LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Project 906), Cory Marks Concert Videos, And An Inactive Band Note!!

One more SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT has fell into my lap, so to fill out a surprise Saturday evening post, we have new videos from a big recent concert and a solo project newly moved to our inactive links, so here's what you should know on all fronts!

Sault Michigan hard/blues rock cover quintet Project 906 will return to the stage TONIGHT at The Strongs Tavern in nearby Eckerman! Apologies for the short notice, the band first announced this one-night-only gig on their Facebook page on Sunday, but it slipped past me before our last two weekend concert preview posts went live. After taking a three month break from the stage (characterized by the band as "some much needed time off"), this will be 906's first show since rocking Hulbert Happy Hour in early March, with the band last playing at The Strongs Tavern at the end of February. Of course, this belatedly kicks off their annual "#summerof906", so more shows should be announced in due course, but since we last heard from Project 906 at The Strongs, they completed renovations in the spring, so hopefully things look as good as the rock will sound TONIGHT! Billy, Joe, Dustin, Jason, and Brian will take the stage TONIGHT at 8:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no cover charge, as usual.

If you've missed the guys in recent months, and/or are up for the hour's drive west, don't miss out on their summer season kickoff! Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview of TONIGHT'S opening #summerof906 event, here's Project 906 live!

Next up, let's head north to Sault Ontario for some new videos from the Cory Marks concert at The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre on June 11th! Last week, Cory uploaded a highlight video from the event to his Facebook page, where he highly praised the concert, which included a sold-out meet & greet session, and some fans driving 8+ hours to see it. Cory called the the Bushplane Museum's hangar "a dream concert setting for me", and if you weren't there, the hangar doors were open with the stage was set up inside, allowing for outside light to get inside and for some nice views while the North Bay country/hard rock musician rocked out. The highlight video (set to the studio version of his song "Are You With Me?") features clips of Cory at the meet-and-greet, including of him playing acoustic for VIP fans, before we see footage of the proper concert.

Good thing that we knew ahead of time where this was, as the video only has fleeting glimpses of bushplanes, which is a testament in a way to how well everyone got the hangar looking like a concert venue for more than just local bands! I would prefer hearing raw audio from the concert, but miraculously, Facebook didn't content match the studio track, so I can embed it below!

If you do want to see raw audio from the concert proper, good news, as Mike Blair's 705Live Sound Co. were on hand to take care of sound for Cory and crew, and a video of them playing "Blame It On The Double" was posted to 705Live's Facebook page! Mike doesn't do the "pan the camera up from the soundboard" thing this time, FYI. Alas, the video only runs for 46 seconds, but it does let us get more of a view of where exactly in the Bushplane Museum that the concert was set up at (and where the VIP pre-show area was). Of note, Cory actually grabs someone's cell phone from the crowd to film things mid-song, which would be neat for that fan! What Mike shot looks and sounds good, so if you like Cory's southern fried hard rock, you can relive a snippet of this high production concert for yourself below, and we'll let you know if Cory returns to the Soo for a fifth straight year in 2027!

Finally, I have a local metal act to move to our inactive band links, namely local goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore. We have heard no public updates from C.T.W. since 2024, with their final album "Bummer" being released on Bandcamp that July, and more recent updates from their owned-and-operated indie label Blood Shed Productions dried up by the spring of 2025. Active since 2012 and led by singer/guitarist Tyler "Ringsnaps" Gibson, C.T.W. became one of the more unique underground sights among extreme metal fans of the early-mid 2010s, releasing lots of studio material online and at concerts, including many of the final Oddfellows Hall concerts, plus various private & house party events. Updates from C.T.W. (let alone Blood Shed) really tailed off after the pandemic, even for a one-man project, which wasn't helped by their Facebook pages being taken down, if not by Tyler's own hand.

C.T.W. were really a critic-proof act, as a one-man goregrind band with such explicit imagery, pig squealing vocals, extremely short song lengths, a drum machine, and an ardent "I play what I want to play" ethos made it difficult to look at them in comparison with most contemporary bands. I still believe that all of the early-mid 2010s Blood Shed 1-2 man bands had the collective talent to make a great five-piece death metal band, but Tyler did what he wanted and kept this project going for a strong length of time, with fun crowd reactions and a solid skill set as a guitarist & producer. Hopefully we hear more from him and the label down the road! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes next week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Quite Frankly), The Go Skate Day Concert Preview, And Epic Rush Concert Videos!!

