LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Rock Orchestra & Riverside Stasis), Fefe Dobson Concert Fallout, And More!!

Before we settle into weekend concert preview mode for the Thanksgiving long weekend, here's a packed news post on this early Thursday morning, including some assorted shorter updates, known videos from a recent concert, and leading off, two nearby LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS that are notable in different ways, so here's what you should know!

Local alt-hard rock band Riverside Stasis and acoustic punk cover duo Dos Amigos will join forces for a special outdoor concert on Friday, October 16th at The Canopy on top of Village Media headquarters! The rooftop space at 298 Queen Street East has been used sparingly as a live concert venue this year, notably at last month's second Downtown Street Party, where Dos Amigos' sister band BookcluB already played a headlining set. Next Friday's show will be the premiere of Village Sessions, a rooftop concert series that is implied to not be returning until 2027 (it will be mid-October next week, after all), but it will be a platform for originals-focused local headlining bands, and the corner of Queen and Bruce will be closed to accommodate the concert. In fact, this concert will have two hosts, namely long-time Rotaryfest Stage 1 MC Andrew Stuetz and Pat Mackan, who is the administrator of the Musicians page on Village Media's social media network Spaces.

After taking September off from the stage, Riverside Stasis will be fresh off of playing two concerts this Friday (more details in our weekend concert previews), while Dos Amigos remain busy even if their social media accounts don't (they recently played a private gig at a retirement home, believe it or not), and this will be a fun change of pace before it gets too cold for practical outdoor gigs! This is obviously free and all ages next week, and is expected to run from 7:00-10:00 PM. Hopefully the weather cooperates to give the Village Sessions pilot a fair shot, so visit the above links and Andrew's SooToday article for more details on all of next week's rooftop action!

Next up, the first major SMS-amenable concert at GFL Memorial Gardens for 2027 has been announced for Tuesday, May 11th, but the headliners aren't a major original touring band. Rather, they are The Rock Orchestra, a touring classical group who reinterprets rock and metal songs in epic orchestral and gothic fashion, complete with a dark candlelit stage show and suitable costuming to match, including instrumental performers in makeup and skull masks. The only equitable band to really hit the area is Sault Michigan's Theatre of Night, but they're a metal band with orchestral flourish and a Christmas theme in live performance, whereas The Rock Orchestra are a full-on touring orchestra who just happen to cover bands like Metallica, System of a Down, Evanescence, and The Cranberries (generally with a female singer if not instrumental). They do have a cover album too, with some very creative takes to check out.

The Rock Orchestra have played in Sudbury before to a positive reception, and it will be very interesting to see how they go over in seven months, but there's plenty of time to build anticipation, and videos of their shows will really show what they have to offer better than I can in text! Tickets for this all ages & 7:30 PM concert go on sale on Friday at 1:00 PM at this link or at the arena box office, but the ticket prices aren't being released until sales begin. Visit the above links for much more on The Rock Orchestra's Sault Ste. Marie debut, and stay tuned for more details!

Also today, I have put this off long enough, as there are a few videos on Facebook from the free Fefe Dobson concert at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion last month! Alas, multiple videos from the show were only shared as "Stories" (including at least one of local openers Silent 9 and one from the City of Sault Ste. Marie Facebook page that featured a shot of the line of fans), so I obviously can't link to those here. The Vivid Arts Festival headlining event was a hit based on fan reports on social media, and while multiple videos were posted online on personal accounts, the only page that I have seen permanent public videos shared is the aforementioned City of Sault Ste. Marie Facebook page. One is actually of Toronto pop rock cover band Goodnight Sunrise's opening set, while the other has clips from Fefe's set. Unfortunately, the City opted to upload both as vertical highlight reel videos with dubbed over stock pop music instead.

Why not let us actually hear raw audio from a well attended concert? I think most fans would rather have heard "Bye Bye Boyfriend" or "Stuttering" rather than Giulio Cercato's "Dance On" while out of context clips of the concert were played. The only positive is that Facebook somehow didn't content match the audio, so I can embed it here. Give it a watch below, and see more from the concert at the above links! 

