Another busy concert weekend is upon us, compounded with St. Patrick's Day drawing ever closer, so let's begin our latest batch of concert previews this morning! Due to the amount, I am holding our previews of this weekend's Scarkazm, Rising Tide, and Tym Morrison concerts for our next post, coming either tonight or tomorrow morning, so look for those then! Now, here's what you should know to start the weekend, including a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!
Local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will return to The Whiskey Barrel for one night only THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was announced via the venue's Facebook event page for March 2020 concerts last week, which slipped us by at the time, but the band proper have yet to acknowledge it on social media. This will be The Stallyns' first concert since rocking the same venue three weeks ago, and since they dropped out of last week's Water Tower Pub concert for unannounced reasons. Hopefully Christina, Rob, and Jesse are back in hard rocking order for SATURDAY'S unplugged festivities, so don't miss out on all of the action then! No word on the presence of green beer or such St. Patrick's Day frills, but The Whiskey Barrel's proper holiday celebration on Tuesday does not have advertised musical performers. Expect an 8:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no cover charge on SATURDAY. Visit the above links for more details, and here's The Wyld Stallyns live in concert last year!
Next up, let's head to Sault Michigan, where local hard rock band Tarnished are, in spite of a lack of recent advertising, expected to continue their "every Thursday" run of acoustic matinee concerts at Biggby Coffee TODAY! Aside from plugging their new EP's recording sessions last week, we haven't heard from Alex, Josh, and Nathan on social media sine January, and the Ashmun Street coffee shop hasn't plugged recent gigs either, but "every Thursday" means what it means unless otherwise stated. Assuming these are on, this should be another prime opportunity to hear Alex (and company?) tackle more unplugged hard rock covers in a friendly downtown establishment, so don't miss out on their latest matinee gig this afternoon at 12:00 PM! As usual at Biggby, expect no cover charge (tips aside) or age limits. See tabove for details, and for a preview, here's Tarnished live!
Staying in Sault Michigan, a huge concert hits The Dreammakers Theatre at the local Kewadin Casino TOMORROW NIGHT, featuring the local debut of Los Angeles groove metal quartet Black Label Society! A mainstay of the modern metal scene from fan favourite songs like "Suicide Messiah", "In This River", "Concrete Jungle", and many others, B.L.S. (led by Ozzy Osbourne's long-time guitarist Zakk Wylde have a devoted following for their hard hitting yet melodic original material and considerable guitar skill, and it will be great to see Black Label Society on a local stage tomorrow! Tampa, Florida death metal legends Obituary will open tomorrow's concert with over three decades worth of established original material, and their brutal and devastating brand of metal should be a fine compliment tomorrow! Likewise, Portland sludge/death metal quartet Lord Dying will bring their own technicality and aggression to the local stage in their own E.U.P. debut, and they should set the tone well tomorrow!
Presented by Lansing promoters Meridian Entertainment (who also put on The Hair Scare Live and other recent Kewadin gigs), this all ages & 7:30 PM concert has tickets running for a flat $27.50, and this is a standing room only event with no seating. Yes, tickets are still available at this link, at 1-800-KEWADIN, and at the in-person box office. This should be a must-attend concert for Saultites able to make it, with all three bands fully capable of melting faces, and Black Label Society alone are worth the price of admission! Visit the Facebook event page for more, and here's B.L.S. live!
Finally for today's previews, we'll head back to Sault Ontario, specifically at LopLops Lounge, where local alt-punk (yet genre hating) trio Handsome Sandwich and rap/metal trio The Apocalypse Afterparty will join forces as local support when Thunder Bay post-pop musician Jean-Paul de Roover returns TOMORROW NIGHT with his new backing band The Bandaid Solution! A veteran of at least 6 past local stops (including at LopLops last fall), Jean-Paul will be familiar to many readers from his one-man solo gigs, but this time, he's bringing a full band in support of his new album "Loss", which is his heaviest release to date. There is more of a progressive hard rock edge to that release, but his eclectic influences and lengthy experience will bode well no matter what tomorrow! Of course, fans just saw Handsome Sandwich at The Rockstar Bar last week, while this will be the first Apocalypse Afterparty show without any direct ties to The Soo's Got Talent in well over two years.
Note that the Facebook event page still lists Jean-Paul and his band in the middle slot between the locals, though if that is indicative of the performance order, it's ambiguous who's opening and closing. A 19+ age limit and 10:00 PM start time are in effect for this concert, which will have a $10 cover charge at the door. This should be an entertaining night of live music, with lots of diverse SMS-friendly sounds to take in, so visit the above links more details, click here for Chris Belsito's SooToday article about Jean-Paul, and in lieu of a Bandaid Solution video (can't find one), here's The Apocalypse Afterparty live during The Soo's Got Talentlast year!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Scarkazm, Rising Tide, and Tym Morrison concert previews on the site in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
As promised, we're capping off this weekend's hard rock concert previews with this post, though we are leading off with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one on SHORT NOTICE! Yes, I am well aware of a big concert announcement at Soo Blaster, stay tuned for info on that very soon. Now, here's what you should know for those new shows!
Local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will return to The Whiskey Barrel for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only acknowledged the show via their Facebook page earlier today, but the venue had advertised it all month as part of their February schedule announcement, as seen on the shows' collective Facebook event page. I must get better at following The Whiskey Barrel's monthly concert schedules, apologies again! This will be The Elements side project's first concert since playing at LopLops two weeks ago, and it picks up where they left off when they played another Friday nighter at this popular Gore Street restaurant/nightclub last month. No word on why they're not playing on Saturday, but look for more hard rocking and varied covers TOMORROW from The Stallyns! Expect an 8:00 PM start time, no cover, and a 19+ age limit. See above for more details, and here's The Wyld Stallyns live!
