LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Cover-Up, Soundcheck, and The Wyld Stallyns), Plus More Concert Previews!!

In what I project to be our final post of November 2018, we have the conclusion of this weekend's metal/hard rock concert previews, but we'll start with lots of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, including a pair on SHORT NOTICE, so here's what you should know! (Updated at 2:45 PM)

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck are advertised to return to Reggie's West for concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard about these shows via SooToday's events calendar earlier today, as the band hasn't publically acknowledged these shows on their Facebook page. Assuming these are still on, this will be Soundcheck's second concert weekend inside the former Roosevelt Hotel, following their Halloween weekend gigs there, though presumably now with their full lineup. If the videos floating around on personal Facebook accounts are any indication, Soundcheck's Toystock set on Sunday was a hit, and here's hoping they continue that positive momentum TONIGHT & TOMORROW! You can take in their hard and classic rock hits at around 10:00 PM both nights, you must be 19 or older to attend, and there's no announced cover charge. See above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

Next up, here's some shows with lots of advance notice, starting with local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns' New American Pub debut on Thursday, December 13th, when they play a special fundraiser concert towards the Special Olympics' Provincial Winter Games taking place here early next year! Of course, the Soo hosting this sporting competition for those with special needs is a big deal, and it'll be great to see everyone compete and showcase their athletic skills from January 31st-February 3rd, and this concert will see all proceeds going to the Special Olympics, so keep that in mind in two weeks! Dubbed "Music Night", this concert will see three local acts perform, with The Wyld Stallyns joined by local folk singer/songwriter Catherine Taddo, as well as Oosik Records owner Al Bjornaa mixing some 1990s tunes as DJ Oosik. Presented by Exit Realty and Girl Friday Productions, this concert has $20 tickets, and you can buy them at Exit Realty at 207 Northern Avenue and at the venue proper.

An early 6:00 PM start time is advertised, and while this is a nightclub, I can't confirm if an age limit would still be in place given the timing. This should be a great way to support a wonderful event, and kudos to The Wyld Stallyns, Catherine, and Al for hopping on board! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

Also, the Friday, December 21st LopLops Lounge concert teased on personal Facebook accounts is finally public, as online page-less punk quartet The Cover-Up and new local Distillers tribute band Coral Fang will join forces that night for a double dose of punk cover action! This will be The Cover-Up's first show since opening for The Gabba Heys at the same venue in September, and if you've seen the personal Facebook videos of them jamming, you'll know what Dustin, Marco, Marshall, and Aaron have in store in three weeks time! As for Coral Fang (not pictured, that's The Distillers proper), this will be their second ever public concert, following their well received debut at The Rockstar Bar over the Halloween weekend. Featuring members of Stegadeth, A Dire Setback, Destroilet, and Bear Hunters in their ranks, this supergroup should deliver a fun set of Distillers classics on the 21st, so don't be late!

Presented by Tidal Records, this 19+ concert has a 9:00 PM start time, and while an admission fee isn't given, bring $5 just in case. With the Northwest CD release show taking place the next day, Tidal and LopLops have a stacked weekend in store for your pre-Christmas delectation, but if you want wall-to-wall punk hits, that Friday is worth circling on your calendar! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Last but not least, let's preview the last major Dreammaker's Theater concert at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino for 2018, as Los Angeles glam/comedy metal quartet Steel Panther will make their local concert debut TOMORROW NIGHT! This band has became a fast favourite among glam metal fans for their amusing and often too-adult-for-radio original songs like "17 Girls In A Row", "Death To All But Metal", and "Party Like Tomorrow Is the End of the World, and the buzz is high for their entertaining yet musically proficient stage show, with covers and originals in store! I saw Steel Panther open for Judas Priest in Detroit a few years ago, and if that was any indication, they could steal the show for the whole year tomorrow, so don't miss out then! Detroit hard rock quintet Wilson will open in their first area concert since opening for Bam Margera in Sault Ontario 5 years ago, and as attendees of that show will attest, their brand of intense party rock should kick things off in high gear tomorrow as well!

As well hyped on SaultOnline, this concert (the 25th concert presented by Allstar Promotions to date) is at 7:00 PM with no announced age limits, but remember the very adult content of many of Steel Panther's songs. While center seats are sold out, left & right aisle seats are still available from the 10th row and back for $25 at this link, at 1-800-KEWADIN, or at the in-person box office. It's great to see tickets selling so well for what should be a wild and hilarious night of glam metal, so don't miss out on the Sunset Strip experience live in the Soo tomorrow, and here's Steel Panther live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates next month! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison) & Most Of This Weekend's Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

It's now time to kick off our next round of weekend concert previews! Due to the amount, we're previewing Saturday night's Steel Panther concert in tomorrow's post, so don't worry, it's coming! Also, note that the Sault Music News Letter Facebook page accidentally credits the defunct 3 Day Millionaires as playing this weekend in their newest concert calendar post, albeit sans venue. Now, here's what you should know to start the weekend, including some linked LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

With his ongoing Gliss Restaurant arrangement entering another month with matinee concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, let's preview these latest Tym Morrison concerts while also adding the remainder of his December concert slate to our calendar! As previously announced via their official Facebook event page, you can see Tym's acoustic hard rock covers this weekend, and his long-term run at Gliss will at least continue through year's end, so look for him back there on December 7th-8th, 14th-15th, 21st-22nd, and 28th-29th. Of course, Tym has been a regular and fan-favourite sight at Gliss for a few years now, and his ongoing run there moved to the new Spring Street location when the restaurant re-opened this fall, so expect more unplugged hard and classic rock favourites there tomorrow, Saturday, and throughout next month! This weekend's double header and the 8 new additions are all 6:00 PM matinees with no announced age limits or cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!



