LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Northern Vibe Festival)!!

The eighth annual Northern Vibe Festival returns to the old Hempfest grounds on Poplardale Road in nearby Ophir this weekend, and for the first time since 2019, organizers have announced the timeslots for the bands! Granted, they only did so on their Facebook page on Saturday, making these SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, but I'll take this over scouring performers' Facebook pages for schedule hints (like in 2021) or hoping that one of them will post the schedule on their own accord (like last year)! For a third straight year, Spades GT frontman J.D. Pearce is dusting off his old local promoter hat to curate the Forest Stage at this year's Northern Vibe Festival, which joins the DJ-centric Roost River Stage (which similarly had a lineup reveal on Saturday) in bringing music to the masses once again, but who can you expect in Ophir and when on the band-centric Forest Stage this weekend?

Firstly, I apologize for the short notice for both nights of music at Northern Vibe VIII, as the Forest Stage lineup only officially came out on Saturday, but this is still earlier than not at all! Keeping with recent formats, there are no bands on Sunday, which is primarily for camping purposes. As usual for recent Northern Vibes, TOMORROW'S band program has the shorter bill, and will be headlined by local funk/hard rock cover sextet The Wyld Stallyns in their third straight set at Northern Vibe, so look for them at 9:00 PM! Newer local punk/hard rock quartet Far From Fine will co-headline at 8:00 PM in their fourth live set and first show outside of Sault Ste. Marie city limits, though they have not announced if Blair St. John will be filling in on drums again or not. Cornwall speed metal trio Hellrager (featuring J.D.'s Spades GT bandmate Jay Sarrazin) will make their local debut at 7:00 PM.

Finally, your Friday openers at 6:00 PM are local punk trio A Dire Setback in their third straight set at this festival, just over a week out from their and Far From Fine's joint gig opening for The Ripcordz at The Loft. Strong lineup for punk fans with a slightly more commercial lead-out to the festivities, so don't bypass the opening night's band action! We'll get into ticket/admission details at post's end, but be advised that 9&10 News is calling for thunderstorms during the band timeslots (though organizers plan to press on, rain or shine, and the Forest Stage does have a roof). Temperatures will range from 18-23°. See above for more details on the Friday roster, and here's The Wyld Stallyns live!

As for the longer bill on SATURDAY, that will be headlined at 9:00 PM by Montreal ska punk band K-Man & The 45s, making their long awaited return to the Soo area for the first time post-pandemic! As anyone who saw K-Man & The 45's explosive and fan friendly brand of ska punk in their seven local concert appearances from 2013-2019 can attest, their horn section-laden attack will be a fitting capper to the weekend, so don't miss their set! Local alternative hard rock quintet Handsome Sandwich will play their third straight Northern Vibe as co-headliners at 8:00 PM, while in a mild surprise, magician Ryan McFarling will have a formal set on the Forest Stage at 7:00 PM. Ryan wasn't previously advertised among the bands on the poster, rather as a featured attraction like in past years, but it'll be interesting to see how his illusions go over as the Forest Stage takes a brief pause from rock music, and he should go over well!

The aforementioned Jay Sarrazin will also bring his Waterloo hard rock quartet Sierra Pilot to Northern Vibe for their first ever local set on Saturday at 6:00 PM, so while we're not getting Spades GT this year, this will help fill the gap a bit! In his first local concert since his freak knee dislocation at Rotaryfest last month, local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith and his local backing band will have a do-over on Saturday at 5:00 PM, with Mike reportedly sitting down for the set as he continues his recovery. Fingers crossed that things go as planned this time for him, his bandmates, and his fans making the trip east! Online page-less punk/alternative cover quintet Bookclub will take the stage at 4:00 PM to cap off their busy summer, while revived local rock duo The Castletons (featuring Frightlight bassist Mike "Eddie Fright" Gingras) will open the proceedings on Saturday at 3:00 PM.

Handsome Sandwich aside, every act on Saturday is new to that stage (Ryan McFarling's past off-stage performances acknowledged), so expect lots of varied and entertaining music from this batch of performers, with lots of punk and hard rock to go around for genre fans! Saturday is too far out for an hourly forecast from 9&10 News, but they're calling for partly cloudy weather with a high of 23° that day, and only a 10% chance of rain. Visit the above links for more details on this stacked roster of bands on Saturday, and here's K-Man & The 45s live!

Conspicuous from their absence from the schedule is the one-off reunion of local horror punk quintet Frightlight (fronted by Forest Stage curator J.D. "Johnny Pints" Pearce), and while no public statement was made, J.D. confirmed on his personal Facebook page last week that the band "isn't gonna be able to make it to Vibe". A reason for their withdrawal wasn't announced, but given that J.D. and Mike will be present, the unavailability of one/both guitarists or the replacement drummer (whose identity was never made public) could be why. Hopefully Frightlight rise from the dead again in the future if things line up! While Ryan McFarling's set seems like a likely replacement candidate, I'm told that Frightlight were supposed to have headlined tomorrow. Rather than get a late replacement band, The Wyld Stallyns were promoted to headliners with an extended set (they're used to that given their solo nightclub gigs!)

Crank Sound Distribution will provide sound at the Forest Stage. Outside of the music stages, Northern VIIIbe (get it?) will also feature local artists, vendors,  and all-weekend camping, so be sure to click here and visit the festival's Facebook page for full details on what to bring and expect when making the hour's drive east from the Soo! Facebook has more specific details on the specific vendors and sponsors, for the record. Also, the festival takes place rain or shine and is very much off the grid, so be prepared. Directions to Ophir are posted at the links above, but note that there is a road closure until tomorrow evening on Highway 638 from Echo Bay, so definitely check Facebook for recommended detour routes. Northern Vibe takes place rain or shine, it is a 19+ event, and while online ticket sales have closed, you can still pay at the gate, with prices jumped up thusly to $150 (full weekend) or $85 (Saturday only).

There are no Friday-only options, but the option of a Saturday-only ticket is welcomed! Whether you're a Hempfest veteran, a Northern Vibe regular, or just love a good outdoor concert/camping trip, The Northern Vibe Festival should be a fun time, so definitely visit the above links for full details on this weekend's festivities, and stay tuned for more weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!