LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & Banned), Plus Most Weekend Concert Previews!!

With August drawing to a close and September beginning very shortly, here's most of this weekend's concert previews! Due to it's prominence and Saturday night scheduling, we're holding our Diamond Head preview until tomorrow's post, likely as the headlining topic, so don't worry, it's coming! Leading off today, we have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, including a couple on SHORT NOTICE, so here's what you should know!

Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the Kewadin Shores Casino in St. Ignace for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed these shows via their Facebook event page yesterday, and these dates are not listed on the Kewadin entertainment page (the next advertised Northern Pines Lounge bookings there from any band are at month's end.) After an eventful month with shows in Gould City, Sugar Island, and the Soo, Banned will head back to St. Ignace for their first shows at this Kewadin branch this year, and this should be another solid chance to see Alex, Wayne, and Don's fan favourite range of covers, so keep TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S shows in mind if you're in the E.U.P.! Remember, Banned are also scheduled to play this venue in three weeks as well, shows that they announced back in June.

As usual for Banned's trips to a Kewadin Casino lounge, TOMORROW & SATURDAY's concerts will each take place at 9:00 PM, you must be 21 or older to attend, and there are no announced cover charges. Check the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Banned live!



Next up, we'll move to previously announced concerts (including some upcoming future gigs), as Sault Ontario hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to Gliss Steak & Seafood for three more acoustic solo concerts TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY! This should be another fine way to spend your evening over the Labour Day weekend, but as this weekend's shows straddle both August and September, I'd say it's safe to add Tym's remaining Gliss shows in September to our concert calendar. As such, look for Tym to rock the Quality Inn's house restaurant with thrice-weekly unplugged matinees on September 7th-9th, 14th-16th, 21st-23rd, and 28th-30th as his ongoing arrangement at Gliss marches into the fall. No word yet on shows at other venues this fall, but keep these ones in mind!

This weekend's (and next month's) shows are 6:00 PM events with no announced cover charges or age limits, but remember the locale. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!



Other currently known hard rock or metal shows this weekend are exclusively on SATURDAY NIGHT, including the third Bay Mills Bands Together fundraiser concert, as the local charitable promoters will bring their bats to the Bay Mills Ballfield in nearby Brimley, Michigan for a concert and softball tournament! This event is designed to help recent Brimley High School graduate Brandon Mills in his ongoing fight with leukemia, with all proceeds going to him and his family as they continue treatments, so visit this link for more details on Brandon's battle! This unique fundraiser will merge a double elimination softball tournament with a live concert, and for full details on the former aspect (all teams are secured), visit the official Facebook event page. Musically speaking, hard rock quartet Project 906 will headline this event at the on-site pavillion by the waterfront playing at 10:30 PM, while masked local metal quartet Stoned Ape Evolution will make a rare appearance as co-headliners at 9:00 PM (great to see them back!)

Opening bands will include acoustic rock duo Strange Brew and past solo performer Ken Jahnke's new band Damn Jahnkes at 8:00 & 7:00 PM respectively, while a 3 hour open mic block will precede the bands at 3:00 PM. Bay Mills Bands Together III will begin at 8:00 AM with the first softball game of the day, this is definitely ALL AGES, and while there is no cover charge, donations will of course be accepted, and don't forget about planned 50/50 and prize draws for the cause. This sounds like a great and original event to help Brandon in his cancer battle, so check the above links for full details on Saturday's entertainment, and here's Project 906 live!



Finally for today's previews (Diamond Head is coming tomorrow), local funk/hard rock/improv quintet Gianni Gagoots will promote their second show under their Like Ten Productions banner THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, as they open for Montreal jazz/rap/funk band The OM Sound in their return to the Soo at The New American Pub! Announced well in advance back in May, this show comes fresh off of the Gagoots' well received Northern Vibe Festival debut, and this should be another fine chance to check out their creative instrumentals, not to mention an encore from The OM Sound, who memorably headlined Six, Two, Oh.'s Holiday Funk Show in December at the same venue (and featured Gianni Gagoots as one of the opening acts.) The OM Sound's engaging hybrid originals should mesh well with the local openers' harder-edged jams, so keep this show in mind for Saturday as well as the S.S. Soppress lands at The New A for Like Ten's sophomore effort!

There is a $5 cover charge for this 19+ show, which begins at 9:00 PM that night. Whether you're in this for The OM Sound, "the thick funk from the heart of the Great Lakes", or a little bit of everything, this show should be a fine option for genre fans and wearers of black socks & sandals! Check the Facebook event page for more details, and here's Gianni Gagoots live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Diamond Head preview and more news and notes tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Spun), AlgomA/Shit Liver Split Details, And New Videos!!

Before we begin this post, we have a concert cancellation to acknowledge, as tonight's Nova Rex show at The Rockstar Bar is no longer taking place. The Florida hair metal headliners have reportedly dropped out of the show due to a band member falling ill, as per The Rockstar Bar's Hayley Warnock on the Facebook event page yesterday. Very disappointing, but hopefully Nova Rex play up here at some point in the future, this was shaping up to be a big event! Now, today's post features some new videos, and big album updates, but to lead off, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month!

Marquette cover hard rock quartet Spun will return to The Satisfied Frog in Sault Michigan for one night only on Friday, September 22nd! Two months removed from their last stops in our neck of the woods, the Nudge successors will be back in full force for another night of hard rocking classics for their E.U.P. fans, so circle September 22nd on your calendars to help ring in the fall season! This show is definitely advertised as being on Friday the 22nd only, no word on why they're not playing at The Frog on Saturday the 23rd, or if it's omission is accidental. Similarly to Spun's past Frog gigs, expect a 9:30 PM start time in three weeks, you must be 21 years old or greater to attend, and there is no announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for current details on this concert!

Next up, here's the latest updates on the upcoming split album from local metal trios AlgomA & Shit Liver, so what's new to say about "Trading Faces"? As per Shit Liver's Facebook page on Monday, the digital release of the split will take place on September 5th (THIS COMING TUESDAY) via both bands' respective Bandcamp pages, and while Shit Liver will also post their half on YouTube, they couldn't guarantee the same for AlgomA's half. The release date for the physical cassette tapes still appears to be two weeks later on September 17th, and they will be on sale during their Ontario/Montreal tour run next month (which ends at The New A on October 2nd) and online via AlgomA's label Deadbeat Media, though we await specifics on the release otherwise. As for the content, throw all assumptions about potential originals you had hoped to hear out the window, as this is a covers-only album! AlgomA are only doing songs by Dead Mouth and Kittens (they've played the latter live before), but expect these to be slow and sludgy!