Next up, here's a show that the band gave some reasonable advance notice to, as Sault Michigan hard rock quartet 415E will play at The Hilltop Bar in nearby Sugar Island on Saturday, February 29th at that venue's Leap Day party! This is a very surprising announcement in two respects, one being that this is the first 415E concert in a long, long time while that wasn't under the Kewadin Casino umbrella (at least, not that had a public announcement online.) It'll be interesting to see how Dave, Chris, Brett, and Jason are received here! The other unique aspect is the locale, as seeing a hard concert announcement in Sugar Island outside of the annual Music Festival there in August is completely new for us. The Hilltop Bar is a long-time ticket depot for that event, FYI. The pictured cover photo from the bar's Facebook page indicates that said Leap Day party will have a heavy emphasis on their restaurant offerings, but they have yet to confirm 415E as the live music (the band did that on their Facebook page.)
No cover charge is advertised for this event, and while start times aren't advertised either, Hilltop Bar events usually begin at 7:00 PM, and the bar proper opens at 10:00 AM. The address is 5393 Sugar Island Road. 415E's hard rocking covers should go over well at this relatively unfamiliar venue next Saturday, so see above for more details!
Moving to the rest of this weekend's concert previews, let's stay in the E.U.P., as The Hair Scare Live is hitting The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! A special concert named after the popular 1980s metal radio show on Rock 101 on Saturday nights, this is an event that you may want to see in person rather than just turn on your radio, and it will be headlined by former Cinderella frontman Tom Keifer in his first local stop since Cinderella played here in 2011. Tom and his solo band should have plenty of Cinderella classics like "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)" in store, so don't miss out! Support will come via Maryland glam/hard rock quintet Kix and Los Angeles hair metal veterans Faster Pussycat, both in their apparent local concert debuts. Genre fans will surely know many hits from both bands, from "Don't Close Your Eyes" to "House of Pain", so expect lots of throwback action!
As best as I can tell, Hair Scare host and Rock 101 morning DJ Scott Cook will be on hand as the MC on Saturday, which is only logical given the branding. Presented by Meridian Entertainment, this all ages & 7:00 PM concert still has limited standing room tickets available for $25 and premium seats available at higher prices, so visit this link, the in-person box office, or at 1-800-KEWADIN to get hooked up. The Dreammaker's Theater has always been very kind to hair metal, as have fans, so this should be a great concert! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tom Keifer live!
Finally for this weekend, let's wrap up back in Sault Ontario, and if you can't get to The Hair Scare Live, Canadian fans aren't completely out of the woods on SATURDAY NIGHT, as Oshawa-based Bon Jovi tribute band Bon Jovi Forever will return for this headlining concert! Bon Jovi fans are in good hands here, as this tribute is making their third local concert appearance on Saturday, following well recieved gigs here in May 2016 and this past October. With a faithful looking and sounding stage show for fans of their early hair metal classics and newer, more general rock output, you should find something to like from B.J.F. in their third local go-around! Might they already have Bon Jovi's new single "Limitless" in their repertoire? As was the case last year, this is a 19+ concert with doors opening at 9:00 PM, and tickets run for $15 in advance at The Canadian's front desk, $20 at the door. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Bon Jovi Forever live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
It's time to dive into another weekend of concert previews at the SMS! Due to the amount, I will hold our preview of Saturday night's previously announced Tripod the Dog concert at The Rockstar Bar to our next post, coming either tomorrow or Saturday morning. Look for that then, and now, here's what you should know for other announced hard rock shows on the horizon, including three SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!
Local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will rock The Whiskey Barrel for the first time in 2020 TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the venue announced the gig via this concert schedule photo on their Facebook page on January 12th, but it slipped us by at the time. Three weeks and change removed from their New Year's Eve party here, this should be another prime opportunity for fans to take in The Stallyns' skilled, entertaining, and often heavy selection of covers, so don't miss them at the Gore Street restaurant & nightclub TOMORROW! A one-nighter due to or resulting in the Peter White show on Saturday, TOMORROW'S Wyld Stallyns concert has an 8:00 PM start time, no cover charge, and a 19+ age limit. See above for more details, and here's The Wyld Stallyns live!
Next up, prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's long-term arrangement at Gliss Restaurant continues with matinee concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY, but in an announcement we didn't know, Tym will make his debut at Northern Superior Brewing Company THIS SATURDAY as well! Again, apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via his Facebook event page this past Thursday. Concerts held at the 50 Pim Street brewery's on-site Taproom are still relatively new for us, though not completely so, as The Wyld Stallyns played a one-off gig here in June 2018, and non-hard rock acts have been playing here with more regularity in recent months. In Tym's case, he'll be in the Taproom for 3:00 PM matinee concerts on SATURDAY and for at least two more Saturdays in 2020's first quarter. Should be a fun time in a new-ish locale, and his music always holds up, but oddly, this means that his Gliss matinee is the later event for a change!
Of course, regulars and fans can expect more entertaining live music at the Spring Street restaurant this weekend, so don't miss Tym (and his new short haircut!) there or at Northern Superior! We will address Tym's February slate at both venues next week. The Gliss shows are at 6:00 PM, SATURDAY'S Taproom gig is at 3:00 PM, and none have advertised cover charges or age limits, but respect the locales. Click here and visit the above links for more details, and here's Tym live at Gliss last year!
