"Foggy Style Volume 1" CD Review!!

It's now time for our 120th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and we have another archive review for this month due to a lack of new hard rock and punk CD releases in June 2019. That said, we have quite the throwback this month, as we're finally taking a look at "Foggy Style Volume 1", the compilation album put out by defunct local nightclub & concert venue Foggy Notions during the peak of their run at 704 Queen Street East! The album proper is not finitely dated in the booklet, but the 20 included songs were originally released between 2000 and the fall of 2002 on their original albums, so I am estimating that this came out in 2003. Independently released during Jon Ferguson & Brendan Fyfe's co-ownership of Foggy's, this compilation features acts who played well received concerts at what's now Coch's Corner, and perhaps at Foggy's original Bay Street location beforehand. Of the 20 songs, six come from local performers, and overall, punk rock plays a huge component in it's makeup. No, there was no "Volume 2."

For the record, we're tying in this review with live sets this month in the Soo from album performers John Barber (Parabol), Dustin Jones (The Cover-Up), Al Wood (...and The Woodsmen), and Planet Smashers bassist Dave Cooper, so now is as good a time as any to finally review "Foggy Style"! Just for full disclosure, I was 13 or 14 years old when this CD came out, and would not be old enough to enter Foggy Notions for a concert until two months after it's initial 2008 closure, so if I miss an obvious factoid about a performer on the album, I apologize in advance, I truly wasn't there. Song names below are linked to YouTube copies of the songs, largely from prior uploads of the album via other sources, but I did post the stragglers on our YouTube channel with associated playlist. With all that said, this 20 song, 66 minutes-long album is packed with familiar live acts from Foggy Notions' heyday, so let's begin our "Foggy Style" review!

The compilation opens up with a song by Brownsfield, Alberta folk musician Carson Cole's song "Fryday" from his 2002 solo album "Sticky", but this song shares a lot thematically with punk rock, and he uses his raspy singing voice to good effect here! Exclaim's review of this album implies that Carson was exploring a number of different sounds on this album, and he seems to execute punk well, if with a Husker Du-esque indie bent. A free-wheeling party vibe suits this album well to start, but there's a missing authenticity compared to his later work. Second on "Foggy Style" is Guelph/Toronto pop punk quartet Flashlight Brown, who contributed their song "A Freak" from their self-titled 2001 CD. Matt Hughes' punk snarl is effective on this well performed song, but it's very vocal/drum-based at the expense of the guitar, and the "shoop-de-woop" backing vocals are sorely out of place. Straight forward and reliable punk track that nicely fits the album's range!

Song #3 belongs to the first of six local acts on the CD, namely standout punk rock quartet The Inner City Surfers, who perform their song "Booze and Doobs" here, as first seen on their 2002 album "Laughing on the Outside." This song was re-recorded for their 2007 self-titled album, but we'll talk about that version at a later date. I haven't reviewed "Laughing on the Outside" on the site yet, so I can't compare the song in this way, but this is a more laid back song in the Surfers oeuvre, harbouring more of a country/drinking song vibe that may appeal to Rising Tide fans. Myself, I think the song sounds kind of sleepy compared to peak Surfers tracks, with Dustin's vocals often lacking for clarity, and the ending is too abrupt for my liking. Not a bad song, and Dave gets some time to shine on guitar, but for my tastes, there are Surfers songs I enjoy more than this.

Fourth is our first full diversion from the punk path on "Foggy Style", courtesy of Winnipeg hip hop group Mood Ruff's song "Antarctica: Cold Cold World" from the 2002 album of the same name. I'm not a rap scholar, but from what I know of the genre, this song is well performed with solid rhymes and a nice beat! I think the song drags a bit with verses that are too drawn out, but fans familiar with their later hit single "Rocketship" should be right at home with this well performed song! If you're a punk diehard though, look elsewhere. Next up is "Live Wire" by Kindle, a Celtic rock group comprised of five cousins from Souris, Prince Edward Island. This may bring up Rising Tide comparisons, but Kindle are a different band altogether, with them having more of a true instrumental rock base, and the fiddle almost replacing vocals. Very East Coast flavour, and the song (from their 2000 self-titled CD) is very well performed for the genre!

Next is "Business As Usual" by Toronto roots rock band Staggered Crossing, courtesy of their 2002 album "Last Summer When We Were Famous." This is a upbeat rock song that reminds me in a way of early Lenny Kravitz material, but with a bluesier vibe, and it's a good match. I wasn't familiar with StagX going in, but this is a catchy number with strong vocals by Julian Taylor, a nice bouncy guitar riff, and a bit of a heavier edge, and this is definitely a sleeper hit on this compulation! That's followed by Ottawa alt-rock quartet Nectar's song "Modern Making" from their 2001 album "Somewhere That Way." Somewhat of a power pop song that reminds me a bit of Weezer, this is a good rocker that's in your face without being too aggressive, and the drumming's particularly effective in the background, but the harmonized vocals at the end did slightly take me out of it. Not a bad track, it's a shame Nectar didn't release anything after this album!

The second local act on "Foggy Style" is next, namely defunct local hard rock quartet Redefined, whose song here is "M.T. Bundies" from their 2001 demo CD "Risk & Uncertainty." I don't own the full demo, but if you're familiar with John Barber's later hard rock vocal work in bands like Parabol & Late Shift, this won't be far away in sound. Honestly, I was surprised by the ska-inspired verses, which are a complete and utter contrast from the heavy & loud modern rock choruses, but once I was used to them, I liked the jump in intensity! Matt Sibilo's guitar playing meshes well in both areas, Danno O'Shea's drumming is more than up to the task, and I like the bass lines that Josh St. Amour gets in the bridge particularly. Very solid track from Redefined, an accomplished hard rock band in their day (who survived long enough to have a page on PureVolume!)

The ninth song belongs to Montreal ska punk legends The Planet Smashers, whose featured song is "Blind" from their 2001 album "No Self Control". I don't listen to a lot of ska punk, but The Smashers are a top rank example of the genre, with a punk essence, strong musicianship, a lively appeal, and talented horn section combining well on this song, and if you prefer the "punk" side of ska punk, we have that in spades here! Matt, Dave, and company deliver a fun song here, and if you've missed The Planet Smashers live since 2005, this is a refresher of what they could do! The first half of the CD concludes with Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu punk quintet Subb, whose song here is "Daylight Saving" from the 2002 album of that name. This is a harder edged punk song with nicely thumping guitar in the verses, but with more of a melodic base, especially thanks to Jeff Quesnel's higher vocal register.