Finally for today, here's three shorter assorted updates from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

 

• The Full Throttle Saloon has a new home, as they will make the four minute drive northwest from the former Primavera Hall to The Market Mall at 275 Second Line West! Owner Rosa Carello has reportedly leased space in the Cravings Diner location at the now-strip mall, but I'm not 100% sure what this means for Cravings (this SooToday article from last month indicated that that most of their staff were recently laid off due to financial difficulties). A grand re-opening is still to be announced, so we'll let you know when it is, let alone when concerts resume there!
• Over two years after Crooked Music closed, Sault Michigan finally has a new local music store, named Rockstars Music! Located at 212 Ashmun Street (beside Ozone of the North), they opened on September 13th, and offer gear for sale as well as studio recording space, instrument repair, and lessons on multiple instruments, with Tarnished/Crush frontman Alex Traynor and Nameless guitarist Mike East serving as instructors (as best as I can tell, Alex is the owner). No word on if they'll sell local CDs like Crooked/Grooves Music did, but it's great to see a new music store back in the EUP, so stop in weekdays from 11:00 AM-5:00 PM!
• In the wake of the passing of Canadian hard rock singer Sass Jordan last week, The Sault Star re-published the interview that Jeffrey Ougler conducted with her in August 2008 in advance of her last local appearance at the Bell Border Jam festival in Sault Ontario. The article erroneously dates the show to "the fall of 2008" and otherwise stripped out mentions of the now 18-year old event, but it's a good interview with Sass reflecting on the ups and downs of her career, whether she could have theoretically auditioned for Canadian Idol, and the future of the music industry. Kudos to the paper for reposting the interview, and R.I.P. Sass!

 

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (PetFest & Bimbo), Plus The Sale Of Misty's Fifties!!

Let's try to quell a new backlog of stories that's growing around here, via two big LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the coming weeks, plus news on a familiar local nightclub changing hands, so here's what you should know!

The next multi-band concert at the Pizza Hut in Sault Michigan will go down on Friday, October 23rd! Just one day removed from this year's LSSU Battle of the Bands (auditions close on Sunday), this Serious Business-promoted concert will actually feature three touring bands, two of which have been in the EUP in the past. Your headliners here are Detroit experimental/prog rock duo MRKT, while also making the trip to the Soo in two & a half weeks are Marquette art punk duo Bimbo (who headlined at Pizza Hut in May), and Muskegon "weirdo punk" trio Violet Scum, who you may remember headlining at Pickles Bar & Grill in Brimley in May of last year. There's a lot of eclectic sounds from these three bands, so do check them all out for a sampler of what to expect! Local punk duo About:Blank (who opened for both Bimbo and Violet Scum's prior shows in the EUP) will kick off the evening.

Parker & Kade will be less than a week removed from their headlining show at The Merch, and hopefully they keep their recent momentum up well here! This 18+ concert has a 7:00 PM start time, and admission will be $15, identical to the Bimbo show in May. Looks like another intriguing concert on Ashmun Street ahead, so if you're in the EUP or are able & willing to cross the border, don't bypass this action! Visit the above links for more details!

Next up, a huge fundraiser concert will take place at Blaster Powerhouse in Sault Ontario on Saturday, November 21st named PetFest! As the name may suggest, this event will be in support of The Sault Ste. Marie Humane Society, with 100% of proceeds going there, so if you wanna help animals in need and the work that goes into their care and adoption, consider coming out! Based on band stature, I'm assuming that the lineup listed on the poster and Facebook event page is the planned running order top-to-bottom and left-to-right, so if that is true, death metal veterans Eden Plague (the former Bear Hunters) are headlining in a rare appearance at the former Soo Blaster. Expect some "life metal" from these brutal local mainstays next month! Sporadically seen alt-punk trio A Dire Setback will co-headline in their second show of the year, and if you know anything about frontman Chris Nielsen's day job, you'll know that they'll be on board with a pet charity concert like this!

Also scheduled next month are hard/blues rock trio Stones & Crows, alt-hard rock quartet The Reeves, blues rock musician (and mayoral candidate!) Josh "The Preacher" McNally & his Jackleg Band, new local pop punk/emo band Homeroom Hero in just their second concert (interesting seeing Larry sharing a bill with A Dire Setback for the first time since he left that band), and talented young hard rock quartet 5 Dollar Bribe. The show will be opened by former Stereo North frontman Andrew Pucci, who is actually promoting this concert, so kudos to him for supporting a great organization and cause like this! Andrew has been slowly re-acclimating into the live scene in mid-late 2026, as fans who recall his wildfire smoke-cancelled open mic appearance at Rotaryfest will be aware, but how does his modern acoustic solo set sound? Find out next month! PetFest takes place eight days before this year's Toystock, in case you were wondering.

