It is now time for our final post of 2018, and as usual, we're closing with a retrospective on the events of 2018 in the local metal, hard rock, and punk scenes, including the good and bad from bands, concerts, and general news from both sides of the border. Hopefully we hit most of the big stories, but this is always a fun post to research and compile, so hopefully this brings back some solid memories of the year that was! As always, we'll start with major headlining hard rock and metal concerts at major local venues, and this was a busy year in that regard!
We first saw Project 906 and a reunited Chord On Bluz opening for Laith Al-Saadi and The Chris Canas Band in the "Best of Michigan Blues" concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on February 10th, while Sault Ontario welcomed Big Wreck & Attica Riots to The Machine Shop three days later, and just a day after that, The Dreammaker's Theater responded with the return of Pop Evil alongside Palaye Royale & Black Map. The same venue hosted touring Boston tribute band Don't Look Back on April 7th, while The Machine Shop responded on April 19th with I Mother Earth, Finger Eleven, and J.J. Thompson. On August 11th, Kewadin Casino welcomed Seether & 10 Years back to the Soo alongside The Dead Deads, while Steel Panther and Wilson rocked the same venue on December 1st, and locals Theatre of Night headlined a special Dreammaker's Theater Christmas concert on December 15th. Look for many more huge concerts at these venues in the new year!
Beyond major venues, Sault Ontario welcomed a number of big concerts to local venues in 2018, with notable touring bands like All The Wasted Years, Alterbeast, Archelon, Beaver Slap, Carried Away, Cross Dog, The Faps, The Gabba Heys, Inferi, Lightmares, Rivers of Nihil, Ten Foot Pole, The Therapists, Who Made Who, and Whoop-Szo all hitting regional stages. Major returning events on the concert calendar included Rotaryfest, Toystock, The Northern Vibe Festival, J.D. Pearce's Halloween Party, Go Skateboarding Day, The Sky's The Limit, and the Oh!No Music Festival in Leeburn, and while there were no true battles of the bands, a few hard rock acts took part in The Soo's Got Talent at The Tech this fall. Fans also turned out for the Joni Radford and Pirie Kaufman benefits, the Rides for Autism & ARCH, the Downtown Street Parties, Soo Blaster's new Indie Music Showcases, and even Joe's Weekend Warrior Fest in September. I'm sure there's much more on the horizon in 2019!
Sault Michigan and the Eastern Upper Peninsula had it's share of notable concerts in 2018 as well, with Peril, Scarkazm, and Spun returning from out of town for more high profile headlining appearances, while Munising's own Infathom headlined in Brimley in May, and Peril side project Project 6 played a special Kincheloe convenience store set in August! Also this year: Project 906 returned to the Rudyard Musicians Festival (among a wide array of solo headlining gigs), Banned played at the Sugar Island Music Festival while also maintaining a similarly busy schedule, and Highway 63 side project Cousin Eddie played their final concerts at the Kewadin Casino branches. In fact, some of this year's biggest hard rock shows in the E.U.P. took place in December, like Theatre of Night's Pickford church concert on December 14th, and Highway 63's return from hiatus at the Dondee just over a week later. There's a lot of talent in the Sault Michigan area going into the new year!
2018 gave us a lot of general news stories impacting heavier and punk bands. Noted local acts like A Dire Setback, Banned, Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide, Id Iota, Jack Spades, Mike Haggith, Redundant, Shit Liver, Soundcheck, Stegadeth, and Theatre of Night all hit the road for out-of-town gigs, while both Shit Liver and The Bear Hunters unveiled long awaited music videos towards their new albums! This year had it's share of bad news, like the passing of Fistmagnet's Chuck Ayotte, the closures of The Gore Street Cafe & PureVolume, the Michale Graves concert cancellation, and a complete lack of heavier Oddfellows Hall shows, but we had good news as well, like the growth of Room 21, Bird's Eye Outfitters, and Soo Blaster as active venues, the rebranding of GFL Memorial Gardens, the debut of Ernest Skinner's Rock Talk column, the return of Punk Rock Bingo in April, and Gliss' successful move to Spring Street, among many others. Here's to another eventful year ahead!
The past year has been unusually packed for new albums from metal, hard rock, and punk acts, with none getting a bigger launch than Shit Liver's vinyl sophomore album "Hitting The Fan", as bolstered by a hit Canadian tour! Redundant finally put out their debut EP in July at their Vans Warped Tour stop in Toronto, and fellow local punk rockers Northwest released their own second EP "Songs From 2015-2017" earlier this month. Mike Haggith stayed busy in Manitoba with two live albums, including his new solo release "From The Nickel Stage" and his old band The Din's posthumous "Suburban Sendoff". A couple of other Mikes put out multiple albums in 2018, like the five studio albums (and one reissue) from Mike McCleary to the debut studio albums from Mike Vincent as well. Also this year: Telephone & Address finally released "Monster", SweetKenny kept his score album releases going, and Sykotyk Rampage resurfaced with "Live at the Paris Hilton", among other new albums in 2018, and more should be on the horizon next year!
2018 was a lean year for debuting heavier bands, but a few notable names turned up! Arguably the most familiar of this year's rookie crop was power rock quintet Re:Born, who picked up where predecessors Project 421 left off with a trio of well received gigs, and hopefully there's more to come in the new year! J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween parties in October gave us a trifecta of new tribute bands, including Stegadeth side projects Coral Fang & Poison Girl paying homage to The Distillers & H.I.M., while a nameless one-off supergroup brought their Tool tribute to The Rockstar Bar stage for 2 show-stealing concerts. Also this year: Veteran classic/hard rock quintet Fluid 5ive finally debuted on stage after their 2016 inception, Chase Wigmore launched his grindcore act Awokest, 415E guitarist Chris Hubbard started his own emponymous solo project, and Halfway Loaded members formed the new acoustic duo Tattoos & Scars. Here's hoping these bands & more keep things going strong in 2019!
A number of local bands saw lineup changes, additions, and departures in 2018, with two of Tidal Records head Dustin Jones' resurrected punk bands seeing big upheaval, from Liam Seymour & Chris Johns joining the revived Rising Tide lineup, to Marshall Jaaskelainen & Aaron Dunn replacing Clint Wilson & Mike Yorke in The Cover-Up. Classic/hard rockers Soundcheck saw Steven Flint, Scott McLurg, and Glen Thomas behind the drumkit in 2018, while Elly McWatters replaced Robert Nevitt on vocals with Re:Born, Robert Sartini took over for Dan Linklater on bass in Id Iota, and that band's drummer Blair St. John joined Robert's existing metal band Pillory as their new bassist! Meanwhile, Sault Michigan saw Highway 63 enlist George Belleau, Justin Lawless, and Brian Drumheller for their return from hiatus, Tommy Korcal replace Will Storey as Project 906's drummer, and Stacie McCarthy depart Theatre of Night after one tour. Hopefully these and more were the right moves for each band!
Unfortunately, a number of high profile heavier/punk bands ended their local runs in 2018 even if there weren't many major farewell shows in the process. Classic/hard rock veterans Stiffler's Mom, The 3 Day Millionaires, and Griphook ceased public updates this year, while hard rock quartet Eclipse abruptly ended their run, indie/alternative bands Vol., Bizotic, and The Noochin' Lanterns quietly dissolved, and Gianni Gagoots' reunion seemed to end before it began, among others. Sault Michigan appeared to say goodbye to Cousin Eddie & Stoned Ape Evolution in 2018, while the Werehold Records roster of metal artists have all been dormant since the spring. Also, a number of notable bands have went over 6 months without a public update, leaving the statuses of acts like Electric Church, Gates of Winter, Skeyes of Seven, Sykotyk Rampage, and Telephone & Address in limbo. It's sad to lose these bands, but hopefully we see them or their members out there in 2019!
That all said, there was no shortage of notable acts making big comebacks in 2018! With Rotaryfest's "Rewind" theme for Stage 1 this year, fans were treated to Treble Charger's return after a year+ break from the local stage, while That's Chester, The Suicide Kings, Tripod The Dog, and Turner Up were just some of the one-off returning bands this year, and fellow performers Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide had ended a lengthy hiatus of their own earlier in the year! Dustin's other punk band The Cover-Up also returned after 3 years away, while The Bear Hunters, Highway 63, Pillory, Redundant, and Shit Liver all resurfaced after taking a year or more off from local concerts. Hard rock trio The Din reunited for a one-off LopLops show in July, with frontman Mike Haggith resuming live performances for his own solo project in Manitoba. Frightlight & Plastic both resurfaced with one-off Halloween weekend sets, and The Billy Bastards, Sykotyk Rampage, and The Sorrow Fields came back for new studio sessions, among many others. Here's to more returns in 2019!
As always, 2018 was an eventful year for local metal, hard rock, and punk acts & concerts, and I know 2019 will provide much more big moments, so be sure to follow along next year for coverage of all that's heavy and punk in the Twin Saults! Thanks to everyone for following along and for their support over the past year, have a fun and responsible New Year's Eve, and stay tuned for our 2019 preview post tomorrow!
Monday, December 31, 2018
Saturday, December 29, 2018
LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Project 906), Year-End Concert Previews, And New Theatre Of Night Videos!!
Barring some more late notice announcements, this could be our final news/concert preview post of 2018, so what lies within here? Some new videos from a major recent concert, our last show preview for this weekend, and our previews of the Monday slate of New Year's Eve hard rock concerts, but let's begin with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!
