LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Unfortunate Sun) And More Weekend Concert Previews!!

As promised, let's wrap up this weekend's hard rock concert previews, but first, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS in the E.U.P. for later this year!

Building off of their previously advertised return to the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino yesterday and tonight, Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Unfortunate Sun announced their end-of-2025 concert calendar on their Facebook page on August 12th! And again, I apologize for missing the Shytee Creek Lucky Bridge Walk in Trout Lake last month. Unless they announce something else in the interim, the Fake Chow successors' next show after tonight will see them rock The Merchants Bar in the Soo on Friday, October 31st, in what will surely be The Merch's Halloween party! They'll be taking over said duties from Exit 808, who had the Halloween honours last year, and if things are similar, expect a costume contest with prizes. Regardless, this will surprisingly be their only Merch show this year, so keep everything in mind! On Saturday, November 22nd, the guys will set up shop at Huck's Pub & Grill in Rudyard.

Last seen at the former Joe's Bar in July, hopefully this show goes well as they venture back outside of the Soo proper! They'll also hit the road slightly out of town for a special Wednesday nighter on November 26th (on the eve of the American Thanksgiving) at The Islander Bar in Hessel, in what will presumably be a sequel to last year's "Drinksgiving Bash" there, taking advantage of that Wednesday not being a work/school night. If you'd rather see Skip, Jody, Tony, and Jason on a more traditional concert night, they will end the year with a return to The Islander Bar on Saturday, December 13th, so keep that in mind for the winter! Lastly for the new show announcements, Unfortunate Sun will set up shop for a full weekend at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino on Friday, December 5th & Saturday, December 6th, in their first shows there since their Kewadin debuts in May as a late replacement band.

Nice to see lots of new shows ahead from Unfortunate Sun after a relatively quiet summer, so keep all of these in mind! All shows are 21+ events with no announced cover charge, and all have 9:00 PM start times except at Huck's on November 22nd (8:00 PM). Visit the above links for more on the hard rock action ahead at all of these E.U.P. venues!

Next up, let's resume this weekend's hard rock/punk concert previews by heading north of the border, starting with Sault Ontario alternative/punk cover supergroup BookcluB's gig opening for Toronto-based Bob Seger tribute band Forever Seger: The Silver Bullet Experience TONIGHT at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion! Not the cleanest genre fit, but BookcluB have ample classic rock covers (often very atypical ones from their local cover brethren), so there will be a lot to enjoy under the big tent as they set the tone for the Bob Seger experience to come! This will also be BookcluB's first gig since guitarist Brandon Ruch moved out of town, but they have not publically announced if they have replaced him or not, something we may know the answer to tonight. And just to clarify, this is not the same Seger tribute coming to The Machine Shop in March of next year (that particular band is Like A Rock: The Bob Seger Revival).

I'm not at liberty to compare and contrast the sound and stage presence of the two, but Bob Seger fans will absolutely enjoy what Forever Seger bring to the table tonight, so don't miss out if you're a fan! The old time rock n' roll kicks off at 7:00 PM, it is definitely all ages, and tickets run for $44 at this link, at GFL Memorial Gardens, or at the gate. 9&10 News is calling for weather in the 15-16° range with partly cloudy skies, and tent acknowledged, the show is slated to end before the rainy overnight forecast. Visit the above links for more details, and here's BookcluB live!

Finally, we have at least one more Cruisin' The Dub car/bike show to take in TOMORROW at the newer A&W at 659 Great Northern Road, but this is the big annual one! As recently usual for the A&W car/bike shows, local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will be your scheduled musical entertainment, and there will be raffles, refreshments, and family entertainment along with the vehicles on display alongside the live rock & roll covers and originals! All proceeds will be going to the Algoma Regional Community Hospice, an eternally wonderful cause, so consider donating to ARCH if you come out tomorrow! That may be a big "if", as 9&10 News is currently calling for a 60% chance of rain and some thunderstorms during the projected timeframe of 2:00-5:00 PM, and rain has severely abbreviated A&W car shows before (ask Soundcheck for proof). The rain looks pretty steady tomorrow, so definitely keep tabs with Bone Yard and A&W for updates on how the weather forecast may affect things.

