LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Quite Frankly), Weekend Concert Previews, And MORE Kiss Stuff?!

Alright, there's EVEN MORE Kiss stuff, but I gotta hold off on that for a bit before I overload myself with all this stuff, so let's start with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!!

I still need more details on this show, but I can confirm that locals Quite Frankly will be performing at Rocky DiPietro Field at The John Rhodes Center on September 19th! They'll be playing as part of the entertainment for the Canadian Major Football League championship game between our very own Sault Ste. Marie Steelers and either the Edmonton Stallions or the Calgary Wolfpack! I don't know full details about it, like admission, time, or when they specifically play, but I'll keep you guys posted! But if you're a football and local music fan, this could be something to keep an eye out for! Get more info on Quite Frankly at this location!

Next up, some Sault Michigan updates! Pickford Michigan hard rock band Graveyard Tan appear to have cancelled their upcoming dates at The Satisfied Frog. They were to have played there October 23-24 and December 11-12, but now these shows aren't listed on their official MySpace page anymore. That sucks, but hopefully they'll be back in the area soon! And I've also found an official page for The Corner Pub Bar and Grill, a concert venue which has hosted a few shows in the past year! Hopefully I'll be able to keep better tabs on The Corner Pub from here on out! You can visit by heading to the Sault Michigan Concert Venue Info section to your right, or check them out directly at this location!

Alright, NOW I'll talk about Kiss...again (oh yay, I love all this panic.) It's been a big story for a few days now, and things are taking some different turns. Now, Ward 2 Councillor Terry Sheehan sent both the resolution Council voted on to support the concert & a new letter of encouragement to Kiss to try and convince them to come in the second leg. Meanwhile, fellow councillor Susan Myers (remember her?) is STILL trying to make sure they DON'T come here. She e-mailed her supporters to try and have them, and I quote, "keep praying that the Sault is not on the KISS tour."

Oshawa's also coming up in local discussions. After all, they did lead the voting, and they were snubbed from the first leg too. At first, it looked like they were passed over entirely cause they were close to a bigger city & arena, then it looked like they were shoved to next year like us, but either way, Oshawa were pissed. They seemed to believe that they should be on the first leg for winning, but Kiss management said their arena was too small to handle the production. But, it looks like the outcry worked. Oshawa will get a Kiss show this year, on October 7th to be exact. Here's all the SooToday articles on the situation so far so you can read up on everything.

KISS announces 2009 tour dates
Has the Sault been KISS'd off? Essar Centre responds
Oshawa livid that KISS isn't coming this fall
It's on! KISS Army vs. God! Saultmageddon!
KISS to play Oshawa on October 7

Alright, my opinions....again. I'm gonna start sounding like a broken record, but I've got to reply. First, I do appreciate Terry Sheehan's gesture to e-mail Kiss to make sure they come on the tour, but it just sounds like nagging to me. Gene Simmons said we're getting a show, the tour statement suggested there'd be more shows, and The Essar Center confirmed that we're in the second leg. If this does anything to make Kiss announce our date faster, great, but it just seems like too much. As for Susan Myers, no offense to her at all, but it's too late to stop them coming. It's clear her stance on this hasn't changed, but she's just one voice. One person can't stop a band like Kiss from playing a show, and they will be here. I don't complain about shows I don't like coming here, and this will make loads of money, even she should realize the financial benefit.

And then there's Oshawa. I kinda see why they were pissed, being that they "won" the voting, and it was implied before the announcement that the winning cities would be in the fall tour. But logistically, I see Kiss' side too. It does make sense to group all large cities and venues in one tour and save smaller cities and venues for a separate tour. Then they won't be bringing totally different stage and effects setups for different size shows. Kiss never said the highest vote getters WOULDN'T get a show, they just never suggested before that the tour would extend into next year with a second leg.

So yeah, it's great that they convinced Kiss to come in October. But in the newest SooToday article on the situation, Kiss' manager Doc McGhee said, "...there was no way we could follow our original plan and make you wait until a later tour leg." Proof right in the quote, KISS WERE ALWAYS PLANNING TO GO TO OSHAWA! But they set the tour up so big cities and arenas would be first, and smaller cities and arenas would be next. Kudos to them for bringing Kiss early, but it just seemed like unnecessary panic to me. Sure, as a person who voted numerous times to bring Kiss to the Soo, I would love to see them. But I'm thinking logically, and the original tour plan makes sense to me. As long as they come here and stay good on their word, I'm happy, it doesn't matter when. BE PATIENT, KISS ARE COMING!

That's all for today, and as annoyed as I can be with all this Kiss panic, I'll give it this: It's driving up hits on the SMS! We're averaging 98 hits a day since Kiss announced the first tour leg, and 70 brand new visitors during that span as well! Thanks everyone, your readership is much appreciated! Stay tuned, tomorrow I'll have my preview of Friday's Lion Ride concert, and all that is metal at Hempfest! See you guys later!