Tickets for this all ages event will be $20, and are on sale at this link and presumably at Blaster Powerhouse (no idea if Andrew or the bands can hook you up, or if at-the-door admission will stay at $20). The concert begins at 4:00 PM and will run until midnight, but I don't know if every act gets an hour's timeslot to perform, set up, and tear down, or if there will be variable set times. This looks like a great time and great value for fans of active local bands, especially original ones, so visit the above links for more details!

Finally, here's some big news for fans of a local venue or two, as Beck's Bar owner Becky Sawyer has bought a second local nightclub, namely Misty's Fifties! The news was announced in this SooToday article by Brandon Walker last week. A reason for Lori selling the 658 Second Line West nightclub after 33 years was not announced, but Becky used to work there, and spoke positively of the memories behind the bar there. Of course, she has done a very strong job with the former Vibe Lounge in the past year+, and Beck's is just a 3 minute drive from Misty's straight down Goulais Avenue, so oversight of the two bars should be simple enough. Misty's Facebook page was last updated on September 1st, and Becky has signalled "that there are some amazing changes coming". One appears to be new signage at the building proper, as that was recently taken down (not the proper street sign yet.)

Misty's will be closed "for a few weeks" for the revamp, renovations, and some training, but Becky vows to honour the history of the bar since it opened in the 1990s. SMS readers will best know Misty's from frequent matinee concerts from Tym Morrison and, most recently, TNT, but its size has left it more amenable to acoustic acts (nothing that I was aware of was scheduled there during the renovations). Will that continue? What all is and isn't changing beyond the signage? We'll let you know when the bar reopens, but visit the above links for more details, best of luck to Lori in what's coming next, and stay tuned for more news and notes shortly! Thanks everyone!

Where Are The New Albums? (October 2026 Update)

 

After a slight delay, here's this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post, as we again look at the current release whereabouts of announced upcoming albums from local metal, hard rock, and punk acts! Just to clarify a few things first, while The Reeves and Riverside Stasis have signalled ongoing recording sessions on social media, neither has 100% unequivocally confirmed in their own posts that the end goal is an album, CD, or EP as of this writing. As for local progressive metal band Convergence, I removed them due to the release of their "Gemini" EP last month, but more teased original songs could follow on future releases. So, where are the new albums? Read on below to hopefully find out, including one new addition!

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Bone Yard 225's debut album

Rumoured Songs: "F.A.F.O.", "Gypsy Spell", "Fuck!", "Welcome To The ShitShow", "I Took A Pill In Ibiza" (Mike Posner cover)

Background: After months of teasers, local southern hard rock cover trio Bone Yard 225 began releasing their own songs on major streaming services in July 2024, fifteen years after the pre-225 band debuted as a country cover quartet. Their first three singles (all recorded at their home studio) were posted online by January 2025, though it took until last May for the band to confirm on their Facebook page that they were indeed working on a proper album. As of August 11th, it was reportedly "album tracking time", while this video from three days later shows bandmates Alex D'Ettore & Warren Reville recording backing vocals for their cover of Mike Posner's "I Took A Pill In Ibiza". That will be one of "a couple of covers" for the album, as confirmed by frontman Greg Simpson during recent concerts. "Fuck!" was renamed "The F Word" on streaming services in December, but it's not clear if the less explicit name will stick on the album. The band was still "in the studio finishing shit" as of December 4th, source here, and a new single "Welcome To The ShitShow" was released on streaming services in August.

Current Release Status: In that Facebook post from May 2025, your local 225 said that "the album is coming along nicely", but announced release timeframes of "by the end of 2025" and "early 2026" have came and went. While singer/drummer Greg Simpson did release an EP with his old band Stiffler's Mom, it's hard to compare the release methods and schedule given that "The Demo" came out in 2004. It is neat to see that Greg, Alex, and Warren are going all in on a studio album, and stay tuned for updates!

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Chase James Wigmore - The Chaotic Rite

Rumoured Songs: "The Cities Alive & It's Angry"

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 in 2022, 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 have full songs not explicitly tied to the album, as well as the final artwork. In more recent promotion, Chase has hinted that "The Chaotic Rite" might be his final solo album as part of aims to focus on his personal life more than his prolific original material. Regardless, the final product has been pared down to 25-30 minutes.