Next up, let's head back to The Grand Gardens North at 1324 Great Northern Road for a rare non-Toystock concert, as local classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive will be the musical entertainment at TOMORROW NIGHT'S third annual Builder's Bash from Habitat For Humanity! This special fundraiser event will help fund Habitat For Humanity's current home project on McAllen Street, and it will feature a four course dinner, a silent auction, games & prizes, and a photo booth, so there's a lot of non-musical entertainment to take in! This will be Fluid 5ive first public concert since playing at The Rockstar Bar this past Saturday, and this should be a big opportunity for the guys to get some more attention from a large crowd at a high profile event, so hopefully they have a great set tomorrow! Keep the above charitable ties and non-musical frills in mind when you note the $40 ticket price, but there is a $375 discount for a table of 10, which organizers are pushing as an idea for staff Christmas parties.

Tickets are available at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore at 32 White Oak Drive East (across from Superior Heights), while organizer Sandi Wheeler and Fluid 5ive drummer Jeff Pennett reportedly had physical tickets as well. A 6:00 PM start time is advertised for the Builder's Bash, but it is made clear on the Facebook event page that Fluid 5ive will be playing after dinner, so don't expect the band to hit the stage until 8:00 or 9:00.This should be a great event for Habitat for Humanity supporters, and Fluid 5ive's fan-favourite covers should provide a quality soundtrack, so visit the above links for complete details! No, we don't have videos of Fluid 5ive yet, hopefully soon!

Also this weekend, the first ever metal-featured concert at Soo Blaster goes down TOMORROW NIGHT, when local alt-folk/metal solo artist Chase Wigmore plays at the venue's second ever Indie Music Showcase! Following the success of last month's inaugural event with Man Feelings & Wes Armstrong, veteran local drummer Anthony Fabiano is co-promoting a sophomore installment at the new-ish sports bar/restaurant on Queen Street East, which will again unite some local bands who you don't see on a frequent basis around here. The headline act is reunited local original rock trio Wishbone in their first public concert in over 4 years, and it's great to see Dennis and company back after far too long! The other advertised band is The Blackmagic Bluegrass Band, a new supergroup from members of Tex & The Ride and A Band Named Soo, who will play eclectic rock covers in a bluegrass style alongside select originals, and they should make a big impression!

Chase himself is not advertised on the official Facebook event page (nor Wishbone's), but he made light of this on his own Facebook page by claiming to front a new local band named "Special Guests" and updating the poster himself. This set may be part of a new band named Chase & The Bastards, but either way, his varied and intense live show is reason enough to come to Soo Blaster tomorrow! A 19+ age limit is in effect for this 8:00 PM start time, which has a $5 admission fee. Hopefully the Indie Music Showcase 2.0 is another hit, so visit the above links for more details, and here's Chase live!

Finally, we have new hard rock concert previews in Sault Michigan again after the Thanksgiving break, as Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm will return to The Rapids Lounge at the local Kewadin Casino branch TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! These will be the Peril sister band's first E.U.P. gigs since rocking the same venue almost two months ago, but this won't be it for them in 2018, as they will be back for their previously announced gigs over the December 21st weekend. Scarkazm's hard hitting covers and select originals should provide a welcome way to ring in the month of December, so don't miss out this weekend! Note that these shows were previously advertised to take place in St. Ignace, but were quietly moved north a few months back. Tomorrow & Saturday night's concerts have 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 21+ age limits. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Scarkazm live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Steel Panther preview and more tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: Chris Thompson

It's now time for this month's YouTube Channel Profile, as we continue our monthly look at 1-3 YouTube channels whose content is at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, or punk musicians and/or concerts! After a three month run of profiling multiple channels due to the luck of our random selection, we have a single channel to look at today, and it's a nice cross-section of the work of a popular but too-short-lived hard rock band from almost a decade ago, so here's what you should know on it!
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Chris Thompson (http://www.youtube.com/drumminggiant30)  

Owner: Local metal/hard rock drummer Chris Thompson, previously known from bands like Eclipse, Fitswitch, Frightlight, Giwakwa, Half Past, Jack Spades, and Project 421, among other groups

Channel Timeline: Launched on June 8th, 2009; Videos posted from the following month through September 2011

Channel Summary: Despite his extensive resume in recent local bands, Chris' YouTube channel is solely devoted to his 2008-2012 hard rock band Half Past, who are featured in no less than 23 videos here. These were originally filmed at three of their concerts (including two songs at a June 2010 event at The Canadian Nightclub), plus early jam sessions.

Why You Should Watch: As the de facto official YouTube channel for Half Past, this channel will be of heavy interest to fans of theirs from their very promising (but abbreviated) run at the turn of the 2010s, and with lots of covers and all three of their known original songs, fans will get their fill! However, there are no videos here from their 2008 beginnings under their original name Fingerbone.

Our Recommended Videos To Check Out

DEAD AGIAN:my band HALF PAST'S first original! people getting naked: Chris' first uploads were five jam session videos shot between July & October 2009, early in their public run as Half Past, with Chris joined by Skeyes of Seven guitarist Alain Fletcher, Arthur Lacasse on bass, and the late Luke LeBlanc as their then-new frontman. Half Past are seen here covering Drowning Pool's "Tear Away", Incubus' "Circles", Rage Against The Machine's "Killing In The Name", and (in one video) both Tool's "Stinkfist" & Helmet's "Unsung", but featured here is their first original "Dead Again". Inconsistent lighting and somewhat muffled audio don't help on these videos, and Luke isn't in optimal view on the covers, but these are strong early renditions, and "Dead Again" was a promising number that showed Luke's vocal range nicely! Ignore the facetious end of the video title, everyone remains clothed here.



SICK PUPPIES COVER: ISSUES: 10 of Chris' videos come from Half Past's headlining concert at Foggy Notions (now Coch's Corner) on February 5th, 2010. Here, you can see play their original "War Inside My Head", reprise their "Stinkfist"/"Unsung" double-run, and cover System of a Down's "Aerials", Godsmack's "Keep Away", Shinedown's "Sound of Madness", Breaking Benjamin's "Wish I May", Staind's "Mudshovel", 10 Years' "Wasteland", and Seether's "Remedy". Featured below is the channel's most popular video, a rendition of Sick Puppies' "Issues" with over 1,100 views. The video quality is a little fuzzy (not helped by the filmer not getting close to the stage), but the audio holds up well on these clips, and it's nice to see some electric live rock at Foggy's again, even if almost 9 years ago! Hear a later June 2010 take of "War Inside My Head" from this channel at this link.



