LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The 3 Day Millionaires & Tym Morrison), Plus Faps Concert Videos!!

Happy Halloween, everyone! Before we begin this post, I wanted to acknowledge that Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Project 906 played a short notice Halloween concert at The Inn Gastropub & Smokehouse in Paradise on Saturday night, but as Paradise is just past our coverage range of one hour from the Soo, I didn't rush it into a post. Hopefully their Paradise debut went well though, you don't hear of many shows out there! Now, here's some new videos and some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one on SHORT NOTICE!

Sault Ontario hard rock solo singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to Mark's Breakfast Plus at the Market Mall for a special mid-week matinee concert TOMORROW, with further gigs planned there on from Monday, November 13th through Wednesday the 15th! Apologies for the short notice on TOMORROW'S show, Tym only confirmed it via it's Facebook event page on Friday, while the mid-month triple run of gigs are currently advertised on SooToday's events calendar. Continuing his late-year increase of shows at the former Kackleberry's location at the west end mall, these new shows mean that Tym will have played three out of four Wednesdays at Mark's dating back to last week, while the shows in a couple of weeks mark his first Monday and Tuesday nighters there since last month. I don't know if a Gliss-esque weekly regular arrangement could be in the works, but don't miss Tym's new west end gigs at Mark's TOMORROW and/or in a couple of weeks!

And yes, we will touch on this month's string of Gliss Steak & Seafood shows in our weekend concert previews, likely coming Thursday morning. As usual for Tym's shows at Mark's, expect no age limit or cover charge for these 6:00 PM events taking place TOMORROW and from the 13th to 15th, but remember that this is a restaurant first. Check the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!

Next up, here's some shows with more advance notice, starting with a new show from local classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires, who will return to The Rockstar Bar for one night only on November 11th (one week from Saturday!) Apologies for the delay in this show making the site, it was announced earlier this month, but fell through the cracks. This special concert will see the guys perform as musical entertainment at a fundraiser event for the Community First Wild, an Atom Major A hockey team in the Soo Pee Wee Hockey League. Solid cause, it's always a good idea to support kids in their hockey careers and dreams, and hopefully this event is a big boost for the team as they continue their regular season! Admission is $10 for the fundraiser, which has an advertised 9:00 PM start time, and while I know Atom Major A players are kids, I would expect this is still a 19+ event. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and don't miss The 3 Day Millionares in action next weekend! 

We'll close today with some new videos from a surprising source, namely AlgomA guitarist Boyd Rendell's Instagram page! While largely a personal use page, Boyd did share five videos there from last week's Faps concert at The New American Pub that he promoted with Six, Two, Oh., and while Instagram videos are limited to a minute or less, at least these give us a look at that show! Boyd filmed all three bands that night, including one video of new local acoustic solo project Slumshine (led by former Detroit frontman Brent Ellis) playing what appears to be an original song that may be named "Carry On". While a departure from Brent's past electric work as a singer and bassist, this has a good tone to it, and fans of folksier solo rock should enjoy what he has on offer, though this is admittedly a small sample! Three of Boyd's videos are of The Faps in action (including these videos linked here and here), so what should you know from the Saskatoon punk duo's set?

While these are also short samples, you get a good sense of The Faps' chaotic punk onslaught that suits their two-man lineup well, even with minimal clothing! Yes, both have something on in those other two clips, but just in case, I embedded the one below when a little more was being worn. Also, does the song below sound a little like "Guerrilla Radio" to anyone else? Check out Boyd's Faps videos above & below!

A post shared by Boyd Rendell (@boyd.rendell) on Oct 23, 2017 at 8:26pm PDT

Finally, here's Boyd's video of local extreme/death metal quartet Winkstinger from their opening set at The New A last week! Capturing another minute of brutal original action from the reunited band, this video is the only one of Boyd's from this show to get filters put it on it, turning it black and white with a little blurrier visuals. Not sure why, but the guys sound good, and Josh remains a firecracker on vocals, so give their new video from last week a look also, and kudos to Boyd for filming these!

WINKSTINGER

A post shared by Boyd Rendell (@boyd.rendell) on Oct 23, 2017 at 7:23pm PDT

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews next, in all likelihood! Thanks everyone!

Abhorrent Forest - "Ethereal" Review!!

It's now time for our 100th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, so thanks to everyone for their support, and here's to a hundred more and beyond! This month, we're looking at local instrumental black metal solo project Abhorrent Forest's second digital EP "Ethereal" which was independently released on September 18th via their Bandcamp page, albeit very abruptly without prior teasers, much like their debut, January's "The End of Life". Solely featuring project leader Will "Old Man Wyrn" Tholberg (or just "Wyrn") on all tracks and instruments, "Ethereal" is on sale for $10, rather than the "name your price" model of it's predecessor, and while the entire EP can be streamed for free there as well, consider buying it to support Abhorrent Forest's work! Featuring 5 tracks running for 37 minutes, let's kick off our review of "Ethereal" with the first song, "Halls of the Awaken"!

The change in genre and style from "The End of Life" is apparent quickly on this song, as the "Ethereal" EP puts black metal aside for a dark, ambient, droning, and yes, ethereal sound. This track is fairly monotonous, but it has an eerie calm to it that one could imagine being the background noise in a horror movie's graveyard scene, fittingly enough given the album art. The song doesn't get off course at all, and the ominous overtones work well, but the droning monotone won't be for everyone. Second is "Ghosts", which is the EP's shortest song, but in spite of that, this song has some more sonic variance, with effects giving the impression of spirits moving about over top of the low ominous instrumentation. Assuming this was what Wyrn was going for, I appreciate that it comes across like it could be real and not a bad B-movie, if that makes any sense! Again, this won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it shakes things up enough to keep things interesting.

The next track is "Serpent Lair", and like on "Ghosts", the title seems to be alluded to in the song via some instrumentation that does indeed sound like hissing snakes! This song has an emptier ambiance and keeps the music, as it were, to a minimum for effects, including a high pitched siren-esque tone, and what sounds like waves or perhaps slowed down cymbals. If you ask me, this comes across more like the lair of serpent ghosts! Like on the opener, this song runs for 7 minutes, and you'll have heard everything sooner than that, but it's effective for what it is! That's followed by "The Crying Angel", which is reminiscent of "Halls of the Awaken" but with a louder and not quite as subtle in how it's performed, if that makes any sense. There seems to be some ethereal vocal effects layered in that could be construed as an angel crying, and it has a fuller sound than "Serpent Lair", but there's not a whole lot to add that wasn't heard on the opening songs.