Let's close out this weekend's known hard rock concert previews tonight, along with new videos from a recent tribute band concert, so here's what you should know for this late Friday night post!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Quite Frankly will return to The Water Tower Pub for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band quietly announced the show on their Facebook page on June 2nd and it slipped us by until this week. Last seen on May 1st at Beck's Bar, this will be Quite Frankly's first Water Tower Pub stop in two months. This talented group should have another wide array of entertaining rocking covers in store for central fans TOMORROW, so keep this one-nighter in mind if it piques your interest! The Water Tower Pub never hosts the same band on consecutive nights, and as such, funk rock cover band The Rhythm Junction are playing there tonight (replacing the cancelled Yuk Yuk's comedy night). Linsaey, Frank, Harley, and Joe take the stage TOMORROW at 8:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's Quite Frankly live at The Water Tower Pub!

Next up, here's this weekend's last known hard rock concert preview, and it takes us to Queen Elizabeth Park outside of the John Rhodes Centre, where Go Skateboarding Day returns on SUNDAY! After promoters Underground Events SSM's planned debut as hosts of this event last year were severely impaired by heavy rain, I am pleased to report that 9&10 News is calling for sunny skies on Sunday with temperatures ranging from 16-19°, with no likelihood of rain, so Mikhal "Cha" Muto finally gets to put on the Go Skate Day he intended last year! Sponsors and vendors will be on site at the skatepark, and skaters of all ages & skill levels are encouraged to come down to hit the ramps and rails, play games, have fun, and of course, listen to live music! After last year's program was abruptly moved to a private event with late replacement bands, Mikhal has secured six acts this year, the largest Go Skate Day lineup in a decade, so who all can you expect on Sunday afternoon?

The presented lineup order lists the apparent headliners as Half Scoundies (Josh and Todd from The Golden Scoundrels) in an acoustic folk/bluegrass set. Preceding them are this year's two returning acts from Tidal Records-era Go Skate Days, including Shane "DJ Seith" Erickson with his fan favourite turntable mixes, as well as party metal trio The Apocalypse Afterparty (featuring Mikhal on bass). Fast-rising teenage hard rock quartet 5 Dollar Bribe will make their multi-band/outdoor debut on Sunday, preceded by Mikhal's ska punk trio A.S.D.P., who were a late addition to last year's private Go Skate Day rainout concert. Local jazz/EDM solo artist Mario "Yecharo" Kwan is listed last for this year's bill, and while he is a bit of a wild card, he does appear on Underground Events SSM's compilation album. Nicely varied lineup for sure, and the weather should hold up for the duration!

Admission is FREE whether you are skating or not, and this is definitely an all ages event, with bands presumably set up on top of the big ramp at the skatepark like they were under Tidal's supervision. Things seem to be shaping up well on musical and logistical fronts this year, and hopefully things go well at the skatepark on Sunday! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Apocalypse Afterparty live!

Let's close today with videos from last week's Epic Rush concert at The Full Throttle Saloon! Like at the Crazy Babies show there, a representative of the venue was filming videos for their Facebook page, but unfortunately, they were all shot vertically. We do get some longer videos this time though (all run for at least 3:45), and they include the former Rust playing the Rush classics "Time Stand Still", "Freewill", and as embedded below, "Red Barchetta". Notably, the latter cover was filmed from the back corner of the stage, giving us a unique angle of the proceedings, especially to really show off drummer Eric Kuthy channelling the late Neil Peart with gusto, but his playing comes off very loud as a result. I do wish that more fans were on the floor close to the band, let alone that the house lighting was at least darkened, but Rush fans got their fill from this talented Sudbury-based trio, so check out all three videos!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Silent 9, Soundcheck, And Generations) & Weekend Concert Previews!!