Also this weekend, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to The Water Tower Pub for one night only on SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies again for the short notice, this concert has been advertised for the past two weeks on the venue's January schedule on your left, but again, this fell through the cracks at the time, and Soundcheck themselves have not plugged the show on their Facebook page since then. Like with The Wyld Stallyns above, this will be Soundcheck's first concert at this venue since New Year's Eve, though with no seasonal frills on SATURDAY, this should be more of a return to normalcy. As such, if you want to see their new lineup at this popular central venue with no cover, keep this one in mind! Like usual, this is a 19+ event, and a 9:00 PM start time is in effect. Also, note that veteran local jazz musician Britta Wolfert will also be playing a 5:00 PM matinee concert at The Water Tower Pub on Saturday, but that is considered to be a separate concert.Visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!
Finally for today's preview post, here's a pair of shows that had lots of advance notice, as Sault Michigan hard rock quartet 415E will return to the stage TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT when they rock The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino! After a very quiet 2019 for the Splitshot successors, 415E are riding high from their Soo Kewadin gig on New Year's Eve, with this weekend's shows being their first in St. Ignace since last July, and last at either branch until May. In spite of their sparse online presence, 415E have a very talented and experienced lineup and lots of solid hard and classic rock covers, so fans will be in good hands with them tomorrow and/or Saturday night! As usual for Kewadin lounge concerts, expect both shows to have 9:00 PM start times, 21+ age limits, and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's 415E live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Tripod The Dog preview and more next! Thanks everyone!
Well, everyone, 2019 is almost over (as are the 2010s), so it's time to wrap up the year and decade with our last regular news post of 2019, focused on previews of New Year's Eve concerts from local hard rock bands! Due to holiday commitments and the extra time needed to compile our year-end retrospective post (which is coming tomorrow), this post is longer than normal, featuring previews of five shows taking place on the 31st. If you want some live hard rock action, you have a lot to pick from tomorrow, so let's begin with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!
Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will end 2019 with a New Year's Eve concert TOMORROW NIGHT at The Water Tower Pub! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via the venue's Facebook page on Saturday, with the band posting their own Facebook event page last night. This will be Soundcheck's sixth concert with new singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver, in his Water Tower Pub debut with the group, and this should be a huge showcase for him, especially with the usual New Year's frills on display! Pub advertising says that there will be a "midnight toast" as well as an appetizer buffet and party favours, so keep those perks in mind. New Year's parties are often treated as bigger deals than just another concert, and to that end, tickets apparently run for $50, and that's not even getting into the $260 "Party & Stay Package" for couples (click here for details on that front.)
Of course, this is a 19+ event with a 9:30 PM start time, at least as far as Soundcheck's set goes. The price may be steep, but given the New Year's party and festivities alongside the concert, the value does show itself more, and hopefully this is the perfect way to end 2019 with TOMORROW, in spite of the late notice! See above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!
Next up, we'll head to a previously announced matinee concert taking place TOMORROW, as prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will play his final public gig of 2019 at his usual stomping grounds, Gliss Restaurant on Spring Street! Another successful year is almost in the books for his long-term weekly arrangement here, and while you can fully expect to see him back here in 2020 like clockwork, this rare Tuesday nighter should provide more of his unplugged classic & hard rock goods! Like at The Water Tower Pub, this is not just another night at Gliss, as patrons can expect a special New Year's Eve menu where $79.95 gets you your choice of the items on offer. I assume attendees are at least encouraged to have said meal for the holiday, so mind that when planning your night out. Otherwise, there are no advertised age limits, and a 6:00 start time is in effect for Tym's set as usual. Visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and here's Tym live in concert at Gliss!
Lastly for hard rock shows in Sault Ontario TOMORROW, let's go to The Whiskey Barrel, where local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will cap off 2019 with another headlining set! The Elements' side-project has made the Gore Street bar & restaurant their favourite venue in the past year, so they're a fitting choice to send 2019 out with, and their varied but often heavy covers should provide the ideal soundtrack! The Facebook event page's cover photo features Elements drummer Jonas Gasperas, a frequent live guest with The Stallyns, but it's unclear whether he will be on hand tomorrow or not. If you are looking for a cheaper night out, this may be what you're looking for, as the event page says that "there are no tickets and no cover charge". There may be less frills than elsewhere as a result, but it's a lot less pricey! Of course, this is still a 19+ event. Visit the above links for more details, and here's The Wyld Stallyns live!
Moving across to Sault Michigan next, we'll start there at The Rapids Lounge at the local Kewadin Casino branch, where sporadically seen local hard rock quartet 415E are scheduled to return to the stage TOMORROW NIGHT for their New Year's bash! Despite their talented lineup and extensive experience in past local bands, this will just be 415E's fifth advertised publicconcert of the year, their first anywhere since July, and their first at the Soo Kewadin since January. It's a shame that Dave, Chris, Brett, and Jason don't play live more regularly, but what better time than New Year's Eve to shake off the rust? Of course, Kewadin Casino is not lacking for New Year's festivities, both for gamblers and music fans, so visit their official Facebook page for full details on all of that. Regarding 415E's show directly, I have read nothing to indicate that this isn't the same as usual, so expect a 9:00 PM start time, 21+ age limit, and no cover at the lounge. See above for more details, and here's 415E live (original lineup still though.)
Finally for tomorrow (in hard rock terms), we'll wrap up these previews at Moloney's Alley, where local hard rock cover band Tarnished will play their last show of 2019 TOMORROW NIGHT! After a successful debut at the 227 West Portage Avenue nightclub three weeks ago, the Banned successors will be back for an encore tomorrow, albeit short-handed due to drummer Tommy Korcal's absence (if it's due to a Project 906 gig, I haven't heard about it at press time.) As a result, Alex, Nathan, and Josh will play a special acoustic trio set TOMORROW, which will shock no one familiar with Tarnished's "every Thursday" run at Biggby Coffee, so they should acclimate themselves well here! As best as I can tell, the concert proper has no cover charge, a 21+ age limit, and a 9:00 PM start time, but a dinner-for-two special for $50 is in effect for those wanting a meal, so click here for details on that front. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tarnished live!
