LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Josey Scott's Saliva & Generations)!!

(Updated at 4:09 PM) Two topic post on this Monday afternoon, devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS on two fronts, including expected weekend cover action and some unexpected attractions at a relatively underutilized locale, so with all of that said, here's what you should know!

New local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations have announced their third and fourth public concert weekends, which will take place on Friday, May 19th & Saturday, May 20th at Reggie's Place over the Victoria Day long weekend, and then on May 26th-27th at The Esquire Club! The Jus' Chillin successors were last seen at The Esquire Club in late April (with guest Michael Yurich subbing in for Brandon on a few songs), and while I'm a little surprised that it took this long to book new gigs, hopefully their next shows are even better! Remember that this is the new band from ex-Obsession singer Valerie Powley, but unlike their last Esquire Club gigs, the Memorial Day weekend is not one that Obsession announced for their scuttled 2023 concert slate last year. All four of Generations' May shows have 9:30 PM-ish start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits. Visit their Facebook group for more details on Generations' upcoming live dates!

Next up, a very surprising show was announced this morning for The Machine Shop (well, outside of it, weather permitting) on Saturday, June 24th, as Memphis hard rock band Saliva will return to our area for a headlining concert on that night... kind of! While the version of the band that we saw at Muddfest at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino in November 2019 plans to live on after the death of guitarist Wayne Swinny earlier this year, we are instead getting Josey Scott's Saliva, a new alternate version of the band led by their original frontman, who left Saliva in 2013 and was not at Muddfest. Last month, Josey began announcing a tour under the Josey Scott's Saliva name (I'm not sure if this is the same band as his recently announced Shade Violet or a separate act), so while no one from Muddfest will perform with this version of Saliva next month, the original voice will be here doing hits like "Click Click Boom" & "Always"!

Note that in the above tour poster, the show is listed to be taking place at The Rankin Arena on Batchewana Street, which would be interesting, but the Facebook event page confirms that it'll be at The Machine Shop. Two more touring bands will make their way north for this show, including Detroit hard rock quintet Sponge (best known from their mid-1990s hits "Plowed" and "Molly [16 Candles Down The Drain]") and Louisville, Kentucky post-grunge quartet Tantric (of "Breakdown" fame), who did play at Muddfest. A lot of hard rock radio favourites are in store from those three bands, so don't miss their Sault Ontario debuts next month! Local support will come from two bands, including local/Barrie crossover thrash quintet Spades GT in their first show in Sault Ste. Marie city limits since the former Jack Spades' last pre-pandemic gigs in late 2019, and their first local show since The Northern Vibe Festival last year!

This will also be your first local chance to see them with new bassist James Roy Daley and since Jay Sarrazin moved to guitar, and of course, it'll be their first local date since the expected release of their "Sewer City Radio" album later this month, so how's this for a return? Remember, Spades GT are not playing Northern Vibe this year. Local southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek will open the proceedings, and given their studio work and their own rising profile, they'll set the tone well next month! This event marks the post-pandemic return to hard rock concert promotion by Sault Michigan-based promoters Superior Entertainment, who are not completely new to cross-border bookings, having presented the Dokken/Firehouse concert at GFL Memorial Gardens in 2017. The show will be moved inside The Machine Shop at 83 Huron Street if weather permits, but it'll ideally be outdoors.

Ticket prices are not out for this all ages concert yet, but Superior Entertainment head Robin Cook said on the Facebook event page that "I'm keeping prices as low as possible". Definitely a surprising announcement on multiple fronts, and hopefully it's a huge show for Sault Ontario hard rock fans, especially with this intriguing lineup, so visit the above links for continuing updates, and we'll have more on "Sewer City Radio" on the site shortly, and more news and notes tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Handsome Sandwich CD Release Party Review!!

It's time for our admittedly belated review of Saturday night's Handsome Sandwich CD release party at The Loft at the Algoma Conservatory of Music! This is the first concert of a remotely heavy persuasion that I know took place at The Loft, so what is it like to attend a show there? First off, the Conservatory is located in the old St. Mary's Paper office building at the end of Huron Street right by St. Mary's River, right beside The Mill Steakhouse. The Loft is on the third (and top) floor of the Conservatory, and being inside the building honestly reminded me of being at the courthouse downtown, especially the stairs. Yes, there is an escalator too, something I didn't know about until when I left the show. As a concert venue, The Loft is very nice with good acoustics, a unique layout, and neat sightlines, especially with the slanted roof and industrial beams. Pictures make the space look bigger than it is and obscure the layout a bit.