The EP closes with "Torment", which runs for an EP-long 13:13 (that can't be on purpose, can it?) Related in name only to the non-album Gates of Winter original, this song is another lengthy ambient instrumental, which is quieter and more drawn out than anything except "Serpent Lair", though it does feel like a compliment to the opening song as a way to come full circle. The song does break in tone for the final 3 minutes to go even lower and more ominous before building up for a dramatic finale, which works well, but for fans who found the 7 minute songs to be too long... prepare yourself!

So, what are my final thoughts on Abhorrent Forest's second EP? Overall, while I do prefer "The End of Life", this album's sound serves it's purpose, and they showcase Wyrn's range as a musician! This very much reminds me of Telephone & Address' "Rust Orchid" album, which similarly dropped that solo project's established sound for ambient instrumentals, but "Ethereal" takes things to even darker and more ominous territory, and while I doubt it was released as such, these songs would be great as backing music for a haunted house or a Halloween gathering of some kind. This is a tough album to review, as ("Rust Orchid" aside) this isn't something I hear a lot of from local bands, but Wyrn crafted these songs to suit their goals and sound, and he did a great job, with most songs evoking their titles! My big complaint is that many songs go on too long without a change in tempo or instrumentation, which suits the droning nature, but is repetitive for fans not conditioned to it.

Abhorrent Forest clearly aren't afraid to try new things, and while this sound isn't my cup of tea for casual listening, give "Ethereal" a look for some dark and ominous ambience, and it'll be interesting to hear what Wyrn has in store next! I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, but what's coming in November to kick off our next 100 reviews? At the moment, I'm not sure, but here's what we can say. A new metal, hard rock, or punk album will of course take precedence, so look for our next "Where Are The New Albums?" post on or around Thursday for potential review subjects that are in the works locally! If nothing new comes out that we can obtain next month, we'll dip into the archives, and while nothing's confirmed yet, I will tie a review in with a band or artist playing locally next month if at all possible! Due to our six month anti-bias buffer, we won't be reviewing a Treble Charger or Haggith album next month, but both are very possible for 2018!

And yes, The Din's final studio album "Suburban Dream" is being reviewed on the site, but as we just reviewed "The Din Does Laundry" in June (not expecting the second album being released so suddenly), I have to hold our review of the new album until next month, but I will review it as early in the month as I can manage! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

The 2017 Halloween Party (Night #1) Review!!

Hey guys, it's time for our review of last night's opening half of J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween Party concert, so what should you know? While night #1 was forced to move upstairs to The Rockstar Bar for the first time due to The Algonquin Pub/Spin Nightclub's Halloween dance party, it was confirmed last night that TONIGHT's second half will return downstairs, with Cherry Crush performing a full solo concert for the season in The Rockstar Bar, so keep that in mind! There was a solid turnout with lots of costumes brought out for the occasion, and though I can't confirm who won the Friday night costume contest, there were many worthy candidates! I was one of the guys with a court jester hat, albeit with real bells. However, the lineup took a hit before showtime, as Toronto groove metal headliners Decatur (the former Caym) were unable to make it to the Soo due to inclement weather and road closures up near Marathon. Very disappointing, but hopefully they can make it here again in the future! Due to the late notice, they were not replaced.

Opening up last night's concert was new local Foo Fighters tribute The Soo Fighters, who are of course a side project from three members of tomorrow night's Rockstar Bar headliners Cherry Crush. Playing a set of 8 classic Foos songs from their debut album (like "This Is A Call") to 2000s material like "The Pretender", their jamming and pre-existing chemistry paid off, and fans responded in kind to these familiar hard and alt-rock classics! Frontman Jules Cote even looked a little like Dave Grohl with the long wig he put on for their set! He and Jeremey Salatuk paired well on guitar, while the Amendolas kept the rhythm up nicely, and if there's anything I can complain about, it's only by wishing that some other favourite Foo Fighters songs made the cut, like "Something From Nothing" or "Let It Die". Also, nice touch in having Mentos (well, "Sootos") on hand for "Big Me"! Solid set, and hopefully we see The Soo Fighters out and about again in the near future!

The mid-point of the show belonged to local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, under the guise of "Spinal Remains" for a set of Misfits covers. This seemed like a slam dunk idea given J.D. and Chris Thompson' past work together in Fitswitch and Frightlight (who covered The Misfits often), and we did get familiar songs from the horror punk legends like "Hybrid Moments", "Dig Up Her Bones", and "Last Caress" during the set's first half! However, Spinal Remains soon gave way to a proper Jack Spades half-set, which is honestly just as well, as it was obvious that the guys weren't firing on all cylinders on this set (remember, Jack Spades don't tend to cover The Misfits live.) However, they made up for it with an explosive stretch of their own originals like "Motorwolf" and "To The Left", plus covers already in their back pocket like "All My Friends Are Dead" and "X". The tribute set idea was a great one, if only they'd had more time to prepare and get the songs down!

Also, special props to bassist Puff the Magic Dra... I mean, Rob Speers, who I'd never seen live before with Jack Spades, and he was a solid fit, with melodic backing vocals where needed! As Spinal Remains, they were fun & engaging but still ripe, while Jack Spades was well done as usual!

With Decatur's withdrawal, local death metal quintet The Bear Hunters took the headlining slot for their long anticipated turn as "Mount Doom", where they covered Swedish death metal notables Amon Amarth's 2008 CD "Twilight of the Thunder God" from front to back! Love the band, that album, and it's artwork, so I was on board! Nicely adorned in their best viking outfits (albeit at various states of dress), Mount Doom tackled everything from the title track to their regular cover to "Embrace of the Endless Ocean", and yes, "Guardians of Asgaard", with the most packed crowd of the night responding very well to the viking metal brutality, including some moshing! The guys welcomed Jack Spades guitarist Daniel Horton as a special guest to fill things out, and he definitely played up the theatrics for the duration, while he and Mitch Sirie kept the riffs and solos flowing, and Nik Deubel looked and sounded the part, even utilizing a drinking horn, hopefully with mead!

