LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Darwin Project, One Bad Son, The Thrill Junkies, And Banned), And More!!

(Updated at 12:57 PM) The news keeps on coming, so what's in store for today? Mostly LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the fall, including a live debut, an out of town package, and a pair of Sault Michigan-area shows, but we have some assorted other notes too, so read on below for what you should know, starting with the new shows in rough chronological order!

I apologize for the late notice on this, but Cheboygan hard rock notables The Darwin Project will return to The Corner Pub Bar & Grill in Sault Michigan TONIGHT! This show (which isn't on their Reverbnation page's schedule) was only just announced on their Facebook page this morning. Unless I missed any in the interim, this will be their first local stop in over a year, last playing a parking lot party at The Corner Pub in August 2012. At least this time, I heard about the show before it happened, so we can get a late push for it! With a growing profile, their "Beautiful" EP, and numerous Michigan and midwestern US dates under their belts in recent months, it'll be great to have The Darwin Project back in the Soo TONIGHT, so keep it in mind if you're across the river! A 9:30 PM start time is in effect, there's no cover charge announced, and you must be 21 to attend, though I'm not positive on if this will be an outdoor parking lot gig again or not. Check the above links for more details, don't miss the return of The Darwin Project TONIGHT, and for a preview, here they are playing their song "Saviour" live in Alpena in April!



Next up, local classic/hard rock quintet The Thrill Junkies will make their Sault Ontario debuts this month with at least three shows, including their first ever stops at The Nicolet Tavern one week from today, followed by their Roosevelt Hotel debuts on September 20th & 21st! Though the band previously played in Spanish as part of the Rock N' Roar festival & their connected battle of the bands, these will be our first live local glimpses at this new band, who feature 4 of Turner Up & Havadder's collective 2012 members, alongside Redundant's Justin Langlois on bass. There's been a lot of advance hype for this new band (especially if you didn't see them in Spanish), but I'm hearing very good things for their heavier cover blend and their reported original intentions, so keep their Soo debut in mind! Both next weekend's Nic show and their Rosie dates have 10:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and 19+ age limits, so click here & here for more details, and stay tuned for updates from their camp as they roll in!

And just for reference sake, Havadder have been resurrected with a new lineup, with longtime singer/guitarist Jason Roy joined by guitarist Jamie July, the returning Lucas Bugyra on bass, and Jack Spades/Asylum Country drummer T.J. Case. Nice to see Jason keeping Havadder alive, and stay tuned in case they have some metal or hard rock covers to feature on here!

Also in September concerts, Kinross, Michigan hard rockers Banned have announced their next local gig, though not for this weekend, as they'll return to Todd's Tavern in nearby Moran on Saturday, September 14th (one week from tomorrow!) This will be their first announced stop at this regular venue for them since May, so if you've missed the Traynors and company in Moran, keep next weekend's show in mind! Admission should be free, you must be 21 to attend, and there's an earlier start time of 8:00 PM for it. Click here for more details on it and their other upcoming dates, including their previously announced Sault Kewadin stops on the 20th & 21st, and (in a completely new alert) a show in... Grand Rapids?! Yes, they'll play their furthest "job" yet on September 28th when they play at The Last Chance Tavern & Grill in Michigan's second largest city, so check the above links for more info on this huge opportunity! I have no idea how that came about, but best of luck for sure, and keep an eye out for this varied band's next news!

Finally in new heavier concert announcements, Saskatoon/Vancouver hard rock quartet One Bad Son will hit The Rockstar Bar on Friday, October 18th as openers for Toronto rock supergroup Crash Karma! Almost 3 years after their first local stop at The Canadian, Crash Karma (featuring Our Lady Peace, Tea Party, I Mother Earth, and Zygote alumni) have a wealth of experience and talent under their belts, so don't miss their material and entertaining live show, especially if you love 1990s Canadian rock music! However, One Bad Son will inject a heavier edge into the proceedings like Desperate Union did in 2010, with a 1970s southern rock flavour to add to their hard modern rock sound, and they should be a welcome sight at The Rockstar Bar next month as well! Tickets are $12 in advance at The Rockstar Bar/Algonquin Hotel or at The Rad Zone, while they'll cost $16 at the door. This event is 19+, and doors will open at 9:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be a great concert for rock fans, with a little hard rock to go around, so keep it in mind for next month, and get your tickets A.S.A.P.!

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

• Frightlight guitarist Rick "Styles" White is opening guitar lessons classes at Superior Hodge Podge at 138 Gore Street on September 15th! The basic rate is $15 for each half hour, but you can save a bit if you sign up early, so call the shop at (705) 450-1255 or message Rick at this link if you're interested in learning how to play guitar!
• Redundant bassist (and current Frightlight guest performer) James White is looking to write stuff for a new local music project, but any other specifics are vague. This could be intriguing if it does lead to new original material, so message James at this link if you're interested, or check out his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Sunday!
• In a recent interview with the women's metal webzine Sonic Cathedral, Theatre of Night singer Gaby Koss briefly discussed her work with the local classical metal band among her numerous other foreign music projects, and there's some good discussions about her varied & prolific singing work there, so click here for the full article! (Note that it's shared with one of her collaborators in other projects, Carlos Mosquera.)

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news & notes soon! Thanks everyone!