Joining their previously announced Hulbert Happy Hour concert in Hulbert Township TONIGHT, local hard/blues rock quartet Project 906 will return to Bird's Eye Outfitters in Sault Michigan for their New Year's Eve party THIS MONDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice on the latter concert, it was announced on the venue's Facebook page two weeks ago, but the band only confirmed their involvement on their own Facebook page on Thursday. An eventful year for the 906 camp will conclude at Bird's Eye on MONDAY, with a 1990s-theme night for the occasion, so expect a focus on covers from that decade during their set. Drink specials, appetizers, and a photo booth are all advertised for the occasion, and staff did remind us that Sault Michigan's second annual New Year's ball drop will take place just outside of the venue, so keep that in mind as well! As for tonight's Hulbert Happy Hour gig, this will be their first show there in 7 months, so if you've missed them an hour west of the Soo, you'll know where to go tonight!
Tonight's Hulbert concert has a 21+ age limit, no cover charge, and a 9:00 PM start time, and the same largely applies to MONDAY's year-end party at Bird's Eye Outfitters, but the band is slated to begin performing at 10:00 PM that night. Fans of Project 906's entertaining and proficient hard rock covers won't want to miss out on their last two shows of the year, so visit the above links for more details, and here's 906 live in Hulbert earlier this year!
Next up, we'll move to previously announced New Year's Eve concerts, starting with prolific Sault Ontario solo musician Tym Morrison, who is advertised to end 2018 with a special MONDAY matinee at Gliss Restaurant on Spring Street! Note that Tym hasn't publically confirmed this show on Facebook, but it's listed on SooToday's events calendar, and Tym did plug it on his personal Facebook page, so it's definitely on. Arguably his first triple weekend booking at Gliss since it's relocation in the fall, Monday's show should give fans another entertaining look at his acoustic hard rock covers in the new intimate standalone locale, so if you're going out for dinner on Monday, keep Tym's sets in mind! Despite the seasonal timing, this is still a 6:00 PM matinee and will not run through midnight, with Tym reportedly playing a private New Year's event afterward. As usual, there's no announced cover charge or age limit, but remember the locale. See above for more details, and here's Tym live a few years back!
Also on MONDAY NIGHT, The Rockstar Bar will wrap up 2018 in style when local classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive headline their New Year's Eve party! After a well received first year on the local concert circuit, Fluid 5ive will bring their diverse and often heavy selection of covers back to The Algonquin Hotel's upstairs nightclub on Monday, and they should provide a fun soundtrack of familiar classic hits to the year-end action! As usual for The Rockstar Bar's New Year's Eve bashes, expect party favours, drink specials, and more entertaining accoutrements to be on hand, and as the only New Year's Eve show in Sault Ontario with a hard rock headliner, why not come out? Doors open at 8:00 PM on Monday, you must be 19 or older to attend, and a special $10 cover charge is in effect to go along with the extra seasonal frills. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, don't miss Fluid 5ive to end 2018 on Monday, and hopefully some public video footage of theirs turns up in the new year!
We'll close today with some newly posted live videos from Sault Michigan classical metal project Theatre of Night's Dreammaker's Theater concert at the local Kewadin Casino from December 15th! These were filmed for the way-too-generous Christopher Paci's YouTube channel, and while these were only just posted on Thursday, it's better to have them after Christmas than not at all! Chris also shot some videos at Theatre of Night's Soo Theater show last year, FYI. Videos filmed two weeks ago include "The Little Drummer Boy", "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from The Nutcracker, "Silent Night", an instrumental/aria number, "O Holy Night", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", and as embedded below, "Carol of the Bells". Filmed from a closer (but sharper) angle than the band's own livestream, the audio holds up well on these carols, and this should be worth a watch for fans of Theatre of Night's seasonal concert tour! Give these a look above & below, and stay tuned for more in 2019!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for our 2018 retrospective post on Monday, and more news and updates soon! Thanks everyone!
Joining their previously announced Hulbert Happy Hour concert in Hulbert Township TONIGHT, local hard/blues rock quartet Project 906 will return to Bird's Eye Outfitters in Sault Michigan for their New Year's Eve party THIS MONDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice on the latter concert, it was announced on the venue's Facebook page two weeks ago, but the band only confirmed their involvement on their own Facebook page on Thursday. An eventful year for the 906 camp will conclude at Bird's Eye on MONDAY, with a 1990s-theme night for the occasion, so expect a focus on covers from that decade during their set. Drink specials, appetizers, and a photo booth are all advertised for the occasion, and staff did remind us that Sault Michigan's second annual New Year's ball drop will take place just outside of the venue, so keep that in mind as well! As for tonight's Hulbert Happy Hour gig, this will be their first show there in 7 months, so if you've missed them an hour west of the Soo, you'll know where to go tonight!
Tonight's Hulbert concert has a 21+ age limit, no cover charge, and a 9:00 PM start time, and the same largely applies to MONDAY's year-end party at Bird's Eye Outfitters, but the band is slated to begin performing at 10:00 PM that night. Fans of Project 906's entertaining and proficient hard rock covers won't want to miss out on their last two shows of the year, so visit the above links for more details, and here's 906 live in Hulbert earlier this year!
Next up, we'll move to previously announced New Year's Eve concerts, starting with prolific Sault Ontario solo musician Tym Morrison, who is advertised to end 2018 with a special MONDAY matinee at Gliss Restaurant on Spring Street! Note that Tym hasn't publically confirmed this show on Facebook, but it's listed on SooToday's events calendar, and Tym did plug it on his personal Facebook page, so it's definitely on. Arguably his first triple weekend booking at Gliss since it's relocation in the fall, Monday's show should give fans another entertaining look at his acoustic hard rock covers in the new intimate standalone locale, so if you're going out for dinner on Monday, keep Tym's sets in mind! Despite the seasonal timing, this is still a 6:00 PM matinee and will not run through midnight, with Tym reportedly playing a private New Year's event afterward. As usual, there's no announced cover charge or age limit, but remember the locale. See above for more details, and here's Tym live a few years back!
Also on MONDAY NIGHT, The Rockstar Bar will wrap up 2018 in style when local classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive headline their New Year's Eve party! After a well received first year on the local concert circuit, Fluid 5ive will bring their diverse and often heavy selection of covers back to The Algonquin Hotel's upstairs nightclub on Monday, and they should provide a fun soundtrack of familiar classic hits to the year-end action! As usual for The Rockstar Bar's New Year's Eve bashes, expect party favours, drink specials, and more entertaining accoutrements to be on hand, and as the only New Year's Eve show in Sault Ontario with a hard rock headliner, why not come out? Doors open at 8:00 PM on Monday, you must be 19 or older to attend, and a special $10 cover charge is in effect to go along with the extra seasonal frills. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, don't miss Fluid 5ive to end 2018 on Monday, and hopefully some public video footage of theirs turns up in the new year!
We'll close today with some newly posted live videos from Sault Michigan classical metal project Theatre of Night's Dreammaker's Theater concert at the local Kewadin Casino from December 15th! These were filmed for the way-too-generous Christopher Paci's YouTube channel, and while these were only just posted on Thursday, it's better to have them after Christmas than not at all! Chris also shot some videos at Theatre of Night's Soo Theater show last year, FYI. Videos filmed two weeks ago include "The Little Drummer Boy", "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from The Nutcracker, "Silent Night", an instrumental/aria number, "O Holy Night", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", and as embedded below, "Carol of the Bells". Filmed from a closer (but sharper) angle than the band's own livestream, the audio holds up well on these carols, and this should be worth a watch for fans of Theatre of Night's seasonal concert tour! Give these a look above & below, and stay tuned for more in 2019!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for our 2018 retrospective post on Monday, and more news and updates soon! Thanks everyone!
Friday, December 28, 2018
Northwest - "Songs From 2015-2017" EP Review!
It's now time for our 114th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and final one of 2018, a year in which we only looked at new album releases, so thanks to everyone for helping with a very eventful year in that regard! This month, we're taking a look at local indie/punk quintet Northwest's second EP "Songs From 2015-2017", which was released this past Saturday at their release party at LopLops Lounge. Named after the timeframe when it's included songs were written, this EP was recorded at Mission Control Studios since last year with producer Dustin Jones (identically to their 2014 debut), though this time, mixing & mastering was handled by Kyle Whittaker at Strange Pumpkin Studio in St. Catharine's. Northwest are represented once again by singer/guitarist Wayne Watkins, guitarists/backing vocalists Greg Callaghan & Mike Yakasovich, and bassist Mike Smykacz, while this marks their studio debut with current drummer Marc Santos, who replaced Clint Wilson in the band shortly after their first EP's release.
Physical availability of "Songs From 2015-2017" has not been publicized online, but you can buy this EP for $4 (or more) at Northwest's Bandcamp page, and while you can stream the whole thing for free there, consider buying the EP to support their hard work! With four songs running for 16 minutes on the dot, let's begin our last album review of the year with "Swayze Train", which is a season 7 Trailer Park Boys reference, and otherwise unrelated to the old Sault Michigan hard rock band. By and large, this song (the EP's shortest) is somewhat of a departure in sound for Northwest, with more of a sound influenced by Canadian folk rock, with glimmers of The Tragically Hip and The Sheepdogs in the verses. The chorus has some more enthusiasm, with (Greg's?) deep verse singing providing a good contrast, and a nice leisurely guitar pace, but punk diehards may be disappointed."Swayze Train" isn't a bad song at all to lead off the disc, but punk fans may be left wanting more.
Second is "Sorry Sunday", which returns to more familiar punk territory with harder hitting riffs, and more of a pop punk vibe, including vocal melodies that remind me a bit of "Feeling This" by Blink-182 at times. Wayne gets more of a chance to shine on the microphone, the guitarists mesh nicely, and Mike Smykacz's bass work contrasts well with the higher pitched melodies. The song ends somewhat abruptly, but it's an entertaining return to form with lots of positive energy! Afterwards is "True North", which is the EP's longest song, and begins with a dramatic slow build for it's first half-minute before the song proper kicks into high gear. Wayne's vocals take on another Perry Farrell-esque vibe like we saw on 2014's "Young & Wild", but the song proper is a casual mid-tempo rocker that has a nice anthemic quality and lyrics that resonate well with Northern Ontario living. While not an aggressive track, this song accomplishes it's goals, and is very well composed from top to bottom!