Assuming the show goes on in spite of Mother Nature, attendance is free for the public of all ages unless showing a car or motorcycle, though donations to ARCH will absolutely be on the table. I hope the weather doesn't throw a wrench into tomorrow's plans, especially given the charitable nature, so visit the above links for more on the car show and here's your local 225 live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & HeadF1rst) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

Let's dive into another weekend of local hard rock concert previews, but due to the amount, we'll hold tomorrow's BookcluB/Forever Seger and Sunday's Bone Yard 225-headlined car show for our next post. Here's what you should know, including LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, some on SHORT NOTICE!

Local hard rock quintet HeadF1rst have a busy weekend ahead that will see them rock Reggie's Place TONIGHT and Shooters Downstairs Lounge TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, these shows were respectively first announced on the venues' Facebook pages on Sunday and Tuesday. Fresh off of opening for Woodhawk last week, these will be HeadF1rst's... first headlining dates in a local bar since rocking Beck's in June. The split booking is likely due to Shooters only hosting bands on SATURDAYS, but regardless of their live band scheduling, we haven't seen bands rocking the Dennis Street nightclub since April, coincidentally when HeadF1rst wrapped up their mini-residency with themed menu items and whatnot. Meanwhile, TONIGHT'S Reggie's gig will be the guys' first there this year, so if you've missed Red, Rainey, Liam, Claire, and Anthony at either downtown venue, don't miss out this weekend!

If you're curious, the band playing at Reggie's tomorrow is Traces (no relation to the former Sault Michigan metal band), who are basically classic rock veterans RPM minus guitarist/vocalist Dino Mazzuca. Both of HeadF1rst's shows this weekend are at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover charges. It's great to see Shooters hosting live bands again after an unannounced summer break, and HeadF1rst should be primed to rock there and Reggie's after long breaks from both bars, so visit the above links for more details, and here they are live!

Next up, prolific local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison has a busy Saturday ahead TOMORROW, as while we knew about his scheduled matinee gig at Misty's Fifties, he is also scheduled to return to The Fraternal Order Of Eagles Club TOMORROW NIGHT as well! Again, apologies for the short notice, the Eagles show was a late addition to his batch Facebook event page for shows at the Wellington Street West venue, as was another new show there on Saturday, October 4th. Meanwhile, now that we have shows from other acts listed that late in the timeline, we can also add Tym's upcoming Aerie #3991 gigs through the end of the year as well, so don't bypass Tym there for Saturday nighters on November 15th & 29th and then to end the year for their New Year's Eve party on Wednesday, December 31st. Keep all of these new dates in mind if you'll be in the Steelton area or like the Eagles Club with your unplugged rock! 

After skipping a Saturday matinee gig there last week, Tym will return to Misty's on Second Line West nightclub tomorrow afternoon (and next Saturday as well), so he'll be quite busy as he juggles two distinct concerts in one day! He'll be at Misty's Fifties TOMORROW at 4:00 PM before rocking The Eagles Club at 8:00 PM, with neither show having an advertised cover charge. Click here and visit the above links for these and much more on Tym's busy solo calendar to end 2025, and here he is live!

Now let's move into shows that had lots of advance notice, starting with classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down's third show since the end of their summer break, which goes down TONIGHT at The Water Tower Pub! Last seen at the Great Northern Road venue at the end of June, fans who missed the Syrettes & Ric last week at Jay's should be eager to welcome the guys back to the weekend bar grind tomorrow, especially with their teased new setlist additions! After missing last weekend's shows due to injury, bassist Dan Beaupre will again be absent tomorrow, so they have recruited Mid Life Crysis bassist Lori Reinholtz to fill in the for the night. Lori has sat in for Dan before, back in March at Jay's Piston Broke Pub when his second gig after joining Double Down was double booked with a Sidekicks concert that same night. It's good to see Lori helping out tonight, so keep her in mind amidst the rock cover action!

