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:

• 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!