This song doesn't fully embrace Subb's ska punk base, but if you like pop and skate punk, this is a reliable song in that genre range to check out! We continue in the realm of punk rock with the eleventh song and third from a local band, namely Running With Scissors, an early-2000s punk band who recorded the single "Waiting" for this compilation. Public details on R.W.S. are extremely minimal nowadays, but they opened for Redefined often at Foggy's in 2001. Personal Facebook conversations indicated that their lineup on this recording included singer/guitarist Christian Pasiak (Bankshot), drummer Aaron Mooney (Bin Hawdon et al.), and either Clint Wilson or Curtis Faux on bass. The song proper has a nice swing to it's rhythm, and the guitar work is solid, but the vocals are somewhat muddled in this recording. There was promise here, as Foggy Notions indicated on their old website, and it's a shame we didn't see more studio work from Running With Scissors to build on that!

Track #12 is "Taken" by Toronto pop punk band The Getaway, via their 2002 album "What Can You Do?" Exclaim praised their natural sound and relatable lyrics at the time compared to "mall-punk" bands of the era, and this song has positive qualities! Solid catchy guitar riff while still being a laid back, casual song, but Matt Wesley's vocals are an acquired taste for me, the extended instrumental bridge goes a little too long, and I wish the song had a little more bite to it. Not a bad song for genre fans all the same! Next is "Steady As She Goes" by Riverside, California ska punk legends The Voodoo Glow Skulls, as seen on their 2002 album of the same name. On this one, the horn section sounds a little crackly, which is mildly distracting, and the song as a whole can get repetitive, but I like the hardcore punk influence on Frank Casillas' vocals! Genre fans will like this song's pacing and aggression contrasting with the melodic ska elements, and it hits more than it misses!

Afterwards is the album's shortest song, that being "You Have It All" by Kamloops, B.C. ska punk band Blinded, from their 2002 CD "Seconds From Reality."This has more of an authentic ska punk sound to it than preceding genre songs, lying heavily on the reggae touches and horn section, but the punk part of the song is a little flat to me, coming across as too laid back and not in-your-face enough. Well performed and lively, but more for the ska fan than the punk fan. The fourth local song on "Foggy Style" is next, and there's even more ska punk ahead, as this is "Sunshine" by fan favourites The 12 Gauge Ready! Not tied to a prior album in the booklet, this is the most laid back of the punk songs yet, evoking listening to this song by a beach with a margarita. They get good mileage out of the keyboard here, and the singing is a great match to the cool vibes, but if you want punk with your ska punk, this may not be what you're looking for. Still nice to hear Adam, Sal, Beano, and company again after all these years!

The sixteenth song comes from this album's biggest name in retrospect, them being Kingston ska/reggae band Bedouin Soundclash, who later went platinum with hits like "When the Night Feels My Song" and "Walls Fall Down", and won the Juno for Best New Group in 2006. Their song on "Foggy Style" is "Santa Monica" from their 2001 debut CD "Root Fire." I have admittedly never been a fan of Bedouin Soundclash, likely because of their sound tending to be a lot softer than I tend to like, but this has a folksy campfire vibe that is effective in it's way! The song is well performed by Jay, Eon, and company, but sound-wise, it's not for me. Next is Moncton folk rock band Chris Colepaugh & The Cosmic Crew, whose song here is "Bookmark" from their 2001 album "Trip." This is an upbeat song with a classic rock influence and some country touches, and it's got a deceiving simplicity to it. Chris is a talented performer, and I like the genre diversity, but sound wise, this again isn't my thing compared to earlier punk songs.

Eighteenth up on the album is the fifth of six local acts, namely Red Wood Central, the blues rock duo from singer Michelle "Red" April and Woodsmen frontman Al Wood on guitar. The song is "Suitcase Blues" from their 2002 album "Behind the Times", and this is a very straightforward, traditional blues song that genre fans will absolutely support! Red's got a smooth, soulful voice, and Al's guitar work is well established locally, so this is a nice pairing to add some extra zest to the album's variety! The album's penultimate song is also it's longest, namely "Gone To Stay" from the Vancouver indie rock band Radiogram and their 2002 album "All The Way Home." This song isn't my thing genre-wise, with a softer and more intricate style with some roots rock and horn flourishes, and a simple, frank style of vocals from Ken Beattie that would theoretically play well at LopLops. It's well performed, but again, this is out of my wheelhouse.

"Foggy Style" closes with "Cry, Baby, Cry", a single recorded by local folk musician Joe Kennedy. This has a well performed song with a frank, coffee-shop sound that has a delicate, emotional base, and he hit some good higher register notes on the chorus. I'm not sure that I'd have ended the compilation with an acoustic singer/songwriter, but Joe has clear talent and songwriting ability, and a little poignancy does add to the CD's variety. Note that this song skipped for me on my primary computer's CD drive, but played fine on my backup laptop (my CD copy is not scratched.)

So, what are my final thoughts on "Foggy Style Vol. 1"? As a compilation, it's hit and miss, but it has more than enough entertaining punk and alternative music to go around! Going in, I can safely say I didn't know half of the bands, but had I been born in 10 years earlier, I'd surely have been more familiar with Foggy's busy early 2000s schedule,  and this exposed me to what I missed out on! The dominant genre on here seemed to be (ska) punk, but we got dashes of blues, rap, Celtic, indie, and folk on here, and it covers a lot of ground to allow casual fans something they'd like! Myself, I wish a band heavier than Redefined could have snuck in, but Foggy Notions wasn't identified with extreme metal for most people. Of the out of town bands, I enjoyed The Planet Smashers, Staggered Crossing, and Nectar the most overall, while Redefined gave my favourite of the 6 local songs. My dislikes mostly revolve around personal preferences, which goes without saying that I would prefer the included heavier and punk songs.