Lastly, for friendly reference, Moloney's Alley is a 2 minute drive down the road from Sault Michigan's annual New Year's Eve ball drop at the corner of Ashmun & Portage, in case that's any extra incentive to going there tomorrow night. That's all for today, but stay tuned for our 2019 retrospective post on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
As promised, let's wrap up this weekend's concert previews today, specifically concerning two punk-featured shows downtown tomorrow night, but we also have some big updates to an annual concert festival, and leading off, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for year's end!
Local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will end 2019 with a New Year's Eve concert at The Whiskey Barrel on Tuesday, December 31st! This show was quietly announced late in the band's latest Facebook page post from Monday, largely spent thanking everyone from their guest performer-laden gig at the same venue this past Saturday. FYI, they were joined there by Crossroad Magdalenes bandmates Greg MacLachlan & Aaron Dunn, Guitar Gangsters drummer Derek Turner, and prolific local singer Jackie Fuller, so they definitely had some talented friends helping out. It makes sense that The Stallyns would return to their favourite venue for another go-around in 11 days' time, so don't miss all of the action then! Despite the expected New Year's frills, this remains a cover-free event with a 19+ age limit and a presumed 8:00 PM start time. Check out the above links for more details on The Wyld Stallyns last show of the year!
Next up, let's conclude this weekend's pre-Christmas concert previews with two big punk concerts TOMORROW NIGHT, starting with local Celtic punk quintet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide's last show of 2019! Returning to the site of their St. Patrick's Day concert in March, this will be The Tide's first public show since their festival gigs in St. Joseph Island and at Rotaryfest in July, with recording sessions for their planned fourth studio album taking up much of the year in their camp. Might we hear some more new songs for the upcoming CD tomorrow? Either way, it's great to see Dustin, the Jaaskelainens, Liam, and Chris back for another go-around! Local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements (featuring 2/3rds of The Wyld Stallyns) will open in their first live show since Halloween weekend, and while they're not LopLops regulars, their high impact originals and covers should set the tone, so don't be late for their set!
This concert has a special $10 cover charge, a 19+ age limit, and a 10:00 PM start time. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details on what should be a great night of punk rock action, and here's The Tide live!
Lastly for this weekend's publically announced hard rock or punk concert previews, we'll head to The Rockstar Bar, where local promoters The Oh!No Collective will host their Oh!Noel fundraiser concert TOMORROW NIGHT! Primarily a fundraiser for next year's Oh!No concert festival (more on that in a bit), this will be another genre-hybrid event with a little something for everyone, with alt-punk trio A Dire Setback filling the SMS coverage-void on this night, and their original attack and new material should bode well here tomorrow. Surf rock instrumental trio The Dynowaves and rappers Rick E and Kodex will round out the bill for Oh!Noel, and don't sleep on them, all will bring their own talented and diverse sounds to the table for the occasion! Admission for this 8:00 PM and 19+ event is $10, but if you bring canned good donations for The United Way's Harvest Algoma food resource center, you can knock up to $5 off of the cover charge ($1 off per can, 5 maximum.)
Also, note that there will be an ugly sweater contest tomorrow night, so bring your best (or worst) sweater to see if you can win a prize! This sounds like a fun event for a couple of worthy causes, and there's a bit of punk, rap, and surf rock to go around for the holidays, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's A Dire Setback live!
Finally for this post, let's talk about the Oh!No collective's namesake concert festival, which will be moving from Robbie Adamson's church in Leeburn to Sault Ste. Marie proper for it's fourth annual installment next year, as per this Sault Star article by journalist Brian Kelly earlier this month, which also features interview remarks by Oh!No representative Alex Moore. The move into city limits will reportedly be to make it easier to attend while also giving extra promotion to booked acts, which all makes sense to me, as not everyone was able or willing to drive/carpool to Leeburn, especially with the 2 day model this year. Most of the rest of the article concerns Oh!Noel tomorrow, but one line gives some interesting information, namely that "Oh!No will run in late August at various venues downtown". The past three festivals have been in early September, but a move into the summer season alone may help overall exposure.
As for hosting Oh!No IV at multiple venues, this had been a rumour since even before this year's festival, and the idea of a multi-venue festival like this isn't locally foreign. Remember the Algoma Hope4Haiti fundraiser in January 2010, which had live entertainment at 7 nightclubs simultaneously? Time will tell how ambitiously scheduled things will be for this event, but it'll be interesting to find out how things shape up come the summer. Visit Oh!No's Facebook page for continuing details, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the site in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
With the holidays approaching ever faster, we have a busy weekend of concerts ahead, so we are breaking this weekend's previews into two posts. Bands with advance notice gigs on Saturday (re: Theatre of Night, Soundcheck, and Tym Morrison) will be covered in our next post, but for now, let's dive into bands involved in SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, plus one-nighters today and tomorrow. Here's what you should know!
Local funk metal band The Strange Coyotes will reunite for the first time in over 5 years TONIGHT at the temporarily re-opened Dryer Fire pop-up venue at 128 Bruce Street! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via singer/guitarist Chase Wigmore's solo Facebook page last week. This is not the first time that this band has announced a reunion, as Chase and bassist James Watterworth had planned to reunite for Chase's cancelled Devil's Night concert last year, but TONIGHT's show looks to proceed as advertised. It's great to see them back, but details are admittedly scant on the Facebook event page. As Mike moved out of province, will there be a new drummer? Are any other acts playing? Is this a one-off reunion, or can we expect more Strange Coyotes gigs in 2020? In any event, this is the only metal-featured concert in Dryer Fire's two week return engagement on Bruce Street, and this show has a 6:00 PM start time, a "pay what you can" entry model, and no age limit, as usual at the pop-up gigs.
