LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Fyrbird & Tarnished) Plus Wednesday Night Sault Ontario Concert Previews!!

Today's post is half devoted to previews of two mid-week concert previews in Sault Ontario tomorrow, but first, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for concerts in Michigan's E.U.P. next weekend during an upcoming festival!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Tarnished will reportedly be rocking The Northern Pines Lounge at their Kewadin Casino on Friday, June 5th and Saturday, June 6th! Kewadin's entertainment page has confirmed the bookings as part of their calendar updates through the end of next month, which is great to see, as Tarnished's own show announcements over the past seven months have all been with (at best) three days' notice. At least some venues get the word out prior! The classic/hard rock cover quartet had just played at The Driftwood there this past Saturday, which will be a good primer for their return two weeks later, and while not specified on Kewadin's end, this is a good weekend for Alex, Josh, Chris, and Ron to be in town. Next weekend is the Bronco The Mac festival, where owners and fans of the Ford Bronco will congregate for a ride across the Mackinac Bridge, plus parades, a drone show, and more varied activities for truck owners and everyone else.

Whether intentionally timed for Bronco The Mac or not, Tarnished should get an attendance bump for their hard rock and classic covers, so keep things in mind whether you'll be around for the festival or just wanna hear some live music! As usual for Tarnished's stops at the regional Kewadin Casino lounges, next weekend's shows are at 9:00 PM with 21+ age limits and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details!

Next up, that's not all for fans in the Straits/Mackinac County next weekend, as Manistique hard rock cover duo Fyrbird will also return to the E.U.P. on Saturday, June 6th when they rock The Driftwood Sports Bar in St. Ignace! While not a common venue for our coverage, it just came up on the SMS the other day when I apologized for missing Tarnished's recent show there, but I am trying to keep better tabs on The Driftwood's own advertising, which is how I heard about this booking yesterday. We haven't heard of a new Fyrbird booking in our coverage area since Jamie & Rikk played at the St. Ignace Kewadin in March of last year, possibly complicated by lengthy schedules not being posted on their Facebook group recently, but I haven't seen any Kewadin shows on the casino's end either, so this may legitimately be their first show within an hour of the Soo in over a year. It will be good to see their minimalist and hard edged cover attack back next week!

The Driftwood's own advertising even mentions Bronco The Mac, so they're likely expecting an attendance bump next Saturday. Like with Tarnished, Fyrbird's show next month is a 21+ event with a 9:00 PM start time and no cover charge. See above for more on what should be a busy weekend in St. Ignace for live rock and Ford Bronco fans alike!

Now to previews of two special Wednesday concerts TOMORROW NIGHT in Sault Ontario, starting with the final concert of Piecing It Together Shows' nine month residency at their pop-up venue at 331 Wellington Street West! While music at the Steelton locale in this spell has either been not SMS-amenable or open mic/jam nights right along, the former Dryer Fire will end things a little heavier when Victoria, B.C. noise rock project Pet Retina and drummer Max Patterson's solo outfit i.o will both return to the Soo for the season closing concert! Fans last saw both Pet Retina and i.o here at Shae Tull's album release party in May of last year, but this time, they are the advertised headliners, and their brand of abrasive yet creative noise punk should turn heads again tomorrow! Local support includes comedy rock quartet The Floor Between Us (who I hope to talk about more soon) and online page-less experimental rock group A.D.H.D.

This all ages concert goes down tomorrow at 8:00 PM (it is projected to end at 11:00 PM for folks who work or have school in the morning), and $15 advance tickets remain available at this link. The door charge will jump to $20, but "no one (will be) turned away for lack of funds". This looks like a fun way to cap off a successful nine month stay on Wellington Street for Nicole and crew, so hopefully there's a solid turnout to welcome Pet Retina back to town tomorrow evening! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Pet Retina live!