The song order on the final product is worth revisiting, as I think it would have been laid out better without blocking the songs by genre (i.e. ska punk in the middle, softer/folksier songs late), and ending on "Cry, Baby, Cry" wasn't a great call to close the album compared to something more upbeat. Also, with the power of hindsight, there are different songs I'd have included from some of the local bands, particularly The Surfers and The 12 Gauge Ready, who offered more in the punk realm than was shown here.

Overall though, "Foggy Style" is an effective time capsule of busier days at 704 Queen, and it's a shame we didn't get a sequel before the owner and name changes! Give the whole thing a listen at the above links, and thanks to Jacob, Sal, Christian, and many others for the help on acquiring information on Running With Scissors! I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, but what's coming up on the site next month? Of course, I'll give preference to a new studio album if one pops up, but if not, I know precisely which archive album would be reviewed next: "Pierced", the 2013 demo CD from Sailor's Tongue that they released at Rotaryfest's Second Stage that year, which would be an ideal tie-in given their one-off reunion set on Stage 1 next month! Whether we're reviewing Sailor's Tongue or not, look for our next review in the coming weeks, and stay tuned for more news soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Life Like Fire) & More Weekend Concert Previews!!

Now, let's wrap up this weekend's hard rock concert previews (late notice possibilities aside), and if you're looking for previews of concerts that had a Friday component, check the post below this one! Today, we're looking at bands who are only playing tomorrow night, but to fill things out, we do have a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month to lead things off with! Yes, I am aware of the big rescheduled punk show this fall, stay tuned for more on that in our next proper news post. Now, here's what you should know!

A trifecta of hard rock-centric acts (all local newcomers) are coming to The New American Pub on Wednesday, July 10th, including headlining Calgary hard rock quartet Life Like Fire! Self-described as "a dirty, in your face, female fronted rock n' roll band", Life Like Fire have already attracted some local fans with their heavy hitting yet melodic sound that reminds me somewhat of bands like New Years Day, and if you can make it out for a mid-week concert, L.L.F. would be worth your time next month! Joining them at The New A on this night are Powassan, Ontario alt-hard rock band The Long Nines, who are on a separate Canadian tour, but the two bands' paths cross in the Soo on July 10th, hence the double bill. Ironically also a quartet with a female singer, The Long Nines aren't as heavy as Life Like Fire, but their melodic, to-the-point sound and new single "Northlander" should give them a good base!

The show will be opened by Temagami folk/indie rock solo artist James Crate, who is touring alongside The Long Nines. Much softer launch than you may expect, but James has talent, and he'll set the tone well before things get plugged in on the 10th! Apparently booked in house through The New A (though The Long Nines' label Ego & Pessimism Records will assist in production), this 19+ show has a $10 cover charge and an advertised start time of 8:00 PM. Visit the official Facebook event page for more on this intriguing Wednesday nighter next month!

Next up, let's continue this busy weekend of hard rock concert previews by tackling three Saturday night-only concerts, starting with a huge (and surprisingly affordable) show at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW NIGHT, as Las Vegas glam metal quartet Slaughter will play our area for the third time in the past 11 years! After previously opening for Jackyl in Sault Ontario in 2008 and Stryper in Sault Michigan in 2012, it's time for Slaughter to headline with their familiar blend of originals like "Fly to the Angels", "Up All Night", and "The Wild Life". If you Hair Scare loyalists are up for an hour's drive south to St. Ignace, then you should get a great show from Mark, Dana, Blando, and Zoltan tomorrow! Pasadena glam/hard rock quartet Autograph will also head north for this concert, and with "Turn Up The Radio" and other deep cuts in their repetroire, hair metal junkies should be more than excited to see them on a local stage as well, so don't miss either band then!

Presented by Classic Rock: The Bear (which can be picked up easily in St. Ignace on 95.3 FM), this rare major hard rock show at the St. Ignace Kewadin will be an indoor event at their on-site events center. Tickets for this 8:00 PM concert are surprisingly just $10, and lots are still available, so visit this link, the Sault Kewadin's in-person box office, the St. Ignace Kewadin's gift shop, or 1-800-KEWADIN to get hooked up. At this price, how can glam metal fans in Mackinac Country say no? Slaughter put on a great show in 2008 and 2012, and hopefully there's more of the same tomorrow night, so see above for more details, and here's Slaughter live!



Also TOMORROW NIGHT in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, fans in nearby Eckerman can enjoy Sault Ste. Marie hard rock cover quartet Project 906 as they rock The Strongs Tavern! While this venue in the western half of Chippewa County is definitely a known commodity to Project 906 fans (who last saw them there on New Year's Eve), this will be just their second announced concert since taking a four month break earlier this year due to personal life commitments. A search to get a concert booking for tonight too didn't appear to have a public resolution, but fans can still see Billy, Joe, Dustin, and Tommy back at The Strongs Tavern for one night only. Hopefully the guys deliver a "strong" set of their own tomorrow, and that their open dates in August get filled soon! Tomorrow's concert has a likely 9:00 PM start time, a 21+ age limit, and no cover charge. See above for more details, and here's Project 906 live at the aforementioned Strongs Tavern!



Finally for today's previews, we'll head back north to Sault Ontario, where local power rock quartet Re:Born will headline a special going away concert party TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar in honour of long-time roadie, filmer, and supporter Cory Burch! The son of guitarist Blair Burch, Cory has been a steady presence at Project 421 and Re:Born shows since his dad re-entered the scene as an active performer, but he's moving out of province for work reasons in the very near future, hence this concert being announced, so that Re:Born and fans can give him a proper send-off. Cory's a good guy and he's always been very helpful and useful as a fan and roadie over the years, and hopefully this party sets out to achieve it's aims tomorrow before he flies out west! There will be at least two other bands performing, but Re:Born are staying tight-lipped on their identities, other than to guarantee that "it just got a bit louder and heavier", while a looser jam-night atmosphere is to be expected.