Before we begin our latest round of weekend concert previews, just a heads up that the planned Dr. Feelgood concert at The Sault Community Theatre Centre has quietly been cancelled, as per the deletion of its ticket page from the S.C.T.C. website. I have not seen any public statement on a reason for the cancellation, but $61 adult tickets can't have encouraged sales, White Pines theater or not. Contact Miles Management or the local box office if you still haven't gotten a refund for purchased tickets. Dr. Feelgood deliver the goods for Motley Crue and hair metal fans, and hopefully they try here again!

This preview post will go into most of the weekend's hard rock shows, but due to the amount, I'll hold the Go Skateboarding Day and Quite Frankly concerts for our next post. Most of today's are SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, and we'll start at Jay's Piston Broke Pub, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the shows were only announced on the venue's Facebook page yesterday, creatively by sharing the AI-generated poster for their shows there last month, which didn't have date-specific details. Fresh off of their sister band Separate Wayz' shows at Reggie's last week, TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S concerts are not advertised to be "epic crossover" shows either, but as we saw last week, you never quite know when Nicole will turn up at a Soundcheck-only gig, and vice versa for Travis with Separate Wayz!

In the realm of Facebook "Story" videos, you may have seen one from their last show at Beck's Bar from that venue featuring Soundcheck covering Billy Squier's "Everybody Wants You" with Travis on vocals, but alas, "Story" videos disappear forever after being seen once or twice. Will they perform it again TOMORROW or SATURDAY? Find out at the former Reggie's West! These are 9:30 PM concerts with 19+ age limits and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

Next up, local classic/hard rock cover veterans Generations will play an hour-long set as part of Minelli's 75th anniversary Italian Celebration on SATURDAY! Again, apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed their involvement via their Facebook group on Tuesday, and the schedule was only released yesterday. To celebrate 75 years of Minelli's as an Italian restaurant in the Soo (currently based out of The Marconi Multicultural Events Centre at 450 Albert Street West), this one day festival on SATURDAY will celebrate Minelli's and give back to the community, including vendors, games, raffles, kids activities, food and drinks, and of course, live music. Not counting the DJ playing that night, there is a four band matinee program on SATURDAY, with Generations co-headlining at 3:00 PM. Local country musician Matt Tarantini will be last up at 4:30 PM, with the Elettra Marconi Society Choir performing at 2:00 PM, and classic rock mainstays RPM kicking things off with a 2 hour block at 12:00 PM, so there's a lot for many tastes!

To be held in The Marconi Hall's parking lot from noon until 10:00 PM, this is a free & all ages event, but food and drink tickets will be on site if you're so inclined. 75 years is quite a milestone, so kudos to Julie and the rest of the family and staff for sticking with Minelli's for all these years, and hopefully Generations and the other musical performers set the right notes on SATURDAY! As the concert is outdoors, 9&10 News is calling for partly cloudy weather on SATURDAY with a high of 20° and a low of 7°, and rain is unlikely. Visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Generations live!

Also this weekend, fellow local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 will head west to Runway Park to serve as musical entertainment at Throttle Fest on SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies again for the short notice, we knew that they were scheduled to play at Runway Park via their website's concert calendar, but firm confirmation about the event proper only crossed my radar this week. Surprisingly their only public show in city limits this summer (they're not playing at Rotaryfest), Silent 9 will help close out Throttle Fest, a drag racing & mud bog festival taking place at the 573 Airport Road dirt racing venue that is most famous in a concert context for hosting the Bell Border Jam festival in 2008. Along with racing to take part in and watch, there will be a food truck and beer tent on site, tattoos, on-site camping, and more, so click here for fuller details on what to expect! Silent 9 are scheduled to perform from 7:00-11:00 PM on SATURDAY NIGHT.

General admission is $40 unless you're racing in Throttle Fest events proper (kids 10 and under are free), and gates open for the day's swath of events at 7:30 AM on SATURDAY. Like with the Minelli's festival, the weather forecast currently looks good here as well. Silent 9 should get fans moving with some fun hard rock and general covers to cap off a busy program, so visit the above links for more on Throttle Fest, and here they are live!