Current Release Status: Chase elaborated on Facebook in mid-2024 that the album was 95% done earlier that year when the files "got trapped on my desktop's hard drive", and he had been unable to procure a backup of the material or recover the files as of that post. In any event, three of the full songs uploaded to Facebook in 2023 were clarified as not being planned for "The Chaotic Rite", but they could surface on a separate EP. Fingers crossed that Chase is able to save this album and put it out when able, especially given the years that he's put into the making of it!

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Eden Plague's third album (and first under that name)

Rumoured Songs: "Primogenesis", "Colony Of Parasites"

Background: Local death metal quartet The Bear Hunters had teased plans to record a "final album" on their Facebook page in July 2024, during the band's long slowdown in activity dating back to late 2017 (which included the unceremonious release of their second album "The Dead Testament" during the pandemic), but they surprised many by relaunching under the new name Eden Plague in May of this year. Nik, Mitch, Justin, and Johnny immediately signalled that they were working on new original music, debuting at least two songs during their mid-2026 concerts. They were recording two singles in studio in July (with Nik seen tracking vocals at Mission Control Studios in a Facebook "Story"), and the guys are currently on break from the stage, as they're "shifting all gears to our debut LP" (as Eden Plague). The band allegedly "discreetly revealed" the album name on social media earlier this year, with a free copy of the album promised to whoever figures it out first.

Current Release Status: The band has vaguely given a "sometime in 2027" timeframe for the release ON fACEBOOK, but things sound early for the final product, as as of September 3rd, five songs were still in demo stages. The former Bear Hunters are no strangers to album recording sessions, and with no pandemic and band activity uncertainty clouding things in 2026, here's hoping that this gets a deservingly widescale release when things are done!

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Fort Creek's debut album

Rumoured Songs: "One For The Road", "Sweet Rosie"

Background: Local southern/hard rock band Fort Creek have sporadically teased plans to record an EP since February 2020, but they wouldn't release any samples until almost two years later when they shared (now-deleted) clips of their original song "Hammer Down" on their Facebook page. The guys would play it regularly at concerts from 2022-2023, with studio sessions taking place in early-mid 2023 as well. After the departure of bassist Robin "Bones" Lee and drummer Anthony Fabiano in the fall of 2023, Fort Creek opted to start the album over, and have been working on new material and rebuilding their studio over the past three years. Their first single (the acoustic "One For The Road") was posted online in January 2025, with the band confirming plans to now record a 10 song album at then-drummer Phil Greco's own Jettison Studios prior to returning to live concerts. Their new single "Sweet Rosie" was released to major streaming services last month, which featured the studio debut of drummer Sam DeDominicis. New bassist Arthur Lacasse appears in the music video, but Liam Seymour played bass on a session basis.

Current Release Status: Prior release timelines for their debut EP reflected their early 2020s lineup's material, and Justin, Shane, Bill, and crew have largely kept things somewhat close to the vest prior to putting out "One For The Road". There are a lot of unknowns, especially given the 6+ years of production time and their decision to basically start over in 2023, and that this is a band that was primarily known for their work on the weekend cover circuit before their rhythm section left. It will be interesting to see how things develop, so stay tuned for updates!

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Mike McCleary's new album

Rumoured Songs: "Carousel"

Background: Background: A talented studio hard rock musician who has released multiple solo albums in the past (albeit almost entirely delisted from streaming services as his musical approach and personal life changed), Mike announced plans to record an instrumental album in 2023, but after a year+ public hiatus, he opted to shelve that unfinished album in 2025 in favour of a new album with vocals. He signed with Swedish indie label Rexius Records, with plans to put out an 8 song album covering "a variety of topics" and featuring "some fun, catchy, and energetic rock music for everyone to enjoy". A teaser video from the sessions was posted onto his Facebook page on December 6th, and the planned first single ("Carousel") was released online in June.

Current Release Status: Your guess is as good as mine, but as this is is a one-man project likely aimed at streaming services, this album could pop up at any time, and may be close given that an advance single is was unveiled this summer. The Rexius Records connection is a variable, but Mike is a strong musician with morals and a lot to say about himself, and hopefully this album comes out successfully in the near future!

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The Realignment Project's second full length album

Rumoured Songs: Unknown

Background: The current industrial metal solo project from Dirty Virgin/Riverin alum Matt Hicks, The Realignment Project are known for their quick recording schedule, with four EPs and a full length album being released since the beginning of last year alone. In April, Matt confirmed on the project's Facebook page that he had already begun work on their second full length album, days removed from the release of their full length debut "Long Cold Winter". By June, it had developed "some nice bones", and it was 75% complete as of August 19th. Among other teasers for recording sessions and songwriting, Matt was tracking vocals on September 14th (and even tracking demos for the third full length album last month), before entering post-production for album #2 late last month. Sessions were complete as of yesterday for the album, which will be released through the British indie label East London Recordings once again.

