LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Bone Yard 225 & Soundcheck!!)

A pair of SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS fell into my lap this morning, so here's a rushed post to get those accounted for, along with a bunch of upcoming concerts from a familiar returning presence!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Jay's Piston Broke Pub for concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the venue only announced these shows via the AI poster on their Facebook page overnight, and the band has not corroborated any bookings on their own Facebook page since their Esquire Club shows four weeks ago. Fans were last able to "get wobbly" with Soundcheck at Beck's Bar this past Friday, at a show where Beck's filmed them covering Billy Squier's "Everybody Wants You" (with Travis singing) for a Facebook "Story" video, hence why I can't link to/embed it here. Jay's fans last saw Soundcheck late last month, and it should be another welcoming audience for their hard driving slate of covers! The marketing on Jay's end only credits Soundcheck, so this does not appear to be an "epic crossover" weekend with Separate Wayz.

Along with the requisite "good times, cold drinks, (and) great people!", these are 9:30 PM concerts with a 19+ age limit and no cover charges, and as usual at the Korah Road nightclub, the kitchen will be open late. Visit the above links for more on Terry, Travis, Jim, and Johnny's late notice return to Jay's TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT, and here they are live!

Next up, local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 are back from their recent break, and they have announced a huge slate of concerts for the summer! "The Dirty Three" had been publically idle since their acoustic St. Patrick's Day show at Smitty's, and hadn't played a plugged-in show since February, due in part to personal concerns (R.I.P. Ally), but their website's calendar has loads of new dates in store for June-August, so when can you see the guys next? Bone Yard will return to action next week on Friday, June 5th at The Water Tower Pub, and they will bookend their summer slate at the same venue on Saturday, August 29th! As usual for this central venue, these are "uncorked" (re: acoustic) shows, and both are 19+ events at 8:00 PM with no cover. In their first proper plugged-in electric concert together in four months, Greg, Alex, and Warren will rock Beck's Bar for one night only on Friday, June 12th!

They'll also make their way to the Goulais Avenue nightclub for Saturday nighters on June 27th and August 1st, and "uncorked" matinees play into both of the weekends with Bone Yard shows on Saturdays, but in different ways. On the 27th, they'll actually play the acoustic matinee timeslot before the full band show that same night, with the marathon double-booking coinciding with the Biker Rights Organization's annual Shoot & Scoot event, as Beck's hosts the barbecue at the end of the motorcycle rally. Click here for more details on the Shoot & Scoot proper, but it is neat that this rally finally crosses our radar! The August 1st show (which falls on the Civic Holiday long weekend) will be complimented by an "uncorked" Sunday matinee on August 2nd, so that'll be good timing for your local 225! The two acoustic shows are at 3:00 PM, the nightcaps are at 9:00 PM, and expect 19+ age limits and no cover.

On Friday, June 19th & Saturday, June 20th, Bone Yard 225 will return as the annual house band for the Queen Street Cruise! The band's own schedule lists the venue as The Roberta Bondar Pavilion (homebase for the cruise once again), but the official schedule says that they will be playing "on the boardwalk" both days. As best as I can recall from past coverage, the Friday evening show at 6:30 PM is indeed under the tent during the cruise proper, but they set up shop on the proper boardwalk near Montana's for a 12:30 PM outdoor matinee concert on the Saturday during the car show. If we hear clarification, we'll let you know, but click here for full details on how to participate in the cruise! Admission is free for general attendees, and it is an all ages event. July 2026 appears to be devoted to out-of-town and private events, including gigs in Chapleau and Kirkland Lake and a stag & doe, but we'll let you know if the listed Bruce Mines date on July 4th ends up being a public event.

