As promised, let's close out this weekend's hard rock concert previews with a full extended look at an ongoing talent competition, and like last week, this is a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT. Here's what you should know!
After two weeks of competition, local rap metal trio The Apocalypse Afterparty
have advanced to the semifinals in The Soo's Got Talent, which
goes down TOMORROW NIGHT at Soo Blaster! Apologies for the short notice,
we again held our coverage of the following round due to the short
turnaround time, though followers of the event knew that the third round
was the week afterwards. Last week's action at The Verdi Hall saw the
remaining 14 acts perform for the judges, with Marilena Blair, Andrea
Dantzer, Ciara Pelletier LeBeouf, and Greg McLeod all not advancing to the final 10, so The Apocalypse Afterparty will continue flying the metal/alternative flag, even if they hate genres! However, "an issue beyond our control" forced organizers to postpone the semifinals from today to TOMORROW, and while it's not clear how related it is, the location has indeed shifted to Soo Blaster, which is a bigger venue fitting the increasing stakes, so keep the changes in mind!
Despite the changes, admission details remain similar from last week, including an 8:00 PM start time (doors at 7:00 PM), and a $10 cover charge for adults, $5 for kids 16 and under. Visit the above links for more information on what to expect at Soo Blaster TOMORROW, and for a preview, here's the second episode of The Soo's Got Talent's televised airing from SaultOnline's YouTube channel! As ONNtv subscribers may already have seen on Monday, this captures all 14 second round performers, though despite the six eliminations since week 1, they still got a 2+ hour video out of the footage shot last week. Better camera usage this time, including multiple angles and a closer primary camera, so that helps accentuate the contest progression! Remember, these performances all feature a singer covering an existing song unless otherwise stated. In performance order, we have The Apocalypse Afterparty (Lorde's "Tennis Courts", surprisingly), ...
...Madison Blair (Rihanna's "Stay"), Marilena Blair ("Amazing Grace", which was performed by Leila Rabanez on night #1), Andrea Dantzer ("A Change In Me" from Beauty & The Beast), The Dancing Divas (Taylor Swift's "Welcome to New York" with locally relevant lyric changes), Killabeatz doing another original beatboxing performance, Colin Gasparelli (a medley of the jazz standard "Summertime" & a-Ha's "Take On Me"), Bethany Pelletier LeBeouf (Avril Lavigne's "Head Above Water"), Ciara Pelletier LeBeouf (Meghan Trainor's "Me Too"), Greg McLeod (George Strait's "Write This Down"), Cameron Oliver (Ozzy Osbourne's "Mama, I'm Coming Home"), Coulson Perri (Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up"), Juliana Regan (Donny Hathaway's "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know"), and Adrian Sullivan playing an original song, before ending with an improvised bonus Killabeatz performance with a guest rapper, followed by the announcement of who advanced to the semifinals.
Note that singer/guitarist Lauren Kroll is not featured in the week 2 performances, apparently signalling her withdrawal from The Soo's Got Talent after the opening round for unannounced reasons. Hopefully nothing bad happened, she sounded good! Regarding the metal-spectrum covers, Cameron effectively handles Ozzy's classic ballad in more of a folksy acoustic format, and while I don't assume this is indicative of his complete repertoire, he seems like he can do a wide range of material. As for The Apocalypse Afterparty, the drum beat first had me thinking they were covering Death From Above, but they effectively rocked up Lorde here, and the eclectic costumes continued to surprise in their post-mask era. Barring any more unforeseen exits, they will be back TOMORROW for the semifinals along with the other 8 remaining acts, and with a bigger venue and production quality, hopefully this is another hit! Give the video a look below, and stay tuned for fallout next week!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and this month's CD review in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
Usually, the local hard rock concert calendar slows down in the autumn (Halloween aside), but that is not the case this weekend, as we have enough concert previews for two full posts, with at least one needing to be in a third post! As such, here's the schedule. This post has two SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS and our Cancer Bats preview (as that show is tonight), while we'll tackle the Whoop-Szo, Chase Wigmore, Soundcheck, and Wyld Stallyns concerts later today, with Peril's St. Ignace dates to follow tomorrow morning along with other recent stories. Hopefully that covers everything, so here's what you should know to start the weekend!
Joining his regular Gliss Restaurant matinees TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, local acoustic solo musician Tym Morrison will reportedly play at Thomson Farms Cider & Winery on Third Line West for a third straight week TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, a Facebook event page has not visibly been created to plug this show at press time, but the mill advertised Tym as performing on their Facebook page, and the show is also listed on SooToday's events calendar. Whether this is an extended weekly arrangement for the fall season or not, the third time may be the charm for fans of Tym's unplugged hard and classic rock covers, so look for him in the wine barn TONIGHT! For what it's worth, Thomson Farms will have pumpkin spice cider on sale starting today, but if you're not into that, their selection is large. Of course, Tym's ongoing Gliss shows should provide more entertaining unplugged music for your dinner-time entertainment tomorrow and Saturday, so don't miss out!