Shit Liver will tackle songs by Leftover Crack, Macabre, Deicide, Antischism, and Dystopia, but one big twist here is that the two bands will also cover each other, with AlgomA covering "Fabricated Nonsense" and Shit Liver either including or re-recording their sped up grindcore version of "Fell Down A Well" from 2015. I didn't expect this to be a covers release, but it'll be very interesting to hear how this one turns out, so check the above links for full details and song names, and stay tuned for updates on the split's price and availability when it comes in, hopefully starting on Tuesday!

Closing today with new videos, here's a new live streamed clip from local hard rock quintet Skeyes of Seven's Facebook page from two weeks back! This video was intended as a promotional clip for their return set at the now cancelled Eye of Horus concert this past weekend, but the video is still relevant to share, as it's a performance of a new Skeyes of Seven original song, which I believe is entitled "Differences". The band's first video with their full current lineup (as recorded in their recent jam session locale), you'll hear a solid new original that fits with their existing original repertoire, and I'm sure it would have played well live, but hopefully we'll get a chance soon at another event! If only this wasn't filmed on a vertical camera angle, but it's still great to see a full five-piece Skeyes of Seven for the first time in 3 years, so give their new live video a look below, and stay tuned for more from their camp!



Finally for today, here's a new videos of Project 906 guitarist Joe Jenkins, as shared by Sault Michigan music store Crooked Music's Facebook page on Monday! Remember, Joe is their current guitar instructor. Originally posted to Joe's personal Facebook page, this features a test run of the Ashmun Street music store's most expensive guitar pedal while playing a Reverend Sensai 290 guitar, as recorded the day prior when the store was closed. This is a bit of an instructional or demonstrative clip with Joe talking to the camera about the gear, but he has some nice bluesy riffs to show off, so give it a look below, and don't miss Project 906 in Brimley this Saturday!



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

Haggith - "Apocalypse II" Review!!

Now's a good time for our 98th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, as we're taking a long overdue look at the fourth of five studio CDs from defunct local hard rock/grunge quartet Haggith, namely their concept sequel album "Apocalypse II"! With no major new local hard rock releases, we'll tackle an archive album this month, as tied in with Haggith members' recent sets with The Din, Eclipse, and Project 421. Recorded at & released through Paperclip Productions on May 9th, 2015 prior to their Swampstravaganza V set at The Canadian, "Apocalypse II" was Haggith's final full-length studio album, and the conclusion of their zombie apocalypse concept series outside of their three mainline studio releases. Instrument credits on this album are widely varying, so this is just a generalization of credit for each performer, but Haggith's 2014-2015 lineup recorded this album, with only ex-guitarist Daniel Horton performing on all tracks.

The primary lineup here features Daniel alongside singer/rhythm guitarist Curtis McKenzie, bassist Jordan Leach (in his studio debut with Haggith), and drummer/backing vocalist Mike Haggith, with all but Jordan providing keyboard & synthesizer input on most songs, and Daniel's Project 421 bandmate Frank McGillivray performs guest guitar on the three "Home" tracks."Apocalypse II" is now out of print, but copies sold for $5 during their brief sale period in Haggith's last active months, and while it (and their last EP "XIV") is not available on Bandcamp, the whole album can be streamed at Haggith's YouTube channel, and song names here are linked to those copies. If you want a physical copy, inquire with members on possible availability, and/or check The Rad Zone! Also, as a reference note and spoiler for the end of the first "Apocalypse" from November 2012, songs are primarily wrote here by Curtis & Daniel, with Mike only credited on 4 songs.

In the first album, Mike was the title character, an astronaut who returned to Earth during a zombie apocalypse, finding no hope in the new reality, and returning to space to end his life. His lack of writing credits is a presumed acknowledgement of his character's demise at that album's end, but how does "Apocalypse II" evolve across it's 10 tracks and 40 minute runtime? Read on to find out, but spoilers lie ahead! The album begins with "Apocalypse", which is solely performed and composed by Curt & Dan. A melancholy number, the song basically serves as a re-telling of the first album's storyline and Mike's saga therein, and it's well done on that basis, but Curtis' vocals could be toned down a little to match the symphonic and mid-tempo instrumentation. Not the best showcase of Haggith's full sound, but an effective way to bring fans up to speed who haven't heard the first album at all or in a long while!

Second is "Hands of Death", which is the first full band performance on this CD, and arguably it's only song to have a signficant presence in live concerts. Opening with a solo guitar section from Daniel that sounds like a folksy "Master of Puppets", this song alludes to trying to escape zombies and survive, not unlike "If You Get Out Alive" from the original album, but it is a much heavier song with strong vocals! That said, the production does not accentuate this song's aggression as well as how it came across in concerts, so it sounds a little tinny, and Mike's cymbals are too prominent. Still a solid number, complete with a quality guitar solo, and Jordan asserts himself well on bass! Next is "Immunity", which also has the full band, but it's a complete change in pace, instead being a piano-driven ballad about perseverance and survival in the apocalypse at any cost. Honestly, this is the strongest track yet, harbouring effective and affecting orchestration, better matched vocals, and stronger overall production, helping this track that's very heavy in a different way!

Fourth is the shortest song on "Apocalypse II", the sub-2 minute "Spreading the Disease". Another complete sound departure, this track feels like a country/bluegrass ditty sung around a campfire, with the guys (sans Jordan) even breaking out a hand drum, shakers, and spoons for percussion. The lyrics about the spread of the zombie virus and fate of the Earth obviously are a huge contrast from the music, but the amusing irony alone makes this worth a listen, and for what it is, it's well performed!

The next three songs (uploaded together on YouTube) are parts 5-7 of "Home", concluding the suite of tracks begun on "Apocalypse I" over two years prior, with Mike getting his first co-writing credit for these songs. The first 4 'Home" tracks were about Mike's return to his home, realization of what happened, and tumultuous departure, and these songs follow similar themes, with part 5 themed around actually going home, part 6 featuring ghost-like spoken word from Mike and assorted sampled audio with minimalistic guitar work, and part 7 (the album's longest track, I believe) continuing plans for part 5 as the quest to go home continues. The hard to critique "Part 6" aside, parts 5 & 7 definitely have a Project 421 vibe to them, partially thanks to Frank McGillivray's strong guest guitar performances, and Mike has a nice drum solo during part 3 as well! As a pure classic metal epic, the second half of the "Home" suite does the job nicely and arguably is the CD's peak!