The last new public and local date for Bone Yard (so far) will see them return to Algoma Tree Services' annual charity barbecue & community meet and greet on Saturday, August 8th! This will be the third straight year that your local 225 have headlined this event (no word on if Angry Joe & The Growlers are opening again), and will presumably see them rock out at the Goulais River-based business' outdoor festivities at 7:00 PM (no announced cover, all ages). Time will tell if we hear of Bone Yard at other local venues or festivals this summer, but it's great to see Greg, Alex, and Warren back in the saddle, so visit the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more news and notes this weekend! Thanks everyone

YouTube Channel Profile Series: Woodward Avenue Studios

After a road trip-accelerated delay, here is this month's YouTube Channel Profile in our second post today! This monthly feature looks at a randomly selected YouTube channel whose uploads are at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, or punk musicians/concerts, and this month's selection gives us a prominent and extremely talented local metal band, albeit an earlier glimpse as their studio work before their current lineup fell into place. Here's what you should know on this sunny Thursday!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Woodward Avenue Studios (http://youtube.com/woodwardavestudios)

Owner: Convergence guitarist and Woodward Avenue Studios owner Brendan Christie, also known from prior work in local bands like Late & Loud, Stillbroke, and The Hydra's Teeth, and as co-host of the Late & Legends podcast

Channel Timeline: Launched on January 12th, 2009; Current videos uploaded from November 2023 until October 2024

Channel Summary: Originally a personal use channel that predated his best known local band work, Brendan converted the channel into focusing on his current progressive metal band Convergence in 2023, with the channel branded after Woodward Avenue Studios since 2024. All videos prior to late 2023 have long since been taken down from the channel, and Brendan exclusively uploads "Shorts" videos here now rather than standard videos, so all are vertical and typically under a minute each. The vast majority of the twenty-four "Shorts" are focused around Convergence teasers, but their most recent video hypes up Woodward Avenue (formerly Yellow Room) Studios for other musicians' professional recording needs.

Why You Should Watch: The limitations of "Shorts" acknowledged, this channel is still worth watching for fans of Convergence for some of their most frequently updated video content! While the channel likely still serves a purpose given that it is branded after the studio, Brendan has since focused on uploading videos (both regular longform/horizontal ones and "Shorts") on the band's own YouTube channel, suggesting that Convergence are prioritizing the newer channel for official content. Note that "Shorts" on the new channel are often jokier for social media promotion than the Woodward channel got. Still, the older channel does have some of the last extant public content from their second EP, so fans won't want to overlook it!

 Our Recommended Videos To Check Out:

 

Chimera Teaser: Possibly because it was forgotten in the culling of prior instrumental-era Convergence social media accounts, teasers for the band's early studio material make up most of the content on the Woodward Avenue channel. I wanted to highlight their very first "Short" here because it features an audio sample of "Chimera", an original song planned for their 2023 debut EP "One" that did not make the final cut for one reason or another. Convergence were represented here by Brendan and his brother-in-law Jake Valois, both on lead guitar. Visualized here via the song being tracked on Mixcraft 9 Pro Studio, this minute-long teaser is effective to sample what was a promising prog metal track, even if unreleased!

 

 

Glass Statues Short https://convergencessm.bandcamp.com/album/dead-and-dreaming #metal #metalcore: Ten of the "Shorts" on this channel are sub-minute long clips of songs from Convergence's first two EPs "One" and "Dead & Dreaming", and the latter is particularly notable because the band delisted it from streaming after relaunching as a full band with singer Stephen Gagnon-Ruscio and drummer David Peredun. The band has signalled plans to re-record songs from "Dead & Dreaming" for their forthcoming album, but this channel wasn't wiped, so if you want to hear that EP's initial instrumental versions, you have a partial way. I preferred "Glass Statues" out of the five songs on "Dead & Dreaming" thanks to its melodic structure and variance, even if the EP had heavier songs than this, and while a potential full-band version could still be ahead, it is nice to hear this again!

 

 

You are not flesh playthrough #metal #djent #guitar #metalcore #guitarist: Eight videos on the Woodward Avenue channel are of Brendan and/or Jake playing along to their studio material, including two Kraken Mara-era clips of them playing "Stratus" at the Bushplane Museum in 2021 (mainly to hype their endorsement of Halo Guitars). The most popular video on this channel is a playthrough video featuring Brendan playing "You Are Not Flesh" (the first unveiled song from their unfinished third instrumental EP "Gemini") in September 2024. Will this be reworked with vocals and live drums? Time will tell, but Brendan lays down the gauntlet here with professionalism and technicality in a promisingly heavy sample, and there's more to look at from Convergence's instrumental beginnings on this channel!

