LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Garden of Bedlam & The Cancer Bats), Duane Roy's Next Book, And More!

Well everyone, I wasn't anticipating that I'd have another post so quickly, but the news just seemed to pile on after I posted yesterday, so here we go with plenty more updates! And there's two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to kick things off!

Our first one is a Sault Metal Scene EXCLUSIVE (fancy, huh?) We're bringing this to you guys first, so here's what you need to know! Despite speculation that their Boxing Day show at Foggy Notions was their last before hitting the studio, Garden of Bedlam are back at Foggy's on February 27th! Frontman Buzz gave me the details in a Facebook chat today, so if you don't believe the story, ask him! And they won't be alone either, for Garden of Bedlam are bringing an inactive metal band back as openers, who are no strangers to the Sault area! London's own Papa Fogals Chair (featuring Garden of Bedlam drummer Derek Turner) will be the openers! Though not locally based, they've played here more than once, including notable shows like in August 2006 with Gates of Winter, and Garden of Bedlam's first ever concert from February 2008! And if you're not aware of the sound Papa Fogals Chair will bring, check out their MySpace page! Very heavy and very easy to headbang with, should go over well!

Doors are likely to open at 9:00 PM, with Papa Fogals Chair kicking things off at 11:00 PM! A cover charge is currently not known. Of course, when more details are announced, you'll find them here! Nice of Buzz to give me the first notice of it and break the news! And now you guys know too, hopefully we can all make it to Foggy's on February 27th for a night of heavy metal mayhem! If I'm in town (I may not be), I will be there myself! Stay tuned for more details!

The other new concert to alert you guys to isn't newly announced by any stretch, but the addition of a metal band qualifies it for SMS attention! A new band has been added to the Billy Talent concert at The Essar Center on March 22nd, and it's none other than Toronto metalcore band The Cancer Bats! (Source is from this post on SooToday's entertainment page.) Signed to Metal Blade Records, The Cancer Bats have acquired a loyal following in recent years, and even graced the cover of Kerrang! Magazine in 2008! This will not be their first time in Sault Ontario either, having came to The Speakeasy way back in June 2006! They will join the previously announced Billy Talent, Alexisonfire, and Against Me! on the lineup for this concert. Now, aside from The Cancer Bats, it's not a metal show (more of a punk/screamo mix), but I know a number of you are punk/screamo fans, so you should have a good time if you're planning on going!

If you're interested in attending, tickets are $42.50 for general admission and $72.50 for reserved stands. Head to The Essar Center box office, call 1-866-775-9422, or order online at LiveNation or The Essar Center's website to get your tickets! The Cancer Bats open the concert at 6:45 PM on March 22nd, doors open at 5:45 PM that day!

Next up, some more stuff relating to the book "Castle Stories: A Rock N' Roll Scrapbook" that I've been mentioning on here lately! It's now on sale at Hole In The Wall Books at The Wellington Square Mall, which is the bookstore connected to The Rad Zone! The local connections don't stop there, as I've been reading the book, and though I'm not finished yet, there is references to the Sault dotted throughout! Three "Castle stories" featured come from Saultites, including a story about John Mellencamp's show at Castle Farms in Charlevoix from Suzanne Fillion, photos taken by Susan Just Jakomit from shows featuring Foreigner and The Cars, and even some from Rock 101 DJ Scott Cook, who looks back on seeing Whitesnake, AC/DC, and Def Leppard there! I love the book, and when I'm completely finished reading, I'll likely post a review of it!

A bit of foreshadowing in it too, as author Duane Roy recalls the New Years Day show at Sault Memorial Gardens from 1990 featuring Alice Cooper and Great White. Remember when I mentioned that he was contemplating writing a book about the concerts and stories of them from the Gardens? Well, he's officially launching the process into making that book a reality! Just like with "Castle Stories", he's looking for any concert stories, memories, photos, ticket stubs, memorabilia, news articles, and anything else of note from concerts of any type at Sault Memorial Gardens. I never hit any major ones there (too young), but some big name metal and hard rock bands played there, like the afromentioned Alice Cooper & Great White, as well as acts like Ted Nugent, Helix, and Rush (who rocked the Gardens 35 years ago), among likely many others! If YOU have a story, photos, or any memorabilia that you'd like to submit to Duane for inclusion in his next book, message him on Facebook, or e-mail him at duane@duaneroy.com or duanemroy@yahoo.ca! Help Duane out, this will be a fun read too!

And finally for tonight, a quick update on Tesla's show at Kewadin Casino on June 26th: Tickets will be $38.50 for the concert, but still don't go on sale for another week. Thanks to SooToday for mentioning that in a post they made about the current Kewadin concert schedule today, link here! More on the Tesla show to come!

That's all for tonight, your next post will (unless something major happens in between) feature my review of tonight's Ultraviolence/Sense of Truth concert! Also be on the lookout soon for my first entry in my profiles of out of town bands with local members (I'm thinking about Phatstick and Will of the Ancients to start, though that's subject to change), and a new poll will be posted on Monday that will also talk about the best of "something" in 2009. Stay tuned for more!