"Songs From 2015-2017" closes with "Hangover Habits", which has a sound more reminiscent of Wayne's old band Nebraska Arms in the verses, before taking on a softer (albeit fast paced) ambiance in the choruses. I like the melody and the urgency, but the drumming isn't varied enough to match until the bridge. While this matches "Sorry Sunday" in punk themes, this has a folksier, down-home vibe that doesn't hurt things, and the triple guitar attack from Wayne, Greg, and Mike Yakasovich fits both sides well (do I hear an acoustic guitar mixed in?) This is a fun way to cap the EP off, and it should please fans of Northwest's punk and indie sides!
So, what are my final thoughts on Northwest's sophomore release? Overall, this is an improvement in many respects for their recording methods, professionalism, and maturity, but fans of their punk side may be left somewhat in the lurch. On their self-titled debut, I noted that some songs didn't have a strong bite in the instrumentation, and while that's addressed here, the music is more diverse than ever, so there's no room for amped up guitar riffs on "Swayze Train" or "True North". The choruses are less repetitive, and everyone holds up their end of the bargain musically, with Wayne's vocals soaring at their heights, Marc showcasing his drum abilities well, and Greg and the Mikes handle guitar and bass strongly throughout! Musically speaking, I do prefer their debut pound-for-pound, largely because of the increased punk emphasis, but "Songs From 2015-2017" showcases Northwest's growth and influences beyond that, and it's great to see them tackle a more mature song like "True North" so well.
While only barely longer than their debut 4 song EP, this is a must listen if you love and appreciate Northern Ontario-bred punk and indie rock, and here's hoping we're not waiting four years for their third album! Give "Songs From 2015-2017" a listen and/or buy it at the above links, and I hope you guys liked this month's CD review! As for what's on tap to start 2019... I'm not sure at this juncture, but here's what I can tell you. Whether our streak of new album reviews continues or not, we won't be looking at anything from SweetKenny, Sykotyk Rampage, Mike McCleary, or Mike Vincent next month due to our 6 month anti-bias buffer period. I don't currently know of any major new album releases from local metal, hard rock, or punk bands that are planned for January 2019, and if nothing new hits our desk, we'll dip into the archives, ideally via a tie-in with local musicians playing live next month. Stay tuned for more in this regard, and for more concert previews, news, and notes tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
Physical availability of "Songs From 2015-2017" has not been publicized online, but you can buy this EP for $4 (or more) at Northwest's Bandcamp page, and while you can stream the whole thing for free there, consider buying the EP to support their hard work! With four songs running for 16 minutes on the dot, let's begin our last album review of the year with "Swayze Train", which is a season 7 Trailer Park Boys reference, and otherwise unrelated to the old Sault Michigan hard rock band. By and large, this song (the EP's shortest) is somewhat of a departure in sound for Northwest, with more of a sound influenced by Canadian folk rock, with glimmers of The Tragically Hip and The Sheepdogs in the verses. The chorus has some more enthusiasm, with (Greg's?) deep verse singing providing a good contrast, and a nice leisurely guitar pace, but punk diehards may be disappointed."Swayze Train" isn't a bad song at all to lead off the disc, but punk fans may be left wanting more.
Second is "Sorry Sunday", which returns to more familiar punk territory with harder hitting riffs, and more of a pop punk vibe, including vocal melodies that remind me a bit of "Feeling This" by Blink-182 at times. Wayne gets more of a chance to shine on the microphone, the guitarists mesh nicely, and Mike Smykacz's bass work contrasts well with the higher pitched melodies. The song ends somewhat abruptly, but it's an entertaining return to form with lots of positive energy! Afterwards is "True North", which is the EP's longest song, and begins with a dramatic slow build for it's first half-minute before the song proper kicks into high gear. Wayne's vocals take on another Perry Farrell-esque vibe like we saw on 2014's "Young & Wild", but the song proper is a casual mid-tempo rocker that has a nice anthemic quality and lyrics that resonate well with Northern Ontario living. While not an aggressive track, this song accomplishes it's goals, and is very well composed from top to bottom!
"Songs From 2015-2017" closes with "Hangover Habits", which has a sound more reminiscent of Wayne's old band Nebraska Arms in the verses, before taking on a softer (albeit fast paced) ambiance in the choruses. I like the melody and the urgency, but the drumming isn't varied enough to match until the bridge. While this matches "Sorry Sunday" in punk themes, this has a folksier, down-home vibe that doesn't hurt things, and the triple guitar attack from Wayne, Greg, and Mike Yakasovich fits both sides well (do I hear an acoustic guitar mixed in?) This is a fun way to cap the EP off, and it should please fans of Northwest's punk and indie sides!
So, what are my final thoughts on Northwest's sophomore release? Overall, this is an improvement in many respects for their recording methods, professionalism, and maturity, but fans of their punk side may be left somewhat in the lurch. On their self-titled debut, I noted that some songs didn't have a strong bite in the instrumentation, and while that's addressed here, the music is more diverse than ever, so there's no room for amped up guitar riffs on "Swayze Train" or "True North". The choruses are less repetitive, and everyone holds up their end of the bargain musically, with Wayne's vocals soaring at their heights, Marc showcasing his drum abilities well, and Greg and the Mikes handle guitar and bass strongly throughout! Musically speaking, I do prefer their debut pound-for-pound, largely because of the increased punk emphasis, but "Songs From 2015-2017" showcases Northwest's growth and influences beyond that, and it's great to see them tackle a more mature song like "True North" so well.
While only barely longer than their debut 4 song EP, this is a must listen if you love and appreciate Northern Ontario-bred punk and indie rock, and here's hoping we're not waiting four years for their third album! Give "Songs From 2015-2017" a listen and/or buy it at the above links, and I hope you guys liked this month's CD review! As for what's on tap to start 2019... I'm not sure at this juncture, but here's what I can tell you. Whether our streak of new album reviews continues or not, we won't be looking at anything from SweetKenny, Sykotyk Rampage, Mike McCleary, or Mike Vincent next month due to our 6 month anti-bias buffer period. I don't currently know of any major new album releases from local metal, hard rock, or punk bands that are planned for January 2019, and if nothing new hits our desk, we'll dip into the archives, ideally via a tie-in with local musicians playing live next month. Stay tuned for more in this regard, and for more concert previews, news, and notes tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
Thursday, December 27, 2018
LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & Soundcheck), Plus Weekend Concert Previews!!
Sault Ontario classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will end 2018 with a concert weekend at The Esquire Club TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced the gigs via their Facebook event page yesterday, though unlike their Esquire Club shows over the November 3rd weekend, the guys at least plugged these online beforehand! Last seen at The Rockstar Bar this past Friday, Soundcheck are describing TOMORROW & SATURDAY's shows as harbouring "post Christmas shenanigans", and if you like their hard rocking blend of classic hits, definitely consider a trip to this popular Second Line West venue this weekend! As usual for Soundcheck's Esquire Club stops, expect 19+ age limits, 9:30 PM start times, and no announced cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live last month!
Next up, local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to Gliss Restaurant on Spring Street for acoustic matinee concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, but we'll also start adding his first announced gigs of 2019 to our concert calendar today as well! Yes, his long-term arrangement at Gliss will continue into the new year, with SooToday's events calendar confirming that he'll be back there on Friday, January 4th, while he will also play a nighttime concert at The Roadhouse Bar & Grill that same day. At press time, this is as far as Tym/Gliss have given for the new year on SooToday (not even for Saturday the 5th yet), but stay tuned for confirmation! Note that Tym's website still lists regular Gliss shows weekly through October 2032, as well as sporadic Road House gigs through June of next year, but again, we take Tym's shows a month at a time on purpose. You can take in Tym's skilled and prolific setlist tomorrow, Saturday, and on January 4th at 6:00 PM each night.
His 19+ Road House gig on the 4th is at 10:00 PM, and none of these have announced cover charges. Hopefully we see much more of Tym Morrison's entertaining solo shows well into the new year, but don't miss him this weekend before the new year's up! Here he is live, and stay tuned on Saturday for our preview of his advertised Gliss show on New Year's Eve!
Also this weekend... well, actually TONIGHT, local death/extreme metal quartet Winkstinger will make their Soo Blaster debut at True North Talent Entertainment's live (post-)Christmas show! The lone heavier act on a big hybrid genre concert at this fast-rising downtown venue, Winkstinger will end their 2018 calendar by delivering a metal blast on this largely rap-centric event, and if you like hip-hop, this concert will be right up your alley! Among the openers, there is one other band (surf rock quartet The Dynowaves), but a stacked lineup of rappers will make up the majority of acts, with True North Talent Entertainment co-owners Ryan "RRated" Derasp and Chuck "Kid Majick" Charrette advertised as headliners. Toronto rapper Gilly Gadan will also be in town for this one, with the remaining slots belonging to local MCs Trace Prince, Cyriouss, Mikey Thomas, Reeder, and Sawbe. Note that a performer named DQ is listed on the Facebook event page description, but is not credited elsewhere on promotional materials.
Emceed by "MC ShakaDoctor", this concert has $10 advance tickets, a $15 door charge, and a $150 VIP tickets for table seating for 5 and a complimentary bottle of champagne. Some sort of door prize draw is also expected tonight, a 10:00 PM start time is expected, and you definitely must be 19 to attend. This is an intriguing event, and it'll be interesting to hear how it goes over, especially at the still somewhat new venue and how metal and surf rock will fit on a large hip hop bill. Hopefully there's a solid turnout, and if you like rap, check out the above performers to see what they bring to the table! See above for more details, and here's Winkstinger live!