Song #8 is "Tribute to Mike Haggith", which directly acknowledges Mike's character's death at the end of "Apocalypse I", and serves as a eulogy to his character's life, presumably once his fate was uncovered upon the return home. If you can get past the fact that the real Mike Haggith is both alive in reality and a backing vocalist on the track, this is an effective memoriam to his character, who you did get to know throughout the first "Apocalypse", and while not a technical epic like "Home (Parts 5-7)", it does what it sets out to do! The penultimate song on the CD is "We Are The Damned", which opens with a somewhat meandering 90 second-long intro before finally truly beginning as a song where Curtis acknowledges the bleak future in the zombie-ravaged Earth and what the future holds. Another softer number, but with more of a deliberate and dark mood, this is similar to "Hands of Death" in that the production masks some heaviness in the performance, but in Curt's swan song on the album, he delivers his strongest singing yet, and Daniel's a solid match on guitar and bass!

The album closes with it's title track, "Apocalypse II", an instrumental that does not feature Curtis in any way, and has Jordan's only writing credit on the CD (and Mike's only one outside of the "Home" songs.) A medium paced hard rocker with prominent synthesizer usage late, the song has a deliberate, almost swing-like pace that leaves the ending to the album's story in a more ambiguous state than on "Apocalypse I". This song isn't bad, and has a good groove to it, but it lacks the emotion and mood from earlier songs with lyrics. As for the album's over-arching story, it's harder to precisely pin down than on the first CD, especially without lyrics available, but it comes across to me like Curtis (the narrator), Daniel, and Jordan are friends of Mike that are trying to survive in the zombie apocalypse, and are banking on their hometown being a safe haven, but once they discover that it's been hit and Mike is dead, they have to come to terms with life as it now stands. I may be totally off base, but that's my perception.

So, what do I think of Haggith's closer to their zombie concept album saga? Overall, this is an intriguing compliment to the first "Apocalypse" that feels like it's follow-up, but is also very different at the same time! Whereas 2012's album was a rock opera about Mike Haggith's fictional character with his and Daniel's writing as the driving force, he and Curtis McKenzie swapped places here, with Curt taking over as primary singer, narrator, and co-writer, giving this album it's own sound. Like before, this doesn't have the feel of Haggith's mainline trilogy aside from "Hands of Death", with "Home" feeling more like Project 421, and other songs all having their own sounds, be they rich and orchestral, dark and melancholy, or even infused with country! The lyrics of this album are (to me) more open-ended and vague, but the themes of a zombie-infested wasteland are still present, and everyone performs well, with Curt's vocals generally a strong fit, and Daniel Horton handles guitar and bass well no matter the sound!

Jordan Leach's increased bass parts are welcomed here compared to Caleb Cachagee's single appearance on "Apocalypse I", and while less of a presence in story & in studio here, Mike Haggith asserts himself on drums and through backing & spoken word vocals! I still prefer Haggith's debut "Dragon Joy Ride" out of my own heavier music preferences, and some of the production doesn't benefit the moods of the songs, but as a full piece, this is a worthwhile listen to bring Haggith's "Apocalypse" saga to a close, with a little something for everyone, but for my picks, the "Home" suite and "Immunity" are my highlights. Stream the whole album at the above links! I hope you guys liked our long overdue review of Haggith's final un-reviewed studio album (their extra releases "For The Cause" and "Flight 75" are possibilities in 2018), but as for our next CD review, I am 99% sure that it will be "Trading Faces", the fast-approaching split covers tape from AlgomA and Shit Liver, so look for that next month, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the site over the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (AlgomA), New Video Finds, And More Updates!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to acknowledge late changes to the K.I.C.K./Elements show at LopLops Lounge on Friday, which did not take place (Saskatoon's Whiskey Jerks played on Friday after all.) The concert was actually scheduled for last night, with K.I.C.K. citing a booking mix-up at the venue for the error, but as they were in Ophir for the Northern Vibe Festival, they missed what was actually the Chicken-Like Birds show, only with The Elements now playing after them in lieu of Sometimes Ange. Hopefully it was a great show from both bands, and apologies on our end for not getting this on the site sooner! Now, for today's post, here's some new videos, assorted updates, and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local doom metal trio AlgomA and local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver are joining forces for an eastern Canada tour next month in honour of the impending release of their "Trading Faces" split tape, and the tour will wrap up with a New American Pub concert here in the Soo on Monday, October 2nd! Marking arguably their largest Canadian tour run yet, this will be AlgomA's first local concert appearance in 3 months, while it will be Shit Liver's first stop in their hometown in about a year & a half, so if you've missed Josh, Mike, and Matt since last spring, don't miss their New A return in October! This show is one of 11 dates scheduled for the two bands this fall, including the tour kick-off in Toronto on September 22nd, a St. Catharine's show on the 25th, a Montreal date on the 28th, and shows in North Bay and Sudbury on the 30th and October 1st as they wrap things in the north, so stay tuned to band pages for details on other tour dates. FYI, the bottom of the poster seemingly confirms a release date of September 17th for "Trading Faces", which hasn't been stated otherwise by either band.

Potential extra bands have not been announced as of this writing, nor has a cover charge or event page, but expect this show to be a 19+ event with a 9:00 PM start time on October 2nd, and I'd be surprised if Six, Two, Oh. weren't promoting, given their obvious AlgomA ties. Despite being a Monday nighter, it's great to see AlgomA and Shit Liver join forces for a tour to match their upcoming split, so stay tuned for the teased early digital release and more on "Trading Faces" as it rolls in, and of course, keep watch for updates on what will be a highly anticipated night of local metal!

Next up, here's a new Jimi Hendrix cover video courtesy of... Shit Liver frontman Josh Penno?! In a cover that sort falls into the void between the aforementioned band and their St. Catharine's-based bluegrass side project Dirtfight, this rendition of "Hear My Train A Comin'" was posted to Josh's YouTube channel earlier this month under the handle "Penno-Cash". The video was produced by his own independent film company Spacebag Productions, and features shots of him walking (I presume) outdoors in St. Catharine's, as intercut with Josh playing acoustically on a plain white backdrop. While Dirtfight opened up a new side to the guys of Shit Liver already, this bluesy unplugged solo number does more of that, and Josh has a very good clean singing voice that fits the track! Give Josh's solo performance a look below, and watch for guest appearances from an AlgomA patch!

