AlgomA/Chronobot Split Vinyl EP Review!!

To end the month at the SMS, here's our 82nd monthly CD review, as we're taking a look at local doom metal trio AlgomA's split vinyl EP with Saskatchewan stoner doom quintet Chronobot! Released through AlgomA's label Deadbeat Media on April 1st of this year, and with artwork again by Adam Geyer, this is the second official studio release and first split from AlgomA, while this is Chronobot's third release and second split. AlgomA's half of the split was recorded locally over the past year at Six, Two, Oh. and mixed & mastered by Pixo Control bassist Dustin Goodall, while Chronobot's half was recorded at The Sweat Shoppe in Saskatoon, with producer and mixer Mike Lefebvre. AlgomA are again represented by singer/bassist Kevin Campbell, guitarist/vocalist Boyd Rendell, and drummer Jamie Vincent), while Chronobot's lineup featured singer/guitarist Dafe Landry, guitarist/bassist Quinton Anderson, drummer Cody Futerko, and keyboardist Darius Simonot.

Note that Chronobot currently feature a bassist named Scott in their public lineup, but he did not play on the split. Physical copies of this split (on clear blue vinyl!) are available locally at The Rad Zone, AlgomA concerts, and through band members for $20, and while this release is not available on CD (for now?), digital download copies are available on AlgomA's Bandcamp page (and Chronobot's) for $6, with song names below linked from there. The songs can be streamed free there too, but consider supporting the bands by buying it! Featuring 25 minutes of music, let's begin with AlgomA's half!

Side A of the split contains AlgomA's two songs, starting with "Phthisis", which is sung from the point of view of a man dying of pulmonary tuberculosis. Starting with reverbed guitar feedback and backing sound effects, this soon unleashes into a fast (for AlgomA) doom metal number that is arguably their most bass-heavy studio track yet, with Kevin laying in ferociously, but his vocals aren't as loud and clear as they had been on their debut EP (maybe it's intentional to represent having the title affliction?) I like the guitar effects, and it is fittingly crushing and doomy before it's abrupt ending, so fans should have no problem moshing to this one live! AlgomA's second & final offering is "Electric Fence", which packs a lot into it's eight minute runtime! Lyrically about an inmate trying to escape prison (a rare instance of the main character surviving an AlgomA song), this song has an ominous opening that sounds like a march to death row before the full band's doom onslaught kicks in!

Featuring Boyd on lead vocals, his high pitched screams are welcomed on this brutal song, with methodical drumming from Jamie and a down-trodden but undeniably heavy riff throughout, including some effective feedback breaks in between verses. The song goes on a little long (partly thanks to the extended instrumental opening), but this is a strong compliment to "Phthisis" that delivers a brutal wallop of doom metal, and all three guys are up to the challenge as usual, so fans will be right at home!

Chronobot take over side B of the split with three songs of their own, which run 3-5 minutes in length. Entitled "Red Nails", "Jerry Can", and "Sons of Sabbath", the latter's title is particularly profound, with a clear Black Sabbath influence propagating their songs, albeit with a spacey, keyboard-infused bent. "Red Nails" exhibits that mixture to a T, albeit with harsher guttural vocals, while "Jerry Can" is shorter, and goes fuller into their stoner side with some nice effects and a solid pounding riff, though the lyrics are somewhat repetitive when utilized. "Son of Sabbath" also pays tribute to the metal forefathers in it's sound, and if it was an instrumental, it might be hard to tell that it was actually Chronobot! Musically, these guys have a strong sound that combines old school doom metal with aggressive modern vocals, with Dafe & Quinton's guitar riffs always adding something to the material, and Darius' keyboard work adds that spaced-out flourish, with a clear chemistry from all four guys to boot!

So, what are my final thoughts on AlgomA and Chronobot's split EP? It's a very entertaining release for doom metal fans, with the two bands (well acquainted since their 2014 local show together) complimenting each other with their own heavy takes on the genre, with AlgomA's bleak devastation and Chronobot's retro stoner influence giving a little something for any metalhead! The decision to release the split as a vinyl record only (for physical copies) is a risk compared to what local bands typically put out, and given that many fans don't have record players, but it helps this EP stand out among everything else, and with that cover art, how could you not want a copy? With that said, this split isn't overly long, with only 5 tracks between the two bands, but both bands have other releases if you want more of either or both. AlgomA and Chronobot are both very skilled and entertaining entrants in the Canadian doom metal scene, and this split is well worth picking up for genre fans, especially with the vinyl revival!

Consider buying a copy A.S.A.P., and hopefully Chronobot come back to the Soo in due course! I hope you guys liked this month's album review, and as for next month, we'll likely be looking at local alternative hard rock quartet Id Iota's debut EP "Maudlin Fair", which was successfully released earlier this month during their Ontario tour, so look for that next month, and stay tuned for more news and updates shortly! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Blessed, Grave Party, And Mourning Wood), And More Weekend Concert Previews!!

Today's post will see the last of our weekend concert previews, barring any late notice confirmations, but first, we have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (including SHORT NOTICE ones), so here's what you need to know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Mourning Wood will return to The Esquire Club for a pair of headlining concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only just announced these shows yesterday via their Facebook event page. Last seen at The Rednecks Saloon two weeks, ago, this will be the first concert weekend for this veteran fan favourite band at The Esquire Club since early February, so keep these shows in mind if you've missed this union of Hollow, Suicide Kings, Rainhorses, and Flat Stanley alumni at the Second Line West venue lately! As usual for Mourning Wood's local concerts, there are 9:30 PM start times in effect, no announced cover charges, and 19+ age limits. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Mourning Wood live earlier this year!

Next up, here's a pair of newly announced shows with lots of advance notice, both at The New American Pub, starting with the local concert debut of Vancouver post punk quartet Blessed on Saturday, May 21st! Fans of Northwest or Gnaeus should dig this band, whose indie-tinged punk originals have taken them to a strong following in recent years, and with a new EP in tow, don't miss out when they hit The New A next month! Local openers will include Brash Gash, a newer local band who you may recognize from a set at the Fishbowl Festival at The Gore Street Cafe. Honest Job's Drew Armstrong is in their lineup, and you may remember them as the band with the elaborate fish mask, but we don't have any other details on their lineup or sound as of this writing. We'll let you know when/if anything is announced! The opening act will be local acoustic punk/grunge solo project Telephone & Address, and Chris should have some strong unplugged originals in store in three weeks' time!

