LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Headrush, Project 906, And Tym Morrison) And More Weekend Concert Previews!!

As promised, let's wrap up this weekend's hard rock concert previews along with some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (one on SHORT NOTICE), so here's what else to know for this busy weekend!

Members of Sault Michigan hard rock bands Project 906 and Exit 808 will join forces for a joint concert TONIGHT at The Well Diggers Watering Hole & Feed Lot in Kinross! Apologies for the short notice, the show was only announced via Exit 808's Facebook page on Monday. Technically speaking, this is a Project 906 concert, despite that band not promoting the show on their own Facebook page whatsoever, but they have enlisted Exit 808 drummer Jackie Moon for the evening to fill in for an absent Jason VanLuven for unannounced reasons, with that post featuring every 906 member except Brian. There might be more of an 808 integration to the evening (Project 1714?!), as their most recent share of the event suggests "a rock music collaboration" featuring "some of the guys" from Exit 808, but I don't know which of Dillion, Alex, Nathan, and/or Blaze could turn up (Amy likely isn't given her supportive comment on said post).

Whatever permutation of the two bands we're getting TONIGHT, you'll get your hard rock fill from this talented collection of E.U.P. musicians! As usual for Well Diggers shows, this will be on their newly renovated outdoor stage, so head to the party yard for all of the action! Things go down TONIGHT at 7:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no announced cover charge. 9&10 News is calling for temperatures in the 55-60° range (13-16° Celsius) with mostly clear skies and no chance of rain. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Project 906 live at Well Diggers!

Next up, let's resume our weekend concert previews at Misty's Fifties in Sault Ontario, where local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's acoustic solo act is slated to set up shop for yet another matinee concert TOMORROW NIGHT! Certainly no stranger to the Second Line West bar and restaurant, Tym has played there multiple times in 2025, most recently this past Saturday, so if you want to check out his ample setlist and considerable vocal and guitar talent in an intimate west end atmosphere, you know where to go! While we're on the subject, Tym is not playing at Beck's Bar anymore on Sunday. A reason for the cancellation of this Sunday matinee outing was not announced, but the September 28th gig was quietly removed from his batch Facebook event page for shows there (Beck's is hosting Out & Out Country on Sunday instead). However, we have six more new show announcements for Tym there, so when will he be back?

As per that Facebook event page, Tym will be back at the former Vibe Lounge for matinee gigs on Saturday, November 1st & 15th, Sunday, November 23rd & December 7th, Saturday, December 13th, and Sunday, December 28th, so keep his end-of-year rush in mind! Tomorrow's Misty's matinee is at 4:00 PM, the Beck's shows ahead are all at 3:00 PM, and all have 19+ age limits and no cover charges. Visit the Misty's show's Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!

Also, let's head to a venue that recently resumed hosting live bands for the fall season for some brand new shows later this year, as classic/hard rock cover quartet Headrush will end their own recent break by returning to The Esquire Club on October 24th-25th and November 28th-29th, as per the venue's fall 2025 concert calendar! Unless they announce something in the interim, the October shows will be Headrush's first since closing out Rotaryfest Stage 1 in July, and their first at The Esquire Club since the end of May. It is great to see the Johns, Wes, Gino, and Frank back at it, and hopefully they rock the house down on Second Line West across both weekends! As usual for The Esquire Club, these are 9:30 PM bookings with 19+ age limits and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and we'll have more from both Headrush and The Esquire Club on the SMS soon!

Lastly for this weekend's previews, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down will set up shop at the aforementioned Beck's Bar for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! This will be Double Down's fourth concert of the fall season and first at Beck's since the spring, so this should be a good opportunity to check out their new setlist and diverse range of classic and hard rock covers once again! With bassist Dan Beaupre still out injured (get well soon!), the Syrettes and Ric have recruited Mid Life Crysis/ex-Havadder bassist Lori Reinholtz to fill in tomorrow, after previously doing the honours when they rocked The Water Tower Pub last week. Welcome her back in style tomorrow at this fast rising Goulais Avenue pub! For reference sake, the matinee band tomorrow will be Joel & Beej's occasionally-seen acoustic side project The T.R.I.P., featuring a guest appearance by former Quite Frankly frontwoman Jack "Jacklyn Hyde" Alisat, as per Beck's Facebook page on Monday.

Busy day for the cousins, so if you want to see them before they plug in, The T.R.I.P. are on from 3:00-7:00 PM. Double Down take the stage at 9:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover. See above for more details, and for a preview, and here's Double Down live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Bone Yard 225 & Oktoberfest) And More Weekend Concert Previews!!

Let's keep the weekend concert previews rolling on this Thursday evening with more concert action in downtown Sault Ste. Marie, particularly from two concurrent outdoor community festivals promoted by local breweries. One is a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, and we have more new dates to touch on, so here's what you should know for concert preview post #2!

Make it two Oktoberfests that local alternative/punk cover supergroup Bookclub are playing at this fall, as they have been added to the lineup for SATURDAY'S Outspoken Brewing-hosted Oktoberfest street party on Queen Street East! Apologies for the short notice, the band was only confirmed for the festivities on Outspoken's Facebook page on Monday (they were obviously the "more TBA" when the brewery first announced the street party on September 4th, and there are no other punk/hard rock-leaning bands scheduled). Still riding the momentum from the Forever Seger concert earlier this month, BookcluB should be a fine and crowd pleasing fit on Queen Street (closed between Elgin and Bruce) on SATURDAY evening, so don't miss this stacked sextet then! It is worth noting that guitarist Brandon Ruch was present with the band at Forever Seger despite his announced move to Barrie, and he is pictured in the Oktoberfest advertising.