While this is a 19+ event with a 10:00 PM start time, Re:Born are not charging a cover to come down, so if you want some free Saturday night entertainment with a proven band and some mystery performers, you could do a lot worse! This should be a fun time before Canada Day festivities kick in, and hopefully Cory has a great time before the big move, so see above for more details, and here's Re:Born live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news over the long weekend, and this month's CD review by Sunday! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison), Plus The First Half Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

An exceedingly busy concert weekend is upon us in the Twin Saults, possibly due to timing with Canada Day and the (mid-week) Fourth of July, so here's how we're blocking things out for this week's hard rock concert previews. Today's post will focus on bands playing tomorrow in some respect, with Saturday's Re:Born-headlined concert joining remaining Sault Michigan-area previews in a post tomorrow. That all said, here's what you know to start this busy weekend, including a SHORT LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Yet another busy concert weekend for local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will see him continue his long-term Gliss Restaurant concert arrangement TOMORROW & SATURDAY, sandwiching a nighttime concert at The Roadhouse Bar & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT! However, that's far from all for this talented solo artist, as Tym will return to La Terraza Franzisi in Richards Landing on St. Joseph Island for a special Canada Day concert THIS MONDAY, so if you missed him there last week, and want some live entertainment on the holiday, keep MONDAY'S show in mind! Apologies for the short notice, the gig was only announced via it's Facebook event page this morning. Now, Tym's personal Facebook page also lists upcoming dates at such diverse locales as the Pointe des Chenes campground, The Old Stone House, and The Duty Free Shop, but as none of these have been plugged on his Facebook group, I am treating these as private bookings unless stated otherwise.

Yes, I will get to his July slate of Gliss shows on the site within the next week, but on a weekend this busy, I don't have the space to fit them in without making today's or tomorrow's posts too long. Stay tuned! The Gliss shows are 6:00 PM matinees, tomorrow's 19+ Roadhouse show is at 10:00 PM, while his La Terraza Franzisi show on MONDAY is at an early 5:00 PM timeslot. None have announced cover charge, but mind the restaurant locales for the matinee concerts. Visit the official Facebook pages linked here, here, and above, and here's Tym live a few years back!

Next up, let's head to Soo Blaster for a very big show taking place TOMORROW NIGHT, as Hamilton southern hard rock band Monster Truck will make their long awaited local concert debut! Winners of the Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year in 2013, Monster Truck have since became one of the biggest newer hard rock bands on Canadian rock radio thanks to hits like "Sweet Mountain River", "For The People", and "Old Train", and it'll be great to have their bluesy yet hard hitting brand of original music on a local stage to kick off their 2019 "Canadian Bonus Round" tour, so be sure to check them out! Sudbury grunge/hard rock quartet The Fortunate Losers are advertised to make their own local concert debut tomorrow, 2½ years after dropping out of a Blackwood Sinners show locally, and their own entertaining originals would be fun to hear locally! A Musicians Wanted Facebook group post by Fortunate Losers bassist Brent Boileau indicates that a local opening band is being sought on short notice.

Message Brent A.S.A.P. at this link or above if you want in on this big opportunity! A presentation of Thunder Bay promoters Loffredo & Associates, this 7:30 PM concert has $35 tickets available at Soo Blaster and/or at this link, albeit with a $5 service fee, and this is a 19+ event. Also, note the contest on the Facebook event page where attendees could win tickets to see "Weird" Al Yankovic in Toronto, which would be a great show in & of itself! I am very curious to see how Monster Truck goes over locally, as they're a big deal for modern Canadian hard rock, so don't miss out, see above for full details, and here's Monster Truck live!

Also this weekend, a couple of more bands are playing TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, including local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck, who will return to The Esquire Club for a couple of nights! After two weekends straight at the re-opened Reggie's Place and a Sunday matinee outside of the new A&W, gigs that largely didn't get much in the way of advance notice, fans may be happy to note that Travis, Terry, Paul, and Glen announced these shows in February via this concert calendar, so we've had lots of time to prepare! This is Soundcheck's first advertised concert weekend at the Esquire this season, so if you've missed their hard rocking yet diverse range of covers, you know where to go this weekend! 10:00 PM-ish start times are in effect for these 19+ shows, which have no announced cover charges. See above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!



Finally for this preview post, let's take a trip south to the Eastern Upper Peninsula, where Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quintet Highway 63 will rock The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT themselves! This will be just the second concert weekend for this veteran band since they enlisted ex-Mamas Boys drummer Russell Mayer into their lineup, and it's a good weekend for them to be hitting up the St. Ignace Kewadin, as Saturday night's show will coincide with the Slaughter/Autograph concert there (preview coming tomorrow), so hopefully fans can hit up the on-site nightclub after the hair metal wraps up and get a double concert for their trouble! Fans can see the Switzers, George, Russell, and Brian at The Northern Pines Lounge at 9:00 PM both nights, these are 21+ events, and there are no announced cover charges. See above for more details, and here's Highway 63's old lineup live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Slaughter, Project 906, and Re:Born concert previews (and more?) tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: The Canadian

It's now time for this month's YouTube Channel Profile, as we continue our monthly feature spotlighting YouTube channels whose content is at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, and punk artists & concerts! This month's randomly selected channel features some early performances from a local promotion agency's first show and it's related band's infancy, so there's some neat stuff to see here, and you can do so below!
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The Canadian (http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-ADpsCAFQBMXpWmhI4yOog/)

Owner: A member of local alt-punk band A Dire Setback and their associated promotion company Live705, specific identity unclear

Channel Timeline: Launched on October 24th, 2016; Videos posted from that December through June 2017

Channel Summary: Despite the misnomer of a channel name (though it's last video was indeed shot at The Canadian Nightclub), this was ostensibly the official YouTube channel for Live705, largely featuring video footage from their inaugural concert, plus this computer-generated logo for the company that presumably would have saw usage on future channel content. Two videos on the channel are of A Dire Setback, including from a different concert unrelated to the rest of the channel in location or filmer.

Why You Should Watch: This is a solid channel to check out to see the infancy of Live705 as a promotion company, plus you get some interesting looks at bands who don't have a lot of footage out there, let alone at the increasily unused Oddfellows Hall! However, note that half of the channel's videos run for under 64 seconds in length, and the channel hasn't been visibly used for Live705 or A Dire Setback purposes in 2 years.