A presentation of Six, Two, Oh. (whose next punk rock bingo installment will be covered in our next news post), this 19+ show has a $5 cover charge, 19+ age limit, and 9:00 PM start time. This should be a fun time for indie and punk fans, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for more from Six, Two, Oh. soon!

Also, one of the two recently teased Blood Shed Productions-promoted metal shows has officially had it's venue confirmed, as Winnipeg punk trio Grave Party will make their local concert debut on Monday, June 20th at The New American Pub! This skate punk trio have a lot of fun songs that should attract a good audience at The New A next month with originals from their newest EP "For Dummies", so be sure to give them a listen to see what Grave Party have to offer! Though they are the nominal headliners, Coyote Speedfreaks mainman Chase Wigmore is listed to play after them in a solo set, marking his long awaited return to the stage, and it'll be good to see him back in June! Blood Shed co-founder Tyler Gibson's two local grind/death duos (Rotopsy & Brutally Fatal) lead the opening lineup, with the latter playing their first announced concert of the year in the process, while rap sets from Mikey Thomas and (jointly) Phat Boii and Miracle Man will precede them.

The show will be opened by Jacob "Shit Creek Survivor" Quarrell with a set of folk/indie rock numbers, so come early for his set too! A $4 cover charge is in effect for this 19+ concert (a rarity for a Blood Shed-presented concert event, which are usually all ages), and a 9:00 PM start time is in effect at The New A on June 20th. This should be a fun concert for fans of Blood Shed's goregrind, rap, and alternative acts, with Grave Party delivering some solid skate punk as well, so visit the official Facebook event page for full details!

Finally, here's our last announced concert preview for this weekend, as Calgary hardcore punk quartet The Motherfuckers will make their local concert debut TOMORROW NIGHT with a headlining set at The Oddfellows Hall! This veteran outfit should lay waste to the stage with their fast paces, attitude fueled punk attack during this stop on their Classless Society Tour, so don't miss out tomorrow! The Motherfuckers are on at 10:00 PM, while local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades will return to the stage as co-headliners at 9:30 PM (just a half hour?), as they continue to jack the planet! Local/St. Catharines' grindcore trio Shit Liver will come back home for their first local concert appearance of 2016 when they rock The Oddfellows Hall for the first time in about two years, as they continue the early stretch of their Number Two Tour, so be sure to welcome the guys home in time for their 8:30 PM set! Reunited local extreme metal quartet Winkstinger will play their first show in almost three years tomorrow night with a set at 7:45 PM, which will also see the debuts of new singer Keith Gagnon and new bassist Andrew MacDonald, so don't be late so you can welcome Winkstinger back!

The planned late openers were to be new local death metal quintet Kaepora Gaebora, but they were quietly removed from the Facebook event page on Wednesday for unannounced reasons. Hopefully nothing bad happened, as they sound very promising! They've been replaced by the aforementioned Rotopsy in their first Oddfellows set in over a year, so be ready for their goregrind attack tomorrow! Moved from The Algonquin Pub due to ongoing renovations there, this now-ALL AGES event starts at 7:00 PM, and it has a $10 cover charge. This should be a great show, so check the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's The Motherfuckers live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our review of AlgomA & Chronobot's vinyl split EP next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Nudge & The 3 Day Millionaires) And The First Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

With the last concert weekend of the month approaching, let's tackle most of our hard rock concert previews today! For reference, we will touch on Saturday night's Motherfuckers-headlined Oddfellows Hall concert in our next news post (with a note regarding a lineup change, and yes, any more late notice announcements), and remember that Saturday's Gnaeus/K.I.C.K. show at The Rockstar Bar was indefinitely postponed due to "unforeseen circumstances." Now, let's kick off this preview post with some SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Marquette, Michigan hard rock cover quartet Nudge will return to The Satisfied Frog in Sault Michigan for headlining concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced the shows via their official Facebook event page on Tuesday. Coming unusually soon after their most recent local gigs (just four weeks ago at The Frog), Danzo and company should be on form with their entertaining modern hard rock renditions, so don't miss out on their latest local gigs TOMORROW & SATURDAY! For reference, the event page doesn't list the Wednedsday & Thursday Danzo's acoustic sets that usually precede the full Nudge shows, no word on if they've been permanently dropped or not. There's no announced cover charge for this weekend, you must be 21 or older to attend, and 10:00 PM start times are advertised. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Nudge live in Negaunee!



Also new this weekend, Sault Ontario classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires will return to the stage TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT when they rock The Rednecks Saloon! Again, apologies for the short notice, they too only announced the shows via their official Facebook event page on Tuesday. Fresh off of their Park Grille debut two weeks ago, this will be this newer local cover band's second weekend at the former Nicolet Tavern, following a successful debut there last month. This union of Havadder, Turner Up, Lucky 13, and Boxcar Junction alumni have been entertaining fans reliably in the past few months, and hopefully they deliver strong sets this weekend at Rednecks! There's no announced cover charges either for their shows, each will start at 10:30 PM, and you must be 19 or older to enter. For more details, visit the above links, and here's The 3 Day Millionaires live earlier this year!

Moving to previously announced concerts, Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will continue with his weekly concert arrangement at Gliss Steak & Seafood with two more acoustic matinee concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! With more acoustic gigs likely to be confirmed for May in his ongoing Gliss run soon, don't worry about the lack of later Tym shows in our concert listings, but definitely consider a trip down to The Quality Inn's house restaurant this weekend to take in his skilled and prolific range of covers, with a good selection of hard rock favourites sure to be among his sets! As usual for Tym's Gliss dates, these have 6:00 PM start times, no announced age limits, and no cover charges, but remember that this is a sit-down restaurant. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and for a preview, here's Tym live!

Finally for today's preview post, Sault Michigan hard rock quartet 415E will return to the stage TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino! Marking their first announced concerts since their St. Ignace stops in February, it's great to see this increasingly sporadically seen band on stage again, and with Nixxon Dixxon, Splitshot, and Highest of Fives alumni in their ranks, you know that their Van Halen-inspired hard rock selections will find a solid audience this weekend! For reference, 415E are not currently advertised for any upcoming concerts in our area after this weekend, though Kewadin's entertainment page does advertised them as playing in Manistique in June. As usual for their Kewadin gigs, there's no announced cover charges, these are 21+ events, and these shows will start at around 9:00 PM. For more details, visit the above links, and here's 415E live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more previews and this month's CD review next! Thanks everyone!