Time will tell if Dan will be back in time for their next public gig, at Beck's Bar next Saturday. Tonight's Water Tower Pub show is at 8:00 PM with no cover charge and a 19+ age limit. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's a brand new video of Double Down at Jay's last week! Uploaded on Sunday (exact gig unclear), this features the guys and guest bassist Alex White covering Badfinger's "No Matter What" with Joel Syrette on lead vocals. The lighting is very dark so I can't really comment on how things look, but the cover is sound with strong bass from Alex, and you don't hear Badfinger covered often locally as it is, so give it a look below!

In a brief detour to the E.U.P., fans can check out Sault Michigan hard rock cover quartet Unfortunate Sun in their return to the stage TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino! While this will be their first nightclub gig in almost two months (last seen at Huck's in Rudyard in late July), I must profusely apologize for missing their most recent gig, as the Fake Chow successors headed to Trout Lake (an hour southwest of the Soo) on August 31st to headline an outdoor matinee concert coinciding with that day's Shytee Creek Lucky Bridge Walk. How that slipped through the cracks, especially as at a regional community festival, is beyond me, but apologies again, and I hope Unfortunate Sun got a great reception in Trout Lake! They had a relatively quiet summer, but hopefully tonight and tomorrow's St. Ignace shows kick off the fall slate on the right foot!

You can check out Skip, Jody, Tony, and Jason's array of hard rocking covers at The Northern Pines Lounge tonight & tomorrow night at 9:00 PM with 21+ age limits and no announced cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, apologies again for missing the Shytee Creek Bridge Walk on here, and for a preview, here's Unfortunate Sun live!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our BookcluB and Bone Yard 225 previews (and more) next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Damage Case & A Battle Of The Bands), Plus A New Full Concert Set Video!!

Before we dive into weekend concert previews, here's some more recent updates on the SMS, including a new video discovery of a newer band in concert, and two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you should know!

Local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith and his Big Finish Band will reportedly compete at the 705 Live Sound Co. Battle of the Bands at the Downtown Plaza on Thursday, September 25th! An official performer lineup has not yet been publicized, but Mike's Facebook page confirmed their involvement back in July. It's entirely possible that they'll be guest non-competition performers given the band's stature, but much of The Big Finish Band has battle experience pre-pandemic in groups like Haggith, The Din, and (as bassist Matt Fronzi knows well) Gnaeus, who won two local battles in a three week span in 2015. If Mike & crew are competing, they'll be among the favourites for sure! As of September 8th, organizers were still seeking bands to sign up to compete, so click here if you want to try to get in on this late. Bands must have 2+ members, all aged 16 or older, and bands must play three original songs (no covers) within a 15 minute timeslot. Unusually, the judging criteria and points system are given publically on the sign-up forms.

A $200 voucher awaits the winning band, and while that may not seem like a lot, this is year #1 for this battle, and we literally haven't had one in Sault Ontario in over eight years. We also await word on who the judges are, let alone a possible admission fee for attendees (this should be all ages), but this has a 7:00 PM start time, and I have no idea if there are provisions for inclement weather given the locale, covered stage acknowledged. I apologize for the lack of plugs for the battle in recent months, but with no lineup announcement yet, things have been relatively slow, so I wanted to say something while there was still some time. Visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for more details!

Next up, Hornepayne classic/hard rock quartet Damage Case will make their local concert debut on Saturday, November 22nd at Soo Blaster! It's rare when we hear of a band from Hornepayne (4½ hours north of here) performing in Sault Ste. Marie, but Damage Case have the look and talent, and you can see them ripping through a nice selection of heavier-leaning rock covers on their Facebook page, so do give them a listen to see what they bring to the table! There will be a familiar face to some readers in this band, as former local metal guitarist Will Tholberg is Damage Case's bassist. We haven't covered him on here since his black metal project Abhorrent Forest fell inactive in the late 2010s, so whether you knew him from that work or his earlier bands like Despised Eyes and Death Rise, welcome Will back home in style in two months! Steve Lemieux (who I believe is another Hornepayne musician) will open this concert, so keep him in mind that night as well.

