LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Lucky 13), Tesla Concert Videos, And More!!

Keeping the news coming as the month winds down, today's post features some assorted recent news items and the first videos from the most recent major Kewadin Casino metal show, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month on the Canadian side of the border!

Sault Ontario alternative/hard rock quartet Lucky 13 will return to the stage for a one-night-only gig at The Rockstar Bar on August 9th (one week from Friday!) Believe it or not, this will be their first announced show in over three months, which is quite a while compared to similar recent bands, but at least this show has more prominent advance word than their May concert at The Nic! Featuring Route 69 bandmates Ed Vowels (ex-Aftersight) and Jeremey Salatuk (ex-Wishbone) alongside former Turner Up bassist Jeff Gray and Gully Yodelers drummer Roger Sartini, their 1990s-leaning alternative rock covers have served them well since their live debut last fall, and hopefully fans and The Rockstar Bar faithful will welcome them back and rock out next Friday! This show should be a 19+ affair with a 10:00 PM start time, and bring at least $5 for a cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see Lucky 13 back on stage, so stay tuned for more if it comes in, and our preview of this show next week!

Next up, we finally have some videos from Saturday night's fouth Tesla concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino to share on here! From what I have heard, the show went well, but if you weren't there, now you can be the judge! We'll start with these videos from YouTube user Chuck G. (a.k.a. Goblue610) in his first local concert videos on his channel, as he filmed three of Tesla's softer tracks at the show, including "Love Song", their cover of The Five Man Electrical Band's "Signs", and (as embedded below) "What You Give"! Uploaded to Chuck's YouTube channel yesterday, all are in widescreen definitions from a fairly centered camera angle, and while they definitely sound older and a bit slower from their peak, they can still pull off these old classics, and Jeff Keith still has a solid voice! Good crowd turnout too, but see what you think at the above links, and here's Tesla playing "What You Give" in the Soo on Saturday night!



The other Tesla concert videos that I've found are courtesy of Wawa author (and local rock concert regular) Duane Roy, in what are actually his first local concert videos in 9 months, and first from a local metal show since 2011! Uploaded to his YouTube channel on Sunday, his videos are of Tesla playing "Love Song" (albeit abbreviated) and, as embedded below, "Paradise", so how did these turn out? The quality isn't as consistent (especially the distorted audio on louder stretches), but he appears to be in the front row, and he has a good angle of the band, so it works on that level! It is a shame that the "Love Song" video isn't full though, and that videos of Tesla's heavier songs haven't turned up yet. Check out Tesla's local rendition of "Paradise" below!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news stories from the last little while, and usual, these are in alphabetical order by band or artist name:

• Veteran local drummer Glen Thomas announced on his Freq's Music Planet message board two weeks ago that his progressive rock band Flat Stanley are recording a cover of Don Felder's "Heavy Metal (Takin' A Ride)" from the soundtrack of the movie "Heavy Metal", just for fun and as a free download. Nice to see more local bands joining Haggith in honouring that movie, and we'll let you know when the final version pops up!
• Local stoner/death metal band Giwakwa have NOT broken up following their last set with Josh Stephney & Nolan Rainville on Friday! In a comment reply on their Facebook page the day before, a member (likely guitarist Chris Page) said that they'd be taking some time to write and record some more songs, and they'd be "ripping up the scene again before you know it", though any potential singer/bassist searches weren't announced. Fingers crossed this turns out to be true, as with Josh & Nolan out, they have big shoes to fill!
• Chronic Demonic singer Ririe Lavoie (a.k.a. Sabrina Strange) is looking to launch a side project band to cover and play songs similar to bands like Nightwish, Tool, and Otep live. She'd love to get some female members enlisted if possible, but there's no absolute gender restrictions. If you're interested in signing on, message her on Facebook at this location or via her Musicians Wanted Facebook group post on Sunday!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes in the coming days, plus weekend concert previews Thursday morning! Thanks everyone!