The Strange Coyotes had a fun and eclectic set during their original run that produced two albums, and whether or not this is a full time reunion, it will be cool seeing Chase & James back to do their thing again TONIGHT! Visit the above links for more details, and here's The Strange Coyotes live! Also, Dryer Fire are now linked in our "Other Local Metal Links" section (not with concert venues due to the short-term rental nature of the Bruce Street locale.)
Next up, local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will return to the stage THIS SATURDAY NIGHT when they rock The Whiskey Barrel! Again, apologies for the short notice, this concert was only announced via it's Facebook event page on Monday. The Elements' side project had taken a three week break while singer Christina Speers acted in the local production of Cats (as the band promoted on their Facebook page), and this will be their first public concert set at the Gore Street nightclub since The Whiskey Barrel's first anniversary party on November 16th. A stop at their arguably favourite public concert venue should be a great way to shake off some cobwebs, so don't miss The Stallyns' eclectic cover selection on SATURDAY! As usual for their shows here, expect an 8:00 PM start time, no cover charges, and a 19+ age limit. Visit the above links for more on their return to the stage, and here they are live!
Moving on to shows with advance notice, let's take a brief detour to Sault Michigan, where local hard rock band Tarnished (or members thereof) will continue their "every Thursday" arrangement at Biggby Coffee TODAY! Another afternoon's worth of hard hitting and classic covers should be in store for coffee-shop patrons and fans alike, and whether you're getting Alex alone or Alex with Nathan or Josh, you should be in good musical hands! As usual for this long-term run at the Ashmun Street business, today's show is a 12:00 PM matinee with no cover charge or age limits, but remember that Tarnished traditionally play here for tips (and coffee.) Visit the above links for more information on today's show if it comes in, and here's Tarnished live!
Finally for today's previews, let's head back to Sault Ontario, where local classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive will return to The New American Pub TOMORROW NIGHT! As previously announced via the venue's Facebook event page, Fluid 5ive actually did update their Facebook page after a three month break to plug this show, as well as an apparent concert at The Marconi Event Centre on Albert Street West one week ago. Given the nature of the hall and the events it tends to hold, plus the lack of advertising on social media for any Marconi Club concerts last week, I am inclined to believe that was a private event, but I'll let you know if that assumption is wrong. In any event, I'm glad to see that the 5ive are using their Facebook page again, you'd think they would want to given their uptick in gigs to end 2019! As usual, tomorrow's New A show is a one-off due to the venue's Saturday karaoke nights. An 8:00 PM start time is in effect, you must be 19 or older to attend, and there is no cover charge. See above for more details, and here's Fluid 5ive live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Soundcheck, Theatre of Night, and Tym Morrison previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!
Today's post is 100% devoted to the latest hard rock and punk covers filmed for SaultOnline's Mike Caruso's YouTube channel, as he has continued regularly posting new videos of local musicians on the weekend nightclub circuit for the past three weeks or so. His Toystock video aside, we now have enough hard rock and punk videos of his to do a whole post today, and we'll start with local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns' set at The Whiskey Barrel's first anniversary bash last month! This features The Stallyns alongside Rob & Jesse's Elements bandmate Jonas Gasperas on guest hand drums, though at the at the stationary camera angle, you'd be forgiven for not seeing him behind Rob. This 10 minute video features everyone covering Prince's "Kiss" (with Christina Speers on lead vocals), Elvis Presley's "Little Sister" (with her husband Rob on lead vocals), and Weezer's "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" (with both of the Speers' singing together.)
"Little Sister" aside, these are covers of theirs that we've seen filmed before, but they are fan favourites that showcase their range, and the video is well shot from multiple cameras! I just wish that the lighting on the stationary camera wasn't so yellow, and the vocals can be hard to make out at times. The Wyld Stallyns are on a break right now due to Christina's commitments in the local production of Cats, but let this video tide you over in the meantime!
Next up, here's two videos of local classic rock cover quartet Obsession at two different concerts from recent weeks! Admittedly a band that's on the fence of fitting our coverage, this talented veteran quartet just happened to cover hard rock songs in the last two videos Mike filmed of theirs, including at their Water Tower Pub show on November 16th, where they covered Joan Jett & The Blackhearts' "I Love Rock & Roll". Solidly done rendition with Valerie putting a little extra grit into the vocals, and everyone handles this classic well, but the shift in audio quality from camera to camera can be more noticeable here than usual. Give this one a look below!
Mike's other Obsession video came from two weeks later when they rocked The Esquire Club, and he filmed them tackling Billy Squier's "Everybody Wants You". The very purple lighting isn't optimal, but the audio holds up, and they play this song with ease! Nice to see Valerie, Gabe, Jim, and Steve keeping on with lots of well recieved local concerts, so give these a look, and don't miss them back at The Water Tower Pub next month!
Finally, here's a video of local singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver playing at The Upper Deck Bar & Grill (above The Canadian Nightclub) on November 21st! Mike filmed the Soo's Got Talent semifinalist playing three cover songs that night in this 9+ minute video, including A Thousand Horses' "Smoke", Green Day's "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)", and Riley Green's "I Wish Grandpas Never Died". The cover selections do point to a strong country component in his set, albeit without going with the obvious songs, but his more hesitant, slowed down delivery on the Green Day cover isn't my cup of tea. Cameron's on the rise, so give his video a look below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
It's time to dive into another weekend of concert previews at the SMS, and barring any late notice confirmations, I think we have all of this weekend's hard rock shows covered here, along with a new video and possible lineup changes for a band scheduled for this weekend. Here's what you should know, starting with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, some on SHORT NOTICE!
Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's West for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, I should have added these to our concert calendar before now, as they are part of the band's 2019 concert calendar on your right. Now that we have 2020 shows listed on the SMS, let's add their other announced 2019 shows from there to our calendar today, as Terry, Travis, Paul, and Glen will also rock The Reggievelt on December 13th & 14th (following a private gig the previous Saturday), before ending the year(?) at The Esquire Club on December 27th & 28th. Of course, there are more shows than this to come from Soundcheck (Toystock comes to mind), but help beat some of the early winter blues TOMORROW & SATURDAY at the former Rosie! All of these shows have 10:00 PM-ish start times, 19+ age limits, and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!
Next up, local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will provide the musical entertainment THIS SATURDAY NIGHT during The Whiskey Barrel's 1 year anniversary celebration! Again, apologies for the short notice, this event was only announced via the venue's Facebook page this past Saturday, and the band proper has not acknowledged their involvement on their own Facebook page at press time. Yes, the Gore Street restaurant, nightclub, and acoustic venue has already been open for one year, and SATURDAY'S festivities will be a way to celebrate the milestone, with The Whiskey Barrel's ownership mingling with fans and patrons all night, and hopefully there's a great turnout for all of that alone! Of course, most of The Wyld Stallyns' 2019 concerts have been here, so they are a great choice to rock out for the occasion on SATURDAY! The Stallyns will be on at 8:00 PM, I'd expect a 19+ age limit, and there will be no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, congratulations to everyone at The Whiskey Barrel on the anniversary, and here's The Wyld Stallyns live there!
Moving to previously announced concerts, let's take a brief detour over to Sault Michigan, where local hard rock band Tarnished are advertised to continue their regular "every Thursday" run of acoustic matinee concerts going TODAY at Biggby Coffee! It is worth noting that, in Biggby Coffee's latest advertising of this arrangement on their Facebook page, they said that "every Thursday, Alex Traynor from Tarnished plays right here", implying that Josh Fair is no longer joining Alex regularly for these gigs. For what it's worth, Josh wasn't visibly featured in this series as early as October 24th, while in a Facebook page post teasing Tarnished's upcoming Mount Pleasant shows next week, Josh wasn't tagged along with the band members, yet ex-Lift The Broken guitarist Nathan Webber was. Has there been a quiet lineup change? We will let you know if anything is 100% confirmed wither way, but hopefully nothing bad happened with Josh, he is a talented guitarist in his own right!
As usual, today's Biggby Coffee matinee is at 12:00 PM with no cover or age limit. Visit the above links for more from Alex/Tarnished, and for a preview, here's Alex live at the Ashmun Street coffee house last month!
Finally for today, let's tackle the latest acoustic concerts from Sault Ontario hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison, who will return to Gliss Restaurant TOMORROW & SATURDAY for another pair of matinee gigs in his long-term arrangement there! Note that his planned Thomson Farms Cider & Winery concert today has been cancelled, despite still being advertised on his Facebook group. Tym's personal Facebook page confirmed that, and the mill's Facebook page was calling last week's unplugged shows "one last barn party", but no word on if the November 14th gig was cancelled or an erroneous listing. That said, fans have a warm, fully indoor location to see Tym at downtown this weekend, so if you want some unplugged hard rock covers at supper time, you know where to be! Both Gliss shows are 6:00 PM affairs with no cover charges or age limits, but mind the locale. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's a brand new video of Tym in action at Thomson Farms!
Filmed at an undated Wine Barn show last month, this is a cover of A Great Big World's "Say Something", which is a surprisingly modern cover in his repertoire. The 24 second video is well recorded, but the square dimensions and flickery lighting won't be to everyone's preference. Give it a look below, and don't miss Tym at Gliss this weekend!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site soon! Thanks everyone!
Now, let's dive into this weekend's hard rock concert previews in a relatively quiet weekend slate! Just as a heads up, the Soo Zombie Walk does indeed return from it's 2018 hiatus on Saturday at the Bushplane Museum, but the only advertised musical performer is Northwest guitarist Greg Callaghan's solo act. Click here for more details on the walk, but as for our previews, let's start with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!
Local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will return to their recent stomping grounds (The Whiskey Barrel) for one night only THIS FRIDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed this show on their Facebook page on Tuesday, but it was previously announced on the venue's Facebook event page for October concerts there. The only stop at this Gore Street restaurant and bar this month for the Elements side project, this will be The Stallyns' first show since rocking The Upper Deck Bar & Grill last week, and first at The Whiskey Barrel in three weeks. Look for the Speers' and Jesse (and James & Jonas?!) to deliver more hard rocking and fan favourite covers on FRIDAY at 8:00 PM! This show has no cover charge or advertised age limits, but mind the locale, this isn't a traditional nightclub. Visit the above links for more details, and here are The Wyld Stallyns live!
Next up, we'll move to previously announced concerts, starting with the continuation of Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished's run of acoustic matinee concerts "every Thursday" at Biggby Coffee, as they'll be back there TODAY! The second week of the slightly later scheduling (now taking place at 12:00 PM rather than 10:30 AM), but everything else appears to be the same, as Alex & Josh are still here to bring their unplugged covers to fans and patrons as they play for "tips and coffee" once again. The later timeslot may be better or worse for some of you guys, pending your own work schedules, but if you're free in the afternoon, why not enjoy some free acoustic hard rock this afternoon? Of course, this is an all ages event. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Tarnished live at Biggby Coffee!
