LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Ten Foot Pole), Plus Peril & Project 906 Concert Previews!!

Here's our final post of August 2018 (luckily a busier month than recently usual), and it includes our last concert previews of this weekend, and leading off, our long awaited LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for a major punk show hitting a central venue we haven't heard much from in years, so here's what you should know! (Edited on Saturday at 1:33 AM to replace the assorted short story write-up with the Project 906 preview, which was accidentally left out in this post's original version, in order to keep this post at a similar length. The short stories will return un-edited in a post next week.)

California punk rock veterans Ten Foot Pole will headline in Sault Ste. Marie on Thursday, October 25th at a rare non-acoustic concert at The Harp Bar & Grill! Mainstays of the American punk scene since the 1990s, Ten Foot Pole have a devoted following from memorable melodic punk tracks like "A.D.D.", "The Getaway", and "Never Look Back", and it'll be very interesting to see them on local soil this fall! Local punk trio Redundant are advertised to open in their first local concert appearance since the release of their debut EP, as part of a mini-tour run supporting Ten Foot Pole on their three Northern Ontario dates, as per their Facebook page. Great opportunity for the guys, but will this be considered Redundant's de facto local CD release concert? Fellow local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades' logo is used as the Facebook event page's cover photo, which implies their involvement too, but their name is not included with Redundant's among the openers, and at least one more band is allegedly to be announced.

And yes, this show is definitely at The Harp, marking the first non-acoustic concert that we've covered there since the former Madison's Pub re-opened under it's new ownership & theme in 2013, so we'll have to see how things shape up at 701 Pine Street in two months! Given the relatively small size of The Harp, this concert (promoted by Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce) only guarantees 50 advance tickets, which cost $15 at this link, though no word on in-person availability. This is a 19+ show with a 9:30 PM start time, and no, this is not J.D.'s annual Halloween Party event. That has been separately teased in personal Facebook postings, and while we await a public announcement on the bands and location, I would expect the show(s) to be on October 26th & 27th. I'm not a scholar of Ten Foot Pole, but they have been a familiar presence among punk contacts for years, and they have a fun sound that should get a solid audience, so see above for more details!

Next up, here's our last hard rock concert previews for this weekend (barring super late notice confirmations), starting with Traverse City, Michigan classic metal trio Peril's return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Despite being advertised as taking place at The Rapids Lounge in Sault Ste. Marie on their Reverbnation page, Peril's Facebook page has since changed the venue to St. Ignace's Kewadin branch, though I don't know whether this was a mistake on Peril's part or if the shows were moved south. In any event, apologies for the short notice on the venue change! These shows will be Peril's first in St. Ignace since June, and their hard hitting classic covers should be a fun soundtrack for the weekend there, sso keep these in mind if you're in the E.U.P.! Expect 9:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and 21+ age limits. See above for more details, and here's Peril live!

Finally for today, here's one more weekend concert preview post (apologies for this missing this post's original version), as local hard rock cover quartet Project 906 will kick off September with a one night only concert TOMORROW NIGHT at The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley! While not recently plugged on 906's Facebook page, the band acknowledged this show back in July, and it is listed on the casino's event calendar. Last seen in the Soo three weeks ago, this will be the second of three scheduled gigs for this popular local attraction at "your perfect up north retreat" in 2018, following their Back Bay show in June, with one more lined up for December. Project 906's tried and tested hard rock covers should find a receptive audience at this waterfront nightclub, so don't miss out tomorrow for all of the action! This 21+ concert has a 10:00 PM start time and no announced cover charge. See above for more details, and here's Project 906 live in concert earlier this summer!



That's all for this month, but stay tuned for our newest "Where Are The New Albums?" post on Sunday! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Winkstinger, Banned, And Tym Morrison!!)

Today's first weekend concert preview post entirely covers SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this weekend, and due to the extended coverage of one event in particular, I've opted to push our previews of this weekend's (previously announced) Peril concerts to tomorrow's post. Yes, Ten Foot Pole fans, we'll give that concert full coverage tomorrow as well, we haven't forgotten about it! Now, here's what you should know to start for this Labour Day weekend's concert lineup, in rough chronological order! (Updated on Friday at 6:10 PM)

Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned will reportedly be playing at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TONIGHT, after having just played there last night! Profuse apologies for the short notice and for missing last night's show for coverage on here, these were quietly announced via their official Facebook event pages (linked here & here) on Sunday, and we only heard about them too late to acknowledge yesterday's show. Scheduling Kewadin lounge concerts on a Wednesday and Thursday is very atypical for Banned's frequent bookings there, especially after having just played regularly timed shows in St. Ignace last week, but fans may recall seeing Banned play Tuesday & Wednesday nighters at the Sault Kewadin last year in the I-500 leadup. If these gigs relate to special event previews or conflicts, the only one that makes sense is the Chippewa County Fair, but neither Banned nor the fair have publically hinted at a hard rock component this year, but if I'm wrong, we'll let you know.

For what it's worth, Kewadin Casino's entertainment page doesn't list these two Banned shows, let alone the regular acts for Friday and Saturday. As was the case yesterday, Banned will be bringing their classic and hard rock renditions back to St. Ignace TONIGHT at 9:00 PM, with a 21+ age limit and no cover charge in effect. Visit the above links for more details, and best of luck for a great show TONIGHT with a hopefully solid crowd to match! Here's Banned live, and apologies again for missing yesterday's show, we'd have covered it here had it received more advance notice!



Next up, prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will keep busy in the lead up to the Gliss re-opening by returning to Room 21 for solo acoustic concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, followed by another trip east to La Terrazza Franzisi in Richards Landing THIS SUNDAY! Again, apologies for the short notice, the Facebook event pages (linked here & here) for these concerts were only created on Monday. These will be Tym's first stops at Room 21 in over a month, and while I'm unsure if there will be any finger food, fishbowl, or sangira ties, his unplugged hard rock classics should provide a solid soundtrack regardless of promotion TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! As for La Terrazza Franzisi (not the presumably auto-corrected La Terrance Frant), at least Tym gave SUNDAY's matinee gig there a few more days notice, so you have more time to plan a road trip to St. Joseph Island for Tym's dinner-time covers later this weekend!

None of these shows have an announced cover charge, and while his Room 21 concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY are 10:00 PM affairs with a 19+ age limit, SUNDAY'S La Terrazza Franzisi show is a 4:00 PM event with no announced age limit at the waterfront restaurant. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Tym live a few years back!