I don't know what's Brandon's status with BookcluB is going forward, but we'll let you know when/if we learn who was playing guitar with Mikey and crew on SATURDAY! BookcluB are slotted in the middle on SATURDAY at 5:30 PM, with local DJ/EDM duo Flummoxx closing the festivities at 10:30 PM, and indie rock quartet Lucy's Diner (the former Hollow Heads) scheduled in between at 8:00 PM. Local polka band Nein German Guys (who are also playing at Soo Falls' Oktoberfest at The Machine Shop with BookcluB on October 18th) will keep the Oktoberfest vibes rolling at 3:00 PM, and the day begins with folk singer/guitarist and Dustcovers member Tom Peer at 2:00 PM. Beyond the music, there will be lots of games and competitions (with prizes) to take in, plus food, beer (as you'd expect), vendors, and more German-flavoured entertainment, so definitely visit Outspoken Brewing's Facebook page for full details on SATURDAY'S events!

Tickets run for $30 at this link (plus processing fees) and presumably at the gate on SATURDAY. Weather-wise, 9&10 News is calling for a high of 19° with mostly cloudy skies and a 10% chance of rain, which should bode well for Oktoberfest revelers, but do follow up with your preferred local weather outlets for updates closer to. Visit the above links for more on SATURDAY'S first of three Oktoberfest parties in the Soo this fall, and for a preview of all of the action, here's BookcluB live!

Next up, local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will return to their favourite local stomping grounds (Reggie's Place) TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Two weeks removed from their last stops at Reggie's, "the dirty three" should be in fine spirits with some gritty and in-your-face covers and originals all weekend long, plus with lots of merchandise and hoodie orders in store for fans, so don't bypass this weekend's action if you're up for it! While we're on the subject, Greg, Alex, and Warren have some newly announced dates ahead at The Esquire Club, which resumes hosting live bands this weekend after their summer break, and as per the venue's Facebook page, they'll be back there on on November 7th-8th! The band already announced their Thanksgiving weekend shows there. We'll have more on the other hard rock-leaning new shows at this Second Line West staple in an upcoming post, but it's good to have The Esquire Club hosting concerts again!

Your local 225 are on at 9:30 PM tomorrow and Saturday at Reggie's and for their November dates at The Esquire Club. All four shows are 19+ affairs with no announced cover charges. See above for more on Bone Yard's upcoming concerts, and here they are live!

Finally for weekend concert preview post #2, let's re-answer the viral question: What is Wolf Fest? Running head to head with Oktoberfest for downtown outdoor concert action from a local brewery on SATURDAY, Wolf Fest takes place at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion, and will be hosted by Northern Superior Brewing Co. to help give back to the community and their customers. Along with live music, attendees under the big tent will get to enjoy local vendors and artisans, beer, a charity auction, barbers, tattoo artists, an arcade, and more, so definitely visit Northern Superior's Facebook page for full non-musical details! SMS readers will likely be most drawn to classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 in the 7:00 PM timeslot (their prior scheduling of a Northern Superior show on Saturday was clearly this and not at the Tap Room), but the headliners at 8:15 PM are pop rock cover quartet The Killer Hooks, who do have some heavier covers.

Online page-less local Tragically Hip tribute band The Luxury will take the stage at 5:45 PM, preceded by indie rock band Jupiter Marvelous (led by Killer Hooks frontman Tony Marcello's son Anthony) at 4:30 PM. In a late confirmation, the "special guests TBD" are actually The Royal Canadian Navy Band, believe it or not, so don't miss them leading off Wolf Fest at 3:00 PM! The weather should hold up identically (tent acknowledged) for Wolf Fest, which has admission by donation to the Alzheimer Society of Sault Ste. Marie, which is a wonderful cause. Saultites have a lot of options for live music, beer, and varied entertainment downtown on Saturday, so see above for more on Wolf Fest, and here's Silent 9 live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Double Down and Tym Morrison previews (and more) on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Hot Girls), Plus The Mike Haggith & Napoleon Concert Previews!!

A busy weekend is upon us to end September 2025 with, so we'll have to break things up into three posts once again! As such, our previews of Wolf Fest, Outspoken Brewing's Oktoberfest, and Bone Yard 225  & Tym Morrison's next shows are slated for our next post, with Double Down's Saturday nighter coming after that. Look for all of those shortly, but let's lead off our previews with some downtown shows tonight and tomorrow, including a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Grand Rapids punk/power pop trio The Hot Girls will make their local concert debut TONIGHT at The Whisky Barrel! Apologies for the short notice, this show was announced with time to spare on September 16th via the venue's Facebook page, but between The Whisky Barrel not being an SMS staple and the band not seeming amenable to our coverage on sight, I didn't jump the gun at the time. A well travelled touring band with a clear sense of humour, The Hot Girls' upbeat brand of original rock should find a willing audience TONIGHT, so don't miss out on what should be a fun concert with riffs and laughs at the Gore Street-based Scottish pub! Unusually for a show with a touring band, TONIGHT'S concert is FREE, but it is definitely a 19+ booking with an 8:00 PM start time. Visit the above links for more details on TONIGHT's show, and for a preview, check them out on Bandcamp! I honestly can't find a live concert video of theirs to embed here.

