LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck & Tym Morrison) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

Given the ongoing pandemic and the rise of the Delta variant, this weekend's hard rock concert schedule is surprisingly robust, but alas, the summer months are winding down, so better to get everything in before the fall regardless. Due to the amount of shows, I'll hold our previews of the Saturday-only gigs from Tarnished, The Wyld Stallyns, and The Uncanny Valley for tomorrow's post. Now, here's what you should know to start off the weekend, courtesy of a few bands playing before Saturday, including LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, mostly on SHORT NOTICE!!

Signaling an apparent weekly arrangement at this locale (even without publically confirming it as such), prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will play his fourth straight weekly concert at The Mike Case Memorial Stage at The Trading Post TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, Tym only confirmed this date via it's Facebook event page yesterday, but given that this is the fourth consecutive Friday nighter there (and fifth in six weeks), fans can't be too shocked that he's back like clockwork TOMORROW. As such, like we did with his prior weekly concert arrangements elsewhere (like at The Motley Market last summer), I will be adding his shows there month by month to our calendar unless otherwise announced, so in another new concert, expect Tym back at The Trading Post's outdoor stage on Friday, August 27th! We'll approach Friday night gigs in September when we get to that month.

Of course, between the increasingly cooler autumn weather and the still-in-limbo return to weekly Friday nighters at Gliss when the pandemic allows, Tym's run at 1332 Great Northern Road may not be destined to be a long-term thing, but enjoy it while you can! As usual, TOMORROW'S and next week's Trading Post gigs are 7:00 PM affairs with no announced cover charges or age limits, but please respect social distancing and pandemic restrictions where applicable. Visit the above links for more on Tym's entertaining classic/hard rock cover shows ahead, and here he is live!

Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's Place on Queen Street East for traditional concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, Soundcheck only announced these shows via their Facebook event page on Tuesday. This will be Terry, Cameron, Paul, and Glen's first concert weekend at the downtown Reggie's in four weeks, and as recently usual, these will follow the band's engagement as open mic night hosts at Reggie's West tonight, so keep that event in mind if you want some more varied live entertainment. TOMORROW & SATURDAY's shows will give fans the unfiltered Soundcheck experience, including at least one new song for their extensive setlist, so prepare for classic and hard rock hits from them downtown this weekend! These gigs take place TOMORROW & SATURDAY at 9:00 PM with no cover and 19+ age limits.

And as usual at this point in the pandemic, please respect and honour any & all pandemic precautions and social distancing measures being followed at Reggie's to ensure everyone's safety, especially with the new variants and not everyone being vaccinated. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live in concert at Reggie's West!

Moving to a previously announced concert in Michigan to close, let's head to the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino, where the first major touring hard rock-featured concert of the pandemic era hits their outdoor stage TONIGHT, as Rockford, Illinois hard rock/power pop quartet Cheap Trick will rock the Eastern Upper Peninsula for at least the fourth time as openers for Buffalo alternative rock band The Goo Goo Dolls! Before we get too far, know that this concert is still taking place, and was not cancelled as part of the recent wave of Delta variant-linked tour cancellations in the United States (Goo Goo Dolls members even plugged the show in this Facebook video yesterday). That all said, masks may be mandatory, and there will no doubt be pandemic-related restrictions and guidelines to follow, so please use common sense if you are able to attend to ensure everyone's safety, though being an outdoor show will help the cause.

This will be Cheap Trick's St. Ignace debut after playing at The Dreammaker's Theatre in the Soo at least thrice in 2001, 2014, and 2019, and with classic songs like "Surrender", "The Flame", and "I Want You To Want Me", you know they'll deliver a fun set of classic tunes for fans tonight! While not a heavier group, The Goo Goo Dolls have their share of familiar 1990s rock radio songs like "Iris" & "Slide" in their back pocket, and they should win over lots of fans in their own right! Presented by Glen Arbor's own Classic Rock: The Bear (as heard in the St. Ignace area on WWSS 95.3 FM), general admission tickets are still available for $50 for this all ages, 7:00 PM concert, and the weather forecast looks good for this waterfront show. Buy your tickets online at this link, at 1-800-KEWADIN, or at the in-person box office, and stay tuned to official Kewadin outlets for updates on pandemic protocols.

While it is a little odd that this concert isn't in Sault Ste. Marie, keep in mind that the Canada/U.S. border is still closed for Canadians to visit the States for non-essential reasons, so why not host a big concert in St. Ignace instead, where they can target fans in the Lower Peninsula who can freely cross the Mackinac Bridge? I would have had Cheap Trick headlining, but a nice 1980s/1990s contrast will appeal to a wide range of fans tonight, and hopefully everyone has a great (and safe) time, especially if things get restricted further afterwards! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Cheap Trick live in the Soo in 2014!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more weekend concert previews on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!