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope that you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! Then next installment (hopefully moreso on time) is scheduled for around June 26th, so look for that then, plus more news and notes soon, as well as this month's CD review! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Generations & Headrush) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

For this final batch of hard rock weekend concert previews of May 2026 (and arguably, the spring), we have SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to lead off, along with a pair of other new show for next month, so here's what you should know on this sunny Thursday!

Local classic/hard rock cover quintet Headrush will return to The Esquire Club for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band first announced the gigs via their Facebook event page on Monday, and alas, the venue has opted not to post an early 2026 concert calendar on social media this year, instead plugging bands week by week. Last seen opening for Crazy Babies at The Full Throttle Saloon three weeks ago, fans last saw the Johns, Wes, Gino, and Frank at The Esquire Club early last month. Headrush (no space) will definitely be live and loud TOMORROW & SATURDAY with their 1980s-leaning cover rock slate, so if you want to "come out & dance, party, and get your freak on", you know where to be! In their last shows before their incoming summer slate, TOMORROW & SATURDAY's gigs are at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover charges.

Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's a brand new jam session video from Headrush's Facebook group! Uploaded by bassist John Amendola, the video sees them covering Triumph's classic single "Lay It On The Line", and given how well Triumph went over in their concert here last month, it's good timing to cover them, especially when they handle the song this well! John Anderson hits the necessary notes on vocals too, but will you see it TOMORROW and/or SATURDAY? Be at The Esquire Club to find out!

Next up, let's jump ahead a tiny bit, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will return to the stage for shows at Gateway Casino on Saturday, June 6th and at The Water Tower Pub on Saturday, June 27th! Generations are in the late stages of a two month break, partly due to an unspecified family emergency for Valerie or Joe, having last taken the stage at Searchmont last month for their Snowcross weekend. Fans last saw this talented veteran quartet rocking Gateway Casino in early March, while the June 27th Water Tower Pub show will effectively be a rescheduling of their cancelled April 18th concert there (they last successfully played at this venue in February). Good to see the Jus' Chillin successors back at it, and keep both of their one-night-only shows in mind for your concert planning next month! Both shows are at 9:00 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover charges. See above for more details!

Back to weekend concert previews now, and we'll head south to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino next, as Munising, Michigan classic/hard rock cover quintet The Sky Pilots will make their way back east TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Fronted by former Electric Motor Fish/Swayze Train singer Melissa Strand, this weekend's shows will be The Sky Pilots' first in the EUP since they rocked The Rapids Lounge at the Soo Kewadin in March, and their first at the St. Ignace branch since November of last year. It's good to see Melissa back in our area with her entertaining current project, and fans can expect "live music, classic rock, and 90s hits" all weekend, so keep these May-ending shows in mind! As usual for Kewadin lounge gigs, tomorrow and Saturday's previously announced concerts are at 9:00 PM with 21+ age limits and no cover. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's The Sky Pilots live in their hometown!

Finally for this weekend's known hard rock concert previews, we'll head back to Sault Ontario for veteran local singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's return to Misty's Fifties for a matinee concert on SATURDAY! Fresh off of his Dive Gastro Pub show last week (which was 100% a "Patio Play" gig), this Saturday's concert is the last at the Second Line West nightclub advertised by Tym in his batch Facebook event page covering shows there, and it remains to be seen when/if he will announce summer dates at Misty's. He will definitely have shows elsewhere this summer, but just in case, consider a run to Misty's Fifties on Saturday to enjoy his well produced classic and hard rock covers! As usual for Tym's shows here, this is a 3:00 PM matinee concert with a presumed 19+ age limit and no cover charge. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's Tym live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Fyrbird & Tarnished) Plus Wednesday Night Sault Ontario Concert Previews!!