Finally for today, let's head to LopLops Lounge, where local Celtic punk quintet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide will headline TOMORROW NIGHT! Unless you saw them in Thessalon, this will be your first chance to see The Rising Tide on stage since Rotaryfest, and while this will just be their third local show of 2018, they've had a solid return year, with a newly expanded lineup, recent studio work, and some high profile dates here and elsewhere, why not help them send 2018 off with a bang? Before Dustin, Liam, the Jaaskelainens, and Chris hit the stage, your openers will be local country pop duo The Steeletown Girls (featuring ex-Din guitarist Tammy Hill), and this should be a strong opportunity for her and Morgan to make some new fans before the year's out! Presented by Dustin's own Tidal Records, this 19+ concert has a 9:00 PM start time, and admission is $10 at the door, at this link, and at a handful of in-person retailers (The Rad Zone, Case's Music, and Thomas Walls School of Music.)
As the last punk concert of 2018 in the Soo, genre fans will want to check out the action at LopLops tomorrow night, so don't miss out then, and I have a feeling The Tide have even more up their sleeves in 2019! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Dustin & company live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's CD review next, followed by our Project 906 and New Year's Eve previews on Saturday, if all goes according to plan! Thanks everyone!
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
YouTube Channel Profile Series: HAGGITHTunes
I hope all of you guys had a Merry Christmas! On this Boxing Day, let's get our final YouTube Channel Profile of 2018 rolling! This monthly feature looks at YouTube channels with at least half of their content devoted to local metal, hard rock, or punk artists and concerts, with channels randomly selected as usual. Our latest selection is the stacked official channel of a fan favourite band from the early-mid 2010s, so here's what you should know!
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HAGGITHTunes (http://www.youtube.com/haggithtunes)
Owner: A member of defunct local hard rock/grunge quartet Haggith (either singer/guitarist Curtis McKenzie or drummer Mike Haggith)
Channel Timeline: Launched on September 2nd, 2012; Videos posted from that day through May 26th, 2015
Channel Summary: The official YouTube channel for the band Haggith (as opposed to Mike's other eponymous projects), this channel primarily covered the group's entire active run from 2012-2015, with no less than 69 videos being posted here in that span. Over half of the channel is devoted to audio tracks (largely their five official studio albums), while the remaining videos focus on live performances from concerts and jam sessions.
Why You Should Watch: This is an absolute must for fans of both Haggith and their members' prior and later projects, with dozens of studio tracks and live recordings to check out, and almost every full lineup is represented here as well! There are other YouTube channels and Facebook sources with more Haggith media, but none are more plentiful and comprehensive than this. Of course, fans should remember that Haggith have been defunct for over three years, so future updates can't be guaranteed.
Haggith - Wanko: Studio copies are now out of print, but you can stream Haggith's three mainline studio albums (October 2012's "Dragon Joy Ride", 2013's "Deuce", and 2015's EP "XIV") on their YouTube channel, as well as their two zombie concept albums (2012's "Apocalypse" & 2015's "Apocalypse II".) As good as place as any to start would be "Wanko", the opening song from "Dragon Joy Ride", which featured Curtis & Mike alongside founding guitarist Daniel Horton, with Curt handling bass on this track, as recordings took place before they added a full-time bassist. Recorded locally at PaperClip Productions, this short number has a southern rock tinge that is somewhat hampered by the echo effect on the vocals, but it's an entertaining way to begin my favourite of Haggith's studio albums! "Apocalypse I" aside, all of the album tracks above were uploaded in separate videos, then added to album playlists.
HAGGITH- "Don't Ask" (Entire Concert, 27 September 2014): On September 27th, 2014, Haggith (then featuring Redundant/Elements bassist James White) played a 20 minute private set at PaperClip Productions, posting it on their channel a few days later. The set featured performances of Led Zeppelin's "Rock 'N Roll", their unreleased originals "Metal Cage" & "Wasted", and covers of Van Halen's "Panama", Bad Company's "Rock 'N Roll Fantasy", and Jimi Hendrix' "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)". This gave fans a solid window into Haggith's late period sound, especially with new-ish covers and some originals that never came out on CD, but the dark lighting and camera placement aren't optimal. Haggith had previously posted two 20+ minute studio sets onto their channel in August 2013 ("In Sesh" & "Swamped"), albeit sans James, and as audio recordings only.
Heavy Metal (Takin' a Ride): After James' departure shortly after the "Don't Ask" gig, Haggith briefly brought back bassist Caleb Cachagee to reunite their classic "Deuce" lineup for the one-off Sault Band-O-Rama concert at The Primavera Hall on November 21st, 2014, uploading five videos from their set. The guys covered "Rock 'N Roll Fantasy", & "Voodoo Child", again, while also tackling their older originals "Loverbeam" & "Clifton Hill", but their fifth is their channel's most popular upload, a cover of Don Felder's "Heavy Metal (Takin' A Ride)" from the Heavy Metal film soundtrack. The corner-stage angle captures Haggith in solid form with nice chemistry, and it's a nice throwback for fans of Haggith from their peak! One more concert video would make their channel, from their final show in May 2015, albeit then with Caleb on guitar following Daniel's departure.
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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! Next month in this series, our random selection takes us to Sault Michigan, as we'll kick off 2019 by spotlighting the YouTube channel of late 2000s punk trio The Pick-Me-Ups! Look for that on or around January 26th, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!
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HAGGITHTunes (http://www.youtube.com/haggithtunes)
Owner: A member of defunct local hard rock/grunge quartet Haggith (either singer/guitarist Curtis McKenzie or drummer Mike Haggith)
Channel Timeline: Launched on September 2nd, 2012; Videos posted from that day through May 26th, 2015
Channel Summary: The official YouTube channel for the band Haggith (as opposed to Mike's other eponymous projects), this channel primarily covered the group's entire active run from 2012-2015, with no less than 69 videos being posted here in that span. Over half of the channel is devoted to audio tracks (largely their five official studio albums), while the remaining videos focus on live performances from concerts and jam sessions.
Why You Should Watch: This is an absolute must for fans of both Haggith and their members' prior and later projects, with dozens of studio tracks and live recordings to check out, and almost every full lineup is represented here as well! There are other YouTube channels and Facebook sources with more Haggith media, but none are more plentiful and comprehensive than this. Of course, fans should remember that Haggith have been defunct for over three years, so future updates can't be guaranteed.
Our Recommended Videos To Check Out
Haggith - Wanko: Studio copies are now out of print, but you can stream Haggith's three mainline studio albums (October 2012's "Dragon Joy Ride", 2013's "Deuce", and 2015's EP "XIV") on their YouTube channel, as well as their two zombie concept albums (2012's "Apocalypse" & 2015's "Apocalypse II".) As good as place as any to start would be "Wanko", the opening song from "Dragon Joy Ride", which featured Curtis & Mike alongside founding guitarist Daniel Horton, with Curt handling bass on this track, as recordings took place before they added a full-time bassist. Recorded locally at PaperClip Productions, this short number has a southern rock tinge that is somewhat hampered by the echo effect on the vocals, but it's an entertaining way to begin my favourite of Haggith's studio albums! "Apocalypse I" aside, all of the album tracks above were uploaded in separate videos, then added to album playlists.
HAGGITH- "Don't Ask" (Entire Concert, 27 September 2014): On September 27th, 2014, Haggith (then featuring Redundant/Elements bassist James White) played a 20 minute private set at PaperClip Productions, posting it on their channel a few days later. The set featured performances of Led Zeppelin's "Rock 'N Roll", their unreleased originals "Metal Cage" & "Wasted", and covers of Van Halen's "Panama", Bad Company's "Rock 'N Roll Fantasy", and Jimi Hendrix' "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)". This gave fans a solid window into Haggith's late period sound, especially with new-ish covers and some originals that never came out on CD, but the dark lighting and camera placement aren't optimal. Haggith had previously posted two 20+ minute studio sets onto their channel in August 2013 ("In Sesh" & "Swamped"), albeit sans James, and as audio recordings only.
Heavy Metal (Takin' a Ride): After James' departure shortly after the "Don't Ask" gig, Haggith briefly brought back bassist Caleb Cachagee to reunite their classic "Deuce" lineup for the one-off Sault Band-O-Rama concert at The Primavera Hall on November 21st, 2014, uploading five videos from their set. The guys covered "Rock 'N Roll Fantasy", & "Voodoo Child", again, while also tackling their older originals "Loverbeam" & "Clifton Hill", but their fifth is their channel's most popular upload, a cover of Don Felder's "Heavy Metal (Takin' A Ride)" from the Heavy Metal film soundtrack. The corner-stage angle captures Haggith in solid form with nice chemistry, and it's a nice throwback for fans of Haggith from their peak! One more concert video would make their channel, from their final show in May 2015, albeit then with Caleb on guitar following Daniel's departure.
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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! Next month in this series, our random selection takes us to Sault Michigan, as we'll kick off 2019 by spotlighting the YouTube channel of late 2000s punk trio The Pick-Me-Ups! Look for that on or around January 26th, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!
Sunday, December 23, 2018
LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Fluid 5ive), Northwest & Highway 63 Updates, And Much More!!
Here's a new news post for this late Sunday night, including some assorted shorter stories, big lineup updates, and full details on a recent album release, but let's lead off with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for at year's end... literally!