This all ages show takes place at 8:00 PM on November 22nd with a cover charge of $5, and there will be advance tickets on sale. Touring Ontario rock bands from points north or west are not commonly seen on stages here, so it will be neat to see how Damage Case go over in two months! Visit the above links for more details on this intriguing concert!

We'll close this post with an extended look at a band that we haven't had a lot to say about since their debut, namely newer local metal band The Sault Side Squad! As you may recall, the S.S.S. debuted at the all-local metal Crucifest replacement gig in Leeburn in July of last year, but after a year+ of support gigs, they still don't have an online page on social media. In case you need a refresher, their lineup includes former As It Stands singer and local rapper Justin "Nadj" Pregent, A Dire Setback/Big Finish Band guitarist Chris Nielsen, former Jack Spades/Sativa Rose guitarist Anthony Orazietti, Stoned To Deaf/The Haze bassist Jordan Wardlaw, and former Wyld Stallyns/Soldiers of Misfortune drummer Jonas Gasperas, who was Anthony's bandmate in Winkstinger. Unless you saw them live, that's as much as has been made public about this stacked supergroup, but a 45 minute full set video has now been linked publically, so what's to know there?

The video below is technically unlisted, but it was given on the official Facebook event page for the Broke & Hungry benefit concert at Beck's Bar in December as their link, so it's not a hidden secret anymore. This comes from their set opening for Cross Dog in the basement of Discover The Canvas Studio at 317 Wellington Street West (yes, a tattoo parlor) last October, and was filmed by former Honest Work/Nebraska Arms drummer Adam Sauve for his YouTube channel, though it is unlisted. The 45 minute set stats with covers of Pantera's "Cowboys From Hell" and Ozzy Osbourne's "Bark At The Moon", before we get an original whose title sounds like (but likely isn't) "My Personnel". Pantera fans get more love next via "Fucking Hostile", followed by another original, possibly named "Silence Is Golden". Another Pantera cover is played next, namely "I'm Broken", followed by The Deftones' "My Own Summer (Shove It)".

The set closed with one more original, which got an introduction but not an announced title. Why this video has been unlisted for almost a year, I don't know, but it's a strong sampling of what this talented quintet has up their sleeves! As It Stands comparisons will be inevitable given Justin's presence, but this band leans far more metal than hardcore (especially early-1990s Pantera), and they have the chops to tackle whatever they're thrown, and it'll be interesting to hear how they sound nowadays! Give the full Sault Side Squad (get it, it sounds like Suicide Squad?) video a watch below, and I wonder if Adam has more unlisted videos from this night?

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Broke & Hungry, Oktoberfest, And Curtis McKenzie) And More!!

Before we begin this post, I have two apologies to note regarding this past weekend's concert previews. First, it turns out that classic/hard rock trio Dodge This did not play at The Water Tower Pub on Friday night for unannounced reasons, and were replaced on the bill by Elly McWatters & The Drifters, who moved up from the Saturday to Friday in response. Thanks to Drifters drummer Brandan Glew for confirming this (even if I didn't see it until too late), and hopefully all is well with Dodge This, who haven't issued a public update of consequence since July! Meanwhile, in St. Ignace, Michigan, we did cover Sault Ste. Marie hard rock/classic metal quartet Tarnished's two gigs at bar/restaurants to coincide with the Richard Crane Memorial Truck Show weekend, but according to their Facebook page, they also played a matinee concert on Saturday at 2:00 PM, meaning they played three shows in two days!

This particular matinee was an outdoor gig outside of the Little Bear East Community Center & Arena at 275 Marquette Street, before Alex, Josh, Chris, and Ron set up shop at Kingston Kitchen that night. Alas, Tarnished only announced the Saturday matinee via their Facebook page that morning, a cherry on top of their other short notice confirmations for the truck show, but hopefully all three shows got a great reception on a busy weekend for big rig and transport fans in Mackinac County!