Half past Covering I Stand Alone-Hempfest 2011.flv: After Luke's sudden departure in early 2011, Half Past recruited NAClamation alum Jordan Rains as their new singer for their final two concerts, the first of which being at that August's Hempfest in nearby Ophir, in it's local return after a one year stint in Moonbeam. Notably also their final gig with Arthur on bass, Half Past can be seen here covering "Killing In The Name" again, Silverchair's instrumental "Madman", Disturbed's "Down With The Sickness", Drowning Pool's "Bodies", and as featured here, Godsmack's "I Stand Alone". Some of these videos are a little overdone with post-effects, but the guys performed well, and Jordan's higher singing voice is effective on their more melodic covers! Check out Half Past covering Alice In Chains at their last concert by clicking here.


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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! Next month in this series, our random selection has conveniently gave us a channel featuring some of Chris' old 421/Eclipse bandmates, as we'll be looking at defunct local hard rock quartet Haggith's old HAGGITHTunes channel, featuring over five dozen videos from their early-mid 2010s heyday! Look for that on or around Boxing Day, and stay tuned for more news and updates on the SMS soon! Thanks everyone!

A New Local Band, A New Local Rock Music Column, And New Videos!!

Before we begin, I wanted to apologize for a missed concert in last weekend's previews, as The Wyld Stallyns apparently played at The Canadian Motor Hotel on Saturday night. Given their acoustic nature, my guess is The Upper Deck Bar & Grill, but they weren't specific in their vague post on their Facebook page that same day, and there was no online promotion from band or venue that I found otherwise. I apologize again, and we'd have covered the show had it received more notice and information, but hopefully it was a hit! Now, here's some new videos, long overdue coverage of a local journalist's music articles, and a new addition to our band links!

We have a new band to add to our active band links on the site, and they are Poison Girl, another tribute band from this year's Halloween Party concerts at The Rockstar Bar! Essentially a spin-off of local punk trio Stegadeth, that band's members (singer/guitarist Tiffany Stocco, bassist Bill "Orthae" Bennett, and drummer Johnny Belanger) joined forces with Machines Dream/ex-Gates of Winter keyboardist Brian Holmes to round out this lineup, playing a tribute set to Finnish gothic rock notables H.I.M. (the Poison Girl name comes from a H.I.M. song from their 2000 CD "Razorblade Romance".)  Unlike the Facebook page for Tiffany & Johnny's other Halloween tribute band-turned-actual project (the Distillers tribute Coral Fang), there's not much written up or teased, but continued activity is implied. After all, why would a one-off band launch a Facebook page, especially when you could technically argue that they're just Stegadeth + 1?

I was never high on H.I.M. during their run (I honestly prefer Daniel Lioneye), but at their peak, they were a big deal among goth kids and Bam Margera fans around my age, and one wonders how big Poison Girl would have been had they formed even a decade earlier. Still, this is definitely a unique tribute band, locally speaking, and I'd be curious to hear how they handle H.I.M.'s better known songs! Hopefully some public media turns up, and stay tuned for more from Poison Girl when it rolls in!

Next up, I wanted to take some time to talk about a prolific columnist for SaultOnline that we've mentioned here before, but not to the extent he deserves. If you follow that local news site regularly, you'll be familiar with writer Ernest Skinner, who has penned a series of columns there since last year like the editorial series Monet, Manet, and Mayonnaise & the Soo Greyhounds-centric Dog Treats. While Ernest had occasionally addressed music in the former (like when he covered last year's Dokken concert), he launched a full column in June devoted to rock music essays & interviews entitled Rock Talk, and he has posted 22 entries under this new title over the past 5 months. Among other artists, Ernest has interviewed the likes of ex-Queensryche singer Geoff Tate, Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, ex-Motley Crue singer John Corabi, Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner, metal queen Lee Aaron, and Helix frontman Brian Vollmer, so check these and more out above!

While primarily themed around interviews, Rock Talk has included general articles include his thoughts about Castle Farms in Charlevoix, bands Accept & The Dead Daisies, the movie This Is Spinal Tap, hard rock musicians' educational backgrounds, the Hear 'n Aid charity single, upcoming concerts in Ontario & Michigan, and lately, a lot of promotion and hype for the Steel Panther concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino this Saturday (our preview is coming later this week!) After reading a bunch of Ernest's articles & interviews, I can say that he writes in a very relatable fashion and does a good job of explaining the impact and appeal of various rock music topics, and his formatting and editing of his interviews has improved quickly! For a freelance columnist, he's definitely secured some familiar names, and in a few select cases, he got some audio and video soundbites from them, so don't scroll too fast, just in case you miss anything!

In fact, here's one of John Corabi from August, as uploaded to SaultOnline's YouTube channel back in August (and in conjunction with the interview linked above.) Running for just 19 seconds, it's just a brief plug for Ernest's interview and Sault Online/ONNtv, but it's nice to see a familiar face hyping up Sault Ste. Marie like this, and here's hoping he can bring The Dead Daisies or another project up north! Give it a look below, see much more from Ernest above, and I've linked his SaultOnline page in our "Other Local Metal Links" as Rock Talk with Ernest Skinner!



Finally, here's some videos from local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver's Facebook page that we haven't yet covered on the SMS! Apologies for the delay in the first two, but they are admittedly brief and sans music of theirs. Both shot while on their "Hitting the Fan" release tour in April, one video is just 10 seconds of road footage in British Columbia from their vehicle, while the other is a 5 second video of "Bigfoot" being sighted (though he looks suspiciously familiar when the camera zooms in!) Embedded below is their newest video from this past Saturday, when they were en route to Toronto for their last advertised concert of the year. Another short video (17 seconds), this is filmed by guitarist Josh Penno from the passenger seat, and it features drummer Matt Baic finishing a sandwich before the band encounters roadkill. Circle of life, I suppose, but it's nice to see a new official video posting of any kind on their page! Give these a look above & below!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Chase Wigmore), Toystock VII Concert Preview, And A New Video!!

