And now, we finally get to more of the assorted news I've missed over the past couple of days! And there's more after this too, I'm still behind! Today, we have a pile of stuff from across the river, as Sault Michigan is the total focus of today's post! This includes new Facebook pages for a local music store AND a local venue, all relating to Sault Michigan, and a newly discovered local band! But kicking things off is both LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS and an apology.
Sault Michigan hard rockers Monkey's Uncle will be playing at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino on April 30th and May 1st! They were also there over the April 9th weekend, and possibly other times before then, but I never knew about the shows. Why? Because the band doesn't update their concert listings on their MySpace page, they haven't since they were still known as Jager. It took a Facebook mention and a check to Kewadin Casino's website to even find that out. Now I could easily blame the band for not keeping us updated, but I'll take the fall for this one, because I admittedly don't check Kewadin Casino's website as much as I should. In fact, there's some local bands advertised for playing at The Rapids Lounge that I can't find anything on in the first place, like Gary's Driving, Rainbow, and Crossroads. Anyone know anything on them either? Well, in any event, Monkey's Uncle will be there on Friday April 30th and Saturday May 1st, there's no cover charge, and it all begins at 9:00 PM! And I'm really sorry for missing out on Monkey's Uncle news, I will try really hard to keep up on shows of theirs on Kewadin's website! Though it would be nice if the band updated us on MySpace too. Even still, check out more from them and some original songs at this location!
Now when I was looking at Kewadin Casino's Entertainment page (note to self: LOOK AT IT MORE OFTEN!), I noticed a band scheduled to play two weekend dates there soon. The name was given as "Blind Baby". It took a bit of searching, but I can confirm that they are a hard rock band from Sault Michigan, so there's some exciting news! I can confirm three members of the band: Singer Tadd "Booze" Gravelle, guitarist Darian Causley, and drummer Ivan Schliska (you may recognize him from Scofflaw), with "Bill" on guitar and "Crib Bisque" on bass as well! I am about 90% sure they're a hard rock band, but I can't find video or audio of them online. However, they do have a Facebook fan page, so click here to become a fan! That being said, Kewadin Casino lists Blind Baby as playing at The Rapids Lounge THIS WEEKEND and then on May 7th and 8th! Same deal as the Monkey's Uncle shows, no cover, it all starts at 9:00 PM. They look promising enough, especially with Darian possessing a Zakk Wylde Gibson Les Paul, but like with some local bands, I can't judge until I hear them or know more. I'll keep you posted if I do, and Blind Baby are now in the local metal band links on your right!
Oh yeah, there's more! Nixxon Dixxon have scheduled an additional TEN shows this year, all at The Bird! Nice to see them back there! If you're looking for some exciting local metal and hard rock from one of the best young bands around, head to The Bird on the following weekends: May 14-15, June 25-26, July 2-3, August 6-7, and August 20-21! Awesome to see so much on the horizon, hopefully each and every show is a success! There's no announced cover charge for any of these shows, it is 21+ (bar, remember?), and each one has a listed start time of 10:00 PM. For more information, visit their official MySpace page! That June 25th weekend might be something I can hit, cause I'll be 21 then, but that'd depend on me figuring out ways to get there and back. The joys of being Canadian! I'll keep you posted, and remember, they'll be at Kewadin Casino at points this summer too!
Keeping with the Sault Michigan theme for this update, local music store Grooves Music have launched an official Facebook page! Lots of interesting stuff to say there, and let's go over some of it! First, some of the music instructors there just happen to be from local metal bands, including Nixxon Dixxon's own Kyle Beaumont & Jake LaLonde, and Slackjawed Rats frontman/solo guitarist Mike Libertoski! Also, prominent local drummer Glen Thomas used to teach there too! (The proof's in the ad.) They also uploaded some TV commercials for Grooves Music that have aired on local television, which is really cool! This is also where I found out about the new Monkey's Uncle activity that I hadn't previously discovered, so kudos to Gary Hatch at Grooves Music for alerting me! Also, there's plenty of news relating to music lesson programs, if you're interested in that. Nice to see Grooves Music extending their reach to Facebook, I'll have to stop by there one of these days and see what local albums they have in stock (Hopefully "Bad Side II" for an SMS review!)
And finally for this Sault Michigan-infused SMS post, a local concert venue has also made it's way to Facebook! Dondee Lanes have a Facebook page now too! The bowling alley/concert spot has played host to bands like Nixxon Dixxon, Riot! By Night, and Monkey's Uncle in the past, and apparently stay very active with updates on scheduled bands and drink/meal specials there, though I curiously see little mention of bowling. Oh well, at least this gets regular updates, unlike their website. The most recent update mentions that Nixxon Dixxon are scheduled to play there this weekend, despite no mention of it on their MySpace. HOWEVER, I have recieved confirmation from band contacts that they WILL be playing at The Dondee this weekend, so consider that an extra LOCAL CONCERT ALERT! Two shows Friday and Saturday, both starting at 8:000 PM, no cover! Thanks to Ernest Beaumont for the info! Also, The Dondee's Facebook page has tons of photos, though mostly of people and partying, with the only band featured during a performance in any photo being A Touch of Class, who are good, but not metal. Become a fan of The Dondee by clicking here!
Believe me when I say this: There's much much more coming. I'm at best half done my cache of news from today's post, so expect something tomorrow afternoon with more, including the stuff I alluded to in my post yesterday. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect so much from Sault Michigan, I couldn't fit it all in without some stories getting lost! Stay tuned for more!
(P.S. Remember, when it comes to Sault Michigan bands, concerts, and events, I admittedly aren't as knowledged as I am for the Canadian side of things. I do miss the occasional show or fail to mention things on time in a few notable cases, be it for the band/venue's lack of advertising, my own personal neglect, or both. I have gotten better at staying in tune with the Michigan side of the metal scene, but I do make mistakes. I welcome any help, news alerts, suggestions, ideas, or reminders that you may have! PLEASE let me know if you have something relating to Sault Michigan that I should know, post, or correct! I want the SMS to be as useful, correct, and concise as possible, and sometimes, my own research doesn't totally cut it. Thanks everyone!)
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