Finally in the realm of new concerts this weekend, have you missed all ages concerts at The Oddfellows Hall in 2018? Well, we almost had one on SATURDAY NIGHT, but it has been moved on a day's notice to The Rednecks Saloon! Apologies again for the short notice, public advertising for this concert only began on Wednesday, though it was privately hinted at all month without a credited venue. Co-promoted Blood Shed Productions head Tyler Gibson and Winkstinger frontman Josh Amendola in association with prolific alt-folk solo artist and metal band alum Chase Wigmore, this concert is entitled "Here We Go Again...", and was intended to see the end of a 15 month hiatus for Oddfellows Hall metal concerts, but scheduling issues that I won't go into here forced it's late relocation to The Rednecks Saloon. As such, this concert is no longer all ages, but a familiar lineup is still on hand for SATURDAY, so who should you look for then?

The lineup includes three previously announced acts, including death/extreme metal quartet Winkstinger (a week before their Oh!No festival gig), Tyler's goregrind solo project Crucify the Whore (in their first well-advertised non-house party concert since 2016), and the aforementioned Chase Wigmore, so this could be seen as the de facto release party for their recent split. Mid-2010s flashbacks here with a lineup like this, nice to see everyone back on stage at long last! The above poster credits death metal veterans The Bear Hunters as headlining, but they are not playing on SATURDAY due to scheduling conflicts for singer Nik Deubel. Hopefully we see them back at it soon, they've been missed on stage this year! Two solo artists have been enlisted in their place, as per Chase on the the official Facebook event page, namely his old Strange Coyotes bandmate James Watterworth (who we haven't seen on stage in what seems like forever) and a new folk/punk musician named Wes Anderson, who I don't know anything on.

Despite earlier advertising of a $5 cover with proceeds going to ex-residents of the River Valley Trailer Park in Aweres, SATURDAY'S newly relocated concert now has FREE admission, and it is now 19+, but the 8:00 PM start time is now in effect. The short notice venue and lineup changes did complicate our coverage a bit, though with this familiar and aggressive lineup of metal and folk action, fans should definitely consider a trip to Albert Street West on SATURDAY! Visit the above links for ongoing details on "Here We Go Again...", and here's Winkstinger live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Peril previews and more tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Mike McCleary - "Weight Of The World" Album Review!!

It's now time for our 110th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, as we're taking a look at "Weight of the World", the recent re-packaging of two albums from local hard rock solo artist Mike McCleary! We chose this album over other recent hard rock/punk album releases from the likes of Redundant, SweetKenny, and Sykotyk Rampage due to it's earlier release, as it won't be "new" much longer. Independently recorded since last year and released to his Bandcamp page on March 11th, this release unites the 2018 revamp of his debut studio album "In Ruins" with his second release/first EP, January's "Hourglass", making this review a 2-for-1 package, complete with one exclusive track! However, Mike has stated that he saw "In Ruins" as the sequel to "Hourglass" despite it's earlier initial release, and it is appropriately placed on "Weight of the World". Featuring Mike on vocals and all credited instruments, "Weight of the World" is available on a "name your price" model at the above links, a change from earlier priced copies.

Given that this album was separately released as two different albums, you can buy them apart with the same pricing structure, though remember that you won't get the closing song "Bismarck" if you buy them this way. Also, I'm not reviewing the original version of "In Ruins" here, for 3 reasons: Mike took it down and heavily changed it on purpose, this review's gonna be long enough already, and with only 3 surviving songs from the original copy, it's basically a different album now as a result. With 14 songs running for over an hour in total length, let's begin our review of "Weight of the World"!

This album begins with the five songs on Mike's "Hourglass" EP, whose lyrics and themes focus on contemporary social issues as a warning to civilization. The first track is "Be Us", which revolves around gender & racial discrimination issues like assimilation and the refugee crisis. A hard rocking number that builds nicely to the choruses, the song has a good edge to it, and Mike's melodic singing is a good match! The song's well performed, but aside from the bridge, there isn't a lot of variance to this song and it's structure once you get past the first chorus. The song is a solid rocker if you don't mind that though! Second is "Carousel", which alludes to the cycle of trying to survive with a low income despite constant inflation, though the song's name plays into the music proper, taking on a carnival music theme in the verses, complete with some more progressive guitar riffing. Points for creativity, though the choruses are a little too talky as Mike tries to fit in the lyrics.

"Carousel" is a fun listen, especially with the lyrics contrasting well with the music, but if you like radio hard rock, the experimentation here may lose you. Then we have "Fire & Fury", which is about if global conflict is necessary, complete with audio samples of political speeches by three American presidents (one of which providing the source of this song's name.) This track has two basic themes, with the verses taking on a low morose structure before Mike suddenly amps up the aggression and intensity on the choruses, and while jarring at first, it's effective! The song is well composed and the tonal shifts work well, and while this is an early highlight, less politically minded listeners may not take to the minute-long sample bridge.  Fourth up is "Lest Ye Be Judged", inspired by the West Memphis Three murder trial in 1993 and how that case was handled. While the lyrical stretches maintain a mid-tempo, serious vibe, Mike's extended guitar solo is arguably the best I've heard from him yet, showing his technical skill very nicely!

While this song is worth a listen for the guitar solo alone, the verses and choruses work well in their styles, and for someone who's followed the case and Damien Echols' art & writings, it's nice to see a local musician show their support for the West Memphis Three and the injustice they dealt with! The original EP's title track & closer "Hourglass" follows the preceding number in it's themes about looking to blame someone rather than actually finding a solution, and how the former can lead to negative consequences. The longest individual song on "Weight of the World", this song runs for it's first 5:30 as a slower, deliberate song exploring the politically charged message, with Mike's serious low singing a good match for the draw out guitar work, but he does let loose on guitar for a heavier faster close to the song, possibly a thematically reference to global conflict ahead of the sequel. Not my favourite song on the "Hourglass" half just for it's largely downbeat mood, but it ends well!

The seventh song is also the first on the March 2018 re-release of Mike's 2017 debut album "In Ruins", which was heavily re-worked from it's original form, with only 3 returning songs on the now-canon reissue. Thematically, this album reflects "the aftermath" of the events warned on the "Hourglass" EP, and it starts here with with "Interlude", which originally was part of the next song "Lost", but was broken into it's own mini-track for "Weight of the World". Running for an album-low 66 seconds, this just has various simplistic notes being played, some reminding me of a xylophone. This all suggesting a ticking clock, possibly following the global conflict alluded to on "Hourglass", and while it's not much of a song on it's own, it sets the mood for the oncoming full songs well enough!

