LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Darwin Project), Upcoming Concert Updates, And More!!

Anyone out there want some local metal news and updates? I've got you covered! Today, we mostly clear out my old backlogged news stories, along with sharing some big news from a pair of bigger upcoming concerts, and more! But first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!!

For the first time since the summer, Cheboygan hard rockers The Darwin Project are coming to Sault Michigan for three area concerts later this month! Firstly they'll be at Joe's Bar in nearby Rudyard for a pair of weekend dates on November 19th and 20th, followed by a show at The Savoy Bar in Sault Michigan on Wednesday, November 24th! Rudyard is in our "local" range, so if you wanna make the drive out there to see The Darwin Project, then make note of that! I'm trying to get better in tune with shows at bars in our range but not in town, hopefully I'll have more soon! And the Sault show is slightly different in location and in time, being in the middle of the week, but there's no wrong day to rock! No cover charge is listed for any of the above, but there's a listed start time of 10:00 PM on the band's MySpace page. Expect a 21+ age limit at all three shows. Expect solid nights of accessible but heavy hard rock from these guys, who seem to have developed a good following in the area! Check out the above links for more details, and to check out some samples of their originals!

Now, to some big updates on a pair of upcoming shows featuring metal bands, and we'll first discuss this month's anticipated Total Chaos punk show at The Oddfellows Hall featuring local metal acts as openers! The first headline is that this show has been bumped up from November 25th to November 21st. No reason for the date adjustment was publicized, but according to Total Chaos' MySpace page, they're actually playing a show in Ottawa on November 25th, so it looks like a simple tour itinerary adjustment to me. Secondly, the poster for the show is now out, and you can see it on your left! Looks good, nice punk feel! Promoter Aisha Day is also looking for people interested in putting up posters for this show or handing them out, so if you would like to help get the word out, message Aisha at this location! The poster also confirms there that the show will have an $8 cover charge, with doors opening at 6:00 PM on the 21st. Sounds about right, hopefully there's a good turnout!

My last point is that local death metal band Bring The Fallen are back on the bill, as per the poster and the Facebook statuses of various band members. But wait, didn't they drop off of this show following the departure of lead guitarist Andrew Chiarello? Well, there hasn't been any official updates on their pages since he left, but bassist Nolan Rainville's Facebook page does feature a wall conversation from Monday with some band members where Andrew does refer to taking part in an upcoming BTF jam session. So what's the situation here? Is Andrew back already? Is he playing the Total Chaos show only and leaving again? Or is there something else we don't know? I'll keep you guys posted if I hear more! Check out the above links for all of the current updates on this concert!

While we're on the subject of concert updates, here's some news concerning Grady's long awaited return to Sault Ontario on November 16th at The Grand Theater! Firstly, an opening band has been announced for this show, and they are The Motorleague, a punk rock band from Moncton, New Brunswick! I wouldn't call them metal, but they have a nice energy level and some entertaining hard hitting tracks to boot, so definitely give them a spin! Also, SooToday have jumped on the promotional bandwagon for this show by posting their own event page for it! It seems like their event pages for upcoming shows are fewer and farther between lately, so it's nice to see this one get some exposure! This was actually my source for The Motorleague's involvement, and their MySpace page backed that up, in case someone doubts that. Seriously consider hitting this show, guys, cause the promoters have had some setbacks when it comes to getting the word out on this concert, and there's some great quality music in store! Grady will bring a ton of great stuff to the table thanks to their "country metal" stylings that definitely have a unique coolness to them! Remember, this show starts at 8:30 PM on the 16th at The Grand Theater, tickets are $15 at LopLops Lounge or at this location, and I assume it's 19+. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

And finally for today, remember last week when I talked about the Sault Star article on CD Plus' closure that never came? Well, an article on the closure is finally online... just not from them. As it turns out, Glen Thomas of The Barking Eye posted his own retrospective article where he discussed what CD Plus meant to him and to music lovers in the community. He included some remarks about what we'll have to resort to now for music, and some notes on another fondly remembered music store, Mr. Disc. Things definitely are changing locally for music stores, as now we've lost CD Plus, Mr. Disc, and Music World, along with New Moon Records in Sault Michigan, and I could be missing others too. I did notice that Glen didn't refer to HMV or The Rad Zone in his piece, which some could see as alternatives on varying levels. But I have to say, I'm surprised he didn't mention that CD Plus was great for recognizing local musicians and selling their albums, instead mostly focusing on it as an outlet for underground and obscure titles. Still, it's a nice read, and hopefully a new similar music store, CD Plus or not, comes to town down the road! Read Glen's article, and more, at this location!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news this weekend, along with my review of Sunday's Crash Karma/Desperate Union show on Monday! Thanks everyone!