Also today, here's a Blood Shed Productions track that I only just discovered when compiling their YouTube channel's feature profile on Friday, one which I thought warranted a belated mention in a post, and it's the label's first rap-rock song! Posted to their channel back in June 2015, the song is "The King of Rhymes & References" by label rapper Jean-Paul "Phat Boii" Archambault, but he has a full band behind him, including Them's Tyler St. Amour on guitar, Rotopsy bassist Tyler Gibson, and his Brutally Fatal bandmate Austin McCrae on drums (not to mention, Jean-Paul was a former bandmate of Tyler's in the defunct Tomgrindy.) The song proper has the instrumentation mixed too low, but Phat Boii's rhymes are amusing and quick while retaining the skill seen in his traditional songs! This is also partly notable as a Blood Shed Productions song with a full band rather than a minimalist solo/duo act, so it's worth a listen on that basis, which you can do 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 or promoter name:

• Griphook are back! After taking over a year off following their Rotaryfest Stage 1 set last July (largely due to frontman Joel Syrette's college commitments out of town), the hard rock cover quartet announced on their Facebook page on Wednesday that their hiatus has ended, and that they "will be coming at you live real soon". No word yet on their return date, but this is great news from this talented veteran outfit, so stay tuned for Griphook's next shows when announced, and they're back in our active band links!
• A young local guitarist named Rainey Rancourt is looking for a metal and rock-liking drummer who'd be willing to jam with him and an already-found bassist towards some original compositions. If you're interested in more details, message Rainey at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Wednesday!
• The aforementioned Six, Two, Oh. have apparently cancelled plans to host an online battle of the bands in December, as per the Facebook event page on Friday, simply saying "Yeah, nah..." in regards to the event. A reason for the online battle's cancellation wasn't announced, but given that band registrations weren't slated to begin until November, I hesitate to immediately blame low band interest. This was shaping up to be an intriguing contest, but hopefully Six, Two, Oh. revive their Live @ series on YouTube in another form, and don't miss their next concerts!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site as the month winds down, including this month's CD review! Thanks everyone!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: Blood Shed

It's now time for this month's YouTube Channel Profile, our randomly selected look at 1-3 (one this month) YouTube channels whose content is at least 50% devoted to local metal, hard rock, and/or punk artists and concerts! This month's random selection is of the channel of a local indie label whose content isn't for all tastes, visually or sonically, so bear that in mind just in case. That said, they have a loyal fanbase, many talented musicians within, and are celebrating their fifth anniversary this year, so read on below for this month's YouTube Channel Profile!
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Blood Shed (http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_Dw5V-Z54Mc2NNVv6sbDhQ)

Owner: Blood Shed Productions co-founder Tyler "Ringsnaps" Gibson, also well known from his vocal and multi-instrumental work with label-signed grindcore and metal projects Crucify the Whore, Rotopsy, Brutally Fatal, and Malignant Neoplasm, as well as bands like The Noochin' Lanterns, Tomgrindy, and T.E.N.

Channel Timeline: Launched on November 13th, 2012; Videos posted from that day through November 2016.

Channel Summary: The official YouTube channel for local independent grindcore/horror rap label Blood Shed Productions, this is one of the most prolific channels for uploaded content from local musicians, featuring (at last count) 227 individual videos! While some live performance videos have been included from jam sessions and concerts alike, including select performances from non-label acts, most content (especially earlier uploads) has been of audio content from released demos. About 2/3rds of the channel focuses on Blood Shed metal projects (largely projects featuring Tyler), with the remainder focusing on the label's rappers.

Why You Should Watch: While the divisive lyrical content, cover artwork, and presented metal subgenres will definitely not be to all readers' tastes (tread lightly if easily offended), the Blood Shed Productions channel will be essential viewing for long-time fans of the label, not to mention horrorcore rap, goregrind, and death metal, especially if you like your metal bands to have 2 members or less! It's very hard to single out individual videos on a channel this big, so if you're a fan, you'll have a good time combing through this one! That said, while the label is still active, 2017 has been a quieter year for the Blood Shed, and that has helped lead to no new uploads on their YouTube channel yet this year.

Our Recommended Videos To Check Out

Crucify the Whore - People These Days: The most viewed video on Blood Shed Productions' channel (and 6 of their top 10) comes from C.T.W.'s debut demo, though all of these songs have names and an album cover subject that may offend some readers, so I've chosen not to embed them here. Instead, here's the channel's most popular video with more a more benign title & visuals, and it's the October 2013 upload of C.T.W.'s song "People These Days", posted to preview the goregrind solo project's 2014 release "Welcome to Earth". This is quintessential C.T.W., with Tyler's brutal guitar work meshed effectively with programmed drums and pig squeal vocals, and while Blood Shed loyalists will be right at home, this will definitely not be all readers' cup of tea. The full album can be heard on this channel as well, but be warned that some song titles and the cover artwork may be offensive.



Rotopsy - Cops N Moms ( Uninvited Uninvited ): Most concert videos on the Blood Shed channel come from Oddfellows Hall concerts or house parties, but this video is featured here due to it's improved lighting and stage set-up, giving us a better look at goregrind/death metal duo Rotopsy playing their fan favourite original "Cops 'N Moms", inspired by noise complaints at a house party set of theirs. Filmed at The Primavera Hall during their set at November 2014's Sault Band-O-Rama concert, this song is one of Rotopsy's more accessible originals, with shouted vocals from Tyler and lead singer Dylan Taylor rather than growling, but it's an amusing number that easily gets a good response during Rotopsy sets! The studio version of this song has also been uploaded to this channel, courtesy of the label's 11-way split release in 2015, as have other live renditions.



Brutally Fatal - Stomp Your Feet (Live): I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge Blood Shed Productions co-founder Austin McCrae in this profile, given his own deep roots with the label as rapper Miracle Man and via his work in two different versions of his death metal project Brutally Fatal (initially spelled "Brutaly"), though each version's brief runs as Re-Born & The Revolution aren't documented on the channel. Otherwise, Austin's Blood Shed work is well represented here, including via jam session and live videos of both versions, with Austin on vocals & guitar or bass, and Tyler joining on drums for two stints with Mk. I. This video comes from a basement jam at label-signed rapper Phat Boii's residence in June 2015, capturing more of a punk-flavoured original that has lots of aggression and a unique side-stage angle! Videos of C.T.W. and Rotopsy have also been uploaded from this event, albeit with different camera angles.


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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! Next month in this series, we'll be taking a look at another randomly selected YouTube channel, and that random choice will be ForAllThatIsLost Fatil, better known as the official channel for the defunct early 2010s Central Algoma death metal band For All That Is Lost! Sticking with death metal here to kick off the fall, so look for that on or around September 26th, and stay tuned for more news and notes soon! Thanks everyone!

Sault Michigan-Area Weekend Concert Previews, Plus Last Month's Poll Results!

Today's post is half devoted to Sault Michigan-area weekend concert previews, and half devoted to closing last month's poll on your favourite concerts of early 2017, and I profusely apologize for the delay, as the poll was supposed to have been closed last week. Blonde moment coupled with recent quiet stretches for posts on the site, but given the low voter turnout, it doesn't look as if there was any delay, I guess! First though, here's this weekend's remaining announced hard rock show previews!