In this re-issued form, "Lost" immediately begins with Mike singing in a sinister carnival barker style (anyone else getting a "This Is Halloween" vibe?), with the choruses shifting abruptly into a more musically driven, standard format. The politically charged, socially conscious lyrics continue in full force here, and while the verses will be an acquired taste for many listeners, Mike does showcase his guitar skill for an extended period, and the drum track is a good match on the choruses! Then we have "Naive", which is one of the hold-overs from the original "In Ruins" album. A mid-tempo, downbeat studio track aside from a heavier bridge late, this is one of Mike's better overall compositions on this album as a pure musician, with some shining guitar melodies in the instrumental stretches, but there seems to be a vocal effect that makes his singing sound too muffled and processed. Still, fans of Mike's less aggressive music should be right at home on this one!

Track #9 is another track that survived the "In Ruins" reboot, namely "Childish Leaders", a double meaning name referencing both the conduct of major global heads of state, and how we could be better off if children were leading governments. A shorter and harder edged song, this song has a catchy vibe and what sounds like a funk inspiration on the riffing, but that flute effect in the backing instrumentation is woefully out of place, and the music cadence sometimes struggles to accommodate some of Mike's lyrics. The softer last 30 seconds ends things on a happier note, and while this song isn't consistently on point, the heavy nature (musically and thematically) works well! Next is "Aylan", inspired by the death of 3 year old Syrian refugee Alan Kurdi, which was highly publicized in news media in late 2015. The third and final returning song from "In Ruins" 1.0, this sees Mike dive into an upbeat punk sound, which is an interesting contrast to the serious lyrics.

As a pure musical composition, this song gives Mike a nice showcase at a different side of his range, and he could definitely handle punk music on a more frequent basis! His scream at the end is also well placed, but the song fades out far too abruptly, and a more distinct chorus would have helped. Next up is "Disavowed", which is a heavier and darker song overall in it's first half and closing stretch, but the vocals don't go along with that, as Mike sings in a lower, monotone register throughout. I don't find that matches up well here, but Mike's extended guitar solos do give this song an added jolt, and are predictably well performed. I'd have had more forceful, heavier singing for a song of this tone, but the music holds up really nicely! Another heavier song follows with "Introspection", which has a steady grinding sound and better suited vocals, with the bass track particularly working well here, as does another really solid guitar solo!

While not musically ambitious compared to some earlier tracks, this delivers the hard rock goods and feels more like a complete song with all the parts falling into place nicely, and this is definitely an album highlight! The last song on the separate version of "In Ruins" is "Bad Hand", which has a more simple, laid back instrumentation in the verses, but Mike varies his singing into a more upbeat, melodic nature, albeit with more direct political references to specific world leaders, with poker references used heavily in the choruses. Another interesting contrast from lyrics to music here, this is a fun song if you can look past the political imagery, but the ending is too abrupt, and I tend to go for Mike's more aggressive music overall. "Weight of the World" ends with it's exclusive track "Bismarck", which reflects armed conflicts of World War II that Mike found interesting, though this is strictly thematic, as it's the album's only instrumental ("Interlude" aside.)

With no lyrics to worry about, this is honestly Mike's best showcase as a pure musician on "Weight of the World", with each intended battle (as seen here) getting it's own distinct musical approach, from heavy and fast to slower and dark, and the guitar, bass, and drum tracks all get moments in the sun! As such, this hardly feels like it's almost 7 minutes long, and it has a little something for everyone (except vocals), so I'd definitely get this album for this song if you have the choice!

So, what are my final thoughts on "Weight of the World" and it's original source albums? Overall, this is a solid effort with well written lyrics and some excellent musical passages, and it's great to see someone expressing themselves politically and socially in this manner! No everyone will agree with Mike McCleary's opinions on the included songs, but his opinions and stances are clear as day, and they tend to lend themselves well to hard rock music, especially with songs on the "In Ruins" re-release, which I found to be stronger pound-for-pound than "Hourglass". Mike seems to let his guitar skills fly more on that album, but as this is a combined re-release, you don't have to take sides. Songs like "Lest Ye Be Judged", "Aylan", and "Introspection" worked best for my musical tastes, while "Bismarck" is too good to be relegated to just a re-release bonus! That said, some songs struggled a bit to match Mike's well written lyrics with the music naturally, and others faded out too abruptly for my taste.

My biggest note is that some songs have too much dissonance between the serious lyrical themes and the more upbeat/casual nature of their music, and if there was intentional irony in that, it wasn't overtly obvious. We haven't heard much from Mike McCleary musically this summer, but he's a very talented and socially conscious musician, and this album continues his progression upward from the preceding CD "Weight of the Truth", so be sure to check those and his more recent albums at the above links! I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, but what's coming next month? I don't 100% know, but it will be a new album review! At this juncture, three different albums are in the running (Sykotyk Rampage's "Live at the Paris Hilton", SweetKenny's "Management", and Redundant's self-titled debut EP), and while I'm currently leaning towards the original crash band based on earlier release date, Redundant would jump ahead in line if they had a September concert lined up.

In any event, stay tuned for that next month, and for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: Jolene Barens & Reckage35

Here's this month's YouTube Channel Profile, as we again spotlight YouTube channels whose content is at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, and punk artists and concerts, in order to showcase them for current readers and encourage them to watch and subscribe along with them! This month's first randomly chosen channel only had a single video, so we randomly picked one more to fill things out, and as luck would have it, both were Sault Michigan concert filmers at some major recent hard rock events. Without any further adieu, here's what you should know on both!
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Jolene Barens (http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNrEyqU1RvChv1W3TGamiXQ)

Owner: Sault Michigan-area resident Jolene Barens

Channel Timeline: Launched on April 24th, 2017; Only video posted on December 31st of that year

Channel Summary: Jolene's only upload is of British Columbia hard rock/post grunge quartet Theory of a Deadman playing their hit single 'Bad Girlfriend" during their headlining concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino on December 30th, 2017, though despite the video's name, there's no sign of openers Infathom. The 2 minute clip also includes frontman Tyler Connolly mentioning to the crowd that Theory intend to return to the Soo "next year", but nothing firm has been publically stated to that end. While the vertical camera angle & overexposed lighting don't add any favours, Jolene got solid audio on this rock radio favourite! However, note that Jolene hasn't visibly used this channel in 2018. Visit this link for more videos from this concert, among other YouTube channels.