As was the case in the past two weeks, all three of these shows are age limit-devoid and have no stated cover charges (though mind the locales), and while the Gliss shows are at 6:00 PM as usual, the Thomson Farms show TONIGHT is at 5:00 PM. Visit the Gliss concerts' Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!
Next up, The Soo's Got Talent officially kicks off it's sophomore installment TOMORROW NIGHT at The Grand Gardens Verdi Ballroom (p.k.a. The Verdi Hall), and there will be one metal band/performer on the preliminary competitor roster, namely the returning Apocalypse Afterparty! Again, apologies for the short notice, their involvement only broke this week when organizers unveiled the first round lineup, and the band proper didn't publicize their Wacky Wings audition last month for us to get an advance teaser. This will be X and z's first public concert since their run of pop-up gigs in mid-2017, so can they shake off the stage rust in time for TOMORROW's talent competition? For what it's worth, their Facebook page teases a new setlist and band member, though of course, remember that they were infamous for wearing masks on stage. However, do not expect a long performance, as twenty-three acts are playing TOMORROW. I won't attempt to list all 23 here, especially as many are unfamiliar to me, but a few other familiar faces are competing!
Regarding returnees from last year, the only finalist that I can discern as playing year #2 is singer Bethany Pelletier (LeBeouf), while L!me's Madi Schomogyi is also advertised as returning. Some other familiar names may include Colin Gasparelli (from this year's Fringe North/Up The Arts music stage), 2017 Soo Youth Songwriters Contest winner Juliana Regan, and local beatboxer Killabeatz, among others. Of course, with a lineup this big, it's hard to predict who will advance, but remember that The Apocalypse Afterparty did mount a surprise finals run in 2015's VM Radio Battle of the Bands, and "songwriter" Paul Stanghetta did place in earlier battles with The Fury. However, remember that this is not a battle of the bands, and expect to see non-musicians TOMORROW NIGHT, including The Dancing Divas. Moving to The Verdi Hall after the closure of The Tech, this event is a fundraiser to support the ARCH Hospice.
Bands selected to advance at night's end will compete again next Friday, September 20th, with semifinals on September 27th, and the finals taking place on October 11th, so be sure to visit the Facebook event page for continuing updates on the competition as it progresses. The show starts TOMORROW NIGHT at 8:00 PM, with a $10 cover charge for adults, $5 for kids 16 and under, and those prices and times also apply for later rounds too. Things sound bigger and better for The Soo's Go Talent II, but who will move on to next week, and what do The A.A. have up their sleeves? See above for more details, and stay tuned for updates!
Finally, here's a big concert taking place TONIGHT at Soo Blaster, as Toronto hardcore punk/sludge metal quartet The Cancer Bats will make their long awaited return to the city for what should be a brutal time! Many fans may recall seeing these four time Juno nominees open for Billy Talent at the Gardens 9½ years ago, but this will be their first headlining show here since 2006. After too long of a wait, The Cancer Bats' hard hitting modern metal attack should melt many faces again tonight! Note that Alexisonfire's Wade MacNeil will be filling in for new dad Scott Middleton on guitar for this tour. Support will come from London post-hardcore quintet The Single Mothers and Baltimore hardcore punk band Sharptooth, who each bring proficient sounds and direct lyrics to the table for sub-genre fans, while Thunder Bay female-fronted punk quintet Forever Dead were quietly added to the bill themselves late last month. Apparently playing here last ca. 2008, Forever Dead have became a very
prominent band in Thunder Bay with their fast-paced and energetic sound, and it'll be great to see them back!
Local support will come from punk trio Redundant in their first public show of 2019, where they will reportedly unveil their new bassist, so who's handling the low end now? Find out TONIGHT! Presented by Thunder Bay's Loffredo & Associates (who brought Monster Truck here this summer), this 19+ & 8:00 PM concert has $20 tickets available at this link and presumably at the door. With this huge lineup and The Cancer Bats' positive reputation, I'm hopeful this will be a big hit at the gate and with fans, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Cancer Bats live!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Whoop-Szo, Chase Wigmore, Soundcheck, and Wyld Stallyns previews next! Thanks everyone!
At last, here's our final weekend concert preview post on this packed Rotaryfest weekend! Remember, for previews of Friday and Saturday events not involving Re:Born, check this morning's post, and yesterday second post covers Rotaryfest Stage 1. Now, we have previews of shows with the same headline band this weekend, one being a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, with overdue updates on an upcoming competitive event, so without any further adieu, here's what you should know!