Current Release Status: Matt is no stranger to releasing Realignment Project albums with very little turnaround, and while things obviously take longer for full length albums, this could show up at any point on streaming services. Note that "Long Cold Winter" was released two months after the reveal that sessions had ended, so could that point to December for this album? Stay tuned in any event, and we'll have more on The Realignment Project from recent months in an upcoming post!

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I hope you guys liked this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! As usual in this series, albums with updates have their title in italics. This series will return on or around November 2nd, while our next monthly feature post will likely be this month's Defunct Local Band Profile this weekend. That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Headrush & About:Blank) And The End Of The Sault Star In Print!!

Before we get into today's news post, I wanted to offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Canadian hard rock icon Sass Jordan, who passed away on Friday at the age of 65. Sass had cancelled a number of concerts since last month due to a serious medical issue, and is survived by her husband, former Guess Who frontman Derek Sharp and their daughter, among other extended family. Born in England as Sarah Jordan and later raised in Montreal, Sass broke through on Canadian radio and on MuchMusic with her debut album "Tell Somebody" in 1988, and became a major hitmaker in the early-mid 1990s with songs like "Make You A Believer", "High Road Easy", and "Sun's Gonna Rise". She also made a new generation of fans in the 2000s as a judge on all six seasons of Canadian Idol on CTV. Sass had played multiple shows here in the 1990s, including at least once at The Eastgate Hotel.

Her final local concert appearance was when she opened for Kim Mitchell on night #2 of the Bell Border Jam at Runway Park in August 2008, which is her only local date that is well documented online. Sass Jordan's accessible bluesy take on hard rock helped her win a Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist in 1989 and further nominations, and she will be missed by many fans and friends. Visit your preferred music and news websites for more information. R.I.P. Sass!

Today's post otherwise features big news from local news and two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, and we'll actually start in Sault Michigan, where local hard rock/punk duo About:Blank will play a rare headlining concert on Saturday, October 17th at The Merchant's Bar! The band announced the show on their Facebook page on Friday, and it will mark their first public date since the Superior Whitefish Festival Battle of the Bands in Brimley in July. Parker & Kade did acknowledge playing at the Highland Clan Motorcycle Club's East Coast Fall Fling in the Soo yesterday, but in researching HCMC events, they are all at a private location that you have to inquire within about if not already a member. The club has brought in other local hard rock bands like Tarnished and The Nameless for recent events too, and photos can be seen on their Facebook group, but despite public acknowledgements, they were not fully public concerts.

It will be good to see About:Blank back on a fully public stage in just under two weeks as part of a busy month for them (more on their other show this month soon), and note that they will have new merchandise on sale here. Yes, new merch at The Merch! This concert has an oddly short 2 hour run time starting at 10:00 PM, a 21+ age limit, and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and we should have more from them next week!

Next up, we'll head back to Sault Ontario for another entry in what will be a packed Halloween weekend for concertgoers, as local classic/hard rock cover quintet Headrush will open for local/Toronto pop rock cover veterans The Killer Hooks at The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre on Saturday, October 31st! Entitled "Fright Night At The Museum", this special event will mark the first hometown appearance from The Killer Hooks (led by former Gsis Murphy frontman Tony Marcello) since headlining a video dance party at Blaster Powerhouse in April. This show too will see them break out their video dance party format, which will be a fun multimedia experience to go along with a talented live band, and they do have occasional hard rock covers! Headrush will be two weeks removed from their next gigs at The Esquire Club, and their heavier 1980s-leaning covers should set the right tone on Halloween night as their fall schedule begins taking shape!

Presumably on a similar scale to this summer's Cory Marks show in the hangar, expect "goolish (sic) times" and "killer music" along with a costume contest, with prizes going to the best individual and group costumes. Sadly, this will be a 19+ event, doors open at 8:00 PM, Crank Sound Distribution will reportedly be on hand, and tickets cost $35 (up $10 from The Killer Hooks' April show here, but that didn't have Halloween frills). Tickets are on sale at this link, at the Bushplane Museum, or at sponsors Northern Superior Brewing Co.'s on-site Tap Room. This will be another strong contender to your Halloween schedule, so visit the Facebook event page for more details!