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Dan Reck (http://www.youtube.com/reckage35) 

Owner: Sault Michigan-area resident Dan Reck

Channel Timeline: Launched on May 27th, 2009; Videos posted from the following day through September 10th, 2013

Channel Summary: Initially a personal use channel featuring two 2009 videos about his Ion XE paintball gun and one with Halo 3 gameplay tips, Dan resumed use of his channel in 2013 for concert video postings, courtesy of seven videos from that year's Shinedown and Pop Evil concerts in Sault Ste. Marie. Dan's last video is of In This Moment playing at the Allegan County Fair in the Lower Peninsula that September

Why You Should Watch: Dan's channel is worth a watch for fans of recent Kewadin Casino hard rock shows from Allstar Promotions, with him getting a solid angle of both bands at these well received concerts! As for his non-local concert videos, the paintball gun videos should be interesting uploads for fans, the Halo video has a good response from gamers, and the In This Moment video isn't bad either, despite it's vertical orientation. Note however that Dan hasn't visibly used this channel in five years.

Our Recommended Videos To Check Out

Shinedown - Simple Man: Dan's first two concert videos were from Jacksonville hard rock quartet Shinedown's headlining concert at The Dreammaker's Theater in July 2013, as he filmed their original song "I'll Follow You" and, as featured here, their acclaimed cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man", as preceded by a number of teased separate covers. While the audio quality is good for these softer performances, Dan never zooms the camera, which is a shame given the speaker's placement, and he did apologize for the shaky quality. Solid view otherwise from this well received concert, and there are more Shinedown videos from their local stop on other channels if you want more footage!



Pop Evil - 100 in a 55: Dan's other Sault Kewadin concert videos come from the Pop Evil-headlined concert that August, which served as a benefit for local teen Jessica Jorgensen during her battle with leukemia. His five videos include the Muskegon hard rock quartet playing their songs "Hero", "Boss's Daughter", "Monster You Made", "Last Man Standing", and as embedded below, "100 in a 55", which is the most viewed concert video on Dan's channel. Filmed from a similar sharp angle as his Shinedown clips (but closer), the stability effect added in post can be distracting, but the audio tends to be reliable, especially on heavier tracks, and fans will be right at home with these clips! Yes, other attendees did post videos from this show on YouTube.


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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profiles! This series is slated to return on or around September 26th, and like this month, we will be spotlighting multiple channels again, as our first randomly selected channel only has 4 videos, all from the same concert, so we randomly chose one more to fill it out. As such, we will be looking at the channels of users tokenfinn (featuring videos from 2007's outdoor Kiss concert in Sault Michigan) and veteran local guitarist Tony Marcello (featuring hard rock covers by his old bands The Killer Hooks & Midpoint.) Give that a look next month, and stay tuned for more news and this month's CD review this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tym Morrison), Carried Away Concert Preview, And New Sault Michigan Videos!!

Due to a very SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, I'm bumping this month's YouTube Channel Profile to tomorrow, so don't worry, it is coming! However, I don't want to let this concert slide, so that's leading off this post, alongside a weeknight concert preview, and some new videos from the Sault Michigan area, so here's what you should know!

Local hard rock solo musician Tym Morrison will indeed return to La Terrazza Franzisi in Richards Landing TODAY for a matinee concert! Profuse apologies for the short notice, Tym only announced this show publically via it's Facebook event page this morning, though he had alluded to a Sunday gig on St. Joseph Island last week via his personal Facebook page without naming the venue. Over two weeks following his public debut at this riverfront restaurant, Tym is back for another daytime concert with more hard and classic rock favourites expected for patrons, so if you're on St. Joseph Island or are up for a Sunday drive, keep this one in mind for later TODAY! An early start time of 4:00 PM is advertised for TODAY at La Terrazza Franzisi, and there are no announced cover charges or age limits, but keep in mind that this a formal sit-down restaurant. Check the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Tym live in concert a few years back!



Next up, here's our preview of a special TUESDAY NIGHT concert, as Toronto pop punk quartet Carried Away will rock Sault Ste. Marie for the first time as headliners at The Rockstar Bar! Heading out to Western Canada for the first time, this energetic, alternative-influenced band should deliver a fun set of catchy originals, so if you ca swing coming out on a Tuesday, don't miss out on Carried Away in a couple of nights! Two local opening bands will kick off the proceedings, including new local alternative quartet Man Feelings, whose lineup features former Bizotic keytarist B.J. Swire, among others. You can see a video of them in action on their Facebook page, and while the song isn't heavy, it's well performed, and it'll be interesting to see how Man Feelings do in their debut appearance! Rising local surf rock quartet The Dynowaves (now featuring fellow Bizotic alum Louise Lamothe) will look to keep the momentum rolling following their Northern Vibe Festival set, so come early for their locally original stylings!

Promoted by former A Dire Setback singer Larry Babic and photographer Josh Pace in their first 2018 booking, this 19+ concert has a $5 cover charge, and while the 8:00 PM advertised start time seems early, remember that this is a Tuesday nighter. Punk and alternative fans with accommodating schedules should definitely consider a trip to The Rockstar Bar for all of this high impact action, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Carried Away live!



Also today, we have some new videos from the Seether-headlined concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino earlier this month, courtesy of attendee Jeff Hagan's YouTube channel this morning! Despite posting his 10 Years video shortly afterward, we had to wait almost two weeks for his videos of Seether proper, but better late than never! As he did at the Alter Bridge show here, Jeff filmed most of Seether's set via abbreviated videos, including of their songs "Stoke The Fire", "Gasoline", "Let You Down", "Words As Weapons", "Country Song", "Fine Again", and "Remedy", plus a cover of Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box". Embedded below is Seether playing their classic ballad "Broken", albeit not the duet version, though Shaun does let the crowd sing parts. Filmed from the same sharp angle on his 10 Years clip, the audio makes up for the deep lighting here, but again, these are not full songs, with none exceeding 2:30 in length. Kudos to Jeff for getting so much, and give these a look above & below! (No, he didn't post anything of The Dead Deads.)



Finally, here's a new song from local classical metal project Theatre of Night, as shared by keyboardist Craig Harrison from his personal Facebook page to their Facebook group earlier this month! Entitled "Dark Acoustic Revenge" (which is a hint as to how this track sounds), this is a well composed song with particularly elegant guitar work by Steve Giles, and the thunder and lightning effects on the band logo are a nice touch! Give it a listen below, and stay tuned for more from Theatre of Night as it rolls in!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Joe's Weekend Warrior Fest & A Dire Setback), Soundcheck Preview, And Gliss Updates!!

Let's cap off this weekend's announced hard rock concert previews and more updates, but before we dive in, just a clarification on Tym Morrison's busy slate of solo concerts. His personal Facebook page was advertising shows at The Machine Shop yesterday and in St. Joseph Island on Sunday, bookending private gigs, but I have found no public promotion of these events, so I believe they're also private. If I'm wrong, I'll let you know, but look for his return to Gliss at it's new home soon! Now, let's dive into today's post with a pair of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one on SHORT NOTICE!