Finally for today, if you want some mid-week hard rock concert action, you can also get it at Beck's Bar TOMORROW NIGHT via the return of fast rising local hard rock quartet 5 Dollar Bribe! Why this is on a Wednesday, I truly don't know (the venue says they booked them mid-week "just because", but perhaps Beck's weekend slots are booked solid?). Regardless, this talented young group made their public debut at the Goulais Avenue nightclub to a strong reception in April, and kudos to Beck's on bringing them back for an encore! If you missed their ample videos from their debut, you can expect lots of heavy covers along with some rock classics and a bunch of really surprising pulls and deep cuts (especially for their ages), so keep things in mind if you're up for it! This will be a later night (9:00 PM-1:00 AM) with a 19+ age limit for attendees, and no announced cover charge. For a preview, we have a new video of 5.D.B. live!

While videos from their debut were plentiful, only one video from their second show (at Jay's Piston Broke Pub two weeks ago) was shared to their Facebook page, this time shot by bassist Randy Lundigran's dad Chad for his personal Facebook page. Continuing their impressive run of covers of bands that you do not see tackled locally, this sees 5 Dollar Bribe covering Husker Du's "Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely" with Randy on lead vocals.  Well framed from a close and horizontal vantage point, Randy captured a strong rendition of this post-hardcore staple, and when else are you going to see Bob Mould covered here? Check it out for yourselves below, and look for much more tomorrow night from 5 Dollar Bribe at Beck's!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Switchfoot & Sandman), The Dopethrone Concert Preview, And More!!

Before we begin today's post, I wanted to apologize for a missed concert in this weekend's previews, as Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Tarnished returned to The Driftwood Sports Bar in St. Ignace last night. While the venue (which doesn't regularly host live bands) had been promoting the show for over two weeks, Tarnished only announced the show on under three hours notice on their Facebook page, blaming this on frontman Alex Traynor forgetting "to hit 'Post'". Tarnished haven't announced a booking on more than three days notice since (ironically) their Halloween show at The Driftwood last year, so I can't be too shocked, but I do apologize, and hopefully the concert was a hit for the band & attendees alike!

Now, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS and an SMS-adjacent event's return, and we'll start with Toronto-based Metallica tribute band Sandman will return to Sault Ontario when they become headline at The Full Throttle Saloon on Saturday, July 25th! Making their (at least) fifth local appearance, local fans last saw Sandman when they played at the former Soo Blaster in July & October 2022. Notable as the only tribute band that Metallica has officially licensed (details here), you may also recognize members Rick Van Dyk, Paul Fonseca, and Brent Niemi from being mid-late 2000s members of Helix. I have seen Sandman twice, including at my first ever 19+ concert in June 2008, and they deliver the goods for fans of 1980s and early 1990s Metallica, so hopefully things go well when they invade Steelton in two months! No word yet on a local opener, but note that Headrush (who opened for Crazy Babies here) feature guitarist Wes Greco, who opened the October 2022 Sandman show with The Soo Fighters.

This 19+ concert has a 10:00 PM start time, and ticket prices will cost $50 at the venue. If you're curious, their Soo Blaster gigs in 2022 had advance tickets that cost just $20. This is still cheaper than the $70 Crazy Babies show, but all of The Full Throttle Saloon touring tribute concerts have had tickets that are considerably higher than comparable local shows elsewhere, so be mindful of everything prior. No word on if the former Primavera Hall will permit admission at the door (they did not for Crazy Babies). Hopefully this is another hit as they continue bringing in tribute rock bands, so see above for more details on the Saloon's third touring tribute concert!

Next up, here's the big new concert announcement from two weeks ago at The Dreammakers Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, as San Diego alternative/hard rock quartet Switchfoot will make their local debut on Friday, October 9th! Best known for their early 2000s top 20 crossover hits "Mean To Live" and "Dare You To Move" (and decades of success on the Christian charts), Switchfoot have drifted away from their earlier hard rock material somewhat in recent years, but they should have lots of early hits in store along with cuts from their new album "Forever Now", and it will be interesting to see how they go over in four months' time! Florida alt-rock/emo band Anberlin will open on October 9th in their own local debut, and they're best known for their songs "Feel Good Drag" and "Impossible". Like Switchfoot, they are a Christian band but also strive for mainstream appeal, and their sound has crossed many subgenres!

