LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Fort Creek & Soundcheck), Plus COVID-19 Updates!!

Here is a new news post for your Thursday morning, and while we do have a handful of SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS,we'll start with the latest in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on what little remains on the local concert calendar. If you've been following the news as of late, you'll know that infection rates for the coronavirus have been sharply increasing in recent weeks, and while the Algoma District isn't too bad compared to Southern Ontario (58 cases with no deaths), Michigan is having a tougher go, including 590 cases & 2 deaths in Chippewa County, and much more further south in the state. As a result, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services have issued an emergency order to basically shut down the state again for a 3 week period, and you can click here or visit your preferred news sites for more details. As a result, Kewadin Casinos have announced that they will voluntarily close through December 8th, as per their Facebook page.

The concert calendar has already been ravaged by the pandemic, but this announcement will 100% cancel the Scarkazm concerts scheduled for The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace next weekend, not to mention anything else we either didn't know about or was out of genre range. This leaves the announced New Year's Eve gig from Scarkazm at The Rapids Lounge in the Soo as the last show in our 2020 concert calendar, though I would be shocked if it takes place, especially as Kewadin hasn't signalled any kind of live band schedule. Regarding a possible second shutdown in Ontario, Premier Doug Ford has hinted that the hardest hit regions of Southern Ontario could be locked down again soon, but it doesn't sound like they are planning on shutting the whole province down at the moment. Things could easily change, but as of this writing, the Algoma District has fewer cases than all but ONE county in Michigan, so remember, it could be a lot worse.

This pandemic isn't over by any long shot, especially without a vaccine, and while I know there is a lot of fatigue with social distancing and safety precautions, please do what you can to keep yourself and others safe. At least with winter nearing, face masks will help keep you warm! And of course, concerts can still take place in Sault Ontario if they follow provincial health regulations, and here's what you should know regarding a SHORT NOTICE batch for this weekend, both under the Reggie's umbrella!

Local southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek will return to Reggie's Place on Queen Street East for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced via the band's Facebook page on Sunday. These will be Fort Creek's first concerts since rocking the same venue over Halloween weekend, and like then, there will be a holiday connection to note TOMORROW & SATURDAY, namely a Christmas Cheer canned food drive! There's no stated incentive to bringing canned foods beyond helping a wonderful cause at a special time of year, but really, isn't that enough? Of course, with Toystock's 2020 status still unknown, this may be your best chance to see live local music at a Christmas Cheer fundraiser! Start times are at 9:00 PM (slightly later than we've recently seen), and these are 19+ events with no cover charges, but use common sense. See above for more details, and here's Fort Creek live!

Finally, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's West for their own pair of concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, these dates were only announced via their Facebook page yesterday. These will be Soundcheck's first concerts since rocking the downtown Reggie's early last month, but it will be an almost two month wait for west end fans to see Terry, Cameron, Paul, and Glen at the Reggievelt. With a fan friendly blend of old school covers, including a number of heavier cuts, Soundcheck should fit right back into the concert scene (such as it currently is) TOMORROW & SATURDAY! Like with Fort Creek above, this weekend's shows are 19+ affairs with no cover charges and 9:00 PM start times, but be mindful of the venue's social distancing policies. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new post of some kind by Sunday! Thanks everyone!