Local alt-punk trio A Dire Setback will make their Room 21 debut with a headlining concert there TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's official Facebook event page on Tuesday, and we didn't preview it yesterday because it would have gotten buried under our Northern Vibe Festival coverage. After a month-long break from the stage following Rotaryfest Stage 2, A.D.S. have hyped "some changes" to their set and forthcoming debut album, so how will things sound for this high energy outfit? Head to the nightclub above Low & Slow to find out TOMORROW! Two more punk/alternative bands will open the proceedings, including fellow punk favourites Stegadeth, and the Room 21 return of Handsome Sandwich, with that "no genre" band hitting the stage for the first time since June. Solid lineup overall, and it's great to see this trio of trios joining forces before the summer season wraps up at this popular rising venue!

A late 11:00 PM start time is advertised for this 19+ concert, which has no announced cover charge, nor does it have an advertised "Sangria Saturday" theme (though whether punk pairs well with sangria may be up for debate.) This should be a fun night of punk rock action for local fans TOMORROW NIGHT, so head to Albert Street West for all of the action! Check the above links for more details, and here's A Dire Setback live!



Next up, we have one more new show that has lots of advance notice, as four local bands will join forces at The Marconi Club (also on Albert Street West) on Saturday, September 8th for Joe's Weekend Warrior Fest! Sponsored by Joe's Sports & Surplus and Sault Ontario radio station Country 104.3, this special event will commemorate the release of Northern Superior Brewing Company's new Weekend Warrior Wheat Ale, with a craft beer social, taste testing, food, and musical entertainment planned at the downtown event hall. A local concert at a beer launch is new for us, but it'll be interesting to hear how this event does for beer lovers and music fans alike! Despite the Q104 sponsorship, only one country band is on the bill in two weeks' time, with the advertised lineup featuring local indie/punk quintet Northwest, online page-less punk favourites The Cover-Up, blues/country standouts The Barn Board Trio, and indie rock artist Jesse Merineau with his solo band.

A poster floating around on personal Facebook accounts also lists Country 104.3 DJ Jeff McNiece as playing a solo set, but he's not publically advertised from what I've seen. Admission for this presumably 19+ event is $25, but remember that this includes the beer tasting and meal, while a 7:00 PM start time is advertised. The Weekend Warrior Fest sounds like a fun event to help launch it's namesake ale in style, and with some high profile punk bands providing some attitude within, so keep this concert in mind for next month! Visit Country 104.3's website for continuing coverage and updates!

We'll move back to this weekend's concert previews now, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck are returning to The Water Tower Pub for one night only TOMORROW! Fresh off of their set at last week's Ride For ARCH fundraiser and the preceding week's Wawa road trip, this will be their first trip to the Great Northern Road nightclub in about two months. Soundcheck's tried and tested brand of covers should get another solid reception tomorrow night, so don't miss out then! While we're on the subject, we should note that former Turner Up drummer Scott McLurg does appear to have replaced Steven Flint on drums with Soundcheck, which was quietly confirmed in recent months via personal Facebook postings, but was never publically stated online by the band. A reason for Steven's departure hasn't been announced, but things seem amicable, given that he filled in on bass with Soundcheck at The Esquire Club earlier this month. Hopefully we hear more from Steven musically in the future, but Scott's a solid fit!

As usual for Soundcheck's Water Tower Pub concerts, expect a 9:00 PM start time tomorrow, and a 19+ age limit, while there remains no announced cover charge. Classic and hard rock fans would be well served to head to The Water Tower Pub for all of the action tomorrow night, so visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!



Finally, I wanted to touch on the recent closure of Gliss Steak & Seafood at The Quality Inn on Bay Street, as the site of Tym Morrison's weekly concert arrangement ended it's run at that location last month, with plans to move elsewhere announced then as well. While rumoured previously, Gliss management confirmed at the end of July that they were indeed moving the restaurant to the former Cesira's Italian Cuisine building this fall, ending a 2 year dormant period at the 133 Spring Street location. Renovations are ongoing at the new locale, and the target appears to see Gliss re-open next month, with Tym Morrison's weekly run there expected to resume at that same time. Meanwhile, the new restaurant taking Gliss' place at The Quality Inn is Johnny's Chophouse & Bar, which is a new upscale barbecue restaurant, though they do happen to still have steak and seafood on offer. You can check out it's menu here if you're so inclined, though I don't believe they've opened yet either.

I don't know if Johnny's opening is due to or the cause of Gliss leaving The Quality Inn, nor do I know if Johnny's will feature live musicians in any capacity, but I hope these moves are the best for the hotel's and Gliss' management, and we wish Johnny's the best on their upcoming launch! And no, the Derek Turner who co-owns Gliss is not the Derek Turner of Garden of Bedlam fame. Stay tuned for more on Gliss' relaunch and the resumption of Tym Morrison's weekly gigs there, and for more news and updates on the SMS next week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Northern Vibe Festival) & Banned Concert Previews!!

With another busy weekend on the schedule, let's dive into this new batch of concert previews! To spread things out, Saturday's newly announced A Dire Setback concert, and existing Soundcheck show, will both be profiled in tomorrow's post, so don't worry, they are coming! Also, just as a clarification, we chose not to preview last week's Wyld Stallyns concert at Northern Superior Breweries based on it's advertised status as an "after-work party", in case it was truly geared to employees and their contacts. Hopefully it went well though! Now, let's dive into announced concert previews with a Friday component, starting with big SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

The full band schedule for this year's fourth annual Northern Vibe Festival was finally announced last week, so what should you know regarding the Hempfest successor event's band lineups TOMORROW & SATURDAY? Firstly, apologies for the short notice, we don't call concerts on here without knowing the day that bands are playing on, but we had acknowledged scheduled performers when publicized. Returning to the familiar outdoor confines of the Poplardale Road location in nearby Ophir, this three day event (there's no bands on Sunday) will once again unite music lovers for a full weekend of musical entertainment, vendors, food and drinks, buskers, and general merriment, and with a nearby beach and lots of campground, there's lots of ways to enjoy yourself in Ophir over the coming days! Click here for full non-musical details! Of course, there are two stages this weekend, including the DJ-centric River (or Beach) Stage, which will harbour such familiar faces as DJs Hakan Loob, Manskirt, Dub Selectah, and Spruceau at varying points this weekend, among many others.