Local classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive will end 2018 with a bang when they headline The Rockstar Bar's New Year's Eve party on December 31st (a.k.a. next Monday!) This will be the first show from this talented veteran group since last month's Habitat For Humanity Builders Bash, and their first at this venue in just over a month, and this should be a prime opportunity for New Year's Eve revelers to get a solid dose of hard rocking hits next week! The Monday night timing is unfortunate, but if you can swing a trip out, this should deliver the heavier goods! As usual for The Rockstar Bar's New Year's celebrations, this event has 8:00 PM door opening times and a 19+ age limit, and while admission is at $10, remember the holiday ties and the drink specials and party favours that are expected at such a bash. Visit the Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for more on New Year's weekend hard rock concerts in the area as they roll in!
Next up, local indie punk quintet Northwest's second EP "Songs From 2015-2017" was successfully released last night at their release party concert at LopLops Lounge, and it's also now on sale via their Bandcamp page, so what should you know on their sophomore effort? Recorded since mid-2017 at Mission Control Studios with producer Dustin Jones, the EP was later mixed and mastered by Kyle Whittaker of the St. Catharines-based Strange Pumpkin Studio, who had previously worked with fellow locals K.I.C.K. and Brendan Hodgson on their own studio releases. Mirroring their 2014 debut, "Songs From 2015-2017" features four songs, namely "Swayze Train" (no relation to the defunct Sault Michigan band), the previously unveiled "Sorry Sunday" & "True North", and "Hangover Habits", with their prior unreleased original "Drinking Games" nowhere to be found. Also, the album artwork was provided by photographer Keith Descoteaux.
I cannot speak for the physical distribution of the EP from LopLops last night, but Bandcamp copies run for a $4 minimum, and yes, you can stream the whole thing for free there.I've heard good things from the release party, and I'm glad to see that Northwest gave their second album a successful launch, so be sure to pick it up or stream it at the above links! And yes, "Songs From 2015-2017" will end 2018 as our last album review of the year, so look for that at some point later this week, definitely by Monday!
Also today, here's the latest from Sault Michigan classic/hard rock veterans Highway 63, who returned after a year+ long hiatus from the stage at Dondee Lanes' own Double D Bar & Grill on Saturday! As revealed at that night's Christmas party (and on their own Facebook page), we can now confirm the full identities of the band's two new members, so who's now in the fold? Now on bass is George Belleau (replacing Chris Leask), who fans may recognize from playing in the preceding rock cover bands RamWagon & Full Throttle with existing Highway 63 guitarist Nathan Switzer. The other new addition is the band's first ever permanent keyboardist, namely Brian Drumheller, who previously played in popular local cover acts like The Hixx and The Mamas Boys (the latter alongside Highway 63 frontman Henry Switzer.) George and Brian are both talented musicians with existing chemistry with the Switzers, and hopefully the new lineup rides this momentum well into 2019!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates as Christmas week progresses! Thanks everyone!
Local classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive will end 2018 with a bang when they headline The Rockstar Bar's New Year's Eve party on December 31st (a.k.a. next Monday!) This will be the first show from this talented veteran group since last month's Habitat For Humanity Builders Bash, and their first at this venue in just over a month, and this should be a prime opportunity for New Year's Eve revelers to get a solid dose of hard rocking hits next week! The Monday night timing is unfortunate, but if you can swing a trip out, this should deliver the heavier goods! As usual for The Rockstar Bar's New Year's celebrations, this event has 8:00 PM door opening times and a 19+ age limit, and while admission is at $10, remember the holiday ties and the drink specials and party favours that are expected at such a bash. Visit the Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for more on New Year's weekend hard rock concerts in the area as they roll in!
Next up, local indie punk quintet Northwest's second EP "Songs From 2015-2017" was successfully released last night at their release party concert at LopLops Lounge, and it's also now on sale via their Bandcamp page, so what should you know on their sophomore effort? Recorded since mid-2017 at Mission Control Studios with producer Dustin Jones, the EP was later mixed and mastered by Kyle Whittaker of the St. Catharines-based Strange Pumpkin Studio, who had previously worked with fellow locals K.I.C.K. and Brendan Hodgson on their own studio releases. Mirroring their 2014 debut, "Songs From 2015-2017" features four songs, namely "Swayze Train" (no relation to the defunct Sault Michigan band), the previously unveiled "Sorry Sunday" & "True North", and "Hangover Habits", with their prior unreleased original "Drinking Games" nowhere to be found. Also, the album artwork was provided by photographer Keith Descoteaux.
I cannot speak for the physical distribution of the EP from LopLops last night, but Bandcamp copies run for a $4 minimum, and yes, you can stream the whole thing for free there.I've heard good things from the release party, and I'm glad to see that Northwest gave their second album a successful launch, so be sure to pick it up or stream it at the above links! And yes, "Songs From 2015-2017" will end 2018 as our last album review of the year, so look for that at some point later this week, definitely by Monday!
Also today, here's the latest from Sault Michigan classic/hard rock veterans Highway 63, who returned after a year+ long hiatus from the stage at Dondee Lanes' own Double D Bar & Grill on Saturday! As revealed at that night's Christmas party (and on their own Facebook page), we can now confirm the full identities of the band's two new members, so who's now in the fold? Now on bass is George Belleau (replacing Chris Leask), who fans may recognize from playing in the preceding rock cover bands RamWagon & Full Throttle with existing Highway 63 guitarist Nathan Switzer. The other new addition is the band's first ever permanent keyboardist, namely Brian Drumheller, who previously played in popular local cover acts like The Hixx and The Mamas Boys (the latter alongside Highway 63 frontman Henry Switzer.) George and Brian are both talented musicians with existing chemistry with the Switzers, and hopefully the new lineup rides this momentum well into 2019!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:
- In October, Sault Ontario grindcore solo project Crucify the Whore announced plans to record an EP named "Crucifiction Inquisition" (complete with cover artwork), and shared said post anew on their Facebook page earlier this week. No other details were given, but Blood Shed diehards will want to follow C.T.W. above for details!
- Veteran local drummer Jeff Stuckenbrock is looking for a keyboardist with backing (or perhaps lead) vocals for his new "hard rocking" band, albeit one that is "not metal". Acts like Alice Cooper, April Wine, and Grand Funk Railroad were cited as bands they're tackling in some form, and he would prefer videos if you have them. If you're interested in trying out, message Jeff at this link or via his Musicans Wanted Facebook group post from December 9th!
- The True North Talent Entertainment Christmas concert at Soo Blaster on Thursday (featuring Winkstinger) now has a confirmed MC, namely "ShakaDoctor", who I know nothing on. If we hear anything, we'll let you know! This was confirmed on a new event poster, which curiously doesn't credit some of the openers, namely The Dynowaves, Trace Prince, DQ, and Sawbe. If that was on purpose, we will again let you know later this week!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates as Christmas week progresses! Thanks everyone!
Friday, December 21, 2018
LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Killer Dwarfs), Saturday Night Concert Previews, And More!!
As promised, we're rounding out this weekend's publically announced hard rock and punk concert previews today with a pair of one nighters tomorrow, but to round things out, we have some assorted news and updates, and leading off, here's a big LOCAL CONCERT ALERT in four months time!
Juno nominated Oshawa glam metal quartet The Killer Dwarfs will return to Sault Ste, Marie for the first time in decades when they headline at Soo Blaster on Saturday, April 27th! A staple of the Pepsi Power Hour and Canadian rock radio at their peak, fans may recognize The Killer Dwarfs from hit songs like "Keep The Spirit Alive", "Doesn't Matter", and "Dirty Weapons", but they haven't rested on their laurels, and they have a new album in the works. With a lot of familiar and hard hitting '80s metal to offer, The Killer Dwarfs should attract a solid turnout this spring, so if you love hair metal, you may want to circle April 27th on your 2019 calendars! At least one opening band is to be announced, stay tuned for confirmation. This show is brought to you in part by Sault Online columnist Ernest Skinner, who interviewed frontman Russ Graham in his Rock Talk column in August, and it'll be very interesting to see if he has more in the works, especially if The Killer Dwarfs go over well!
Tickets for this 8:00 PM and presumably 19+ concert are $24.50, but admission + a meet & greet with the band goes for $40, and a VIP table with meet & greet runs for $500. You can buy tickets at this link, and physical tickets are expected to be available in the new year. With this show and Aaron Pritchett now announced for 2019, it's clear that Soo Blaster are aiming high to have more big-ticket names on their stage (rap aside), and there should be plenty of Hair Scare listeners and 1980s metal aficionados to make this a packed show! Visit the Facebook event page for more details!
Next up, let's wrap up this weekend's hard rock/punk concert previews, starting with local indie/punk quintet Northwest's long-awaited EP release concert TOMORROW NIGHT at LopLops Lounge! Four years after putting out their self-titled digital EP, the guys are topping that with a full release party for their sophomore effort "Songs From 2015-2017", and if you know their talent and professionalism, you know that this will deliver the goods! We still don't know much on the release formats, availability, complete track list, or price for the EP, but we'll of course let you know when things go public. Local indie rock quartet K.I.C.K. will end a year+ hiatus as the opening act tomorrow, and it's great to see this talented quartet back for the holidays, so don't be late for the Keep It Cool Kids' return either! The second in a three night run of LopLops concerts from Tidal Records, there is a higher-than-usual $10 cover charge in effect, and while EP prices aren't public, I'd bring at least $5...
...or come early, as the first 50 people in the door will get a free download card for the EP! This is a 19+ concert, a 9:00 PM start time is advertised, and you can buy tickets at this link or at the door. Unfortunately, I have a very early morning on Sunday, so I don't think I can get down there for this concert, but hopefully the EP has a semblance of online availability next week, as my plan is to review "Songs From 2015-2017" this month. Punk fans shouldn't miss all of tomorrow's action, so visit the Facebook event page for more details, stay tuned for EP updates, and here's Northwest live!