Now let's dive into some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for later this year, and we'll start with a busy day on Saturday, October 18th, as Sault Ontario classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 and alternative/punk cover supergroup BookcluB will join forces at The Machine Shop for their Oktoberfest celebrations that night! This is one of at least three different Oktoberfest concerts being held in Sault Ste. Marie this fall, joining the Outspoken Brewing-hosted block party on Queen Street on September 27th and Beck's Bar's own Oktoberfest party on October 5th, but the Machine Shop one is the only one with SMS-leaning bands. This one is sponsored by the revived Soo Falls Brewing Company, which is based at the Canal District site on Huron Street near the Machine Shop, and you can expect contests, food, and (of course) beer for the occasion. The third band on the 18th will be local polka band & Oktoberfest staples Nein German Guys.

No word yet on who BookcluB's new second guitarist will be, but kudos to them and Silent 9 for jumping on board what should be a fun night of music, drinks, and German culture! This 19+ event takes place at 5:00 PM on October 18th, and tickets run for $30.18 at this link, which do include one complimentary beer ticket. Visit the above links for more on Soo Falls & The Machine Shop's Oktoberfest celebrations next month!

Also taking place on Saturday, October 18th is former Haggith/Project 421 frontman Curtis McKenzie's next stop at the aforementioned Beck's Bar, as he will rock the Goulais Avenue nightclub that day! Announced with an unusually bountiful amount of advance notice on his Facebook page yesterday, this will be Curt's first gig at Beck's since the end of last month, and though it is possible that he could confirm an interim booking there next weekend, keep next month's show in mind for his next announced round of hard and alternative rock covers at the former Vibe Lounge! This will be a 3:00 PM matinee gig with a 19+ age limit as usual, and no cover charge. It is way too soon for Beck's to confirm who is playing that night at 9:00 PM, but just a reminder that Curt isn't "opening" for who's playing the nightcap, both acts will have full four hour timeslots two hours apart. Visit the above links for more details!

Finally for today, an eclectic lineup of bands will join forces for a Christmas season concert on Friday, December 19th at Beck's Bar! This special concert is entitled "Broke & Hungry", and will be a FREE event benefiting the Soup Kitchen Community Center on James Street, with non-perishable goods being the entry fee. Wonderful cause just before the holidays! This concert will unite three distinct genres under one roof, and SMS readers will be placated by the presence of crossover thrash quartet Hails and online page-less metal supergroup The Sault Side Squad in what I believe will be both bands' Beck's debuts, but your headliners are actually touring rappers, namely Juno-nominated Toronto MC Unknown Mizery and Hamilton rapper Twitchy T. Tantrum. Local bluegrass/folk quartet The Golden Scoundrels will also join this stacked & diverse bill, in guitarist Brandon Ruch's first hometown show after moving to Barrie.

Local rapper Mike "Mic Swiff" Sylvester will round out the bill in three months' time, and note that the official promotional image for the event credits Twitchy T. Tantrum as the host rather than a performer. This 19+ concert has an 8:00 PM start time, and there should be a lot to take in for multiple tastes as we near Christmas, especially given the charitable nature of the show! The Soup Kitchen can never get too many donations for those in need, so hopefully there's a fantastic turnout for the music and the cause on December 19th! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and we'll have more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

Heavy Lies The Crown Updates From August-September 2025!!

Today's post has us playing catch-up on what St. Ignace, Michigan deathcore band Heavy Lies The Crown have been up to as of late, so what's new to report from the past month+? On August 3rd, frontman Brandon West (or, as commonly introduced in these solo vertical videos, "Heavy here") updated fans as to their annual birthday bash concert in St. Ignace on August 16th via this video. There, Brandon clarified that Macomb Country metalcore quartet At Water "had something come up, and so they had to rearrange some things, (but) it is what it is", giving some extra clarification as to why Ghidora replaced them on the bill. Ghidora had asked to play this show anyway when the lineup was already full, so they were a fitting replacement! Brandon also teased shooting "some music videos" at the concert, and he also teased that he's looking into other venues to host his birthday concert in the future, but he wants to keep it in St. Ignace.