Next up, remember how there was supposed to be a battle of the bands TOMORROW at the Downtown Plaza featuring Mike Haggith & The Big Finish Band? Well, the battle has been turned into a normal concert, with Mike & crew now headlining! The plaza nor 705 Live Sound Co. have elaborated on the reason for the changes, but I can only assume that band signups weren't terribly high (remember, there hasn't been a battle on this side of the border in eight years), so organizers are turning lemons into lemonade by hosting a normal concert with who signed up. As such, this will be The Big Finish Band's first concert since the Dragonfly Run, and perhaps their last outdoor gig of the year given that it's now the fall, so consider coming out to the Downtown Plaza for all of the action! Online page-less space rock duo The Spaceship Opening will (fittingly) be opening tomorrow, so don't miss Andrew and Ralph to lead things off this evening!

No word on if The Spaceship Opening had signed up for the battle too, though I wonder if the promised $200 voucher will be given to one/both bands? Tomorrow's concert will be a FREE event at 7:00 PM and it is definitely ALL AGES. With the outdoor locale at the Downtown Plaza (covered stage acknowledged), 9&10 News is calling for partly cloudy skies with a temperature hovering around 16°. While it is a shame that the battle proper isn't taking place, kudos to everyone involved for keeping the show going, even on a work/school night! Visit the official Facebook event page for more on tomorrow's special concert, and for a preview, here's some brand new videos of Mike & The Big Finish Band live! They had cameras rolling at the Dragonfly Run in spite of the rainy forecast on August 24th, and while they had protection from the elements, it looks like the weather held up enough!

At the annual ARCH Hospice motorcycle rally outside of The Grand Gardens North, Mike had multiple cameras set up to film their sets (click here to check out their full setlist from that day), and while I don't know if we'll be seeing more from the Dragonfly Run, two videos were shared to Mike's Facebook page of him and the band playing "Carousel" and, as embedded below, "An Act Of Strength".  Strong performances as you'd expect from Mike, Chris, Elly, Matt, and Brandan, so look for more of the same (and with better weather) tonight at the Downtown Plaza!

Finally for this preview post, we'll head to Soo Blaster TOMORROW NIGHT for the local concert debut of Toronto post-hardcore quartet Napoleon! Headlining the fourth show from local promoters Heavy North Entertainment since their relaunch last year, Napoleon bring an in-your-face blend of punk, screamo, and metal to the table in their intense live attack, so come on down tomorrow to jump in the pit! The opener lineup has drastically changed since this show was first announced in July, with the original roster of four local bands dropping to three, with only one band (online page-less metal quintet The Sault Side Squad) surviving throughout. Originally, the openers were also to include promoter Tyler St. Amour's dormant death metal band Bardo, progressive metal quartet Convergence, and Instagram-only hard rock quartet Maynard Hayes, but all three have quietly dropped out for unannounced reasons. Hopefully all is well with all three bands!

In their place, fans will get to see veteran hard rock quartet Half Past in their first show since May (and a rare turn for them opening for a touring band), as well as party metal trio The Apocalypse Afterparty in their first of two Soo Blaster gigs in an eight day span. Still a solid and diverse lineup, so don't be late tomorrow! The aforementioned 705 Live Sound Co. will be at the controls for this ALL AGES show, which has an early runtime of 5:00-10:00 PM, and tickets run for $12.75 in advance at this link or $20 at the door. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Napoleon live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone! 

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Kaonashi & The Apocalypse Afterparty) And Pillory Updates!!

Let's dive into some more news and notes on this Tuesday night, including two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next month and a new concert recording and related notes, so here's what you should know!

A memorial concert for avid local music fan (and my ex-girlfriend) Victoria Childs will be held on Saturday, October 4th at Soo Blaster! Taking place roughly a month after her sudden passing at just 34 years of age, this concert (titled Riffs For Remembrance: A Memorial For Tori) will feature a very diverse mixed-genre lineup, with proceeds being donated to mental health charities. The event is being organized by Paul & Amanda Stanghetta of party metal trio The Apocalypse Afterparty, who were friends of Victoria's, so all the kudos in the world to them for taking the initiative to honour her, and in lieu of the now-closed Oddfellows Hall, Soo Blaster is a perfect place to host this show! The Apocalypse Afterparty (whose second bassist Mikhal Muto is a cousin of Victoria's) are your advertised headliners, but things shift wildly for the rest of the lineup, including veteran local country musician Leslie Cook.

Folk singer/guitarists Linsaey L.W. (who I've never heard of before this show was announced) and Gimiiwan Ikwe are also on board, with one more act to be announced. While Victoria was a punk fan first and foremost, she had wide ranging music tastes, and she would be very appreciative of all of the local musicians coming together in her honour next Saturday! This all ages concert has doors opening at 7:30 PM and admission is $5. There was no funeral for Victoria, so if you want to come out in her memory, do so next weekend, as she is very much missed by her family and friends, and it should be a fun night of local music! Visit the official Facebook event page for more on Riffs For Remembrance!