Finally, let's cap off our 5 posts in 5 days run over the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend (unless there's more tomorrow?!) Below, you'll find a lengthy new concert video, our preview of a big annual concert festival tomorrow, and first, a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for TONIGHT, so here's what you should know on this Saturday morning!

Local alt-folk/metal singer/guitarist Chase Wigmore will rock Room 21 TONIGHT as the opening act for new alternative rock quartet Man Feelings! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard about Chase's involvement via the official Facebook event page on Thursday. Potential open mic nights aside, this is the first time I've heard of Chase playing at the nightclub above Low & Slow, and this could be seen as a warm-up for his Soo Blaster gig on Friday. As far as I can tell, this is a solo set, but we know how intense and creative his solo shows can be, so don't miss out by being late TONIGHT! As for the headliners, Man Feelings are the new local band featuring Bizotic alum B.J. Swire among other artists, and this will be just their third public concert set, following the Carried Away concert in August and Soo Blaster's first Indie Music Showcase. From video footage I've seen, they have an accessible but eclectic modern indie rock sound, and they should be a good fit in their Room 21 debut!

TONIGHT'S concert has a 10:00 PM door-opening time, a 19+ age limit, and despite being a multi-act event, no cover charge. Fans of creative alternative rock might want to consider this show for your live concert plans TOMORROW, and you never know what you'll get from Chase, so don't bypass the action at Room 21! See above for more details, and here's Chase live!



Next up, here is our extended preview of the seventh annual Toystock charity concert, which goes down TOMORROW for a fourth straight year at The Grand Gardens North! Presented once again by (Choose) Maxx Entertainment, this annual event will once again see 10 bands playing live across 10 hours, with all proceeds going to Christmas Cheer to help less fortunate families, which is always a worthy cause at this time of year! As such, admission is still purely by donation of a new or slightly used toy, non-perishable food items, or cash, and this is absolutely ALL AGES. Good thing too, as Santa Claus AND Mr. Bon Soo will be on hand to meet the kids! Plus you can expect face painting, a photo booth, a kids play area, and the Stuff-A-Bus, plus  hopefully prize draws and refreshments like in past years. Visit the official Facebook event page for complete non-musical details regarding Toystock VII! In a departure from past installments, Toystock's 2018 lineup is mostly comprised of returning bands, with only three newcomers on this year's bill.

In advertised performance order, fans can look forward to country rock veterans Bone Yard playing their record sixth Toystock set as the 9:00 PM headliners, while classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will co-headline in their second straight year at 8:00 PM (and look for drummer Glen Thomas to donate a drumkit to a lucky child tomorrow night too!) Classic rock quartet Obsession are on at 7:00 PM in their third Toystock set and first in five years, while two newcomers precede them, namely new local acoustic quartet Chunks of Manh at 6:00 PM and country singer/guitarist Brendan Hodgson at 5:00 PM. Classic rock veterans The Algo Rhythms will play their third Toystock since the Grand Gardens move at 4:00 PM, following the third straight Toystock appearance by a Case's Music student group at 3:00 PM. Acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will make their Toystock debut at 2:00 PM, as preceded at 1:00 PM by country duo The Jeff & Jeff Show (not "Jeff & Friends") for their second straight Toystock go-around.

Finally, Bone Yard's acoustic duo side project The Bearded Lounge will open the day's events in their second straight Toystock appearance at 12:00 PM. Sounds like another great day's worth of famly friendly and varied live music from young and established faces alike, and all for a fantastic cause to boot, so consider a trip to 1324 Great Northern Road for all of the action tomorrow and help make Christmas a little better for those in need! Visit the above links for complete details on Toystock VII, and here's Soundcheck live!



Finally for today, here's a newly discovered video of the other hard rock band playing Toystock this year, namely the aforementioned Wyld Stallyns! Apologies for the delay in this making the site, it was quietly live streamed by Live705's Facebook page early last month during their headlining concert on October 5th at the aforementioned Room 21. By far our longest public video look at the Elements side project yet (running for over 34 minutes), this is from the same night as their advertised Tom Petty tribute set, but clearly not at this point of the night. In order, you'll see Christina, Rob, and Jesse covering the second half of Weezer's "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To", then No Doubt's "Just A Girl", and B.B. King's "The Thrill Is Gone", before the Speers' make way for a couple of guest performers (including Jesse's grandfather) for covers of Merle Haggard's "That's The Way Love Goes" and Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through The Night", so country fans may want to take extra note then.

The band proper is reunited for the last 10 minutes, including a love ballad that I can't 100% place ("I Don't Wanna Get Old Without You"?), Janis Joplin's "Mercedes Benz", and Wayne Cochran's "Last Kiss", though readers will better know the Pearl Jam cover. Between the vertical camera angle and audience chatter (especially late), these may not be the optimal looks at The Wyld Stallyns, but you do get a sense of the loose and carefree nature of their usual live shows, and if you haven't had a chance to see them live yet, this is a solid introduction to the full experience! Give it a look below, and don't miss them at Toystock tomorrow afternoon!



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

Shit Liver/Therapists/Bear Hunters Concert Review!!

Hey everyone, it's time for our fourth post in four days, so if you're done Black Friday shopping, here's our review of last night's Shit Liver-headlined concert at The New American Pub! Given the Thursday night scheduling (well past the Rosie metal night era) and cold temperatures, attendance wasn't spectacular, but a decent enough crowd filled out the New A for this one, and by the last two bands, the mosh pits certainly felt much larger! Remember, Destroilet dropped out of this show and were not replaced on the bill.

Opening last night's show was local death metal band The Bear Hunters in their first live concert appearance in over a year, and while I don't know why they took so long off, they roared back to life with a brutal set of more recent originals that surely began the face melting process! Sticking to songs on their still-forthcoming album "The Dead Testament" like "Servitude", "Deception", and "The Dying Den", their brief 6 song set even began with the live debut of their original "For Glory", which even featured guitarist Mitch Sirie on backing clean vocals! Rare to hear him sing on a song that's not about his squirrel buddy! Aside from Justin Lam's new short haircut and Nik Deubel's increasingly impressive beard, everyone looked as expected and brought the brutality at a level equitable to their other Josh-less sets, with Mitch shining on guitar, Justin handling the low end as well as ever, and Johnny Belanger's drumming was a great match!

