LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Nate's Chow), The End Of Piecing It Together Shows, And New Videos!!

A new week doesn't mean we're letting our foot off the gas in terms of getting recent un-talked about stories finally talked about, and today's half Michigan/half Canada post includes recent concert festival fallout, the impending closure of a local concert promotion agency, and leading off in the EUP, a new live cover video and some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for our Yooper readers. Here's what you should know!

Rebranded local hard rock trio Nate's Chow have announced three upcoming concerts for next month, as per this AI-generated poster from their Facebook page last month! After the former Unfortunate Sun and Fake Chow successors returned to the stage at The Islander Bar in Hessel on August 7th, they will be back there for their second show of this era on Saturday, September 5th, so keep this Labour Day weekend gig in mind if you want to see Jody, Brett, and Jason back in the Les Cheneaux Islands area! One week later, the guys will headline the annual Stalwart Agricultural Fair in nearby Goetzville, which the then-Unfortunate Sun played at in 2024 (country rock cover band One Can Short were last year's closing band). Nate's Chow will cap off the festivities on Saturday, September 12th, and this feels in many ways like the EUP answer to this weekend's Laird Fair, so click here for full details on the rural and farm-friendly entertainment then!

Nate's Chow will be playing in the on-site pavilion at 8081 East M-48 in Goetzville, admission is a flat $5 for weekend passes (no single day options), and this is absolutely all ages. Finally for the new shows, the renamed group will play their first Sault Ste. Marie date of this era when they rock The Merchants Bar on Saturday, September 26th, so keep that gig in mind as well if you wanna see how the Skip-less group sound and you'd prefer to do so in the Soo! The Merch show should be at 9:00 PM, the Islander Bar and Stalwart Fair gigs are at 8:00 PM, and the bar shows are both 21+. Visit the above links for more on Nate's Chow's early fall slate of concerts!

Next up, here's a video of Munising classic/hard rock cover quintet The Sky Pilots' headlining concert at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino on May 30th! The first public video that I've ever seen from one of their local gigs, this 40 seconds-long video features The Sky Pilots covering Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O Mine". While short, it's unique in that frontwoman Melissa Strand (formerly of local bands Swayze Train and Electric Motor Fish) filmed this while singing on stage, letting us see her vantage point of the crowd, the lounge, and her bandmates. Good cover from what we hear, and the video is definitely fun for what it is, so give it a watch!

Now let's head to Sault Ontario, starting with a story that is one of the oldest items in the backlog that I've put off for way too long, as local concert promotion agency Piecing It Together Shows is closing operations later this year. Owner Nicole Dyble revealed the news in a post on their Facebook page on July 12th, where Nicole (who is non-binary) revealed that they are moving to Toronto, and will be commuting between there and here for the rest of the year. As of July 12th, four further P.I.T.S. events were scheduled, including a house party concert headlined by Regina ambient noise group Allinesik the following week, but details on the other three events have yet to be announced. Piecing It Together Shows launched as Dryer Fire in 2018 in the wake of the closure of Nicole's former venue The Gore Street Cafe, and counting the laundromat and their run before changing the company name, Nicole put on over 300 community events, concerts or otherwise, over the past 11 years, while championing local charities and arts initiatives.

Nicole's concerts only occasionally tripped the SMS' genre lines, but they did a lot in the local arts community (music and visual alike) over the past decade, including via such large scale events as the Fishbowl Festival, the It's The Pits festival, and their various long-term residencies at pop-up venues. I still don't know if Nicole ever explained why they went with the peach pit motif for their branding after 2024 or not, but P.I.T.S. had a distinct identity that covered a lot of local ground. We'll let you know if those final three Piecing It Together Shows concerts involve hard rock or punk acts, but best of luck to Nicole in the move and their future plans!

Finally for today, let's look at some fallout from the second annual WestFest at Anna Marinelli Park on August 8th! SooToday's Darren Taylor was on hand for the West Village Revitilization Project's summer festival, covering it in this article with 16 photos of the day's events, the first four featuring opening alt-hard rock band Riverside Stasis.  Good and positive article that outlines some of the vendors and positive thoughts of the day! Mike Blair's 705Live Sound Co. was at the soundboard for WestFest II, and while he did not share a Facebook video from any performers on the company page, he did upload a video of closing local folk supergroup The Ontarians' set to his personal Facebook page that The Ontarians did share publically. WestFest's official recap video features brief clips of both The Ontarians and The Golden Scoundrels' sets, plus lots of looks at the attendees and vendors, but the audio is dubbed over with a Turnstile song.

Odd choice when only Riverside Stasis come anywhere remotely close in genre, and they weren't even in the video, but it's well edited (if vertical). Lastly, 104.3 The Fox posted a video from Ava Nori's set as an Instagram-exclusive video, confirming that she sang with acoustic accompaniment from Scoundrels guitarist Brandon Ruch, who commutes from Southern Ontario for their local gigs. The video shows them covering "Home" by the country singer Brent Morgan, with Ava & Brandon sharing vocals, and she has a distinctive voice that I hope gets more time on stage! Hopefully more WestFest media surfaces, but check everything out at the above links, and stay tuned for more news and notes this week! Thanks everyone!

The WestFest II & Rock N' Roll Ave Concert Previews!!