Heading back to Sault Ontario, it's another busy weekend for local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison, who will wrap up his weekly seasonal run at Thomson Farms Cider & Winery TODAY, before continuing his long-term arrangement at Gliss Restaurant TOMORROW & SATURDAY! With seven gigs at the Third Line West mill's on-site Wine Barn in the books, Tym will cap off the season with one more matinee go-around today (he is not advertised for October 24th), so if you want some live music with your cider, wine, and/or fresh produce, you know where to be! Of course, fans who want a closer downtown event can see him at Gliss once again tomorrow and/or Saturday, with more dinner-time hard and classic rock covers sure to be expected there! As usual, these arw all free shows without stated age limits, with today's Thomson Farms concert being at 5:00 PM, and the Gliss shows starting at 6:00 PM. Visit the Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Tym live!
Finally for this weekend's previews, let's head to Reggie's West, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! After taking last week off, this will be Terry, Travis, Paul, and Glen's first concert weekend since playing The Esquire Club two weeks ago, and their first at the Reggievelt in just over a month. Always expect an entertaining night of hard rocking covers from this veteran quartet, and they should entertain the masses at Reggie's West this weekend! If you miss out, they will back here in mid-November. As usual for Soundcheck's concerts here, expect there to be no cover charges and a 10:00 PM-ish start time, while you must be 19 or older to attend. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here a brand new video of Soundcheck live, courtesy of SaultOnline reporter Mike Caruso's YouTube channel!
A cover of Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me" at The Water Tower Pub last month, this oddly features Soundcheck as a trio minus singer/guitarist Travis Sharpe, with Terry obviously singing lead. No word on why Travis missed this song, but it's a well handled cover, and nicely shot on multiple cameras like with Mike's other recent cover band clips. Check it out below, and don't miss the real thing this weekend!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!
Before we begin this second weekend concert preview post (The Cancer Bats, The Soo's Got Talent, and Tym Morrison were addressed this morning), just an advance reminder that, if Tarnished's "every Thursday" run at Biggby Coffee in Sault Michigan continued today, it was not advertised online as of this writing. We do have videos of theirs to share soon, but for now, let's dive into the second half of our Sault Ontario weekend concert previews, mostly containing SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!
Local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will return to The Whiskey Barrel for headlining dates TOMORROW NIGHT and then on Saturday, September 28th! Apologies for the short notice on the former, it was only announced one week ago today on the venue's Facebook event page, not leaving us time to preview it before it got too soon. After not playing any advertised gigs at this Gore Street bar and restaurant at all in August, these shows TOMORROW and later this month should provide ample opportunity to hear Christina, Rob, and Jesse in their natural element at their recent favourite venue! Hopefully there's no Friday the 13th bad luck TOMORROW, of course. Both shows are 19+ affairs with no cover charges and 8:00 PM start times. Visit the above links for more details, and here's The Wyld Stallyns live!
Next up, London sludge/post-metal quintet Whoop-Szo will return to the Soo when they headline at Dryer Fire on Bruce Street THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, this show was actually announced via the venue's Facebook event page two weeks ago, but it completely slipped us by at the time. Some fans may recall seeing Whoop-Szo at LopLops in June 2018 at a merged concert following a late relocation from Outspoken Brewing, but I presume their Sault Ste. Marie encore will remain at its original locale. Playing a unique mash-up of metal, psychedlic, and experimental genres, Whoop-Szo's noisy mountain of original music should play well at Dryer Fire on SATURDAY! Hamilton folk/indie rock solo act Zoon will open in their own local debut, and while not as heavy as the headliners, their brand of "mocassingaze" (not shoegaze) originals should turn heads to kick off the night! Notably, this is Dryer Fire's third-to-last concert at their pop-up summer location, and last there with a hard rock act.
No word on if Nicole will re-rent a live events space here or elsewhere in 2020, but I've heard great things about Dryer Fire this year, hopefully there's more in the works! This ALL AGES concert has a $10 cover charge and a 7:00 PM start time THIS SATURDAY, as usual for this venue when not "pay what you can." Visit the above links for more details, and here's Whoop-Szo live!
Also this weekend, local classic/hard rock quartet Soundcheck will join their previously announced Reggie's West concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT with one more car show at the new A&W at 659 Great Northern Road THIS SUNDAY NIGHT! Apologies again for the short notice, neither Soundcheck nor car show organizers Northern Lights Cruisers have publically confirmed their involvement online, but band members Terry Eaton and Glen Thomas have both indicated that they'll be playing on SUNDAY via their personal Facebook pages. No strangers to playing outside of the new A&W this summer, the Cruisin' the Dub car show is allegedly A&W's "annual car/bike show", and will feature family games, raffles, and other such entertainment alongside the vehicles and Soundcheck's set. Like with The Soo's Got Talent, all proceeds go to the ARCH Hospice. Of course, if you want a traditional nighttime concert from Soundcheck, keep their Reggie's West shows in mind too!
Note that recent advertising that I have seen for these shows only refer to them as taking place at Reggie's (no West), implying that they may have been moved to Reggie's Place downtown, but Soundcheck's own 2019 concert calendar has always said that they'd be at the Reggievelt. If they were indeed moved, I'll let you know! In any event, those shows are 10:00 PM & 19+ affairs, SUNDAY's car show is at 1:00 PM and is absolutely ALL AGES, and none have a cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live earlier this year!