Brutal and crushing way to end the night, and kudos to The Bear Hunters and Dan for delivering a classic album in full for a local audience! Fun night of Halloween concert action, and if you can help it, don't miss TONIGHT'S second half for System of a Down, Nirvana, Blink-182, and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes tributes! You can check out our photos from the show at this link or via our Facebook page, and as for videos, here's The Soo Fighters covering "All My Life", Spinal Remains/Jack Spades playing both "Halloween" and their own "Fear Corps" (one each to reflect both halves of the set), and Mount Doom playing "No Fear For The Setting Sun"!







That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and this month's CD review on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: Peter Bastedo

After a couple of short notice concert announcement-related delays, here's this month's YouTube Channel Profile! This ongoing monthly feature looks at 1-3 YouTube channels (one this month) whose content is at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, or punk bands and concerts, in order to spotlight them for current readers and encourage you guys to check them our and maybe subscribe! This month's randomly selected channel features no content shot in the Soo, but it's got plenty of local ties in action, so here's what you should know on this month's profile!
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Peter Bastedo (http://www.youtube.com/thebigrideau) 

Owner: Peter Bastedo, the former bassist of the Thunder Bay folk rock band Cosmic Granola

Channel Timeline: Launched on May 20th, 2010; Videos posted from later that month through September 2011

Channel Summary: Peter's channel features 5 videos of inactive local/Toronto punk/Celtic rock quartet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide on Southern Ontario tour runs in the early 2010s, with his other videos including 3 of his band Cosmic Granola at a Bob Marley tribute concert in Thunder Bay in 2011, and a wakeboarding video with no direct musical connection.

Why You Should Watch: Give this channel a look for some entertaining footage of Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide on the road during their heyday, especially with the non-local settings! As well, the Cosmic Granola videos will be of note for fans of that band (who have played in the Soo before) and Bob Marley, given the covers theme of their set in that show. However, Peter has not visibly used his channel in at least 4 years, and hasn't posted a video there in 6 years, in case that changes your mind on subscribing.

Our Recommended Videos To Check Out

Dustin Jones and the Rising Tide - Tick Tick Tock: Peter's first three videos come from The Rising Tide's show at The Mansion in Kingston on May 25th, 2010, during an early Eastern Canada tour run of theirs. The videos include a cover of The Beach Boys' "Don't Worry Baby", and their songs "Molly Malloy" and "Tick Tick Tock" (this channel's most popular video), with the latter two songs making both of the band's first albums, without & then with drums. These feature their then-lineup of Dustin on vocals & guitar alongside Sheldon & Marshall Jaaskelainen on fiddle and stand-up bass, and current My Son The Hurricane drummer Dan O'Shea. The audio far outstrips the video quality on these three clips, which have oddly stretched dimensions and come from a trial version of a video converter, but if you can look past that, there's some solid original action here to check out!



Dustin Jones and the Rising Tide - Half My Life (live June 3rd in Sarnia, Ontario): Over a year later during the support tour for their second album "Whiskey Will Be Our Sun", Dustin and the Tide (now with Mikey Hawdon on drums) hit Patty Flaherty's Irish Pub in Sarnia for another tour date, where Peter captured them playing "Half Life", another cut from their second album. Despite closer and brighter lighting, this video's quality still isn't all that clear, but the audio makes up for it, and it's a strong performance!



Dustin Jones and the Rising Tide - Until We Drop/Time Well Spent.wmv: Peter's last video was to have been at a September 2011 show at D'Arcy McGee's in Ottawa during The Rising Tide's fall tour run, but when flooding in the venue forced the show's cancellation, the guys simply played anyway outside of the venue for assembled fans, which was very nice of them! The video sees the guys playing "Until We Drop" & "Time Well Spent" from the "Whiskey Will Be Our Sun" CD, and despite the acoustic-by-necessity performance, this is a smooth and informal jam that fans sure appreciated, and it's absolutely worth a look for fans of Dustin and company!


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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! Next month's (hopefully on time) installment will see us profile a single channel again, namely that of dormant black metal solo project Dullahan, which features five uploads, albeit with enough variance to fill a single profile, so look for that on or around November 28th! That's all for now, but stay tuned for our review of last night's Halloween Party! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Toystock VI & Banned), Plus Rotopsy Updates!!

I know I said that this month's YouTube Channel Profile was coming next, but when compiling it, another SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT hit my Facebook notifications, so we're postponing our feature post one last time to tomorrow morning. It is coming next, I just don't want to let these new shows go uncovered! To fill things out, we have another new show for next month with a huge lineup, and some news from a local metal project, 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 TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Profuse apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced via their Facebook event page this afternoon, with Banned even noting on their Facebook page that this was a "last minute booking". For what it's worth, Kewadin's entertainment page does not list any Northern Pines Lounge bookings until December, so it's not clear if they're specifically replacing anyone that may have dropped out. Continuing their recent string of Kewadin Casino concerts, TONIGHT & TOMORROW'S shows will be their first since rocking Sault Michigan three weeks ago, and their first in St. Ignace in over a month. Also, while they didn't acknowledge Halloween in their postings, Kewadin branches will be holding costume contests tomorrow, so click here for details on that!

Assuming the last minute announcement was out of their control, it's great to see Banned fill in on short notice, so look for their hard rocking covers TONIGHT & TOMORROW at 9:00 PM with no cover charge and 21+ age limits. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Banned live!



Next up, here's a Sault Ontario show with lots of advance notice, as the lineup has been released for the sixth annual Toystock charity concert at The Northern Grand Gardens on Sunday, November 26th! As revealed by promoters Maxx Entertainment on the Facebook event page earlier today, this year's installment of the Christmas Cheer fundraiser event will once again see 10 bands in 10 hours, though this year's features more returning bands than usual, with five bands returning from last year's Toystock lineup, and just three making their festival debut next month. The band order presented on this poster is subject to change, but top billed there are local country cover quartet Bone Yard in their record fifth Toystock appearance, while their blues rock sister band Mojo will also hit the Toystock stage as just the third band to play the event three times, and they'll feature guest singer Annette Bouchard during their set. Three more bands will return from last year's Toystock, including classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires, 1960s-themed classic rock veterans The Peace Vibe, and unidentified Case's Music students.