As promised, here's part #2 of this weekend's hard rock concert previews! Due to how long the WestFest preview ran, I'm bumping our Generations and Bone Yard 225 previews to our next post alongside Curtis McKenzie, so this post only has two write-ups for weekend shows, though one eats up 3/4ths of the post. We'll start in Sault Michigan today, as this involves a show tomorrow where the other Canadian ones don't, so here's what else you should know on this Thursday evening!

While fans in St. Ignace can check out the EUP debuts of Nolium this weekend at their Kewadin Casino branch, fans an hour north will instead bear witness to the first regional appearances of Mount Pleasant classic/hard rock cover band Rock N' Roll Ave TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino! A spin-off/side project from the metalcore band Black Out, this weekend's shows aren't just Rock N' Roll Ave(nue)'s first in the Soo, but their first anywhere since relaunching earlier this year. Rehearsal videos and pre-comeback live videos point to a good hard rocking cover range, though be careful, as their Facebook page also hosts Black Out videos, and they're just a tad more extreme! This weekend's shows are 9:00 PM affairs tomorrow and Saturday night with 21+ age limits and no cover charges. See above for more details, and here's a recent Rock N' Roll Ave jam video!

Now let's head to Sault Ontario with the second annual WestFest, which returns to Anna Marinelli Park in Jamestown on SATURDAY! This "block party meets music festival" is part of the West Village Revitilization Project's ongoing efforts to improve and rehabilitate the Jamestown and Steelton areas of downtown Sault Ste. Marie, and there will be food and craft vendors, family activities, and more at this outdoor event, so be sure to visit the West Village Renewed Facebook page for full non-musical details! Musically speaking, we are down from seven acts last year and five in initial marketing to just four tomorrow, with the only hard rock-leaning band being new local alternative hard rock band Riverside Stasis in their fifth public concert and first since the departure of guitarist Liam Dinsmore. Frontwoman Tea Emlaw headlined last year's WestFest in her prior band Handsome Sandwich's final Sault Ste. Marie concert set, but this band is opening WestFest II at 5:00 PM.

Riverside Stasis were strongly hinted as being signed up for the talent show/battle of the bands to find the opening act, only for that to be cancelled due to "unforeseen circumstances", so they were acclaimed as the openers on Saturday. Hopefully things go well for Tea and the guys tomorrow! The rest of Saturday's lineup includes local/Collingwood folk supergroup The Ontarians (featuring the Soo's own Frank Deresti and Chris Johns) as headliners, alongside folk/country quartet The Golden Scoundrels (the only returning band from last year's WestFest) and Treble Charger frontman Greig Nori's daughter Ava Nori in the first public concert appearance by her as a lead performer that I can recall. Marketing up to last month also had BookcluB/ex-Hails guitarist Carmen Muto playing a rare solo set (a video of him shredding an electric guitar was even shared to the West Village Renewed Facebook page).

Unfortunately, it appears that Carmen has dropped out of WestFest and has not been replaced, and any promotion directly referencing him/his set was taken down. I have not heard a reason why Carmen isn't playing on Saturday, but hopefully nothing too serious happened, and don't miss him with BookcluB at the next Downtown Street Party in two weeks! Other set times haven't been announced, but WestFest II takes place from 4:00-11:00 PM on Saturday, it is absolutely all ages, and admission at 169 James Street will be via donation (last year was free). Weather-wise, 9&10 News is calling for a high of 20° on Saturday and a low of 13° with sunny skies and no likely rain, but this is two days out, so keep tabs on your preferred forecast just in case. Despite the smaller lineup, WestFest sounds like a good time and with agreeable weather, so visit the above links for full details, and here's Riverside Stasis live!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for the rest of this weekend's hard rock concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

A New Band In Our Sault Michigan Links, Plus New Videos!!

I hope everyone had a good Civic Holiday, especially if you had the day off! Alas, not everyone in Sault Ontario did. For our sixth post already this month, we have the latest on a new addition to our Sault Michigan band links and a new teaser video for an upcoming festival, so here's what you should know!

Over a week removed from their debut at this year's Superior Whitefish Festival Battle of the Bands, let's roll new Sault Ste. Marie/Dafter hard rock band The 8th Fire into our coverage! Successors to the former Molly & The Other Guys, The 8th Fire is the new live band project from 14 year old singer/bassist and Interlochen Arts Academy student Molly Escherich. She is joined here by Project 906 guitarist Joe Jenkins (who also provides backing vocals and occasional lead vocals) and former Exit 808 drummer Jackie Moon, who was one of The Other Guys when Molly led them to victory at 2024's Lake Superior State University Battle of the Bands (more on year #4 of that annual event soon). Presumably taking their name from the Anishinaabe's Seventh Fire Prophecy, The 8th Fire logged just one practice before the battle of the bands in Brimley last month, and yet still won second place, which ain't too bad!

Quietly launching their Facebook page in May, I'm not sure how much we'll see The 8th Fire in terms of regular bookings, as the fall semester at Interlochen begins after Labour Day, and Molly's own summer calendar from her solo Facebook page doesn't list any further 8th Fire gigs. The Facebook page must mean that we'll see them again, but will something new be announced short term? Could they compete at the next LSSU Battle? We'll let you know if we hear anything, but if you're curious to see more of Molly, Joe, and Jackie, their full Superior Whitefish Battle set was filmed in full for her YouTube channel! You can also watch Molly's acoustic performance from the pre-battle "Music In The Park" matinee block at this link, and that may make the SMS yet pending if she covered anything heavy. If you missed my review of the battle, Molly started the set with a solo acoustic original about a perfect boat day with her dad.