Finally for today's previews (Peril are coming tomorrow!), let's tackle a show that fully and entirely had advance notice that we caught, as prolific local experimental/metal solo musician Chase Wigmore will headline a special Rednecks Saloon concert TOMORROW NIGHT to officially launch his new single! A rare headlining appearance from the Awokest frontman, this Friday the 13th event is in honour of Chase's 25 minutes long track "Stray Dog Howl" from his upcoming official studio album "Songs To Punch Yourself In The Face To." Might we hear "Stray Dog Howl" in full along with his other folk/punk acoustic songs tomorrow? "The Ghost of Chase Wigmore", as he's billed here, will be joined by C.T.W. frontman Tyler Gibson's drum & bass side project Alegendary in their apparent live debut, as well as the still-unrevealed "A Misterious Fellow", while folk solo musician Wes Armstrong was quietly added to the bill earlier this month.
Admission for this 19+ concert is on a "pay what you can" model, and an early 7:00 PM start time is advertised. A very diverse lineup has gathered for this one, and hopefully it gives Chase's single the big launch it deserves as we inch closer to his planned CD release on Devil's Night, so don't miss out on all of the action tomorrow! Check the official Facebook event event page for more details, and here's Chase live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Peril previews and more on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
The busiest non-holiday concert weekend of the year is upon us, so here's what you should know regarding our scheduling. As best as I can gather, our Rotaryfest Stage 1 previews will be coming on the site this afternoon, while our Stage 2, Tym Morrison, Highway 63, and Re:Born previews should hit the site in two more posts on Friday. Fingers crossed there's no more short notice gigs on the docket, as this post is already solely comprised of SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, both with an element of apologies for missing prior gigs with these artists, so here's what you should know to start!
Kinross/Mount
Pleasant, Michigan hard rock solo musician Alex Traynor will return to Biggby Coffee on Ashmun Street for another acoustic matinee gig TODAY, but he's
not alone! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard public confirmation of it earlier this week via the venue's and Alex's Facebook page. In fact, if you've been paying attention to both sources, you'll know that more is up than just Alex playing for tips and coffee. As it turns out, the band Tarnished that replaced the now-defunct Banned at Kinross Speedpark this past weekend is in fact Alex's new local band, featuring him on vocals & guitar alongside bassist Josh Fair (who I'm unfamiliar with from past local music) and Project 906 drummer Tommy Korcal. No online pages or public media yet, but a personal Facebook video is floating around of Tarnished covering ZZ Top and Bob Seger, and they sound good with some grit! I mention this here in part because Josh was the uncredited guest from Alex's 4th of July set.
Leading from that, Alex & Josh played Biggby Coffee together last Thursday too as well as that day's Ashmun Alive! festival downtown (apologies for missing those short notice sets here), while Josh will also be joining Alex TODAY at 10:30 AM, and if Biggby Coffee are to be believed, they will be playing there "every Thursday." Is this a sign that Alex is back home for the foreseeable future, or is it just a sign that Biggby Coffee don't know how long he can play Thursday mornings regularly? Tym Morrison aside, this verbiage isn't common for our coverage, so we'll play the wait and see game for now. In any event, Alex & Josh sounded good in the preview video embedded below from two weeks ago, but how long does "every Thursday" go, and will we see more of Tarnished on the public record? As usual for Alex's (and Josh's) Thursday matinees, there is no cover or age limit TODAY from 10:30 AM-1:00 PM.
Hopefully this set goes well for Alex, Josh, and fans alike with their hard rocking cover selections, so see above for much more details on Alex's solo and band pursuits, and I apologize again for missing his recent local gigs, we'd have covered them here had more information been available!
Next up, Sault Ontario funk/hard rock quartet The Wyld Stallyns and acoustic hard rock solo artist Tym Morrison will be reportedly be among the entertainment at TONIGHT'S first Downtown Street Party of the season! Again, apologies for the short notice, the full lineup was only announced on the official Facebook event page yesterday. Similarly to last year's three Downtown Street Parties, TONIGHT'S festivities will see vendors, family entertainment, refreshments, and various other activities going down Queen Street East from Pim Street to Spring Street, so see above for full non-musical details! Like last year, there will be a multi-"stage" setup on Queen, with Tym and The Wyld Stallyns both opening the lineup at 6:30 PM at their designated location (Tym at Queen and Pim, The Stallyns at Queen & East.) Tym's opening for classic rock veterans Flathead Ford, while The Wyld Stallyns will open a pseudo-Stage 2, preceding sets by surf rockers The Dynowaves, and two of this Saturday's Stage 2 acts (indie rock quartet K.I.C.K. and solo standout Jesse Merineau.)
The hard rock-free "Stage 3" will be in the block of Queen Street between Brock and Spring, and will feature North Bay indie rock trio David Dino White alongside local blues rock veterans Five Below Zero, country/bluegrass quintet Johnny & The Revelators, and acoustic country duo The Bearded Lounge. Presented by the Sault Ste. Marie Downtown Association, the party proper begins TONIGHT at 6:00 PM, and this is absolutely FREE & ALL AGES, so see above for more details! While we're on the subject, The Wyld Stallyns aren't done for this weekend, as they'll also return to The Whiskey Barrel on Gore Street TOMORROW NIGHT for one night only, after apparently playing a show there on Saturday, July 6th that we missed on the site. Apologies again for the short notice (and for missing the July 6th gig), the venue had announced both weeks ago via this Facebook event page covering all July concerts there, which completely slipped us by until now.
For what it's worth, The Stallyns never publically confirmed the July 6th show online, and The Whiskey Barrel never plugged it alone beforehand, so I am uncertain if it took place. If it did, I profusely apologize, I will do better to cover Whiskey Barrel concerts in the future! Downtown Street Party aside, the Elements side project have seemingly made their home at The Whiskey Barrel in recent months, and their hard rocking yet varied covers should go over well there TOMORROW! Here, there's an 8:00 PM start time, no cover, and a likely 19+ age limit. See above for more details on both of their shows this weekend, and here's The Stallyns live!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Rotaryfest Stage 1 previews and more on the site next! Thanks everyone!