Lastly in our pre-Christmas previews, we'll head to Sault Michigan, where local classic/hard rock cover band Highway 63 will end their year+ hiatus from the concert stage when they headline Dondee Lanes' Christmas party TOMORROW NIGHT! We haven't seen Highway 63 on stage since November 2017 for varying personal and health reasons, plus a major retooling of the band's lineup and setlist, with the band's Facebook event page confirming their new expanded lineup. Now a quintet, frontman Henry Switzer, his son/guitarist Nathan, and the already confirmed Justin Lawless (on drums) will be joined by two new members named Brian and George. Last names weren't given, and while I have a partial hunch on identities, I will wait for public confirmation before posting anything here. How will Henry and company look and sound in their big return? You can find out tomorrow at the Dondee's in-house nightclub, which changed it's name from The Sportsman's Lounge to The Double D Bar & Grill earlier this year.
To go along with the live music action, the Double D is offering happy hour drink prices from 12:00-6:00 PM tomorrow, plus a free pizza and wing buffet at 4:00 PM, with Highway 63's set proper taking place at 8:00 PM. This is presumably a 21+ event, and there's no advertised cover charge. Fans of Highway 63's crowd-friendly classic and hard rock covers should be eager to see them back after a lengthy break, and with the frills of a Christmas party to boot at Sault Michigan's own bowling alley, why not come down to enjoy the action? Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Highway 63 live a couple of years back!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band or column name:
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site next week! Thanks everyone!
Juno nominated Oshawa glam metal quartet The Killer Dwarfs will return to Sault Ste, Marie for the first time in decades when they headline at Soo Blaster on Saturday, April 27th! A staple of the Pepsi Power Hour and Canadian rock radio at their peak, fans may recognize The Killer Dwarfs from hit songs like "Keep The Spirit Alive", "Doesn't Matter", and "Dirty Weapons", but they haven't rested on their laurels, and they have a new album in the works. With a lot of familiar and hard hitting '80s metal to offer, The Killer Dwarfs should attract a solid turnout this spring, so if you love hair metal, you may want to circle April 27th on your 2019 calendars! At least one opening band is to be announced, stay tuned for confirmation. This show is brought to you in part by Sault Online columnist Ernest Skinner, who interviewed frontman Russ Graham in his Rock Talk column in August, and it'll be very interesting to see if he has more in the works, especially if The Killer Dwarfs go over well!
Tickets for this 8:00 PM and presumably 19+ concert are $24.50, but admission + a meet & greet with the band goes for $40, and a VIP table with meet & greet runs for $500. You can buy tickets at this link, and physical tickets are expected to be available in the new year. With this show and Aaron Pritchett now announced for 2019, it's clear that Soo Blaster are aiming high to have more big-ticket names on their stage (rap aside), and there should be plenty of Hair Scare listeners and 1980s metal aficionados to make this a packed show! Visit the Facebook event page for more details!
Next up, let's wrap up this weekend's hard rock/punk concert previews, starting with local indie/punk quintet Northwest's long-awaited EP release concert TOMORROW NIGHT at LopLops Lounge! Four years after putting out their self-titled digital EP, the guys are topping that with a full release party for their sophomore effort "Songs From 2015-2017", and if you know their talent and professionalism, you know that this will deliver the goods! We still don't know much on the release formats, availability, complete track list, or price for the EP, but we'll of course let you know when things go public. Local indie rock quartet K.I.C.K. will end a year+ hiatus as the opening act tomorrow, and it's great to see this talented quartet back for the holidays, so don't be late for the Keep It Cool Kids' return either! The second in a three night run of LopLops concerts from Tidal Records, there is a higher-than-usual $10 cover charge in effect, and while EP prices aren't public, I'd bring at least $5...
...or come early, as the first 50 people in the door will get a free download card for the EP! This is a 19+ concert, a 9:00 PM start time is advertised, and you can buy tickets at this link or at the door. Unfortunately, I have a very early morning on Sunday, so I don't think I can get down there for this concert, but hopefully the EP has a semblance of online availability next week, as my plan is to review "Songs From 2015-2017" this month. Punk fans shouldn't miss all of tomorrow's action, so visit the Facebook event page for more details, stay tuned for EP updates, and here's Northwest live!
Lastly in our pre-Christmas previews, we'll head to Sault Michigan, where local classic/hard rock cover band Highway 63 will end their year+ hiatus from the concert stage when they headline Dondee Lanes' Christmas party TOMORROW NIGHT! We haven't seen Highway 63 on stage since November 2017 for varying personal and health reasons, plus a major retooling of the band's lineup and setlist, with the band's Facebook event page confirming their new expanded lineup. Now a quintet, frontman Henry Switzer, his son/guitarist Nathan, and the already confirmed Justin Lawless (on drums) will be joined by two new members named Brian and George. Last names weren't given, and while I have a partial hunch on identities, I will wait for public confirmation before posting anything here. How will Henry and company look and sound in their big return? You can find out tomorrow at the Dondee's in-house nightclub, which changed it's name from The Sportsman's Lounge to The Double D Bar & Grill earlier this year.
To go along with the live music action, the Double D is offering happy hour drink prices from 12:00-6:00 PM tomorrow, plus a free pizza and wing buffet at 4:00 PM, with Highway 63's set proper taking place at 8:00 PM. This is presumably a 21+ event, and there's no advertised cover charge. Fans of Highway 63's crowd-friendly classic and hard rock covers should be eager to see them back after a lengthy break, and with the frills of a Christmas party to boot at Sault Michigan's own bowling alley, why not come down to enjoy the action? Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Highway 63 live a couple of years back!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band or column name:
- Reunited hard rock cover quartet 415E's return gigs at The Rapids Lounge at the Soo's Kewadin Casino have been postponed a week from January 4th & 5th to the 11th & 12th. The venue's entertainment page confirms the changes, with new local cover trio Road House (featuring 3/4ths of the now defunct Cousin Eddie) playing there on the 4th & 5th instead. Keep the new dates in mind for next month, and stay tuned for more on 415E's new lineup and 2019 plans, and if Road House skew heavier in sound!
- Three more installments of the aforementioned Ernest Skinner's SaultOnline column Rock Talk have been posted in the last few weeks, including interviews with Brighton Rock guitarist (and Sault Ontario native) Greg Fraser, Kingdom Come guitarist Danny Stag, and a retrospective on Circus Magazine. Great reads as usual, and it's nice to see Greg doing well for himself since moving, so give these a look above, and stay tuned for much more!
- Local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns featured guest drummer (and Rob & Jesse's Elements bandmate) Jonas Gasperas again at their set from last week's Music Night at The New American Pub for the Ontario Special Olympics, as per new photos from the concert on promoters Girl Friday Productions' Facebook page. Looks like a lot of fun was had for a great cause, and I'm sure Jonas fit in well as usual that night!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site next week! Thanks everyone!
Thursday, December 20, 2018
LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & Soundcheck), Plus Most Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!
A busy pre-concert weekend is upon us, so we're only touching on concert previews for this weekend that (partially) take place tomorrow, with some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (one on SHORT NOTICE) thrown in for good measure! If you're looking for our previews of Saturday's Northwest EP release party or Highway 63's return show, check back tomorrow, and same regarding a big metal show in Sault Ontario next spring! Now, here's what you should know!
Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck are advertised to return to The Rockstar Bar for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard about this concert via advertising on The Rockstar Bar's physical marquee board. I have not found reference to this show online via either the band's (sporadically updated) Facebook page or the venue's Facebook group, so if we hear any negative clarification regarding this concert, we'll let you know. Assuming this is definitely on, this will be Soundcheck's first show at The Algonquin Hotel's upstairs nightclub since playing there this past Saturday, and their hard rocking blend of covers should be welcomed on stage again TOMORROW! Note that this is a one nighter due to Saturday night's Bone Yard show at the same locale, and The Rockstar Bar's marquee was also plugging karaoke in some fashion.
If still on & happening, TOMORROW'S concert has a 19+ age limit, no announced cover charge, and a 10:00 PM start time. Fans of this veteran hard rock outfit should find a lot to like at this one, so visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!
Next up, local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will apparently return to Gliss Restaurant for a special New Year's Eve concert on Monday, December 31st, joining his previously announced regular Friday & Saturday nighters there next week, TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Like with Soundcheck above, the December 31st show hasn't been newly acknowledged on Facebook, but it is advertised on SooToday's events calendar, alongside the start of his busy 2019 schedule that we'll begin rolling into our listings next week. Yes, he is continuing his long-term arrangement at Gliss in the new year, but this will be the penultimate weekend of his 2018 concert slate there, and if you enjoy his acoustic matinee gigs at the new Spring Street locale, you won't want to miss out this weekend! Both this weekend's shows and the New Year's Eve event are 6:00 PM gigs with no announced cover charges or age limits (but remember that this is a sit-down restaurant.)
As for New Year's Eve, the SooToday advertising lists the show as ending at 10:00 PM as usual for his Gliss run, even though New Year's Eve concerts tend to run through the new year. If this is inaccurate, we'll let you know, but I'm just calling it how it's advertised. Still, expect some seasonal frills there to help ring in 2019! Visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!
Also, we will move to previously announced concerts, starting with a double shot of punk cover action TOMORROW NIGHT at LopLops Lounge, featuring online page-less punk quartet The Cover-Up and new local Distillers tribute band Coral Fang! In what will be a solid capper for a great return year, this will be The Cover-Up's first live set since opening for The Gabba Heys in September, and with their familiar lineup and strong grasp of many punk standards, look for another solid set from Dustin, Marco, Marshall, and Aaron tomorrow! As for Coral Fang, fans will recall this supergroup's well received debut set at The Rockstar Bar over Halloween weekend, and this will be a fine chance to see their take on Distillers classics once again, so whether you saw them then or not, don't bypass Tiffany, Chris, Adam, and Johnny then! This concert is promoted by Cover-Up frontman Dustin Jones' own Tidal Records, with a 19+ age limit and 9:00 PM start time both in effect.