Afterwards, The 8th Fire proper covered Redbone's "Come & Get Your Love", The Doobie Brothers' "Listen To The Music", Green Day's "When I Come Around", Hole's "Malibu", Seven Mary Three's "Cumbersome" (with Joe on vocals), Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead Or Alive", Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean", Judas Priest's "You've Got Another Thing Comin'", and Ozzy Osbourne's "Mr. Crowley". I won't repeat my original thoughts from my live review, especially this soon after, but it was a solid set despite the lack of rehearsal and Joe's broken guitar string, and I will note that The 8th Fire did seem to get heavier as things went along! Molly's channel also uploaded the "Mr. Crowley" and "Billie Jean" covers as separate videos, though the "Billie Jean" one was cropped into normal widescreen orientation, which I heartily welcome, especially as the full video was shot vertically (look at all that tent!).

Good stuff overall, and here's hoping we see more of The 8th Fire before too long, but give their full Brimley set a watch below, and stay tuned for more from Molly and the Whitefish Festival Battle!

We'll close today with another video from a female-fronted local band, but this time in Sault Ontario, as local alt-hard rock band Riverside Stasis posted this video on their Facebook page on July 22nd to promote their set at the second annual WestFest at Anna Marinelli Park this Saturday! Featuring the band's current four-piece lineup (Liam Dinsmore hadn't left yet when this was shot, but they knew he was leaving shortly and wouldn't be at WestFest), the guys take turns promoting the festival and their set at 5:00 PM, ending with a new(?) audio clip of them jamming, though the audio quality isn't high, and did this video have to be vertical too? Still a good teaser, so give it a watch below, and our WestFest preview is coming later this week!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for mid-week concert previews on the SMS next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Lazys & WestFest II!)

Happy Canada Day to our Canadian readers! Just a quick note that the full music schedule for TODAY'S opening day of Poutine Feast was finally revealed on the You Belong SSM Facebook page yesterday, confirming that Vito Tassone (credited as "VT Music") and Josh "The Preacher" McNally will also be performing, as will unspecified indigenous performers. The official timeslots weren't given, but they're in descending performance order with Eli Russell & The River Fools up first at 12:00 PM, and BookcluB & Dos Amigos both confirmed on Instagram that they'd be at 8:15 and 4:15 PM respectively. If you're going to the plaza, have fun and stay hyrdrated! Now, here's two big LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to look for in the coming months!

The full lineup for the second annual WestFest at Anna Marinelli Park on Saturday, August 8th was gradually revealed on the West Village Renewed Facebook page last month, and with this video 100% confirming the five final acts (down from seven last year), who all is heading to Jamestown next month? Surprisingly, only one band from 2025 is returning this year, and unlike last year's focus on Rotaryfest alumni (all but one act being from recent Stage 2 lineups), the four newcomers here have never played Rotaryfest in the forms you'll be seeing at WestFest II. Headlining this year are local/Collingwood folk rock quartet The Ontarians (featuring the Soo's own Frank Deresti and Chris Johns), while folk/country quartet The Golden Scoundrels will co-headline as the only return act from last year. Two familiar faces will play solo sets prior, including the solo debut of BookcluB/ex-Hails guitarist Carmen Muto!

I have no idea what Carmen's solo set will entail in terms of genres, possible bandmates, if he'll be singing too, etc., but he's an exceedingly talented guitarist for his age, so hopefully he makes a big impression! Also performing at WestFest next month is Ava Nori, the daughter of Treble Charger frontman Greig Nori, who you may recall guesting with her dad's band at their last local concert at The Machine Shop in March 2024. Ava's arguably better known for her poetry (she was interviewed about it on The Borderline, even), but come out to Anna Marinelli Park to see how she does as a solo musician! Opening on August 8th are new local alt-hard rock quintet Riverside Stasis, one year after singer Tea Emlaw headlined WestFest 1 with Handsome Sandwich in that band's final Sault Ste. Marie concert set. I have no clue if Riverside Stasis were always planned to play next month, or if they had signed up for the cancelled battle of the bands to find the opening act.

Given their pedigree (including 3/5ths of HeadFirst), hopefully they were picked on their own merits, but regardless, Sault Ontario has been snakebit for battles of the bands since the pandemic! Like last year, WestFest is a centerpiece event for The West Village Revitalization Project in their efforts to revive and bring attention to the Jamestown and Steelton areas in the west end of the downtown core, and community initiatives and causes therein. Termed as a "block party meets music festival", this outdoor event at 169 James Street will also feature local vendors and family activities, and if the same as 2025, a beer garden, so click here for full non-musical details and any to come. This year's WestFest is blocked to start and end later than last year's, with an advertised runtime of 4:00-11:00 PM, with Riverside Stasis kicking off the live music at 5:00 PM. While last year's was free, WestFest II will have admission by donation, so pay what you can to support the cause.