While photos on The Loft's website show thick seating, these are movable & were pushed against three walls to varying thicknesses to allow for a proper floor section. Rooms are adjacent to The Loft for the connected recording studio, and the bar section for anyone wanting a potent potable was well in view from the main door. Yes, HD video cameras were rolling, seemingly for both bands, and I did notice a camera slowly panning left to right beside the drumkit on the stage, though what we'll see and when, I don't know. My biggest issue with The Loft was the lack of air conditioning, and if that's not practical, at least turn the fans up! Regardless, it's a very nice space for concerts, and I hope more local bands take advantage of it!

The openers were local alternative/indie rock quartet Man Feelings, who were lucky enough to get an hour long set, which is impressive for a support band! As such, they played a lot of unreleased songs, plus material from their "City Friends" EP like "Modest Spouse" and "Long Winter's Night". I don't believe that I've seen Man Feelings live before, and when listening to them, comparisons to The Black Keys came up often, if that band had more instruments and variety to their sound. While bassist Tyler Willson handled most lead vocals, all of his bandmates got turns to sing, which is encouraging from an original band in terms of giving everyone an identity. Not a heavy band, but they have good songwriting, and everyone made the most of their instrumental roles, with B.J. Swire's keyboard work adding an extra element throughout, and Paul "Gabby" Gabrylewicz had some strong guitar melodies!

I will say that Man Feelings were slow to engage the crowd at first, and they had a few too many songs that just... ended, without a big finish. Not really abrupt endings so much as anti-climactic ones. Still a solid set that helped set the tone for the handsomeness to follow, and of course, how fitting is it that Man Feelings opened for Handsome Sandwich, thereby swapping roles from Man Feelings' CD release show last year? Also, shout-out to Ricky the juggler, who even got to "perform" for a song!

And your headliners were local alternative hard rock quintet Handsome Sandwich in their release party at least seven months in the making! True to prior teasers, their set comprised of their entire debut album "Deconstructed" in album order, with an intermission separating the main program from a six song mini-set including four newer/omitted original songs like "No Idea", and two covers: Tones & I's "Dance Monkey" and an encore cover of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" featuring solo spots by all four instrumentalists. While I have seen the original three-piece, covers-only Handsome Sandwich live, this is the first time that I've seen the version relaunched in 2021, and they definitely have a crowd-pleasing set that rarely sticks to one style for too long, including glimmers of funk, hard rock, punk, indie rock, jam rock... basically anything that they want to play, and the audience was here for it!

Frontwoman Taylor "Tea" Emlaw brought a very unique stage presence to The Loft on Saturday, with lots of unpredictable movements and an infectious enthusiasm that was great to see! Her vocals remind me a lot of the American jazz/blues singer Beth Hart (listen to "Stay" to hear what I hear), and that alone helps this band stand apart from the local pack. Rafael Medina proved that his Algoma University music program training was well utilized on bass, the twin guitar attack of Jesse Cook and Mitch Sirie never hurt (even if I'd have liked to have seen more soloing), and drummer Johnny Belanger kept the rhythm as well as you'd expect, while also filling in the gaps for crowd banter, helping keep things in a loose and carefree spirit despite the anticipation and setting of this concert. Good stuff all around, and if this is the kind of show fans can expect from Handsome Sandwich, then who knows how far that they'll go?

Overall, this was a fun show aided by the unique and high-end locale, and on a kinda-related level, it was awesome to see Mitch & Johnny finally get to have a proper release concert like this after their old death metal band The Bear Hunters' planned release show for their higher quality second album "The Dead Testament" never went through due to the pandemic and the band's own decline in activity after 2017, leading to it getting a digital-only release on Bandcamp in 2020, and only one further live set. 2+ years later, they finally had their big moment, and hopefully Nik and Justin get theirs in some form! You can check out our photos from the show at this link or at our Facebook page, and I shot a video from each band, namely Man Feelings playing "Bring Me Home" and Handsome Sandwich playing "Better Off"!

Due to the length of this review (which went longer than normal already), I'll hold comment on Handsome Sandwich's newly released "Deconstructed" album for an upcoming post, but I did buy a CD copy on Saturday night and it will be reviewed on the SMS in due course! That's all for now, but a new news post will be hitting the SMS later today! Thanks everyone!

Initial Details On The Northern Vibe Festival's Forest Stage Lineup For 2023!!