We'll start at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, where Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm are scheduled to return for solo headlining concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Marking their final E.U.P. appearances of the summer, these shows will be Adam, Dave, and Jeff's first in our area since rocking both the Soo and St. Ignace Kewadin branches last month. Scarkazm always deliver a solid weekend of hard rocking covers and originals when they travel north for Kewadin gigs, and these should be no different, so keep these shows in mind when planning some concert action in Sault Michigan over the coming nights! As usual for Scarkazm's local gigs, these are 9:00 PM events with no announced cover charge, and you must be 21 or older to attend. For more details, visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here, and for a preview, here's Scarkazm live!



Next up, here's our last of this weekend's hard rock concert previews (barring a very late notice announcement), as Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Project 906 will return to The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in nearby Brimley for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Last seen headlining year #2 of the Rudyard Musicians Festival last week, this will surprisingly be Project 906's first show at the Back Bay Grill this year, but it should prove to be another solid evening of familiar and fan favourite covers, so consider a trip to "your perfect up north retreat" tomorrow for 906's live show! Note that this will be their last show of the summer months, with Bay Mills Bands Together on September 2nd next on their docket. A 10:00 PM start time is in effect for this 21+ show, which has no announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Project 906 live!



Finally for today, here's our one week-belated results for last month's poll on this question: What was your favourite local metal, hard rock, or punk concert in the first half of 2017? Honestly, if you didn't know I forgot to close the poll last week, the 8 vote total still wouldn't be all that impressive (alas), but there is a clear winner, so thanks to everyone who did vote, and here are the final results from the past month + 1 week!

CKY & The Wild at The Canadian Nightclub on June 8th (4 votes, 50%)
The Din at Go Skateboarding Day on June 21st (1 vote, 12.5%)
Northwest & Greg Callaghan at LopLops Lounge on May 27th (1 vote, 12.5%)
Rock 4 Autism at The Canadian Nightclub on May 6th (1 vote, 12.5%)
Gianni Gagoots at LopLops Lounge on February 18th (1 vote, 12.5%)

 Live705's January Jam at The Canadian on January 21st (0 votes)
Gnaeus at Searchmont Skateapalooza on February 4th (0 votes)
Garbageface & Pseudo at The New A on February 21st (0 votes)
K-Man & The 45s at The New American Pub on March 5th (0 votes)
The Din & Andrew Pucci at The Gore Street Cafe on March 10th (0 votes)
Live705's March Mash-Up at The Canadian on March 11th (0 votes)
AlgomA & Pillory at The New American Pub on March 30th (0 votes)
Who Made Who at The Rockstar Bar on April 7th (0 votes)
Live705's Easter Bash at The Rockstar Bar on April 15th (0 votes)
The Hazytones & Eclipse at The New A on April 23rd (0 votes)
Soo Art Rocks! at The Canadian Nightclub on May 12th (0 votes)
Ruptured Birth at The Oddfellows Hall on June 4th (0 votes)
Handsome Sandwich at The Rockstar Bar on June 10th (0 votes)
Electric Church & Speaker at The Canadian on June 18th (0 votes)
Beaver Slap & AlgomA at The Rockstar Bar on June 24th (0 votes)
Other (0 votes)

What do you think? Well, given the low vote turnout (despite the bonus week, apologies again), only 5 shows got any attention in the poll, leaving 15 shows without any votes, including such surprising snubs as K-Man & The 45s and anything from promoters Live705. It's all in who votes, I suppose, Honestly, the shows that did get a vote were half surprising, with the free Go Skateboarding Day festivities, Northwest's return show, the Rock 4 Autism fundraiser, and Gianni Gagoots' debut all tied for second place, shows that I didn't have tabbed to finish that high, so congratulations on that level! That said, the clear winner with 50% of the total was the CKY concert at The Canadian on June 8th, and that was a personal prediction that came true, as that show was packed with fans and entertaining from start to finish, and it was a thrill to finally CKY live, even without Deron! Thanks to everyone for voting, and these five voted shows will return for our poll on your favourite concerts from the entirety of 2017 next year!

Our monthly polls will now go on ice again until next year due to low turnout, but they will return for our "favourite _____ of 2017" polls in January regardless, so look for them then, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Northern Vibe Festival, The Elements, And Tym Morrison)!!

Before we begin this weekend concert preview post, just a heads-up that Sunday night's Eye of Horus concert has apparently been cancelled, as per the deletion of it's Facebook event page by promoters yesterday morning. A reason for the cancellation wasn't publically announced, but hopefully nothing bad happened, I was eagerly awaiting this one! The show had also quietly been moved from The Canadian to The Rockstar Bar before being called off, but that venue never publically acknowledged the show online. Hopefully we hear more from Live705 soon, but in the interim, let's tackle this weekend's previews, including SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

One week removed from their joint Canadian Nightclub concert, indie rock quartet K.I.C.K. and funk/ska/hard rock quartet The Elements will join forces once again to rock LopLops Lounge TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show had been announced since last month on K.I.C.K.'s Facebook page, but The Elements' opening slot was only confirmed on Sunday, albeit with more notice than last week's show had. This should be another solid evening of folk and indie rock originals, as contrasted nicely with some ska-infused heavy originals and covers to "kick" things off, so keep TOMORROW'S K.I.C.K/Elements encore in mind for your weekend plans! For what it's worth, LopLops' website lists Saskatoon folk band The Whiskey Jerks as playing tomorrow instead, who confirm the same on their website, with K.I.C.K. instead opening for B.C. country/blues duo The Chicken-Like Birds (featuring Soo native Ari Lantela.) on Saturday.

So, what's the story with those events? For the latter, Sometimes Ange are now advertised to open for The Chicken-Like Birds (source here), and while The Whiskey Jerks' website still lists a LopLops date tomorrow, K.I.C.K. have advertised TOMORROW'S show since last month without any mention of an out of town headliner. Hopefully nothing bad happened! That all said, expect a $5 cover TOMORROW, as well as a 19+ cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time. Check the above links for more details, and here's The Elements live!



Next up, we finally have schedule confirmation for THIS WEEKEND'S third annual Northern Vibe Festival, as Toronto ska punk sextet Adam's Mind and local improv/hard rock instrumental collective Gianni Gagoots will rock the "Forest Stage" at the Hempfest successor festival on SATURDAY! Again, apologies for the short notice, we were waiting for public confirmation of daily schedules before calling anything on here, given that this is a multi-day festival (beginning today with bands starting tomorrow.) After not featuring any punk or hard rock bands in last year's outdoor event on Poplardale Road in nearby Ophir, the SATURDAY lineup will be bookended with bands that fit the SMS well, including the local debut of Adam's Mind, whose lively sound (including three horn players) should appeal to ska fans, two tone and punk alike, at this third-year festival! They're headlining at 11:00 PM, as preceded by Arizona solo guitarist and past Hempfest performer Scott Huckabay at 9:00 PM, and Niagara Falls progressive rock quintet The Road Waves at 7:00 PM, fresh off of their local headliner in June.