While Riverside Stasis are the only assuredly hard rock-leaning act next month (again, I don't know what to expect from Carmen solo), there should be a little for everyone to enjoy musically at WestFest II, and I do hope that the weather cooperates, both in terms of possible rain and the temperature/humidity next month. Kudos to West Village Renewed for keeping their revitalization going, and visit the above links for more details!

Finally, Australian hard rock quintet The Lazys will make their local concert debut on Friday, October 9th at Blaster Powerhouse! Announced late last month via this poster that bafflingly doesn't give the date (The Lazys' website and the Facebook comment replies confirmed it), this is a band that will be familiar to listeners of 104.3 The Fox, as The Lazys have far more Canadian rock radio success than American thanks to hit singles like "Too Tough To Die" & "Hot Under The Collar". While not as AC/DC-coded as their fellow Aussies in Airbourne, there's still a retro flair to their catchy brand of hard rock, and no less than Ian D'Sa from Billy Talent has co-wrote music with them, so it'll be neat finally see The Lazys in the Soo! Opening on October 9th (also in their local debut) are Winnipeg "nu grunge punk n' roll" quartet The Bloodshots, an all-Indigenous group whose described genre is pretty accurate, as they cover a lot of ground in their original music, so there's a lot to like within, and do check them out in advance!

A local opening band is to be announced for this all ages concert, which is expected to start at 8:15 PM. Advance tickets are on sale for $40 at this link and presumably at the former Soo Blaster, and the price will jump to $50 at the door. This should be a fun concert for modern hard rock fans with an old school flair, and there's three months to prepare for it, so visit the above links for more details, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews and this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Fyrbird & Nate's Chow) Plus More Recent News & Updates!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to apologize for missing a concert on Saturday on here that ended up being called off anyway. New local hard rock quartet 5 Dollar Bribe were supposed to play a free hour-long set outside of Long & McQuade that day at 3:00 PM for the McDonald Avenue chain music store's customer appreciation day (beginning at noon), but the store's Facebook page confirmed that it was postponed due to the unpredictable weather, and it did indeed rain heavily at points on Saturday afternoon. Hopefully Long & McQuade do indeed reschedule this event for fans and customers alike! Now, here's some recent assorted updates, and kicking things off, two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS in the E.U.P.!

The Sault Michigan hard rock cover band once known as Unfortunate Sun will end their recent break by headlining at The Islander Bar in Hessel on Friday, August 7th! This show comes five months after frontman Skip Parish stepped away from the band, and after teasing a name change to simply "Unfortunate" in April as part of their effective relaunch, they have settled on Nate's Chow, combining the names of Unfortunate Sun and their predecessors Fake Chow. "Nate" is the AI-generated beaver in their recent promotional images, implying that he will be their mascot going forward (for better or worse, Unfortunate Sun embraced AI art for their concert posters and schedules, and unlike the name, that hasn't changed). Unless "Nate" is representing a mystery lead singer to be announced, their Facebook page lists the band as a trio, with Jody, Brett, and Jason all credited on vocals.

How will the new look Nate's Chow fare at The Islander Bar in two months, especially as they haven't played there since December? Time will tell, but hopefully this is a successful return/relaunch! This 21+ concert will take place at 8:00 PM with no announced cover charge, and while it takes place the night of the Les Cheneaux Islands Car Show On The Bay, that will be based out of nearby Cedarville. Visit the above links for more details!

Next up, let's take the half hour drive southwest from Hessel to St. Ignace, where Manistique hard rock cover duo Fyrbird will return for a special Thursday night concert at The Driftwood Sports Bar on September 17th! Like with the previously-covered Tarnished show on Friday, September 18th (that Saturday will have DJs), Fyrbird are returning to Mackinac County for that weekend's Richard Crane Memorial Truck Show. The Driftwood are happy to book bands on St. Ignace vehicle show weekends this year, with Fyrbird already playing during/after Bronco The Mac and also during next week's car show, so clearly this tie-in is working! Like their other Driftwood shows this year, Jamie & Rikk will rock out at 9:00 PM that night with a 21+ age limit and no cover charge, so visit the above links for more on Fyrbird's St. Ignace shows ahead! While we're on the subject, three videos from Fyrbird's Bronco The Mac weekend show were posted on The Driftwood's Facebook page!

Alas, the videos are all vertical, around 12 seconds long apiece, and filmed distantly from the stage, with attendees at the bar more prominent than Fyrbird themselves. They're just background noise in this clip, while this video appears to show them covering Rage Against The Machine's "Killing In The Name", but they're not focused on compared to bar patrons. The best of the three (featuring their cover of AC/DC's "Highway To Hell") at least zones in on dancing fans near the stage, and you do get Jamie singing on it. What we hear sounds good and tight for their duo setup, but if only these videos were longer, closer, and horizontal! Give them a watch above and below!