Single topic post today, as the band lineup for the Forest Stage at this year's Northern Vibe Festival at the old Hempfest grounds in Ophir has been announced via the event's Facebook page yesterday, so who can you expect over the last weekend of August? Just as a primer beforehand, the performance times were not stated yesterday, keeping in line with the last two years since J.D. Pearce began curating the Forest Stage, which never saw a full schedule reveal from organizers. Unless protocols have changed this year, stay tuned to the bands' social media pages for any details on when they are specifically playing. Eleven acts are currently scheduled for the eighth annual Northern Vibe, which is down one from last year (three if you count withdrawn bands), but there will be more touring bands than in 2022. The advertised headliners are Montreal ska punk band K-Man & The 45s, making their first local appearance in over four years!

Fans will recall seeing K-Man & crew on a local stage seven times in six years from 2013-2019, and it will be great to see them back with their horn section and fun energy in tow! The other two touring acts both feature Spades GT guitarist Jay Sarrazin returning to Ophir, albeit not with Spades GT. Rather, his Waterloo hard rock quartet Sierra Pilot and his Cornwall speed metal trio Hellrager will both make their regional debuts at Northern Vibe VIII. Both deliver the genre goods, so don't bypass either in late August, and do check the out to see what they bring to the table! With that said, Spades GT are surprisingly not playing this year's festival.... but Frightlight are! Yes, the inactive local horror punk quintet will rise from the grave for a one-off reunion, in their first gig since this event in 2021! No public word yet on who will take over on drums for the late Chris Thompson, but the drummer was revealed in personal Facebook postings.

Three other acts are all returning from the past two Northern Vibe installments, namely alternative quintet Handsome Sandwich (don't miss their CD release party at The Loft TONIGHT!), punk trio A Dire Setback, and funk/hard rock cover band The Wyld Stallyns. All will be riding some good momentum after high profile 2023 shows, so they're fine picks to return for a third year! No word on why The Soo Fighters and Dynowaves aren't pulling the triple themselves, however. The newbies to Northern Vibe include local/Barrie alt-hard rock solo artist Mike Haggith (no word on if his new album will be done in time or not), online page-less alternative/punk supergroup Bookclub (sharing the stage with The Wyld Stallyns once again), and new local hard rock quartet Far From Fine (née Ravencore) in their first announced show of the year. The other advertised band are The Castletons, who are new to the SMS, but who are they?

As it turns out, they're a revival of a rock duo that was active locally from 2017-2018, featuring Frightlight bassist Mike "Eddie Fright" Gingras in their ranks, However, they were always cagey in their initial run about their full identities and sound, but based on the intimate venues that they frequented at the time, I'd assume that they're an acoustic act. We'll let you know if anything extra goes public! Northern VIIIbe (see what I did there?) takes place from Friday, August 25th-Sunday, August 27th, but if past years are any indication, bands will only play on Friday and Saturday, with the Friday lineup being shorter (last year had five bands on Friday and seven on Saturday). Like in past years, camping is more than welcomed in Ophir (east of Bruce Mines), and decorations are welcomed, but not glass bottles. Tickets for this year run for $100 minimum, which is down from last year, and packages also exist with bundled t-shirts and/or hoodies!

As is normal for Northern Vibe, there are no single-day ticket options, perhaps justifying why they don't release daily schedules if everyone's paying for the whole weekend anyway, but that's just conjecture on my part. Buy your tickets and/or clothing items at this link, and the implication is that these are early bird prices that will go up in June, so act fast! Sounds like another fun time is ahead for concert-goers, partiers, and campers alike, especially with the River Stage full of talented DJs also on site once again, so visit the above links for complete current details on Northern Vibe VIII later this summer! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news on the site next week! Thanks everyone!

Handsome Sandwich Release Concert Preview, Plus Destroyer Concert Videos!!

As promised, we're rounding out this weekend's concert previews today with a special extended preview of a big event tomorrow night, with some concert videos from last month to round things out with. Here's what you should know, starting with that concert preview!

An album release date months in the making comes to fruition TOMORROW NIGHT when local alternative hard rock quintet Handsome Sandwich release their debut album "Deconstructed" at their release party at The Loft! As a refresher, The Loft is the concert venue on the third floor of the Algoma Conservatory of Music at 75 Huron Street (the former St. Mary's Paper building), and is managed by Treble Charger frontman Greig Nori, whose bandmate Bill Priddle was very much involved in the "Deconstructed" recording sessions. By all public accounts, The Loft is very high end as concert venues in Sault Ste. Marie go, both from attendance and performance standpoints, so click here for full details on the amenities and technical qualities that are in store for this and other concerts. We have not seen Handsome Sandwich on stage since The Soo's Got Talent finals in October, though they've hardly been idle since then!