Finally for today, this doesn't bear directly on our coverage, but it was announced last week at The Sault Star and its sister newspapers in Northern Ontario will end print operations at the end of October. In this CBC article, it's noted The Sault Star's parent company Postmedia is transitioning to a digital-only distribution format for their news outlets here and in Sudbury, North Bay, Timmins, Elliot Lake, and Espanola, while the Cochrane Times-Post will end operations outright. No local jobs will be lost, as the paper was being printed in North Bay, where its printing press is closing and will see those cuts. Affected markets will still get a once-a-week newspaper, namely Northern News This Week, which will feature curated articles from Northeastern Ontario communities, but I have read conflicting reports on if it will be free like the former Sault This Week or only to paid subscribers. Stay tuned to the newly redesigned Sault Star website for updates.

The closest print newspaper after this will be The Sault Evening News in Sault Michigan, while St. Joseph Island still prints the weekly (if small) Island Clippings. The slow decline of The Sault Star to an ever-thinner three days-a-week publication was a hint that this was coming, alas, but The Sault Star lives on as a digital news outlet up against SooToday, and in our coverage of relevant Sault Star articles, I never assumed that they were print-only anyway. As long as we have effective local journalism for years to come, but it will be strange to not have the paper of old when we want it. Visit the above links for more details, and stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post on the SMS next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Nate's Chow, Tarnished, And Dos Amigos) & More Weekend Concert Previews!!

Our crush of weekend concert previews ends here with shows in the EUP and Sunday matinee concerts, including LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, mostly SHORT NOTICE ones, so here's what you should know to cap off this busy Saturday!

Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover band Tarnished will head back to The Lakeside Lounge at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley for a two-man acoustic concert TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the casino only announced the show on their Facebook page on Wednesday, with the band corroborating it the following day. As usual for shows at this new acoustic-leaning lounge at "your perfect up north retreat", TONIGHT'S concert has just Alex & Josh (no Chris or Ron) playing 1980s-leaning rock covers for assembled fans, or if you believe Bay Mills' advertising, "the energy, great tunes, and good vibes". Just three weeks removed from their last show there, hopefully there's a decent turnout once again for their hard rocking cover action! This show is at 8:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no cover. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Tarnished at The Lakeside Lounge!

Next up, let's head north to the Soo, where local hard rock cover trio Nate's Chow will rock The Merchant's Bar TONIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, the band quietly confirmed this show via this updated AI-generated concert calendar on their Facebook page on August 24th, which also removed their cancelled show at The Merch last week, so TONIGHT's show is (like with Dos Amigos) a de facto rescheduling a week later. Their new show-specific AI-generated poster for TONIGHT indicates that this will be "Nate's Chows (sic) debut at The Merch", but that only goes back to their name change, as the former Unfortunate Sun played there over the I-500 weekend in February and multiple times prior, including when members were in Fake Chow. While we're on the subject, the concert calendar from August also confirms that Jody, Brett, and Jason will return to The Merch for two mid-week shows later this year, so what should you know on that front?

One will be on Wednesday, November 25th (on Thanksgiving Eve, or as Unfortunate Sun called it, "Drinksgiving"), and the other will be on Thursday, December 31st as part of The Merch's New Years Eve party. Holiday action is coming soon in two ways from Nate's Chow, so keep these shows in mind after TONIGHT'S regular Saturday nighter! All three Merch shows are 21+ affairs at 9:00 PM with no cover, and time will tell if there are frills to admission or the experience on December 31st. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Nate's Chow live!

Also, let's head north to Sault Ontario for two Sunday matinees, as local acoustic punk duo Dos Amigos will return to Thomson Farms Cider & Winery for a matinee concert TOMORROW! Apologies again for the short notice, the farm only announced that Dos Amigos would be performing via this AI-generated poster on their Facebook page, though Dos Amigos members did mention that they'd be playing TOMORROW in Facebook "Stories" a few days prior (the band has not publically confirmed it in a permanent social media post). TOMORROW's show will basically be a makeup for Dos Amigos' planned matinee gig at Thomson Farms this past Sunday, which they were "unable to make" for unannounced reasons (The Low Light Company replaced them on short notice). Last Sunday was the kickoff for the cider mill & winery's fall festival running through Halloween, so expect the corn maze, pumpkin patch, food and drinks, vendors, the corn cannon(!) and more.