Toystock VI will also welcome back blues/country veterans The Algo Rhythms from 2015's installment, while pop rock cover quartet Cherry Crush (performers from the inaugural Toystock in 2012) will finally return to this event five years later, and it's great to see Taryn and company back at it! The three new bands on this year's lineup include classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck (though predecessors Mourning Wood played Toystock twice in the mid-2010s), blues rock singer/guitarist Paul Dellavedova & his solo band, and "Jeff & Jeff", a presumed country duo that will feature local radio DJ Jeff McNiece. Solid lineup, and more familiar than ever for regular attendees! As usual, Toystock is a fundraiser event for Christmas Cheer, with all admission fees being via donations in canned goods, toys, or money, which is an excellent cause for the holidays! The Stuff-A Bus will also be on site, as will Santa and Mrs. Claus, so bring the kids!

Expect more prize draws, food and drinks from the Grand Gardens, and more on November 26th, and as usual for Toystock, this is absolutely ALL AGES with a 12:00 PM start time, and one band every hour until 10:00 PM. Things are shaping up well for another year of seasonal entertainment at Toystock VI next month, and with loads of talented musicians (including some hard rock via Soundcheck and the Millionaires), fans won't want to miss out on their familiar covers! See the above links for more details, and stay tuned for continued updates as they roll in!

Finally for today, here's the latest from local goregrind duo Rotopsy, who (much like sister project C.T.W.) have been relatively quiet in 2017, but new activity is being teased on their Facebook page! In August, the band teased that jam sessions were coming after they "found some drum tracks", later teasing on Tuesday that "the wait is over", curiously sharing a picture of an epsom salt bag when posting that. Their long-hinted at EP "A Worthless Collection of Aggressive Noises" will apparently be released "soon", but in the interim, a new video of theirs was put onto Facebook on Wednesday, featuring an apparently now-short haired Tyler Gibson jamming a bass track. The Blood Shed Productions camp has been oddly inactive for most of the year, so it's great to see Tyler and crew back in action at last, and hopefully a live return isn't far off either, so check out Rotopsy's new video below!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Bizotic), Theatre Of Night Updates, And Much More!!

(Updated at 11:05 AM) Before we begin today's news post, just a heads up that it looks like J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween Party concerts tonight and maybe tomorrow will actually be taking place upstairs at The Rockstar Bar rather than in The Algonquin Pub/Spin Nightclub, as the downstairs venue is instead hosting a Halloween dance club night of their own tonight that you can read about at this link. As such, this will be the first time that J.D.'s annual party is held inside The Rockstar Bar, so keep the venue floor shift in mind for TONIGHT and maybe TOMORROW! Now, here's a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT and more assorted news and updates!

Local indie/hard rock quartet Bizotic will return to LopLops Lounge TONIGHT when they open for London pop rock quartet Texas King! Apologies for the short notice, this show had been announced since at least last month by the headliners on social media, but Bizotic's involvement was only confirmed yesterday on their Facebook page. Just under a week removed from opening for The Din in their final concert, this talented trumpet & keytar-infused group will bring their entertaining original jams back to LopLops, and they should deliver another fun set, so don't miss out TONIGHT! As for Texas King, you may recognize them from performing at Sault College back in 2014, and with their alternative-tinged brand of positive and upbeat rock, they should find a fine audience at LopLops as they continue their tour in support of their new album "Circles"! And yes, Bizotic have stated that costumes are encouraged if you've got them!

As well, local indie rock quartet K.I.C.K. will reportedly be on TONIGHT's bill as well, as per a personal Facebook posting by guitarist Tyson Letang, but the band themselves has not confirmed this publically. If true, they're a solid fit! For reference, LopLops' entertainment on Saturday is the return of My Son The Hurricane, and you know how big their shows here can get, so keep that one in mind too for the Halloween weekend! This 19+ show has a likely $5 cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Bizotic live!



Next up, here's the latest from Sault Michigan classical metal project Theatre of Night, so what's new as they prepare for their long-teased Christmas tour? For one, it appears that they've had a change to one of their singers joining them on tour, as Rachel Mender (rather than Jordan Flesch) is tagged or featured in the most recent shared & posted material on Theatre of Night's Facebook page. A reason for Jordan's apparent exit wasn't announced, but hopefully nothing bad happened with her! If Rachel sounds familiar, it's because she was a former backing vocalist for the local epic metal band Integrated System of Machines, which also featured keyboardist Craig Harrison & guitarist Steve Giles in varying lineups, so it's great to see her back with them in this project! In fact, Rachel is the focus of the two newest videos on their Facebook page courtesy of their rehearsals in Holland, so what should you know on those?

The first one was directly posted to the page last week, featuring Rachel singing "What Child Is This" in suitably operatic fashion, while embedded below is the one shared via Craig's personal Facebook page on Sunday, and it features her singing "Away In A Manger". She's a great fit for the classical side of the tour (including a Soo stop on December 16th), and while we're not hearing anything new in terms of song selection here, these are nice previews, so give them a look above & below! Despite what the below still may suggest, fellow vocalist Stacie McCarthy doesn't sing on either clip.



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

• As per a recent Facebook event page edit, Sault Ontario death metal quartet The Bear Hunters have quietly been named as openers for the Special Ops concert at The Rockstar Bar next week, replacing A Dire Setback. A reason for their withdrawal wasn't publically announced, and while I believe I know why A.D.S. are out, I'd rather not go into details here without a band statement. Hopefully all is well, but The Bear Hunters are an interesting replacement act, so look for some death metal brutality next week!
• In their first substantial Facebook page postings on new activity this year, local goregrind solo project Crucify the Whore revealed on Tuesday that they are "cooking up fresh meals", including a new complete drum track and guitar compositions, while an original song of theirs will reportedly be featured on an upcoming compilation release by Illinois' See Thru Teeth Recordings. Great to see that Tyler's back in action with C.T.W., so stay tuned for more from his camp! He also confirmed there that he does have a new Malignant Neoplasm album in the works, which is good to hear, and that cybergrind project is back in our active band links!
• As previously teased, now-defunct alternative/hard rock trio The Din released their second and final studio album "Suburban Dream" on Bandcamp for digital sale on Saturday! It's available for $5 there (half off the CD price if you can still find one), and while there's no digital bonuses, it's great to see that their last full album is now available for people who missed the release concert, so stream or buy it above, and look for our review in early December!
• Local blues/hard rock trio Electric Church are looking to expand to a quartet by adding a second guitarist, as per a post on their Facebook page two weeks ago. They're hoping to find someone around their age who likes to play rock music, so if you might be interested, message the band above or their members on Facebook for details!
• Local hard rock solo musician Mike McCleary posted four new songs onto his Soundcloud page two weeks ago, entitled "Rain", "Disease", "Date Night With Darkness", and "The Best Part" (his Facebook page notes that he recorded one more that weekend, but it either wasn't posted or was later deleted.) No word on if these will make his debut album, but they have a good 1990s-esque sound, especially "Date Night With Darkness", so hear them above!
• The Soo Theater in Sault Michigan was the site of a fire on Tuesday, but a quick response from local firefighters ensured that it remained contained in a back room, with "little visible damage" at the Ashmun Street venue as a result. This is great news, and kudos to firefighters for ensuring that the fire didn't spread, so check out this Sault Evening News article and other pertinent news sources for further details! Remember that the Soo Theater will host the aforementioned Theatre of Night live on December 16th.