It's also been at least since T.S.G.T. last year that they had May 6th dialed in as a release date for this album (I still don't know the significance of May 6th), and after 7+ months of final studio work, video shoots, mastering, and promotion, we're almost over the finish line for "Deconstructed"! In the pandemic era, heavier album releases on physical media have been the exception, not the rule, so fans of physical media will love that "Deconstructed" will be on sale tomorrow on CD (price unclear), so bring extra cash to get yours! I do not know if streaming copies of the album go live before the show or afterwards. Set-wise, Handsome Sandwich plan to play every song on "Deconstructed" in order, allegedly the only time that they plan to do this live, and the set will be filled out by newer original songs not on the album (no word on possible covers).

Their set is at 8:30 PM, while local indie rock quartet Man Feelings will open the proceedings at 7:30 PM. Not a hard rock or punk band, but they're a talented group in & of themselves, so don't miss them either! An all ages event, admission is $25 at the door or via this link, though seating is limited. If you can't make it, Handsome Sandwich have confirmed that at least their set will be "live recorded" (The Loft is adjacent to a recording studio and is wired for soundboard audio/HD video), but what form they mean for the recording is not known. This is primed to be a huge night for Taylor, Jesse, Mitch, Rafael, and Johnny, so don't miss out tomorrow, visit the Facebook event page for more details, and here's the Sandwich live!

We'll close today with videos from the concert from Toronto-based Kiss tribute band Destroyer at Soo Blaster on April 15th! Apologies for the delay in these making the site. Filmed for Christopher Paci's excellent YouTube channel, he uploaded ten videos from this show, including eight of the headliners tackling the Kiss classics "Firehouse", "Shout It Out Loud", "Calling Dr. Love", "I Was Made For Loving You", "Love Gun", "Detroit Rock City", "I Stole Your Love", and as embedded below, "Rock & Roll All Nite". Really nice seeing a sizeable crowd on the floor for this show, and while the audio can be scratchy with the audio setup and/or through this camera (I can see why Chris didn't title "I Stole Your Love"), you get a really good sense of Destroyer's authentic sounding and looking presentation! I wonder if the Kiss cabbie was there? I imagine he'd approve! Give these a watch for yourself a look above and below!

Chris' other two videos are of local openers Fort Creek, with their videos being of them covering Black Stone Cherry's "White Trash Millionaire" and, as embedded below, The Goo Goo Dolls' "Long Way Down". Unexpected cover in the latter case, but the southern hard rockers pull it off well and it lets Justin flex his melodic vocal abilities! Possibly thanks to not being on the floor while filming, the audio quality is clearer on these too, so check them out for yourselves above & below!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Bone Yard & Soundcheck) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

Another weekend is upon us, and with May now in full swing, there's a decent amount of hard rock/punk concerts to check out in the Sault Ste. Marie area! So much so that there are too many for one post, so I'm moving Saturday night's Handsome Sandwich concert to tomorrow's post, so look for that then, and now, let's lead off our previews with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS from two bands!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Shooters Downstairs Lounge for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced these shows on their Facebook page this morning, and the venue has not confirmed them on their own Facebook page at press time. Last seen at Shooters early last month, these shows come fresh off of Soundcheck's usual jam night hosting duties at Jay's tonight, and their last traditional gigs (also at Jay's) last week, including the "Bring Back Summer" party that was on the Saturday only. TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S shows aren't their only Shooters commitments though, as Soundcheck have actually signed on as judges for Shooters' karaoke talent quest competition taking place from this Sunday through August 13th, with a $1,000 cash prize and a Las Vegas trip awaiting the winner. Click here for more details!

Interesting jump for Terry, Cameron, Jim, and Glen, but hopefully they have fun on Sunday nights this summer and discover some new talent in the process! If you'd rather see them with instruments in hand, playing some classic and hard rock covers for your delectation, be at Shooters TOMORROW and/or SATURDAY NIGHT! These shows have 19+ age limits, no cover charges, and 9:00 PM start times. See above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live at a private event last month!

Next up, local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard will return to Jay's Piston Broke Pub for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, Bone Yard only announced these shows on their Facebook page on Monday, and the way they phrased the post ("Well well BoneHeads!!! What do ya know!!!") suggests that it was somewhat unexpected on their end too. Last seen at the same venue two weeks ago, the guys have been busy working on original music in studio since, as seen via this "Reel" of the guys checking out one of frontman Greg Simpson's drum tracks on a computer. What we hear sounds good, but are these sessions leading to an album of some kind? We'll keep you posted! Bone Yard also confirmed on Sunday that they will return to Sudbury for at least one show in July at The Coulson Entertainment Center, date(s) unclear, so keep that in mind if you're that far east.

