As promised, we are capping off this surprisingly busy hard rock concert weekend preview cycle in today's post by tackling a familiar band's St. Ignace gigs, but we also have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this and next month, an apology for a missed show, and a new live concert clip to showcase as well. Here's what you should know!
Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished have announced a few new local dates for this fall, starting with a set as part of this year's Fall Festival (formerly Oktoberfest) on Saturday, September 28th! As seen on the poster on the right, Tarnished will be playing in acoustic duo form that afternoon at 1:00 PM, as part of the Crooked Music Sound Stage, presumably outside of their Ashmun Street storefront. Of course, there's a lot more going on at the Fall Fest besides music, with family entertainment, games, contests, and activities downtown in just over two weeks' time, so click here for full non-musical details. All of the entertainment is in the daytime, with acoustic rock duo The Tavern Stool Townies (featuring I.S.O.M. alum Bob Helsten) headlining at 4:00 PM. Alt-rock musician Kathleen Connelly and folk solo artist Magnet Moslov (not Moslav) will play at 3:00 & 2:00 PM each, while student dancers from the Academy of Performing Arts will open at 12:00 PM.
This event is absolutely ALL AGES, and there's no cover to see the music. Sounds like a fun time with lots of solid entertainment from various fields, so don't miss out later this month downtown! Meanwhile, Tarnished's own Facebook event pages for upcoming solo dates largely reflect road-trip dates to Gould City and Mount Pleasant, with the November 21st Kewadin Casino date here (picked up after Banned dissolved) is still on as advertised. However, Tarnished did play at Biggby Coffee this morning, a show that they only plugged this morning at 10:07 AM, just twenty-three minutes before showtime. As such, it does appear that their "every Thursday" run is absolutely still a thing, but why not advertise these dates sooner, or at least put up a Facebook event page to list them all? In any event, I apologize for missing this week's, but to make it up to them, we now have their Biggby Coffee matinees listed for Thursday, September 19th and 26th, with October to be addressed later.
As usual for this arrangement, Tarnished's upcoming dates here for tips and coffee will be 10:30 AM matinees with no cover charges or age limits. See above for more details, and before we move on, here's a new video of Tarnished at Biggby Coffee last week covering 3 Doors Down's "Kryptonite." A bit of a slower, more laid back interpretation (even beyond the unplugged setting), Alex and Josh are on form here, and the vertical camera angle takes nothing away in this case, but I wouldn't have filmed where a table could cut off the lower section. Give it a look below!
Next up, let's take a detour north to Sault Ontario, where Oshawa-based Bon Jovi tribute band Bon Jovi Forever will return to the Soo on Saturday, October 5th at The Canadian Nightclub! We're no strangers to Bon Jovi tribute acts up here, with bands like Keep The Faith and Bon Journey providing their own takes in the past decade, but Bon Jovi Forever themselves are the most recent, last playing here at The Rockstar Bar in May 2016. If you love Bon Jovi's early hair metal hits and newer contemporary material, this band will deliver the visual and auditory goods, as seen in their videos and concert reviews, so Hair Scare loyalists won't wanna miss their return next month! Notably, this is the kickoff to The Canadian's run of "Rocktober" tribute concerts next month, with Journey and Tragically Hip tributes also playing there in the following weeks, and a C.C.R. tribute in November also.
No local opener is advertised, we'll let you know if one is announced. A 9:30 PM start time is advertised for this 19+ event, which has $15 advance tickets available at The Canadian Motor Hotel's front desk, with the door price jumping to $20. If you love Bon Jovi, this show is well worth your time next month, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details!
