LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Project 906), New Original Songs, And Much More!!

Let's get a new news post going on the site on this Thursday morning, so what lies within? New videos regarding promising original material from two very different local projects, some assorted recent news and notes, and leading off, here's a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for our Yooper readers!

Sault Michigan blues/hard rock quartet Project 906 will play their first public concert since the beginning of the pandemic TOMORROW NIGHT when they return to Eckerman (an hour west of the Soo) at The Strongs Tavern! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced this show via their Facebook event page this past Friday, but The Strongs Tavern plugged it on their Facebook page back on June 7th. The return of concerts in Michigan is still something I'm adjusting to, I will work to make sure I get word earlier next time! Project 906 only played one public date last year (in February 2020 at the same venue) before the world got turned upside down, and with 16 months to prepare and work on new covers and originals alike, will they be on top form or shaking off the rust still? I don't know, but it's great to see Project 906 back at last! This will also be their first show since ex-Tarnished drummer Gary Croad replaced Tommy Korcal earlier this year.

A one-night-only event, this concert takes place TOMORROW at 9:00 PM, and while there is no advertised cover charge, expect a 21+ age limit. While the Sault Michigan concert scene is quieter than Sault Ontario's in general (Kewadin excepted), the roll-back of pandemic controls amid vaccination rate increases has allowed things to begin getting back to normal there faster, hence why we're starting to see concerts there already. Hopefully a solid crowd turns out in Eckerman TOMORROW for Project 906's return, so see above for more details, and here they are jamming during the lockdown!

Next up, here's your first look at the reunited, new look Sault Ontario alt-rock band Handsome Sandwich, courtesy of their new YouTube channel! While their pre-pandemic existence was as a cover trio, this video is of their new four-piece lineup playing an original song entitled "All or Nothing", which will apparently be on their debut album! They have not stated yet whether studio recording sessions have begun, or if this is just an eventual plan now that they're working on their own material. The song proper has sort of a punk/power pop hybrid sound that reminds me a bit of an early Foo Fighters song at points. I know they have "no genre", but I'm just calling it how I hear it! While she doesn't seem overly comfortable in the video, new lead singer Taylor Emlaw carries a good tune here, and I'm curious to see how she develops with the band! Mitch Sirie fits in fine for his band debut, but I'd have framed the video better so Jesse consistently showed up on camera.

Despite the year+ hiatus, Handsome Sandwich appear to have hit the ground running in their return via their overhauled lineup and album plans, and it'll be interesting to see what they have in store next, be it in studio or whenever they can play live again! Give "All or Nothing" a watch below!

Also today, here's the latest updates from prolific local folk punk/metal solo musician Chase Wigmore, who is working on another new album entitled "Living Divisions"! As per his Facebook page on June 2nd, Chase revealed that this album is in post-production, it will have 8 songs with an 80 minute runtime, and he has been working on it for three straight months with not many breaks in the interim. Unlike all of his released albums from 2020 & early 2021, "Living Divisions" is not going to be released solely as a free YouTube video, and it will find it's way to major streaming platforms like Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Music (much like his major 2019 albums did), thusly making it eligible for a formal review on the SMS when it actually goes on sale. Chase did upload the album's planned second track "Soul In Eclipse" onto his YouTube channel last week, so what can we glean from it?

 

Running for almost 16 minutes, the length may give away that this is a progressive metal song, and it does feature vocals, but I'll hold further comment for now pending our likely review of the finished product. That said, if "Living Divisions" gets a paid release where none of Chase's other post-2019 output did, he is obviously proud of this album and the work he's putting into it! Give "Soul In Eclipse" a listen below, and stay tuned for more from Chase's solo projects when it rolls in!

 

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:

 

• Local/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith is exploring the idea of launching an album review series on his YouTube channel that would primarily focus on local bands. I presume he wouldn't be averse to looking at Thompson and Windsor acts too, but he did plug the idea on the local Musicians Wanted Facebook group on June 1st. If you're interested in having Mike review your album in a YouTube video, message him at this link or via his group post for more information!
• After a pandemic-induced hiatus in 2020, the Sugar Island Music Festival in nearby Sugar Island, Michigan will return over the August 13th weekend! However, the lineup does not appear to feature any hard rock bands, not even Tarnished, marking the first Sugar Island Fest without an Alex Traynor-fronted band in a scheduled timeslot since 2010. We'll let you know if any heavier acts get added, but click here for full details on the 2021 installment!
• Sault Ontario hard rock solo musician Tym Morrison has posted a new original song named "The Right Side Of History" onto his Rumble page. Like with his last two Rumble uploads, this song is full of very strong personal viewpoints regarding the pandemic and the COVID-19 vaccine (with video clips & photos to match), and as I try to keep the SMS apolitical in this area, I opted not to embed it here. The song proper is heavy and melodic with strong guitar work, so if you like his classic original material, the song will appeal to you in that way, just be advised of the content beforehand.
  

 

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