Next up, it'll be another Rosie metal night revival on Wednesday, October 29th at Jay's Piston Broke Pub, when Philadelphia hardcore quartet Kaonashi make their local debut! With a name meaning "faceless" in Japanese, Kaonashi bring a progressive and djent-laden original attack to their live shows, plus distinct vocals and a crushing overall sound that should pique many a local metalhead's interest next month! Calgary hardcore band Abrupt Decay (not "Abrubt Decay") are supporting Kaonashi on their I Wanna Go To Canada 2025 Tour, and their intense grind/math-influenced brutality will be a solid compliment on this night! Also joining the fray is Montreal post-hardcore trio Paresis, whose sparer and more screamo/alt-influenced sound will add an intriguing wrinkle to this pre-Halloween concert! Local support will come by way of local death/thrash metal trio Pillory, no strangers to opening for touring extreme metal bands this year.

A presentation of Thunder Bay-based Piss Hard Promotions, this 19+ concert has an advertised 8:00 PM start time, and admission will be $25, though I don't know if there will be advance sales of some kind or if that will be the door charge. Despite being on a work/school night, hopefully there's a strong turnout of metalheads for all of this brutal original metal action next month, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Speaking of Pillory, here's a new live recording of them in concert, albeit audio only! This comes from their set at the Insurrection/Beguiler show at Soo Blaster on July 30th (which they actually closed), and drummer Bret Shuttleworth had a camera rolling, but due to sub-optimal camera placement, he opted to upload it as just an audio recording, though three songs from their set were filmed by Christopher Paci for his YouTube channel. Their first show with former Crimson Crusade frontman Devon Lucier on bass (since 2014), Bret only uploaded the first 22 minutes of their set, as technical issues relating to camera space and file size led to their closing songs ("Sculptor of Cadavers", "Exhaustive Incarnation", Sepultura's "Territory", and Black Sabbath's "Into the Void") not making the cut. As luck would have it, one of Chris' videos is of "Into The Void", so click here to give it a watch, but what is in Bret's audio recording from the night?

Their set began with their intro "End Of Small Sanctuary" (which is actually a cover from the Silent Hill 3 soundtrack), "Specimen Of Egotism", "Abhorred Apprension", "The Angst Of Existence", "The Passing", and "The Curse Of Eternal Sickness". It's worth noting that frontman Robert Sartini confirmed after "The Passing" that "all these songs (that) we've played for you tonight are off of our upcoming first full-length album", giving the album's title as "Old Stone", as far as I could tell. He said that they are looking to "have it out in October", and they hope to have a date for a CD release party soon, though I don't believe the Kaonashi show will be that. Good to get some more confirmation of the album plans, which they hasn't been super forthcoming about on social media beyond brief mentions, so stay tuned for updates as October draws nearer! As for the concert recording proper, fans will be right at home with the brutality here!

Whether you saw Chris' videos from July 30th or not, the guys are at their technical death metal best here, with Devon fitting back in well on the low end, though the audio recording quality isn't pristine. Good stuff for extreme metalheads regardless, so check out (most of) Pillory's Soo Blaster set from July 30th below, and stay tuned for album updates! 

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

Spades GT Updates From August 2025!!

Today's post takes us back to the world of local/Barrie crossover thrash quintet Spades GT, so what have they been up to since we last left off with them at the end of July? Well, the guys were getting ready for their set at the fifth annual Rye Fest, a yearly outdoor concert festival in Brantford (2 hours south of Barrie, 7 hours southeast of the Soo), as held by Rye Field Studios, where Spades shot performance and interview footage both in 2023 and last month. Spades GT were the ninth of fourteen bands at this all day event on August 9th, which was headlined by Peterborough "beatdown/core" quartet Seagrave, who were one of the scheduled touring bands for last year's cancelled Crucifest in Leeburn. Bizarrely, the guys did not post their usual vertical recap video to Facebook from Rye Fest, but I don't know whether that was an intentional decision, if their footage is just really delayed, or if they completely forgot.

If you want to see new Brantford footage, head to Rye Field Studios' YouTube channel, as they have been featured in a bunch of new videos this year! Some are "Shots" videos that clip out individual songs from their 2023 set at Rye Field that you can watch in full at this link, but how about the brand new stuff from this summer? For this quick three song set, the guys were filmed playing two songs from their new album "United" (specifically the title track and "Demons"), before closing with "Hands", which opened their 2023 Rye Field performance. Lineup changes aside (James out, Matt and Sean in), this is otherwise formatted similarly to the 2023 video, including introductions by hosts/studio owners Ben Zander & Shane Briand, and high quality multi-cam footage of the guys in action. Thankfully, the lighting is much better and far less green than last time, though it does go black & white at parts.

For the record, "Demons" from this set also got clipped out for a separate "Shots" video earlier this month. If you like excellent quality performance videos of local bands (let alone horizontal ones), you should take to Spades GT's Rye Field encore with ease, so check out the intense and heavy performances for yourselves below, and hopefully Rye Fest videos surface!