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

 

• I have moved Sault Ontario death metal quintet Bardos (née Bardo) to our inactive band links. The Them spinoff (led by Heavy North Entertainmnent promoter Tyler St. Amour) have not posted on their Facebook page for reasons other than plugging H.N.E. events since October 2024, a few weeks after their sole gig opening for Selias at the former Soo Blaster. They had a promising lineup, and hopefully we hear more from Tyler, Danielle, the Christophers, and Travis in due course! As their public activity largely predated their name change, they'll be listed in our inactive links as Bardo, but I'll re-add the S if they come back with that name.
• Local hard rock cover band Half Past have parted ways with drummer Johnny Amendola, as per their Facebook page on May 21st. Since their most recent gig at Beck's Bar on New Year's Eve, Johnny has joined both Soundcheck and Separate Wayz, and even if things are 100% amicable with Half Past, that obviously eats into his availability. Half Past are looking for a new drummer that is able to rehearse once a week and perform "a handful of times per year", and has means of transportation. If you're interested in trying out behind the kit, message Half Past above, but kudos to Johnny for helping Jordan, Al, and Art in their return as a live act since 2023!
• Also newly moved to our inactive band links are Half Past's acoustic side project The Isolation Sessions, who last updated their Facebook page to thank everyone for seeing them at the Helping Hearts For Helping Hands fundraiser at the Grand Gardens Downtown in March of last year, which was both their public concert debut and the reason for their public revival after a three+ year hiatus. This pandemic-birthed unplugged act always had promise given their Half Past ties, and hopefully we see Jordan and Al back at it soon! 
• After four years of only opening for private and specialty bookings, The Rockstar Bar has properly re-opened, as per recent social media marketing! Their Facebook page notes that the patio is open for the summer, and that they are currently running with a live DJ on Saturday nights. No word on when/if they'll resume hosting bands on any semblance of a regular schedule, but it is great to see the upstairs nightclub at The Algonquin Hotel back in action after such a long & mostly dormant period!
• Regarding the aforementioned Soundcheck and Separate Wayz, Soundcheck singer/guitarist Travis Sharpe appears to have guested with their sister band during Separate Wayz' Reggie's Place concert on Friday, as per a new photo from their Facebook page featuring all five combined band members on stage there (Travis was on guitar with Nicole singing). Assuming that this isn't an old Soundcheck concert photo from an "epic crossover" gig, it is neat that Travis was available for at least one song with Nicole and their mutual bandmates! This weekend's shows were always advertised on social media as being Separate Wayz gigs only.
• If you're wondering why we didn't cover the WestFest talent show at Beck's Bar last week to determine the day's opening band, it's because the event was cancelled "due to unforeseen circumstances", as per the West Village Renewed Facebook page. Alas, whether for ticket sales or band sign-ups, "unforeseen circumstances" usually means "we didn't foresee that turnout would be this low". As such, organizers confirmed that "we are choosing our opener", which would have happened if there wasn't a talent show anyway. The lineup is being gradually announced on social media, and we'll let you know when the entire bill for WestFest II is unveiled!

 

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the SMS this week! Thanks everyone!

B.A. Johnston & Silent 9 Concert Previews, Plus Early Details On WestFest II!!

Let's wrap up this weekend's known and public hard rock concert previews with what's going down at a popular west end venue, as well as early details on a returning summer concert festival still looking for bands!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 will cap off their spring calendar with shows at The Esquire Club TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! As usual, the band will not play any public nightclub gigs over the summer, instead focusing on special events, festivals, and private bookings, so if you want to rock out with Jess, Ryan, Paul, and Steve again before their focus shifts for the season, head to the west end this weekend! While there was some confusion as to if Silent 9 would even be playing at The Esquire Club tomorrow given the B.A. Johnston booking (more on that in a second), it has been confirmed in recent promotion that Silent 9 are still playing tomorrow, just with a later start time. Tonight's show starts at 9:00 PM as normal, tomorrow's will kick off at 10:00 PM, and regardless, both gigs are 19+ with no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details on Silent 9's classic and hard rock cover action this weekend, and here they are live!

Next up, Hamilton outsider folk/acoustic punk troubador B.A. Johnston will make his own return to the Soo TOMORROW NIGHT at the aforementioned Esquire Club! A well travelled, eclectic, and proudly Canadian musician, B.A. is known for frequently playing here, always at different venues than the last (including at Venue on Queen Street East last year), so him finally landing on The Esquire Club isn't that surprising, even though that venue isn't historically known for booking touring artists. This time though, B.A. seems like the supplement rather than the headliner, as he is playing a one hour set at 9:00 PM before Silent 9 take the stage, and the venue is treating these as separate concerts back to back. Hopefully B.A. crams his hour full of his freewheeling unplugged punk classics, and do give his videos a watch for a better glimpse of what he brings to the table! Maybe he'll even play on top of a car again?

As with Silent 9 (the de facto headliners, you could say), this is a 19+ concert with no announced cover. See above for more details, but rest assured, you'll wanna be there to see what he sings about and who he plays off of in the audience! For a preview, here's B.A. Johnston live!

Also today, you may have heard that WestFest is coming back this summer, so what should you know there? The West Village Revitalization Project launched this event in July of last year at Anna Marinelli Park at 169 James Street as part of their efforts to renew and better the west end of downtown Sault Ste. Marie (Jamestown & Steelton), and last year's WestFest featured family entertainment, vendors, a beer garden, and yes, live music from local artists. WestFest II returns a little later in the year for 2026 (on Saturday, August 8th), and while a lineup announcement is not out yet, organizers are planning to host a talent show to find at least one additional act! On May 14th, the West Village Renewed Facebook page announced that they were looking for "up-and-coming, undiscovered" local musicians to apply for a chance to compete for an opening slot at Beck's Bar on Saturday, June 6th.