If you're up for Bone Yard's brand of southern-fried classic and hard rock covers, consider a trip to the former Reggie's West TOMORROW and/or SATURDAY NIGHT! Expect 9:30 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits both nights, while Bone Yard t-shirts and their shot will also be available. See above for more details, and here's Bone Yard live!

We'll next take a detour to the Eastern Upper Peninsula, as Manistique, Michigan hard rock duo Fyrbird will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Announced with lots of advance notice on the band's and venue's ends, these will be their first gigs in our coverage range since rocking the Soo Kewadin three weeks ago, but of course, they do hit towns in the western parts of Chippewa and Mackinac County (plus venues in Luce County) more frequently, so do visit their Facebook group for their 2023 calendar. Jamie and Rikk should have a hard hitting weekend of covers in store for fans in St. Ignace both nights, so don't miss out on all of the action! Expect 21+ age limits, no cover charges, and 9:00 PM start times. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's two videos from Fyrbird's Friday nighter at The Rapids Lounge in Sault Ste. Marie last month!

These were live-streamed by frontman Jamie Hider's wife Shannon for her personal Facebook page and were subsequently shared to Fyrbird's Facebook group. One is a 26 second clip of a nice drum solo by Rikk Corwin, and the other (embedded below) sees the guys playing 10 minutes worth of music, including covers of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" (joined in progress), Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London", Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble's "Pride & Joy", and AC/DC's "Highway To Hell". The vertical camera angle is very unfortunate, especially with the lack of fans on the floor, but the covers come through well and have a good grit to them, so check them out for yourselves below!

Finally for today's previews, let's head back to Sault Ontario for the returning 11th annual edition of the Sault Ste. Marie Festival of Beer, which goes down THIS SATURDAY at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre! While not historically a concert hotbed, this year's installment will welcome three acts to the stage near the museum's main entrance, including online page-less alternative/punk quintet Bookclub, funk/hard rock cover sextet The Wyld Stallyns, and singer Gabrielle Dumas (now advertised as a solo act in place of her pop rock band The Hollow Heads for unannounced reasons). Nice varied selection that should have something for everyone on Saturday! Of course, you can expect beer at the Festival of Beer via 20 provincial craft breweries, plus other local vendors, so visit the above links and organizers LopLops Lounge's Facebook page for full non-musical details! Obviously given the theme, this is a 19+ event, and it runs on Saturday from 1:00-7:00 PM.

As such, if you're concerned about this conflicting with Handsome Sandwich's release party, don't worry! While musician timeslots are not out, Bookclub are the headliners with The Stallyns in the middle. Limited tickets are still available at this link for $38.15 ($35 in person at the Bushplane Museum), which may be steep, but remember what's being offered here, especially for the craft beer aficionado. Should be a fun time for beer fans, and with some solid local music to boot, so visit the above links for much more on the Festival of Beer, and here's Bookclub live!

 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Handsome Sandwich preview and more tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Spades GT & Fort Creek Updates, Plus More Recent News & Notes!!

In a post that really should have went up last night before time got away from me, we're clearing out more of the news backlog by looking at some recent updates from two prominent local hard rock-leaning acts, plus some assorted quicker topics as of late, so here's what you should know!

Here's the latest from local/Barrie crossover thrash quintet Spades GT, so what's new from them in the past two weeks? First off, their streak of daily "Reels" on their Facebook page quietly ended on its 12th consecutive day on April 24th, with the last two "Reels" seeing the band (sans Jay and Tyler) playing on-stage behind a series of pop art-esque filters, and one of drummer Tyler Reiner in action during a concert, with no major post-production filters to speak of. I can't say that I miss the daily "Reels" for multiple technical reasons, but if you do, they did share one from Tyler's personal Facebook page on Sunday of him borrowing his brother's drumkit during a rehearsal. Painfully short, but it sounds good while it lasts! In terms of concerts, Spades GT successfully opened for The Anti-Queens in Barrie this past Thursday, and they will return to The Queens Nightclub there in two weeks when they open for both The Brains and K-Man & The 45s on May 18th!