The other new Spades content from Rye Field's YouTube channel is a brand new interview that was released at the end of July, so what should you know there? Conducted on July 5th prior to the "United" release party in Toronto, the interview does not feature drummer Tyler Reiner, who left early to make it to The Bovine to deal with soundcheck and prep for the concert proper. This interview was episode 20 of Ben & Shane's interview series The PodCouch, and it features J.D., Daniel, Matthew, and Sean talking about "United" and its underlying messages, the band's evolution since they last played at Rye Field, the genres and sounds on display on the album (Matt primarily wrote and sings on "Filthy Lie"), and hype for the release party and their then-upcoming shows. When addressing their return to Spiderfest in Meyersburg, Daniel noted that "we were in a band called Jack Spades" prior, a distinction that I haven't seen made in modern interviews.

The back half of the interview is mostly loose and casual banter, but I'd love to see more of Matt's arcade game collection! Solid interview that keeps fans updated on what Spades have been up to this summer, so give it a watch for yourselves below!

Let's close with some non-Rye Field content from Spades GT, starting with a new review from August 21st of "United" from Gustavo Scuderi of the Canadian metal website The Headbanging Moose. There, Gustavo gave the album a 3.5/5 rating, saying that it combines "hard-hitting riffs, driving rhythms, and compelling vocals to create a sound that’s both familiar and refreshingly contemporary", while praising the title track", "Filthy Lie", and "Wrecked" the most of the eight cuts. Note that this review credits Sean MacNab on bass even though he didn't join the group until a few weeks after the recording sessions wrapped (Daniel was seen tracking bass in one of the teaser videos from the sessions). Either way, it's a complimentary and detailed review that you can check out at this link! Two days later, the guys shared posters for their upcoming fall tour slate in Southern Ontario (sorry, no Sault Ste. Marie return yet).

The first of those shows saw Spades GT play their first Barrie show in "a while" (which equalled almost three months) at C.W. Coop's on September 6th, where they opened for Daniel's other band The Fast Life on a bill that featured their good friends in G.F.U. once again. That show did indeed feature a recap video, so we'll have more from that and other fall content from the former Jack Spades in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for that and more on the SMS soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Unfortunate Sun) And More Weekend Concert Previews!!

As promised, let's wrap up this weekend's hard rock concert previews, but first, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS in the E.U.P. for later this year!

Building off of their previously advertised return to the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino yesterday and tonight, Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Unfortunate Sun announced their end-of-2025 concert calendar on their Facebook page on August 12th! And again, I apologize for missing the Shytee Creek Lucky Bridge Walk in Trout Lake last month. Unless they announce something else in the interim, the Fake Chow successors' next show after tonight will see them rock The Merchants Bar in the Soo on Friday, October 31st, in what will surely be The Merch's Halloween party! They'll be taking over said duties from Exit 808, who had the Halloween honours last year, and if things are similar, expect a costume contest with prizes. Regardless, this will surprisingly be their only Merch show this year, so keep everything in mind! On Saturday, November 22nd, the guys will set up shop at Huck's Pub & Grill in Rudyard.

Last seen at the former Joe's Bar in July, hopefully this show goes well as they venture back outside of the Soo proper! They'll also hit the road slightly out of town for a special Wednesday nighter on November 26th (on the eve of the American Thanksgiving) at The Islander Bar in Hessel, in what will presumably be a sequel to last year's "Drinksgiving Bash" there, taking advantage of that Wednesday not being a work/school night. If you'd rather see Skip, Jody, Tony, and Jason on a more traditional concert night, they will end the year with a return to The Islander Bar on Saturday, December 13th, so keep that in mind for the winter! Lastly for the new show announcements, Unfortunate Sun will set up shop for a full weekend at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino on Friday, December 5th & Saturday, December 6th, in their first shows there since their Kewadin debuts in May as a late replacement band.

Nice to see lots of new shows ahead from Unfortunate Sun after a relatively quiet summer, so keep all of these in mind! All shows are 21+ events with no announced cover charge, and all have 9:00 PM start times except at Huck's on November 22nd (8:00 PM). Visit the above links for more on the hard rock action ahead at all of these E.U.P. venues!

Next up, let's resume this weekend's hard rock/punk concert previews by heading north of the border, starting with Sault Ontario alternative/punk cover supergroup BookcluB's gig opening for Toronto-based Bob Seger tribute band Forever Seger: The Silver Bullet Experience TONIGHT at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion! Not the cleanest genre fit, but BookcluB have ample classic rock covers (often very atypical ones from their local cover brethren), so there will be a lot to enjoy under the big tent as they set the tone for the Bob Seger experience to come! This will also be BookcluB's first gig since guitarist Brandon Ruch moved out of town, but they have not publically announced if they have replaced him or not, something we may know the answer to tonight. And just to clarify, this is not the same Seger tribute coming to The Machine Shop in March of next year (that particular band is Like A Rock: The Bob Seger Revival).

I'm not at liberty to compare and contrast the sound and stage presence of the two, but Bob Seger fans will absolutely enjoy what Forever Seger bring to the table tonight, so don't miss out if you're a fan! The old time rock n' roll kicks off at 7:00 PM, it is definitely all ages, and tickets run for $44 at this link, at GFL Memorial Gardens, or at the gate. 9&10 News is calling for weather in the 15-16° range with partly cloudy skies, and tent acknowledged, the show is slated to end before the rainy overnight forecast. Visit the above links for more details, and here's BookcluB live!