I do apologize for the week+ delay on our end, but there is still time, so if your band is interested in a slot at this returning outdoor summer concert festival, contact organizers at the above links for more details by Wednesday! This definitely smells more like a battle of the bands than a "talent show", but perhaps the verbiage is intentional to leave things open to solo artists without compromising (note that Matthew James was the only solo artist on last year's bill). An online application form for the competition is now online, confirming that organizers want artists "ready to bring energy, originality, and a strong live performance", and "selected finalists" will be picked to compete on the 6th in front of a judges panel and "a community audience" (no word on if a fan vote will play into the selections). Only one winner is mentioned there, and while they will be featured in WestFest promotions, I don't know if any other prizes will be awarded.

Just as a point of reference, last year's WestFest had seven acts (including headliners Handsome Sandwich in their final Sault Ste. Marie concert), and all but one were recent performers on Rotaryfest Stage 2, though I hope that doesn't pigeonhole the artist registrations. No word on if they're waiting for the battle to announce the remaining lineup or not, but it will be interesting to see who all is heading west (well, west in the downtown) for year #2! Visit the above links for more details on WestFest 2026 and the talent show applications, and that's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes this weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Napoleon) Plus More Weekend Concert Previews!!

As promised, let'swrap up this weekend's concert previews with tonight's post, along with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for this fall, so here's what you should know on this Friday evening!

Local promotion agency Heavy North Entertainment will host their fourth post-relaunch concert and first since May on Friday, September 26th, when Toronto post-hardcore quartet Napoleon make their local debut at Soo Blaster! If you want something heavy, Napoleon will deliver with their blend of modern screamo and punk/alternative influences, and they should appeal to many readers with their in-your-face energy, so don't miss out in two months' time! The only currently signed local opener is Instagram-only hard rock quartet Maynard Hayes in their third show and first time not opening for Convergence. Hopefully their momentum is building well following The Pit & The Upheaval! At least one more opening band is to be announced, but note that May's H.N.E.-promoted Derev concert had three opening acts. This presumably all ages concert currently has an early 5:00-10:00 PM run time, so we'll see if that holds by the time the show takes place.

Tickets run for just $15 plus processing fees at this link, and will presumably be available at Soo Blaster (no word on if Maynard Hayes, Heavy North, or potential other opening acts will have them too). Good eaely signs for this show, especially being a Friday nighter, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details as they roll in!

Next up, here's more weekend concert previews, starting with local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations, whose scheduled shows this weekend were cancelled. They were slated to return to Jay's Piston Broke Pub TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT, as well as host last night's jam night there, but according to drummer Tony Santoro on their Facebook group on Tuesday, they won't be playing this weekend "due to unfortunate circumstances". They rebounded fast however, as they'll instead be rocking Reggie's Place TONIGHT & TOMORROW instead. Technically speaking, apologies for the short notice, but you could argue that the two proper concerts were just relocated. Fresh off of their Rotaryfest headlining set from this past Friday, this weekend's concerts are at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover charges as usual, and for the record, I haven't heard if Jay's has a replacement band playing there instead. See above for more details, and here's Generations live.

Next up, the first annual WestFest goes down TOMORROW at Anna Marinelli Park at 169 James Street! Spearheaded by the West Village Revitalization Project, this is a keystone event in their ongoing efforts to revitalize the western section of downtown Sault Ste. Marie (Steelton and Jamestown), with WestFest being promoted as a "block party meets music festival" featuring family entertainment and activities, local vendors, and even a beer garden, so visit the official website for full non-musical details on tomorrow's events! This outdoor festival just off of Albert Street West will feature seven acts, all but one being recent veterans of Rotaryfest Stage 2, but only the headliners are fully SMS-amenable, namely alt-hard rock quartet Handsome Sandwich! They'll take the stage tomorrow at 8:30 PM in their second live set of 2025 and since contracting to a quartet, and it should be a fine way to enjoy their eclectic and pointed original tunes!

Drummer Johnny Belanger and former Handsome Sandwich guitarist Brandon Ruch will also join forces in the co-headlining band tomorrow, namely bluegrass/country quartet The Golden Scoundrels, who play at 7:00 PM. Fresh off of their Stage 2 return this past Saturday, indie rock quartet Jupiter Marvelous (entirely made up of past hard rock band members) will perform at 6:00 PM, with folk/indie singer/songwiter Matthew James taking the stage prior at 4:45 PM. Indie/alternative band Lucy's Diner (née The Hollow Heads) perform at 3:45 PM ahead of a country set by former Soundcheck singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver at 2:45 as his local farewell tour presses on. The only band tomorrow who aren't a Stage 2 veteran are the late additions kicking things off, as veteran classic rock duo Frankly Speaking will start the day at 1:45 PM. Not the heaviest lineup going, but there should be a little something for everyone at WestFest, plus the other events all day!

This FREE & ALL AGES community festival is outdoors (bands will be performing on a covered stage), so weather-wise, 9&10 News is calling clear to partly cloudy skies tomorrow with temperatures hovering around 25°. While there's no chance of rain, there is an ongoing air quality advisory due to the smoke migrating here from the widespread forest fires in northwestern Ontario, so approach that as needed. Hopefully thing go well for WestFest across the board, and that this does a lot for the west end promotion and sprucing up, perhaps with a sequel to follow! Visit the above links for more details, and here's Handsome Sandwich live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

The Ethereal Tomb Concert Preview, A Surprise Upcoming Album Release, Pillory Updates, And More!!