New Videos, Plus Lots Of Assorted Recent News & Updates!!

Today's post largely clears out a bunch of shorter and assorted recent news items, and we'll kick things off with some new videos, starting with a new webseries by Blood Shed Productions, entitled "BreakingSh!tWithBloodShed"! The title implies what you think it implies, with label performers and staff (namely, Blood Shed founders/Brutally Fatal bandmates Tyler Gibson & Austin McCrae, plus rapper Jean-Paul "Phat Boii" Archambault) breaking assorted objects on camera. Two episodes of the series are now on the Blood Shed Weekly YouTube channel, and they include the second episode where a pool table is broken, and the one embedded below where the guys break five chairs. If you're wondering what these have to do with music (aside from who's breaking everything), then you'll want to know that both videos feature new Brutally Fatal songs from their forthcoming CD "Blood of the Devil" as backing music, so fans of the goregrind intensity will like that! The videos themselves are escapist fun, and presumably good stress relief, so check them out above & below!



Next up, here's a new solo acoustic cover from RedStone Riot/ex-Elipzis bassist Ryan Harrison's YouTube channel from Saturday, this time a rendition of Prince's "Purple Rain", in tribute to the music legend following his death last week. Fittingly played "in the key of purple" (and even tinted that colour), it's a strong cover that Prince fans should like, and Ryan's voice is in top emotional form here! Give it a look below!



Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist, event, station, or website name:

• Local doom metal trio AlgomA's split vinyl EP with Saskatchewan's Chronobot received a new review from Kai Ellerman of the German metal website XXL-Rock in recent weeks, though it is in German, so you'll need a translator to read it if you don't know that language. Receiving a rating of "L" (keeping with their motif of scoring by clothing sizes, basically meaning a 4/6), Kai favorably recommended the split to fans of Eyehategod and Neurosis, and said that AlgomA's half is "somewhat messy, but has charm." Give the full review a look at this link (but have a translator ready), and stay tuned for our review of the split very soon!
• This is more of a housekeeping note, but we had pencilled in a formal write-up today to roll in 2012-2013 local rock band Lazer Queen to our inactive band links finally, as they honestly should have been in our full coverage long ago given their membership & sound, but I discovered yesterday that their Facebook (and only online) page has been deleted. Featuring 3/4ths of Late & Loud alongside The Danger Cats' Kate Drew & Pillory's Bret Shuttleworth, Lazer Queen were a talented band that sadly didn't last too long, but be sure to follow members' more recent work!
• The closure of local news/video website Local2 and it's subsequent merger with sister website SooToday was finalized on Monday via this press release, which notes that existing Local2 links will now redirect you to SooToday, and that it's video programming (including Tuned) will largely continue under the SooToday banner, with archive videos also available there. It's a little sad to lose the former SooNews & LTV News after a lengthy run, but this makes sense as SooToday continues it's growth, and we have removed Local2 from our "Other Local Metal Links" as a result!
• Local grunge/alternative band The Pixo Control's headlining set on May 5th at the Sky's the Limit mental health fundraiser concert at The Tech will be an acoustic set sans drummer Keeghan Rosso, according to the band's Facebook page last night. A reason for the change wasn't announced, but hopefully it's just as simple as Keeghan not being available that night. This should still be a fun set for fans of Michael's unplugged sets, so keep it in mind for next Thursday, and stay tuned for more on the openers!
• The planned Summer Bash! concert at The Rockstar Bar THIS FRIDAY has been indefinitely postponed, as per Gnaeus frontman Aaron Alessandri on the official Facebook event page on Monday.  He cited "unforeseen circumstances" and the ongoing renovations at the venue for the postponement, which seems to imply that there's more going on at The Algonquin Hotel than just the downstairs bar (however, note that Kamloops folk band The Decoys are playing there on Saturday, so the "unforeseen circumstances" may be more to blame.) Hopefully Gnaeus, K.I.C.K., and DJ Fuels get a new date soon for the Summer Bash!
• Lake Superior State University's campus radio station WLSO (90.1 FM) announced the results of their recent naming contest for their forthcoming online station on their Facebook page on Monday, with the (oddly unidentified) winner's suggestion being The 46th Parallel, referencing the latitude circle that Sault Michigan lies on. It should be noted that the post mentioned that "our station name" will change to that next semester, implying that the FM station will also get the new name, but an extension past the new internet station hasn't been otherwise confirmed. We'll let you know if this is elaborated on at all!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: HAVADDER, HockeyTraditionalist, And jjjjjeeeennnaa's Channels

It's now time for this month's YouTube Channel Profiles, as we continue our monthly spotlight on YouTube channels have at least 50% of their current content relating to local metal, hard rock, and/or punk bands, concerts, and events! All randomly selected as usual, we have three videos again this month after the first random selection (and the second) only had a single video each, but with clips from two concerts and a slideshow making use of a notable song, there's a lot to see, so read on below for this month's profiles!
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HAVADDER (http://www.youtube.com/havadder)

Owner: A member of local classic/hard rock band Havadder's 2011-2012 quintet lineup, exact identity unclear

Channel Timeline: Launched on January 12th, 2010; Only video posted on February 6th, 2012

Channel Summary: These veteran local rockers began using this as their intended official YouTube channel during their brief quintet run in the early 2010s, when Havadder & the now-defunct Turner Up had four members in common. However, the only posted video, a cover of The Foo Fighters' "These Days", is copied from YouTube user Danabelle39's channel, which features an extra Tom Petty cover from the same show at The Nicolet Tavern (now The Rednecks Saloon) in February 2012. Featuring the band's entire current lineup (founding singer/guitarist Jason Roy, bassist Travis Sharpe, and drummer Scott McLurg) alongside then-guitarists Jason Nisbet & Robert Brown, this is a strong cover with Travis handling lead vocals, and the triple guitar attack comes together well, though the camera is slightly angled. This channel is now inactive, but more from this Havadder lineup can be found on YouTube and Havadder's own Facebook page alike.