Presented by Rock 101 (though The Promise or KFM easily could do so too), tickets run from $71-$91 USD depending on location in the theatre, while VIP admission for $191 will guarantee you a center section seat in the first six rows, among other perks. You can buy tickets for this all ages and 8:00 PM concert at this link, at the in-person box office, and at 1-800-KEWADIN. This should be an interesting night for fans of 2000s rock, and something a little different from what typically comes to Kewadin Casino, so visit the above links for more details on this fall concert!

Now to a special Monday night concert preview in Sault Ontario, as Montreal "slutch metal" veterans Dopethrone will rock the Soo for the first time in seven years TOMORROW NIGHT at Jay's Piston Broke Pub! Last seen at the former New A in May 2019, fans can expect another blast of sludgy doom metal from this well travelled and punishing trio, so don't miss out if you can swing the work/school night action! Joining them on tour are Vancouver goth metal band Tribunal, a mixed-gender group whose brand of orchestral and atmospheric doom will definitely deliver something a little different for fans in attendance tomorrow! Local support includes a one-off 15 minute set from 2010s grindcore staples Shit Liver (who opened for Dopethrone in 2019 in the final concert of their original run). It will be great to see Josh, Mike, and Matt back for one more blistering good time, if not a long time!

The relaunched Bear Hunters (now known as Eden Plague) will kick things off in their first show since a private Leeburn event in 2023, and their first public gig in city limits since 2021. Same lineup, but new songs and a fresh start, so it will be very interesting to see how Eden Plague go over tomorrow after eight years of sporadic activity, hiatuses, and breakup teasers! Promoted by Shit Liver/Golden Scoundrels frontman Josh Penno, this 19+ concert has a 7:30 PM start time, and tickets cost $20 at Jay's and The Rad Zone, with door admission costing $25. This should be a brutal night of metal, and a nice throwback to the 2010s from the openers, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Dopethrone live!

Finally, do you remember when The Distraction on East Street hosted occasional "punk rock sewing club" nights in 2024 & 2025? Well, they are back at a new venue! As you may recall, The Distraction closed indefinitely (permanently?) due to the fire code issues reported during last July's Ripcordz concert, but promoter Mikhal Muto (of Underground Events SSM) has struck a deal with The Speak Easy at Algoma University to bring the conceit back for three Thursdays this summer (June 25th, July 23rd, and August 20th). The idea is to sew and craft your own projects (theoretically patches on clothing given the "punk sewing" theme. but there's no limits), and while you're encouraged to bring crafting materials, tables, scrap fabric, and (of course) punk background music will be provided. The idea exists where musicians could play here too, presumably acoustic ones, which did happen at least once at The Distraction.

This is more "SMS-adjacent" given that it's a craft night and not a concert, but the punk themes are all over the place here (think of all of the patches you see on people's clothing at concerts!), and Mikhal has been a supporter of this idea right along. Promotion emphasizes that this is a safe space too, so if you want to hang out in an inclusive area and sew patches and anything else while listening to punk rock, circle these three Thursdays on your calendar, and who knows if this could lead to more? That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the SMS this week! Thanks everyone!

B.A. Johnston & Silent 9 Concert Previews, Plus Early Details On WestFest II!!