Today's post is half devoted to previews of two mid-week concert previews in Sault Ontario tomorrow, but first, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for concerts in Michigan's E.U.P. next weekend during an upcoming festival!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Tarnished will reportedly be rocking The Northern Pines Lounge at their Kewadin Casino on Friday, June 5th and Saturday, June 6th! Kewadin's entertainment page has confirmed the bookings as part of their calendar updates through the end of next month, which is great to see, as Tarnished's own show announcements over the past seven months have all been with (at best) three days' notice. At least some venues get the word out prior! The classic/hard rock cover quartet had just played at The Driftwood there this past Saturday, which will be a good primer for their return two weeks later, and while not specified on Kewadin's end, this is a good weekend for Alex, Josh, Chris, and Ron to be in town. Next weekend is the Bronco The Mac festival, where owners and fans of the Ford Bronco will congregate for a ride across the Mackinac Bridge, plus parades, a drone show, and more varied activities for truck owners and everyone else.

Whether intentionally timed for Bronco The Mac or not, Tarnished should get an attendance bump for their hard rock and classic covers, so keep things in mind whether you'll be around for the festival or just wanna hear some live music! As usual for Tarnished's stops at the regional Kewadin Casino lounges, next weekend's shows are at 9:00 PM with 21+ age limits and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details!

Next up, that's not all for fans in the Straits/Mackinac County next weekend, as Manistique hard rock cover duo Fyrbird will also return to the E.U.P. on Saturday, June 6th when they rock The Driftwood Sports Bar in St. Ignace! While not a common venue for our coverage, it just came up on the SMS the other day when I apologized for missing Tarnished's recent show there, but I am trying to keep better tabs on The Driftwood's own advertising, which is how I heard about this booking yesterday. We haven't heard of a new Fyrbird booking in our coverage area since Jamie & Rikk played at the St. Ignace Kewadin in March of last year, possibly complicated by lengthy schedules not being posted on their Facebook group recently, but I haven't seen any Kewadin shows on the casino's end either, so this may legitimately be their first show within an hour of the Soo in over a year. It will be good to see their minimalist and hard edged cover attack back next week!

The Driftwood's own advertising even mentions Bronco The Mac, so they're likely expecting an attendance bump next Saturday. Like with Tarnished, Fyrbird's show next month is a 21+ event with a 9:00 PM start time and no cover charge. See above for more on what should be a busy weekend in St. Ignace for live rock and Ford Bronco fans alike!

Now to previews of two special Wednesday concerts TOMORROW NIGHT in Sault Ontario, starting with the final concert of Piecing It Together Shows' nine month residency at their pop-up venue at 331 Wellington Street West! While music at the Steelton locale in this spell has either been not SMS-amenable or open mic/jam nights right along, the former Dryer Fire will end things a little heavier when Victoria, B.C. noise rock project Pet Retina and drummer Max Patterson's solo outfit i.o will both return to the Soo for the season closing concert! Fans last saw both Pet Retina and i.o here at Shae Tull's album release party in May of last year, but this time, they are the advertised headliners, and their brand of abrasive yet creative noise punk should turn heads again tomorrow! Local support includes comedy rock quartet The Floor Between Us (who I hope to talk about more soon) and online page-less experimental rock group A.D.H.D.

This all ages concert goes down tomorrow at 8:00 PM (it is projected to end at 11:00 PM for folks who work or have school in the morning), and $15 advance tickets remain available at this link. The door charge will jump to $20, but "no one (will be) turned away for lack of funds". This looks like a fun way to cap off a successful nine month stay on Wellington Street for Nicole and crew, so hopefully there's a solid turnout to welcome Pet Retina back to town tomorrow evening! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Pet Retina live!