Finally, we have at least one more Cruisin' The Dub car/bike show to take in TOMORROW at the newer A&W at 659 Great Northern Road, but this is the big annual one! As recently usual for the A&W car/bike shows, local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will be your scheduled musical entertainment, and there will be raffles, refreshments, and family entertainment along with the vehicles on display alongside the live rock & roll covers and originals! All proceeds will be going to the Algoma Regional Community Hospice, an eternally wonderful cause, so consider donating to ARCH if you come out tomorrow! That may be a big "if", as 9&10 News is currently calling for a 60% chance of rain and some thunderstorms during the projected timeframe of 2:00-5:00 PM, and rain has severely abbreviated A&W car shows before (ask Soundcheck for proof). The rain looks pretty steady tomorrow, so definitely keep tabs with Bone Yard and A&W for updates on how the weather forecast may affect things.

Assuming the show goes on in spite of Mother Nature, attendance is free for the public of all ages unless showing a car or motorcycle, though donations to ARCH will absolutely be on the table. I hope the weather doesn't throw a wrench into tomorrow's plans, especially given the charitable nature, so visit the above links for more on the car show and here's your local 225 live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & HeadF1rst) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

Let's dive into another weekend of local hard rock concert previews, but due to the amount, we'll hold tomorrow's BookcluB/Forever Seger and Sunday's Bone Yard 225-headlined car show for our next post. Here's what you should know, including LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, some on SHORT NOTICE!

Local hard rock quintet HeadF1rst have a busy weekend ahead that will see them rock Reggie's Place TONIGHT and Shooters Downstairs Lounge TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, these shows were respectively first announced on the venues' Facebook pages on Sunday and Tuesday. Fresh off of opening for Woodhawk last week, these will be HeadF1rst's... first headlining dates in a local bar since rocking Beck's in June. The split booking is likely due to Shooters only hosting bands on SATURDAYS, but regardless of their live band scheduling, we haven't seen bands rocking the Dennis Street nightclub since April, coincidentally when HeadF1rst wrapped up their mini-residency with themed menu items and whatnot. Meanwhile, TONIGHT'S Reggie's gig will be the guys' first there this year, so if you've missed Red, Rainey, Liam, Claire, and Anthony at either downtown venue, don't miss out this weekend!

If you're curious, the band playing at Reggie's tomorrow is Traces (no relation to the former Sault Michigan metal band), who are basically classic rock veterans RPM minus guitarist/vocalist Dino Mazzuca. Both of HeadF1rst's shows this weekend are at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover charges. It's great to see Shooters hosting live bands again after an unannounced summer break, and HeadF1rst should be primed to rock there and Reggie's after long breaks from both bars, so visit the above links for more details, and here they are live!

Next up, prolific local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison has a busy Saturday ahead TOMORROW, as while we knew about his scheduled matinee gig at Misty's Fifties, he is also scheduled to return to The Fraternal Order Of Eagles Club TOMORROW NIGHT as well! Again, apologies for the short notice, the Eagles show was a late addition to his batch Facebook event page for shows at the Wellington Street West venue, as was another new show there on Saturday, October 4th. Meanwhile, now that we have shows from other acts listed that late in the timeline, we can also add Tym's upcoming Aerie #3991 gigs through the end of the year as well, so don't bypass Tym there for Saturday nighters on November 15th & 29th and then to end the year for their New Year's Eve party on Wednesday, December 31st. Keep all of these new dates in mind if you'll be in the Steelton area or like the Eagles Club with your unplugged rock! 

After skipping a Saturday matinee gig there last week, Tym will return to Misty's on Second Line West nightclub tomorrow afternoon (and next Saturday as well), so he'll be quite busy as he juggles two distinct concerts in one day! He'll be at Misty's Fifties TOMORROW at 4:00 PM before rocking The Eagles Club at 8:00 PM, with neither show having an advertised cover charge. Click here and visit the above links for these and much more on Tym's busy solo calendar to end 2025, and here he is live!

Now let's move into shows that had lots of advance notice, starting with classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down's third show since the end of their summer break, which goes down TONIGHT at The Water Tower Pub! Last seen at the Great Northern Road venue at the end of June, fans who missed the Syrettes & Ric last week at Jay's should be eager to welcome the guys back to the weekend bar grind tomorrow, especially with their teased new setlist additions! After missing last weekend's shows due to injury, bassist Dan Beaupre will again be absent tomorrow, so they have recruited Mid Life Crysis bassist Lori Reinholtz to fill in the for the night. Lori has sat in for Dan before, back in March at Jay's Piston Broke Pub when his second gig after joining Double Down was double booked with a Sidekicks concert that same night. It's good to see Lori helping out tonight, so keep her in mind amidst the rock cover action!

Time will tell if Dan will be back in time for their next public gig, at Beck's Bar next Saturday. Tonight's Water Tower Pub show is at 8:00 PM with no cover charge and a 19+ age limit. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's a brand new video of Double Down at Jay's last week! Uploaded on Sunday (exact gig unclear), this features the guys and guest bassist Alex White covering Badfinger's "No Matter What" with Joel Syrette on lead vocals. The lighting is very dark so I can't really comment on how things look, but the cover is sound with strong bass from Alex, and you don't hear Badfinger covered often locally as it is, so give it a look below!