Let's wrap up this weekend's known and public hard rock concert previews with what's going down at a popular west end venue, as well as early details on a returning summer concert festival still looking for bands!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 will cap off their spring calendar with shows at The Esquire Club TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! As usual, the band will not play any public nightclub gigs over the summer, instead focusing on special events, festivals, and private bookings, so if you want to rock out with Jess, Ryan, Paul, and Steve again before their focus shifts for the season, head to the west end this weekend! While there was some confusion as to if Silent 9 would even be playing at The Esquire Club tomorrow given the B.A. Johnston booking (more on that in a second), it has been confirmed in recent promotion that Silent 9 are still playing tomorrow, just with a later start time. Tonight's show starts at 9:00 PM as normal, tomorrow's will kick off at 10:00 PM, and regardless, both gigs are 19+ with no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details on Silent 9's classic and hard rock cover action this weekend, and here they are live!

Next up, Hamilton outsider folk/acoustic punk troubador B.A. Johnston will make his own return to the Soo TOMORROW NIGHT at the aforementioned Esquire Club! A well travelled, eclectic, and proudly Canadian musician, B.A. is known for frequently playing here, always at different venues than the last (including at Venue on Queen Street East last year), so him finally landing on The Esquire Club isn't that surprising, even though that venue isn't historically known for booking touring artists. This time though, B.A. seems like the supplement rather than the headliner, as he is playing a one hour set at 9:00 PM before Silent 9 take the stage, and the venue is treating these as separate concerts back to back. Hopefully B.A. crams his hour full of his freewheeling unplugged punk classics, and do give his videos a watch for a better glimpse of what he brings to the table! Maybe he'll even play on top of a car again?

As with Silent 9 (the de facto headliners, you could say), this is a 19+ concert with no announced cover. See above for more details, but rest assured, you'll wanna be there to see what he sings about and who he plays off of in the audience! For a preview, here's B.A. Johnston live!

Also today, you may have heard that WestFest is coming back this summer, so what should you know there? The West Village Revitalization Project launched this event in July of last year at Anna Marinelli Park at 169 James Street as part of their efforts to renew and better the west end of downtown Sault Ste. Marie (Jamestown & Steelton), and last year's WestFest featured family entertainment, vendors, a beer garden, and yes, live music from local artists. WestFest II returns a little later in the year for 2026 (on Saturday, August 8th), and while a lineup announcement is not out yet, organizers are planning to host a talent show to find at least one additional act! On May 14th, the West Village Renewed Facebook page announced that they were looking for "up-and-coming, undiscovered" local musicians to apply for a chance to compete for an opening slot at Beck's Bar on Saturday, June 6th.

I do apologize for the week+ delay on our end, but there is still time, so if your band is interested in a slot at this returning outdoor summer concert festival, contact organizers at the above links for more details by Wednesday! This definitely smells more like a battle of the bands than a "talent show", but perhaps the verbiage is intentional to leave things open to solo artists without compromising (note that Matthew James was the only solo artist on last year's bill). An online application form for the competition is now online, confirming that organizers want artists "ready to bring energy, originality, and a strong live performance", and "selected finalists" will be picked to compete on the 6th in front of a judges panel and "a community audience" (no word on if a fan vote will play into the selections). Only one winner is mentioned there, and while they will be featured in WestFest promotions, I don't know if any other prizes will be awarded.

Just as a point of reference, last year's WestFest had seven acts (including headliners Handsome Sandwich in their final Sault Ste. Marie concert), and all but one were recent performers on Rotaryfest Stage 2, though I hope that doesn't pigeonhole the artist registrations. No word on if they're waiting for the battle to announce the remaining lineup or not, but it will be interesting to see who all is heading west (well, west in the downtown) for year #2! Visit the above links for more details on WestFest 2026 and the talent show applications, and that's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes this weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Nameless, Soundcheck, T.N.T., And Tym Morrison!!)

