Today's news post is divided cleanly between the Twin Saults as we cover two big upcoming concerts, one a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month and one a major benefit concert that was already on the site, so here's what you should know on this Wednesday evening!
If this weekend's Selias concert at Soo Blaster doesn't fill your metal quota, the next one on (Good) Friday, April 18th should help, as four local acts that have not played live yet this year will take the stage for this show named "The Pit"! Your headliners are reunited death/thrash metal trio Pillory in their first public concert date in eight months, and it will be good to see Robert, Blair, and Bret in a rare headlining appearance next month with their brutal original set! Metal/hard rock trio The BAG will co-headline in their first gig since Halloween, and their intensity and familiar original/cover blend should draw a solid response of their own on this Easter long weekend event! Local progressive/djent metal trio Convergence (featuring Late & Loud, Palm Trees, and Fuller alumni) will make their first ever local concert appearance on this night, and while I'm not sure if it's directly related, they have been planning their first ever tour run!
The former Kraken Mara are currently running a GoFundMe campaign to help fund a tour and its related costs, and they aim to raise $2,400, a goal that they're 77% of the way to completing as of this writing. Between this, "The Pit", and the delayed "Gemini" release, this should be a big year for Convergence, so click above for more details on the crowdfunding efforts! No word on if their live set will be instrumental or if they'll incorporate vocals (Brendan has provided vocals on some of their material). The opening act on Good Friday is a debuting artist (band?) named Maynard Hayes. At press time, I have no idea who Maynard Hayes is/are, but we'll let you know more details when they go public! Unlike the Selias concert, this one does have advance ticket sales on Soo Blaster's website, where they cost $10 in advance, and the price jumps to $15 at the door. There is no announced age limit, and doors are advertised to open at 7:00 PM.
It's always good to see pure metal concerts in the Soo, and let alone a roster of bands that we haven't seen much of on stage in recent months (if at all), and this will be a fine and brutal way to kick off the next long weekend, so visit the above links for more details on all of the action at/in The Pit!
Next up, here's some updates to next Saturday's Musicians Unite fundraiser concert at Bird's Eye Outfitters in Sault Michigan! There have been additions to the lineup, as there will now be "acoustic acts in between" the six scheduled bands, as per performers Exit 808's Facebook page on March 5th. There are five half hour gaps between the bands' timeslots, for the record. I haven't seen firm printed reference to which acoustic acts will be on hand, but Kevin Blakeney had expressed interest on social media as to playing in between bands here, so it seems likely that he'll be one of them. Always good to see more local talent hop on board to help support Mary Jo Jenkins and her family during her breast cancer fight! Speaking of which, her husband Joe's hard/blues rock band Project 906 will be playing shorthanded on March 22nd, as singer Billy Bernier will be on a previously scheduled vacation.
It will be odd to see Project 906 playing live without Billy, especially given this show's purpose, but I'm sure he'll be there in spirit! To fill in on vocals, Exit 808 singers Amy Beach and Dillion Semasky will split duties on the mic next Saturday, kinda sorta returning the favour after Joe filled in with Exit 808 live last year. Kudos to them for helping out, and fans of theirs will know the vocal abilities that they bring to the table! Lastly, let's touch on Exit 808's last updates about the band proper, courtesy of their Facebook page on March 9th, where they revealed that Amy's son Blaze Beairl has been practicing to handle a full four-set concert with them on bass. The implication is that he is fully replacing Myke Young on bass in the band, at least for the time being, and while a public reason for Myke's departure has not been announced, note that he hasn't been credited in the band's social media posts since November.
Blaze has been a steady and familiar utility player for Exit 808 in recent months, playing (along with bass) rhythm guitar for partial sets after Will Robbins left, as well as lead guitar for a set when Alex Zimmerman was delayed by weather, with Spun's Bob Libick often travelling east from Marquette for bass fill-ins as well. Hopefully things go smoothly for Exit 808 on Saturday in Brimley and next weekend at Bird's Eye, so stay tuned for more on both events, and hopefully we see Myke back on stage in due course! That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site next, Exit 808 included! Thanks everyone!
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