Later in the update video, Brandon refers to guitarist Kaycee Mason as "our drummer", hinting that the temporary May lineup shuffling may not be temporary. At the time, Kaycee filled in live for an absent Blaze Beairl, while Paul Nolan came on as a (guest?) guitarist, but we'll let you know if anything is 100% publically clarified. Brandon also mentioned that Kaycee would be pulling double duty on the 16th, as he drums for Detroit alt-metal band Influence as well. Solid updates, so check everything out below!

Post-concert, a four seconds long video was shared on their Facebook page that night, but between the length and fans gathered in the venue, you can't even tell what band is playing! Any other teased "music videos" did not immediately follow, rather a teaser campaign starting on August 19th, where they teased that "we've got surprises coming soon" that will "just happen", allegedly via being hidden in new and old band content. Before that could (knowingly) take off with verve, the guys returned to the annual French Road Bash outdoor concert festival in Alpena on August 22nd, an event that they didn't tease their involvement in until relatively late. Among the hype was that they'd announce a "wild surprise appearance" for the French Road Bash, but an unrelated note was that this was Kaycee's other band Katharsys Theory's final concert after a seven year run. Best of luck to everyone, including Carlos with his health battle!

More than 20 bands of varying genres played at the French Road Bash, Heavy Lies The Crown among them, and Influence guitarist Patrick Bielec filmed the guys playing 103 seconds' worth of a newer song. While the band never confirmed what the "wild surprise" was in text, we can confirm that original bassist Danny Tucker (who is from Alpena) filled in for Christian Cook that night! For the record, Kaycee was still drumming, and Paul wasn't present either, but they never 100% said if Paul joined permanently. If that is Danny, then it is great to see him back with Brandon on stage, and the performance is suitably brutal with good energy, so check Pat's video out below!

On August 5th, H.L.T.C. teased that they would be "sharing some clips soon" from their upcoming album, which "is gunna (sic) throw down". Three weeks later, they began teasing what we now know to be their newest studio single from the album, with a further teaser the next day featuring cryptic text possibly teasing at song lyrics. The inconsistent capitalization may be hinting at something, but the capitalized letters don't give away any direct messages or suitable anagrams. Regardless, they confirmed by month's end that the new song would be named "Shame", and it was actually released... yesterday! Before that, they shared this brief video of Brandon messing up takes of death vocal recording in studio, while Brandon starred in a longer update video on September 3rd to confirm the single release and many of the teaser hints (like all of the references to clocks pointing towards 9:12, as yesterday was September 12th).

Brandon credited "Shame" primarily to himself and guitarist Jaxon Massaway towards its inception and how they figured out the ideal sound and approach for it, while fighting a "clarity/radio worthy sound" for the song. He cited Alpha Wolf, Knocked Loose, and Sworn In as inspirations for what they're going for sonically. Afterwards, Brandon reflected on the band's longevity and lineup turnovers, noting that they were supposed to have two bassists at the French Road Bash (hinting that Christian was supposed to play alongside or alternating with Danny), but he noted that "we're terrible at practicing" and almost cancelled the set there, chalking up Christian's absence to scheduling conflicts. He did not reference the band's second guitarist slot or what happened to Blaze, but if Paul is gone, kudos to him for stepping in earlier this year! And hopefully all is amicable with Blaze, who is still performing locally and afar with Exit 808!

Brandon next reflects on how the band has been called "raw" by some observers, partly because of how freeform their sets can be, including improvised stretches and frequent impromptu guest musicians, former guitarist Ted Olson among them. After going over their hard touring nature for shows, Brandon closes by noting that he isn't trying to reflect a tough image on stage and is just hoping to have fun with H.L.T.C.. These more personal and insightful videos do help put a face and a conscience onto Heavy Lies The Crown, so check everything out for yourself below, and we'll have more from the guys soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Nameless & Dodge This) And More Weekend Concert Previews!!

In today's second weekend concert preview post, we have some more SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to help cap off a busy weekend in the Sault Ste. Marie area, so here's what you should know!