Tonight's weekend concert preview post is devoted almost entirely to SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the next few nights, but someone with a late notice gig does have shows ahead to touch on as well! Due the the glut of recent announcements, I'll be previewing this weekend's Silent 9 and B.A. Johnston shows in tomorrow's post, while Monday's Dopethrone concert will likely be in a separate post on the weekend proper. Now, here's what you should know for this weekend, along with a missed concert apology!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Beck's Bar for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was first announced via the venue's Facebook page on Monday, and the band hasn't corroborated this booking publically at press time (nor have they updated their Facebook page at all in three weeks). Fresh off of a well received weekend at Reggie's Place (you may have caught their "Sweet Emotion" cover there as a Facebook "Story"), this will be Soundcheck's first stop at the Goulais Avenue nightclub in over a month, and it should prove to deliver classic and hard rock favourites to, if you believe Beck's own promotion, "keep the party rocking all night long"! As usual for when they host bands on Fridays, TOMORROW'S show is a one-nighter, with pop rock cover veterans Bourbon Blue playing there on Saturday night (more on the Sunday matinee timeslot there in a bit though).

This Separate Wayz-free concert goes down TOMORROW NIGHT at Beck's Bar with a 19+ age limit and no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more on Terry, Travis, Jim, and Johnny's late notice return west, and for a preview, here they are live a few years back!

Next up, we'll head to The Dive Gastro Pub (The Dive On Queen?), where veteran local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will set up shop for matinee concerts THIS SATURDAY, and then on Friday, June 5th and (Think It Over) Thursday, July 9th! Again, apologies for the short notice on SATURDAY'S concert, it was quietly announced along with the other two via a batch Facebook event page on Tym's Facebook group last week. With Tym's pinky finger healed up and the summer concert season fast approaching, it makes sense for him to spread his wings a bit more, with these monthly shows bringing his unplugged but well produced solo shows to a welcoming downtown audience! Interestingly, these are all on different days of the week, as The Dive is expanding live music nights beyond Thursdays for the summer, and their patio opens for the season tomorrow, heavily implying that Tym's short notice gig will be their first "Patio Play" concert of 2026 (a DJ is spinning tunes tomorrow).

In the event SATURDAY's show is outdoors, 9&10 News is calling for cloudy conditions with temperatures of around 15°, and rain is unlikely. Whether all, some, one, or none of these three shows are in "The Naughty Corner", expect 3:00-7:00 PM runtimes, 19+ age limits, and no cover charges, while Maddy's Mighty Mutts will be on site, and you can meet the dogs! See above for more details, and for a preview of SATURDAY's concert, here's Tym live!

In a brief detour to Sault Michigan, local hard rock cover quartet The Nameless will return from a 3+ month break when they rock The Merchants Bar for one night only on SATURDAY! Apologies again for the short notice, the band only announced this show on their Facebook page yesterday. Of course, this being the Memorial Day long weekend south of the border, the holiday timing makes all the sense in the world for Josh, the Mikes, and Jamie to come "out of hiding", and while I don't know why they took most of the spring off, it is good to have them back! Yooper fans last saw The Nameless when they rocked The Merch over the I-500 weekend, and while them calling the venue "everyone's favourite place" seems presumptive, it has been good to them despite the bar's continued lack of promoting concerts on social media! No word on if The Nameless have any new covers for their return.

As usual for concerts at The Merch, this is a 9:00 PM affair on SATURDAY with no cover charge and a 21+ age limit. If you want some heavier live music for the long weekend in Sault Michigan, this might just do the trick, so see above for more details, and here's The Nameless live!

Finally for this preview post, we'll head back to Beck's Bar, where Soundcheck singer/guitarists Terry Eaton & Travis Sharpe will set up shop again as their SUNDAY matinee performers, after previously debuting their acoustic side project T.N.T. at the aforementioned Dive Gastro Pub tonight. Once again, apologies for the short notice, profusely so for missing tonight's concert on here, The Dive only announced tonight's gig this afternoon on their Facebook page, and I didn't even notice it until writing up the Tym Morrison shows above. Meanwhile, SUNDAY's Beck's gig was announced on Monday with the rest of their weekly slate, but regardless, Terry & Trav(is) don't have a social media or band page to promote their own unplugged concerts with, to my knowledge. Despite the very slim notice, I hope tonight's show was a hit, and that the AI poster wasn't wrong about the promised "live acoustic hits" and "rockin' good times"!