Finally, let's cap off this abnormally busy stretch of weekend concert previews by heading back to Michigan, where Traverse City classic metal trio Peril are scheduled to return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! This will be the Northern Michigan veterans' first local concert weekend since rocking St. Ignace in late July, and this should be a prime chance for E.U.P. fans to see Jeff, Adam, and Brooks rocking out at a familiar locale once again! It's worth noting that these shows coincide with the annual Richard Crane Memorial Truck Show in St. Ignace, so might things be busier this weekend as a result? Find out tonight and/or tomorrow! As usual for their Kewadin bookings, these shows are 9:00 PM affairs with 21+ age limits and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Peril live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site this weekend! 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!
Usually, the local hard rock concert calendar slows down in the autumn (Halloween aside), but that is not the case this weekend, as we have enough concert previews for two full posts, with at least one needing to be in a third post! As such, here's the schedule. This post has two SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS and our Cancer Bats preview (as that show is tonight), while we'll tackle the Whoop-Szo, Chase Wigmore, Soundcheck, and Wyld Stallyns concerts later today, with Peril's St. Ignace dates to follow tomorrow morning along with other recent stories. Hopefully that covers everything, so here's what you should know to start the weekend!
Joining his regular Gliss Restaurant matinees TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, local acoustic solo musician Tym Morrison will reportedly play at Thomson Farms Cider & Winery on Third Line West for a third straight week TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, a Facebook event page has not visibly been created to plug this show at press time, but the mill advertised Tym as performing on their Facebook page, and the show is also listed on SooToday's events calendar. Whether this is an extended weekly arrangement for the fall season or not, the third time may be the charm for fans of Tym's unplugged hard and classic rock covers, so look for him in the wine barn TONIGHT! For what it's worth, Thomson Farms will have pumpkin spice cider on sale starting today, but if you're not into that, their selection is large. Of course, Tym's ongoing Gliss shows should provide more entertaining unplugged music for your dinner-time entertainment tomorrow and Saturday, so don't miss out!
As was the case in the past two weeks, all three of these shows are age limit-devoid and have no stated cover charges (though mind the locales), and while the Gliss shows are at 6:00 PM as usual, the Thomson Farms show TONIGHT is at 5:00 PM. Visit the Gliss concerts' Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!
Next up, The Soo's Got Talent officially kicks off it's sophomore installment TOMORROW NIGHT at The Grand Gardens Verdi Ballroom (p.k.a. The Verdi Hall), and there will be one metal band/performer on the preliminary competitor roster, namely the returning Apocalypse Afterparty! Again, apologies for the short notice, their involvement only broke this week when organizers unveiled the first round lineup, and the band proper didn't publicize their Wacky Wings audition last month for us to get an advance teaser. This will be X and z's first public concert since their run of pop-up gigs in mid-2017, so can they shake off the stage rust in time for TOMORROW's talent competition? For what it's worth, their Facebook page teases a new setlist and band member, though of course, remember that they were infamous for wearing masks on stage. However, do not expect a long performance, as twenty-three acts are playing TOMORROW. I won't attempt to list all 23 here, especially as many are unfamiliar to me, but a few other familiar faces are competing!
Regarding returnees from last year, the only finalist that I can discern as playing year #2 is singer Bethany Pelletier (LeBeouf), while L!me's Madi Schomogyi is also advertised as returning. Some other familiar names may include Colin Gasparelli (from this year's Fringe North/Up The Arts music stage), 2017 Soo Youth Songwriters Contest winner Juliana Regan, and local beatboxer Killabeatz, among others. Of course, with a lineup this big, it's hard to predict who will advance, but remember that The Apocalypse Afterparty did mount a surprise finals run in 2015's VM Radio Battle of the Bands, and "songwriter" Paul Stanghetta did place in earlier battles with The Fury. However, remember that this is not a battle of the bands, and expect to see non-musicians TOMORROW NIGHT, including The Dancing Divas. Moving to The Verdi Hall after the closure of The Tech, this event is a fundraiser to support the ARCH Hospice.