In a brief detour to the E.U.P., fans can check out Sault Michigan hard rock cover quartet Unfortunate Sun in their return to the stage TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino! While this will be their first nightclub gig in almost two months (last seen at Huck's in Rudyard in late July), I must profusely apologize for missing their most recent gig, as the Fake Chow successors headed to Trout Lake (an hour southwest of the Soo) on August 31st to headline an outdoor matinee concert coinciding with that day's Shytee Creek Lucky Bridge Walk. How that slipped through the cracks, especially as at a regional community festival, is beyond me, but apologies again, and I hope Unfortunate Sun got a great reception in Trout Lake! They had a relatively quiet summer, but hopefully tonight and tomorrow's St. Ignace shows kick off the fall slate on the right foot!

You can check out Skip, Jody, Tony, and Jason's array of hard rocking covers at The Northern Pines Lounge tonight & tomorrow night at 9:00 PM with 21+ age limits and no announced cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, apologies again for missing the Shytee Creek Bridge Walk on here, and for a preview, here's Unfortunate Sun live!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our BookcluB and Bone Yard 225 previews (and more) next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Damage Case & A Battle Of The Bands), Plus A New Full Concert Set Video!!

Before we dive into weekend concert previews, here's some more recent updates on the SMS, including a new video discovery of a newer band in concert, and two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you should know!

Local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith and his Big Finish Band will reportedly compete at the 705 Live Sound Co. Battle of the Bands at the Downtown Plaza on Thursday, September 25th! An official performer lineup has not yet been publicized, but Mike's Facebook page confirmed their involvement back in July. It's entirely possible that they'll be guest non-competition performers given the band's stature, but much of The Big Finish Band has battle experience pre-pandemic in groups like Haggith, The Din, and (as bassist Matt Fronzi knows well) Gnaeus, who won two local battles in a three week span in 2015. If Mike & crew are competing, they'll be among the favourites for sure! As of September 8th, organizers were still seeking bands to sign up to compete, so click here if you want to try to get in on this late. Bands must have 2+ members, all aged 16 or older, and bands must play three original songs (no covers) within a 15 minute timeslot. Unusually, the judging criteria and points system are given publically on the sign-up forms.

A $200 voucher awaits the winning band, and while that may not seem like a lot, this is year #1 for this battle, and we literally haven't had one in Sault Ontario in over eight years. We also await word on who the judges are, let alone a possible admission fee for attendees (this should be all ages), but this has a 7:00 PM start time, and I have no idea if there are provisions for inclement weather given the locale, covered stage acknowledged. I apologize for the lack of plugs for the battle in recent months, but with no lineup announcement yet, things have been relatively slow, so I wanted to say something while there was still some time. Visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for more details!

Next up, Hornepayne classic/hard rock quartet Damage Case will make their local concert debut on Saturday, November 22nd at Soo Blaster! It's rare when we hear of a band from Hornepayne (4½ hours north of here) performing in Sault Ste. Marie, but Damage Case have the look and talent, and you can see them ripping through a nice selection of heavier-leaning rock covers on their Facebook page, so do give them a listen to see what they bring to the table! There will be a familiar face to some readers in this band, as former local metal guitarist Will Tholberg is Damage Case's bassist. We haven't covered him on here since his black metal project Abhorrent Forest fell inactive in the late 2010s, so whether you knew him from that work or his earlier bands like Despised Eyes and Death Rise, welcome Will back home in style in two months! Steve Lemieux (who I believe is another Hornepayne musician) will open this concert, so keep him in mind that night as well.

This all ages show takes place at 8:00 PM on November 22nd with a cover charge of $5, and there will be advance tickets on sale. Touring Ontario rock bands from points north or west are not commonly seen on stages here, so it will be neat to see how Damage Case go over in two months! Visit the above links for more details on this intriguing concert!

We'll close this post with an extended look at a band that we haven't had a lot to say about since their debut, namely newer local metal band The Sault Side Squad! As you may recall, the S.S.S. debuted at the all-local metal Crucifest replacement gig in Leeburn in July of last year, but after a year+ of support gigs, they still don't have an online page on social media. In case you need a refresher, their lineup includes former As It Stands singer and local rapper Justin "Nadj" Pregent, A Dire Setback/Big Finish Band guitarist Chris Nielsen, former Jack Spades/Sativa Rose guitarist Anthony Orazietti, Stoned To Deaf/The Haze bassist Jordan Wardlaw, and former Wyld Stallyns/Soldiers of Misfortune drummer Jonas Gasperas, who was Anthony's bandmate in Winkstinger. Unless you saw them live, that's as much as has been made public about this stacked supergroup, but a 45 minute full set video has now been linked publically, so what's to know there?

The video below is technically unlisted, but it was given on the official Facebook event page for the Broke & Hungry benefit concert at Beck's Bar in December as their link, so it's not a hidden secret anymore. This comes from their set opening for Cross Dog in the basement of Discover The Canvas Studio at 317 Wellington Street West (yes, a tattoo parlor) last October, and was filmed by former Honest Work/Nebraska Arms drummer Adam Sauve for his YouTube channel, though it is unlisted. The 45 minute set stats with covers of Pantera's "Cowboys From Hell" and Ozzy Osbourne's "Bark At The Moon", before we get an original whose title sounds like (but likely isn't) "My Personnel". Pantera fans get more love next via "Fucking Hostile", followed by another original, possibly named "Silence Is Golden". Another Pantera cover is played next, namely "I'm Broken", followed by The Deftones' "My Own Summer (Shove It)".