If you missed tonight's show like I did, you can see them back at Beck's on SUNDAY to cap off Travis & Terry's three show weekend, albeit without a Friday nighter regardless of band. Their Dive debut tonight was at 9:30 PM in "The Naughty Corner", but the Beck's show is a 3:00 PM matinee, and expect no cover and a 19+ age limit. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's our first public video of TNT live, courtesy of The Dive's Facebook page from tonight's show! The 39 seconds-long clip sees them covering The Stone Temple Pilots' "Plush" with Travis on vocals, and while the song is overplayed on the radio, it is a good showcase for his voice, so give it a look below!

 

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Silent 9 and B.A. Johnston previews (and more) next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Angelmaker), New Concert Videos, And More Recent Updates!!

After a couple of quiet days coming out of the long weekend, here's another busy news post on this Wednesday night, including recent concert videos and some more shorter updates, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this summer that extreme metalheads may want to pay attention to!

An international touring roster of deathcore bands will descend upon Blaster Powerhouse (still listed as Soo Blaster on the AI-generated poster) on Thursday, August 20th, with Vancouver deathcore septet Angelmaker headlining in their local debut! Yes, they have seven members (including three guitarists and two singers), and things add up well to a brutal and chaotic brand of death metal that fans of Whitechapel and Lorna Shore should take to well, so don't miss out when they come here in three months! Also playing here that night are British deathcore band Ingested, who may have a new lead singer on this tour run. Regardless, this Metal Blade act brings ferocity and hardcore elements to their death metal attack, and they'll pair well here, as will Nevada deathcore project Disfiguring The Goddess, whose djent-influenced sound will also go over well with the crowd at the former Soo Blaster! At least two local support bands are being sought, so what should you know there?

Promoters Heavy North Entertainment (in their first booking of 2026) are calling this "the ultimate metal concert", and they are looking for "emerging bands in the metal/core genres" to kick off the night, so message heavynorthentertainment@live.com with your EPK and links to audio and video of your band if you're interested! At this point, Tyler has not announced a start time or admission fees, but the show will presumably be all ages. The immense hype in the promotion (especially contrasted with the AI poster) has raised eyebrows among local metalheads already, but if you're into deathcore at all, this will be a massive bill, so see above for more details!

Next up, here's some recent concert videos, starting with (as far as I am aware) the last remaining public video from last month's Three Days Grace concert at GFL Memorial Gardens! This comes from YouTube user Brian Myles, who you may recognize from filming at Theory Of A Deadman's pre-pandemic concert here in February 2020. Brian only got one video at this particular show, and it's of the Norwood hard rock quintet playing their classic single "Riot". While it is basically the whole song, this was sadly shot vertically, and the audio is somewhat muffled. That said, the crowd was very animated as seen from this floor seating vantage point, and Matt & Adam pair well on vocals here! I'm really surprised at the lack of videos from this concert to be posted in publically accessible places, but what we have does give a good sampling of Three Days Grace's set, at least. Watch Brian's video below, and we'll let you know if any other videos turn up!

Also, let's take a look at videos from the Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath tribute band Crazy Babies' concert at The Full Throttle Saloon on May 9th! The $70 ticket price and lack of admission at the door did get a lot of attention in the lead-up, but it must have been a hit, as the former Primavera Hall are bringing Epic Rush there next month, and the return of Metallica tribute band Sandman is being teased on the venue's Facebook page as well. Details on that are forthcoming, but if you didn't come out for the Crazy Babies, their Facebook page has you covered! Videos (all vertical, unfortunately) include two very Zakk Wyldesque guitar solos (linked here & here), their set-opener "I Don't Know", singer Rod Clarke giving everyone 'Cheers' before playing "No More Tears", and as embedded below, 4 minutes of them tackling the Sabbath standard "War Pigs".  Despite the ticket prices, this concert seemed to draw well!