A cover charge has not been publicized on the Facebook event page, but bring $5 just in case, as LopLops tends to have a $5 cover. There is a lot of talent on display with this double header at LopLops tomorrow, so if you love punk rock (and especially The Distillers), don't miss out on all of the action! I don't know of any public videos of either band to preview this one with, but see above for more details, and stay tuned for our preview of Saturday night's Northwest EP release show tomorrow, also featuring Cover-Up drummer Aaron Dunn with his other band K.I.C.K.!
Finally for today's concert previews, let's head to Sault Michigan, where Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm will return for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at The Rapids Lounge at the Soo's Kewadin Casino branch! This is advertised to be the Peril sister band's final concert weekend anywhere in 2018, and these will be their first shows there since the December 1st weekend. No word yet on their 2019 plans for the E.U.P., but just in case we don't see Scarkazm's hard hitting covers and originals too soon into the new year, don't bypass their Rapids Lounge gigs tomorrow and/or Saturday night! You can take in Adam, Dave, and Jeff's fan friendly yet heavy onslaught both nights at 9:00 PM, and these are 21+ affairs with no announced cover charges. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and for a preview, here's Scarkazm live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Highway 63 and Northwest previews (and more) tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck are advertised to return to The Rockstar Bar for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard about this concert via advertising on The Rockstar Bar's physical marquee board. I have not found reference to this show online via either the band's (sporadically updated) Facebook page or the venue's Facebook group, so if we hear any negative clarification regarding this concert, we'll let you know. Assuming this is definitely on, this will be Soundcheck's first show at The Algonquin Hotel's upstairs nightclub since playing there this past Saturday, and their hard rocking blend of covers should be welcomed on stage again TOMORROW! Note that this is a one nighter due to Saturday night's Bone Yard show at the same locale, and The Rockstar Bar's marquee was also plugging karaoke in some fashion.
If still on & happening, TOMORROW'S concert has a 19+ age limit, no announced cover charge, and a 10:00 PM start time. Fans of this veteran hard rock outfit should find a lot to like at this one, so visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!
Next up, local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will apparently return to Gliss Restaurant for a special New Year's Eve concert on Monday, December 31st, joining his previously announced regular Friday & Saturday nighters there next week, TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Like with Soundcheck above, the December 31st show hasn't been newly acknowledged on Facebook, but it is advertised on SooToday's events calendar, alongside the start of his busy 2019 schedule that we'll begin rolling into our listings next week. Yes, he is continuing his long-term arrangement at Gliss in the new year, but this will be the penultimate weekend of his 2018 concert slate there, and if you enjoy his acoustic matinee gigs at the new Spring Street locale, you won't want to miss out this weekend! Both this weekend's shows and the New Year's Eve event are 6:00 PM gigs with no announced cover charges or age limits (but remember that this is a sit-down restaurant.)
As for New Year's Eve, the SooToday advertising lists the show as ending at 10:00 PM as usual for his Gliss run, even though New Year's Eve concerts tend to run through the new year. If this is inaccurate, we'll let you know, but I'm just calling it how it's advertised. Still, expect some seasonal frills there to help ring in 2019! Visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!
Also, we will move to previously announced concerts, starting with a double shot of punk cover action TOMORROW NIGHT at LopLops Lounge, featuring online page-less punk quartet The Cover-Up and new local Distillers tribute band Coral Fang! In what will be a solid capper for a great return year, this will be The Cover-Up's first live set since opening for The Gabba Heys in September, and with their familiar lineup and strong grasp of many punk standards, look for another solid set from Dustin, Marco, Marshall, and Aaron tomorrow! As for Coral Fang, fans will recall this supergroup's well received debut set at The Rockstar Bar over Halloween weekend, and this will be a fine chance to see their take on Distillers classics once again, so whether you saw them then or not, don't bypass Tiffany, Chris, Adam, and Johnny then! This concert is promoted by Cover-Up frontman Dustin Jones' own Tidal Records, with a 19+ age limit and 9:00 PM start time both in effect.
A cover charge has not been publicized on the Facebook event page, but bring $5 just in case, as LopLops tends to have a $5 cover. There is a lot of talent on display with this double header at LopLops tomorrow, so if you love punk rock (and especially The Distillers), don't miss out on all of the action! I don't know of any public videos of either band to preview this one with, but see above for more details, and stay tuned for our preview of Saturday night's Northwest EP release show tomorrow, also featuring Cover-Up drummer Aaron Dunn with his other band K.I.C.K.!
Finally for today's concert previews, let's head to Sault Michigan, where Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm will return for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at The Rapids Lounge at the Soo's Kewadin Casino branch! This is advertised to be the Peril sister band's final concert weekend anywhere in 2018, and these will be their first shows there since the December 1st weekend. No word yet on their 2019 plans for the E.U.P., but just in case we don't see Scarkazm's hard hitting covers and originals too soon into the new year, don't bypass their Rapids Lounge gigs tomorrow and/or Saturday night! You can take in Adam, Dave, and Jeff's fan friendly yet heavy onslaught both nights at 9:00 PM, and these are 21+ affairs with no announced cover charges. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and for a preview, here's Scarkazm live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Highway 63 and Northwest previews (and more) tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Peril & Highway 63), Plus New Videos!!
Here's another new news post for your Tuesday reading, and it's half devoted to Sault Ontario solo videos, but let's kick things off with some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for early next year!
Kewadin Casino's entertainment page has been updated to reflect January 2019 concert weekends at The Rapids Lounge, and a couple of new hard rock announcements for The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace are within, starting with the return of local classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63 on January 18th & 19th! This is the first announced solo concert weekend for Highway 63 since their return from their 2018 hiatus and their Dondee Lanes show THIS SATURDAY (preview forthcoming), as well as their second & third gigs with their new lineup. Fans last saw the Switzers and company in St. Ignace in December of last year, so if you've been awaiting their new setlist and lineup with baited breath, this could be a good opportunity to check them out! No word yet on a potential return to The Rapids Lounge in the Soo, but remember that after 2016, they announced a break from shows there "for a while" so they could do "some travelling" in 2017, and said break hasn't publically ended.
As usual for Kewadin Casino lounge concerts, next month's Highway 63 gigs have 9:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and 21+ age limits. This should be a solid way to welcome Highway 63 back to the stage, especially if you can't make it to the Dondee this weekend, so visit the above links for more on next month's action!
Next up, the other brand new St. Ignace Kewadin hard rock shows will come just a week later, as Traverse City classic metal trio Peril will make their E.U.P. debuts for 2019 at The Northern Pines Lounge on Friday, January 25th & Saturday, January 26th! There will assuredly be more concerts on the horizon from Peril and their sister band Scarkazm to be confirmed at the Soo and St. Ignace branches, so stay tuned for when those are announced publically. This will be Peril's first concert weekend at The Northern Pines Lounge since rocking that venue early last month, and it's always cool to see Jeff, Adam (or Dave), and Brooks bring their hard rocking setlist north of the Mack, so don't bypass these shows next month either! Like with the Highway 63 shows next month, these are 21+ events with 9:00 PM start times and no cover. Visit the above links for more details on these two shows, and stay tuned for more on Peril & Scarkazm's 2019 Sault & St. Ignace schedule!
We'll close today with new videos from Sault Ontario solo musicians, starting with one from local alt-folk/metal solo artist Chase Wigmore's YouTube channel two weeks ago, and it's of him playing along with his black metal original "She Crawls Towards It" from his recent album "Seven Curses"! The video proper is very grainy and somewhat overexposed, but Chase gives a very intense and dramatic performance of this chaotic song, even in this casual setting, and it's definitely worth a watch for fans of his heavier side! Yes, I am well aware of his recent "12 EPs of Christmas" project, stay tuned for info on that soon. Give Chase's newest performance video a look below!
Finally for today, here's a surprise new cover video from former Ashes to Dust guitarist Alex Hemy's YouTube channel! Alex's prolific video output slowed down a ton as of late, having only posted two videos in the past 3½ years, so it's great to see that he's still playing in some form! This is an instrumental cover of John Mayer's song "Slow Dancing In A Burning Room", as shot on five different cameras at once, all focusing on his guitar playing and nothing else. The instrumentation and backing drum track are all very nice on this soft number, though remember that this cover has no vocals. Give Alex's newest cover a look below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site soon! Thanks everyone!
Kewadin Casino's entertainment page has been updated to reflect January 2019 concert weekends at The Rapids Lounge, and a couple of new hard rock announcements for The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace are within, starting with the return of local classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63 on January 18th & 19th! This is the first announced solo concert weekend for Highway 63 since their return from their 2018 hiatus and their Dondee Lanes show THIS SATURDAY (preview forthcoming), as well as their second & third gigs with their new lineup. Fans last saw the Switzers and company in St. Ignace in December of last year, so if you've been awaiting their new setlist and lineup with baited breath, this could be a good opportunity to check them out! No word yet on a potential return to The Rapids Lounge in the Soo, but remember that after 2016, they announced a break from shows there "for a while" so they could do "some travelling" in 2017, and said break hasn't publically ended.
As usual for Kewadin Casino lounge concerts, next month's Highway 63 gigs have 9:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and 21+ age limits. This should be a solid way to welcome Highway 63 back to the stage, especially if you can't make it to the Dondee this weekend, so visit the above links for more on next month's action!
