LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck), Plus Lots Of Recent News & Updates!!

It looks to be a relatively quiet concert weekend for hard rock acts in the Twin Saults, but we do have SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to lead things off with! This is why there was no Defunct Local Band Profile yesterday, I was keeping Thursday open in case any shows were announced in time to get something up the day beforehand, but that feature will hit the site this weekend, guaranteed. Along with the new shows that did come up earlier today, we have some new videos, belated album releases, and more, so here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's Place on Queen Street East for traditional concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! I apologize for the short notice, the band only announced these gigs via their Facebook event page this afternoon, but as fans will know by now, Soundcheck announcing a concert weekend on the Friday of is certainly not uncommon, alas. Fresh off of their regular Thursday open mic night at Reggie's West, TONIGHT & TOMORROW's shows will be Soundcheck's first at the downtown Reggie's in exactly one month, making this their first booking there since vaccine passport requirements were lifted. Mask mandates are still in place for another week and change, but hopefully a good but responsible crowd comes out for Soundcheck's tried-and-tested brand of classic rock, heavier cuts, and select country covers TONIGHT & TOMORROW!

9:00 PM start times, no cover charge, and 19+ age limits are in effect for both nights, and of course, please follow and respect any extant public health guidelines at Reggie's to ensure everyone's safety, and do not forget your face mask, as the mandate won't be lifted until the 21st. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

Next up, here's the latest from Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Tarnished, who have resumed using their TikTok page after a few months' break! We actually missed this one first, as back in November, the guys posted a video of them covering Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino that month, which was not posted elsewhere. Solid minute-long clip that shows us more of the venue and some nice angles of the guys rocking out & exploring the space, so give that a look on TikTok! Unfortunately, TikTok's video embed code does not work on the SMS, but luckily, I can embed their brand new TikTok video from Tuesday here, as they cross-posted it on their Facebook page. The video features frontman Alex Traynor decreeing that we (though only he is on camera) are going to shovel "an elderly woman's driveway".

Without spoiling the 14 seconds-long video, it is definitely humorous in tone, which Tarnished was specializing in on TikTok when they were more active on that service. No music to be had here, but it did get a lot of attention on TikTok, so watch its Facebook copy below, and see above for more musical and non-musical videos from Alex & crew!

Also, here's the latest from prolific Sault Ontario extreme metal/folk punk musician Chase Wigmore, as he has some more belated album releases on his Bandcamp page! According to an e-mail notification for registered fans, Chase added nine back catalog albums from both his own eponymous project and Awokest on Monday, including last year's "Ruins of Life" and his Awokest effort "Beyonder", The remaining seven are from 2020 or earlier, so while he didn't put 2021's "The Symphonic Organism" or "Living Divisions" for sale in this wave, he has previously pledged to put all of his back catalog albums on Bandcamp, so keep that in mind! At least this way, you can now see the track listings on the albums that were previously YouTube exclusive, and from what I can tell, all cost $7 for a digital download. See above for much more from Chase on Bandcamp, and stay tuned for more recent updates from Chase's projects as they roll in!

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

 

• I have removed inactive local start-up company Ma Lady Menace from our "Other Sault Ontario Metal Links" section due to the deletion of their Facebook (and last surviving online) page. The Douglas Ewen-led company planned to sell LootCrate-style "crash course crates" for media franchises, and were slated to co-promote the CureCon charity concert festival in August 2017, though neither venture was publically realized and the company quietly shut down. Hopefully Douglas is doing well nowadays!
• I have moved local post-punk/rockabilly duo Orange back to our inactive band links, as the band has not issued any public updates since March 9th of last year, ironically in a Facebook page post where they said that Orange "is coming back, baby!" Orange had originally reunited in 2014 with album plans and a series of "Sunday Sessions" audio uploads, but functional updates ended after March 2015, their promoted return last year notwithstanding. Chris & Matt had some interesting music on hand, hopefully they turn back up in some form down the road!
• Newer local alt-rock/punk duo These Magnificent Tentacles are looking at expanding to a trio, specifically by adding a bassist (frontman Brenton Ellis had been filling that role in studio). The band rehearses at least once a week, and they have space and gear on hand already. If you're interested in trying out or getting more information, message drummer Steve Edwards at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Tuesday!
  

 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile on the site next!