That's all for now, but absolutely look for this month's YouTube Channel Profile later today, I promise! Thanks everyone!

Our Halloween Weekend Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

The Halloween weekend is coming quick, but unusually, there isn't a lot of hard rock shows going down this weekend for the occasion compared to past years. That said, there's some big shows going on downtown for fans to partake in and get their costumes ready for, so here's what you should know in rough chronological order!

We'll start this weekend's previews with the talented solo artist whom we started with yesterday, as prolific hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will bring his ongoing weekly concert arrangement back to Gliss Steak & Seafood for three more unplugged matinee gigs TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY to end the month with! No public word on if Tym's shows this weekend will have any Halloween themes, but expect more solid and extensive sets of classic and hard rock covers for patrons and fans alike this weekend, so don't miss out on all of the action at the Quality Inn's house restaurant over the next three evenings! Yes, we will acknowledge Tym's likely November gigs at Gliss next week. As usual for his shows at this downtown locale, expect 6:00 PM start times all three evenings, and there are no announced cover charges or age limits, but mind the locale. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!

Next up, here's the weekend's main event if you want metal or punk entertainment in the Soo for the Halloween weekend, as local promoter J.D. Pearce (in association with the Northern Superior Brewing Company) is hosting his 13th annual Halloween party concert this weekend! Returning to The Algonquin Pub/Spin Nightclub for the fifth time in six years, he's going even bigger for year #13, with two parties planned for TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT each, so what should you know on both? Toronto groove metal band Decatur (formerly known as Caym) will return to our area with new name in tow as headliners, and they should brutalize fans with the aggressive thrashy sound all over again during their Out of the Sewer Tour! No word on if they'll reprise their "MetalliCaym" set from 2015's local Halloween party, but the opening lineup will handle that side of things, including local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades covering The Misfits under the name "Spinal Remains", which will be right up their alley, so they should hit a home run!

Local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters will tackle Amon Amarth (including the entire "Twilight of the Thunder God" album) tomorrow under the name "Mount Doom", with Jack Spades' Daniel Horton filling in for Josh Stephney in a rare set of theirs with a guest guitarist, so prepare for some face melting from them too! The announced openers are new local Foo Fighters tribute band (and Cherry Crush side project) The Soo Fighters, and it will be interesting to hear them in their second live appearance, so don't be late! This show has an $8 cover charge, 19+ age limit, and 9:00 PM start time, so visit the official Facebook event page for details, and here's Decatur live!



As for Saturday night's second half of the Halloween Party, this all-local lineup is more punk-based, and has more of an unpredictable lineup, so who all is on board? The advertised headliners are hard rock quartet Eclipse in a reprise of last year's "SSM of a Down" tribute set, while a (one-off?) Me First and the Gimme Gimmes tribute band named "You First & The Passive Aggressives" will also take the stage prior. A personal Facebook posting indicates that former Caveman Morrison & Winkstinger bassist Ryan Disano will be in their lineup, alongside trumpet player Will Newfeld, but I can't confirm anything else at press time on this band. Former Stereo North frontman Andrew Pucci will be joined by Long Shot alum Adam Dawe and former Gnaeus drummer Brendan Garlick(!) to form the Blink-182 tribute band "Enema of the Soo", while a mystery Nirvana tribute band named "Anavrin" (get it?) are the listed openers, though I know even less on this band.

Note that a planned Sublime tribute set by The Elements under the name "SSMtaria" for Saturday night is still listed on the Facebook event page, but is not on the poster, and the band has not publically acknowledged the party that I have seen, so it appears that they dropped out. If they are still on, we'll let you know! Like with tomorrow's half, Saturday's Halloween party action has a 19+ cover charge, 9:00 PM start time, and despite the all-local lineup, a matching $8 cover, though buy yours online or message J.D. at this link for a discounted full-weekend pass while supplies are available. Also, as this is the Halloween weekend, expect nightly costume contests, with J.D. hinting at Northern Superior Brewing Company gift cards being on hand this weekend, presumably as prizes. Fans dating back to the mid-2000s know the quality & entertainment level of J.D.'s annual Halloween parties, and with double the action this weekend, you won't want to miss out, so get your costumes ready for two nights of tribute metal, punk, and hard rock action! Here's Eclipse covering System of a Down live!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Doors & Fours, Vol., And Tym Morrison), And More!!

Here's another new post for you guys on this rainy Tuesday, so what's new to report before Halloween weekend? Mostly some new LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (one on SHORT NOTICE), but there's also a new video and a lineup addition to take note of, which you can do below!

In advance of his usual Gliss Steak & Seafood gigs (to be covered with this weekend's concert previews), former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return to Mark's Breakfast Plus for a special mid-week matinee concert TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was announced one week ago via it's official Facebook event page, but we didn't have time to slide it into a post before it got too soon to cover it twice. Yes, this is a Wednesday nighter, which may sound odd for his constant stream of solo gigs, but remember that his prior shows at the Market Mall restaurant were on Monday and Tuesday evenings, so non-weekend gigs there appear to be the norm. In any event, if you want some hard rocking music at dinner-time, you have a west end option at the former Kackleberry's TOMORROW, with Gliss shows to follow! This one has a 6:00 PM start time with no announced cover charge or age limit. See above for more details, and here's Tym live a few years back!