For the first time in festival history, there will be punk bands on both days' musical lineups on the band-centric Forest Stage, so what should you look for there to start TOMORROW NIGHT? Our source for the lineups is the festival website, as the poster above doesn't list every band. The headliners at 11:00 PM are Toronto funk/jazz collective The Accolades, while online page-less local punk quartet The Cover-Up will make their Northern Vibe Festival debut in the 9:00 PM co-headlining slot. Prominent local indie rock artist Jesse Merineau and his solo band will hit the stage at 7:00 PM, while an act named The Marshall McDunners will open at 6:00 PM. I may be wildly off base, but I believe this is a new or one-off local band, and the group name may give away some member identities. Tickets are $90 for the full festival (I don't see an option for one day Friday admission), and can be bought at Planetary Pride, The Vape Escape, or at this link, and presumably at the gate.

Abbreviated but talent-stacked lineup to kick off the Northern Vibe Festival IV, with some punk to spare via The Cover-Up, so don't miss out on all of the action TOMORROW NIGHT! Unfortunately, I don't know of a public video of The Cover-Up to preview things with, but to be fair, they don't have an online page of their own to post any onto yet.

SATURDAY's stacked all-day lineup will be headlined by eight-piece Toronto soul/Latin group The Achromatics at 11:00 PM, while Niagara Falls prog/improve rock quartet The Road Waves will return to our area as co-headliners at 9:00 PM. Toronto ska/reggae quartet The Classy Wrecks are scheduled for 7:00 PM, while local indie/alternative quartet Id Iota are the day's only heavier-leaning band (and highest placed local act) at 5:00 PM. Newer local surf rock quartet The Dynowaves have the 3:30 PM timeslot, as preceded by Ottawa folk project Jack Pine & The Fire at 2:00 PM. A special set from Renegade Derbakeh and local beatboxer Killabeatz inspired by the Syrian refugee film Songs of the Departed is scheduled for 12:30 PM, in conjunction with or followed by a community drum circle (attendees are encouraged to jump in and bring their own drums.) Finally, local/Toronto folk/country artist Kylie Precepa is opening on SATURDAY at 11:30 AM.

Also, just a reminder that local funk/hard rock/improv favourites Gianni Gagoots dropped out of this year's Northern Vibe Fest after their second dissolution earlier this summer. Admission remains $90 for the full weekend at the above links and locales, but there is a one day Saturday pass for $60, which you can buy online at this link and likely elsewhere. While still not a metal or punk hotbed, The Northern Vibe Festival has another excellent lineup of creative musicians from all over the map TOMORROW & SATURDAY, so if the ticket price and road trip are doable, don't miss out on the Northern Vibe action! Here's Id Iota live!



Finally for today's concert preview post, we'll take a trip south to St. Ignace, Michigan, where Kinross classic/hard rock veterans Banned will return to The Northern Pines Lounge for concerts at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino branch TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! While frontman Alex Traynor continues to expand his solo acoustic repertoire (click here for his solo schedule at the St. Ignace Kewadin), Banned are keeping busy, so fans of Alex and company's electric sound aren't left in the lurch! In fact, they just played The Northern Pines Lounge two weeks ago, so fans will be getting a sooner-than-usual encore of weekend cover action over these two nights. As usual for Banned's Kewadin lounge stops, expect 9:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and 21+ age limits. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Banned live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our A Dire Setback and Soundcheck previews tomorrow, with more! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Project 6), Mike Haggith's New Cover, And Last Month's Poll Results!!

Here's a new news post for your Monday, including last month's poll results, a new cover video, and leading off, a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for in a couple of days! Here's what you should know!

Traverse City, Michigan acoustic hard rock trio Project 6 will (as far as I know) make their local concert debut THIS WEDNESDAY when they play a special afternoon set at the Blarney Castle EZ Mart convenience store in nearby Kincheloe! Apologies for the short notice, this concert was previously announced on Project 6 and related bands' concert schedules, but with it's atypical venue and timing, it fell through the cracks. Not to be confused with local hard rockers Project 906, Project 6 is the (typically) unplugged side project from the members of Kewadin Casino lounge regulars Scarkazm, and while they will reportedly be playing with electric instruments on WEDNESDAY (as they have on prior EZ Mart gigs), they will still be playing as Project 6 with that band's setlist. I can't find any reference to Project 6 playing in the Upper Peninsula before, but I'd have never guessed their E.U.P. debut would be in Kincheloe, let alone at a convenience store!

This is part of the ongoing Thank You Party tour of customer appreciation events at EZ Mart locations in Northern Michigan, with free hot dogs and pop for attending customers and fans, among other frills, and this should be a fun mid-week attraction on WEDNESDAY! Note that Saginaw-based Elvis Presley tribute artist Jake Slater is the musical attraction at numerous stops on the EZ Mart tour, including Thursday's in Cedarville, but not in Kincheloe. WEDNESDAY'S concert at 4440 West M-80 is a FREE & ALL AGES event, with Project 6 on at 12:00 PM. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, here's their Facebook promotional video!



Next up, here's the first new solo performance video on local/Manitoba solo hard rock artist Mike Haggith's Facebook page in over two months, namely a cover of Daniel Johnston's "Some Things Last A Long Time"! Thematically inspired by Lana Del Ray's later cover, this is a well performed cover with Mike nicely using his emotional higher register vocal style, so fans of Mike's softer output should get a kick out of this cover1 Give it a look below, and stay tuned for updates on his next solo album!

 

Finally, here's the results for last month's poll on the SMS, where we posed this question to you guys: What was your favourite metal, hard rock, or punk concert in the first half of 2018? Despite including fewer shows, vote totals were unfortunately decreased to match, with only four votes being cast. The results do have a clear winner, so thanks to the four of you who did vote, and here's the final tally as of yesterday's closure!

I Mother Earth at The Machine Shop on April 18th (2 votes, 50%)

Archelon and Doors & Fours at The Rockstar Bar on March 10th (1 vote, 25%)

Big Wreck at The Machine Shop on February 13th (1 vote, 25%)

Joni Radford Benefit at The Canadian on January 13th (0 votes)

Punk Covers Night at LopLops Lounge on March 3rd (0 votes)

Jesse Merineau & The Tide at The Speak Easy on March 22nd (0 votes)

Shit Liver & Stegadeth at The Rednecks Saloon on April 6th (0 votes)

Who Made Who at The Rockstar Bar on April 6th (0 votes)

The Steves & A Dire Setback at LopLops Lounge on May 2nd (0 votes)

Id Iota & Pointless at LopLops Lounge on May 19th (0 votes)

All The Wasted Years at The Rockstar Bar on June 1st (0 votes)

Jesse Stewart & Jack Spades at Low & Slow on June 8th (0 votes)

The Cover-Up at LopLops Lounge on June 15th (0 votes)

The Elements at The Rockstar Bar on June 16th (0 votes)

Go Skateboarding Day at Queen Elizabeth Park on June 21st (0 votes)

Other (0 votes)

What do you guys think? Well, it's clear that, as far as the voters in this poll went, concerts with mutiple out of town headliners won the day here, with all but one going for one of the major Machine Shop hard rock concerts earlier in 2018. Both the Big Wreck and I Mother Earth concerts were well attended major events, so I'm not surprised they did so well, while i was nice to see someone throw a bone to the Archelon concert in March! Given the hype an attendance, I'm particularly surprised that the Jesse Merineau, Shit Liver, and Jesse Stewart shows, plus Go Skateboarding Day, didn't get more attention in the poll, but alas, it's all in who votes. With the massive return of both I Mother Earth and Finger Eleven on the same night in April, I am not surprised at all to see it win this poll, and the three did get a vote will return in our poll on your favourite concerts in all of 2018 early next year. Thanks again to those of you who did vote, and stay tuned for more news and updates this week!