Finally for today, if you want some mid-week hard rock concert action, you can also get it at Beck's Bar TOMORROW NIGHT via the return of fast rising local hard rock quartet 5 Dollar Bribe! Why this is on a Wednesday, I truly don't know (the venue says they booked them mid-week "just because", but perhaps Beck's weekend slots are booked solid?). Regardless, this talented young group made their public debut at the Goulais Avenue nightclub to a strong reception in April, and kudos to Beck's on bringing them back for an encore! If you missed their ample videos from their debut, you can expect lots of heavy covers along with some rock classics and a bunch of really surprising pulls and deep cuts (especially for their ages), so keep things in mind if you're up for it! This will be a later night (9:00 PM-1:00 AM) with a 19+ age limit for attendees, and no announced cover charge. For a preview, we have a new video of 5.D.B. live!

While videos from their debut were plentiful, only one video from their second show (at Jay's Piston Broke Pub two weeks ago) was shared to their Facebook page, this time shot by bassist Randy Lundigran's dad Chad for his personal Facebook page. Continuing their impressive run of covers of bands that you do not see tackled locally, this sees 5 Dollar Bribe covering Husker Du's "Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely" with Randy on lead vocals.  Well framed from a close and horizontal vantage point, Randy captured a strong rendition of this post-hardcore staple, and when else are you going to see Bob Mould covered here? Check it out for yourselves below, and look for much more tomorrow night from 5 Dollar Bribe at Beck's!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Switchfoot & Sandman), The Dopethrone Concert Preview, And More!!

Before we begin today's post, I wanted to apologize for a missed concert in this weekend's previews, as Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Tarnished returned to The Driftwood Sports Bar in St. Ignace last night. While the venue (which doesn't regularly host live bands) had been promoting the show for over two weeks, Tarnished only announced the show on under three hours notice on their Facebook page, blaming this on frontman Alex Traynor forgetting "to hit 'Post'". Tarnished haven't announced a booking on more than three days notice since (ironically) their Halloween show at The Driftwood last year, so I can't be too shocked, but I do apologize, and hopefully the concert was a hit for the band & attendees alike!

Now, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS and an SMS-adjacent event's return, and we'll start with Toronto-based Metallica tribute band Sandman will return to Sault Ontario when they become headline at The Full Throttle Saloon on Saturday, July 25th! Making their (at least) fifth local appearance, local fans last saw Sandman when they played at the former Soo Blaster in July & October 2022. Notable as the only tribute band that Metallica has officially licensed (details here), you may also recognize members Rick Van Dyk, Paul Fonseca, and Brent Niemi from being mid-late 2000s members of Helix. I have seen Sandman twice, including at my first ever 19+ concert in June 2008, and they deliver the goods for fans of 1980s and early 1990s Metallica, so hopefully things go well when they invade Steelton in two months! No word yet on a local opener, but note that Headrush (who opened for Crazy Babies here) feature guitarist Wes Greco, who opened the October 2022 Sandman show with The Soo Fighters.

This 19+ concert has a 10:00 PM start time, and ticket prices will cost $50 at the venue. If you're curious, their Soo Blaster gigs in 2022 had advance tickets that cost just $20. This is still cheaper than the $70 Crazy Babies show, but all of The Full Throttle Saloon touring tribute concerts have had tickets that are considerably higher than comparable local shows elsewhere, so be mindful of everything prior. No word on if the former Primavera Hall will permit admission at the door (they did not for Crazy Babies). Hopefully this is another hit as they continue bringing in tribute rock bands, so see above for more details on the Saloon's third touring tribute concert!

Next up, here's the big new concert announcement from two weeks ago at The Dreammakers Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, as San Diego alternative/hard rock quartet Switchfoot will make their local debut on Friday, October 9th! Best known for their early 2000s top 20 crossover hits "Mean To Live" and "Dare You To Move" (and decades of success on the Christian charts), Switchfoot have drifted away from their earlier hard rock material somewhat in recent years, but they should have lots of early hits in store along with cuts from their new album "Forever Now", and it will be interesting to see how they go over in four months' time! Florida alt-rock/emo band Anberlin will open on October 9th in their own local debut, and they're best known for their songs "Feel Good Drag" and "Impossible". Like Switchfoot, they are a Christian band but also strive for mainstream appeal, and their sound has crossed many subgenres!

