LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Fluid 5ive), New Videos, Solo Project Revivals, And More!!

Let's get one more post on the site before the weekend wraps up, and it includes some assorted recent updates, a returning solo project or two, new videos, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for the end of next month! Here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive will apparently be playing a special matinee concert at The New American Pub on Saturday, November 30th! Surprisingly announced with almost two months notice yesterday via the venue's Facebook event page, this will be Fluid 5ive's second publically advertised concert of the fall, after rocking The Water Tower Pub this past Friday, though like that show, we have not seen any public advertising by the band proper. As best as I can tell, Fluid 5ive have not played a public concert at The New A before, so if you're eager to see this veteran hard rock act at a popular downtown concert venue, keep next month's show in mind! This one-nighter has a special 4:00 PM start time, seemingly hinting that they're booking two bands that day, though I'm not immediately certain who's playing in the regular 9:00 PM slot. There is no cover charge, and visit the above links for more information as it rolls in!

Next up, here's another new video from prolific local/Thompson, Manitoba solo artist Mike Haggith's Facebook page! Alongside a handful of new solo concert announcements in Thompson this fall, Mike posted this video from a new jam space (unclear if it's his or shared) that he christened on September 28th, alongside his Between The Ditches bandmate Justin Fuciarelli and fellow area musician Tony Whalen. The video features Mike and company playing the third unveiled song from his upcoming album "If Ever Comes The Day", entitled "MorningStar"(it's subtitled "Acoustic", perhaps hinting that the studio copy isn't.) Mike hinted in the description that the song has "never been more relevant than right now", so read into that all you want if you choose. I'll hold full comment pending our review of the full CD, but the guys sound good together, which you can see for yourself below!

Also today, we have a surprise band revival to note on here, as local/Elliot Lake punk solo project Ashoka At The Show is back! When the former Mayadevi said that "something new is coming soon", who knew they meant 15 months?! On September 16th, project leader Darren MacDonald announced on their Facebook page that he was starting a new YouTube channel to succeed his prior 184Films channel that he couldn't re-log into. In his introductory video, Darren promised new videos daily, including both musical performances and a video gaming series, so if you're interested in seeing him play NHL 20 with the Halifax Buccaneers, you know where to go! Regarding Ashoka At The Show proper, these mark Darren's first music postings credited to the band since February 2017, and include unplugged covers of Rise Against's "Hero Of War", Tony Sly's "Therapy", and No Use For A Name's "Sleeping Between Trucks", plus his new original song "Fault."

All seemingly home recordings, the recording quality is nice given the solo nature, and it's good to see that his singing and guitar talents are still present after the layoff! The covers and "Fault" work out well all around, and while his promise for "daily" videos hasn't been true since Wednesday, hopefully he has more in the pipeline. Give Darren's new videos a look above & below, and Ashoka At The Show are back in our active band links!



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

• Also resurfacing for the first time since June 2018 are Sault Michigan hard rock solo project Hubbard, who ended their own hiatus earlier today with a couple of Facebook photos of their gear-in studio, along with a caption simply reading "Something's happening..." The 415E side project barely seemed to get off the ground for public updates last summer, so hopefully their apparent return will yield more content in 2019 & beyond! See above for updates, and Hubbard are also back in our active band links!
• After a six year hiatus, LemmaFest will apparently return in 2020! The annual Michael Lemma tribute concert festival ran each June from 2011-2014 outside of Dondee Lanes, and while details are not plentiful yet, their Facebook page indicates that LemmaFest V will be held as a downtown battle of the bands, hopefully on June 27th. If things hold up, it'll be very interesting to see how things shake down, so follow above for continuing updates!
• A special "industry night" gala at The Water Tower Pub in Sault Ontario will be held on Thursday, October 17th at 5:00 PM, entitled "The Mastering of a Music City". The event will help launch Music City Sault Ste. Marie (details forthcoming), and will feature keynote speakers & a panel discussion with music industry executives and local arts & culture sector representatives. This poster also credits Treble Charger's Greig Nori as hosting the event. If you're interested in attending or learning more about Music City Sault Ste. Marie, click here to register for limited complimentary tickets!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates as the week rolls along! Thanks everyone!