Next up, here's a few more newly announced shows with lots of advance notice, starting with the local debut of Hamilton punk/grunge trio Doors & Fours, who will headline at The Algonquin Pub on Saturday, November 11th! If this band rings a bell, it may be from local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades playing with them and past local headliners Big Brother in Hamilton back on July 11th, so prepare for a local encore four months later as Doors & Fours hit the midpoint of the ongoing Canadian tour! These guys have a solid and distorted sound that definitely has that early 90s grunge vibe while still containing heavier stretches, and they should be well received here next month! The aforementioned Jack Spades will return the favour as openers in 2½ weeks for their own exlposive original attack, while at least one more opening band is to be announced. Promoted by Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce, a cover charge has yet to be announced for this 19+ show, which takes place at 9:00 PM. Visit the official Facebook event page for details, and stay tuned for updates!

Finally for today's new show announcements, local indie/hard rock quartet Vol. will return to the stage on Friday, November 17th when they are among the openers for the return of Saskatchewan southern rockers Johnny 2 Fingers & The Deformities at LopLops Lounge! This will be Vol.'s first show since next week's Special Ops concert (more on that in the coming days), while it will also be their third with their teased fourth band member, that being keyboardist Mikaela Murtonen, who debuted at this weekend's Dirtfight concert, and was a prior bandmate of bassist Shane Storozuk's in the band Aldous. No media is online of the expanded lineup yet, but it will be interesting to hear how Mikaela fits in with Vol.! As for the rest of the performers, headliners Johnny 2 Fingers & The Deformities will be making their third local concert appearance, after previously playing here twice last fall (once at LopLops), so look for more southern fried boogie rock from them on the 17th! Montreal alt-folk rock quintet The Union Thugs will also hit the Soo for this concert, so prepare for some accordion-infused rock from them!

Local folk solo project Shit Creek Survivor will also open this one next month, and it's nice to see Jacob staying busy in the lead-up to his own album release! Promoted by Six, Two, Oh., this 19+ concert has a 9:00 PM start time, and while there is no advertised cover charge, last year's Deformities show at LopLops had a $5 cover. This should be a fun concert with a nice variance of sounds from the four scheduled acts, so visit the official Facebook event page for current and continuing updates!

To end this post, here's a surprise: A new solo peformance video from former ApocalyptiCDistroyeR frontman Jesse Middaugh! 3½ years removed from his last video upload on his/the band's YouTube channel (and just the second performance video there since 2012), Jesse posted this video of him performing a new original instrumental on Thursday, and while the video is incredibly grainy, it has a good rhythm to it that would be interesting to hear filled out! ApocalyptiCDistroyeR were not cited in the title or description, so I won't consider them active again on the SMS (yet?), but give Jesse's new video a look below, and watch closely for a cameo from a cat!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for Halloween weekend concert previews and more soon! Thanks everyone!

The Din's Suburban Sendoff Concert Review, Plus CD Information & More!!

Hey everyone, it's time for our review of last night's Suburban Sendoff, a.k.a. the final concert/CD release party for The Din and their new album "Suburban Dream"! Good turnout for the occasion at LopLops Lounge, albeit spread out in the popular venue, but by the end of the night, the floor was nicely packed to send The Din off! I do have some details on physical copies of the CD and an extra video from elsewhere, but let's get our review rolling!

Opening for The Din last night were local indie/hard rock/jam quartet Bizotic, who were a nice appetizer with their unique originals! Everyone played to their strengths during their well recieved set, with Brad Griffith coming more into his own on lead vocals, B.J. Swire handling the keytar with ease, and Travis St. Amour drumming nicely to the rhythm, while Louise Lamothe's trumpet playing and effects work added their own zest to songs like "Subway Delay" & "Echoes In Your Head"! If there's anything to nitpick over, it's that their six song set hasn't really been updated or extended since I first saw them live earlier in the year. They have a lot to offer, I'd be curious to hear some new originals or a longer headlining set from Bizotic! Overall though, Bizotic opened things well to kick off the Suburban Sendoff, and here's to more from them soon!

Then, it was time for local alternative/hard rock trio The Din's final concert set, and they delivered a home run for fans to go out with! Playing a packed setlist that contained every song on "Give In To The Din" & "Suburban Dream" (except "The Rose"), the guys also threw in frontman Mike Haggith's solo song "We Met As Surrogates" (well, "...At The Circus"), and in an encore bonus, a cover of The Tragically Hip's "Blow at High Dough" in memory of the late Gord Downie, which was more than welcomed! Of course, Mike is moving out west for work next week, and he did show some emotion and gratitude to fans, family, and friends while also keeping things light with amusing banter with drummer Brandan Glew, who also was on fire last night! Guitarist Tammy Hill shone as well with some excellent riffs and solos, and fans responded in kind, even via balloons and pom poms making their way onto the floor, so how's that for a way to help send Mike and The Din off?

The big surprise of the night was Mike's announcement that they were recording the show for a posthumous live album (presumably sans their Hip cover), and with that plus Shaw TV's filming of the show for an upcoming Din feature, we'll get to hear and see much more from the Suburban Sendoff down the line! This was a very entertaining show, and you couldn't have scripted a much better finale for The Din, so kudos to everyone involved! We have more on the show to come, but for now, you can check out our photos from the show at this link or via our Facebook page, and here's our videos of Bizotic playing "Dirty Time Machine" & "The Din playing "In The Moonlight"!

 

While we're on the subject, here's some extra details on the "Suburban Dream" CD that was released in a $10 limited print run last night! Of course, I bought a copy, and this is the cover artwork, which was amended for the concert poster. No word on why the band's name isn't on the cover, but it suits the title! Lots of band photos make the packaging, including a collage on the booklet's back page, and one of The Din walking away on the back cover, while the inside contains thanks from the guys to their fans and supporters (as previously seen on Facebook) & album credits. CDs also come with a business card with social media links, and the discs themselves are autographed by the band. Considering the relative rush, these are well put together, even without song lyrics! And no, the album doesn't have a bonus track.  In terms of when to expect a review of "Suburban Dream" on the SMS, I'm targeting early December, as we're not past our 6 month anti-bias buffer yet from reviewing "The Din Does Laundry", so look for our review in a little over a month!

To close our post on The Din's farewell show, here's a video from local promoters Live705's Facebook page from The Din's set! Nice to hear from Live705 again, I wonder where they've been as of late? Possibly filmed by A Dire Setback bassist Matt Quinn, this is of 71 seconds from the latter half of their newer song "Missing", and while filmed on a vertical camera angle, it's got solid audio, and you get a good look at Tammy's guitar solo in particular, so check it out below, and stay tuned for more from Live705!