Nik acknowledged during their set that "The Dead Testament" is done mastering, and that they recently shot their first ever music video, which will be old news if you follow members' personal Facebook accounts, but marks their first public acknowledgement of this fact. I'll hold on saying more until the band does, but I can't wait to see the album and video completed! The Bear Hunters picked up where they left off nicely, I just wish it was longer!

Next up last night were Sudbury "party violence" quintet The Therapists in their Sault Ste. Marie concert debut, their first regional show since this year's Oh!No festival in Leeburn, and the first of a two night run with Shit Liver in Northern Ontario that wraps up tonight in Sudbury. Many fans who were at Oh!No II spoke very highly of The Therapists, and aside from the absence of their astronaut guitarist, it looks like they picked up right where they left off with a wild and hard to explain set! Musically speaking, The Therapists played an in-your-face brand of hardcore punk with ribald and sometimes specifically topical lyrics, but always with an irreverent edge that played to the crowd well! Frontman Pat Sauve was dressed to the nines in his Shit Liver patch-covered vest and a plastic tote full of hats and masks (worn as hats) as he mingled with fans mid-song, even using an old air conditioner as a stool! Yes, other band members were dressed up too, including as Jesus.

In the process, bubbles were blown, plastic army men were distributed, smoke machines billowed, and a can of silly string even got sprayed around! Needless to say, this was a raucous show with a huge reception, to the point where fans demanded one more song, and that stretched out into three or four more! With solid ripping guitar work and intense vocals, The Therapists arguably stole the show, and hopefully we see them back on a local stage in 2019! Imagine them and Bookakee on the same bill?!

And finally, your headliners were local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver in their second and final local concert stop of 2018, ans they brutalized with a no nonsense blitzkrieg of original songs to end the night with! Sticking largely to their new album "Hitting The Fan" with songs like "Evacuation" and "Cirrhosis", plus select older material like "It's Not My Problem", Shit Liver brought their crusty mixture of death metal and hardcore punk back with full force, and as the mosh pit behind me indicated, things were hectic and full of energy even after The Therapists wrapped up! Of course, the triple vocal attack from Josh Penno, Mike Kyle, and Matt Baic was as ferocious as ever, and their fast riffs, pounding bass, and well timed drums were all highly complimentary as you'd expect. Their set went by very fast, but in a good way, and this was a brutal and fun way to end a busy year for Shit Liver! Here's hoping for more!

Overall, this was a nice and brutal concert full of hard hitting original material, and how can you not have fun with The Therapists' wild stage show? You can check out our photos and videos from the show at this link or at our Facebook page, and apologies for the hazy pictures of The Therapists, I don't think any camera I've ever owned likes smoke machines. As for videos, here's The Bear Hunters opening their set with "For Glory", The Therapists playing "Shotgun Anus" (they titled it, not me!), and Shit Liver playing two short originals ("It Won't Change" & "Wait"!)







That's all for today, but stay tuned for the last of this weekend's concert previews and more updates tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Most Of This Weekend's Hard Rock & Metal Concert Previews, Plus Related Updates!!

Today marks the third in a five consecutive day run of new posts on the SMS, with a concert review coming tomorrow, and the conclusion of this weekend's concert previews on Saturday (namely Toystock, so look for that then.) With things quiet in Sault Michigan over the American Thanksgiving holiday weekend, this latest round of concert previews is all Sault Ontario-centric, so let's lead off in rough chronological order, with a new concert video, a band drop-out, and a missed show apology all thrown in for good measure!

We'll start this weekend's hard rock concert previews with a big metal concert TONIGHT, as local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver will headline a Thursday metal night throwback of sorts at The New American Pub! Last seen during their album release tour concert seven months ago, this will be a solid way for fans to see Josh, Mike, and Matt back in their hometown for another blast of explosive crust punk and death metal originals, so don't miss out tonight! Despite being a fully out of town band, Sudbury party violence" quintet The Therapists will get the middle slot tonight in their Sault Ste. Marie debut proper, though Oh!No festivalgoers will recall this band replacing Shit Liver in Leeburn this year. With their fan-favourite blend of hardcore punk and an irreverent sense of humour, The Therapists should attract a strong audience tonight, and might they have costumes again? Opening tonight's show is the long awaited return of local death metal standouts The Bear Hunters, ending a year+ long hiatus from the stage in the process. It's great to have them back after far too long!

Will we get any surprise reveals towards "The Dead Testament" tonight? Be there early to find out! Note that hardcore punk sextet Destroilet dropped out of the show for unannounced reasons and were not replaced, as per the Facebook event page yesterday, meaning that "later rather than sooner" will likely extend past two years. Hopefully all's well in their camp! A $10 cover charge is in effect for this 19+ event, which starts at 9:30 PM, and given the school/work night scheduling, organizers are aiming to wrap things up by midnight, which is kind of them! This should be a can't miss show for extreme metal and hardcore punk fans, so see the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's a newly discovered video of Shit Liver live! Posted online in June by YouTube user sad dad, this is of Shit Liver's headlining set at Mags 99 in Squamish, British Columbia back in April, and they were filmed along with one video of openers The Beer Disposal Experts that same night.

Filmed from a close side-stage angle, this captures their fast-paced and ferocious onslaught nicely, and the audio quality holds up, though the camera placement might not be to everyone's liking unless you frequent venues where you can get beside the band like this. Give it a look below, and don't miss Shit Liver and company tonight at The New A!



