LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Mike Haggith) & This Weekend's Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

We're back to a quieter weekend for live concerts, so barring the already-previewed Tarnished shows from today and yesterday, I think this will contain everything with reasonable advance notice! Note that tonight's Downtown Street Party in Sault Ontario never had a firm music lineup announcement beyond the Fringe North showcase, so if a hard rock or punk performer played at all, I apologize for not covering it today. Here's what you should know, starting with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Former Din frontman Mike Haggith will return to Sault Ste. Marie THIS SATURDAY NIGHT for a special acoustic concert at Outspoken Brewing at 350 Queen Street East! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's Facebook event page this past Saturday. Almost two years removed from Mike's move out to Thompson, Manitoba, this will be just his second public concert in the Soo since then, though it's been a longer wait for a solo gig, as I don't think he's played an eponymous set like this here since the fourth Swampstravaganza back in 2014. However, that set was electric with backing tracks, and SATURDAY will see him in more familiar unplugged confines. Expect lots of originals from his upcoming album "Bridges" and perhaps some brand new tracks as well! Support will be provided by local folk solo musician Jacob Quarrell (f.k.a. Shit Creek Survivor), whose own talented originals should provide a solid compliment on Saturday night!

This show is a FREE & ALL AGES event at 7:00 PM, and while Outspoken Brewing still isn't a common venue for our coverage, it's location across the road from Soo Blaster will be convenient for many readers. If only for one night, it's great to see Mike come back home, and hopefully lots of laughs and good times are had with fans and friends alike! Visit the above links for more details, and here's Mike live in Thompson!

Next up, we'll move to shows with more than a week's notice, starting with another noted acoustic performer, as former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's long-term arrangement at Gliss Restaurant TOMORROW & SATURDAY before returning to Richards Landing restaurant La Terrazza Franzisi all day on SUNDAY! You could copy and paste our write-up of last week's shows of his here and little would change, but if you don't get a chance to see his skilled unplugged covers, a trip to Gliss' new location and/or the wharf-front St. Joseph Island restaurant would be reliable sources of hard rocking entertainment this weekend! While all of these shows (at public restuarants, mind you) are free & all ages, the Gliss gigs are 6:00 PM matinees, and he'll be at La Terrazza Franzisi all day starting at 1:00 PM. Visit the Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Tym live!

Now we'll head across to Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula to close out this weekend's previews, starting with Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm's latest gigs in our area, as they'll be headlining at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen at this venue in late June, this will be Scarkazm's first of two concert weekends in the E.U.P. this month alone, with shows at the Sault Kewadin branch following in two weeks time. Adam, Dave, and Jeff always deliver a strong live show when they play north of the Mack, and hopefully tomorrow's and Saturday's shows provide more of the same hard hitting covers (and originals?) for local fans this weekend! As usual, expect 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 21+ age limits. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Scarkazm live!



Finally, let's head to the 19th annual Sugar Island Music Festival in nearby Sugar Island, where new local hard rock band Tarnished will play a set THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Marking Alex's ninth straight set at this festival and first after his old group Banned dissolved, this isn't advertised as an acoustic show, making this a rare appearance of their electric trio incarnation, last seen at Kinross Speedpark with Project 906's Tommy Korcal on drums. Tarnished will get the co-headlining slot on Saturday at 8:45 PM, preceding headliners 3 Zip, while remaining bands (of the folk/country and online page-less variety) will include 3½ Men, Aberdeen, 2 Cents, All Arms, Joel Choate, The Gentleman George Band, Walkers Rye, Moose River and February Sky, and an Al Gross-hosted open mic block opening at 11:00 AM, so past festival attendees will see a lot of familiar faces. Most of these acts will be seen tomorrow and/or on Sunday as well, though not Tarnished. Click here for the full schedule itinerary, as well as directions to the stage!

This ALL AGES outdoor festival has admission via $10 full-weekend souvenir buttons for adults (kids 12 and under are FREE), and you can buy yours at Ed's Bayview Store, The Hilltop Bar & Grill, or the Westshore Convenience Store in Sugar Island, and at Crooked Music in Sault Ste. Marie, and presumably at the gate. For full details, including on non-musical activities, see the above links, and for a preview, here's a new video of Tarnished at the Sault Ste. Marie Farmers' Market yesterday, via their Facebook page! A short 15 second clip of Alex & Josh covering Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box", it sounds good while it lasts, and look for much more on Saturday at Sugar Island!



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