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HockeyTraditionalist's Channel (http://www.youtube.com/hockeytraditionalist)

Owner: YouTube user HockeyTraditionalist, real identity unclear, but I don't believe he's from Sault Ste. Marie

Channel Timeline: Launched on March 7th, 2010; Only video posted that same day

Channel Summary: The only video on HockeyTraditionalist's channel is of a slideshow of NHL game footage set to local/Toronto indie punk quartet Treble Charger's song "Brand New Low" from their 2001 album "Wide Awake Bored". Possibly inspired by the song's inclusion on the soundtrack of the video game NHL 2002 (which also featured "American Psycho"), the video is a well put together slideshow of hockey photos from circa the 2009-10 season, and the song itself is a solid mid-tempo number from Treble Charger's heyday! However, this channel hasn't been actively used in a few years, and if you just want Treble Charger, there are many other channels with more substantial band content.


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jjjjjeeeennnaa's channel (http://www.youtube.com/jjjjjeeeennnaa)

Owner: YouTube user jjjjjeeeennnaa, first name presumably Jenna, but full identity unclear

Channel Timeline: Launched on January 26th, 2008; Videos posted that same day

Channel Summary: Jenna's YouTube channel was launched to upload three videos that she filmed at the Three Days Grace-headlined concert at The Steelback Center (now The Essar Center) on January 24th, 2008. All running for under two minutes, Jenna filmed the Norwood, Ontario alt-hard rock favourites playing their songs "Get Out Alive" (preceded by a drum solo from Neil Sanderson), "I Hate Everything About You", and as embedded below, "Just Like You". Filmed from a far angle in the seating area, Jenna has a clear angle of Three Days Grace in action from their first of two stops here, and while the audio's a little distorted, they're solid in terms of footage from this show that's available online, especially if you prefer their original lineup! However, this channel has seen no visible usage since 2008.


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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profiles! This series will return on or around May 26th, and after a completely random selection, we're again doing multiple channels due to the first having only one local music-related clip, but the next random channel had two distinct video types to fill things out with! With that said, we're looking at YouTube user cinnamoncubicle's channel (featuring a Treble Charger music video, ironically) and local hard rock quartet Skeyes of Seven's YouTube channel (featuring a live clip and two old studio tracks) next month, so look for that next month, and for more updates soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Metal Massacre II), New Pillory Footage, And Much More Updates!!

With the last full week of April in full swing, let's tackle most of our remaining backlogged stories today, including some assorted recent updates, new videos from the Blood Shed Weekly YouTube channel, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for a house party sequel, so here's what you should know!

After the success of April 14th's Metal Massacre house party show, promoter/Twistory frontman Josh Amendola is bringing it back for an encore on Saturday, May 7th (next weekend, in other words!) Yes, Metal Massacre II will return to the residence at 124 Anna Street three weeks later with an expanded lineup, so who can you expect? Largely the same lineup, but with Rotopsy out and local doom metal trio AlgomA in for their first local set since the Black Tremor/punk rock bingo event, and they should melt many faces next Saturday! The remaining performers include local thrash/death metal trio Pillory, new local death metal duo Twistory (who still lack an online page), and new local death metal quintet Kaepora Gaebora, so if you liked them 11 days ago, or missed out entirely, keep this house show in mind! Josh also noted on the Facebook event page that more guests and a daytime acoustic set of some kind may also be added to the lineup, but neither has been formally elaborated on since.

As well, Metal Massacre II may be moved a day earlier to Friday, May 6th pending AlgomA's availability, which is definitely a sign of their value as headliners: Why replace them if they can't make the original date when you can change the date instead? If the date is moved, we will let you know. Either way, this is another "pay what you can" show with no announced age limits, and presumably to accommodate the potential acoustic daytime set, a 4:00 PM start time is listed. Check the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more on Metal Massacre 2 at 124 Anna Street!

Next up, here's a new video of the aforementioned Pillory from April 14th's inaugural Metal Massacre show, courtesy of the Blood Shed Weekly YouTube channel on Friday! Arguably our best and longest look yet at Pillory with any lineup, the video (filmed by Brutally Fatal's Austin McCrae) features Pillory playing their new songs "Angst of Existence" & "Sculptor of Cadavers", a new song whose name wasn't announced, and then songs that appear to be called "The Passing", "Aboard Apprehension", and "Affairs of Eternal Sickness" to seemingly cap their set, though the names may be incorrect. Afterwards, an encore is started where Robert, Jordan, and Bret jam some very familiar sounding instrumentals, so click the above links to go to each song! It's worth noting that Pillory didn't play any songs from their 2013 debut EP "Cringe at the Cross" that night, though whether this is a casualty of their death metal transition, lineup changes & reunion, unhappiness with the disc, or just how the night's set shaped up isn't clear.

In any event, Pillory sound nice and brutal on this video, with Robert Sartini's growling definitely improved with time, and Bret Shuttleworth's drumming is on point, but the post-effects on the video (including colour changes, spinning and wave effects, and captions) don't add anything practical to the video. Still, this is a great look at the new and heavier Pillory lineup, so check out the full set below!



Also today, here's an update video from Blood Shed Productions co-founder/Brutally Fatal frontman Austin McCrae on the aforementioned Blood Shed Weekly channel from April 15th, where he updates fans on events with the local grindcore/rap label, so what should you know? Hyped as "another update" (referencing a video that isn't listed on the channel anymore), Austin starts by referencing the success of the aforementioned Metal Massacre house show and his Pillory & Rotopsy videos from it (complete with explaining why he didn't film the other bands.) He next noted that the label is planning to start using forms and agreements regarding music releases and rights for label departures and commitments to Blood Shed, and among other assorted notes, he referenced looking into buying newspaper advertising, and establishing permanent staff roles for the label. Austin also referenced a couple of planned summer concerts that the label is hosting, but neither has a confirmed venue yet.

The shows in question will be headlined by Winnipeg punk band Grave Party on June 20th and Victoria death metal band Iskra (in their second local show of the year) on August 2nd, and while The New American was teased on the event pages linked above,we'll hold on adding them to our concert listings until everything is finalized. Austin closed by noting a new webseries called "BreakingSh!tWithBloodShed" which is exactly what it says on the tin, and we may note that on the site soon as well. Informative, if geared to Blood Shed's official staff and crew, so check the above links and watch below for more!