Remaining Saturday bands include Toronto reggae/soul trio The Harmonauts at 5:30 PM, the aforementioned K.I.C.K. at 3:30 PM, and Gianni Gagoots (who opened for The Road Waves in June) opening at 1:30 PM, while a Native American Dance Theater troupe from Cedar, Wisconsin will play a special set separately from the musical lineup at 11:30 AM. Tomorrow's abbreviated four band lineup will feature Sudbury bluegrass band Murder Murder alongside local openers Frank Deresti & The Lake Effect, The Steeltown Playboys, and The Shannon Moan Trio, while the separate "River Stage" will feature DJs and turntablists (local or otherwise) all festival long, including such familiar faces as DJ Spruceau & The Dub Selectah, while magician Ryan McFarling will also make the rounds to entertain festival goers. Sounds stacked to me, so visit the official website for more on all of this year's musical entertainment! Art installations, food trucks, and vendors will also be on hand all weekend long, and yes, camping is available on site for all of you fans staying multiple nights!

Tickets for the entire weekend are $90 or $60 for just SATURDAY, and while this may seem expensive, look at all you'll be getting this weekend! You can buy tickets online at this link or in person at Planetary Pride on Queen Street East, The Vape Escape on MacDonald Avenue, The Plant Farm Company on Third Line West, or presumably at the gate in Ophir, though note that there's no listed 2 day price for Friday & Saturday. This sounds like a great way to kick off year #3 of the Northern Vibe Festival, and with a little more of a ska/punk angle on SATURDAY, don't bypass all of this weekend's action if you can help it! Here's Adam's Mind live!



Finally for today's preview post, prolific hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to The Barrelhouse Wine & Whiskey for another solo acoustic concert THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, joining his ongoing Gliss Steak & Seafood matinees TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY! Apologies for the short notice on the Barrelhouse show, it was only announced via it's official Facebook event page yesterday. Staying very busy with his weekly Gliss trifecta as well as recent Monday and Tuesday night appearances at Mark's Breakfast Plus, SATURDAY's return to the Queen Street East tapas restaurant will mark Tym's first traditional Saturday night concert set there in three weeks, so if you're craving some acoustic hard rock cover favourites, be there or at The Quality Inn's house restaurant over the next three evenings! This weekend's Gliss shows are 6:00 PM events with no age limit, while the Barrelhouse show on SATURDAY is at 10:30 PM with a 19+ age limit.

Also, while none of these four shows have a cover charge announced, come prepared just in case, given that these are restaurants first. For more details, visit the above links and/or click here, and here's Tym live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Sault Michigan-area weekend concert previews and more on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Project 421), Dour Concert Preview, And Much More!!

Another quiet weekend is now passed during our recent quiet stretch (is there a groundhog for the local music scene that saw it's shadow?), but we are back with a new news post on this Monday, so before you check out the solar eclipse, here's a new archive album find, a special Wednesday night concert preview some assorted updates, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local classic metal quartet Project 421 will return to The Canadian Nightclub for another headlining concert on Friday, September 8th! Marking just their third concert since their triumphant return to the stage last month, this show comes just under a week following their set opening for Diamond Head on September 2nd, so hopefully they're still riding high from that huge opportunity and deliver a solid night of old school metal renditions! Though ostensibly another toe into the water for The Canadian's return of solo bands on weekends, they will have an opening act, namely alt-punk quartet A Dire Setback, who also opened for 421 last month at the same venue among other bands. Can't go wrong with a punk appetizer, let alone from a band with A.D.S.' already high profile! A cover charge has not been announced for this 19+ event, which has a 10:00 PM start time. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and don't miss out on this metal and punk double act next month!

Next up, here's a preview of a special concert going down THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT at The New American Pub, as Saskatchewan grindcore band Dour will make their local concert debut! Possessing a crust and sludge-infused attack, Dour's brand of power violence should melt many faces at The New A on Wednesday night, so if you're up for some mid-week extreme music, you know where to be! Local support will include death metal standouts The Bear Hunters in their first of two shows in a five night span (look for our Eye of Horus preview on Saturday, in all likelihood), while extreme metal quartet Winkstinger will end their 15 month stage hiatus when they kick off the action on Wednesday! I have no idea where Winksringer have been in the past year, but how will they look and sound compared to their run of shows last spring? Find out in a few nights' time! Co-promoted by Slumshine's Brenton Ellis and Gore Street Cafe owner Nicole Dyble, this 10:00 PM concert has a $7 cover and a 19+ age limit in effect.

Making one of the final stops of their No Sign of Grief Canadian Tour before heading home, Dour should brutalize the stage with their hard grinding and sludgy originals, and with two opening acts you don't see on stage nearly enough anymore, don't bypass this concert if you can help it! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Dour live!

Also today, I am proud to say that I have finally purchased a local CD that I've been seeking out for years, and that is defunct hard rock quartet Infrastrate's only EP "Phase I: Commencement"! After years of coming up empty for the long out of print CD, I happened to discover two copies on the front counter of The Rad Zone for around $6, and I of course grabbed one, so what should you know on it? Released in late 2005 after being recorded at Cherry Valance Sound that August with co-producer & current Northwest drummer Marc Santos, "Phase I" arguably marked their final act as a solely local band before moving to Ottawa shortly after sessions wrapped up. In terms of content, the EP has 5 songs, including "Smoke & Mirrors", "Tyrande", "Detached & Tied Down", "Causal Nexus", and "Hindsight", and while all but the middle track had previously been posted on the band's PureVolume page, the copies there of "Tyrande" & "Causal Nexus" were not the EP versions, and I now surmise that they were pre-release demos.

Is a review of Infrastrate's EP imminent on the SMS? Probably not, as the band (including singer Joey Paciocco, guitarist Patrick Webb, and Nick & Ben Ochoski on bass & drums) aren't in any active local bands to tie one in with, though Patrick & Ben have been active recently in Ottawa-area bands. That said, their progressive-tinged hard rock sound and solid chemistry is very present on "Phase I: Commencement", and as someone who very much cares about local music history, it's great to have a copy at last! Give "Detached & Tied Down" a listen below, and hear more from Infrastrate above courtesy of old & new uploads on our YouTube channel!