Bands selected to advance at night's end will compete again next Friday, September 20th, with semifinals on September 27th, and the finals taking place on October 11th, so be sure to visit the Facebook event page for continuing updates on the competition as it progresses. The show starts TOMORROW NIGHT at 8:00 PM, with a $10 cover charge for adults, $5 for kids 16 and under, and those prices and times also apply for later rounds too. Things sound bigger and better for The Soo's Go Talent II, but who will move on to next week, and what do The A.A. have up their sleeves? See above for more details, and stay tuned for updates!
Finally, here's a big concert taking place TONIGHT at Soo Blaster, as Toronto hardcore punk/sludge metal quartet The Cancer Bats will make their long awaited return to the city for what should be a brutal time! Many fans may recall seeing these four time Juno nominees open for Billy Talent at the Gardens 9½ years ago, but this will be their first headlining show here since 2006. After too long of a wait, The Cancer Bats' hard hitting modern metal attack should melt many faces again tonight! Note that Alexisonfire's Wade MacNeil will be filling in for new dad Scott Middleton on guitar for this tour. Support will come from London post-hardcore quintet The Single Mothers and Baltimore hardcore punk band Sharptooth, who each bring proficient sounds and direct lyrics to the table for sub-genre fans, while Thunder Bay female-fronted punk quintet Forever Dead were quietly added to the bill themselves late last month. Apparently playing here last ca. 2008, Forever Dead have became a very
prominent band in Thunder Bay with their fast-paced and energetic sound, and it'll be great to see them back!
Local support will come from punk trio Redundant in their first public show of 2019, where they will reportedly unveil their new bassist, so who's handling the low end now? Find out TONIGHT! Presented by Thunder Bay's Loffredo & Associates (who brought Monster Truck here this summer), this 19+ & 8:00 PM concert has $20 tickets available at this link and presumably at the door. With this huge lineup and The Cancer Bats' positive reputation, I'm hopeful this will be a big hit at the gate and with fans, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Cancer Bats live!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Whoop-Szo, Chase Wigmore, Soundcheck, and Wyld Stallyns previews next! Thanks everyone!
It's now time for this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles, as we continue our monthly spotlighting of local metal, hard rock, and/or punk bands randomly selected from our inactive band links, in order to spotlight their runs for current readers! As our selection this month only had limited public information, I randomly chose a second band to fill things out, and by pure Random.org happenstance, that band has a common member, genre, and overall existence, so at least things go together accidentally! I did not plan this, I never do! That said, here's what you should know for this month! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abhorrent Forest
Audio/Video:Alongside a one-off single and a Drudkh cover, Abhorrent Forest released three EPs to their Bandcamp page, including their January 2017 debut "The End of Life", the ambient-centric follow-up "Ethereal", and 2018's "To See Eternity". This material comprised of basically all of Abhorrent Forest's public activity, so give them a listen above and below (via Wyrn's YouTube channel) to see what you think!
Info/Analysis:Effectively the Sevriz-free successors to mid-2010s atmospheric black metal duo Dullahan, Abhorrent Forest publically launched in October 2016 as an instrumental solo project. After the release of "To See Eternity" in March 2018, Abhorrent Forest quietly fell inactive, but they do deserve notice from genre fans, especially as black metal is not common locally. Most of their songs were punishing and bleak in a good way, and while ambient music isn't in my wheelhouse, "Ethereal" had a lot of dark, ominous qualities that worked as well. Hopefully Wyrn revisits and expands on this material down the road, there is something here! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dullahan
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Hometown:Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Members: (Note that band members never revealed their identities publically during Dullahan's run, and vowed never to do so. Sevriz has similarly not given his identity on social media since they fell inactive. I do know each member's real name, but unless explicitly given the go-ahead, I'll only refer to them by their stage names here.)
Old Man Wyrn (Abhorrent Forest), guitar/bass
Sevriz, drums/keyboard
Audio/Video:Predating his work with Abhorrent Forest, Wyrn released a smattering of material in late 2015 as part of Dullahan, including a free EP named "The Wood Cutter", covers of Burzum and Absurd songs, and a February 2016 track named "The Sea of Depression" that was once planned for their unfinished second EP. You can hear these on their own Bandcamp page and YouTube channel, and here is "The Wood Cutter" in full!
