This Weekend's Hard Rock/Punk Concert Previews!!

A healthy weekend for hard rock concerts is ahead in Sault Ontario, and while there may be some late notice announcements ahead, all of today's concerts had prior word. Here's what you should know!

We'll start at LopLops Lounge, where online page-less local alternative rock/punk cover quintet Bookclub will return to the stage TOMORROW NIGHT! One of many concerts booked at the Queen Street East nightclub as part of their stacked December schedule (but the first that truly crosses the SMS radar), this will be Bookclub's first gig since opening for The Inner City Surfers' reunion show last month, and yes, video of their set is forthcoming on the site! Of course, Bookclub frontman Mikey Hawdon and bassist Dustin Jones will be back at LopLops in two weeks for The 16 Musicians of Christmas, but if you want a full evening of their eclectic but punk-flavoured covers, you know where to be tomorrow! While they shared the stage with The Wyld Stallyns at LopLops last year, advertising for tomorrow's concert does not mention an opening/second act. We'll let you know if one is confirmed!

This 19+ concert has an 8:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and ticket fees of $20 at the door or (with taxes/processing fees) via Eventbrite. A $180 "party ticket" for 10 attendees + 10 drinks is also available if you are so inclined. A ticket price like this for one band may seem like a little much, but remember how LopLops puts their all into Christmas season bookings, and might there be some surprises in store? No idea, but Bookclub's talent and chemistry is no secret, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here they are live last year!

Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 will return to The Rockstar Bar for another special gig TOMORROW NIGHT! The Algonquin Hotel's upstairs nightclub has only been open for select bookings since it indefinitely paused daily operations in mid-2022, but this will be (at least) the second for Silent 9 this year, following the Searchmont Ski Runners' fall social in October, which was publically attendable. So is tomorrow's event, a fundraising pub for Soo City United's 2010-2011 birth year girls soccer teams, so if you are linked to or want to support the teams, consider a trip to The Rockstar Bar tomorrow, with lots of fun rock covers from Silent 9 as well! With the Christmas season in full swing, an ugly Christmas sweater theme is also promoted, though no word on if this will have an attached contest or not. An 8:30 PM start time is advertised for this 19+ event, which has a $35 ticket price.

Scan the QR code on the poster if you want to buy yours in advance without chancing the door, and if you can't make it but still want to support Soo City United, they suggest donating $20. Silent 9 will be back playing normal nightclub gigs next month, but if you're up for enjoying their rock cover attack, helping out the girls' soccer program, and/or taking in an all too rare concert at The Rockstar Bar, consider coming out! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Silent 9 live!

Also this weekend, local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard have two shows at two different venues in as many days, starting with their return to Shooters Downstairs Lounge for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Their first show at the Dennis Street nightclub in three weeks, this is a one-nighter due to Shooters' continuance of DJs on most Saturdays. Instead, fans can check out Greg, Alex, and Warren at Gateway Casino on SATURDAY NIGHT, in what will be another acoustic concert as has been recently common for Bone Yard at this locale. They last played at the casino three weeks ago as well, and whether you want to see them in their full electric splendor or acoustic, you have options downtown this weekend regardless! You can take in the southern, hard, and classic rock action at 9:00 PM tomorrow and 8:00 PM on Saturday, these are 19+ events, and neither has an announced cover. See above for more details, and here's Bone Yard live!

Finally for known hard rock concerts in the Twin Saults this weekend, new local classic/hard rock quintet HeadFirst will return to Reggie's Place for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! The fourth and fifth gigs from this rising young band (following a Reggie's weekend last month & Toystock), hopefully they continue to naturally build up their profile with solid hard rocking tunes and chemistry over these two nights! Official band merchandise will reportedly be on sale as well, though HeadFirst did not specify what kinds. Like their return gigs there at month's end, these are 19+ affairs with no cover charge and 9:00 PM start times. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's some new "Shorts" videos on HeadFirst's new YouTube channel! Three "Shorts" yet addressed on the SMS were cross-posted from TikTok in recent days, and they include one of the model of the woman's silhouette shown in their logo from when the shot was rendered, alongside an instrumental recording.

If that's a sign that HeadFirst are working on studio material, then hopefully they give more details the soon! The other two are jam session recordings, one with the guys covering The Tragically Hip's "New Orleans Is Sinking" (albeit focusing on Raine Rancourt's guitar solo). Embedded below is the band covering Rage Against The Machine's "Bulls On Parade", and for the record, neither features singer Red Jettison (the fragments shown were always instrumental, but maybe he was filming?) The short length and vertical angle aside (these came from TikTok, after all), HeadFirst sound good here, and hopefully fans will get much more to enjoy at Reggie's, so check them out for yourselves above & below!

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