LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tarnished), A New Local Band, And Sault Michigan Weekend Concert Previews!!

This weekend's concert previews didn't seem like they'd be too eventful, but after a new local band turned up with lots of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, some on SHORT NOTICE, I'll have to drag this out into two posts. As such, I'll make this an all-Sault Michigan post and keep our Sault Ontario previews (namely Tym Morrison & Soundcheck) for a post either tonight or early tomorrow. Now, here's what you should know for hard rock this weekend in the E.U.P.!

New local classic/hard rock cover band Tarnished will return to Biggby Coffee in Sault Michigan for a fourth straight week TODAY with another acoustic matinee show for tips & coffee! Apologies for the short notice, this "every Thursday" run of shows from ex-Banned frontman Alex Traynor and bandmate Josh Fair is still new to us. As you may have noticed by the above link, Tarnished do indeed have an official Facebook page and are now in our active band links, so what should you know about them? Updates have only shown up there this week, but they are described as playing "a variety of classic/modern rock", and they are available for full band and acoustic sets. As such, they are only depicted on Facebook in their acoustic two man version, as seen at Biggby Coffee all month long on Thursdays, though when they debuted at the Kinross Speedpark, Project 906's Tommy Korcal was behind the drumkit. Given that Tarnished seem to be going all in with regional gigs, is this a sign that Alex has moved back to the Sault Ste. Marie area from Mount Pleasant full time?

If not, will he be able to juggle Tarnished and commitments there like he did with Banned in their last couple of years? We'll find out soon, one imagines. As for their concerts, they're pulling double duty again tomorrow, as Alex & Josh will be playing another special gig TONIGHT (apologies again for the short notice) as part of this year's third Ashmun Alive! festivals, with them playing outside of Phat Boutique at 559 Ashmun Street, just down the road from The Soo Theater. Expect lots of sales, vendors, and varied entertainment once again, and see above for details on that front! That is of course a FREE & ALL AGES event. As for their "every Thursday" run at Biggby Coffee, it makes sense to treat these like Tym Morrison's ongoing weekly matinee gigs in Sault Ontario, especially if Alex has moved back home long term, so we'll treat these a month at a time until/unless otherwise stated by Tarnished or the venue. As such, look for Alex & Josh there playing at Biggby Coffee for tips and coffee on August 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th also!

Also, Tarnished will take a road trip to Curtis (90 minutes west of Sault Ste. Marie) for a 6:00 PM matinee show next Wednesday, and while this is out of our 1 hour coverage range, it's great to see Tarnished picking up where Banned left off for travelling for certain gigs! TODAY'S and next month's likely Biggby Coffee gigs have very early 10:30 AM start times, and while there are no age limits or cover charges, tips are always encouraged here. Visit the Ashmun Alive! Facebook event page and the above links for more details! For a preview, we do have two new videos of Tarnished (in their unplugged, drummer-less form) to acknowledge, including this 26 second clip of Alex & Josh covering ZZ Top's "La Grange" at a private camping function in Sherman, which is 20 minutes northwest of Cadillac. This was filmed by attendee Abby Baker and shared on Alex's solo Facebook page, and it sounds good while it lasts!

Embedded below though is an interview and performance with Alex & Josh, which was conducted by Phat Boutique owner Tara Behlingkelgar outside of the store. In the video, the guys talk about how they formed Tarnished & what music they play, before plugging the Biggby Coffee series, and closing with a cover of Incubus' "Drive", then transitioning to Tara discussing news with the store proper. Aside from the implication that Alex & Josh will be seen at more Ashmun Alive! events (that series runs through August), there's nothing new to learn here, but the cover is well done with a strong melody! Give it a look below, and don't miss Tarnished live TODAY!

Finally, let's preview a pair of shows in the Eastern Upper Peninsula that had lots of advance notice, as Traverse City classic metal trio Peril will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! In an unusually quick turnaround for them, this will be Jeff, Adam, and Brooks' second concert weekend at this very Kewadin branch this month, so if you like Peril's old school cover action, and you missed out in St. Ignace three weeks ago, here's your second chance! For what it's worth, this concert calendar for Peril and their sister bands notes that Peril will not be seen anywhere in August, though given their 2/3rds identical lineup to Scarkazm, don't read into that too much. You can take in Peril's hard hitting classics tomorrow & Saturday at 9:00 PM, these are 21+ gigs, and there is no cover. See above for more details, and here's Peril live!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Sault Ontario weekend concert previews and more next! Thanks everyone!