Local acoustic classic/hard rock cover trio Dodge This will reportedly return to The Water Tower Pub TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard about this show via personal Facebook postings about live music schedules this weekend, as neither Dodge This (who haven't posted online since July) and The Water Tower Pub (who haven't posted a monthly concert calendar since June) have publicized this booking on social media. If accurate, it's good to see Dodge This back after an apparent summer break, having last played a publically announced gig at The Dive in early July (they did drop out of a planned Beck's Bar gig last month though). Hopefully TONIGHT's show has a strong night of classic and hard rock cover favourites (and even some country tunes) from the July brothers and Jason, so keep it in mind! Remember, The Water Tower Pub hosts different nightly musicians, so Dodge This will not be playing there tomorrow.

If you're curious, the Saturday performers at the Great Northern Road nightclub will be new local country rock supergroup Elly McWatters & The Drifters. TONIGHT'S Dodge This concert has a 19+ age limit, no cover charge, and an 8:00 PM start time. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Dodge This live!

Next up, Sault Michigan hard rock quartet The Nameless will visit The Well Diggers Watering Hole & Feed Lot in Kinross for the first time for an outdoor concert on SUNDAY! Again, apologies for the short notice, this gig was first announced via the venue's Facebook page on Wednesday. When the band corroborated the booking later that night on their Facebook page, they indicated that the opportunity to play here arose despite previously planning a break to work on new material for their sets. As such, this will be The Nameless' first gig since rocking The Merch three weeks ago. Well Diggers will be familiar to Yooper readers from hosting Project 906 on occasion in 2023 & 2024, and it will be neat to see a different local hard rock cover band on their outdoor stage on SUNDAY, so keep this matinee booking in mind! Unlike the prior 906 gigs here, this will be a 3:00 PM matinee concert on SUNDAY, and there will be no cover charge.

It's too soon for an hourly forecast, but 9&10 News is calling for mostly cloudy skies, no chance of rain, and a high temperature of 71° (21° Celsius). Weather is looking good and calm for the next while, including 70+/20+° weather over the next week, so enjoy these outdoor concerts while we still can realistically have them! Visit the above links for more on The Nameless' Kinross debut on SUNDAY, and here they are live a few months back!

Now let's head back to Sault Ontario, where local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will return to Reggie's Place for concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Two weeks removed from their last gigs at Reggie's, this will be another prime opportunity for fans to check out Greg, Alex, and Warren's down and dirty brand of classic, hard, and southern rock covers, plus their three originals, and merchandise will be on sale as usual! "The Dirty Three" should be in fine form at their favourite venue, so don't miss out on all of the action on Queen Street East tonight & tomorrow! Your local 225 take the stage both nights at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover charges, and if you can't make it, they'll be back at Reggie's in two weeks. Visit the above links for more on Bone Yard's shows tonight & tomorrow night, and for a preview, here they are live!

Finally for this second weekend concert preview post, here's one more big show taking place on SUNDAY NIGHT, as Oshawa-based Bon Jovi tribute band Bon Jovi Forever will return to town when they headline at the Sault Community Theatre Centre! One of four Bon Jovi tribute bands to rock the Soo in the past 15 years, Bon Jovi Forever are the tribute that headlined at The Rockstar Bar in 2016, so it will be good to see their hair metal classics and later general rock favourites back on a local stage on Sunday, let alone on the huge theatre stage at White Pines! Of course, I won't judge which Bon Jovi tribute is better or more faithful than the rest, but B.J.F. deliver a faithful sounding and looking stage show, as led by frontman Baz Littlerock, so don't miss out on their local return in a couple of nights! This all ages concert at 8:00 PM has tickets running for $58.24 (adults), $46.94 (seniors or students with valid ID), or $26.60 (children).

You can buy tickets at this link or at the in-person box office at Station Mall. As of this writing, there are still seats in the third row and back in the left and right sections, while the center section has seats from the seventh row and back (the upper gallery seating is not open for this show). If you're a Bon Jovi fan, you won't want to miss Bon Jovi Forever at the S.C.T.C. on Sunday, so visit the above links for more details, and here they are live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tarnished, Double Down, And Curtis McKenzie!!)