Info/Analysis:Named after a headless rider in Irish mythology, Dullahan were an instrumental duo that launched publically in June 2015, Dullahan's existence was similar to that of Abhorrent Forest's to come, but they were more vocal in social media updates and song descriptions. A second EP was in the works when a family illness forced band activity to be shelved, aside from the release of "The Sea of Depression". Musically rawer, slower, and more deliberate than Abhorrent Forest, Dullahan's music still impresses given the two-man limitations, and Sevriz's drumming fits right in! It's a shame both projects aren't active, but hopefully the guys resurface! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles! This series will return on or around October 10th when we close out our latest 2-1-3-1-2-1 cycle between the Twin Saults by looking at late 2000s Sault Michigan punk band The Pick-Me-Ups, who you may recall from our first YouTube Channel Profile of the year! Look for that then, and for more news and previews soon! Thanks everyone!
Today's news post is devoted to new videos, including a surprise find from Southern Ontario this summer, and leading off, lots of videos from a recent metal concert in Sault Ste. Marie proper, namely the Seax-headlined show at Soo Blaster last week! Christopher Paci was in attendance to get more footage for his awesome YouTube channel, filming 8 videos on the night, including three of the headlining Worcester, Massachusettsspeed metal quintet. I didn't have much luck titling two of these videos, partly as those two are joined in progress, but one is of Seax's opening song "Rituals", another is linked here, and the longest video is embedded below. Clearly in full auditory and visual mode for their 1980s throwback stage show, Seax sounded solid and heavy throughout those three videos, even if Carmine mispronounced "Sault" in their introductions. Give Seax's videos a look!
Next up, Chris also filmed three videos of opening Montreal thrash metal trio Warsenal, including their originals "Dying on Stage", one of their two opening songs (likely "Doomed From Birth" if it was their set-opener), and as embedded below, a clip featuring two songs, namely "I Am The Blade" & (most of) "Unstoppable." It looks like Warsenal made the most of their local return after 6+ years away, with their fast and brutal set winning over gathered fans up front, so give these videos a look above & below!
Lastly from this concert, Chris filmed two videos of local death metal mainstays The Bear Hunters (minus Josh) playing their originals "Neckbreaker" and, as embedded below, "I Fear No God." Despite another months-long hiatus to shake the rust off from, the guys sound as brutal and technical as ever here, and Nik even seems to have some extra venom in his growling! Hopefully there's more on the horizon for The Bear Hunters (new CD?!), but check out their newest live videos above & below!
Finally for today, here's a surprising discovery, as Treble Charger played a live concert in June! Much like their one-off festival date in 2017 at Peterborough's WTFest, the local indie/punk veterans hit the road for Vaughan (just outside of Toronto) on Saturday, June 15th as the closing act at their second annual Burger Fest, which celebrates what you think it does, but also has a solid music lineup and even pro wrestling. I was totally unaware of this festival, but given that it's a 7 hour drive away, and that Treble Charger don't have a regularly updated online presence, it was easy to miss, like WTFest was. Their set is briefly featured in this official recap video 96 seconds in (albeit with dubbed over audio), but attendee Brad Duncan filmed this 26 second clip of the guys playing "How She Died" for his YouTube channel, and while it lasts, everyone sounds good!
Personnel-wise, the live bassist and drummer appear to be Darcy Yates and Ian McKay (not Richard Mulligan) once again. The vertical camera angle is never optimal, but kudos to Brad for filming this, as I'm not sure when I'd have learned of Treble Charger's Burger Fest set otherwise! I wish they had more activity on social media, but it's great to see that they're still active, even if new updates are sporadic, and hopefully there's more to come in the near future! See more from this event above & below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles on the site next! Thanks everyone!