Local power rock quartet Re:Born will be among the performers at this year's Loud & Proud Family Fun Day at The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON as part of this year's Sault Pridefest! Apologies for the short notice, the band did publically announce their involvement in this event last month, but we held a formal announcement for the formal reveal of the day's full musical lineup, which has surprisingly not come as of press time. Readers may recall The Din (featuring Re:Born drummer Brandan Glew) playing this event in one of their final concerts two years ago, and now it's the Project 421 successors' turn to rock out at a rare afternoon and ALL AGES set for them! Of course, this is a big annual kick-off event for the local Pridefest events celebrating LGBTQ2SIA culture & awareness, with vendors, games, demonstrations, and varying family friendly entertainment all going down at the Bushplane Museum THIS SUNDAY, so don't miss out on all of the Loud & Proud fun then!
The lack of a public lineup reveal is very surprising, but Re:Born guitarist Blair Burch told me in a Facebook conversation that the other performers will include solo musician Juliana Cartner (who I know nothing on), hip hop duo Planet Rock, folk rock veteran M.D. Dunn, and a new rock band named Woodwind, with Re:Born headlining at 3:00 PM. Thanks again to Blair for the help! A 12:30 PM start time is advertised for this FREE & ALL AGES event, and it's great to see everyone band together to support Pridefest on SUNDAY and beyond! If you're up for some all ages, mid-day classic metal, you know where to be this weekend! With that said, Re:Born have one more show coming up for their first ever double header booking on one weekend, as they'll be headlining a more traditional nightttime and 19+ concert TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! Marking their first public concert since the Cory Burch farewell show late last month, this event is titled "Brandan's Quarter Century Musical Extravaganza", referencing the show taking place on their esteemed drummer's 25th birthday. No extra frills are advertised beyond having "a few sparkling beverages", but be sure to wish Brandan a happy birthday if you're in attendance! Notably taking place concurrently with the closing acts at Rotaryfest Stage 1 tomorrow, this show could be seen as a festival alternative for those of you craving heavier or more original acts. As such, two Stage 2 bands from 2017 will be the support acts tomorrow night, including alt-punk trio A Dire Setback (who opened for Re:Born last month too) & funk/hard rock quartet The Elements!
Both bands are fine choices to open, especially as you don't see either as much live anymore, so don't miss out on them tomorrow! For what it's worth, LopLops Lounge (who have tended to book Stage 2 bands on Rotaryfest weekend) are hosting both K.I.C.K. tonight and Jack Pine tomorrow, albeit both as opening acts for touring headliners The Road Waves and The Boo Radley Project. As for tomorrow's Re:Born show, this is a 19+ concert with a $5 cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time. Check the above links for more on this metal and punk attack tomorrow night, and here's Re:Born live!
With weekend concert previews finally in the rear view mirror, we'll close today's post with some long overdue updates on the second annual Soo's Got Talent competition, so what's new to report here? Well, the audition dates are now public, as prospective competitors can audition to make the cut for the live shows over the weekends of August 23rd-24th & September 6th-7th. Though the event proper will take place at The Verdi Hall on Queen Street West (due to The Tech's closure), auditions will surprisingly take place at Wacky Wings at 688 Great Northern Road, with donations to the ARCH Hospice encouraged. I assume these are publically attendable (starting at 6:00 PM on Fridays and 4:00 PM on Saturdays), but of course, we can't confirm the lineups. If a performer (musician or otherwise) is selected to go to the live elimination shows, you'll next see them at The Verdi Hall on September 13th, with two more rounds following in the next two weeks, before the finals take place on October 11th.
For reference, singer Daniella Brewer won last year, Tym Morrison made it past the first round, and any sort of entertainment performer will be allowed to audition (magicians, comedians, dancers, you name it.) That said, will we see any metal, hard rock, or punk acts this year? At least one, maybe, as Chase Wigmore expressed interest in auditioning back in April by posting this video onto The Soo's Got Talent Facebook page (apologies for the delay in this making the site.) While he called the video his audition, I assume he'd still have to show up at Wacky's, but the page administrator did enjoy his performance! The monochrome, filtered video features Chase playing an acoustic yet intense alt-folk number that makes good use of his aggressive, passionate vocals and stage presence, and fans of his will want to give it a look below, whether or not we see him at The Verdi Hall this fall!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this weekend! Thanks everyone!
Entering the last week before the Canadian Thanksgiving break, we have some more news and back items to cover, including a lot of recent shorter items, a new guitar performance clip, and leading off, some recent updates from a prominent Sault Ontario band that have fallen by the wayside in the last week, so here's what you need to know!