A busy weekend is upon us in the Sault Ontario the E.U.P., so much so that we'll need a second post to cover all of the hard rock action ahead! As such, our previews of this weekend's Bon Jovi Forever, Bone Yard 225, and Nameless shows will be in tomorrow's post. Here's what you should know to start via an all-SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT post!

Former Project 421/Eclipse frontman Curtis McKenzie will rock The Dive Gastro Pub for another "Think It Over Thursday" acoustic concert TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, Curt only announced the booking last night via his Facebook page, and The Dive have not corroborated the announcement on theirs whatsoever (they haven't posted a monthly calendar in a few months either). Surprisingly, this will be Curtis' first stop at the former Low & Slow in almost three months, having exclusively played at Beck's Bar in the interim, so if you've missed him at this cozy downtown bar & restaurant, keep his alternative, hard rock, and grunge cover action in mind TONIGHT! Curt will be back in "The Naughty Corner" at 9:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge, as usual for The Dive. Visit the above links for more details on TONIGHT's latest unplugged concert of his, and here's Curtis live!

Next up, we'll head to the Eastern Upper Peninsula, as Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Tarnished will continue spreading their St. Ignace wings by rocking The Driftwood Sports Bar again TOMORROW NIGHT before debuting at Kingston Kitchen on SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, the band first announced these shows on their Facebook page yesterday, but the Kingston Kitchen show was first announced on their Facebook page last month. The raison d'etre for Tarnished to rock two St. Ignace venues in one weekend is the annual Richard Crane Memorial Truck Show, which takes place all weekend at the Mackinac County Airport, so see above for full details on the events relating to the show, parade, and everything else. The airport is just a four minute drive from The Driftwood (which Tarnished first played at back in March), and it is neat to see Alex, Josh, Chris, and Ron back there on a busy weekend in St. Ignace TOMORROW!

Technically all on the same street, The Driftwood Sports Bar (590 North State Street) is just three minutes away from Kingston Kitchen (250 South State Street), which happens to be the brand new sister location of a popular Jamaican/American fusion eatery on Mackinac Island, and they have been hosting live music on occasion since the summer, though this is the first weekend that they've hosted advertised rock bands. Kudos to Tarnished for helping diversify where rock bands can play in St. Ignace, as they've now had shows at four different spots there this year. It's not just Kewadin Casino there, after all! Whether due to or the result of these extra bookings, the off nights at both venues will have music to check out too for truck show weekend. Friday at Kingston Kitchen, fans can check out Cheboygan classic rock cover quartet The Lonely Pines, while a DJ party takes place at The Driftwood on Saturday, so keep these in mind as well if you'll be in the area.

TOMORROW'S Driftwood show is at 9:30 PM with a 21+ age limit, the Kingston Kitchen show on SATURDAY is at 7:00 PM with no stated age limit, and neither has an announced cover charge. Hopefully Tarnished make the most of the extra people in St. Ignace for the truck show with lots of hard rocking classic tunes, so visit the above links for more on their busy short notice weekend, and here they are live!

Finally for this all-late notice weekend concert preview post, we'll head back to Sault Ontario, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down will formally end their summer break TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at Jay's Piston Broke Pub! Apologies again for the short notice, these shows were first announced via their Facebook event page last month, but by the time we could get to them for coverage here, we were only a week away. After eleven weeks away from live concerts (not even for a festival), the guys will set up shop at the former Roosevelt Hotel all weekend long in their first of four monthly bookings there to end 2025, and they have teased having lots of new songs in their setlist TOMORROW & SATURDAY, so come down to Jay's to see what Double Down have in store for their return! However, note that the band will be not feature bassist Dan Beaupre for either of these gigs.

A public reason for his absence wasn't given, and while I did hear what happened, I'll refrain from giving details other than to say that there's no issues in the band. Hopefully Dan comes back soon! Former Soldiers of Misfortune/Cowboys & Indians bassist Alex White will step in this weekend, which will definitely be interesting to see! Double Down and Alex take the stage TOMORROW & SATURDAY at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover charges. See above for more details, and here they are live!

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