Keeping things moving on the SMS, let's begin a very busy string of concert previews with a special Wednesday night metal show, while also looking at a surprise upcoming album release, a new full concert set video, and more assorted updates, so here's what you should know on this Tuesday morning!

If you want something a little heavier than what Rotaryfest is offering this weekend, you may want to consider hitting up Soo Blaster TOMORROW NIGHT, as three touring metal/hardcore bands will take the stage there for a special Wednesday nighter! The bands in question are Barrie/ doom metal outfit Ethereal Tomb, Brampton hardcore band Mile End, and Chilliwack, B.C. hardcore punk quintet Smuther, Solid mix of abrasive styles here, with Ethereal Tomb's slow and sludgy originals sure to contrast well with the faster intensity of frequently tour mates Mile End, let alone Smuther, so don't miss this touring trifecta tomorrow! Local support will come by way of crossover thrash quartet Hails in their first show since releasing their self-titled album late last month, and while this may seem like the de facto release party, note that they said on their Facebook page that they are working on physical copies for "Ha!ls", though they didn't give a timeline there.

Also, I wanted to briefly apologize for any erroneous mentions in past posts about the relationship of Hails guitarists Mikhal & Carmen Muto, as they are cousins, not brothers. Thank you to the Rotaryfest program for clearing that up! They debut on Stage 2 on Saturday. Despite teasing that online tickets would go on sale, this Mikhal Muto-promoted concert will instead have a $15 cover charge at the door. It is all ages, and doors open at 6:30 PM. Should be a solid night of hard hitting metal and hardcore action, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Ethereal Tomb live!

Next up, here's a surprise impending album release, as defunct local grunge/alternative trio No Arrow are belatedly putting out their unreleased album "Souls For Sale" on Monday! This was announced last week via Mike Haggith's label MorningStar Records' website, in a press release outlining the 2005-2011 band's run & posthumous plans. As you may recall, No Arrow featured singer/guitarist Dann Pichette (later of SBD) and drummer Joe Falco (ex-Faithless Sin) alongside a handful of different bassists, with Harley Syrette (Quite Frankly/ex-Half Past) and Brad Griffith (ex-Bizotic) handling the low end on the "Souls For Sale" sessions. What's unsaid there is that Dann, Mike, and Brad's paths have crossed multiple times over in recent years via those "independent DIY musician promotion" YouTube programs and their related communities, with Dann (Wayek) and Brad (Gortium85) often submitting solo material to the same outlets that Mike does.

In terms of local grunge bands, No Arrow's heyday never crossed the timeline with Mike's eponymous band Haggith (who formed in 2012), but given Mike's work as an indie label head, he is doubly fitting as someone to help get No Arrow's only album finally on sale as originally intended in the late 2000s! Specifics on the release (price, streaming availability, if it will be largely identical to the free demo copy or not) are to be revealed, but Mike has confirmed that it will go on sale on Monday at this link in both CD and vinyl, which may have blown No Arrow's minds had that been a realistic option back then! Very exciting news for Dann, Joe, bassists, and fans alike, so stay tuned for updates on the album as they roll in!

Also, apologies for the delay in this making the site, but a full set video of local death/thrash metal trio Pillory's set opening for Sentiment Dissolve at Jay's Piston Broke Pub on May 19th was posted to drummer Bret Shuttleworth's YouTube channel two days later! In a minor shock, Bret said in the description that this was the first time that Pillory has ever played at the former Roosevelt Hotel, which sounds hard to believe, but I think he's right! One of their last shows with Blair St. John on bass (more on that in a bit), Pillory were seen here playing "End Of Small Sanctuary", "Specimen Of Egotism", "Abhorred Apprehension", "Sculptor Of Cadavers", "The Passing", "A Drop Of Shame In An Ocean Of Guilt",  their cover of Sepultura's "Territory", "The Curse Of Eternal Sickness", and "Exhaustive Incarnation". While re-ordered, this is largely identical to what they played at The Pit at Soo Blaster in April.

The only exception is that they replaced "The Angst Of Existence" with their closing song "Exhaustive Incarnation". Things sound sufficiently brutal and technical to my ears, which is what you want from Pillory, though the Soo Blaster video may be preferable for the lighting and angle of the camera, especially given that that cursed support beam on the stage at Jay's is still there, and frequently blocked Blair from view (Bret said that the camera was placed where it was to avoid distracting fans in attendance). The Pillory logo watermark was well placed given where speakers were! Good stuff overall, so check out Pillory's May concert set in full 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 name:

 

• In a late lineup addition for the first annual WestFest at Anna Marinelli Park on July 26th, local classic rock duo Frankly Speaking have been added to kick off the day's musical entertainment at 1:45 PM, as per the festival's Facebook page on Wednesday. As such, Frank & Frank will be the only act at WestFest that has never played at Rotaryfest Stage 2, though they did play at Stage 1 last year. See above for more on this debuting Jamestown/Steelton-area community festival next Saturday!
• After going this long without listing their full lineup in text on social media, we can now confirm that local classic/hard rock cover quintet Headrush's lineup is rounded out by Fusion alum Frank Mannarino on rhythm guitar/keyboard and veteran local musician Gino Pulente on drums. Credit to the 2025 Rotaryfest program (as delivered in local mailboxes last week) for finally filling in the blanks for fans who haven't been out to see them live yet. Don't miss Headrush as the closing band on Stage 1 this Saturday!
• The aforementioned Pillory have reportedly welcomed back Devon Lucier on bass, replacing Blair St. John, as per a quiet update to the intro on their Facebook page. A reason for Blair's departure was not announced, but things are definitely still amicable, as he still plays with Pillory frontman Robert Sartini in the cover rock trio All Over The Map (among other varied projects, so you'll see him around!). Best known as the frontman of 2010-2013 death metal band Crimson Crusade, Devon was a member of Pillory at the end of their original thrash run in 2014, and it will be neat to see how he factors back in with Robert & Bret after 11 years!