I have one more very cool archive album find to share on here soon once I get the tape converted (you read that right), but finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• I have changed the link for local film production company 62nd Chamber Productions from their website (which was taken down earlier this year) to their YouTube channel, which is still up, but hasn't seen new content in three years. Ran by AlgomA frontman Boyd Rendell, 62nd Chamber was a prominent source of content from both local concerts and from short film production (remember "The Last Strand"?), and hopefully we see more from them soon in addition to much more from AlgomA & Six, Two, Oh.!
• I have moved local pop punk solo project Anthems vs. Oceans to our inactive band links, as the former For July have not posted a public update referencing their music since July of last year via their Facebook page (though, for full disclosure, posts have been made on non-musical subjects as recently as May.) Dave's a talented musician, and hopefully we hear some new updates on Anthems vs. Oceans material in the future!
• Just as a belated house-cleaning note, I have removed HMV from our linked pages entirely due to the now-closed music store chain's website now being reduced to an image and text about their final closures in April, a state that likely won't be reversed given the entire chain folding. HMV was a useful and reliable store when it lasted, but don't bypass Sunrise Records in it's old Station Mall location for your CD, vinyl, and DVD needs!

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

Rudyard Musicians Festival Preview, A New Solo Video, And Much More!!

As promised, our extended preview of a major returning music festival is leading off today's post, but we also have a recent video upload and a few recent news and notes, so here's what you should know!

The second annual Rudyard Musicians Festival goes down TOMORROW, where 13 regional music acts will rock out at Rudyard Township Park (18725 South Mackinac Trail) all day long, and despite the earlier indication of "NO METAL", there will be some hard rock acts to help close out this sophomore installment! Harbouring a largely similar lineup to last year (only Stoned Ape Evolution, Second Offense, and The Gaskins aren't back), this year's Musicians Fest will be headlined by Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Project 906 at 11:00 PM, fresh off of their recent Moloney's Alley gigs, while classic rockers and festival organizers Steelhead (with guest performer Jimmy Bishop) will co-headline at 10:00 PM. Online page-less experimental hard rockers and festival newcomers The Karstens will return to the stage at 9:00 PM, while classic rock band The Whole Shabang will also debut here at 8:00 PM. Remaining acts are largely country or bluegrass-centric unless otherwise stated, and they 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 singer Hayley Malaska at 3:30 PM, the solo festival debut of 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 the day's musical entertainment at 12:00 PM. In a related musical note, TONIGHT will see an open mic "free for all" at Rudyard Township Park, as organizers feel that they might as well use musical equipment that's already set up, so keep that in mind if you love open mic nights and jam sessions! As was the case last year, the Rudyard Musicians Festival is a charitable event with all proceeds going to Rudyard Area Schools' music and band programs, which is a great gesture on their part! An ALL AGES event, admission is $5 tomorrow save for kids 10 years old and under, who will get in FREE.

Concessions will be available all day, including a $5 pig roast (again, kids eat free here), while camping on site will be available free to festival patrons today through Sunday, so keep all of these details in mind! This is shaping up to be another entertaining installment of this E.U.P. festival, and it could serve as a fine sequel to the musically similar Sugar Island Festival last week, so visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for more details, stay tuned for potential fallout, and here's Project 906 live at last year's Rudyard Musicians Festival!



Next up, here's a new video of Sault Ontario hard rock/experimental guitarist and Audiofumes podcast host Mike Cliffe, courtesy of his YouTube channel on Tuesday, and it's of a work in progress guitar track named "Afro Shuffle". With a name inspired by the backing African drum tracks, this song is less heavy and honestly has a bit of a progressive/world music vibe that even has some country-ish tinges. Hard to explain, but well performed and melodic, so give it a look below, and check out more above!



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 event name:

• Apologies for the delay in this making a proper news post ("Where Are The New Albums?" aside), but the title and cover artwork for AlgomA & Shit Liver's upcoming split cassette tape were each revealed via both bands' Facebook pages on August 1st! Entitled "Trading Faces", the artwork (by frequent AlgomA collaborator) puts a sludgy spin on the movie "Face/Off", I'll say that much! No word yet on the release, other than a tease that it will be posted on Bandcamp before tapes themselves are put out, but stay tuned for updates on this anticipated split in any event!
• Nova Rex bassist Kenny Wilkerson was interviewed by Brian Kelly for a Sault Star article yesterday, where Kenny discussed the Florida hair metal band's first Canadian tour in 2 decades (including their Rockstar Bar show on August 30th), their new album, past tour memories, and more. Nice interview overall, especially to prime fans who may not be familiar with Nova Rex, so give it a look above or in yesterday's paper! Unfortunately, it also appears that local classic rock openers Nikkfitt have disbanded, as per the deletion of their Facebook page, and the above article indicates that the opening act is now "to be announced".
• The Oh!NO 2017 Music Festival at "Robbie's Church" in nearby Leeburn on September 9th has one more confirmed act, as DJ Seith will now close the night with a set of his turntable mixes. Solid choice, and some added variety, so look for him to wrap things up in three weeks! Also, despite earlier advertising in the affirmative, plans to have a shuttle bus to get fans to and from the event have been cancelled, with co-promoter Jamie Vincent citing the bus' cost for the change in plans, though he encouraged ride-sharing or Union Cab as alternatives. Good to know in advance, and see above for more festival updates as we approach the 9th!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site next week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Banned, The Elements, And Tym Morrison) & Most Weekend Concert Previews!!

I know things have been quiet on the site over the past week, and while the weekend's two day break was partially for personal reasons, the last two days were definitely due to a recent slow patch for stories at our news desk. That said, a busy weekend of concerts is upon us, including a few SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for good measure, so we'll tackle most of those today, while saving Saturday night's Rudyard Musicians Festival for tomorrow's post to give it proper emphasis given it's scale and timing. Now, here's what you should know to start this weekend!

Kinross classic/hard rock trio Banned will play a rare concert at The Savoy Bar in Sault Michigan TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's official Facebook event page on Sunday. A one nighter due to Banned's road trip to Gould City for a concert there on Saturday, TOMORROW'S show is, as best as I can tell, Banned's debut at the 117 West Portage Avenue nightclub, as hard to believe as that is. Fresh off of their successful return to the annual Sugar Island Music Festival, this should be another solid local showcase for Alex, Don, and Wayne, so keep TOMORROW'S show in mind for some hard hitting and fan favourite covers! A 10:00 PM start time is in effect, you must be 21 or older to attend, and there is no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Banned live!



Next up, we'll head back to Sault Ontario, where local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements have reportedly been named as openers for TOMORROW NIGHT'S long-anticipated K.I.C.K. headlining concert at The Canadian Nightclub! Apologies again for the short notice, this show had been advertised for weeks as a solo event for the indie rock quartet, but The Elements were only just publically confirmed yesterday to kick things off. Arguably their biggest headlining concert yet, the Keep it Cool Kids will be playing multiple sets at The Canadian TOMORROW from their upcoming album along with new cuts, and this should be a prime opportunity for fans to check out K.I.C.K.'s skilled originals! As for The Elements, they're riding high off of their own headlining set last week at The Rockstar Bar, and their ska-influenced mix of heavy and alternative styles should help set the tone TOMORROW, despite their late confirmation! Another 19+ event, a 9:00 PM start time is advertised, though have money on hand in case there happens to be a cover charge.