Of course, local fans will remember seeing both groups on stage in the Soo in the 2010s, especially K-Man & The 45s, so this will be a familiar night for former and visiting Saultites on the 18th who like psychobilly and ska punk respectively! Before then however, they were added on late notice to a Toronto gig taking place tomorrow night at Sneaky Dee's headlined by Toronto progressive metal band Aunest. No familiar bands from past local gigs there other than the former Jack Spades, but hopefully this show is a hit! The big announcement from the Spades GT camp yesterday is the cover artwork for their new album "Sewer City Radio", courtesy of Germany-based artist Cliff Terrafolio, and it features an alleyway at nighttime with the album name and a spade on a manhole cover, and the band's new text logo in the upper left. Works well enough! The band has teased "dropping all sorts of stuff" from the record soon, so stay tuned for that.

A release party is expected, albeit likely in the GTA and not here, though remember that the band last said that it would come out this month. We have yet to hear studio material from the recording sessions, but the band hinted on Sunday that the internet radio station CGCM Rock Radio may have Spades GT in their rotation already, so visit there if you're curious! To close, here's a brief new video from April 24th that, shockingly, is not a "Reel", so we can embed it here! Still a short & vertical clip, it features the band (minus Jay) giving a final push for the Anti-Queens concert, with guitarist Daniel Horton holding the camera and speaking on behalf of the band. Check it out below, and see more from Spades GT above!

Next up, let's cover some recent content from local southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek, starting with a new timeframe for their long-gestating debut EP, as in a comment reply on their Facebook page on Monday they indicated that it is "set to be released (in the) fall (of) this year".  Of course, they had planned to initially put this out last summer, so things are definitely behind old projections, but hopefully things are on track in 2023, and that we hear more beyond "Hammer Down" in the lead-up to the release date! In terms of videos, they have posted two on Facebook that we have yet to address, though neither features the full band. One video from April 17th just has 12 seconds of their stage setup when they opened for Kiss tribute band Destroyer at Soo Blaster last month, with no band members present. Not the first time that they've shared a video like that, for the record, but it sure looked professional!

Embedded below is a short clip from January 15th, vertical as it may be, of guitarist Bill Brouillard playing while standing on a rolling cart in front of the stage at Soo Blaster, with bassist Robin "Bones" Lee pushing it along for good measure. Amusing on one hand, and a good showcase of Bill's guitar talents on the other, so check it out for yourself 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:

 

• Wyld Stallyns/ex-Garden of Bedlam drummer Derek Turner will reportedly fill in with Winnipeg/Denmark metal band Gutter Creek (featuring Saultite guitarist Matt Hanchuck) when they open for Tantric in Kalkaska, Michigan on May 20th! This was confirmed in personal Facebook posts only but seemed worth mentioning given the scope. Derek is a late fill-in due to Gutter Creek's normal drummer being unavailable, and Kalkaska is 2½ hours south of the Soo near Traverse City. Huge opportunity for sure, and hopefully Derek nails it in a couple of weeks! Note that Traverse City metal trio (and Kewadin Casino lounge regulars) Scarkazm are also playing at this concert.
• In a "Reel" on Tidal Records' Facebook page on April 21st, online page-less local punk/folk solo project Jonesy Land shared a new teaser clip from their upcoming debut album "Zoom-Out" (still planned to drop on May 31st), while also noting the album's inspirations from frontman Dustin Jones' life lessons and self-discovery. The album was mixed by Kyle Whittaker at Strange Pumpkin Studios in St. Catharines, and if song names shared on Dustin's personal Facebook page are any indication, the song we're hearing here is "Old Man", which will feature Shannon Moan on guest vocals. Stay tuned for more news on "Zoom-Out"!
• Dustin's Bookclub/ex-Inner City Surfers bandmate Mikey Hawdon was profiled in this new SooToday article by Chris Belsito on Tuesday, which outlines Mikey's move back to Sault Ste. Marie last year, the formation of the also-online-pageless Bookclub, and promotion for their set at the Festival of Beer this Saturday. Aside from some reveals of bands that Bookclub cover live, there's no real scoops here, but this is a solid article for fans of Mikey's recent band work in town, so give it a read at this link!
  

 

That's all for now, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

Where Are The New Albums? (May 2023 Update)

For our second post of the day, we have this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post, featuring our look at the newest updates and release statuses of upcoming albums that are publically known to have had recording sessions begin, and while no entries are new this month, four of the seven have updates! If planned release dates hold up, this series will dramatically shrink come June, but for now, where are the new albums? Read on below to hopefully find out!