We'll start today with some long overdue news from local grunge/alternative quartet Haggith, and after a brief announcement of drummer Mike Haggith's departure (since retracted), it's good to know that everything's alright in their camp! While it remains unclear if the personal concerns Mike was working through are continuing to delay their album plans, a new song from their upcoming concept release "Apocalypse II" named "Spreading The Disease" was posted onto their YouTube channel last month, and while I'll hold thoughts on it for now in advance of our next Haggith CD review, it's actually a folksy country-esque number with spoons and hand drum (no bass though.) Featured below however is a 21 minute private concert set that Haggith played at PaperClip Productions headquarters last week, as filmed with a cell phone camera from the back of the stage. This is our most extensive sneak peek at the band with new bassist James White yet, but what's played in this video?
In order, the set (entitled "Don't Ask") includes a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Rock 'N Roll", the band's own originals "Metal Cage" & "Wasted" from their other upcoming CD "XIV", and covers of Van Halen's "Panama", Bad Company's "Rock 'N Roll Fantasy", and Jimi Hendrix' "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", so click each link to hear each song! Visually, you don't see much beyond Curtis, James' head, and Mike's close-up hat, and with the dark lighting, couldn't they have moved the camera to a better spot? The audio's alright though, and it's a nice glimpse at some of Haggith's newer songs and less familiar covers, including some surprises, so give it a look below!
Next up, here's a new solo guitar video from Exiled's Joe Jenkins' YouTube channel! The former Full Throttle and Bottom Line axeslinger posted this video online on Friday, and it's of him playing a composition named "Jedi Flip" that has a bluesy hard rock groove that's pretty catchy, and it'd be cool to see him expand this to a full band scenario! The "shot from below" camera angle and glare from the ceiling light are a little odd, but give Joe's newest guitar performance clip a look below!
Finally for today, here's six shorter assorted news stories from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band or event name:
Sault Michigan hard rockers 415E have finally replaced departed members Jack Slater & Devin Anderson, as the band have confirmed the addition of Jack's Highest of Fives bandmate Mitch Goetz as their new bassist, while enlisting Chris' dad Tony on drums, reuniting 3/5ths of the original Splitshot lineup in the process! The news was announced on their Facebook page on September 23rd, and the new lineup will debut in two weeks at The Rapids Lounge, so don't miss it!
The first studio track from The Apocalypse Afterparty's upcoming debut EP is now online via their new Reverbnation page! A cover of The Fury's "The Crowd", fans of their rap/metal stylings should enjoy this, and it's recorded well. but we'll hold further comment until the EP's release. Give it a listen above!
If The Marquee entertainment stage returns at the next Bon Soo Winter Carnival in February, it will do so at a new location once again, as the festival will be moving from the Roberta Bondar Pavilion area to Mill Square at the former St. Mary's Paper site, as per this SooToday article by Michael Purvis on Friday. The move is to give Bon Soo more room for expanded activities and make the event more accessible, though it's not clear yet whether The Marquee would be at The Machine Shop or elsewhere on the site. We'll keep you posted if we hear more!
Local acid jam/hard rock collective Mike Haggith & The Din are apparently looking for a new drummer to go along with a "dramatic" lineup shift, though it's not clear whether someone left or moved to a separate instrument. The plans are for the band to become more structured than they have been in the past, though what this means for their recent recording plans isn't clear yet. If you're interested, message Mike or bandmates Curtis McKenzie or Daniel Horton on Facebook, or visit Mike's Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Monday!
Maxx Entertainment have confirmed that a third annual Toystock concert will take place on Sunday, November 30th at The Canadian Nightclub, and they are still looking for bands to play this year (presumably of the cover/bar variety to go with past themes.) Only a few spots remain, so if your band is interested in playing this event (which supports toy donations to Christmas cheer), message Maxx Entertainment at the above link!
Sporadic local concert venue and banquet hall The Verdi Hall has been sold and had it's name partially changed to Bucci's Verdi Hall, reflecting the new owners, who I believe are the same as the owners of Bucci's Place (host of last year's Big Loonie Bus Show) in Echo Bay. Things seem to be going good there for bookings and Facebook updates, and we'll let you know if any metal or punk concerts are booked there in the coming months!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news as we inch closer to the Thanksgiving weekend! Thanks everyone!
In our second post of the day, we're previewing this weekend's slate of metal & hard rock concerts! All are in Sault Ontario (at least, for ones that I can confirm at present), but if any across the river (or any short notice ones in general) turn up, we'll have them here tomorrow or Saturday! There's a pair of big multi-band concerts with very different aims and sounds in store, but we'll start with a new acoustic solo gig, so read on below for the previews, and check out this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles in the post below this one! (Updated on Friday at 12:18 AM)
Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return to The Roadhouse Bar & Grill ("Roadhouse" is officially one word now) TOMORROW NIGHT! Despite earlier word confirming tomorrow's date, this show was publically advertised on it's Facebook event page as taking place tonight, but it's since been confirmed there that this is a Friday night show as usual, so apologies for any confusion! Tym's acoustic hard rock and metal covers are always a welcome sight at a local venue, and if you can't make the Ray Brown benefit tomorrow night (more on that in a second), you can still see Tym somewhere in the next few days! TOMORROW's show has a 19+ age limit, and there isn't an announced cover charge, but for more details, checl the above links! Keep the return of Tym's solo act in mind for tomorrow night if you're up for some acoustic rock action in the East End, and for a preview, here's Tym covering Heart's "Alone" at Mill Square!
