of them, and it was fun to reflect back on the SMS' early days while cleaning them all up! Check out all of our "new" Facebook concert photos as the above links, and if you can help ID any of the bands or details on the Bellevue Park show from 2007, let us know! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes in the coming week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Scarkazm) & More Weekend Concert Previews!!

On this Friday morning, let's finish up our previews of concerts on this busy weekend, so what's in store? A SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, related missed concert apologies, and a new video from one band, and show previews from three more events, so here's what you should know, and see our prior previews for this weekend in the post below this one!

Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm will return to Three One Three on Ashmun (the former Back Door) in Sault Michigan for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard about the show via the band's Facebook page on Tuesday. This show actually isn't it for their spring dates in Sault Ste. Marie, as we regrettably missed Scarkazm's shows on April 8th & 9th at Kewadin Casino's Rapids Lounge (which the venue never publically confirmed) and their Three One Three debut on March 4th for coverage on the site. I profusely apologize for missing them on here, there's no excuses on my end, but we will try much harder to stay on top of Scarkazm's trips north! It's interesting to see this talented trio playing a local venue outside of the Kewadin umbrella, but Three One Three has been more active as a concert promoter than The Back Door ever was, and it's great to see Scarkazm playing more regularly up in the E.U.P., so don't miss them!

Note that DJ Unforgettable is at Three One Three tonight, while Scarkazm are playing in Boyne City. A 9:30 PM start time is in effect for TOMORROW NIGHT'S 21+ concert, which has no announced cover. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and for a preview, here's a new video of Adam, Dave, and Jeff at Three One Three on Ashmun in March! A surprising cover of Bryan Adams' "Summer of '69", this cell phone video was posted to the venue's Facebook page, and while short, it captures a strong performance! The renovated interior looks nice too, so give this new Scarkazm video a look, don't miss them TOMORROW NIGHT, and apologies again for missing their spring 2016 concerts on here!



Next up, let's move to previously announced concerts, starting with Oshawa-based Bon Jovi tribute band Bon Jovi Forever, who will make their local concert debut TONIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! Fans of touring tribute bands (and Bon Jovi, naturally) should be eager to check out this band, whose faithful sounding and looking tribute to the New Jersey legends should be worth checking out tonight, be you a fan of their hair metal beginnings or more varied modern material! For reference, the Bon Jovi tribute that played at The Canadian twice in the early 2010s was Keep The Faith. Tickets are $10 for tonight's show, and while advance tickets were available at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk, door admission will jump up to $14. This is a 19+ event with an oddly early start time of 8:00 PM, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Bon Jovi Forever tackling "Living on a Prayer" a few years back!



Also this weekend, Twistory frontman Josh Amendola is hosting Metal Massacre II TOMORROW NIGHT, as a sequel to the well received house party concert at 124 Anna Street from April 14th! Another explosive night of metal is hitting this east end residence tomorrow, and with an expanded lineup with some new confirmations compared to three weeks ago, so who all is scheduled? Local doom metal trio AlgomA will make a rare headlining local appearance tomorrow, while most of last month's roster will return for the occasion as well, including death/thrash metal trio Pillory, Josh's new death metal duo Twistory (who still lack an online page), and new local death metal quintet Kaepora Gaebora, so come to see these new and returning bands once again! As well, two bands have been confirmed as late additions to the lineup, including Rotopsy bassist Tyler Gibson's goregrind solo act Crucify The Whore, as well as local extreme metal quartet Winkstinger (in their second show since their reunion.)

Strong additions that fit this house show nicely, so be sure to come early to see each band! Not too early though, as the teased acoustic afternoon set has been cancelled, but is planned to be revived for a future house show that Josh hosts, so keep posted for details on it. An 8:00 PM start time is in effect for this ALL AGES event, which will have "pay what you can" admission. This should be a fun show, especially for fans of last month's Metal Massacre, so keep this one at 124 Anna Street in mind, and here's AlgomA live!



Finally, we'll head back across the bridge for Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned's debut at The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley TOMORROW NIGHT! Continuing to expand their presence in the E.U.P., this is the first Brimley stop in memory from Alex, Don, and Wayne, and they should deliver a fun set of hard and classic rock songs for fans at this waterfront bar tomorrow! However, no word on why Banned aren't playing tomorrow, but for what it's worth, Project 906's recent date there was a one nighter. Also, as The Back Bay Grill has now hosted two distinct hard rock shows in a year's time, we have promoted the Bay Mills casino from our "Other Local Metal Links" to our Sault Michigan-area concert venue listings, so keep that in mind as well! Tomorrow's show starts at 10:00 PM (which is relatively late for them), you must be 21 or older to attend, and there's no announced cover charges. See above for more detals, and here's Banned live!



That's all for today, barring any super-late notice concert announcements, but stay tuned for more news and updates soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Metal Massacre II), New Pillory Footage, And Much More Updates!!

With the last full week of April in full swing, let's tackle most of our remaining backlogged stories today, including some assorted recent updates, new videos from the Blood Shed Weekly YouTube channel, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for a house party sequel, so here's what you should know!

