LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Alien Boys, Rudyard Musicians Festival, And Project 906!!)

With a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT hitting the wire this afternoon, here's a surprise second news post for your Thursday night! That is also joined by two more new concerts taking place over the same weekend in just under a month's time, so read on below for what you should know, and check out other weekend concert previews and more in the post below this one from this morning!

Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Project 906 will return to Moloney's Alley for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced this show via their Facebook page earlier today. Still a largely unfamiliar venue for our coverage, the 227 West Portage Avenue bar played host to a private Project 906 show last month for Sault Area High School's class of 1997 reunion, but as far as I can tell, TOMORROW'S show is a regular, publically attendable show. Last seen at the King's Club Casino in Brimley two weeks ago, Project 906 are no strangers to branching out to atypical concert venues in the E.U.P., and hopefully things go well at Moloney's Alley TOMORROW! No word however on if the show will be outdoors again or indoors, but the picture they used to promote the event was from their outdoor set at the aforementioned reunion. Expect a 9:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and a 21+ age limit, so check the above links for more details, and here's Project 906 live last month!

Next up, here's some more new concerts with more than a day's public notice, starting with another new show from Sault Ontario promoters Six, Two, Oh.! Unusually taking place at The Rockstar Bar rather than their usual New A stomping grounds, this event on Friday, August 18th will be headlined by the local debut of Vancouver hardcore punk quintet The Alien Boys, but despite their name, they're actually an all-female group featuring former Rebel Spell guitarist Erin McGillicuddy. This will be nothing new for fans who saw Beaver Slap locally last month, but The Alien Boys' solid and energetic brand of punk rock should gain them their own audience locally, so don't miss them on the 18th! Local support (both in their Rockstar Bar debut) will include death metal duo Twistory's second live set of the year, as well as the second concert appearance period from Vol., the new indie/hard rock trio from Pixo Control and Aldous alumni. Nice diverse lineup, so don't miss out next month!

A $5 cover charge is in effect for this 19+ concert, and a 9:00 PM start time is in effect. Check the official Facebook event page for more details, and don't miss out on what should be a fun night of varying kinds of alternative music action! And yes, we are aware of a major concert event announced by Six, Two, Oh. for this fall, but we are waiting on confirmation on the venue and if it technically has a public address before we get ahead of ourselves on here. Stay tuned though, as this will be a big event!

Finally for tonight's post, the full lineup for this year's second annual Rudyard Musicians Festival in nearby Rudyard, Michigan was finally announced on Tuesday, so who all is rocking Rudyard Township Park on Saturday, August 19th? Mostly the same bands as last year, with only Stoned Ape Evolution, Second Offense, and The Gaskins not returning, so if you liked the inaugural Musicians Fest lineup, here you go! Despite previously indicating that there would be "NO METAL" this year, hard rock acts do populate two of the three top slots, with the aforementioned Project 906 headlining at 11:00 PM, as preceded by classic rockers/event promoters Steelhead (with guest performer Jimmy Bishop) at 10:00 PM, and sporadically seen experimental hard rock group The Karstens as one of this year's new bands at 9:00 PM. Good to see them back on stage! Fellow newcomers The Whole Shabang will tackle their own classic rock covers as well at 8:00 PM, while remaining performers are mostly in the online page-less country or bluegrass realm unless otherwise stated.

Other acts will include The North Country Band at 7:00 PM, The Wednesday Night Headliners at 6:00 PM, Robert & Bob Malaski at 5:00 PM, Jimmy Williams at 4:00 PM, pop artist Hayley Malaska at 3:30 PM, festival newcomer Kevin Blakeney at 3:00 PM, Crossroads alum Denny Verrett at 2:00 PM, Traverse City experimental outfit The Neighbourhood Dogs at 1:00 PM, and The (New?) Jazz Trio opening at 12:00 PM. Lots of talent on hand this year, so keep them all in mind! As well, organizers have confirmed that Friday the 18th will play host to an open mic night, as all of their equipment will be set up already, so "we might just as well use it" for a "Friday night free for all." You never know what you'll get with an open mic night, so if you're in the neighbourhood, this might be worth checking out! Free rustic camping will be available on sight for that weekend, while there will be a pig roast and other concessions for good measure. Admission is $5 a person, but kids 10 years old or under get in FREE, and like last year, all proceeds go to Rudyard Area Schools' music and band programs, which is always a worthy cause!

Despite promoters' earlier claim of no metal this year (no word on if that's specifically why Stoned Ape Evolution aren't back), it's nice to see some music on the heavier spectrum again this year, so if you're a fan of country or some more rocking music, you have options in this sophomore event, which is for a great cause and definitely looks to be a friendly event for fans of all ages! Visit the above links for complete details on this year's Rudyard Musicians Fest, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the SMS in the coming days! Thanks everyone!