Next up, we'll head to Gliss Restaurant on Spring Street, where Tym Morrison will return for his fourth week of matinee concert bookings at the relocated venue TOMORROW & SATURDAY! Things sound like they are going well for Tym's resumed arrangement at the former Gliss Steak & Seafood since it's relocation, and expect another fun weekend full of acoustic hard and classic rock covers there over these two nights! While we're on the subject, I did want to apologize for a missed show of Tym's, as he played a special set at Tamar's Trends Flower Shop this past Thursday in conjunction with their Moonlight Magic sale event (source here), similarly to when he played outside of this Queen Street business during a Downtown Street Party this July. While Tym didn't promote it on his own pages, I profusely apologize for missing it, and hopefully it was a great concert!

As far as I know, Tym is just at Gliss this weekend, and you can see him tomorrow and Saturday for 6:00 PM shows with no announced age limits or cover charges, though mind the locale. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!



Finally for today's concert preview post (Toystock is coming on Saturday), we'll head to The Rockstar Bar, where new-ish veteran hard rock quintet Fluid 5ive will return for one night only THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! With their concert schedule moving a little faster than usual, this will be their second show since confirming Liam Vaillancourt as a new guitarist, and could serve as a tune-up of sorts before their Habitat For Humanity Builder's Bash concert next Friday. Though public videos are still not out of Fluid 5ive in action, this talented lineup of familiar local faces should deliver a fun set of hard rocking covers, so don't miss out on Saturday! This is a one-nighter, and while I cannot confirm what's going on at The Rockstar Bar tomorrow at press time, note that they've had a lot of Friday night karaoke events for Christmas Cheer as of late. Also, note that the Sault Music News Letter Facebook page lists both Fluid 5ive AND Soundcheck as playing at The Rockstar Bar on Saturday, so what's going on there?

As far as I can tell, that's an accidental remnant from their concert calendar post last week, as Soundcheck did play at The Rockstar Bar this past Saturday, so just ignore that minor error. Fluid 5ive should be on at 9:00 PM or so, there is no announced cover charge, and you must be 19 or older to attend. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and that's all for today, but stay tuned for our review of the aforementioned Shit Liver concert tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide, Northwest, And Chase Wigmore), Plus Other Notes!!

Things have picked up as of late for stories, and with lots of shows to preview this weekend, we're going to have at least 5 straight days of new posts on the SMS, and this is day #2! We're focusing primarily on LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS today, plus some new video postings related to one of these performers, so here's what you should know in chronological order!

Local alt-folk/metal solo artist Chase Wigmore will apparently be playing a solo set at Soo Blaster's second Indie Music Showcase on November 30th (or, one week from Friday!) Though not listed on official event advertising yet, Chase has played around with that by Photoshopping the poster and claiming that "Special Guests" are his new band, and that "TBA" is a separate act following them. In reality, Chase has been sharing new songs to his Facebook page credited to "Chase & The Bastards", implying that he has launched a full solo band of that name, but we don't know much about them beyond his involvement. His set will be at 8:00 PM, and he will be opening for the reunited veteran rock trio Wishbone (nice to see Dennis & company back!) and The Blackmagic Bluegrass Band, a new supergroup featuring members of Tex & The Ride and A Band Named Soo, who will apparently play both originals and rock covers in a bluegrass style. Intriguing shades of Hayseed Dixie there!

Co-presented by prolific local drummer Anthony Fabiano, this 19+ concert will mark the first Soo Blaster concert featuring a metal act, and it has a $5 cover charge. It'll be interesting to see how the second Indie Music Showcase does at this new-ish Queen Street East sports bar, so visit the above links for more details, and stay tuned at post's end for Chase's new songs!

Next up, here's two concerts for next month at LopLops Lounge, both courtesy of promoters/local indie label Tidal Records, starting with the long awaited Northwest EP release party on Saturday, December 22nd! As first quietly teased on their Facebook page two months ago, the indie/punk quintet will indeed release their second CD "Songs From 2015-2017" in just over a month's time, in what is already looking like a bigger and splashier release than their 2014 debut got. While details are slim as of yet regarding the release formats, price, and track listing, the first 50 attendees in the door will get a free download code for the EP, so if that piques your interest, don't be late! Local indie rock quartet K.I.C.K. will play their first concert in over a year as the opening act, following months of studio sessions, medical mishaps, and work commitments. It'll be great to have the Keep It Cool Kids back on stage themselves, so there's all the more reason to come early next month for all of the talent on display!

A cover charge was not announced, let alone the EP cost, but bring $10 just in case, as $5 for each makes sense. This is a 19+ show, and a 9:00 PM start time is advertised. Indie punk fans won't want to miss Northwest finally wrap up the lengthy album process with a big holiday season party, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for updates on the show and album when they roll in!

Lastly for this batch of new shows, fans can check out local/Toronto Celtic punk quartet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide as they return to the stage for a headlining joint at LopLops Lounge on Friday, December 28th! Though they have played live since in Thessalon, this will be The Tide's first local concert appearance since their very rainy set at Rotaryfest Stage 1 in July, and their first where everyone is under a roof since March. It's seemingly rarer and rarer to see Dustin and company on stage, so don't bypass this post-Christmas opportunity, especially given their recent studio sessions! The poster (as shared on the band's Facebook page) confirms that Lake Effect drummer Chris Johns will be back behind the drumkit, while Barn Board Trio guitarist Liam Seymour is also pictured in the fold. The Tide are still listed as a quartet with Mikey on drums on Facebook, but is this a belated new lineup confirmation? Local country/pop duo The Steeletown Girls (featuring ex-Din guitarist Tammy Hill) will open this concert, in what should be an intriguing style clash, so definitely give them a look as well!

Also promoted by Tidal Records, this 19+ concert has a $10 cover charge, and a likely 10:00 PM start time. With the holiday season still ongoing then, this would be a fun way to help send 2018 off with a bang, so visit the above links for current details! (Yes, I am also aware of the cover band concert that Tidal is hosting on Friday, December 21st, but all advertising for it that I've seen is via personal Facebook accounts, so I am waiting for public confirmation before covering it here. Stay tuned!)