Also this weekend, a variety of local musicians will gather for a bittersweet benefit/tribute show TOMORROW NIGHT at The Verdi Hall to honour local drummer Ray Brown (formerly of The Chosen and some past heavier local bands), who is currently battling cancer in the lungs & liver, and was given only a few months to live last month. As a result, his friends and fellow local musicians have banded together to help raise money to cover his final expenses, and to help him and his family out and honour him as a person and musician. A pasta dinner will be provided for attendees at 7:00 PM tomorrow, while there will be raffles, a door prize, and games to help the cause, so visit the Facebook event page for full details on the non-musical entertainment. Confirmed bands for tomorrow night include local rock cover band Boxcar Junction
(formerly Cleveland Steamer), newer local hard rock quintet The Thrill Junkies, alternative hard
rockers Lucky 13, fellow hard rock quartet Griphook,
Obsession singer Valerie Powley and some unidentified friends, and
the aforementioned Tym Morrison (who will also be playing in between breaks.)
Local punk trio Redundant were also confirmed initially for the event, but have dropped out due to drummer Rick White's ongoing recovery from last month's hospitalization. His brother & bandmate James had suggested that his other band Caveman Morrison could fill in, but this hasn't been confirmed by event organizers. Also note that this event was moved from The Canadian Nightclub last month following the major flooding that took place there, and it was bumped from Saturday to Friday due to The Verdi Hall not booking events on the actual Thanksgiving weekend. Advance ticket sales closed yesterday, but you can still get one at the door for $25 IF you inform an administrator of the Facebook event page linked above so they can hold your ticket (also, there's no announced age limits.) Check the above links for more details! I don't know Ray personally, but I know he's a very talented musician and a good guy who's been hit hard by cancer, and it's just sad that news like this is what draws everyone together.
I just hope it's a huge success to help his family through a very trying time, and I know Ray will enjoy and be grateful for everyone's help as a result! On the musical side of things, this event really reminds me of Toystock from last year given it's base of veteran cover bands, so there should be a solid assortment of proven talent to entertain everyone and give Ray his due! Check the above links for more details on this very special event, and for a preview, here's Lucky 13 covering The Stone Temple Pilots last year!
Finally for the known hard rock concerts this weekend, a rare concert on the outskirts of Sault Ontario goes down THIS SATURDAY when new local concert promotion agency Oh! Right Arm! Promotions host The Big Loonie Bus Show, a metal concert at La Cucina (the bar underneath Bucci's Place) in nearby Echo Bay, right near the big loonie! As recently hyped with video interviews with half of the announced bands, the bands playing on Saturday include local sludge/stoner metal trio AlgomA (in just their fourth show & third public concert), popular local death metal quartets The Bear Hunters & Crimson Crusade, and local hardcore punk quintet Destroilet (in a rare show for them with no out of town headliners), while the Facebook event page still hypes a "special secret attraction" to perform as well. Note that most of the bands have new material to debut, so there's more reason to attend! Besides the unique location in Echo Bay (40 minutes east of the Soo), another unique angle is that promoters will be renting a bus to trek fans to and from La Cucina for free on Saturday night!
Drop-off and pick-up will take place outside of the Station Mall Wal-Mart and at the front entrance of the Wellington Square Mall (the earlier Wendy's/Tim Hortons spot on Great Northern is no longer planned), so if you can't/don't want to drive, or want to take a unique ride to and from this very heavy show, keep it in mind! Tickets for this 19+ show (complete with a chocolate loonie) are still available at The Rad Zone or through AlgomA members (with free delivery!) for $10, but the price jumps to $11.50 at the door, regardless of your method for getting to Echo Bay. For more details, and to get your tickets, check the above links! I know Oh! Right Arm! are really hoping that this show's a huge hit, and will encourage more concerts in Echo Bay, so take advantage of the unique location and the party bus to not miss out! Besides, with new material and that surprise band, why not go? I've got family coming up from London that night, so I can't confirm my attendance yet, but make this show a hit, the promoters deserve it and they've put in a lot of work to make this a brutal and unique concert! For a preview, here's AlgomA live at The Rosie in June!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and any late notice concert alerts shortly! Thanks everyone!
Happy Friday the 13th, everyone! Today does mark a certain spree of new song postings from Sault Michigan-area label Werehold Records (along with recent tradition), but we'll have that on here tomorrow just in case the song uploads aren't done yet. Today, we have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next week and next month (including long awaited confirmation of bands for a major event), some details and information relating to another upcoming concert, and some new song postings, so read on below for what you need to know!