That's all for both this post and The Din's active run, and while it's sad to see them go, they delivered lots of great times both in the last two years and in the acid jam days with Curt and early collaborators, and it was a great way to send them off, even with posthumous material likely to come! Best of luck to Mike, Tammy, Brandan, and other former members in the future, and hopefully we haven't heard the last from them musically, here or abroad! Thanks everyone!, and look for more news this week!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Incredible Woman), The Faps Concert Preview, And Much More!!

Here's another news post for your Saturday morning reading, so what's contained in this one? A few assorted recent notes, some new videos, and a special Monday night concert preview, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for early next month!

St. John's, Newfoundland post-punk quartet Incredible Woman will make their local concert debut on Saturday, November 4th when they headline at LopLops Lounge! A unique band whose sound ranges from aggressive noise punk to indie and new-wave inspired melodies, these guys should deliver a fun set at LopLops in two weeks, in the second show of their Canadian tour next month, so keep this one mind! No opening bands have been announced at press time, and it's unclear if any will be added. A 9:00 PM start time is in effect for Incredible Woman's local stop early next month, you must be 19 or older to attend, and a $5 cover charge is likely. This should be a solid concert for punk fans to take in, and is it wrong that I detect a Smiths influence on some of their originals? Don't miss out on all of the action as Incredible Woman hits LopLops on November 4th, and stay tuned for potential updates on this concert if they roll in!

Next up, here's our preview of a special post-weekend concert taking place THIS MONDAY NIGHT, as Saskatoon noise/punk duo The Faps will return to our area for a headlining concert at The New American Pub! An unusually quick encore, this show comes just under two weeks after Skyler & Blair opened for K-Man & The 45s here, but this will mark their first local headlining date since their 2014 stop at The New A. Whether you saw The Faps here before or not, they're worth a listen for a blast of minimalist noise, garage, math, and punk intensity, so don't bypass them on Monday if you can help it! Opening bands were quietly confirmed for this concert just over a week ago, and they will include extreme death metal quartet Winkstinger and Destroilet co-lead singer Brenton Ellis' Slumshine project, though the latter still has no public hints as to genre and sound yet online. Come out to The New A on Monday to hear Slumshine for yourself, plus some of Winkstinger's brutal original onslaught for good measure!

Promoted by Six, Two, Oh. (who also put on The Faps' two prior local gigs),  this 19+ concert has an early start time of 8:00 PM due to the Monday scheduling, and while the cover charge is listed at $5, a "pay what you can" model is also being advertised. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details on this stop on The Faps' Good Tour, and here they are live!



Also today, here's the latest from local hard rock band Halfway Loaded, who we have reverted to that name in our band links, as their announced name change to The Twin City Saints has had no public follow-through. If the name does publically change in the future to that or another name, we'll switch it back! After taking September off from public postings on their Facebook page, Halfway Loaded resurfaced with two new videos last week courtesy of guitarist Shane Biron, including this 10 second clip of him playing a pentatonic riff (it's really solid, albeit short!), but embedded below is a longer black & white video of him covering  Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive". Shane and/or the band are "thinking of giving this one a go", and while I'm not a Bon Jovi fan, he plays this one well and with a good tone, even in monochrome! Give Shane's new videos a look above & below, and stay tuned for more from Halfway Loaded when it rolls in!


 
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:

• Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie is looking for production companies or people that can press physical CDs for smaller or local bands, preferably ones in the Sault Ste. Marie area. While one presumes this search is meant for The Bear Hunters' sophomore album "The Dead Testament', Mitch wasn't specific in the posting. If you want to help, message Mitch at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Wednesday!
• In another Musicians Wanted group posting from Thursday, Obsession drummer Steve Porco  noted that he's looking for one or two guitarists (preferably one with vocal ability) for a new acoustic band that he's working on, with acts like Bob Seger, Collective Soul, and Kiss cited for covers. Steve has a female lead singer, bassist, and drummer already enlisted, and he doesn't want someone with an ego. No word on if this is an Obsession side project or entirely separate, but if you're interested, message Steve at this link!
• Today's ninth annual Soo Zombie Walk does not appear to be featuring music as a main component for the first time since year #1. While live music of some kind will take place at The Pita Pit mid-walk, the Facebook event page no longer lists music in the pre-walk activities, there's no advertised afterparty again, and the Pita Pit performer(s) have not been announced publically. Disappointing, but hopefully the walk is a hit as usual, and that the zombies get their fill of brains! For what it's worth, Sykotyk Rampage (who played the last 6 Zombie Walks) curiously haven't made a public statement since December of last year.

That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more on The Sault Metal Scene over the coming days! Thanks everyone!

The Rest Of This Weekend's Concert Previews, Plus Din & Mike Haggith Updates!!

As promised, here's the rest of this weekend's hard rock concert previews (barring any late notice announcements), and this one will be very much centric around one band in particular and their frontman, but it's certainly a big weekend for them, and there is one more unrelated show to take note of! Here's what you should know!

After a successful two year run (beyond if you count their acid jam days), local alternative hard rock trio The Din will amicably disband TOMORROW NIGHT after their "Suburban Sendoff" at LopLops Lounge! Acting as both their farewell show and the CD release party for their second and final CD "Suburban Dream", The Din will make one final stop at the Queen Street East venue to end their local run with a bang, with many songs from their two albums sure to make their set, and perhaps a Hip cover for good measure? The band has teased that just 50 copies of "Suburban Dream" have been pressed for the show, and with a digital release not yet guaranteed, get down to LopLops tomorrow to get your copy before it's too late! Local indie/hard rock quartet Bizotic will open tomorrow night's proceedings with their own creative original sound, so keep them in mind before The Din say goodbye! Doors open at 9:00 PM tomorrow for this 19+ concert, with Bizotic kicking things at around 10:15 PM.