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

• The aforementioned Kaepora Gaebora have been added as the fifth and final local opening band for THIS SATURDAY'S Motherfuckers-headlined concert at The Oddfellows Hall, as per promoter J.D. Pearce on the official Facebook event page on Saturday, in what will be their second concert and first ever show outside of a house party. They'll be opening at 7:00 PM, so if you're curious in seeing how Joey, Dan, Daeson, Jeph, and Kevin sound, be at The Oddfellows Hall on SATURDAY NIGHT, and stay tuned for updates!
• Though it's tough to gauge their active status given their minimal online presence, we've moved local/Toronto indie punk veterans Treble Charger to our inactive band links, as the Juno nominees haven't made a visible public statement since their Mill Square concert last February. With that said, Greig & Bill may very well have new material and shows in the works, so if anything is publically announced through news media or official sites, we'll be sure to let you know!
• The newest episode of SooToday's (migrated from the outgoing Local2's) music webseries Tuned with Donna Hopper spotlights the recent Record Store Day festivities at The Rad Zone, and within, you'll see interview clips with the likes of Rad Zone owner Paul Muncaster and staffer/Garden of Bedlam bassist Evan Belleau on the day's importance, sales, and finds. Local doom metal trio AlgomA's recent split vinyl EP with Chronobot is given a heavy feature by Evan, heavily praising it for being a new local contribution to Record Store Day. Solid episode with lots of deserving vinyl love, so check out the full episode at the above links!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!

Id Iota EP Updates, The Revolution's Only Studio Song, And Much More!!

On this Sunday morning, we have to keep the news rolling and get our cache of backlogged stories a little more cleared out, so we have some assorted notes, lineup notes on an upcoming concert, and a posthumous studio track today! First though, here's all you should know on a recent CD release!

With it's successful local release at Thursday night's LopLops Lounge concert, I absolutely purchased a copy of Id Iota's debut EP "Maudlin Fair", so what should you know about it? This is the full album cover, and as previously teased in official photos, the EP features 4 songs ("California Wasted", "Permanence In Pencil", "One Cent Vaudeville", and "Bitter Tea"), with the tracks running for just over 14 minutes in length. Performers on the album include singer Christian Lemay, guitarist Dustin Goodall, and drummer Blair St. John, though recording sessions largely took place between bassist Justin Girardi's departure and the addition of Dan Linklater, so Blair handles bass on the studio tracks. Similarly to The Pixo Control's debut CD, Dustin recorded and mixed "Maudlin Fair", with mastering done in Toronto by Chuck Carvalho of Joao Carvalho Mastering. The EP appears to be an independent release, and the tray plugs their unlaunched website as http://www.id-iota.com.

Copies of "Maudlin Fair" sold for $5, and will presumably be available at future concerts, but online availability is yet to be established. That said, when can you expect a review of "Maudlin Fair" on the SMS? I have Id Iota tentatively pencilled in for next month, as the AlgomA/Chronobot split EP is coming in the next week, but stay tuned for much more on Id Iota's debut CD soon, and get a hold of band members if you want a copy beforehand!

Next up, remember The Revolution (formerly the second version of Brutaly Fatal?) They were the 2014-15 doom/punk band that played a few notable local shows and had began recording sessions at PaperClip Productions towards a debut EP named "Roll Call" before breaking up (twice) last year, but as part of a special 4/20 surprise on PaperClip's Facebook page, we can finally hear the only completed studio track from the recording sessions there! Recorded early last year, this is for the band's song "Get High With Me", and the Facebook video confirms the EP's planned cover art as well. The lineup here includes singer/guitarist Austin McCrae (now back with the original Brutally Fatal) and drummer Brandan Glew (The Din) alongside Pillory bassist Jordan Leach, who replaced Rainey Vincent on bass before recording sessions began, but never played live with The Revolution. With all of that said, how does The Revolution's only studio track sound?

Harbouring more of their punk sound than doom, it's lively and well written, but Austin's vocals sound a little forced at times, and the lyrics can be a little repetitive. Still, it's great to finally hear some of The Revolution's cancelled recording sessions make it out there, and it'd be interesting to see the band reunite again if the stars align! Check out "Get High With Me" below!



Also today, remember The Sky's The Limit, the May 5th all-ages concert at The Tech that's being headlined by The Pixo Control as part of Algoma Family Services Children’s Mental Week? As you may remember, promoters were filling the opening slots with auditions at The Tech earlier this month for artists 29 and under, but as of this writing, promoters have yet to officially announce any openers. That said, there have been some confirmations and hints from artists themselves to give us an idea! One is Tristan "White Noize" Goslow, a local Christian rapper whose involvement was confirmed by his dad on the Facebook event page. He's got good flow, and should impress rap fans on the 15th! Local alternative/hard rock trio The Din expressed interest in auditioning as well, but at a different date due to guitarist Tammy Hill being out of town, and an organizer apparently sent a message in reply. The Din haven't said if they're playing or not since, but they'd be a good fit if they are! Our last clue comes via this video that apparently came from the audition at the former St. Mary's College site, so what should you know?

This is of a group of three young musicians, including guitarist Spencer Pine alongside musicians named Elijah and Beau, and while I believe all are current White Pines Collegiate students, I can't 100% verify the others' full identities. Uploaded to what appears to be Spencer's YouTube channel on April 7th, this is of the three covering Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" at the audition, which Spencer says that they "nailed" in the video title, but again, promoters haven't publically confirmed the openers yet. The guys do a good job here, with decent vocals and a strong solo, and they'd be fun to see on the 5th, so see more on the possible openers above & below!



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

• Shawn Miller of The Metal Observer reviewed local doom metal trio AlgomA's split vinyl EP with Saskatchewan's Chronobot at this link, where he gave it an 8/10 score, saying that the split brings "a truckload of Sabbathian riffs that would make (Tony) Iommi smile like a proud father." Very positive overall review with few negative comments, so check it out above!
• The aforementioned Austin McCrae is looking to start a punk/grunge band that would play original and cover material, and needs guitarists and a drummer (he'd presumably be on vocals and bass.) He has practice space and spare equipment, though it's not clear if this is part of a Revolution revival or an entirely new project. If you're interested in trying out, message Austin at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post last week!
• In a clarification & apology regarding new local death metal band Kaepora Gaebora's lineup, we can confirm that their new bassist is Jeph Brown, who I don't recall from any other recent local bands. We erroneously noted on the site earlier that Twistory's Josh Amendola was their bassist, so I apologize for that, I can be bad with faces sometimes (plus, the band still doesn't list Jeph on their Facebook page's lineup.) Stay tuned for more on Kaepora Gaebora's next concert later this week!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news, notes, and features this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Gnaeus), And Our Review Of Thursday's Id Iota EP Release Concert!!