Our Recommended Videos To Check Out

Electric Church: Six of the videos on "The Canadian" are from Live705's debut concert at The Oddfellows Hall on November 19th, 2016, which saw a diverse lineup of young local talent hit the stage, including sets by The Din, rapper Jasmin "Jizzy Baby" Sky, and two bands not filmed for the channel (headliners K.I.C.K. and the debuting Stegadeth.) We'll touch on the other three bands here, including inactive local blues/hard rock trio Electric Church, who made their only Oddfellows Hall appearance on this night. Filmed covering B.B. King's "Rock Me Baby", this cover is well done and showcases Spencer Pine, Elijah Nielsen, and Beau Whitfield's chemistry well, but the vertical cell phone camera angle and side-stage placement don't help.



Talk Shit: A notable hook for this concert was the reunion of online page-less punk quartet Talk Shit after a 7 year hiatus, with returning members Adam Sauve, Marc LaFrance, and Ian Robinson joined by new guitarist Steve Shaw (later briefly of Jack Spades) in place of the relocated Andrew Angelic. Talk Shit's reunion didn't result in many shows before they fell inactive again last year, so this video (of an untitled cover) bears some extra weight, but the vertical angle and extremely distant vantage point do harm the video in retrospect. You can't see a lot, but the performance sounds solid!



A Dire Setback: The channel's most popular video is this clip of local alt-punk band A Dire Setback playing their original song "Catastrophe" in their co-headlining set. Quite a big platform for A.D.S. to have their debut show on! Featuring guitarist Chris Nielsen, bassist Matt Quinn, and drummer Nick Kainula alongside original lead singer Larry Babic, this is a promising performance with good energy, and it's a nice harbinger of bigger things to come, but the scratchy audio quality and dark lighting mean that you can find better videos of this song online. The channel's remaining videos include this brief setup clip from the show above and a cover of OneRepublic's "Counting Stars" at the CKY concert at The Canadian in June 2017, which was filmed by myself and shared on YouTube with permission.


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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! This series will return on or around July 26th with another randomly selected channel from our subscriptions, and we're heading across the river next month by spotlighting inactive Sault Michigan label Werehold Records' channel! Look for that then, and for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

Video From A Recently Missed Concert, Plus More Dopethrone Concert Footage!!

A hopefully busy week is upon us at the SMS, so let's keep things rolling with a new news post devoted to two topics: More videos from a recent extreme metal concert, and leading off, a new clip from a show this weekend that regrettably didn't make the site. Here's what you should know!

As it turns out, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck played a short notice outdoor concert yesterday afternoon outside of the newer A&W at 659 Great Northern Road, serving as the musical entertainment for one of their occasional summer car shows. I profusely apologize for missing this show for coverage on the site, but Soundcheck only plugged it on their Facebook page yesterday morning, and alas, Sunday mornings are not usually prime-time for us to be on the lookout for late notice show announcements. Given the nature of the concert and it's outdoor, all ages setting, you'd think this would warrant more than a few hours notice, but it is what it is. That said, we're not entirely left in the lurch, as a video from their set was posted onto their Facebook page, so we can see how things sounded and looked yesterday! The video features Soundcheck covering Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son", and the guys were playing under a tent set up outside of the restaurant, a nice touch to guard from the elements.

Featuring guitarist Travis Sharpe on lead vocals, this is a solid cover of this roots rock classic, and the vocals are well done, but couldn't they have moved Travis' microphone over a bit so he didn't have to be standing right behind that tentpole? For what it's worth, it looks like Paul Belair was back on bass after Jason Taillefer's recent fill-in stint, though there was no Facebook confirmation of his return. Strong performance overall, so give Soundcheck's newest video a look below, and apologies again for missing this one, we'd have covered it on here had it gotten even a day's notice!



Next up, let's tackle some long overdue concert videos from Christopher Paci's excellent YouTube channel, as he was in attendance for last month's Dopethrone-headlined concert at The New American Pub, and I regrettably am only just getting to his footage now. Sorry, Chris, things just slipped through the cracks, but we did cover his Anvil videos on time here! Chris shot eight videos of the three bands, including four of the headlining Montreal "slutch metal" band, though he clearly had as much trouble titling song names as I did when I covered Six, Two, Oh.'s Facebook videos from the night. His Dopethrone videos are linked here, here, and here, while the last and longest of them is embedded below. Much like on Six, Two. Oh.'s footage, the very dark lighting is a detriment to the visual clarity, but it does help the doom metal mood in a way, and Chris got good angles of fans moshing! The aggressive but slow metal is nicely captured, so give everything a look!



The other half of Chris' uploads are of the local openers, including two videos of returning doom metal trio AlgomA's set, with over 13 minutes shot between this clip and the 7:49-long footage embedded below. The improved lighting helps to see Kevin, Boyd, and Jamie back in their natural element after a 19 month layoff, and fans are definitely into these aggressive originals, helping prove that AlgomA didn't have any rust to shake off last month! Vocals can be a little muffled, but AlgomA fans would be well served to check these videos out above & below!



Finally, Chris shot two videos of local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver's surprising opening set, including this 2:11 clip (complete with My Dinner From Andre sample) and a longer one embedded below. Despite crowd heads in the way, Shit Liver had the best visual clarity and lighting of the night, and their fast paced noise attack is well captured as they ended a year's break from the local stage so give their videos a look as well!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Re:Born), Plus More Assorted News & Notes!!

Let's tackle some more overdue news and notes in tonight's post, mostly reflecting a lot of updates from a prominent heavier local band, but we have some assorted notes to round things out. Here's what you should know!

In an extended Facebook page posting on Tuesday, local power rock quartet Re:Born announced a number of upcoming concerts in conjunction with some big band news, so what can be said therein? Firstly, their next concert will take place on Saturday, June 29th (one week from today) when they headline at The Rockstar Bar, but there's an ulterior motive here. The somewhat short notice gig will serve as a send-off for guitarist Blair Burch's son Cory, who is moving out of province next month, ending his lengthy tenure as a roadie, filmer, doorman, and overall supporter of Re:Born, Project 421, and their respective concerts. Cory's not a musician (that I'm aware of), but he's a good guy and very encouraging and helpful at concerts, even if his dad's not playing, and this is a nice way to throw one more big bash before he heads west, so hopefully there's a good turnout next week! Re:Born will not be the only band on the 29th, as at least two mystery local bands will be hitting the stage as well, now that they've been shaken from the tree.