Finally, let's tackle those new Chase Wigmore songs, as he posted four new videos onto his Facebook page on Sunday featuring new original material, so what should you know there? Three are audio tracks credited to "Chase & The Bastards", including a reworking of his previously pulled original "Psychic Driving" and new tracks named "Scabies" (an experimental folk/punk number) and "Running Out Of Beer" (an eclectic song that reminds me of outlaw country meets Daniel Johnston, if that makes any sense.) Very creative overall, and never boring, hopefully we hear and learn more about the full band! Embedded below is "A Story About A Kid Named Todd (Episode 1: The Art of Busking)", a 26 minute video of Chase playing largely continuously, which is very impressive alone! As described on his new Wix website, this is a lengthy conceptual piece about "adventure, desperation, madness and beyond" that has only been selectively performed in the past.

If you love Chase's acoustic alt-folk concerts and material, this is a must watch, and it's very cool to see him seamlessly perform so naturally and casually like this, though it'll be old hat if you see him live often. With his vocal, guitar, and lyrical versatility, and his irreverent storytelling, this is bound to entertain, and hopefully Episode 2 isn't far off (or perhaps an album?) Give it a look below, and hear more above!



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

SweetKenny - "Management" CD Review!!

Here's our 113th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, as we're taking a look at Dafter, Michigan hard rock solo artist Ken "SweetKenny" Sutton's newest paid album, "Management"! Released through Waterfall Records on June 13th, this is the 26th official paid studio album from SweetKenny, as well as the 10th of his that we have reviewed on the SMS dating back to 2012. As has been his primary focus for the past three years, this is yet another instrumental album designed for use as a score in film, TV, or movie productions, with an intended plotline given about a CIA agent named Kenneth (naturally) who must locate and stop a spy in "management" before Russian operatives get the chance. Note that Ken just released another score album named "Monster" to his website earlier this month, but as it's just a free posting at present, I didn't consider it for this album review. Featuring Ken on all instruments, you can buy "Management" on iTunes for $9.99, and you can stream it on Spotify, Apple Music, and his website.

And as recently usual, song names below are linked to their website copies. With 12 tracks running for about 40 minutes in length, let's begin this review with the first song, "Botched Invasion"! A short 96 second composition, this has a grand, American patriotic flavour to it with quick military drum rolls and horn instrument effects. It serves it's purpose as an introduction, but it's not a full "song" in & of itself, and doesn't evoke an invasion of any kind to me.

Second is "Kenneth" (the fictional CIA agent, not SweetKenny himself), which is slightly longer and has more going for it conceptually, with a dark ominous vibe, like Kenneth is covertly on a mission. Simplistic guitars and well timed orchestration help pace things nicely, and the piano at the end is placed effectively too. This felt like it could have been longer, as it felt like it was building to bigger and more dramatic things, but it gets the job done in the story! That's followed by "Management Tower", which goes even more ethereal and spacey with it's instrumentation here, almost as if it should be on Echoes on 98.3 FM on Sunday mornings. Rapid military drumming mid-way through helps disturb the chilled out nature, but the string input adds to the grandiosity. This would be a good song for a long late-night drive, and it's well composed overall, but this doesn't feel all that evocative of it's name.

Next is "Russian Trouble", which immediately takes on a darker and more industrial sound that is far more suited to the theme of the album, and regardless of the enemies' nationality, you know they're making their presence felt! The electronic effects add some zest, but the bassy and deliberate sound keeps things serious and purposeful. I'd have added a subtle Russian music element to enhance the mood, and it does run a little overlong, but so far, this is the best track on "Management"! Then we have "Kenneth's Secrets", which is a piano-driven number that returns to deliberately ominous territory, almost as if the Russian agents are looking for the title secrets at this point. While not as laid back as "Management Tower", this has more ethereal qualities, with isolated piano input and extra effects laid overtop, and while nowhere near as intense as "Russian Trouble", the album is getting better for reflecting the song names!

"The Interrogation" follows next, and this song almost feels like it belongs in a horror movie than a spy thriller, especially with that high pitched eerie note midway through, and as bookended by more ominous and dark performing and effects. If you didn't give me the title, I'd have easily bought this as taking place in a haunted house! Like on the album openers, this doesn't evoke an interrogation room at all, but then again, who knows what kind of "interrogating" is being done. They have to get answers somehow! The second half begins with "Observation", which is more of an electronic number that at times feels like it could be background music in a Super Nintendo game. The higher tempo music somewhat evokes winter and the cold, but it maintains a steady techno rhythm and pace throughout, and has some more industrial machinery tinges late. I don't really get an "observation" vibe here, but for what it is, it gets the job done!

The next two tracks are "Code Name 28 (Arrangement 1)" & "Code Name 28 (Arrangement 2)",  and as you can probably see already, these are different takes on the same song in the score (one assumes 28 is Kenneth's code name.) These continue the electronic path from "Observation", and each has a mid-tempo pacing that eschews most traditional rock elements. "Arrangement 2" differs from the original with harsher and more distorted effects, evoking a more computerized ambiance, but each is the same base composition. Not my favourite song(s) on the album, but techno fans will find something here! I preferred "Arrangement 1" for it's less abrasive sound. Next is "Spies & Dark Women", which is the album's longest track. We return to more ominous and drawn out territory here, with some electronic elements still present, but not nearly as in your face this time. This song seems to go in stages, with things quieting down a bit in the middle before ramping up the drama late, and even returning to SweetKenny's hard rock past for a bit, and I definitely welcome charging guitars here!

This song is a bit of a piecemeal number, but there are enough strong elements (especially late) to make it worthwhile! The penultimate track is a similarly long number named "The Penthouse", which is more up-tempo while still retaining it's predecessor's dramatic qualities, and at this late stage of the score, you know things have ramped up in intensity! The percussion has catchy qualities, especially when it takes center stage, and the tension is there, but this song has more repetition than I'd like, especially compared to how varied it's predecessor was. Not a bad number, but I'd have cut it down some. The album closes with "Management Trailer Theme", presumably what Ken would use in commercials for the movie this score would be used with if it was up to him. Running for an album-low 73 seconds, this reminds me slightly of the Criminal Minds theme music, only with eerier qualities as it builds. For a CIA thriller film, this would be good background music, and I can picture a chase to it, so it works for what it is!