Today's post was originally going to solely be our review of Thursday night's Id Iota EP release show, but with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (and missed concert apology) relating to bands that played that night, let's kick things off there before we fall further behind!

Local post-punk/garage rock quartet Gnaeus will return to LopLops Lounge TONIGHT as openers for Toronto roots rock quartet Sam Cash & The Romantic Dogs, as part of the festivities for the fifth annual Sault Ste. Marie Festival of Beer! In fact, this is the second of a two night local engagement for the headliners, who played at LopLops last night as well with local alternative/hard rock quartet Id Iota opening, which I profusely apologize for missing on here, but we only received public confirmation of their (or Gnaeus') involvement in this weekend's shows yesterday, and the bands haven't promoted them on their own Facebook pages. Hopefully last night's show was a blast if you were there, as a beer aficionado and/or music fan! For reference, Gnaeus played a solo show at last year's Festival of Beer, which also received a short notice public announcement. The Festival of Beer itself will take place once again at the Bushplane Museum today at 1:00 PM, with lots of craft beer available to sample, and admission will be $35. Click here for more details on the festival proper!

As for TONIGHT'S (and belatedly yesterday's) LopLops shows, Sam Cash & The Romantic Dogs have a solid, down-to-earth rock sound that should fit in well, and while the local openers aren't visibly perfect fits, both Id Iota last night and Gnaeus TONIGHT should set the tone very well! Tickets for both nights are/were $10, admission was/is 19+, and 9:00 PM-ish start times are likely. I apologize once again for missing last night's show with Id Iota, and don't miss Gnaeus opening for Sam Cash TONIGHT! For a preview, let's dive into our review of Thursday night's LopLops concert, marking my first ever concert review at LopLops Lounge, believe it or not! Nice venue on the inside, longer than I expected, and if you stopped midway through, you'd assume it was just a restaurant. The "lounge" part of their name is very apparent in the concert stage area, and I like the art on the walls and the heavy presence of concert posters along the upper wall! It's inviting, busy, and vibrant all at once, and a fitting venue for the bands on tap!

After a late lineup shuffle, the aforementioned Gnaeus opened the proceedings in their first local concert of the year, as well as their first local appearance with new drummer Alex Proulx. Maybe it's the added crash course of playing in Southern Ontario before the Soo, but Alex fit right in with Gnaeus, and showed off his own clear drumming talents on existing originals like "Circles", "Lovers", and "The Sound", plus some newer material like "Hail Mary" and their requisite "Hang Me Out To Dry" cover. There seemed to be a timing hiccup on "The Edge", but Gnaeus were otherwise on point from when I last saw them, with Aaron Alessandri's vocals at their raspy-yet-melodic best, and Brad Irwin's synth work added that little something extra as usual! Aaron was admittedly a little muffled early, but it's great to have Gnaeus back, and don't miss them TONIGHT at LopLops either!

Advertised headliners The Pixo Control instead played the middle set with their alternative/grunge hybrid sound, and they got a great reaction from fans, even attracting a few devoted attendees to dance up front for the majority! This was the first time that I've seen The Pixo Control since Id Iota's Dustin Goodall replaced Steve Edwards on bass, and while arguably better known as a guitarist, he is a great addition to the Pixo lineup, and kept up musically and energetically with frontman Michael Mikus, who's ever-shorter hair didn't sap his stage presence at all! On songs like "Scratch", "Reasons", "Growing Pains", and a new song listed on their setlist as "Plastic Vegetables"(?), the guys delivered an explosive set, with Michael set off like a powder keg, and he showed his natural frontman chops more than once! A late reprise of "Scratch" saw instruments thrown and drum sets crashed into, forcing a delay of Id Iota's set, but it was a great capper to a great set!

Presumably as it was their local CD release, returning local alternative hard rock quartet Id Iota were promoted to the headlining slot on Thursday, marking their first local concert appearance since June, and the local debut of new bassist Dan Linklater. I wasn't at Id Iota's summer 2015 shows to know how that lineup sounded in person, but the current lineup delivered an entertaining set to close the night! Playing all four songs from their debut EP "Maudlin Fair" (more on that tomorrow) plus newer originals like "Happy Sailor", Id Iota are definitely more reminiscent of their predecessor band Habitat Shuffle than members' past work with Free Beer or The Vertically Impaired, harbouring a little bit of funk, hard rock, punk, and indie for good measure, with Christian Lemay providing solid vocals, plus some songs on guitar and yes, the melodica! Everyone performed well, with Dustin laying down some solid riffs, and the guys attracted an excellent crowd for their set-closing covers, including of Modest Mouse's "Float On" that had a few people literally jumping!

Id Iota are a fun band that closed the night on a high note, so stay tuned for more on their EP in our next post, and apologies again for missing their LopLops show yesterday! This was a great first foray into LopLops for our coverage, and hopefully it won't be the last time! You can check out our photos from the show at this link or at our Facebook page, and as for our videos, here's Gnaeus playing "Mountains", The Pixo Control playing "Alphabetical Order", and Id Iota playing "California Wasted"!







That's all for today, but don't miss Gnaeus TONIGHT at LopLops after the Festival of Beer wraps up, and stay tuned for a new news post tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Project 906 & RPM), Plus New Gorod/Bookakee Concert Videos!!

I was originally planning for today's second post to be our LopLops concert review from last night, but on the way to the venue, I saw that The Rockstar Bar's outside marquee advertised a pair of shows that we hadn't heard about for this weekend, so our review will be coming tomorrow morning, I promise! As such, we have SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, another new concert event next month, and some long overdue new videos from a recent concert, so here's what you should know!