Finally for this preview post, we'll close with one more special summer festival (albeit one whose band details weren't on short notice), as local southern rock trio Bone Yard 225 will return as the house band for the annual Queen Street Cruise TOMORROW & SATURDAY! "The Dirty Three" have long served as musical entertainment for this classic car throwback event, with the home base returning to The Roberta Bondar Pavilion all weekend long. As usual, tomorrow's program is headlined by the cruise proper, with your local 225 playing under the tent from 6:30 PM onward, while they will set up shop outside on the boardwalk proper by Montana's from 12:30 PM onward during the show n' shine car show, preceding the awards ceremony to close the weekend. Outside of their concert action, click here for the full weekend itinerary, including appearances by Cristy Lee from All Girls Garage, the Touch-A-Truck, and much more.

Admission is free for general attendees (see above if you intend on registering for the car show or cruise), this is absolutely an all ages event, and while the Saturday forecast is already noted above, tomorrow's forecast is calling for clear skies and temperatures of 13-16° when Greg, Alex, and Warren are slated to be performing, tent acknowledged. If you love classic cars, be you the owner of one or not, don't miss the Cruise this weekend, and if you've missed Bone Yard's full electric show in recent months, they'll be in full force downtown! See above for more details, and here's Bone Yard 22live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Quite Frankly and Go Skate Day previews (and more) next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Riverside Stasis & The Nameless) Plus Related Updates!!

Before we get into another round of weekend concert previews, let's take a look at some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS ahead next month, plus related updates from two of the bands in question, so we'll start today in the E.U.P.!

Sault Michigan hard rock quartet The Nameless have announced multiple gigs into the fall via this image on their Facebook page! Unusual to see them post a proper schedule, but I'll gladly take this over short notice plugs the week of! We already knew about next weekend's St. Ignace Car Show-timed gig at The Driftwood, and they're also playing a private party the following day, but when will you be able to see Josh, the Mikes, and Jamie after that? On Saturday, July 25th, they will be the house band at the third annual American Legion Riders' Hell To Paradise motorcycle rally, and the name is more literal than you think, as participating bikers are travelling from Stockbridge (15 minutes west of the town literally named Hell) to Sault Ste. Marie (over an hour east of the town named Paradise). That alone is a near 5 hour drive, as Stockbridge is outside of Lansing, so even over two days, kudos to everyone making that kind of trip for a good cause!

The Hell To Paradise ride is in support of post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health awareness, as those with PTSD or depression often literally feel stuck between Hell and Paradise, so click here for details on the rally proper! The rally will end with a buffet dinner & awards ceremony at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino, and with The Nameless rocking out at The Rapids Lounge, but they have not (yet?) confirmed if they'll be playing there on Friday the 24th or not. Based on the FAQ page, you do not have to buy dinner to enjoy the band, but click here if you do want to participate or donate, and this will obviously be a 21+ concert at 9:00 PM. On August 15th, The Nameless will make the 3½ hour trek west to Republic for a gig at The Pine Grove Bar, which readers may recognize from multiple Exit 808 road trips during their run. The Nameless will end the summer with gigs at a Kewadin Casino branch over the last weekend of August, but which one?

Oddly, they have yet to 100% confirm which branch (Kewadin's entertainment page isn't even updated for July yet), and while they are debuting at The Rapids Lounge next month, their only prior public bookings under the Kewadin umbrella were in St. Ignace in July 2024. The last show on the calendar is just barely outside of our coverage range, as they'll play an early Halloween party at the Paradise Inn (one guess where that is) on Saturday, October 17th, but despite being in Chippewa County, it is a 70 minute drive from the Soo. Maybe not a packed summer for truly local gigs, but it's good to see The Nameless stretching their legs, so visit the above links for more details, and we'll have more from them soon!

Next up, four newer Sault Ontario rock bands will join forces for an all-local concert at Blaster Powerhouse on Sunday, July 26th, entitled "2 Stoned Crows In The River"! The name alludes to all four bands, as two have "Stones" in their name, and two have "River" in theirs. Whether the poster and Facebook event page's band order is reflective of the actual order come showtime or not, the "River" bands are listed first, including new local southern rock quartet Eli Russell & The River Fools (featuring Sylo, Sense Of Truth, and Pesto Shirts alumni) and alternative/hard rock quintet Riverside Stasis (featuring 3/5ths of Headfirst and half of The Barbarians). The show will also feature newer hard rock quartet Stones At The Alter in their first multi-band event without their sister band Doo & The Boyos, and blues/hard rock trio Stones & Crows (featuring Riverside Stasis drummer Anthony Boudreau). There's a lot of established and newer talent here, so don't miss out!