The set closed with one more original, which got an introduction but not an announced title. Why this video has been unlisted for almost a year, I don't know, but it's a strong sampling of what this talented quintet has up their sleeves! As It Stands comparisons will be inevitable given Justin's presence, but this band leans far more metal than hardcore (especially early-1990s Pantera), and they have the chops to tackle whatever they're thrown, and it'll be interesting to hear how they sound nowadays! Give the full Sault Side Squad (get it, it sounds like Suicide Squad?) video a watch below, and I wonder if Adam has more unlisted videos from this night?

That's all for now, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Broke & Hungry, Oktoberfest, And Curtis McKenzie) And More!!

Before we begin this post, I have two apologies to note regarding this past weekend's concert previews. First, it turns out that classic/hard rock trio Dodge This did not play at The Water Tower Pub on Friday night for unannounced reasons, and were replaced on the bill by Elly McWatters & The Drifters, who moved up from the Saturday to Friday in response. Thanks to Drifters drummer Brandan Glew for confirming this (even if I didn't see it until too late), and hopefully all is well with Dodge This, who haven't issued a public update of consequence since July! Meanwhile, in St. Ignace, Michigan, we did cover Sault Ste. Marie hard rock/classic metal quartet Tarnished's two gigs at bar/restaurants to coincide with the Richard Crane Memorial Truck Show weekend, but according to their Facebook page, they also played a matinee concert on Saturday at 2:00 PM, meaning they played three shows in two days!

This particular matinee was an outdoor gig outside of the Little Bear East Community Center & Arena at 275 Marquette Street, before Alex, Josh, Chris, and Ron set up shop at Kingston Kitchen that night. Alas, Tarnished only announced the Saturday matinee via their Facebook page that morning, a cherry on top of their other short notice confirmations for the truck show, but hopefully all three shows got a great reception on a busy weekend for big rig and transport fans in Mackinac County!

Now let's dive into some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for later this year, and we'll start with a busy day on Saturday, October 18th, as Sault Ontario classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 and alternative/punk cover supergroup BookcluB will join forces at The Machine Shop for their Oktoberfest celebrations that night! This is one of at least three different Oktoberfest concerts being held in Sault Ste. Marie this fall, joining the Outspoken Brewing-hosted block party on Queen Street on September 27th and Beck's Bar's own Oktoberfest party on October 5th, but the Machine Shop one is the only one with SMS-leaning bands. This one is sponsored by the revived Soo Falls Brewing Company, which is based at the Canal District site on Huron Street near the Machine Shop, and you can expect contests, food, and (of course) beer for the occasion. The third band on the 18th will be local polka band & Oktoberfest staples Nein German Guys.

No word yet on who BookcluB's new second guitarist will be, but kudos to them and Silent 9 for jumping on board what should be a fun night of music, drinks, and German culture! This 19+ event takes place at 5:00 PM on October 18th, and tickets run for $30.18 at this link, which do include one complimentary beer ticket. Visit the above links for more on Soo Falls & The Machine Shop's Oktoberfest celebrations next month!

Also taking place on Saturday, October 18th is former Haggith/Project 421 frontman Curtis McKenzie's next stop at the aforementioned Beck's Bar, as he will rock the Goulais Avenue nightclub that day! Announced with an unusually bountiful amount of advance notice on his Facebook page yesterday, this will be Curt's first gig at Beck's since the end of last month, and though it is possible that he could confirm an interim booking there next weekend, keep next month's show in mind for his next announced round of hard and alternative rock covers at the former Vibe Lounge! This will be a 3:00 PM matinee gig with a 19+ age limit as usual, and no cover charge. It is way too soon for Beck's to confirm who is playing that night at 9:00 PM, but just a reminder that Curt isn't "opening" for who's playing the nightcap, both acts will have full four hour timeslots two hours apart. Visit the above links for more details!

Finally for today, an eclectic lineup of bands will join forces for a Christmas season concert on Friday, December 19th at Beck's Bar! This special concert is entitled "Broke & Hungry", and will be a FREE event benefiting the Soup Kitchen Community Center on James Street, with non-perishable goods being the entry fee. Wonderful cause just before the holidays! This concert will unite three distinct genres under one roof, and SMS readers will be placated by the presence of crossover thrash quartet Hails and online page-less metal supergroup The Sault Side Squad in what I believe will be both bands' Beck's debuts, but your headliners are actually touring rappers, namely Juno-nominated Toronto MC Unknown Mizery and Hamilton rapper Twitchy T. Tantrum. Local bluegrass/folk quartet The Golden Scoundrels will also join this stacked & diverse bill, in guitarist Brandon Ruch's first hometown show after moving to Barrie.

Local rapper Mike "Mic Swiff" Sylvester will round out the bill in three months' time, and note that the official promotional image for the event credits Twitchy T. Tantrum as the host rather than a performer. This 19+ concert has an 8:00 PM start time, and there should be a lot to take in for multiple tastes as we near Christmas, especially given the charitable nature of the show! The Soup Kitchen can never get too many donations for those in need, so hopefully there's a fantastic turnout for the music and the cause on December 19th! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and we'll have more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!