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Chase James Wigmore - The Chaotic Rite

Rumoured Songs: Multiple

Background: Ever the prolific artist & songwriter, local folk punk/extreme metal musician Chase Wigmore has been working on an extensive rock opera for years (once claimed to be a 33 part work), originally named "A Story About A Kid Named Todd". Worked on in between his other unrelated solo albums, released for sale or otherwise, Chase posted a lengthy elaboration of the rock opera last year, now titled "The Chaotic Rite", outlining its concept, recording plans, and long-term release timeline. Clips of songs have surfaced on his Facebook page, as well as the final artwork, while in promotion for his last release, Chase has hinted that "The Chaotic Rite" might be his final eponymous solo album.

Current Release Status: Your guess is as good as mine for when this will finally come out, but remember that Chase is very prolific and varied in his musical interests, and not every album of his has seen a formal paid release, either by finishing it's lifespan as a demo, or by being released online for free. Regardless, he has been working on the rock opera for years to ensure a quality product, so stay tuned for updates from his camp!

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Fort Creek's debut EP

Rumoured Songs: "Hammer Down"

Background: Local southern/hard rock quintet Fort Creek have sporadically teased plans to record an EP since February 2020, and while the pandemic lockdowns may have gave them more time to record, they wouldn't release any samples until almost two years later when they shared this snippet of their single "Hammer Down" their Facebook page, later posting this 72 second clip. The guys debuted it at their headlining concert at Soo Blaster in June, and have played it live regularly since, but they have yet to release any full tracks online. The band has been working in studio in early 2023, revealing that "it's coming along" in a Facebook post on March 22nd.

Current Release Status: Fort Creek revealed in a comment reply on their Facebook page on April 17th that their originals are "set to be released this fall", which follows their unrealized plans to release an EP in "late summer", then "late 2022". There are a lot of unknowns either way, especially given the 2+ years of production time and that this is a band primarily known for their work on the weekend cover circuit (though some members do have experience in name original bands, especially Tony). It will be interesting to see how things develop, so stay tuned!
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Handsome Sandwich - "Deconstructed"

Rumoured Songs: "All Or Nothing", "Bitter", "No Entry", "No Idea", "Better Off"

Background: After taking a year+ long hiatus during the pandemic, local "no genre" band Handsome Sandwich reunited in mid-2021 with a new lineup, with Jesse Cook & Johnny Belanger now joined by singer Taylor Emlaw, guitarist Mitch Sirie, and (as of last summer) bassist Rafael Medina. Via their new Facebook page & YouTube channel, the band almost instantly began teasing a debut album (after previously being covers-only from 2017-2020), posting videos of them playing original songs. In June 2021, the album had began pre-production, with recording at Unsalted Audio with producer Bill Priddle & mixer Dustin Goodall. In November, the band confirmed that the album's name was changed from "Lettuce" to "Deconstructed", and recording sessions wrapped in January, with Jordan Zadorozny mixing the tracks at Skylark Park in Pembroke. Their songs "Bitter", "Better Off" , and "No Entry" have came out as pre-release singles, complete with their own music videos. The album will have a CD print run, and the cover artwork was revealed last month.

Current Release Status: The band has had a release date of this Saturday planned for this album since last fall, and that will culminate in a release concert at The Loft, which is The Algoma Conservatory of Music's third floor intimate concert venue and attached recording studio. Handsome Sandwich did tease that this set will be "live recorded", but they have not specified if they meant in video or audio format, and if the latter, if they plan to release their set as a live album or not. Saturday night should be a huge occasion, especially given the fancier setting for the release party, so stay tuned!
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Jonesy Land - "Zoom - Out"

Rumoured Songs: "Sunshine Parades", "Moral Blackout", "Ain't Dead Yet"

Background: The current solo project from former Rising Tide/Inner City Surfers frontman Dustin Jones, he has been working under the Jonesy Land name since 2021 when he played a handful of summer festival dates, while also sporadically releasing new studio original recordings with attached music videos. While public teasers towards Jonesy Land's future plans have been made before 2023 (primarily via this SooToday article), Dustin finally announced in February that he is working on a studio album named "Zoom - Out" at his own Mission Control Studios, to be released through his label Tidal Records, and to be produced by Kyle Whittaker at Strange Pumpkin Studios in St. Catharines. Jonesy Land is a fluid project for genres and performers, and it was confirmed through a "reel" on the Tidal Facebook page that local folk musician Shannon Moan will be among the guests, though more musicians are to be announced.