Promoted by Underground Events SSM (check out the lovingly hand-drawn and not-at-all-AI poster that Mikhal made!), this all ages concert will have a flat $15 admission fee at the door, and no advance tickets will be sold online. While it will be on a work/school night for many, this will be an early show, running from 7:00-10:00 PM. If you want to check out some new local talent in one convenient package, then come to the former Soo Blaster for all of the action next month, and visit the above links for more details!

We'll close today with new media from the aforementioned Riverside Stasis, who posted two new videos onto their Facebook page in the last few days! The first video sees the band jamming their new original song "Love You More" to promote their live debut at another all-local show from Underground Events SSM at Blaster Powerhouse on June 27th, though the beginning has no vocals, and Liam is nowhere to be found in frame (if he was there, this is another point in favour of shooting horizontally!). If you want more of "Love You More", let alone with Liam present and in view, then check out their newest video embedded below, which sees Tea and the guys jamming this song in another locale for 65 seconds (if you want to see it in full, go to Blaster next weekend). From what is heard, this will obviously appeal to fans of early-mid 2020s Handsome Sandwich, and it has a catchy groove to the guitar!

I do wish that this wasn't shot vertically, but it is good to get some more previews of what Riverside Stasis bring to the table, and hopefully fans are not in stasis when they debut one week from Saturday, so give their new videos a watch for yourselves above & below!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Rotaryfest Stage 2!!)

It took a few extra days, but the complete lineup for Rotaryfest Stage 2 has been announced via their website! Sponsored once again by SooToday, this is the tenth installment of the Second Stage since the "Redirected" era kicked off in 2015, and will once again occur at the pop-up stage beside the Art Gallery of Algoma at the festival's Clergue Park homebase. As has been the case since the pandemic hiatus ended in 2022, Stage 2 will take place on two days, starting with the Friday Night Blues lineup on July 17th, curated by the Sault Blues Society. This lineup never has hard rock or punk acts, but the Facebook event page does list many familiar names in the given bands! Newer local blues rock band Sunday & The Broken Hearts will debut on Stage 2 as the 8:30 PM headliners, while veteran local blues/jazz musician Rusty McCarthy (again billed as "Rusty McBlues") will co-headline at 7:30 PM.

This will be Rusty's fourth Friday Night Blues set, and his sixth solo headlining set of any type on the Second Stage, tying Machines Dream for the most ever. The debuting Jay Scali Band (featuring Zak's All-Stars alumni) are up at 6:30 PM, preceded by the third straight Stage 2 set by by veteran blues rockers Mudfoot Mike & The Muckrakers at 5:30 PM. The day will be kicked off at 4:30 PM by Josh "The Preacher" McNally, though unlike his festival debut last year, he will be backed up by his Jackleg Band. As for the longer program on Saturday, July 18th, this takes a turn from what you may be used to sonically from any era of the Second Stage. With one exception, this year's Stage 2 bands on the Saturday don't lean towards alternative, indie, and/or folk rock. However, while only one Saturday act is a returnee from past Stage 2 lineups, that isn't necessarily strange, as 2024 only had one returning Saturday band as well.

Honestly, the big surprise to me this year is that there are two death metal bands playing on the Second Stage this year, including death metal trio Pillory as the headliners at 8:30 PM! While we have seen Robert Sartini here with All The Tired Horses, The Peach Thieves, and in The Preacher's Jackleg Band, he finally takes center stage next month on Stage 2, so prepare for face melting brutality! Co-headlining at 7:30 PM are Eli Russell & The River Fools, the new southern rock band from (former?) Sylo frontman Elijah Russell and former Wild Iris bandmates Steve Myers & Courtney McDonald. They've been making some waves at headlining gigs this year so far, so keep The River Fools in mind, and we'll let you know if Sylo's status is clarified! Eleven years after launching a petition and fan campaign to get added to the Rotaryfest lineup in 2015, the former Bear Hunters have finally secured a spot on Stage 2 next month!