Presented by Rock 101 (though The Promise or KFM easily could do so too), tickets run from $71-$91 USD depending on location in the theatre, while VIP admission for $191 will guarantee you a center section seat in the first six rows, among other perks. You can buy tickets for this all ages and 8:00 PM concert at this link, at the in-person box office, and at 1-800-KEWADIN. This should be an interesting night for fans of 2000s rock, and something a little different from what typically comes to Kewadin Casino, so visit the above links for more details on this fall concert!

Now to a special Monday night concert preview in Sault Ontario, as Montreal "slutch metal" veterans Dopethrone will rock the Soo for the first time in seven years TOMORROW NIGHT at Jay's Piston Broke Pub! Last seen at the former New A in May 2019, fans can expect another blast of sludgy doom metal from this well travelled and punishing trio, so don't miss out if you can swing the work/school night action! Joining them on tour are Vancouver goth metal band Tribunal, a mixed-gender group whose brand of orchestral and atmospheric doom will definitely deliver something a little different for fans in attendance tomorrow! Local support includes a one-off 15 minute set from 2010s grindcore staples Shit Liver (who opened for Dopethrone in 2019 in the final concert of their original run). It will be great to see Josh, Mike, and Matt back for one more blistering good time, if not a long time!

The relaunched Bear Hunters (now known as Eden Plague) will kick things off in their first show since a private Leeburn event in 2023, and their first public gig in city limits since 2021. Same lineup, but new songs and a fresh start, so it will be very interesting to see how Eden Plague go over tomorrow after eight years of sporadic activity, hiatuses, and breakup teasers! Promoted by Shit Liver/Golden Scoundrels frontman Josh Penno, this 19+ concert has a 7:30 PM start time, and tickets cost $20 at Jay's and The Rad Zone, with door admission costing $25. This should be a brutal night of metal, and a nice throwback to the 2010s from the openers, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Dopethrone live!

Finally, do you remember when The Distraction on East Street hosted occasional "punk rock sewing club" nights in 2024 & 2025? Well, they are back at a new venue! As you may recall, The Distraction closed indefinitely (permanently?) due to the fire code issues reported during last July's Ripcordz concert, but promoter Mikhal Muto (of Underground Events SSM) has struck a deal with The Speak Easy at Algoma University to bring the conceit back for three Thursdays this summer (June 25th, July 23rd, and August 20th). The idea is to sew and craft your own projects (theoretically patches on clothing given the "punk sewing" theme. but there's no limits), and while you're encouraged to bring crafting materials, tables, scrap fabric, and (of course) punk background music will be provided. The idea exists where musicians could play here too, presumably acoustic ones, which did happen at least once at The Distraction.

This is more "SMS-adjacent" given that it's a craft night and not a concert, but the punk themes are all over the place here (think of all of the patches you see on people's clothing at concerts!), and Mikhal has been a supporter of this idea right along. Promotion emphasizes that this is a safe space too, so if you want to hang out in an inclusive area and sew patches and anything else while listening to punk rock, circle these three Thursdays on your calendar, and who knows if this could lead to more? That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the SMS this week! Thanks everyone!

B.A. Johnston & Silent 9 Concert Previews, Plus Early Details On WestFest II!!

Let's wrap up this weekend's known and public hard rock concert previews with what's going down at a popular west end venue, as well as early details on a returning summer concert festival still looking for bands!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 will cap off their spring calendar with shows at The Esquire Club TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! As usual, the band will not play any public nightclub gigs over the summer, instead focusing on special events, festivals, and private bookings, so if you want to rock out with Jess, Ryan, Paul, and Steve again before their focus shifts for the season, head to the west end this weekend! While there was some confusion as to if Silent 9 would even be playing at The Esquire Club tomorrow given the B.A. Johnston booking (more on that in a second), it has been confirmed in recent promotion that Silent 9 are still playing tomorrow, just with a later start time. Tonight's show starts at 9:00 PM as normal, tomorrow's will kick off at 10:00 PM, and regardless, both gigs are 19+ with no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details on Silent 9's classic and hard rock cover action this weekend, and here they are live!

