LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison And Rhythm & Brews), Plus A New Local Band!!

My original plans for this post was to be all Sault Michigan-related, with the back half to be devoted to touring band dates at Kewadin Casino lounges for later this year. However, those have been postponed to our next news post tomorrow, as we have a bunch of SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to get to! We knew about the two in Sault Michigan, but as Sault Ontario is now in Phase 2 of pandemic re-opening, socially distanced and regulated concerts can occur once again, like we saw from June-December 2020 and February-April 2021. As such, Sault Ontario dates are popping up quickly, so we'll end there, but let's start in the E.U.P. with a debuting (and very familiar) quartet!

We have a new local band to add to our Sault Michigan band links, and they are Rhythm & Brews, a supergroup featuring two members each of defunct local hard rock bands Nixxon Dixxon and Highway 63! Their lineup specifically includes Nixxon Dixxon bandmates Brandon Carr (ex-Ten Kings) on vocals and Chris Hubbard (ex-415E) on guitar, joined by Highway 63 alumni Chris Leask (ex-Power Slug) on bass and Ron Suchey (ex-Monkey's Uncle) on drums. The new band's name does appear to be more of a pun to reference both music & beer, rather than an indication of their sound, as their past résumés would indicate that they will play hard and/or classic rock, and they have already called themselves "the U.P.’s hottest new rock band" on their Facebook page. Other than that, all they have posted so far are pictures (including of Chris' guitars), so specifics on their setlist & potential original material are forthcoming, but when can you see them live for the first time?

How does TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT sound? While the band proper has not acknowledged these dates on Facebook, Kewadin Casino's entertainment page confirms that Rhythm & Brews will be the first band back as they resume live weekly concerts at The Rapids Lounge in Sault Ste. Marie this weekend! Of course, apologies for the short notice, we only learned about these dates earlier this week when Kewadin's new shows went public. These are the only Rhythm & Brews dates at either local Kewadin branch this year, so coupled with the lack of advertising by the band, could they see this more as a tune-up/test launch? Time will tell, but if you're in the E.U.P. and miss Nixxon Dixxon and/or Highway 63, keep Rhythm & Brews' live concert debuts in mind TOMORROW & SATURDAY! As usual for Kewadin lounge bookings, these are 21+ shows with no cover charge and 9:00 PM start times, and please follow any advertised public health guidelines. Visit the above links for more details!

Next up, let's head to Sault Ontario, where the local concert scene is resuming (with strict pandemic guidelines) TODAY, as the relocated Low & Slow barbecue restaurant will be hosting three live musicians on their patio, including veteran hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison and ex-Elements frontman Rob Speers in a rare solo concert! Apologies for the short notice, Low & Slow only announced this show on their Facebook page on Tuesday. As you may recall, a concert at Low & Slow used to be common enough when they had their upstairs bar Room 21 at their old Albert Street West location, but they moved to 648 Queen Street East (the former J. Caroline's) shortly before the pandemic began, and thusly stopped having concerts... or so we thought. This may be a special occasion given that they have their patio open for the summer, let alone on Canada Day, but if you want to see some live music, come by TODAY to see all of the action!

This will be Tym's first show since playing at Reggie's Place in March, while Rob's solo set will presumably be similar in tone to his lead vocal songs with The Wyld Stallyns (more on them tomorrow), so Stallyns fans shouldn't be out of place. The third musician TODAY is a singer/guitarist named Elijah Russell (or Elijah Steven) who I know nothing about, but come out at 12:00 PM to see what he has in store! Each musician has a four hour block to perform in, with Rob's set beginning at 4:00 PM and Tym's closing at 8:00 PM, so this is definitely a very long concert! You could argue that it's three separate shows, but they do flow right into each other. It's also worth noting that Low & Slow did host a live musician (Jazmine Ladouceur) on their patio over the June 18th weekend while we were still in Stage 1, so there is precedent for today's show to be done safely. TODAY'S sets don't have stated age limits or cover charges, but given that this is a restaurant (let alone their patio), buying something may be preferred to attend.

Of course, please respect and follow all of Low & Slow's public health recommendations if you come out today, including wearing a mask where mandated, and keeping social distance as much as possible, to ensure that you and everyone else is safe. Vaccines are making the rounds in the province, but we're not where Michigan is yet, so let's not take a step back here. Visit the above links for more details on TODAY'S concert on this sunny day off, and for a preview, here's Tym live!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for another new news post full of new concert announcements tomorrow! Thanks everyone!