Whether we will see The Full Throttle Saloon book touring bands that aren't tribute acts is to be determined, but Crazy Babies delivered for Ozzy fans two weeks ago, and they definitely sound good across these videos! The filmer had reasonable camera angles to capture things at a generally nice vantage point at the stage's far right corner too, even if vertical. Check these out for yourselves above & below, and hopefully Rod and the Babies come back!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

 

• In new postings on their Facebook page, rebranded local death metal staples Eden Plague (née The Bear Hunters) have confirmed that their lineup is unchanged from how it has looked since they permanently shrunk to a quartet in 2016. Regarding their return opening for Dopethrone at Jay's on Monday, they will "have a couple of new songs... as well as some of your old favourite 'Bear Hunter' songs" in their set that night, while calling this "a kick ass, reminiscent, but new show" to "welcome in our new chapter". One assumes that the new songs will be from their planned "final album" that was teased to be in the works in 2023, but maybe they've been working on music that we don't know about yet? Stay tuned!
• Local classic/hard rock cover bands Soundcheck & Separate Wayz will join forces for an "epic crossover" gig on Saturday, August 15th when their five combined band members take the 3½ hour drive north to Chapleau! This road trip will see the sister bands serve as musical entertainment for that weekend's Gold Rush Nationals Drag Race, as per the AI-generated poster on Wawa radio station CJWA's website. Hopefully the show is a blast for Terry, Jim, Johnny, Travis, and Nicole, let alone race attendees, and keep it in mind if you'll be points north then to realistically check it out!
• Sault Michigan hardcore punk trio Viscera have another out of town gig booked, this time 5 hours south in Melvindale (outside of Detroit), where they will open for Taylor thrash metal quintet Convulsis at Rooster Rager II on July 25th! This Friends For Animals Of Metro Detroit fundraiser will notably also feature Detroit deathcore quartet Living Dissection, featuring former local metal guitarist Mike Libertoski (of Slackjawed Rats and Galactic Alignment fame). Always cool to see what Mike's up to nowadays, so keep this Yooper double bill in mind if you'll be downstate in two months!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (A.S.D.P.), A New Album Release, and Much More!!

As the long weekend continues, we have a stacked all-Sault Ontario post on this wet Sunday evening, including a new album release, a surprise concert of sorts from a very prominent artist, and more recent updates, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month!

Local promoters Underground Events SSM are hosting a rare all-local concert at Blaster Powerhouse (the newly renamed Soo Blaster, more on that in a bit) on Saturday, June 27th that will be headlined by ska-punk trio (quartet?) A.S.D.P.! Last seen opening for The Write-Ups at The Speak Easy, it will be good to see them in a higher profile headlining spotlight! Co-headlining are metal trio The BAG in their first show since their "Sacculus" album release party at the same venue last month (which A.S.D.P. opened), and one hopes that they'll have CDs on sale next month if you don't have one yet! In a big surprise, local alt-punk trio A Dire Setback will also play their first concert since opening for Selias in March of last year (also at Soo Blaster). I was honestly planning to move A Dire Setback to our inactive band links very shortly, so it's great to see that they're still alive, and hopefully their teased recording sessions from last year have progressed!

The opening band here is the debuting Riverside Stasis, which is the new group from former Handsome Sandwich frontwoman Taylor Emlaw and Headfirst guitarist Raine Rancourt, but we await more public information about this band (a jam video featuring the full group was briefly online last week but I can't find it now). Stay tuned! This all ages concert has an 8:00 PM start time, and advance tickets will be $15 once they go on sale (the price will jump to $20 at the door). Looks like a fun night of all-local punk and hard rock is in store, so visit the official Facebook event page for updates!