Let's tackle some big recent news and updates on this Saturday night post, so what's on tap? An unexpected live cover video from a recent private event, a teaser for an upcoming music video, a very prominent local band's long awaited album confirmation, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month! Here's what you should know!
A special fundraiser concert named "Arts Against Homelessness" will hit The Rockstar Bar on Saturday, October 6th featuring a number of familiar faces! Presented by Live705 in association with Suzie Deplonty and Celeste's Art & Photography (who you may recall from 2017's Guy Thiffault tribute concert), this event is being put on to raise money for St. Vincent Place, the men's shelter on Albert Street East. Very worthy cause that I'm surprised hasn't had more concerts held in it's name, hopefully this is a smash hit! As you can see on the poster, the performing acts aren't laid out in a way where I could state the lineup order, but here's who to look for. Naturally for Live705's non-death metal concerts, their resident alt-punk trio A Dire Setback will play this event, as well as power rock quartet Re:Born in their first show in almost three months. The rest of the lineup is of the hip-hop/DJ oeuvre, including DJ Seith and his duo project Planet Rock in separate sets, plus Christian rapper Bold Noize and deep house DJ Bobby Lawn.
A $10 admission fee is set for Arts Against Homelessness, either at the door or at this link, while canned food donations will net you raffle tickets, with multiple prizes promised. Yes, this is a 19+ event, and it starts at 9:00 PM. Live705 haven't put on an all-local concert with no touring acts since 2017, so this concert is welcomed on that note alone, but with a great charitable cause and a diverse lineup of rock and rap music to take in, I am hopeful this is a huge success for St. Vincent Place! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and Celeste's Photography is belatedly now linked on the SMS! She does great work, check out her page for lots more!
Next up, here's the latest from local/Toronto indie/punk standouts Treble Charger, who we haven't heard anything from publically since Rotaryfest last year, so what are they up to? Well, according to this new Sault Star article
from Brian Kelly last month, they are indeed working on a new studio
album! This had been teased in prior shows and interviews for a while,
but the article confirms that they began work on the follow-up to 2002's
"Detox" about six months ago. Four or five demos are recorded, though
the sessions are on hold until the new recording studio at the Algoma Conservatory of Music
(that frontman Greig Nori is managing) is completed, with Greig wanting
the album proper to be recorded there. The article also notes that Bill
Priddle's Pointless bandmate Dustin Goodall is recording bass for the
album, which is a huge feather in his cap to be sure, but it's not
firmly stated whether he's just a session musician or if he is their
first full-time bassist since their original breakup.
No
sign there regarding who's drumming on the album, but recent candidates
may include their most recent live drummer Ian McKay, Richard Mulligan
(who Wikipedia still lists as their drummer without credited sources),
or Bill & Dustin's Pointless bandmate David Peredun. I will be
honest, I had briefly moved Treble Charger to our inactive band links early last month due to their year+ wait for public updates, but it's a
good
thing I didn't write anything about that before this broke! It's great
to
see Treble Charger hard at work on a new CD, so stay tuned for updates
as they trickle in!
We'll close today with new videos, starting by going back to the aforementioned A Dire Setback, who released a teaser for their first ever music video to their YouTube channel on Thursday! The song in question is "Kicking & Screaming", and this was shot by rising local filmmakers Poindexter Productions with editing by the aforementioned Celeste Maurer. This just a one minute teaser for the full video, which will apparently be released in two weeks on September 21st. Curiously, it's just a 6x repeated clip of frontman Chris Nielsen throwing a toilet out of the second floor of a building for yet-unknown reasons, as set to the opening/chorus of the song. As such, if you've seen the first 10 seconds, you've seen the whole thing, but getting to hear a brief snippet of the final studio copy of the song is cool! Note that the video description says that A Dire Setback's debut album "will be released at the end of 2019." Will that hold? Time will tell, but give the teaser a look below, and watch for the full video in two weeks!