Seether Concert Video Showcase!!

As promised, today's post is totally dedicated to videos from last week's Seether-headlined concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, as we finally have enough videos for a dedicate post surrounding it! Buzz online from the concert has been positive, and you can view meetl-and-greet photos on Allstar Promotions' Facebook page, but if you want to see for yourself, Christopher Paci's back at it with 17 more videos from last week's concert! Massive kudos to him once again, be sure to check out his excellent YouTube channel for dozens of major local concert videos he was kind enough to share! We'll start with videos of South African hard rock favourites Seether, who he filmed playing their songs "Fake It", "Betray & Degrade", "Broken", "Fine Again", "Country Song", "Words as Weapons", "Let You Down", "Stoke The Fire", and as embedded below, their closer "Remedy". Mostly filmed from a reasonably close (if sharp) angle, you get a good look at Seether in action on these clips!

The videos have typically solid sound, but it's easier to hear frontman Shaun Morgan on softer songs, and I''m surprised he's off to the left rather than being more central on stage. Fans were very receptive on the bigger hits, and rightfully so, as you can see above and below!



Christopher also got five videos of opening Tennessee hard rock quintet 10 Years last week, including their songs "Novacaine", "Through the Iris", "Burnout", "Shoot It Out", and as embedded below, their biggest hit and closing song "Wasteland". These videos get more of a central (if more crowded) angle, and 10 Years mostly sound good, but Jesse Hasek's vocals sound really strained at times. Nice to see 10 Years back in Sault Ste. Marie, so give their videos a look above and below as well!



Chris' other three videos are of Nashville hard rock quartet The Dead Deads' opening set, filming them playing their songs "Super Tiny", "Ghosts", and as embedded below, their closing (and new) song "Starry Sky". Not a bad sound from this talented hard rock band, it's easy to see how they got a good reception to kick off the night, so give Chris' clips of them a look too!



Finally, this video actually comes from The Dead Deads' official YouTube channel, with a band associate filming frontwoman Leticia "Meta Dead" Wolf and Seether's Shaun Morgan (plus their touring guitarist Corey Lowery) covering Damien Rice's "Volcano" last week. Filmed in eerie-looking black and white, this isn't a song that I'm familiar with, but it's well performed, and Shaun & Leticia match up nicely. If only Meta Dead filled in the Amy Lee role on "Broken"! Give this clip a look below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for last month's poll results on the site next! Thanks everyone!

Rudyard Musicians Festival Preview, The Studio Return Of C.T.W., And A 10 Years Video!!

As promised, our last currently announced hard rock concert preview is here, and while that makes up the first half of this post, we also have a recent Sault Michigan concert preview, and the long awaited studio return for a Sault Ontario extreme metal project, so here's what you should know!

One more summer music festival goes down in Michigan's E.U.P. TOMORROW, when the third annual Rudyard Musicians Festival takes place at Rudyard Township Park (18725 South Mackinac Trail!) Year #3 of the Musicians Fest will once again see all proceeds go towards supporting Rudyard Area Schools' music and band programs, so you can be assured that money is going to a good place tomorrow! Aside from the music, there will be a smoked pig roast dinner tomorrow at 6:00 PM, as well as day-long concession, while camping will be available at the park from today through Sunday, and there will be an open jam session at the stage tonight, so if that's up your alley, keep that in mind! Visit the official Facebook page for full non-musical details! This year's lineup is largely dipping into the performer well of past years, with only two debuting bands and only three not returning from last year (The Karstens, The Neighborhood Dogs, and Denny Verrett), so if you loved the 2016 and/or 2017 lineups, you're in good shape for a return trip in 2018!

Only one hard rock band is on this year's bill, namely local favourites Project 906, who are on at an early 3:00 PM timeslot preceding their set tomorrow night in Paradise (just outside of our coverage range) for that town's annual Blueberry Festival. Local classic rock quintet (and festival organizers) Steelhead will headline at 11:00 PM, with fellow classic rockers The Whole Shabang preceding them at 10:00 PM, while most remaining bands are country or bluegrass centric, as has been common for the Musicians Fest. Other acts tomorrow include Robert & Bob Malaski at 8:00 PM, The North Country Band at 7:00 PM, and The Wednesday Night Headliners (featuring Brian Harrison) at 6:00 PM, while new local country trio Rusted Spurs and St. Ignace country/folk artist Patrick Springsteen are harbouring the 5:00 & 4:00 PM timeslots. Preceding Project 906's set are Kevin Blakeney at 2:00 PM, pop singer Hayley Malaska at 1:00 PM, and Jimmy Williams at 12:00 PM

Finally, Traverse City's New Jazz Trio will open tomorrow's musical entertainment at 11:00 AM. Musicians Fest III has a $5 admission fee (though kids 10 and under are FREE), and this should be another stacked day of family entertainment and live music for fans in Rudyard and the surrounding area, and for a great cause supporting youth musical development in the township, so don't miss out tomorrow! Visit the above links for more details, and here's Project 906 live in Rudyard in 2016!



Next up, here's some overdue updates from local grindcore solo project Crucify the Whore, so what's been cooked up at Blood Shed Productions as of late? After assorted teasers on C.T.W.'s Facebook page in recent months, the Tyler Gibson-led solo project revealed late last month that he has been working on a split with longtime Blood Shed collaborator and prolific alt-folk musician Chase Wigmore! This will mark Tyler's first formally recorded studio output as C.T.W. in over two years, though Chase has kept busy in the interim via his own solo project and his techno-influenced band The Black Lodge Masters. Three songs of Chase's intended half of the split (entitled "A Couple of Degenerate Bastards") can be heard on his YouTube channel, and they are in the Black Lodge Masters mold, so if you like dark experimental techno, these should be worth a listen! Only one song of Tyler's is public yet, so what should you know on it?