Sault Ontario hard rock cover quartet Griphook will return to the stage on Friday, September 20th (one week from today) at The Nicolet Tavern! This talented veteran outfit (featuring Flat Stanley, Bigsuit, Hollow, and Gsis Murphy alumni) had been taking a break of sorts since their Rotaryfest weekend gigs two months ago, but it's great to see the full band (rather than the one-off trio "The 7 Year Itch") back at it for another concert next week! For the record, this is their first Nicolet Tavern appearance in 4 months. There's no announced cover charge for next week's concert, you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time is advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see Griphook back after their oddly long break, so don't miss their varied hard rock covers at The Nic next Friday, but if you can't make it, where else can you see them this fall?
We can see them as well at the Ray Brown benefit/tribute concert at The Verdi Hall on Friday, October 11th, as they're on the newly announced lineup for the event! As revealed by event co-organizer Donna DeSimon on the Facebook event page, Griphook will be among 7 bands (mostly cover acts) on the lineup, and in listed order, they include local punk trio Redundant, notable rock cover band Boxcar Junction (formerly Cleveland Steamer), new local hard rock quintet The Thrill Junkies (in just their fourth announced local show), alternative hard rockers Lucky 13 (in their first gig in 2 months), the aforementioned Griphook, Obsession singer Valerie Powley "and friends" (identities unclear), and Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison in a solo acoustic set, while he'll also have short performances during breaks. Nice diverse lineup, and with a solid selection of hard rock bands too! Of course, this event is in honour of veteran local drummer Ray Brown to help raise funds for his final expenses, as he was not given long to live by doctors due to his cancer battle, so come on out to pay support!
Remember, this event has been moved from The Canadian due to Monday night's flooding, and it's now on the Friday rather than Saturday due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Tickets are now on sale for $25 at The Rad Zone, along with Superior Hodge Podge & The Music Depot on Gore Street, or through event hosts credited at the event page, but get yours A.S.A.P., as only a few will be at the door. Check the above links for more details on the musical and other events (including dinner and prizes), and best of luck all around to Ray and his family!
Next up, here's the newest updates concerning the Hydra's Teeth-headlined concert at The Algonquin Pub one week from today! The Facebook event page now has an event poster that outlines entry details and the bands, while Haggith frontman Curtis McKenzie confirmed there that his band's label PaperClip Productions will provide the evening's lighting and sound. That should work out well, they have a good setup! As for the opening band that night, all-female rock band The Danger Cats, here's what we now know on them! They launched in April but only recently posted a Facebook page, and their lineup includes Summer Stevens on vocals, Paula D'Agostino on guitar, Jamie-Lynn VanSchooneveld on bass, and former Lazer Queen frontwoman Kate Drew on drums. However, all 4 members use alliterative stage names relating to big cat species (similarly to most of Lion Ride), so they're credited on Facebook as Summer Snow-Leopard, Paula Panther, Jamie Jaguar, and Kate Kougar.
I know a bit more on them given that my mom works with Jamie (and Paula formerly too), so I can confirm that some members are still gaining experience on their instruments, but they do cover at least some heavier songs, so come on out next week to support them! Compared to Sault Michigan, Sault Ontario tends to lack for women in rock bands, so hopefully The Danger Cats have a successful debut next week to help change that up! Stay tuned for updates if they come in!
Finally for today, two new songs from local grindcore solo project Brutaly Fatal were uploaded to their label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel yesterday! Entitled "Shank Shock" and "Acidic Sky's" (which is the title track of their demo), the songs still show Austin McCrae's growling and bass skills fairly well, but the absence of a full band is still all too clear, and it'd be nice to see Austin enlist other band members to fill out these promising tracks. Check out "Acidic Sky's" below, and stay tuned soon for more updates on Blood Shed Productions' grind artists!
That's all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for our recap of today's Friday the 13th uploads from Werehold Records! Thanks everyone!
Before we preview this weekend's metal & hard rock concerts, we have a new news post that's half good news and half bad. The good news comes from new song postings (including from a brand new album), but we'll start with bad news, as a local concert spot got hit hard by recent inclement weather once again, so read on below for what you should know!
Pim Street bar/concert venue The Canadian Nightclub has been hit by major flooding once again, thanks to the local rainstorm on Monday night. This is deja vu for sure, as The Canadian was flooded under very similar circumstances in July 2011, so while there isn't as much shock value given that this happened before, it's still very disappointing knowing that they'll be closed and employees will be out of work for an indefinite time period (for reference, the 2011 flooding led to 7 weeks of renovations before it's return.) In fact, The Canadian just re-opened after cosmetic renovations on August 1st, so this is weird timing for a flood to cause more work to be done. The Canadian's Jay Perron shared photos of the new damage with SooToday via this article, and the flood waters look comparable to what happened 2 years ago, but like then, I'm not in the position to estimate damages or cost of anything. Despite being on the hill, The Canadian's not in a great spot in terms of flood risk, but I hope they can bounce back from this stronger than ever, as it's a nice venue with friendly staff, and if they can overcome this once, they can do it again!