Sporadically seen local classic/hard rock quartet RPM will return to the stage for shows at The Rockstar Bar TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Profuse apologies for the short notice, the gigs were only announced on the venue's Facebook group this morning, complicated by RPM's lack of an online page to promote shows, though they had been advertised on The Rockstar Bar's physical marquee sign this week. I'm not sure if RPM have been playing live at all since, but these are the first shows that we've heard about from Lindsay Pugh & his adult music camp alumni since August's Roberta Bondar Pavilion show during the city's summer concert series. RPM have been developing well since their debut, and hopefully they rock The Rockstar Bar well TONIGHT & TOMORROW! There's no cover for these 10:00 PM-ish shows, and you must be 19 or older to attend. See above for more details, and here's RPM live!



Next up, a big fundraiser concert entitled "Bay Mills Bands Together!" will go down in Brimley, Michigan at Pickles Bar & Grill on Sunday, May 15th, with a number of local artists joining forces to raise money for Maryssa Kronemeyer, an area high schooler who was seriously injured after being hit by a car last month. All proceeds will go to her and her family & the related medical costs, which is a great gesture! The lineup has many solo acts, but there will be bands performing, including new local hard rock/blues quartet Project 906 as the listed headliners (returning to the site of their live debut), and online pageless local metal quartet Stoned Ape Evolution, whose frontman John Napoletano is promoting the benefit. I still don't know much on Stoned Ape Evolution beyond some member identities and that they wear masks on stage, but hopefully more is revealed soon! Bands named The Karstons and Brainstorm are also listed, but I have no info at all on either. Of course, we'll let you know if we hear anything!

Remaining acts include Broke On Sunday frontman Mark Bowen, local country/pop artist Caitlin LeBlanc, Infathom frontman Dillion Semasky (no word on if his solo set will be rock or rap-based), solo artist Ken Jahnke (genre unknown, but Facebook indicates he's a metalhead), and a duo act named Mitchell & Brenda (possibly ex-Train Wreck bassist Mitchell Willis?) A $5 donation is in effect for this 21+ fundraiser, which starts at 6:00 PM, has sound by the Superior Sound Company, and will feature door prizes & a 50/50 draw. This is a great idea to help Maryssa out during a difficult time, so visit the Facebook event page for more info, and stay tuned for updates!

We'll close today with some overdue videos from last week's Gorod/Bookakee concert at The Oddfellows Hall, courtesy of frequent local concert filmer Chris Paci's YouTube channel this past weekend! Though he's been active filming at various other big concerts since, these are Chris' first public videos from a metal concert since The Superior Festival in Sault Michigan last August. Starting with his videos of French death metal quintet Gorod, Chris shot their opening song (I can't place the name, maybe it's new?), "Celestial Nature", and "The Axe of God", but embedded below is the last song from Gorod's set, "Carved In The Wind", which came after Julien Deyres' microphone died. The song's still brutal, and Julian made the most of it by singing sans mic and turning into the conductor of the metal symphony at hand, but the lighting of the hall does impact the quality. See more from Gorod above & below!



Finally, here's Chris' videos from Montreal theatrical/progressive death metal band Bookakee's set, which include this very entertaining quintet's song "Carcass Coffin" and the their version of the theme song from the Super Nintendo game Donkey Kong Country, titled "DK" on their album (if you're at all familiar with Bookakee, you'll know exactly what happens at song's end!) Embedded below is the longest of Chris' Bookakee videos, of a song whose name I can't place (maybe it's new?), so give it a look below, and see more of Chris' solid footage from this show above! (Sadly, he didn't film Jack Spades or Them at all, but kudos to him for getting what he did!)



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our review of last night's LopLops concert next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Redneck Rock Bash), More Weekend Concert Previews, and More Updates!!

Before our review of last night's Id Iota/Pixo Control/Gnaeus concert goes up on the SMS, we have the last of this weekend's concert previews, and it includes a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT! We're filling things out with some assorted big updates from some linked local hard rock artists, so here's what you should know on this Friday morning!

Five local hard rock and punk bands will join forces for a late notice concert at The Rednecks Saloon TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, word about the event only came via promoter Terry Eaton on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group last week after the event "just came up", with the lineup only being publically finalized a few days ago. Entitled the "Redneck Rock Bash", the show is basically the sequel to the Rednecks Saloon's relaunch party from earlier this month, wth two bands from that night (alternative hard rock trio The Din and funk/hard rock quartet The Elements) returning to the former Nicolet Tavern for what should be fun sets once again! No word though on if Alex Hagerman will be back behind the drum kit for The Elements. The lineup will also feature modern hard rock quartet Eclipse (in perhaps their last show before their planned quintet expansion), and local punk trio Redundant (in their first show of the year, and perhaps since last summer, pending if they played at the Jason Michaud benefit or not.)

It's great to see Justin, James, and Rick back at last, so don't miss their fun live experience TOMORROW! Opening will be newer local pop/hard rock quartet Heavy Head in their Rednecks debut and first show since last month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands, which is encouraging given their recent online quietness, so hopefully they deliver a big rebound set! This is a FREE concert (albeit 19+) that will start at 9:00 PM, and with this strong lineup of hard and alternative rock, don't bypass the Redneck Rock Bash TOMORROW NIGHT, or it's planned follow-up from the same promoters in June! Here's The Din live!



Next up, here's the last heavier show of the weekend that I can verify (barring anything on extra-late notice), as Montreal thrash metal quintet Reanimator will make their local concert debut THIS SUNDAY NIGHT at The New American Pub! This fast-paced & hard hitting thrash outfit has been melting faces for the past decade, and if you love the modern thrash metal revival, Reanimator should be just what the doctor ordered, so be sure to welcome them to the Soo with open arms on Sunday! Reunited local thrash trio Pillory (in their New A debut) are perfect choices to open with their death/thrash metal hybrid, while goregrind duo Rotopsy will kick things off in their first non-house party show in almost a year, so if you haven't seen either band since their respective returns to the stage, this might be up your alley! Presented by Six, Two, Oh., this is a 19+ concert, a $5 cover charge is in effect on Sunday, and everything is starting at 9:00 PM.

This should be a very entertaining concert for extreme and thrash metal fans, and it's not every day when we get some out of town thrash metal action in our neck of the woods, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details on Sunday night's show, and here's Reanimator live! 