No public word on their identities as of yet (we'll let you know if something is said), but the Facebook event page does strongly hint that jamming and a looser, more casual atmosphere will be present, especially as they're calling this "a party that happens to have a stage." Given the occasion, this concert has no cover, but a 10:00 PM start time and 19+ age limit remain in effect. Hopefully this bash can help give Cory the best possible send-off, so visit the above links for more on this show in particular!

Next up, here's another new Rockstar Bar show for Re:Born this summer, as they'll be back at this venue on Saturday, July 20th in honour of drummer Brandan Glew's birthday! This looks to be more of a traditional concert than next week's party, but hopefully there's a great turnout again to help give Brandan a great night for the occasion! This show notably takes place on the last night of Rotaryfest, so if you find that day's music lineup at Clergue Park to be lacking for hard rock and punk acts, this show may help remedy that. In fact, two bands that played Stage 2 last year (alt-punk trio A Dire Setback & funk/hard rock quartet The Elements) will play support on the 20th, so cast your gaze to The Algonquin Hotel to see them next month instead! Notably, this is A Dire Setback's first announced concert set of 2019, following the completion of their CD recording sessions, and it's great to see them back at last, though for full disclosure, A.D.S. themselves have not confirmed this date publically at press time.

A $5 cover charge is in effect for this concert, presumably also having a 10:00 PM start time and 19+ age limit, though it doesn't have a Facebook event page (yet?) This should be another fun concert as we get deeper into the summer season, so visit the above links for full details on this event!

One more show was announced in the above post (an apparent set as part of the Loud & Proud concert at The Bushplane Museum on July 21st during this year's Pridefest), but given that organizers have not publically announced details at press time, I will defer a write-up here until more comes out beyond Re:Born's involvement. The other breaking news from Re:Born's Facebook page earlier this week is that they have officially parted ways with guitarist Frank McGillivray. Back in November, the band announced that Frank would be taking a hiatus from the band until April due to work commitments out of town, but he ended up more or less moving there permanently, hence the belated confirmation of his departure. After being a member of Project 421 throughout their run, Frank & Blair launched Re:Born last year, with Frank playing at their first three concerts, though aside from early jam videos with new singer Elly McWatters, he never played a public show with the current lineup before he headed north.

If there are plans to replace Frank in Re:Born, they weren't stated on Facebook, but remember that they've been playing as a four-piece all year without the need for a fill-in guitarist. It's a shame to see Frank leave, as he is a kind person and a very strong musician, and he was always good to discuss politics and philosophy outside of a band setting. Of course, we wish him the best, and hopefully we'll see him on stage again down the line!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual for these brief-form stories, these are in alphabetical order by artist or business name:

• After two years in the old Grooves Music building at 540 Ashmun Street, Sault Michigan music store Crooked Music is packing it's bags... for 539 Ashmun Street, taking up residence in a spot beside Austin Oak Tobacco & Cigar starting in August. Whether the move across the road is due to increased space, better rent, or another factor isn't clear, but the "Abbey Road" parody image on their Facebook page is clever! Hopefully this move is the best move for all parties, and luckily, customers won't have to go far for the new Crooked Music locale in a couple of months!
• Remember how Kewadin Casino was going to have a battle of the bands in Sault Ste. Marie last week to find an opener for the Great White concert in Manistique on July 27th, with entry open to any U.P. bands local to their five casinos? Well, the battle was cancelled outright on June 12th, citing a "lack of participation" as the reason. No word on how they'll pick an opener now, but Manistique is outside of our coverage range anyway. Very disappointing, but maybe a battle this ambitious was too complicated for it's own good?
• Sault Ontario acoustic hard rock duo Tattoos & Scars are looking for a second guitar player to join the group, who they describe as "a southern rock/rock band." We haven't heard a whole lot from Tattoos & Scars (or Halfway Loaded) as of late, but maybe finding a new guitarist to join Justin & Shane will help speed things along? There is some interest, but if you'd like more information, message Tattoos & Scars above or via their Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Wednesday!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck, Project 906, And The Wyld Stallyns), And More Concert Previews!!

As promised, we have our Scarkazm previews in today's post, but before we get too ahead of ourselves, we have a few LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to tackle, and one is on SHORT NOTICE, so here's what you should know this morning!

Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Project 906 will return to Bird's Eye Outfitters for their third show of the year TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via the band's Facebook page yesterday, but fans shouldn't be too surprised about this gig. TONIGHT is the first of five open days that Project 906 announced a booking search for earlier this month, and while we await confirmation on if the other four dates (next Friday included) will get 906 shows somewhere, it's great to see one knocked off! We haven't seen Project 906 rock the Ashmun Street outdoors store/venue since their New Year's Eve party, so if you've missed their hard rocking cover selection on a Sault Ste. Marie stage, don't miss all of the action TONIGHT! An early-ish 7:00 PM start time is in effect, I'd assume this is still 21+, and there's no cover charge. See above for more details, and here's Project 906 live last year!



Next up, let's head back to Sault Ontario for a couple of new dates later this summer, as a few familiar faces will rock The Roberta Bondar Pavilion in August as part of the city's annual Summer Concert Series! An annual tradition under the tent downtown, the Summer Concert Series does not usually lend itself well to hard rock bands (RPM arguably came the closest in recent years), but a couple of SMS-covered bands will hit the stage there in a couple of months, starting with acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns on Thursday, August 1st! Their first announced show outside of The Whiskey Barrel since the spring, The Pavilion is not uncharted ground for the Elements side project, as you may have seen Christina, Rob, and Jesse there last summer during the Art In The Park/Fringe North Festival events. Their diverse and often heavy covers should attract a good crowd at the beginning of August, so don't miss out on The Wyld Stallyns then!