No word on who the teased live musicians today are, but like today, TOMORROW'S Dos Amigos matinee is at 12:00 PM with no age limits or cover charges. This is implied to be outdoors on the patio again, so 9&10 News is calling or 13-14° temperatures with mostly cloudy skies, and while there is a slight rain risk that afternoon, it's expected to dissipate during the concert timeframe. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview of the acoustic punk action ahead TOMORROW, here's Dos Amigos live!

Finally for this weekend's previews, former Haggith/Project 421 singer/guitarist Curtis McKenzie will rock Beck's Bar TOMORROW! This show was actually announced by Curt on social media back in May, so Bone Yard 225's advertisement of it on their website's concert calendar must have been erroneous or was cancelled months ago. Regardless, Curt's brand of alternative and hard rock covers is a reliably entertaining sight at local venues, and hopefully he has some more good stuff in store for fans on Goulais Avenue tomorrow afternoon! As usual for Beck's Sunday matinees, this is at 3:00 with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge, and will take place during Beck's weekly euchre tournament on Sundays. If that interests you, inquire within about details on how to compete. Visit the above links for more details on tomorrow's concert, and for a preview, here's Curtis live a few years back!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for a new news post and this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post next! Thanks everyone!

The Punk Rock Fiesta & Quite Frankly Concert Previews!!

In post #3 of this unusually busy concert weekend for early October, we're looking at an eventful punk reunion concert with a lot to say and another cover show tonight, with post #4 (covering EUP and Sunday matinee shows) coming up next. Here's what you should know!

First up, it's a big one for long-term fans of the local punk scene even with the recent band withdrawal, as the first annual Punk Rock Fiesta goes down TONIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! The second of two straight retro reunion concerts there (following yesterday's Hard Rock Review), this is the spiritual successor to December's Fist Magnet/Room 206/Spigots reunion concert at the former Soo Blaster, and marks the formal debut of PROD/ex-Destroilet guitarist Christian Foisy's new promotion agency BCDR ("Bush Core Drunk Rock") Productions. The big story that broke last week was that planned headliners Random Killing had to drop out of this event due to guitarist John Hajdu's ongoing recovery from severe pneumonia that he contracted last month, but the Toronto hardcore punk legends have already been pencilled in to headline this event's expected return in late 2027, and Random Killing merchandise will be on sale tonight anyway.

Hopefully John gets better soon, and that they do come back when back to 100%! They were not replaced on tonight's bill, and I have not seen any adjustments made to the set times or order as a result, so while I am going off of the earlier promoted start times, they may be subject to change (all other bands were allocated a half hour each). If all else is the same, the new headlining band is hardcore punk trio Hails in their Rockstar Bar debut at 10:30 PM, preceded by the (one-off?) reunion of local cowpunk/hellbilly quintet The Billy Bastards for their first show in 11 years at 9:30 PM. Another reunion of 1990s punk staples Fist Magnet will take place at 8:45 PM, so if you couldn't get enough in December, here's you encore! New & online page-less local punk quartet PROD ("punk rock overdose") will play just their second public concert set at 8:00 PM, featuring members of the Fist Magnet reunion lineup.

Debuting local punk quartet Dead II Society (featuring alumni of Garden of Bedlam, The Billy Bastards, and The Northwest) will play their long awaited first public concert set at 7:15 PM, and the night will kick off with a mystery new local band named The Baby Rails at 6:30 PM. Intentional secrecy or not, I don't know a thing about this band, but we'll let you know when things go live! This 19+ concert has been sold out since long before Random Killing dropped out, but tickets did cost $25, and while there was still wiggle room for admission at the door, it's better if you bought an advance ticket just in case. I haven't seen any major notices towards ticket resales or refunds without Random Killing (local punk nostalgia is strong), so expect a packed crowd at The Algonquin Hotel's resurgent upstairs bar regardless. Even with an all-local bill, this is shaping up to be a great night, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Hails live!

Lastly for weekend concert preview post #3, it's the return of local classic/hard rock cover quartet Quite Frankly, who will make their way to DeMarco's Boots & Saddles Roadhouse in nearby Prince Township TONIGHT! The band has been taking a break for the last month and a half, most recently playing at Gateway Casino in mid-August, with tonight's concert being their first at the venue way down Second Line West in over six months. It's a small venue, and 20 minutes outside of the Soo proper, but if you live out near Airport Road or are up for the drive west, keep this batch of classic and hard rock covers in mind for tonight on this busy weekend! Linsaey, Frank, Harley, and Joe hit the stage tonight at 8:00 PM, there is no announced cover charge, and you must be 19 or older to attend. Visit the above links for more on tonight's concert in Prince Township, and here's Quite Frankly live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Oktoberfest 2026) & A New BookcluB Video!!