Finally, here's a surprise cover that just popped up on Facebook on Tuesday. Some readers may recall The Freshwater Sirens, a mid-2010s alternative/indie rock duo featuring ex-Danger Cats frontwoman Kate Hatherley (nee Drew) and her old Apocrytha bandmate Cody Gagnon. The Sirens weren't a hard rock band, so we didn't actively cover them in their heyday, but they had talent & chemistry, and are worth a look for genre fans. I bring them up here because their Facebook page is still used for updates on members' solo pursuits, and their newest update comes from Cody's recent wedding, where the band hired for the occasion were local pop rock cover quartet The Killer Hooks. For at least one song, Cody (still in her wedding dress, mind you) joined the band to cover The Darkness' "I Believe In A Thing Called Love", and the solid quality video captures everyone firing on all cylinders!
Cody's got a nice voice that hits all the high notes on this glam rock throwback hit, and Killer Hooks fans know they have the heavier chops when need be, and it's great to see this guest spot come together on a huge night! Give the full video a look below, and congratulations to Cody on the nuptials!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
Before we begin our extended Oh!No preview, just a heads up/apology, as Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnisheddid play a morning matinee at Biggby Coffee today, as per their Facebook page shortly after showtime. In other words, "every Thursday" continued for at least one more week, though why not plug it as part of their advertising for this week's other concerts? In any event, I apologize for missing it, and hopefully it was a great show! Note that Tarnished have no advertised shows publically past Saturday in Ohio, so I'm not going to immediately jump the gun on more Biggby gigs until the band or venue confirms them. Stay tuned in any event!
Now, today's second weekend concert preview post is otherwise devoted to our extended preview of this weekend's third annual Oh!No concert festival, which returns to Robbie Adamson's old church in nearby Leeburn, Ontario for an expanded two night format TOMORROW & SATURDAY! As well advertised via diverse fundraisers in recent months (everything from dance parties & garage sales to car washes and punk rock ramen), organizers Six, Two, Oh. are going all out for year #3, and as usual, camping is encouraged for attendees taking the hour-long drive, and all of the usual fan-friendly experiences are presumably back this weekend, including vendors and hopefully another bonfire (any more pianos or organs they can use?) Check the official Facebook page for full non-musical details and even the precise location of the venue and camping areas, but let's dive into this stacked roster of local and touring entertainment, as 25 acts will hit the church stage in Leeburn this weekend, so who can you look for to start things off tomorrow night?
Only one touring band is playing tomorrow's shortened first half of Oh!No III, and they are Sudbury "party violence" quintet The Therapists in their third local concert appearance and second straight Oh!No set, and with their high energy, intense, and theatrical stage show, they should leave a huge impression on Leeburn once again! They're up at 12:20 AM, while the all-local opening roster will be toplined by rapper (and festival newcomer) Kodex at 11:40 PM. Punk/metal quintet Jack Spades will become the first band to play all three Oh!No festivals at 11:00 PM, while hip-hop duo Planet Rock will return from last year at 10:20 PM. Jack Spades' sister punk trio Stegadeth will make their own Oh!No debut at 9:40 PM, and tomorrow's lineup will be opened by local alt-folk solo artist Brenton "Slumshine" Ellis at 9:00 PM, who previously played here in 2017. I don't know if the spacing of the heavier/punk bands alternating with the hip-hop/solo acts is intentional, but the lineup is very impressive overall!
For what it's worth, Planet Rock were originally slated to play on Saturday afternoon, but quietly traded timeslots with Hannah Lindsay for unannounced reasons. Doors open at 8:00 PM for tomorrow's concert action, this is an ALL AGES event, and a B.Y.O.B. policy is in effect. There are no single day passes, so if you want to come down, buy a $40 ticket at the door or at Case's Music, The Rad Zone, and at Dryer Fire on Bruce Street (for maximum value, camp out and stick around on Saturday!) There's a lot to take in tomorrow, so see above for more details, and here's The Therapists live!