As a result, all events at The Canadian through early October will either be cancelled or relocated. If the renovations take 7 weeks again, it'd re-open in time for Halloween, but that's a personal guess & nothing else, as I don't know the extent of the coming work. In terms of announced SMS-coverable events there, the only one that's been affected by the flooding is the Ray Brown benefit/tribute concert that was scheduled for October 12th. Instead, it's been relocated from The Canadian to The Verdi Hall at 455 Queen Street West, and it's also been rescheduled to Friday, October 11th, as no local banquet halls are booking events that Saturday due to the Thanksgiving break. Nothing else has changed, so click here for all current details & for info on playing or donating prizes! I'll also note that according to Haggith's Facebook page, the Hydra's Teeth-headlined concert at The Algonquin Pub next Friday was indeed originally scheduled for The Canadian, but was moved for unknown reasons before the flooding ever happened. Stay tuned for updates on the flooding and any other related news as it comes in, and best of luck all around!
Now to some happier news, starting with Haggith drummer Mike Haggith' latest solo album, which is now available on his YouTube channel and Reverbnation page for free streaming! Like his last few solo releases, there has been changes between their last public updates and first full unveiling, so what's different? His 47th album has had the name "Where It Ends" demoted to a subtitle, and it's now called "Neighbourhood Watch II: Where It Ends", a reference and acknowledgement to his 2012 album that many songs originally were planned for. A new album cover is planned as well, and though it has yet to be unveiled, this was the original prototype. The album still has 11 songs, but the track order has been altered, and four songs have been replaced, with "Miss 76", "Lacking Common Sense" (formerly "Stalking Booze & The Raptor"), "Solitude", and "Goodbye" replacing "The Curse (of 13)", "Fading", and his covers of "The Man In Green" and "The Trip". No reason for the song changes was announced, but this is par for the course for his solo work, and the dropped songs could be on his next CD "The Tower".
Somewhat softer & more orchestral than the first "Neighbourhood Watch", a full paid release is planned for "Neighbourhood Watch II: Where It Ends" (including physical pressings), but details and information on that front is not yet out. If the paid release comes out in the next month or so, a solo Mike Haggith album will likely be our next CD review subject (either this or "The Present Din"), so keep an eye out, click here for more information, and visit this link for the whole YouTube playlist of the album! Embedded below is the first song, "Grace", and stay tuned for info on the full paid release!
Finally for today, here's a bunch of new audio uploads from defunct local grunge trio No Arrow! Ex-frontman Dann Pichette (who currently lives in Terrace Bay) recorded these at some point (with him on vocals & all instruments), but only just posted them on his YouTube channel on Saturday. The songs include originals named "Trial & Error", "System", "Rehashed Acid Reign", "Question Mark", "Far", and "Bleed Out", along with a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire", so click each link to check them out! I saw Dann make references online to these being part of an "album", but like "Souls For Sale", it's never seen a full paid release. These are solid overall, and they fit with No Arrow's past and more prominent original work, so grunge/alternative fans should get a kick out of these songs! (Note that "Rehashed Acid Reign" is an extended instrumental composition that's hard to describe.) I think No Arrow are still very underrated, and given the grunge resurgence of the past year, it's a shame they're not around to capitalize on it! One of the better tracks "Trial & Error" has been embedded below, so give it a listen!
That's probably all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for at least some of this weekend's metal & hard rock concert previews! Thanks everyone!
The news keeps on coming for this Thursday, so remember to check out some short notice new shows and previews of all the metal and hard rock gigs this weekend (including an extended LemmaFest preview) in the post below! For this post though, we have two more LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS and some new videos, so here's what you need to know, going (As usual) in chronological order!
After three shows in three months, local hard rockers Sneaky Pete will play a full weekend set for the first time ever next weekend! The veteran quartet will return to The Roosevelt Hotel on July 1st (Canada Day) & 2nd for a weekend of hard rocking covers for their fans at The Rosie! Nice to see the shows ratcheting up over the long weekend, and it's nice to finally see Sneaky Pete twice on a given weekend too! There is no announced cover charge, you must be 19 to attend these shows, and everything starts at 10:30 both nights! For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! These should be good shows, and you're in for some talented hard rock covers from this group of experienced and skilled local musicians, so definitely consider a run to the Rosie over the long weekend! Stay tuned for updates if they come in!