As for admission and album fees, nothing has been firmly stated on the Facebook event page, but for reference, LopLops shows often have $5 cover charges, while The Din's debut CD sold for $10 upon it's release last year. While we're on the subject, this show and The Din's future were both addressed in this new Sault Star article from Jeffrey Ougler, so what should you know on it? The article features interview quotes from frontman Mike Haggith, where he reflects on why they're breaking up, members' future plans, and what to expect from "Suburban Dream", and it's a good in-depth read for fans! In terms of new revelations, Mike elaborated on where he's moving for work, the guys did debate becoming a full touring band before work commitments got in the way, and Mike plans to keep The Din visible with old media postings via their online pages that should sustain things for another two years (after all, the article name is "Inactive, not hushed".)

Also, Mike didn't completely close the door on future Din activity if "Suburban Dream" caught on critically, but it's clear that this weekend's show is the end of this chapter. I'm glad to see that things are ending on a good note and that they'll continue to have an online presence, just as long as there isn't a mass deletion of old pages and media at some point! I hate when bands do that. Don't miss Mike, Tammy, and Brandan's Suburban Sendoff at LopLops tomorrow night, and for a preview, here's The Din live!



Next up, here's one more weekend concert preview, as while The 3 Day Millionaires rock The Rockstar Bar upstairs, The Algonquin Pub (or Spin Nightclub?) will welcome local indie/hard rock band Vol. as they open for St. Catharine's folk/bluegrass band Dirtfight and Hamilton alt-blues duo Frankie & Jimmy on Saturday night! This unique show will see another homecoming from the members of Shit Liver, albeit in their much milder sister band Dirtfight (who last played here last May), while Frankie & Jimmy made fans with their unique hybrid originals at The New A last July, so it's great to see both bands back to cap off their Northern Ontario tour! As for Vol., they'll add a dash of hard rock to the proceedings in their first ever acoustic concert set to open the night, though they teased on their Facebook page on Saturday that they'll have "a little tiny surprise" during their set. Might it be the rumoured fourth band member, or is something else afoot? Be at The Algonquin Pub on Saturday night to find out!

Note that this show is still scheduled for downstairs, despite the planned dance club nights "every Saturday" at The Algonquin Pub/Spin Nightclub, so if there's any public confirmation of a venue conflict, we'll let you know! In any event, the pub has seen recent renovations, likely tied to the Spin Nightclub launch. As it stands, this show has a $8 cover charge, 19+ age limit, and 9:00 PM start time. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Vol. live & plugged in!



Finally, we'll come full circle with some news from the aformentioned Mike Haggith, as he officially re-activated his solo project last week, via his Facebook page! After a year & a half of public inactivity while focusing on The Din, Mike is bringing his solo project back "after some thought", and he noted that he wants to continue to do his part "to provide all of you with the highs & lows you've come to know and love." In terms of solo album plans, Mike left open the possibility of working on one next, though it's not clear publically if he plans to complete and release "Neighbourhood Watch Revisited", the album he was working on when his solo project initially went inactive last spring. As you may recall, Mike released no less than 47 studio albums in either Windsor or Sault Ste. Marie between 2005 and 2016, and it's great to see that he will continue his music career out in Manitoba, so visit the above links for more details, and Mike's back in our active band links!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

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

With the Halloween season heating up, let's kick off our weekend concert previews with most of this weekend's hard rock concert previews! Due to the amount, and to give them proper emphasis, I'm holding our previews of Saturday night's Din farewell show and the Dirtfight/Frankie & Jimmy show with Vol. for tomorrow's post, so don't worry, they are coming! Now, here's what you should know to start the weekend's previews off with, including a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires will return to The Rockstar Bar for one night only THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's Facebook event page on Monday. Last seen at the Taryn Bugyra benefit show last week, this will be The Millionaires' first solo headlining concert in over two months, and this should be another fine opportunity to see this talented veteran outfit on familiar territory, so don't miss out on SATURDAY! No word though on why they're not playing tomorrow, especially as I can't find any public reference to another band playing at The Rockstar Bar on Friday. As usual for their solo Rockstar Bar jaunts, expect a 10:30 PM start time on SATURDAY, you must be at least 19 to attend, and there are no announced cover charges. Check the above links for more details, and here's The 3 Day Millionaires live via some newly discovered videos!

As it turns out, the guys launched a YouTube channel back in May, despite never mentioning it on Facebook, and it has 6 videos from a Rockstar Bar show in November of last year! Filmed on a stationary camera, these include The 3 Day Millionaires covering Alice In Chains' "Man In The Box", Don Henley's "Boys of Summer", Radiohead's "Creep", Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game", The Flys' "Got You Where I Want You", and as embedded below, a trifecta of covers, including Candlebox's "Far Behind", Oasis' "Cigarettes & Alcohol", and The Romantics' "Talking In Your Sleep", the latter with drummer Scott McLurg on lead vocals. I didn't expect there to be such a wealth of 3 Day Millionaires videos on YouTube out of nowhere, but I welcome it, and while the vocal clarity through the camera isn't optimal, the guys handle these covers with ease, especially the harder-edged ones! Check out the three-in-one cover video below, and see more SATURDAY NIGHT!

Next up, we'll move to previously announced concerts, including the return of former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison to Gliss Steak & Seafood for solo headlining dates TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY! As is usual, he's back at The Quality Inn's house restaurant for more matinee entertainment, so if you like some acoustic hard rock with your dinner, keep his ongoing long-term run at Gliss in mind for the next three evenings! Note that the Facebook event page for this weekend's shows does not list a Thursday nighter tonight, which would be atypical for his Gliss arrangement at this time of year, but SooToday's events calendar does list tonight's show. I'll treat tonight's concert as on, but keep it's omission from the event page in mind just in case it wasn't accidental. In any event, this weekend's concerts have 6:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and no age limit, but mind the locale. See above for more details, and here's Tym live!

Finally for today, we'll head across the river to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, where Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm will return for shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Though this will be this local favourite outfit's first Sault Ste. Marie concert weekend since August, it's actually their second straight weekend of shows in the E.U.P. and third in four weeks, due to their late fill-in for sister band Peril at the St. Ignace Kewadin last week. Whether you've seen Scarkazm lately or not, their fan favourite hard rock and metal covers should get another solid reception from Yooper fans this weekend in the Soo, so don't miss out on the action tomorrow and/or Saturday night! As usual for Scarkazm's northern trips, expect 9:00 PM start times, 21+ age limits, and no announced cover charges both nights at The Rapids Lounge. See above for more details, and here's Scarkazm live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Din and Vol./Dirtfight previews (and more) tomorrow! Thanks everyone!