The now-renamed Eden Plague will finally play at the "Redirected" Clergue Park stage at 6:30 PM,  and while Mitch & Johnny have played Stage 2 since in lighter projects, it will be huge for them, Nik, and Justin to finally brutalize Stage 2 next month! After playing the last two years with HeadFirst, drummer Anthony Boudreau will return with his new local blues/hard rock trio Stones & Crows at 5:30 PM, just three weeks after their live debut. Twenty years after playing at the second annual Second Stage, veteran local folk musician M.D. Dunn will be this year's only returning Stage 2 act at 4:30 PM, in his first set here since 2023 and fifth total. Local country musician Brendan Hodgson will perform at 3:30 PM, and while this will be his Stage 2 debut, he previously performed on Stage 1 from 2021-2024, making him just the eleventh credited act to play both stages. Newer local blues/hard rock quartet The Reeves will debut at Rotary at 2:30 PM.

We'll have more on them soon, but you may recognize them as the Haze/Long Shot successors who publically debuted at Toystock last fall. Surprisingly, Stage 2 will be kicked off at 1:30 PM this year by an open mic block, and while I don't know if this is due to low artist applications or just trying something new, this will be the first Saturday lineup with only seven Stage 2 bands since 2018. This isn't entirely unprecedented, as the last two Swampstravaganzas in 2014 and 2015 also opened with open mic performers, so hopefully some talented folks step on stage to kick off the action by the waterfront! Stage 2 remains a FREE & ALL AGES event as part of another stacked weekend of the Soo's annual summer festival, so visit the above links for full current details on what to expect on Rotaryfest Stage 2 in its 19th installment, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the SMS soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Fyrbird & Nate's Chow) Plus More Recent News & Updates!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to apologize for missing a concert on Saturday on here that ended up being called off anyway. New local hard rock quartet 5 Dollar Bribe were supposed to play a free hour-long set outside of Long & McQuade that day at 3:00 PM for the McDonald Avenue chain music store's customer appreciation day (beginning at noon), but the store's Facebook page confirmed that it was postponed due to the unpredictable weather, and it did indeed rain heavily at points on Saturday afternoon. Hopefully Long & McQuade do indeed reschedule this event for fans and customers alike! Now, here's some recent assorted updates, and kicking things off, two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS in the E.U.P.!

The Sault Michigan hard rock cover band once known as Unfortunate Sun will end their recent break by headlining at The Islander Bar in Hessel on Friday, August 7th! This show comes five months after frontman Skip Parish stepped away from the band, and after teasing a name change to simply "Unfortunate" in April as part of their effective relaunch, they have settled on Nate's Chow, combining the names of Unfortunate Sun and their predecessors Fake Chow. "Nate" is the AI-generated beaver in their recent promotional images, implying that he will be their mascot going forward (for better or worse, Unfortunate Sun embraced AI art for their concert posters and schedules, and unlike the name, that hasn't changed). Unless "Nate" is representing a mystery lead singer to be announced, their Facebook page lists the band as a trio, with Jody, Brett, and Jason all credited on vocals.

How will the new look Nate's Chow fare at The Islander Bar in two months, especially as they haven't played there since December? Time will tell, but hopefully this is a successful return/relaunch! This 21+ concert will take place at 8:00 PM with no announced cover charge, and while it takes place the night of the Les Cheneaux Islands Car Show On The Bay, that will be based out of nearby Cedarville. Visit the above links for more details!

Next up, let's take the half hour drive southwest from Hessel to St. Ignace, where Manistique hard rock cover duo Fyrbird will return for a special Thursday night concert at The Driftwood Sports Bar on September 17th! Like with the previously-covered Tarnished show on Friday, September 18th (that Saturday will have DJs), Fyrbird are returning to Mackinac County for that weekend's Richard Crane Memorial Truck Show. The Driftwood are happy to book bands on St. Ignace vehicle show weekends this year, with Fyrbird already playing during/after Bronco The Mac and also during next week's car show, so clearly this tie-in is working! Like their other Driftwood shows this year, Jamie & Rikk will rock out at 9:00 PM that night with a 21+ age limit and no cover charge, so visit the above links for more on Fyrbird's St. Ignace shows ahead! While we're on the subject, three videos from Fyrbird's Bronco The Mac weekend show were posted on The Driftwood's Facebook page!