So, what are my final thoughts on SweetKenny's newest paid score album? Well, having now reviewed five of his scores, I'm at least familiar now with how these kinds of albums go, and I can safely say that while this isn't the best of those five (that's still "The Hitman Files"), this has enough positive qualities to deserve a listen! Fans hoping for a full length follow-up to "In Your Face" will want to look elsewhere for new traditional material (namely his recent singles), but for techno-infused rock instrumentals and atmospheric backing tracks, this has enough going for it in those areas as songs alone. When we last reviewed Ken's "The Dogs Are Watching" score, I felt that it's reliance on dark techno was well suited to it's intended storyline about government hackers, but for a CIA spy thriller, I'm not so sure that the same genre fits as well, and even then, the titles of many tracks were not evocative of the song at all, like "Botched Invasion" & "Interrogation". Of course, if you were to license these songs for a score, you could theoretically use them in other ways, but it's just something I noticed.

Fans of SweetKenny's scores will want to take a listen, as there's enough eerie and ominous techno and rock instrumentals here to find something you like, so buy or stream it (and much more) at the above links! I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, and as for next month, I am tentatively planning to review Northwest's new EP "Songs From 2015-2017", which is expected to be released on December 22nd at their LopLops Lounge release concert, which we will cover on the site later this week. That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on Thursday! Thanks everyone!

Local Metal Video Showcase!!

News has been somewhat slow as of late, but I have cobbled together a video-centric post on this Sunday morning, largely on Sault Michigan acts. Alongside some new YouTube song postings and a familiar group from a recent concert, let's start with a new video from local classical/metal band Theatre of Night, who filmed a special televised performance on Grand Rapids-area cable access channel GRTV on Friday! I am not familiar with the channel to know if this was part of a specific program or not, let alone when you can catch it on TV there or online, but we do have a video look at them from that day, as shared to Theatre of Night's Facebook group via bassist Scott Andringa's wife Sara's personal Facebook page. The performance is of the Christmas carol "We Three Kings", and is our first video look at the band with Rachel Mender on vocals for this holiday season. The performance is solid, and while there is muffled audio, the final TV copy will no doubt remedy that.

You also get a brief look at the actual TV camera view late, and you do get a sense of their live concert scale this year, including Scott hitting a big drum for some added percussion dramatics, so one assumes this will be similar to what local fans see next month. In the meantime, give (part of?) Theatre of Night's GRTV performance a look below!



Next up, here's a 40 minute long live-streamed video of a one-off band from The Superior Cafe's Musicians Showcase event over the Halloween weekend! Alongside Project 906 & Raven Griffin, fans that night saw Das Spööky, who are actually a de facto reunion of the final full lineup of the 2013-2014 local alt-hard rock trio Plastic, with Crooked Music owner Zac Crook on vocals & guitar, Matt Williams on bass, and Superior Cafe manager Aaron DePalma on drums (Matt & Aaron have also served as instructors at Crooked Music themselves.) Plastic were a solid band that deserved a longer run, and while I have heard no public word about "Das Spööky" being more than a one-off, it's nice to see the guys back at it! As uploaded to Crooked Music's Facebook page three weeks ago, you'll see the guys covering (in order) The Misfits' "Ghouls Night Out", Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London", The Misfits' "London Dungeon", The White Stripes' "Dead Leaves & The Dirty Ground",  ...

...The Ramones' "Pet Sematary", The Who's "Boris the Spider", five more Misfits songs ("Return of the Fly", "Teenagers From Mars", "Children in Heat", "Horror Business", and "We Bite"), and an interpretation of Bobby Pickett's "Monster Mash" in almost a slow jazz/Wesley Willis-hybrid style, if you can make sense of that. If you love Danzig-era Misfits, this video will be extra notable, but Das Spooky/Plastic deliver a fun set full of Halloween-alluding covers, and while the vertical camera angle and dark lighting don't help, you should get enjoyment out of this set! Give Das Spooky a look below, and click here to see their White Stripes cover rehearsed that morning!



Also today, let's take a brief detour to Sault Ontario for the long awaited upload of local goregrind solo project Crucify the Whore's half of their "A Couple of Degenerate Bastards" split with Chase Wigmore from earlier this year! This was posted to label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel on November 7th, and it features 11 songs with such names as "Sudafederal Offense", "26", and "Big Boy in a Small Pond". Of course, some titles and lyrics could be seen as offensive by some readers, which is nothing new for C.T.W. original material, but these songs are slightly longer on average than you may expect, as their average length is about 2:35. The music on display here retains the usual minimalist grind hallmarks of Tyler's sound, including pig squeal vocals and noise effects, so this won't win over any prior detractors, but Blood Shed diehards should like the new music, and give it a listen if you want below!



Finally, here's the latest from Dafter, Michigan solo hard rock musician Kenneth "SweetKenny" Sutton, who is still our likely CD review topic for this month, but what has he been up to lately? While his album focus as of late has been towards his scores, he has posted five singles online this year that (largely) aren't attached to a credited new studio album, which you can stream at his website. Four are entitled "Pork N' Beans" (featuring guest guitarist Jamie Woodfin Jr.), "American Monster" (a 10 minute long score composition), and "Superhero", while two songs were posted for an intended album named "For The Love Of Funk", namely "Her Mama Put The Funk On Me" & "The Landing of George Funk", the latter about a fictional astronaut. Aside from the funk elements, these retain Ken's usual hard/jam rock hallmarks, albeit with some requisite score-fitting drama, and fans should give them a listen! In the meantime, SweetKenny's YouTube channel has seem some scattered updates this year, so what's new there?

Much of his recent postings there have been towards demonstrating his original material (largely songs I don't recall being released previously) as soundtrack music to outside video footage, often with attractive women in revealing clothing, as you can see in this "Monster" demo reel, this song for a planned video game, and this copy of his "Epic" song "Maddy's March" with a glossy presentation. Hopefully these uploads are getting Ken some attention in the score and soundtrack arena, but here's his "Her Mama Put The Funk On Me" video, and stay tuned for more from SweetKenny when it rolls in!



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