Current Release Status: This "reel" (cross-posted from Dustin's TikTok page) confirms a planned album release date of Wednesday, May 31st (my birthday!), barely confirming earlier teasers of a spring release. If this holds, it will be great to see a new studio album from Dustin for the first time in over a decade, but be advised that Jonesy Land do not have a formal social media page (not counting TikTok, which is personal use as well) to promote themselves with. As such, updates on the album may be slower than with other bands, let alone focused on his own personal accounts, where he has gleaned more about the album's planned makeup, which may not even feature their initial three singles. In any event, we'll keep you guys posted on the release!
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Mike Haggith - "All The Best In All You Do"

Rumoured Songs: "I've Seen It Before", "Twist of Fate", "If Only You Could Hear Me", "All You Do", "Love Will Light The Way", "All For You"

Background: During his live-streamed Facebook concert in February 2022, local/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith revealed that he was working on his newest studio album, entitled "All The Best In All You Do". Like his other post-Sault Ste. Marie albums, this will have an overarching concept, this time about the transition out of depression and being manipulated by others, into a happier personal life. At the time, Mike was 35% done with the album, which will reportedly have ten songs, some of which he has previewed in 2022 concerts and in his Facebook live-streams. A single version of "Twist of Fate" was unveiled in July, and live videos of some songs can be found on Mike's Facebook page and/or YouTube channel in individual uploads. Mike moved to Barrie, Ontario for work reasons at the end of 2022, and has resumed working on his studio material there. This may also be put out on Mike's own indie label MorningStar Records, which he has used as a name-only imprint previously.

Current Release Status: Given Mike's day job, personal commitments, and admitted issues with Facebook, he hasn't been as active on social media in recent months, but he was playing live dates last year and presumably working on recording the new album where time allows, though all of the personal and professional changes involving his move to Ontario are definitely acknowledged. Hopefully things are progressing naturally, and we'll keep you posted!

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Spades GT''s first full-length album

Rumoured Songs: "Cenobites", "Hands"

Background: After a successful local run from 2013-2020 that included their 2014 debut EP "The First" and six more studio tracks on 2015's "Fed Up!" split, local crossover thrash quintet Jack Spades were relaunched in late 2021 as Spades GT, once frontman J.D. Pearce moved to Barrie for work reasons. After playing live throughout 2022, the band announced plans to record a full-length album in January, hitting the studio in Toronto with producer Kyle Marchant in March. Only J.D. remains from the Jack Spades-era CDs, now joined by late-era Jack Spades guitarist Daniel Horton (who also moved to the GTA) plus new additions Jay Sarrazin, James Roy Daley, and Tyler Reiner on guitar, bass, and drums. The album will feature guest appearances from Anvil frontman Steve "Lips" Kudlow on guitar and Daniel's Fast Life bandmate Andrew Moorehouse on vocals.

Current Release Status: The band announced via this Facebook post in March that the album is "coming out in May", and if that projection holds, it's convenient timing given that Spades alumni Jesse Cook & Johnny Belanger's debut album with Handsome Sandwich is also slated for release this month! Given the extra opportunities and availability that Spades GT have in Southern Ontario, things can easily come together quicker and on a higher profile compared to their mid-2010s efforts. Keep posted to Spades GT's online pages for further updates, and songs from the new album have been filmed in live concert videos!

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The Uncanny Valley's debut album

Rumoured Songs: "The Uncanny Valley", "Glowin'", "Middle Man", “This Love is Psychedelic”, "Stuck In Rotation", “Sweet Like Sugar”, "Fumbling Through"

Background: The new classic hard rock band from 2019 Soo's Got Talent winner Adrian Sullivan, fans will have seen original material of theirs right from the start, as The Uncanny Valley debuted their own songs in their first live concert at The Canadian on New Year's Eve 2019. Live concert & jam session videos have followed on their Facebook page featuring their own material as well. After posting a teaser audio clip of "Sweet Like Sugar" in September 2020, they posted the full studio version of "Middle Man" that October, finally confirming there that they are working on their first album. The guys did record a studio version of "Stuck In Rotation" at Unsalted Audio for the Clusterfolk Music Festival and a related compilation album in April 2022, but whether that exact recording will be included on the band's own album is unclear.

Current Release Status: No clue, which isn't helped by The Uncanny Valley's age and relatively unfamiliar profile for many readers, not to mention the complications of the pandemic, but they have played a number of local concerts last year. That said, they are a talented group who seemed to be taking the right steps for the future, and hopefully more updates on The Uncanny Valley's debut album follow in some form or another when ready!

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 I hope you guys liked this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! This series will return on or around June 2nd, while our next monthly feature post will likely be this month's Defunct Local Band Profile one week from tomorrow. That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!