Next up, Hamilton outsider folk/acoustic punk troubador B.A. Johnston will make his own return to the Soo TOMORROW NIGHT at the aforementioned Esquire Club! A well travelled, eclectic, and proudly Canadian musician, B.A. is known for frequently playing here, always at different venues than the last (including at Venue on Queen Street East last year), so him finally landing on The Esquire Club isn't that surprising, even though that venue isn't historically known for booking touring artists. This time though, B.A. seems like the supplement rather than the headliner, as he is playing a one hour set at 9:00 PM before Silent 9 take the stage, and the venue is treating these as separate concerts back to back. Hopefully B.A. crams his hour full of his freewheeling unplugged punk classics, and do give his videos a watch for a better glimpse of what he brings to the table! Maybe he'll even play on top of a car again?

As with Silent 9 (the de facto headliners, you could say), this is a 19+ concert with no announced cover. See above for more details, but rest assured, you'll wanna be there to see what he sings about and who he plays off of in the audience! For a preview, here's B.A. Johnston live!

Also today, you may have heard that WestFest is coming back this summer, so what should you know there? The West Village Revitalization Project launched this event in July of last year at Anna Marinelli Park at 169 James Street as part of their efforts to renew and better the west end of downtown Sault Ste. Marie (Jamestown & Steelton), and last year's WestFest featured family entertainment, vendors, a beer garden, and yes, live music from local artists. WestFest II returns a little later in the year for 2026 (on Saturday, August 8th), and while a lineup announcement is not out yet, organizers are planning to host a talent show to find at least one additional act! On May 14th, the West Village Renewed Facebook page announced that they were looking for "up-and-coming, undiscovered" local musicians to apply for a chance to compete for an opening slot at Beck's Bar on Saturday, June 6th.

I do apologize for the week+ delay on our end, but there is still time, so if your band is interested in a slot at this returning outdoor summer concert festival, contact organizers at the above links for more details by Wednesday! This definitely smells more like a battle of the bands than a "talent show", but perhaps the verbiage is intentional to leave things open to solo artists without compromising (note that Matthew James was the only solo artist on last year's bill). An online application form for the competition is now online, confirming that organizers want artists "ready to bring energy, originality, and a strong live performance", and "selected finalists" will be picked to compete on the 6th in front of a judges panel and "a community audience" (no word on if a fan vote will play into the selections). Only one winner is mentioned there, and while they will be featured in WestFest promotions, I don't know if any other prizes will be awarded.

Just as a point of reference, last year's WestFest had seven acts (including headliners Handsome Sandwich in their final Sault Ste. Marie concert), and all but one were recent performers on Rotaryfest Stage 2, though I hope that doesn't pigeonhole the artist registrations. No word on if they're waiting for the battle to announce the remaining lineup or not, but it will be interesting to see who all is heading west (well, west in the downtown) for year #2! Visit the above links for more details on WestFest 2026 and the talent show applications, and that's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes this weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Nameless, Soundcheck, T.N.T., And Tym Morrison!!)

Tonight's weekend concert preview post is devoted almost entirely to SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the next few nights, but someone with a late notice gig does have shows ahead to touch on as well! Due the the glut of recent announcements, I'll be previewing this weekend's Silent 9 and B.A. Johnston shows in tomorrow's post, while Monday's Dopethrone concert will likely be in a separate post on the weekend proper. Now, here's what you should know for this weekend, along with a missed concert apology!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Beck's Bar for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was first announced via the venue's Facebook page on Monday, and the band hasn't corroborated this booking publically at press time (nor have they updated their Facebook page at all in three weeks). Fresh off of a well received weekend at Reggie's Place (you may have caught their "Sweet Emotion" cover there as a Facebook "Story"), this will be Soundcheck's first stop at the Goulais Avenue nightclub in over a month, and it should prove to deliver classic and hard rock favourites to, if you believe Beck's own promotion, "keep the party rocking all night long"! As usual for when they host bands on Fridays, TOMORROW'S show is a one-nighter, with pop rock cover veterans Bourbon Blue playing there on Saturday night (more on the Sunday matinee timeslot there in a bit though).