Alas, the videos are all vertical, around 12 seconds long apiece, and filmed distantly from the stage, with attendees at the bar more prominent than Fyrbird themselves. They're just background noise in this clip, while this video appears to show them covering Rage Against The Machine's "Killing In The Name", but they're not focused on compared to bar patrons. The best of the three (featuring their cover of AC/DC's "Highway To Hell") at least zones in on dancing fans near the stage, and you do get Jamie singing on it. What we hear sounds good and tight for their duo setup, but if only these videos were longer, closer, and horizontal! Give them a watch above and below!

Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or event name:

 

• I have moved Sault Ontario death metal quintet Bardos (née Bardo) to our inactive band links. The Them spinoff (led by Heavy North Entertainmnent promoter Tyler St. Amour) have not posted on their Facebook page for reasons other than plugging H.N.E. events since October 2024, a few weeks after their sole gig opening for Selias at the former Soo Blaster. They had a promising lineup, and hopefully we hear more from Tyler, Danielle, the Christophers, and Travis in due course! As their public activity largely predated their name change, they'll be listed in our inactive links as Bardo, but I'll re-add the S if they come back with that name.
• Local hard rock cover band Half Past have parted ways with drummer Johnny Amendola, as per their Facebook page on May 21st. Since their most recent gig at Beck's Bar on New Year's Eve, Johnny has joined both Soundcheck and Separate Wayz, and even if things are 100% amicable with Half Past, that obviously eats into his availability. Half Past are looking for a new drummer that is able to rehearse once a week and perform "a handful of times per year", and has means of transportation. If you're interested in trying out behind the kit, message Half Past above, but kudos to Johnny for helping Jordan, Al, and Art in their return as a live act since 2023!
• Also newly moved to our inactive band links are Half Past's acoustic side project The Isolation Sessions, who last updated their Facebook page to thank everyone for seeing them at the Helping Hearts For Helping Hands fundraiser at the Grand Gardens Downtown in March of last year, which was both their public concert debut and the reason for their public revival after a three+ year hiatus. This pandemic-birthed unplugged act always had promise given their Half Past ties, and hopefully we see Jordan and Al back at it soon! 
• After four years of only opening for private and specialty bookings, The Rockstar Bar has properly re-opened, as per recent social media marketing! Their Facebook page notes that the patio is open for the summer, and that they are currently running with a live DJ on Saturday nights. No word on when/if they'll resume hosting bands on any semblance of a regular schedule, but it is great to see the upstairs nightclub at The Algonquin Hotel back in action after such a long & mostly dormant period!
• Regarding the aforementioned Soundcheck and Separate Wayz, Soundcheck singer/guitarist Travis Sharpe appears to have guested with their sister band during Separate Wayz' Reggie's Place concert on Friday, as per a new photo from their Facebook page featuring all five combined band members on stage there (Travis was on guitar with Nicole singing). Assuming that this isn't an old Soundcheck concert photo from an "epic crossover" gig, it is neat that Travis was available for at least one song with Nicole and their mutual bandmates! This weekend's shows were always advertised on social media as being Separate Wayz gigs only.
• If you're wondering why we didn't cover the WestFest talent show at Beck's Bar last week to determine the day's opening band, it's because the event was cancelled "due to unforeseen circumstances", as per the West Village Renewed Facebook page. Alas, whether for ticket sales or band sign-ups, "unforeseen circumstances" usually means "we didn't foresee that turnout would be this low". As such, organizers confirmed that "we are choosing our opener", which would have happened if there wasn't a talent show anyway. The lineup is being gradually announced on social media, and we'll let you know when the entire bill for WestFest II is unveiled!

 

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Rotaryfest Stage 1!!)

The lineup for Rotaryfest's music stages started rolling out on their website earlier this week! While we await the Saturday lineup on Stage 2, the full lineup of bands on the main covers-centric Stage 1 at Clergue Park is now viewable at this link, and if you're curious, an expanded lineup of EDM artists are scheduled at the Downtown Plaza on the Friday for the returning Stage 3. Today's post will focus on the main stage action, back at the familiar pop-up blue & yellow stage beside the Centennial Library, marking 25 years since the modern format for Stage 1 debuted in 2001. 20 bands will take part on Stage 1 once again, half being returnees from last year, though historically speaking, this is a much different lineup than what is common. Only one band this year has played Stage 1 five+ times in the past, and this is the first ever Rotaryfest with this format without either Mustang Heart or The Northern Jazz Ensemble.