We'll close today with new video-related updates from Haggith alumni's current band projects, starting with the latest from the aforementioned Din, who revealed on Monday that they were releasing their first studio single from their forthcoming debut album "Give In To The Din", as per this teaser video. As planned, the full track (a studio version of "In Search Of The Perfect Moment") was posted on the band's YouTube channel on Tuesday, confirming there that the song (and presumably the whole album) is being recorded at the upstart Pretoria Hill Productions with Daniel Schmidt producing. I'm not familiar with either, and this is a bit of a surprise given frontman Mike Haggith's extensive past work with PaperClip Productions and Galactic Records, but the song sounds well produced and mixed! We'll hold on further comment until our likely review of The Din's debut album, but check out "In Search Of The Perfect Moment" below, and don't miss The Din TONIGHT!



We'll close with a new update video from Mike's former Haggith/Din colleague Curtis McKenzie, which he posted onto PaperClip Productions' Facebook page on Tuesday. The black and white video serves to update fans about the current updates and plans from PaperClip-associated artists, so what do we learn in it? Curt started by plugging his classic metal band Project 421's return show next month, before noting that local folk/acoustic solo artist Shit Creek Survivor's album recording sessions are coming along well at PaperClip, though a release date isn't known yet. He next revealed that Mike Haggith's upcoming "Neighbourhood Watch Revisited" re-release (with the early-mid 2015 Din lineup) is "steadily nearing the completion stage", though he doesn't foresee a final release until October. Curtis next noted that his long-gestating solo debut CD is "finally in the engineering stages", but as has been the case in the past year, he didn't give any details on what form and/or sound it will take.

Curtis plugs the ongoing contest on the defunct Haggith's Facebook page next, reminding fans that if their page gets 475 likes, the 475th person will win a Haggith merchandise prize package, and if they hit 500, the band will play a reunion show. For each, they are 60 and 85 likes away as of this writing, and the deadline is May 10th! He finishes by plugging Eclipse's upcoming Rednecks Saloon shows tomorrow (albeit sans The Elements) and on May 20th (though with the incorrect date), and teasing a 4/20 surprise that we'll cover in an upcoming post. Packed and informative, though with slightly muddled audio, so check out the full video below, and stay tuned for more from PaperClip Productions!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our review of last night's triple header at LopLops Lounge next! Thanks everyone!

Most Of This Weekend's Local Hard Rock & Punk Concert Previews!!

On this Thursday morning, let's kick off this weekend's concert previews by looking at some shows on each side of the border from tonight through Saturday! For reference, we will touch on Sunday's Reanimator concert, Saturday's recently announced multi-band show at Rednecks, and anything else on late notice tomorrow, so look for that then, and here's what you should know for today's previews!

Fresh off of their Skate By Day, Rock By Night Tour of Southern Ontario, local grunge/alternative trio The Pixo Control, post-punk quartet Gnaeus, and alt-hard rock quartet Id Iota will return to the local stage at LopLops Lounge TONIGHT! Now morphing into the last leg of The Pixo Control's "Tour Petite", this is the first local show in about two months for The Pixo Control, who should be in fine form with their recent momentum! Both of the openers will unveil their newest band members on a local stage for the first time tonight (namely Gnaeus drummer Alex Proulx and Id Iota bassist Dan Linklater), with both bands also playing in the Soo for the first time this year, which hasn't been since June in Id Iota's case! That said, tomorrow is the de facto local CD release party for this union of Free Beer & Dirty Few alumni, as Id Iota's debut EP "Maudlin Fair" will be on sale, so bring extra cash to get a copy! Promoted by Ears & Eyes Online's Jackson Reed, doors open at 8:30 PM for this 19+ concert, which has a $5 cover charge.

Note that this show was originally slated to be headlined by Toronto indie duo Moon King with locals Aldous and Telephone & Address joining The Pixo Control as local openers, but the show was massively overhauled after learning that Moon King couldn't make the event. This should be a fun concert, and if all goes according to plan, I hope to be there for my first ever concert review at LopLops, so I hope to see everyone there! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Pixo Control live!



Next up, let's take a detour to Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula for some hard rock action there this weekend, starting with new local blues/hard rock cover quartet Project 906, who will play their first ever concert at The Strongs Motel & Tavern in nearby Eckerman TOMORROW NIGHT! Aside from coverage of Werehold Records artists and archive material from The Tumble Inn, Eckerman (45 minutes west of the Soo) isn't a common sight for our coverage on the SMS, but The Strongs Tavern has been experimenting with live bands in recent months under their new ownership, and it'll be interesting to see how Project 906 do as they continue to expand their range! The Ten Kings successors will be on at 9:00 PM tomorrow, there's no announced cover charge, and you must be 21 or older to attend. Check the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's this talented quartet live in Brimley!



Also this weekend, Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63 will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT as they continue their generally monthly gigs at the Soo and St. Ignace branches! The Sir Charge/Monkey's Uncle successors have developed into a reliable and very entertaining sight at the local Kewadin Casino lounges, and with another weekend on tap in their hometown, definitely consider checking them out for some classic-tinged hard rock favourites! Remember, the band hasn't openly promoted concerts in advance on their Facebook page since February, but that doesn't mean that they're cancelled, as personal accounts and media postings confirm that they're still playing the previously announced dates. 9:00 PM start times, 21+ age limits, and no announced cover charges are expected for this weekend, so see above for more details, and here's Highway 63 live!

Finally for this preview post, we'll head back to Sault Ontario for local hard rock solo artist Tym Morrison's latest acoustic gigs at Gliss Steak & Seafood, which take place TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT as usual! A longtime presence in the local scene with Caveman Morrison and in solo gigs, Tym's ongoing weekly arrangement at Gliss has proven to be reliable for matinee unplugged entertainment since it's debut, so keep it in mind if you're up for Tym's extensive range of covers this weekend! While on the subject, we've changed the link for Tym in our band links from his website to his Facebook group, as his website has been down for a couple of months now (no idea why, but the domain name doesn't seem to have expired, and the Caveman Morrison site is still up.) Tym should be on at 6:00 PM both evenings, and while neither has a cover or age limit, remember that this is a sit-down restaurant. See above for more details, and here's Tym live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more weekend concert previews next, and we'll see you at LopLops TONIGHT! Thanks everyone!