I badly misjudged our weekend concert preview schedule, particularly not anticipating that this SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT would take up a whole post! In deference to that, I am anticipating two weekend concert preview posts tomorrow, one covering Punk Rock Fiesta and tomorrow's two known hard rock shows in the EUP, and the second covering Quite Frankly and Sunday events. Stay tuned, but for now, here's that big new concert!

Local punk/alternative cover sextet BookcluB and debuting local pop punk cover band Anthems will both perform during Outspoken Brewing's sixth annual Oktoberfest event TOMORROW! Apologies for the short notice, Outspoken only announced the band lineup on September 24th last week, and I wasn't able to rush it into a post before it became the week of the event. Like last year, TOMORROW'S celebration of German culture, food, and (yes) beer will be a street party on a closed section of Queen Street East on the block where Outspoken is located. Specifically, it will be between Elgin and Bruce Streets, basically between the courthouse and GFL Memorial Gardens. Among the entertainment TOMORROW will be various local craft and food vendors, multiple beverage tents, custom German cuisine for the occasion, a stein holding competition, family-friendly games, and more, so click here for full non-musical details on what's going down TOMORROW on Queen!

Details on specific staging for this event were not given, but six acts are scheduled tomorrow, with BookcluB playing their first publically acknowledged concert since Wolf Fest last month, and they should get a good reception! They are playing TOMORROW at 6:00 PM. As for Anthems, I haven't found public social media accounts or media of them yet, but according to Facebook "Stories" (sigh), they are the new band from former Northwest/Small Town Rivals frontman Wayne Watkins, and their set will feature a lot of (if not entirely) Blink-182 covers. Intriguing already, but we'll let you know when more on Anthems is publically unveiled! Their set leads off the music program at 3:30 PM. Other bands playing TOMORROW include country/folk quartet Honey & Groove (featuring Lime, River Fools, and Maynard Hayes alumni) at 4:45 PM.

While the mid-tour Golden Scoundrels are the nominal headliners with a two hour timeslot, two local DJ/EDM acts (both alumni of Rotaryfest Stage 3 this year) will close Oktoberfest TOMORROW, namely the online page-less Kid Gryz at 9:30 PM and Flummoxx capping the night at 10:30 PM. Flummoxx and BookcluB are both returnees from this event in 2025, FYI. Oktoberfest 2026 runs from 3:00 PM-midnight (Flummoxx's set listed to go to 12:30 AM acknowledged). While you obviously must be drinking age for that aspect of Oktoberfest (bracelets will be provided upon entry), this is an ALL AGES event, and minors are free as long as they have adult accompaniment. Otherwise, adult attendees will cost $20 via online tickets at this link or upon entry TOMORROW. In what could be the last major SMS-amenable outdoor concert of 2026, 9&10 News is calling for 12-15° temperatures.

The day is expected to start mostly cloudier and get even cloudier as the day wears on, and there is a chance of rain at night's end/during Flummoxx's set. Given the timing, I can't see that throwing a wrench into the plans, but follow your preferred weather forecast if you're at all concerned (and layer up regardless!). Sounds like a fun day for music, beer, and street party fans alike, so see above for full details on what to expect on Queen Street East TOMORROW, and for a preview, here's a new video of BookcluB live! This was shot by the administrator of the Seldom Seen SSM Facebook page during their Wolf Fest II set last month at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion, who filmed the band covering The Champs' "Tequila". Of note, trumpet player/backing vocalist Erin Antonello notes at the start that "we're just waiting for our new lead guitar player". Is Carmen already out of the band?

Nope, rather the "new lead guitar player" was frontman Mikey Hawdon's young daughter Finley, who joined in for this fan-requested cover on a toy guitar before switching to a tambourine midway through. It's a fun cover, but the father/daughter collaboration will sell this alone for many, even though SeldoM Seen SSM shot it vertically. Give it a watch below, and look for BookcluB at Oktoberfest TOMORROW!

That's all for now, but we're going to cram our weekend concert previews with much more coming soon on this busy first weekend of October, starting with Punk Rock Fiesta and Michigan shows! Thanks everyone!