Next up, the other brand new St. Ignace Kewadin hard rock shows will come just a week later, as Traverse City classic metal trio Peril will make their E.U.P. debuts for 2019 at The Northern Pines Lounge on Friday, January 25th & Saturday, January 26th! There will assuredly be more concerts on the horizon from Peril and their sister band Scarkazm to be confirmed at the Soo and St. Ignace branches, so stay tuned for when those are announced publically. This will be Peril's first concert weekend at The Northern Pines Lounge since rocking that venue early last month, and it's always cool to see Jeff, Adam (or Dave), and Brooks bring their hard rocking setlist north of the Mack, so don't bypass these shows next month either! Like with the Highway 63 shows next month, these are 21+ events with 9:00 PM start times and no cover. Visit the above links for more details on these two shows, and stay tuned for more on Peril & Scarkazm's 2019 Sault & St. Ignace schedule!
We'll close today with new videos from Sault Ontario solo musicians, starting with one from local alt-folk/metal solo artist Chase Wigmore's YouTube channel two weeks ago, and it's of him playing along with his black metal original "She Crawls Towards It" from his recent album "Seven Curses"! The video proper is very grainy and somewhat overexposed, but Chase gives a very intense and dramatic performance of this chaotic song, even in this casual setting, and it's definitely worth a watch for fans of his heavier side! Yes, I am well aware of his recent "12 EPs of Christmas" project, stay tuned for info on that soon. Give Chase's newest performance video a look below!
Finally for today, here's a surprise new cover video from former Ashes to Dust guitarist Alex Hemy's YouTube channel! Alex's prolific video output slowed down a ton as of late, having only posted two videos in the past 3½ years, so it's great to see that he's still playing in some form! This is an instrumental cover of John Mayer's song "Slow Dancing In A Burning Room", as shot on five different cameras at once, all focusing on his guitar playing and nothing else. The instrumentation and backing drum track are all very nice on this soft number, though remember that this cover has no vocals. Give Alex's newest cover a look below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site soon! Thanks everyone!
Sunday, December 16, 2018
LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Winkstinger & Project 906), Plus New Videos!!
Here's some news and updates for your Sunday evening reading, and these include some new video uploads from each side of the border, and leading off, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for near the end of the year!
Local death metal quartet Winkstinger will return to the stage for the first time since Oh!No II on Thursday, December 27th when they make their Soo Blaster debut at that night's live Christmas show from local rap promoters True North Talent Entertainment! As Six, Two, Oh. and Blood Shed Productions have done in the past, this is a hybrid genre event with rappers on the same bill as rock bands, so if you like such a mixture, this would be a fun way to take it in after Christmas! The advertised headliners are T.N.T. rappers and co-owners Ryan "RRated" Derasp and Chuck "Kid Majick" Charrette, as well as Toronto rapper Gilly Gadan, while local openers will feature Winkstinger alongside surf rock quartet The Dynowaves, and a stacked suite of local rappers, including (but maybe not limited to) Trace Prince, DQ, Cyriouss, Mikey Thomas, Reeder, and Sawbe. There's some very familiar names here for followers of hip-hop locally, so visit above for more info on the performers!
Doors open at 10:00 PM on the 27th for this 19+ concert, which has $10 advance tickets, $15 at the door, or $150 VIP tickets for table seating for 5 and a complimentary bottle of champagne (how's that for a deal?!) Contact the venue or the phone numbers listed at the Facebook event page for details on advance admission. This sounds like an intriguing event with some high production value for your belated Christmas enjoyment, with Winkstinger and The Dynowaves adding their own diverse rock spin on the rap menagerie, so visit the above links for more info, and Soo Blaster has finally been added to our local venue listings!
Next up, Sault Michigan hard/blues rock cover quartet Project 906 will return to Hulbert Happy Hour in nearby Hulbert Township for one night only on Saturday, December 29th! Technically, the venue wasn't confirmed when they plugged the show on their Facebook page on Friday, but the shared photo is from there, so it's heavily implied if nothing else. This will be Project 906's first concert since playing at The Strongs Tavern on November 10th, a show that we regrettably missed for coverage on the site last month, despite being plugged by 906 earlier that week. I profusely apologize for missing it, hopefully it won't happen again, but I also hope that it as a hit for the band and fans alike! As for the Hulbert gig in two weeks, fans there have been waiting 7 months for a Project 906 return, so if you're up for a hard rocking night of tunes, keep this one in mind! A 9:00 PM start time, 21+ age limit, and no cover are all in effect. Visit the above links for more details!
Also today, let's stay in the E.U.P., as local classical metal band Theatre of Night live-streamed another of their Christmas tour dates to their Facebook page, this time their headlining gig at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino branch last night! This will help you visualize the venue with it's table seating configuration early on, and it's great to see a large turnout, even with extra formality! The video proper is 1 hour and 46 minutes in length, but the first 20 minutes or so is just setup and people sitting down, before 10 or so minutes of speakers talking about The Lions Club, their charitable aims, and what to expect from Theatre of Night. Structurally, their set proper is basically identical to what we saw in the Grand Rapids live stream, which isn't a surprise considering the pre-recorded introductions and conceptual nature, so visit the post below this one for a breakdown of the song order. However, the Sault's live stream is an improvement in some ways!
This time, the filmer zoomed the camera in a lot more to get a better look at Theatre of Night themselves, the audio is a little clearer, and the larger crowd compared to Grand Rapids helps give a better ambiance and reception to the songs on offer. Fans of heavier T.S.O.-style Christmas carols will definitely want to check out Theatre of Night's 2018 tour live streams above and below, and if they do this at their Holland tour finale next week, we will let you know!
Finally, let's head back to Sault Ontario for a new original song from prolific local solo musician Tym Morrison! Believe it or not, this is his first posting of new material on his original YouTube channel in four years, so if you've missed new rock material from Tym as of late, don't bypass this one! The song is called "Living on Mars", which is about moving to the big red planet, and it has a solid heavy groove with a steady structure, but Tym sounds like he's forcing his lower register verse singing a little. Nice to hear new original material from him though, so give it a listen below, and don't miss Tym at Gliss this weekend and next!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site this week! Thanks everyone!
Local death metal quartet Winkstinger will return to the stage for the first time since Oh!No II on Thursday, December 27th when they make their Soo Blaster debut at that night's live Christmas show from local rap promoters True North Talent Entertainment! As Six, Two, Oh. and Blood Shed Productions have done in the past, this is a hybrid genre event with rappers on the same bill as rock bands, so if you like such a mixture, this would be a fun way to take it in after Christmas! The advertised headliners are T.N.T. rappers and co-owners Ryan "RRated" Derasp and Chuck "Kid Majick" Charrette, as well as Toronto rapper Gilly Gadan, while local openers will feature Winkstinger alongside surf rock quartet The Dynowaves, and a stacked suite of local rappers, including (but maybe not limited to) Trace Prince, DQ, Cyriouss, Mikey Thomas, Reeder, and Sawbe. There's some very familiar names here for followers of hip-hop locally, so visit above for more info on the performers!
Doors open at 10:00 PM on the 27th for this 19+ concert, which has $10 advance tickets, $15 at the door, or $150 VIP tickets for table seating for 5 and a complimentary bottle of champagne (how's that for a deal?!) Contact the venue or the phone numbers listed at the Facebook event page for details on advance admission. This sounds like an intriguing event with some high production value for your belated Christmas enjoyment, with Winkstinger and The Dynowaves adding their own diverse rock spin on the rap menagerie, so visit the above links for more info, and Soo Blaster has finally been added to our local venue listings!
Next up, Sault Michigan hard/blues rock cover quartet Project 906 will return to Hulbert Happy Hour in nearby Hulbert Township for one night only on Saturday, December 29th! Technically, the venue wasn't confirmed when they plugged the show on their Facebook page on Friday, but the shared photo is from there, so it's heavily implied if nothing else. This will be Project 906's first concert since playing at The Strongs Tavern on November 10th, a show that we regrettably missed for coverage on the site last month, despite being plugged by 906 earlier that week. I profusely apologize for missing it, hopefully it won't happen again, but I also hope that it as a hit for the band and fans alike! As for the Hulbert gig in two weeks, fans there have been waiting 7 months for a Project 906 return, so if you're up for a hard rocking night of tunes, keep this one in mind! A 9:00 PM start time, 21+ age limit, and no cover are all in effect. Visit the above links for more details!
Also today, let's stay in the E.U.P., as local classical metal band Theatre of Night live-streamed another of their Christmas tour dates to their Facebook page, this time their headlining gig at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino branch last night! This will help you visualize the venue with it's table seating configuration early on, and it's great to see a large turnout, even with extra formality! The video proper is 1 hour and 46 minutes in length, but the first 20 minutes or so is just setup and people sitting down, before 10 or so minutes of speakers talking about The Lions Club, their charitable aims, and what to expect from Theatre of Night. Structurally, their set proper is basically identical to what we saw in the Grand Rapids live stream, which isn't a surprise considering the pre-recorded introductions and conceptual nature, so visit the post below this one for a breakdown of the song order. However, the Sault's live stream is an improvement in some ways!
This time, the filmer zoomed the camera in a lot more to get a better look at Theatre of Night themselves, the audio is a little clearer, and the larger crowd compared to Grand Rapids helps give a better ambiance and reception to the songs on offer. Fans of heavier T.S.O.-style Christmas carols will definitely want to check out Theatre of Night's 2018 tour live streams above and below, and if they do this at their Holland tour finale next week, we will let you know!
Finally, let's head back to Sault Ontario for a new original song from prolific local solo musician Tym Morrison! Believe it or not, this is his first posting of new material on his original YouTube channel in four years, so if you've missed new rock material from Tym as of late, don't bypass this one! The song is called "Living on Mars", which is about moving to the big red planet, and it has a solid heavy groove with a steady structure, but Tym sounds like he's forcing his lower register verse singing a little. Nice to hear new original material from him though, so give it a listen below, and don't miss Tym at Gliss this weekend and next!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site this week! Thanks everyone!