Entitled "Allow Me To Re-Introduce & Drug Induce Myself" (partially alluding to Crucify the Whore's lengthy break from recordings and live concerts), this a short instrumental preceded by a sampled intro, and while there's no (discernable?) vocals, it has enough brutality to get Blood Shed holdouts excited for what's to come! Give this song a listen below, via the first Blod Shed Productions YouTube channel upload in over a year, and stay tuned for more from C.T.W. as it rolls in!



Finally for today, let's get the Seether concert videos rolling finally on the SMS! Last Saturday's Dreammaker's Theater show in Sault Michigan was a hit based on personal accounts, but videos were slow to hit YouTube or public video sources initially. Well, we have enough for a dedicated showcase post coming tomorrow, but there's one extra to note, courtesy of user Jeff Hagan, who filmed plenty of videos at last year's Alter Bridge concert. As uploaded on Monday, his only(?) video is actually of opening Tennessee hard rock band 10 Years closing their set with a cover Pantera's "I'm Broken", or at least, the last 30 seconds of it. I have no way of knowing whether they did the whole song, or if this was just an instrumental bonus tacked onto the end of "Wasteland", but it sounds good while it lasts on this vertical cell phone camera clip! Give it a look below, and stay tuned for much more from this Kewadin Casino concert tomorrow!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for that Seether concert video showcase on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Fringe North Festival) & Weekend Concert Previews!!

A busy weekend with lots of festivals and fundraisers is upon us, so let's get most of this weekend's hard rock concert previews up, including SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS and a related apology! Due to the amount of shows, we're holding our preview of Saturday's Rudyard Musicians Festival in the E.U.P. for tomorrow's post so we can give it proper emphasis, so look for it then! Now, let's start this weekend's previews in Sault Ontario!

Local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements are advertised to rock this year's Fringe North International Theatre Festival at the Up The Arts stage at the Roberta Bondar Pavilion TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this concert had previously been announced via the festival website and related advertising, but between this event not being a hard rock haven, and The Elements not plugging it publically on their own pages, it fell through the cracks until now. As per the poster, The Elements are headlining at 9:00 PM ahead of indie rockers Great Chamberlain (in what's advertised as their local farewell set), folk/pop artist Hannah Lindsay, jugglers Karl & The Prodigy, and and young local performer Madi Schomogyi Lime. In case you needed a refresher, the Fringe North Festival is a week+ long arts festival featuring music, theatrical performances, busking, visual arts, culture, and more, which is a great idea for the local arts community, and hopefully this year's installment has been a hit so far!

Note that The Elements' acoustic side project The Wyld Stallyns had been advertised as being the co-headliners at the Pavilion this past Saturday alongside The Algo Rhythms, The Barn Board Trio, the debuting Johnny & The Revelators, and Sasa Jurko. The Stallyns did not publically promote the show in advance, but I profusely apologize for missing it last weekend, I promise to be on top of the Fringe North musical lineup next year! As for TOMORROW's Up The Arts stage action, it all begins at 5:00 PM, and this is a FREE & ALL AGES event. See above for more, and here's The Elements live!



Next up, and joining his previously announced Roadhouse Bar & Grill solo concert TOMORROW NIGHT, prolific hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will also be playing a special set THIS SUNDAY as part of the final night of the Fringe North Festival! Again, apologies for the short notice, this concert was only announced via it's Facebook event page yesterday. The festival's schedule lists local folk/indie solo artist Jackson Reed in SUNDAY's 5:00 PM slot, but for unannounced reasons, Tym has reportedly replaced him that day. Hopefully nothing bad happened with Jackson, but Tym's a solid choice to fill in! For this set, Tym will uniquely have a guest performer on SUNDAY, namely HTs bassist Ryan Disano, who was briefly a member of Caveman Morrison in the late 2000s. Nice to see Ryan back out there, hopefully he adds a solid component to this one hour set! Tym and Ryan are on at 5:00 PM, with poet Corey Marques at 6:00 PM, followed by an all-star finale at 7:00 PM, of which I have no extra details.

Of course, Tym alone will be at The Roadhouse on Trunk Road tomorrow for his already-announced night of solo covers, so east end fans won't want to bypass that concert either! That's a 10:00 PM affair with no announced cover charge or age limits,  while SUNDAY'S Fringe North finale is FREE & ALL AGES. Visit the Roadhouse show's Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Tym live!

Moving to shows that were entirely previously announced, we'll take a quick trip across to Michigan's E.U.P., where classic/hard rock cover quartet Cousin Eddie are scheduled to rock The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Note that the band has not plugged these shows on their Facebook page at press time, but they are advertised on Kewadin's entertainment page, so we'll treat them as on unless otherwise stated publically. Last seen at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin last month, this should be a prime opportunity to see this group of (past?) Highway 63 members in a familiar live setting, so don't miss out on this hard rock action in Mackinac County over these two nights! As usual for Kewadin Casino lounge bookings, expect 21+ age limits, 9:00 PM start times, and no announced cover charge for this weekend. Visit the above links for more on these newest Cousin Eddie concerts in our area, and hopefully they have some videos to publically share soon!

We'll close today's previews back in Sault Ontario, where fellow local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will co-headline THIS SATURDAY'S Ride For ARCH street party concert outside of Reggie's West! Hard rock hasn't been a constant presence in the musical lineups of this four year old charity motorcycle rally (especially compared to the Rides for Autism and Sight), but this Algoma Residential Community Hospice fundraiser is back with another strong music roster for a wonderful cause! Visit the official Facebook event page for complete details on the non-musical aspects of this year's Ride, including on how you bikers can take part in the rally proper. Soundcheck's outdoor set on Korah Road takes place at 8:00 PM on Saturday, with country rockers Bone Yard at 9:30 PM. Preceding prize announcements at 6:30 PM, the remaining acts are Bone Yard's sister acoustic project The Bearded Lounge at 5:30 PM, Wild Iris side project Stone Orchid at 3:30 PM, ...

...young guest performer Amanda Jeffreys with a mini-set at 3:15 PM, and the aforementioned Algo Rhythms opening at 2:00 PM. Stacked lineup with many familiar faces, and a dash of hard rock via Soundcheck (last seen on the road in Wawa last week for a drag race event there), so don't miss out on all of this action for a great local establishment and the work they do! The concert proper appears to be FREE & ALL AGES, but visit the above links for costs associated with being in or fundraising for the rally. ARCH deserves all the support and funds it can get, so keep this concert and the ride in mind, and here's Soundcheck live earlier this year!



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