Black Label Society Concert Video Showcase (Part 2!!)

Let's belatedly close out showcasing videos from the  Black Label Society-headlined concert at The Dreammakers Theatre at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino today! The delay was just to ensure that nothing else went up belatedly, so I think we have everything publically uploaded in the bag now, but we're not starting on YouTube. Actually, let's start with B.L.S. frontman Zakk Wylde's own Facebook page, as he uploaded three videos taken during and prior to the show there! Go back through posts from May 6th-9th for the local goods. Two of the videos are pre-show clips, including this 14 second video of berserkers who met the band for the meet & greet beforehand in a group shot of the Black Label Society's Sault Ste. Marie Chapter (this happens at all B.L.S. tour stops), as well as this 57 second clip of Zakk roaming backstage just before their set with a Doom Crew Inc. coffee mug while doing a silly voice.

Fun to see some of the pre-show and behind-the-scenes workings at a major Kewadin concert, and look for all of the posters from the previously cancelled B.L.S. dates there! Embedded below is the clip of Zakk & crew playing "Spoke In The Wheel" from quite a unique vantage point, appearing to be up on a balcony position high on the side wall, nicely showing how the venue was lit, gradually going from dark to light as berserkers on the floor are in view. Given the distance and abbreviated length, it's not an optimal view of the band, but it's an interesting angle, so check it out below!

Today's other videos come from prolific Rudyard-based musician Jon Johnson's YouTube channel, as Jon uploaded eleven videos from the May 6th proceedings, though be advised that six of them are "Shorts" videos that are intentionally brief vertical uploads not unlike what you see on TikTok. None of those are technically from Black Label Society's set, save for this pre-set clip of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" being played over the loudspeaker. Jon filmed three proper videos of B.L.S. in action, specifically their songs "Destroy & Conquer", "Spoke In The Wheel" again, and as embedded below, their set-opener "Bleed For Me". I didn't embed Jon's take of "Spoke In The Wheel" for variety's sake, as that's what Zakk himself uploaded, but Jon captured some good pre-song banter from Zakk with it, including acknowledgements of the pandemic postponements (though the March 2020 show was the first one cancelled, not the last one held.)

Apparently, Black Label had bus trouble they had en route to the Soo for this concert, so good thing they were able to power through, as could you imagine the show being postponed again? Not to mention Zakk actually losing his voice and having to postpone some dates after May 6th, so we got lucky in a sense! Jon's videos were shot from further back on the floor, so you have to deal with a lot of attendee heads, but he had a good view of the stage, and the audio quality holds up fairly well, so definitely give his videos a look above and below!

Jon did upload three videos of Nita Strauss' opening set, but all of them (including her radio hit "Dead Inside" linked below) are Shorts videos and have an insubstantial length & vertical orientation, and were also uploaded in monochrome. Check out the two instrumental clips here & here, but again, they're basically TikTok videos, and are notably from more of a side-stage angle before centering in time for B.L.S.' set. Give his Shorts clip of "Dead Inside" (with a David Draiman backing track) a watch below!

Finally, Jon uploaded three videos of opening blues rock artist Jared James Nichols' set, including Shorts of him playing his originals "Shadow Dancer" & "Bad Roots" (both remain in full colour). Embedded below is Jared and his backing band covering Alice In Chains' "Man In The Box", and I do have to note that Jon accidentally re-uploaded this credited as Nita Strauss and her band playing her song "The Quest", which may explain why he only had Shorts videos from her set. No word on if Jon still has that actual file to re-upload, we'll let you know if it turns up. Solid video of Jared & crew tackling this grunge staple with a bluesy edge, so give it a watch below!

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