This Separate Wayz-free concert goes down TOMORROW NIGHT at Beck's Bar with a 19+ age limit and no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more on Terry, Travis, Jim, and Johnny's late notice return west, and for a preview, here they are live a few years back!

Next up, we'll head to The Dive Gastro Pub (The Dive On Queen?), where veteran local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will set up shop for matinee concerts THIS SATURDAY, and then on Friday, June 5th and (Think It Over) Thursday, July 9th! Again, apologies for the short notice on SATURDAY'S concert, it was quietly announced along with the other two via a batch Facebook event page on Tym's Facebook group last week. With Tym's pinky finger healed up and the summer concert season fast approaching, it makes sense for him to spread his wings a bit more, with these monthly shows bringing his unplugged but well produced solo shows to a welcoming downtown audience! Interestingly, these are all on different days of the week, as The Dive is expanding live music nights beyond Thursdays for the summer, and their patio opens for the season tomorrow, heavily implying that Tym's short notice gig will be their first "Patio Play" concert of 2026 (a DJ is spinning tunes tomorrow).

In the event SATURDAY's show is outdoors, 9&10 News is calling for cloudy conditions with temperatures of around 15°, and rain is unlikely. Whether all, some, one, or none of these three shows are in "The Naughty Corner", expect 3:00-7:00 PM runtimes, 19+ age limits, and no cover charges, while Maddy's Mighty Mutts will be on site, and you can meet the dogs! See above for more details, and for a preview of SATURDAY's concert, here's Tym live!

In a brief detour to Sault Michigan, local hard rock cover quartet The Nameless will return from a 3+ month break when they rock The Merchants Bar for one night only on SATURDAY! Apologies again for the short notice, the band only announced this show on their Facebook page yesterday. Of course, this being the Memorial Day long weekend south of the border, the holiday timing makes all the sense in the world for Josh, the Mikes, and Jamie to come "out of hiding", and while I don't know why they took most of the spring off, it is good to have them back! Yooper fans last saw The Nameless when they rocked The Merch over the I-500 weekend, and while them calling the venue "everyone's favourite place" seems presumptive, it has been good to them despite the bar's continued lack of promoting concerts on social media! No word on if The Nameless have any new covers for their return.

As usual for concerts at The Merch, this is a 9:00 PM affair on SATURDAY with no cover charge and a 21+ age limit. If you want some heavier live music for the long weekend in Sault Michigan, this might just do the trick, so see above for more details, and here's The Nameless live!

Finally for this preview post, we'll head back to Beck's Bar, where Soundcheck singer/guitarists Terry Eaton & Travis Sharpe will set up shop again as their SUNDAY matinee performers, after previously debuting their acoustic side project T.N.T. at the aforementioned Dive Gastro Pub tonight. Once again, apologies for the short notice, profusely so for missing tonight's concert on here, The Dive only announced tonight's gig this afternoon on their Facebook page, and I didn't even notice it until writing up the Tym Morrison shows above. Meanwhile, SUNDAY's Beck's gig was announced on Monday with the rest of their weekly slate, but regardless, Terry & Trav(is) don't have a social media or band page to promote their own unplugged concerts with, to my knowledge. Despite the very slim notice, I hope tonight's show was a hit, and that the AI poster wasn't wrong about the promised "live acoustic hits" and "rockin' good times"!

If you missed tonight's show like I did, you can see them back at Beck's on SUNDAY to cap off Travis & Terry's three show weekend, albeit without a Friday nighter regardless of band. Their Dive debut tonight was at 9:30 PM in "The Naughty Corner", but the Beck's show is a 3:00 PM matinee, and expect no cover and a 19+ age limit. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's our first public video of TNT live, courtesy of The Dive's Facebook page from tonight's show! The 39 seconds-long clip sees them covering The Stone Temple Pilots' "Plush" with Travis on vocals, and while the song is overplayed on the radio, it is a good showcase for his voice, so give it a look below!

 

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Silent 9 and B.A. Johnston previews (and more) next! Thanks everyone!