As is standard for the Summer Concert Series (Encore next month excepted), this is an ALL AGES and FREE 7:00 PM event, and visit the City of Sault Ste. Marie Facebook page for more details. Among a talented lineup of familiar local performers like L!me, The Algo Rhythms, the reunited Wishbone, and many more, hard rock fans can look forward to a rare outdoor set by classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck under the big tent on Tuesday, August 27th as well! That's not a typo, all events in this series are either on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Another gig not previously advertised on Soundcheck's 2019 concert calendar, this comes just days after a scheduled weekend at The Esquire Club. With their old school and often heavy covers, this should be a fine platform for Terry, Travis, Paul(?), and Glen to entertain the locals, so keep this show in mind if you can come down on a Tuesday!

Like with The Wyld Stallyns on the 1st, Soundcheck's Summer Concert Series show is at 7:00 PM with no age limit or admission fee. Looks like a fun summer of live music is ahead downtown, and with a slightly heavier kick in August to boot, so see above for full details!

We'll close today's post with the last publically announced hard rock concerts for this weekend in the Soo area, as Traverse City, Michigan metal trio Scarkazm will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino for shows TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! These gigs come about a month after Scarkazm last rocked Sault Ste. Marie, but these will be Adam, Dave, and Jeff's first collective shows at The Northern Pines Lounge since the St. Patrick's Day weekend. With Scarkazm's hard rocking brand of covers and possible originals, fans know they're in for a good time in this latest trip north of the Mackinac Bridge, so don't miss out on these shows if you're in the St. Ignace area this weekend! As usual for Scarkazm's Kewadin Casino bookings, tonight & tomorrow's concerts are 9:00 PM affairs with no announced cover charges and 21+ age limits. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Scarkazm live!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for more big and overdue news on the site this weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Wyld Stallyns & Soundcheck) And Sault Ontario Weekend Concert Previews!!

Another busy weekend of hard rock and punk concerts is upon us, so here's what you should know to start! To spread things out and not overload this post, our preview of this weekend's Scarkazm shows in St. Ignace, Michigan will be in our next post, but don't worry, they are coming! Now, here's what you should know on the Canadian side of the border, starting with a handful of SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's Place on Queen Street East for a second straight weekend with shows TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, these concerts were only announced via their Facebook event page yesterday, but at least we had enough notice to plug them all on here beforehand, unlike last week! With the popular downtown nightclub back up and running, it's not a surprise to see Soundcheck back with rare non-country concerts there, but with two full weekends in as many weeks (even with Thursday nighters), are they making up for 2 years of lost time? Notably, the event page reveals that ex-Phatstick frontman Jason Taillefer will be filling in for a vacationing Paul Belair TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY, with his presence noted for at least a few weeks. Fans may recall seeing Jason back on a local stage this year with scattered solo gigs as it was.

It's great to see Jason playing live again now that he's back home, and hopefully his bass work is on level! Note that Soundcheck's Reggie's West gigs earlier this month were with guest bassist Cory Valentine, a Sault native who recently played in the Southern Ontario cover band Southern Belle, and hopefully his appearances were well received! Thanks to drummer Glen Thomas for the information. As for TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY at the downtown Reggie's, expect 10:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits. See above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!



Next up, local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will return to The Whiskey Barrel on Gore Street for another headlining concert TOMORROW NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's Facebook event page on Tuesday. For the past couple of months, The Stallyns have exclusively played at The Whiskey Barrel, so if you enjoy Jesse and the Speers' varied and often heavy cover selection, you'll have to head to the former Konoba Tapas location, and TOMORROW will provide more of the same live entertainment from this fan favourite unplugged group! As usual for Wyld Stallyns shows at this venue, a 9:00 PM start time is advertised for TOMORROW NIGHT, there's no announced cover charge, and I'd expect a 19+ age limit given the timing. See above for more details, and here's The Wyld Stallyns live at The Whiskey Barrel earlier this year!



Moving to previously announced concerts, let's next head to Queen Elizabeth Park outside of the John Rhodes Center, as Tidal Records will host their seventh annual local Go Skateboarding Day festivities TOMORROW! Yes, the independent label are once again championing this yearly day honouring extreme sports, and skaters of all ages are encouraged to come down to the local skatepark for a day full of demonstrations, contests, vendors, a "low budget barbeque" and family friendly camaraderie! Visit Tidal's Facebook page for complete details on the non-musical activities. For a fifth straight year, local musicians will take the stage for the Go Skate Day festivities, and as usual, the performer roster is largely comprised of event newcomers, with only online page-less punk quartet The Cover-Up (featuring promoter Dustin Jones) returning from last, or any, year. The advertised headliners are funk/hard rock quartet The Elements, so hopefully they warm up well with this set before Rob & Jesse head down to The Whiskey Barrel for the Wyld Stallyns show!

Remaining performers will include Distillers tribute band Coral Fang and surf rock instrumental rockers The Dynowaves, so don't bypass their sets either! This FREE & ALL AGES event has a 4:00 PM start time, and luckily, they are calling for a nice summer day tomorrow, so hopefully things go off without a hitch. With four entertaining bands atop the half pipe once again this year, hopefully this is the biggest and best Go Skate Day yet, so see above for more details, and here's The Cover-Up live earlier this year!

We'll close today's Sault Ontario weekend concert previews with the ongoing weekly concert slate from prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison, who is only scheduled for two shows at press time this weekend, both at Gliss Restaurant as standard TOMORROW & SATURDAY! After last week's surprise Sunday matinee at La Terraza Franzisi in Richards Landing, this is looking like a return to Tym's usual scheduling of two dinner-time shows at the Spring Street restaurant this weekend, but if he surprises us with another St. Joseph Island trip this weekend, we'll let you know. Of course, Tym's prolific and proficient setlist should provide ample entertainment for Gliss regulars and fans alike, so don't miss either show there over these two nights! As usual, expect these concerts to have 6:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and no age limits, but mind the locale. Click here for more details, and here's Tym live a few years back!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Scarkazm previews and more on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Rotaryfest Stage 2) & Last Month's Poll Results!!

Here's another news post for your Tuesday evening, and it's divided between two topics: The results of our last "favourite _____ of 2018" poll, and a big LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month! Here's what you should know!

