LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Banned) & This Weekend's Local Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

It's time to preview this weekend's metal & hard rock concerts in the Sault Ste. Marie area! There's actually no metal concerts going on in Sault Ontario this weekend, but this weekend is very festival heavy, with no less than four music-featured festivals in the region over the next few days (Hempfest, Cornfest, Buskerfest, and one we're addressing below), so that extra competition could explain the minimal Sault Ontario hard rock concerts this weekend. That said, Sault Michigan has some big shows, one of which is new, so let's start with that LOCAL CONCERT ALERT and the same band's other gig this weekend (and check out our Defunct Local Band Profile on Losing Ground in the post below this one!)

Kinross hard rock quartet Banned have a busy weekend over the next two days, as while they're returning to The Sugar Island Music Festival TONIGHT, they're also returning to The Runway Bar in Hessel TOMORROW NIGHT, and that show is newly announced! I apologize for the short notice on the new Hessel concert, I only heard about it a couple of days ago on their Facebook page, and it was too close to the weekend to redundantly plug twice. This marks the first time since our coverage expansion that we're covering a concert in Hessel, which is 53 minutes south of Sault Michigan and a half hour northeast of St. Ignace, and while it's not a common concert location (especially as their Kewadin Casino doesn't book a lot of bands), Banned has made The Runway Bar at 3026 St. Ignace Road a frequent venue in their recent Eastern U.P. road trips, so keep it in mind for their future concert stops! Note however that aside from Banned, I don't know if any other local hard rock bands play there much. There should be no cover charge, a 21+ age limit, and a 10:00 PM-ish start time for Banned's Hessel show tomorrow night. For more information, check the above links! Sounds like a fun time if you're up for the drive to Hessel, but Banned will be rocking the area before that, namely TONIGHT in the concert below!

Yes, Banned will return to The Sugar Island Music Festival in Sugar Island TONIGHT for their second appearance at the annual music/family festival there! About 40 minutes east of Sault Michigan, this popular outdoor festival has less heavier bands than in previous years (we had 3 in 2010 and 2 last year), but Banned will give a welcome shot of heavy originals & covers to this year's festivities, so keep their appearance in mind! With their set on Saturday in Hessel, Banned are only playing TONIGHT at the Sugar Island Festival at 8:00 PM, which is a 2 hour promotion from last year, and they'll be opening for 3-ZIP at 10:00 PM and The Foster's Sportsmen's Club Band at 9:00 PM, with Missy & Chelsea, Hillsdale indie band AllArms, and solo performer Frank Kieronski opening from 7:00-5:30 PM respectively. Note that most of these other bands skew in the acoustic/folk/country direction from what I know, but most of the performers this year don't have online pages as it is. For what it's worth, only Banned and Frank Kieronski aren't playing tomorrow or on Sunday, so for the rest of the familiar lineups this weekend, click here. Also, for all of the details on the family and non-musical activities, click here, as this is definitely open for all ages to have fun and enjoy the area music!

Like last year, admission will be $6 for a one day pass and $10 for the full weekend (there's no 2 day deal), but children under 10 can get in free. You can buy admission buttons on site, at Grooves Music in Sault Michigan, or at Ed's Bayview Store, The Hilltop Bar & Grill, or the Westshore Convenience Store in Sugar Island. Camping & other activities have their own costs, so click here for all admission details! This year's installment of the Sugar Island Music Festival sounds like it'll be fun and full of great family entertainment, and hopefully Banned rock Sugar Island (and The Runway Bar) well this weekend! For a preview of their hard hitting covers & originals this weekend, here's Banned covering AC/DC'S "TNT" at last year's Sugar Island Festival!



Also this weekend in already announced concerts is the return of Marquette hard rock quartet Nudge to Sault Michigan, as they will rock The Satisfied Frog once again TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Though they didn't come back to the Soo last month, their brand of hard rock and metal covers continue to draw some solid local attention, and as frontman Danzo McCracken's solo shows there on Wednesday and yesterday indicated, their talent won't come amiss this weekend! Also, these will be the first Nudge concerts in Sault Michigan with new drummer Scott Kusmirek, who replaced Jed Thibeault in the band last month, making him their fourth drummer in the past 8 months. Their drummer situation has been extremely unstable this year, but hopefully Scott can last for the long run, and I've heard good things about him! Nudge's shows this weekend will take place at 10:00 PM tonight & tomorrow night, you must be 21 to attend, and there's no announced cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Nudge's new lineup are primed for a great weekend of music at The Frog over the next two days, so don't miss the action tonight or tomorrow, and for a preview, here's Nudge covering Alice In Chains' "Check My Brain" in a newly found video from a Skanee concert last year!



Finally for the weekend concert lineup, here's a rarity, a Powerslug concert weekend with advance announcements! Lately, the internet page-less Sault Michigan hard rock trio have tended to only plug their recent concert weekends online a couple of days (or less) before they took place, but this time around, they're hitting The Northern Pines Lounge at the Kewadin Casino in St. Ignace for two shows TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT, both of which have been advertised for a few months in advance on Kewadin Casino's entertainment page, so we have had plenty of notice! As such, these are the first concerts we've ever formally previewed in St. Ignace following our coverage expansion, and The Northern Pines Lounge has proven to be a favourite stop in the Eastern U.P. for many area bands (Powerslug included), so if you're up for the 54 minute drive south of the Soo, definitely head down there this weekend! Powerslug are talented and entertaining, if lacking in the posted media department, and you know Chris, Bob, and Chris will have some great covers in store for their fans in St. Ignace all weekend long! Admission should be free, you must be 21 to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time is likely for tonight & tomorrow night's shows. For more details, check the above links!

Powerslug should deliver some great hard rock this weekend in St. Ignace, so don't miss them if you can help it, and for a preview, here's a rare video of Powerslug in Ludington earlier this summer that you can watch at this location! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and stuff hopefully this weekend! Thanks everyone!