The other new show is a special fundraiser event, so here's what you should know. One week ago today, the Shaule family residence on Placid Avenue was severely damaged by a fire, of which the cause is currently unclear. No one in the home was hurt, but this was understandably devastating, and you can read more at this location. As such, a benefit/fundraiser is being hosted at The Verdi Hall on July 8th (two weeks from tomorrow) that will also double as a concert, and there is some SMS-coverable bands already announced! Local hardcore bands As It Stands and Changing Waves have been confirmed for this event, as has local solo artist Lisa Steinwedel, with more acts to be announced. Nice to see some metal bands rallying together to help the Shaule family in this time of need! The Verdi Hall will have it's bar open for this event, though it is all ages, so remember ID if you want to order anything alcoholic. Tickets are $15 for this event, and you can purchase them from any of the people listed at the Facebook event page. At least 50 will be held at the door if you want to wait until then, but I'd recommend buying advance tickets in case the door tickets go fast. And before anyone asks, yes this is a public event. As It Stands wouldn't have plugged it on their Facebook page if the general public wasn't welcome.
This is a great event that will hopefully raise some well deserved funds for the Shaules in this troubling time! My dad's home burned up in a fire when I was 6, and we lost the cat, much of my dad's magic equipment, and most of our possessions in it, so I remember how it feels. I personally don't know the family, but I feel their pain! Definitely consider making it to this event to help the family out, they could use it! As always, stay tuned for updates on this fundraiser as I hear them!
We close today with new videos, and first, did you miss The Isosceles Project when they hit The Roosevelt Hotel on May 23rd? I did, thanks to computer issues (that was around when I traced them to overheating), and I'm still bummed out about it. If you're disappointed at missing this talented Toronto instrumental metal band in action, than good news, as a local concert video from the show is now online! Despite repeatedly calling our city "Sue Ste. Marie", this indeed from the May 23rd concert, and it's of The Isosceles Project playing their 11+ minute original song "Oblivion's Candle"! Filmed on a stationary camera sort of on the side/back of the stage, it was uploaded onto the band's YouTube channel earlier today. Looks good, though the sound is slightly distorted, I'm not sure why. It just sounds kinda off. Makes me wish I was there even more though, they're at their usual proficient and energetic selves here, though bassist Scott Tessier doesn't come through too well due to his stage placement. Solid stuff though, hopefully they come back to town soon! Check out The Isosceles Project playing "Oblivion's Candle" below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for my long overdue news from Half A Man, Rotaryfest & LemmaFest lineup details, and more very soon! Thanks everyone!
After two weeks of competition, local rap metal trio The Apocalypse Afterparty
have advanced to the semifinals in The Soo's Got Talent, which
goes down TOMORROW NIGHT at Soo Blaster! Apologies for the short notice,
we again held our coverage of the following round due to the short
turnaround time, though followers of the event knew that the third round
was the week afterwards. Last week's action at The Verdi Hall saw the
remaining 14 acts perform for the judges, with Marilena Blair, Andrea
Dantzer, Ciara Pelletier LeBeouf, and Greg McLeod all not advancing to the final 10, so The Apocalypse Afterparty will continue flying the metal/alternative flag, even if they hate genres! However, "an issue beyond our control" forced organizers to postpone the semifinals from today to TOMORROW, and while it's not clear how related it is, the location has indeed shifted to Soo Blaster, which is a bigger venue fitting the increasing stakes, so keep the changes in mind!
Despite the changes, admission details remain similar from last week, including an 8:00 PM start time (doors at 7:00 PM), and a $10 cover charge for adults, $5 for kids 16 and under. Visit the above links for more information on what to expect at Soo Blaster TOMORROW, and for a preview, here's the second episode of The Soo's Got Talent's televised airing from SaultOnline's YouTube channel! As ONNtv subscribers may already have seen on Monday, this captures all 14 second round performers, though despite the six eliminations since week 1, they still got a 2+ hour video out of the footage shot last week. Better camera usage this time, including multiple angles and a closer primary camera, so that helps accentuate the contest progression! Remember, these performances all feature a singer covering an existing song unless otherwise stated. In performance order, we have The Apocalypse Afterparty (Lorde's "Tennis Courts", surprisingly), ...
Note that singer/guitarist Lauren Kroll is not featured in the week 2 performances, apparently signalling her withdrawal from The Soo's Got Talent after the opening round for unannounced reasons. Hopefully nothing bad happened, she sounded good! Regarding the metal-spectrum covers, Cameron effectively handles Ozzy's classic ballad in more of a folksy acoustic format, and while I don't assume this is indicative of his complete repertoire, he seems like he can do a wide range of material. As for The Apocalypse Afterparty, the drum beat first had me thinking they were covering Death From Above, but they effectively rocked up Lorde here, and the eclectic costumes continued to surprise in their post-mask era. Barring any more unforeseen exits, they will be back TOMORROW for the semifinals along with the other 8 remaining acts, and with a bigger venue and production quality, hopefully this is another hit! Give the video a look below, and stay tuned for fallout next week!