As for Saturday's lineup, the other 19 acts are being crammed into a full day's worth of music, including all of the non-Therapists touring acts, so who all can you see then? The 1:00 AM headliners are (surprisingly) St. Catharine's crossover thrash quintet Pisser, but a prominent act for many will precede them at 12:00 AM, namely Peterborough hardcore punk trio Cross Dog (featuring Sault Ste. Marie native Mark Rand and his wife Tracy), and it will be great to see them back on a local stage after melting many faces at Oh!No II! The festival-ending block of out of town bands will also feature Sudbury punk quartet Lightmares (in their third straight Oh!No set) at 11:00 PM, as well as Thunder Bay hardcore band Femur at 10:00 PM, and Montreal classic rockers Wrecker (who just played at Dryer Fire yesterday) at 9:00 PM. Drone/noise trio Pointless will be the highest placed local band at 8:10 PM in their third Oh!No set, while Peterborough doom rapper Garbageface will precede them in his second festival appearance, and he'll be no stranger to local fans from Soo gigs either!
Thunder Bay hardcore group Lord Hidetora will make their local concert debut at 6:50 PM, as preceded by fellow Thunder Bay desert rockers The Franquilizers at 6:10, in their third Oh!No set. Toronto indie rock quartet Forest City Aurora will return from last year with a 5:30 PM set, but with two exceptions, every preceding band is local. Instrumental surf rockers The Dynowaves will return from Oh!No II with a set at 5:00 PM, while revived acoustic punk solo project Telephone & Address are advertised to end their almost two years-long concert hiatus with a set at 4:30 PM (though I have not seen Chris plug their return publically on the band's Facebook page, for what it's worth.) Funk/hard rock quartet The Elements will also join the three-timers club with a set at 4:00 PM, and rapper Conika will take the stage for a 3:30 PM set. New Barrie "witchy punk" trio The Angry Spells (featuring Beaver Slap frontwoman Midge Beaver) will perform themselves 3:00 PM.
Fresh off of the timeslot trade with Planet Rock, local folk/pop solo artist Hannah Lindsay (replacing Dusty Hazelwood) will perform on Saturday at 2:30 PM, while Barrie punk quartet The Speed Humps will play at 2:00 PM as the earliest touring band that day. The opening acts are indie/folk musician Shae Tull at 1:30 PM and cybergrind solo project Malignant Neoplasm at 1:00 PM, though might that set morph into a C.T.W. set? Time will tell, but all of the pre-Elements bands are making their Oh!No debuts that afternoon. Doors open at 12:00 PM, and the same $40 ticket info applies as above, so be sure to visit the above links for full details on Oh!No III! The size, scope, and ambition of this festival continues to impress, but how will things go in Leeburn this time, and beyond adding a third day, how big can this get if it returns in 2020? Get down to Leeburn if you can for all of the action this weekend, and here's Pisser live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished have announced a few new local dates for this fall, starting with a set as part of this year's Fall Festival (formerly Oktoberfest) on Saturday, September 28th! As seen on the poster on the right, Tarnished will be playing in acoustic duo form that afternoon at 1:00 PM, as part of the Crooked Music Sound Stage, presumably outside of their Ashmun Street storefront. Of course, there's a lot more going on at the Fall Fest besides music, with family entertainment, games, contests, and activities downtown in just over two weeks' time, so click here for full non-musical details. All of the entertainment is in the daytime, with acoustic rock duo The Tavern Stool Townies (featuring I.S.O.M. alum Bob Helsten) headlining at 4:00 PM. Alt-rock musician Kathleen Connelly and folk solo artist Magnet Moslov (not Moslav) will play at 3:00 & 2:00 PM each, while student dancers from the Academy of Performing Arts will open at 12:00 PM.