The Thursday, July 16th lineup is devoid of hard rock acts, and will be headlined by classic rock veterans Encore at 9:30 PM in their fifth Stage 1 set, with pop rock cover quartet Lime co-headlining at 8:00 PM in their third straight year and fifth since 2019. Local yacht rock cover band The Lock City Rollers will return from debuting last year at 7:00 PM, while the only newcomers on Thursday are debuting local country/southern rock band The Range Lights (who I know little about) at 6:00 PM.

Heavier acts will play on the other two days, but on July 17th, the Friday lineup will feature a touring headliner for just the second time, namely North Bay classic rock quintet Just Press Play at 10:20 PM in their local debut. Long-time Rotaryfest sound tech Dan Belanger will reportedly guest with them that night, as you may have seen him do with That's Chester and Obsession in the past decade. Co-headlining that night are classic/hard rock cover quintet Headrush (last year's Saturday closers) at 9:00 PM, so if you want some heavier covers, they'll be the likely best bet that day! Classic rock trio and 2023 Stage 1 performers The Sidekicks will return to Rotaryfest in the 8:00 PM timeslot, while after playing Stage 1 the last three years with country band The Way Backs, members Jeffrey Wright & Meggy Lee will take the stage for a pared down duo set at 7:00 PM. 2025 newcomers The online page-less Jazz Cats will bring their complex stylings back at 6:00 PM.

Kicking things off on Friday the 17th are newer local Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute quartet Mellowship Slinky, who have been making solid noise in the Soo over the past year, and there are hard rock-leaning early Peppers songs to draw from, so don't miss their Rotaryfest debut at 5:00 PM!

As for the closing day's program on Saturday, July 18th, two tribute bands will close the 10 band program, with this year's featured touring band being London-based Led Zeppelin tribute band Zed! Long-time fans may recall seeing a different Southern Ontario-based Zeppelin tribute here in 2014 (Michael White & The White), and while part of me is surprised that Mothership have never been booked on Stage 1 given who their singer is, Zed deliver the goods for fans of Led Zeppelin's hard rock classics of the late 1960s and 1970s! Their set is slated for 8:30 PM, while local Tragically Hip tribute band The Luxury will close out the festival for 2026 at 10:30 PM, after previously debuting at Rotary in 2024. This is a key timeslot, so kudos to this local supergroup for getting the honours! Alternative/punk cover sextet BookcluB will continue their march up the Saturday schedule with a 7:00 PM set in their fourth straight year on Stage 1 and first with Carmen Muto on guitar.

The 6:00 PM band this year are classic rock cover veterans Mid Life Crysis in their first Stage 1 set since 2022, but tenth total since debuting here in 2006, making them this year's Rotaryfest iron men (and woman). Fellow local classic rockers RPM will play Rotaryfest for the fifth straight year and sixth total at 5:00 PM, while Spyder's Web's Mark Allemang & Encore's Janet Brown (half of Abba Soo) will play as their new 1970s classic rock duo Just J&M on Stage 1 at 4:00 PM. Pop rock cover quintet Bourbon Blue will return to Rotaryfest for a second straight year at 3:00 PM, while Superior Heights Collegiate student rock band Steel Rock are back on Stage 1 for a third straight year at 2:00 PM. New local multi-genre classic rock band Hush (who I know as little about as I do The Range Lights) will debut on Stage 1 at 1:00 PM, and blues rock veterans Rusty McCarthy & The Soft Parade will kick things off at 12:00 PM after debuting at Rotaryfest in the rain last year.

Other notable recent bands to not return to Stage 1 in 2026 include Flathead Ford, Generations, The Rhythm Junction, and Silent 9, but there's a good array of newer and established faces, especially if you've complained about them allegedly booking the same bands year after year! Of course, hopefully the weather cooperates in five weeks. All days' music programs at Rotaryfest are FREE & ALL AGES, and be sure to visit the official website for full non-musical details, plus the eventual reveal of the Saturday schedule on Stage 2. See above for more on what to look for next month! Thanks everyone!