 

That's all for now, but stay tuned for the beginning of our Rotaryfest concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (WestFest & The Nameless), Plus The Virvum Concert Preview!!

We're not quite done with this weekend's concert previews, as a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT came to my attention earlier today, and there was a long-since-known-about Sunday nighter yet to be addressed! To fill things out, we have extended details on a debuting local concert festival later this month, so here's what you should know!

Local hard rock quartet The Nameless will rock The Islander Bar in Hessel for the first time TONIGHT! I profusely apologize for the short notice, the band first announced this show via their Facebook page this past Saturday, and it slipped me by until this morning when there was time to slot it into our regular previews. Regardless, The Islander Bar has not publically confirmed TONIGHT's show on their own Facebook page, instead focusing on food & drink specials in recent weeks. It is somewhat hard to believe that The Nameless haven't played in Hessel before, but hopefully their hard rocking cover slate draws a good crowd TONIGHT despite the late notice! This concert takes place at 8:00 PM, has no announced cover charge, and a 21+ age limit as usual for E.U.P. bar gigs. Visit the above links for more on The Nameless' Hessel debut TONIGHT, and for a preview, here they are live earlier this year!

Next up, let's talk about WestFest, a newly announced Sault Ontario community festival on Saturday, July 26th, so what should you know about this? The name does imply the location of the event, as it will take place at Anna Marinelli Park at 169 James Street, off of Albert Street West near the Soup Kitchen. In terms of downtown Sault Ste. Marie, you can't get much further west without hitting Algoma Steel! WestFest is being described as "block party meets music festival", with aims of being a safe, inclusive, and family friendly event, according to the hosts, the West Village Revitalization Project, and you can read more about their plans to give new life to the Steelton and Jamestown areas of the city at this link. The implication is that WestFest will be an outdoor event, but I'm unsure how it will be staged (Anna Marinelli Park is literally a park, after all), so stay tuned for updates on that end.

Six acts will hit the WestFest stage, and the headliners are SMS-amenable, namely local alternative hard rock band Handsome Sandwich in just their second public concert of 2025! Good to see them back playing live a little more regularly, and they'll cap things well at 8:00 PM on the 26th! The band bios on the WestFest website do not mention rhythm guitarist Brandon Ruch, seemingly confirming that he has left the band for unannounced reasons (he wasn't present when they opened for HeadF1rst in May, though nothing was said publically about his status at the time). However, things are amicable, as he is co-headlining at 6:00 PM alongside drummer Johnny Belanger in their bluegrass/country quartet The Golden Scoundrels! Pop rock quartet Jupiter Marvelous performs at 4:45 PM, preceded by folk singer/guitarist Matthew James at 3:45 PM & indie rock quartet Lucy's Diner (who recently changed their name from The Hollow Heads) at 2:45 PM.

Former Soundcheck singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver will continue his summer farewell run before his teased move out of town when he kicks off WestFest at 1:45 PM. Various local vendors and businesses will be on hand in three weeks as well, so click here to see who will be at the park for this debuting festival. As best as I can gather, WestFest has no admission fee, and it is absolutely all ages, but it is a licensed event with an on-site beer garden. This all sounds like a good time for local music fans and families alike, almost like a Rotaryfest encore (all six acts will have played Stage 2 at least once since 2023), so visit the above links for more details on the first annual WestFest!

We'll close this post with one more weekend concert preview, as two death metal bands from Switzerland (yes, really) will make their local debuts TOMORROW NIGHT at Jay's Piston Broke Pub! This one-off return to the glory days of Rosie metal nights will be headlined by Zurich progressive death metal band Virvum and Geneva blackened death metal quintet Stortregn, who will bring their own crushing brutality to local audiences! Virvum's more technical and punishing originals will compliment Stortregn's more black metal-influenced sound well, so definitely don't miss either band if you can swing coming out on a work night! Local support will be provided by thrash metal trio The BAG in their first public date since opening for Sentiment Dissolve in May, and they should set the tone off well with their heavy originals and covers! I am unsure if this show is being put on by The BAG, Jay's, or a separate promoter.

This stop on Virvum & Stortregn's Canada Takeover tour begins at 8:00 PM with a 19+ age limit, and tickets run for $15.99 at this link and presumably at the door, though I don't know if the price will jump there. Kudos to Jay's for occasionally booking true metal concerts after they largely vanished in the Reggie's West era, and despite being on a Sunday night, hopefully there's lots of headbanging and moshing tomorrow! After all, Virvum and Stortregn are from Switzerland, show them some love! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Virvum live!

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