After the success of April 14th's Metal Massacre house party show, promoter/Twistory frontman Josh Amendola is bringing it back for an encore on Saturday, May 7th (next weekend, in other words!) Yes, Metal Massacre II will return to the residence at 124 Anna Street three weeks later with an expanded lineup, so who can you expect? Largely the same lineup, but with Rotopsy out and local doom metal trio AlgomA in for their first local set since the Black Tremor/punk rock bingo event, and they should melt many faces next Saturday! The remaining performers include local thrash/death metal trio Pillory, new local death metal duo Twistory (who still lack an online page), and new local death metal quintet Kaepora Gaebora, so if you liked them 11 days ago, or missed out entirely, keep this house show in mind! Josh also noted on the Facebook event page that more guests and a daytime acoustic set of some kind may also be added to the lineup, but neither has been formally elaborated on since.

As well, Metal Massacre II may be moved a day earlier to Friday, May 6th pending AlgomA's availability, which is definitely a sign of their value as headliners: Why replace them if they can't make the original date when you can change the date instead? If the date is moved, we will let you know. Either way, this is another "pay what you can" show with no announced age limits, and presumably to accommodate the potential acoustic daytime set, a 4:00 PM start time is listed. Check the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more on Metal Massacre 2 at 124 Anna Street!

Next up, here's a new video of the aforementioned Pillory from April 14th's inaugural Metal Massacre show, courtesy of the Blood Shed Weekly YouTube channel on Friday! Arguably our best and longest look yet at Pillory with any lineup, the video (filmed by Brutally Fatal's Austin McCrae) features Pillory playing their new songs "Angst of Existence" & "Sculptor of Cadavers", a new song whose name wasn't announced, and then songs that appear to be called "The Passing", "Aboard Apprehension", and "Affairs of Eternal Sickness" to seemingly cap their set, though the names may be incorrect. Afterwards, an encore is started where Robert, Jordan, and Bret jam some very familiar sounding instrumentals, so click the above links to go to each song! It's worth noting that Pillory didn't play any songs from their 2013 debut EP "Cringe at the Cross" that night, though whether this is a casualty of their death metal transition, lineup changes & reunion, unhappiness with the disc, or just how the night's set shaped up isn't clear.

In any event, Pillory sound nice and brutal on this video, with Robert Sartini's growling definitely improved with time, and Bret Shuttleworth's drumming is on point, but the post-effects on the video (including colour changes, spinning and wave effects, and captions) don't add anything practical to the video. Still, this is a great look at the new and heavier Pillory lineup, so check out the full set below!



Also today, here's an update video from Blood Shed Productions co-founder/Brutally Fatal frontman Austin McCrae on the aforementioned Blood Shed Weekly channel from April 15th, where he updates fans on events with the local grindcore/rap label, so what should you know? Hyped as "another update" (referencing a video that isn't listed on the channel anymore), Austin starts by referencing the success of the aforementioned Metal Massacre house show and his Pillory & Rotopsy videos from it (complete with explaining why he didn't film the other bands.) He next noted that the label is planning to start using forms and agreements regarding music releases and rights for label departures and commitments to Blood Shed, and among other assorted notes, he referenced looking into buying newspaper advertising, and establishing permanent staff roles for the label. Austin also referenced a couple of planned summer concerts that the label is hosting, but neither has a confirmed venue yet.

The shows in question will be headlined by Winnipeg punk band Grave Party on June 20th and Victoria death metal band Iskra (in their second local show of the year) on August 2nd, and while The New American was teased on the event pages linked above,we'll hold on adding them to our concert listings until everything is finalized. Austin closed by noting a new webseries called "BreakingSh!tWithBloodShed" which is exactly what it says on the tin, and we may note that on the site soon as well. Informative, if geared to Blood Shed's official staff and crew, so check the above links and watch below for more!



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

• The aforementioned Kaepora Gaebora have been added as the fifth and final local opening band for THIS SATURDAY'S Motherfuckers-headlined concert at The Oddfellows Hall, as per promoter J.D. Pearce on the official Facebook event page on Saturday, in what will be their second concert and first ever show outside of a house party. They'll be opening at 7:00 PM, so if you're curious in seeing how Joey, Dan, Daeson, Jeph, and Kevin sound, be at The Oddfellows Hall on SATURDAY NIGHT, and stay tuned for updates!
• Though it's tough to gauge their active status given their minimal online presence, we've moved local/Toronto indie punk veterans Treble Charger to our inactive band links, as the Juno nominees haven't made a visible public statement since their Mill Square concert last February. With that said, Greig & Bill may very well have new material and shows in the works, so if anything is publically announced through news media or official sites, we'll be sure to let you know!
• The newest episode of SooToday's (migrated from the outgoing Local2's) music webseries Tuned with Donna Hopper spotlights the recent Record Store Day festivities at The Rad Zone, and within, you'll see interview clips with the likes of Rad Zone owner Paul Muncaster and staffer/Garden of Bedlam bassist Evan Belleau on the day's importance, sales, and finds. Local doom metal trio AlgomA's recent split vinyl EP with Chronobot is given a heavy feature by Evan, heavily praising it for being a new local contribution to Record Store Day. Solid episode with lots of deserving vinyl love, so check out the full episode at the above links!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Pillory & Mourning Wood), Plus Project 421 & Kaepora Gaebora Updates!!

With SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this weekend to touch on, let's get a second news post on the site today! Alongside, we have the latest from two local metal bands, and a new show announcement for next week, so here's what you should know, but check out more news and previews in this morning's post as well!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Mourning Wood will return to Reggie's West for a pair of concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Profuse apologies for the short notice, drummer Glen Thomas only announced the shows on his personal Facebook page within the hour, and the band hasn't publically plugged them on their Facebook page at all. Fresh off of their Park Grille debut last week, Mourning Wood will play their first shows at the former Roosevelt Hotel (or "The Reggievelt") in over two months this weekend. Despite the late notice, Mourning Wood are a talented band who know a ton of songs, and they should entertain at this west end venue this weekend, so keep TONIGHT & TOMORROW'S shows in mind if you're craving live music! Both shows have 19+ age limits, no announced cover charges, and 9:30 PM start times. Don't miss Mourning Wood TONIGHT & TOMORROW at Reggie's West this weekend, and here they are at The New A!



Next up, a house party concert entitled "Metal Massacre!" will take place on April 14th (this coming Thursday) that should pique the interest of local metalheads! To be held at a residence at 124 Anna Street (the site of last year's Shit Liver and The Man & His Machine house shows), three local metal bands will take the stage on Thursday, including local thrash metal trio Pillory in their second gig and first headlining concert set since their reunion! It's great to see the guys ramping up their bookings now that they're back, so keep their return in mind next week! The show will also see debuting appearances from new bands, including death metal quartet Kaepora Gaebora (more on them in a second) and a new two-man band named Twistory. They have no online pages or public material yet, but the band will unite Pillory frontman Robert Sartini (reprising his Shadowthrone drum role) with former bandmate Josh Amendola on vocals & guitar. Interesting, we'll have to see how Twistory do!

Promoted by Josh Amendola himself, this east end house show will have admission on a "pay what you can model", it will start at 9:00 PM on Thursday, and there's no announced age limits. This should be a solid concert for fans of newer and not-recently-seen metal artists, so visit the official Facebook event page for more, and thanks to Josh for the info on Twistory!

Also, here's the latest from the aforementioned Kaepora Gaebora, so what's new on this new local metal band? Well, the former Debt to the Heirless have quietly added ex-RedD Monkey/Gates of Winter drummer Kevin Overton to their lineup, replacing Anthony Boudreau. A reason for Anthony's departure wasn't announced, but hopefully things are amicable, and fans can still see him with Them! It's great to see Kevin back in a local band, but how do Kaepora Gaebora sound? Their first video on their new YouTube channel (from a recent jam session) confirms that they're a death metal band, and in terms of lineup roles, Joey Graham is their lead singer (rather than his better known drumming position), with Dan Souliere & Daeson Lesage on guitar. The video also appears to feature the aforementioned Josh Amendola on bass, seemingly implying that he's also a new addition to Kaepora Gaebora, but the band's Facebook page doesn't (yet?) list him with their lineup.

The video proper is just 43 seconds long, and the audio quality isn't very high (which renders Joey almost inaudible during it), but given members past work with bands like Bring the Fallen, I'd assume that Kaepora Gaebora will be a must-see band for death metal fans locally! Give their video a look below, and get more info on them and their debut above!



Finally, here's the latest from local classic metal quartet Project 421, so what's new in their camp? As you may remember, the band has been put on hold for the past couple of months while guitarist Frank McGillivray tended to medical needs for his daughter Casey, but fellow guitarist Blair Burch confirmed on their Facebook page last month that Casey is fit, healthy, and doing well, which is awesome to hear! Blair also elaborated on a torn deltoid in his arm that he suffered in January prior to their most recent concert, and it's been healing since, but he did say that it was better "for the most part" and he was working to get back into playing shape. With Blair & Frank's bandmates finished their third place battle runs with their side project Eclipse, the band has apparently returned to the jam room to work on new covers & originals, with a tentative return to the stage planned for May. Also, the band acknowledged that, had life not taken the turns that it did, they had planned to record an EP for release on April 21st (or, on 4/21, like their name.)

This confirms the plans from earlier teases of that date, but with original plans now thrown out, the band is debating whether to release an EP later in the year, or work towards a full debut CD for April 21st, 2017. The band hopes to be recording this year in any case, so stay tuned for full updates when more is announced! Lastly for today, the band posted this short video making use of Facebook's new "My Business Story" video creator on Thursday, and it's amusing given that they're not the sort of business that these videos are geared towards, so what are they in the business of? Give it a look below, and stay tuned for more from Project 421 when announced!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news soon, and this month's Defunct Local Band Profile tomorrow! Thanks everyone!