The lineup for this year's 14th annual Rotaryfest Stage 2 is now out, so what should you know for this year? Taking place at the outdoor stage at Clergue Park beside the Art Gallery of Algoma for a fifth straight year, the scheduling for this year's Second Stage reverts to a one day format on Saturday, July 20th after being held across three days last year as part of the Rotary Club anniversary celebrations. Presented by SooToday once again, Stage 2 will welcome eight acts next month, with only three returning from past installments, so if you want some new blood, this may do it! Headlining at 8:00 PM are local indie rock quartet K.I.C.K. in their third official Stage 2 set (fourth if you count 2013), making them just the fourth local band to headline the Second Stage twice. After missing last year's on hiatus, it'll be great to see the Keep it Cool Kids back on familiar ground next month! This year's only heavier or punk act is indie/punk quintet Northwest in the co-headlining 7:00 PM slot.

Previously seen on Stage 2 in 2017, Northwest should be up to their usual original tricks in their festival return with this increasingly rare live set, so don't miss them then! Ottawa folk musician Jack Pine will become just the second out of town act to play the Second Stage in the "Redirected" era at 6:00 PM, though he's not new to the area, as Northern Vibe Festival-goers will attest from last summer. Hopefully he delivers an entertaining performance next month! Local jazz trio The Peach Thieves (featuring Pillory, Id Iota, and Ashes To Dust alumni) will make their Rotaryfest debut at 5:00 PM, while folk/pop solo artist Hannah Lindsay will shockingly be the only act from 2018's Stage 2 lineups to return this year. Her set at 4:00 PM will notably be alongside backing musicians Shane Storozuk (Vol.) and Beau Whitfeld (Electric Church), so keep their presence in mind also! New local indie/alt-rock band Man Feelings (featuring Bizotic's B.J. Swire) will make their own festival debut at 3:00 PM.

The remaining acts, both new to Rotaryfest, include young alt-pop musician Jillian Katzenback at 2:00 PM (who will apparently release her new EP that day), and hip hop duo Planet Rock in the opening 1:00 PM timeslot. As usual, the Stage 2 action is FREE & ALL AGES on July 20th, so visit the official Facebook event pages linked here for more information. While not as heavy as some past years, there's a nicely stacked roster of talented indie and alternative artists to take in next month, so visit the above links for much more on this year's Second Stage action!

We'll close today's post with the final results of last month's poll on the SMS, as we posed this question to you guys: What was your favourite local metal, hard rock, or punk concert of 2018? Alas we only got 6 votes last month, which is probably my cue to wrap up polls for a bit (next month's on shows in the first half of 2019 excepted), but we do have a clear result and winner, so here's the final tally from the past 30 or so days!

Oh!No II at Robbie's Church in Leeburn on September 8th (3 votes, 50%)
Rivers of Nihil & Alterbeast at The Rockstar Bar on July 6th (1 vote, 16⅔%)
I Mother Earth at The Machine Shop on April 18th (1 vote, 16⅔%)
Big Wreck at The Machine Shop on February 13th (1 vote, 16⅔%)
The Din & A Dire Setback at LopLops Lounge on July 21st (0 votes)
The Gabba Heys at LopLops Lounge on September 22nd (0 votes)
Other (0 votes)

What do you guys think? Well, despite finishing second in our second-half-of-2018 poll last month, the second annual Oh!No concert festival in Leeburn rallied past the Rivers of Nihil show to win the top honours over the past month, and after that huge event with an even bigger third year on the horizon, it's very encouraging to see a strong response from festival supporters! I just wish more of them voted. Rivers of Nihil's drop was most surprising of the single vote getters, especially moreso than I Mother Earth (the winners of the first-half poll), who only registered 2 votes in that poll to begin with. Part of me wondered if Big Wreck fans would rack up the votes for that concert in memorial to the late Brian Doherty, but that did not occur. Of the two shows with no votes, I'm most surprised by The Gabba Heys, who finished in third in the second-half poll before plummeting here, but alas, it's all in who votes. Congratulations to Oh!No II on the ultimate victory, and we'll see you back here next month with our first half of 2019 poll for your favourite concerts!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for another new news post on the site tomorrow, with weekend concert previews on Thursday! Thanks everyone!

Anvil Concert Video Showcase, Part 2!!

As promised, here's the second half of our video coverage of last week's Anvil-headlined concert at Soo Blaster, this time focusing on Christopher Paci's footage from the concert, with videos uploaded to his excellent YouTube channel shortly thereafter! Compared to Re:Born's six posted videos from this night, Chris uploaded fourteen videos, so there's a lot more to take in here, but give both sources a look for different and very valid looks at the old school metal action on offer! Starting with the headlining Toronto metal legends, Chris filmed five videos from their set, including their songs "Metal on Metal", "Bitch In The Box", "Badass Rock N' Roll", and one video featuring their opening songs "March of the Crabs" & "666". Embedded below is their song "Mothra", complete with extended instrumental jam in the middle of the performance. Compared to Re:Born's videos, these are closer to the "Soo Lounge" stage, and allow for some nice angles of frontman Steve "Lips" Kudlow playing to the crowd.

The audio quality comes through well enough on these videos, if harbouring some muffled moments, but fans of Anvil's classic attack should be right at home here. Give these videos a look above & below!



Next up, Chris also filmed five videos of Edmonton classic metal quintet Striker's co-headlining set, including their songs "Fight For Your Life", "Former Glory", "Head First", "Heart of Lies", and as embedded below, both "Out For Blood" & "Full Speed or No Speed". Chris is a little further back here, but Striker's impressive and proficient original onslaught is captured nicely on these videos, and fans of their throwback sound will definitely appreciate the ample Striker footage above and below!



Chris also filmed three videos of local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades' set, capturing them playing "Rise" and their cover of The Ripcordz' "X", but embedded below is their original "To The Left". I won't fault Chris for the more distant camera angle here as fans weren't really on the floor yet, and I can relate to not wanting to be "that guy" in everyone's road. I just wish the camera wasn't so jittery! That said, Jack Spades are on form despite cramped conditions, so give Chris' videos of them a look above also!



Finally, Chris filmed a single solitary video of opening power rock quintet Re:Born (minus Frank) covering Kissin' Dynamite's "Sex Is War" last week. Filmed at a similar angle to Jack Spades, the cover is well done, if with somewhat inaudible vocals, and luckily there's no heckling this time around! Check out Chris' Re:Born clip below, and see more from the show above!



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