K.I.C.K. have impressed fans routinely with their smooth indie rock sound in the past few years, and The Elements will add their own "element" to give fans of a heavier persuasion a little something TOMORROW NIGHT, so keep this huge show in mind, and here's The Elements live!



Lastly for new announcements, prolific local acoustic hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to Mark's Breakfast Plus at the Market Mall THIS MONDAY & TUESDAY to go along with his regular Gliss Steak & Seafood shows TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY! Again, apologies for the short notice on the Mark's gigs, these were only just announced via their own Facebook event page on Sunday, and while their timing would suggest that we'd cover them closer to Monday, I'm lumping them with the Gliss shows for synergy & to ensure that the Rudyard Musicians Festival gets proper emphasis in our next post. Three weeks removed from his debut "weekend" at the new breakfast-centric diner at the Second Line West mall (with collectibles store and ice cream parlour from the same owners also now open there), Tym will have two more evenings of unplugged rock classics in store for fans and patrons there on MONDAY & TUESDAY!

And of course, Tym's ongoing weekly run at Gliss marches on with evening gigs tonight through Saturday, so keep this run of 5 matinee shows in 6 nights in mind! All of these shows have 6:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and no age limits, but remember that both venues are sit-down restaurants, albeit with very different menus and environments. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here and above for more details on these 5 upcoming shows, and here's Tym live!



Finally for today's preview post, we'll close with a show that entirely had lots of advance notice, as Vancouver hardcore punk quintet The Alien Boys will make their local concert debut TOMORROW NIGHT when they rock The Rockstar Bar! Don't let their name fool you, this band is actually an all-female group, and are the current project from former Rebel Spell guitarist Erin McGillicuddy, so if you've missed that band on a local stage, here's a quality alternative! The Alien Boys' brand of upbeat yet edgy punk rock should find another solid audience tomorrow night, so keep them in mind for your weekend concert plans! Local openers will include online page-less death metal duo Twistory (in just their second public concert set of the year) and new local indie/hard rock trio Vol. in their second public concert total. If you missed Steve, Shane, and Matthew earlier this month, and don't want to wait for online media to be posted, come to The Rockstar Bar tomorrow to hear what Vol. have in store in their sophomore outing!

A rare Six, Two, Oh. concert to take place at The Rockstar Bar, tomorrow's 19+ show has a $5 cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time. This should be a solid night of diverse musical action with some punk and metal sprinkled throughout, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Alien Boys live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Rudyard Musicians Festival preview and more tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Dour & Project 906), The Wolves Of The North, And More!!

After a much needed weekend off from the site, I am back in full force with a stacked news post today, featuring two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, and a new video from one band in question, and some assorted updates from a local promoter, so here's what you should know!

Saskatoon grindcore band Dour will make their local concert debut on August 23rd (one week from Wednesday!) when they headline at The New American Pub! Another talented extreme metal attraction to help end the summer season with, Dour's sludgy and crusty originals provide a solid punk-tinged attack with lots of brutality to go around, and they should rock The New A sufficiently next week! Local openers will include death metal favourites The Bear Hunters (in their first New A set of the year) and the long awaited return to the stage of extreme metal quartet Winkstinger, ending their year+ long hiatus with their first show since May 2016. It's great to have Winkstinger back in action in advance of their Oh!NO Festival set next month, but are there any changes or new additions? Be at The New A next week to find out! Notably, this show is being co-promoted by Slumshine's Brenton Ellis and Gore Street Cafe owner Nicole Dyble, despite not being held at the laundromat, which is interesting to see!

This late stop on Dour's No Sign of Grief Canadian tour has a $7 cover charge, 19+ age limit, and 10:00 PM start time. This should be another brutal concert to help send August out with, especially with Winkstinger's return and The Bear Hunters continuing to re-assert their place in the scene, so stay tuned for potential updates, and look for our preview next week!

Next up, we'll head across to the Eastern Upper Peninsula, as Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Project 906 have one more new show to announce, as they'll return to The Strongs Tavern in nearby Eckerman for one night only on Saturday, September 23rd! Announced last week in a schedule posting on their Facebook page (though this was the only show there not previously acknowledged publically by the band), this will mark Project 906's first trip to this venue in over five months, and it should provide another solid opportunity for fans in this area to hear their entertaining cover selection! A 9:00 PM start time is announced for this 21+ show, which has no announced cover charge. See above for more details, and before we forget, here's a new Facebook video of Project 906 from their outdoor Moloney's Alley set this past weekend during Moloney's Michigan Beerfest, and it's an amusing cover of The 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up?"!

Project 906 will look different here, both via guest bassist Barney Gravelle for a mini-Ten Kings reunion, and by featuring drummer Will Storey on vocals (I assume Billy moved to drums here.) Despite the vertical camera angle and distant filming location from the stage, the rendition is funny, and should bring to mind Shit Liver's own humorous take on this song from shows on the Canadian side of the border! Give it a look below, and don't miss them at the Rudyard Musicians Festival THIS SATURDAY!



Finally for today, here's the latest from Jack Spades frontman and local concert promoter J.D. Pearce, who's been busy over the past week! His promotion agency's Facebook group has been renamed "Northern Superior Brewing Co. Presents", reflecting his recent working relationship with the local brewery. This also returning his agency to a sponsored name after previously aligning with Tidal Records, hence their recent "wolves of the north" teasers. Hopefully this is a fruitful partnership on both sides, and it's great to see two different local entrepreneurs joining forces! To that end, J.D. has announced a few new events, including a mini-tour of Northern Ontario in early November entitled "Wolves on Parade", where Jack Spades and bassist Rob Speers' other band The Elements will open for Sudbury death metal band Archelon, who have played in the Soo before, most recently in October 2014. A local date hasn't been confirmed publically for before or after the tour, but of course, we'll let you know if one is set up!

In any event, this should be a fun tour, also giving fans a rare chance to see The Elements on the road, so see above for details on the Sudbury, North Bay, and Timmins gigs! The other new show from J.D. will be the return of his X-Mess acoustic punk concert event after a two year hiatus, with local punk mainstays Lucas Schmiedendorf and Greg Callaghan scheduled to perform alongside other acts on Saturday December 23rd at 9;00 PM. The cover will be $10, but a venue has not been publically confirmed as of this writing. Stay tuned for updates on that front, but it's great to have X-Mess back for the holidays, and click here & above for current details on J.D.'s late-2017 plans!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and features as the week rolls along! Thanks everyone!