Next up, let's stick with A.S.D.P. frontman Mikhal "Cha" Muto, as his hardcore punk/extreme metal solo project Choking On Appendages is back, and they released their second album onto their Bandcamp page on April 29th! Coming almost two years after the release of their debut EP "Macabre" (and until now, their only other public act, as they're not on social media otherwise), this album is named "Galactic Acid", and while it only has two more songs than "Macabre", it is over double the length. Mikhal again independently recorded the new C.O.A. album, but this time, he has three special guests. "Bilge" features Golden Scoundrels/ex-Shit Liver frontman Josh Penno on vocals (don't miss the latter band's one-off reunion at Jay's one week from tomorrow!), "The Almost People" features Mikhal's cousin/ex-Hails bandmate Carmen Muto on guitar, and "Teeth" features prolific local folk punk/extreme metal singer/guitarist Chase Wigmore.

You can buy "Galactic Acid" on Bandcamp for $9, or stream all eight songs for free there as well as on Mikhal's YouTube channel, with the description of that single-video upload confirming that the album was recorded last year. I do wish that Choking On Appendages (hell, all of Mikhal's bands) had more of a social media presence, but it's good to see his heaviest project back after almost two years of public silence! Alas, our lengthy album review backlog means that "Galactic Acid" isn't tapped for a review until February, but give the new Choking On Appendages album a listen above and below!

Also, here's the latest from a musician who's been quiet in recent months, namely local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith, who re-emerged in surprising fashion on Saturday, May 9th. As you may know, most members of his local supporting band The Big Finish Band play shows in town as the country rock cover band Elly McWatters & The Drifters (just with A Dire Setback bassist Matt Quinn instead of Matt Fronzi, plus ex-Jack Spades guitarist Jesse Cook), and they were booked to play at Jay's Piston Broke Pub this past weekend. As it turns out, Mike was planning a trip to the Soo then, and after some prior personal teasers, Jay's let the cat out of the bag 90 minutes prior to showtime that he'd be making "a special appearance". I don't know how much of the night was taken over by Mike & The Big Finish Band, but he and Matt F. were on hand for their first public performance together in eight months!

A (sadly) vertical video, complete with an unnecessary text caption, was shared from Mike's personal Facebook page the following day, and while lively, it runs for only 15 seconds and has very loud and distorted audio. I guess you had to be there! Notably, Elly was playing guitar that night after only doing backing vocals for Big Finish Band shows last year following rotator cuff surgery (though this won't be a surprise if you've seen recent Drifters concerts/videos). Mike also hung around to join bandmates as guest judges at Shooters Downstairs Lounge's Talent Quest karaoke competition last week, which Elly won a few years back. Awesome to see Mike back in town for a surprise, so give the video a watch below!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or venue name:

 

• The Dive Gastro Pub (which may be rebranding as The Dive On Queen) debuted a new "Metal Mondays" theme night this past week, as per this AI-generated poster on their Facebook page. They don't go into much detail about what to expect beyond "heavy riffs, cold drinks, (and) good people every Monday night", and "no cover, just metal", but seeing as the former Low & Slow only hosts intimate acoustic artists and DJs, this reads to me like they're just playing metal as the house background music on Mondays now. We'll let you know if things are more involved beyond that, but if you're a metalhead and can swing coming out on a work/school night, maybe The Dive is the place to be tomorrow evening?
• The aforementioned Soo Blaster has indeed rebranded as Blaster Powerhouse, as per their online marketing in recent weeks (though the name has surfaced in some local concert marketing since at least March). As explained in this SooToday article by Darren Taylor, the name change coincides with the completion of the 345 Queen Steet East entertainment venue's recent expansion and upgrades, including a larger arcade, laser tag, bowling lanes, extra family entertainment options, and a video screen on the concert stage, among other new updates. I think a lot of folks will still call it Soo Blaster(s), but a lot of work has been put in, so see above for all that the Powerhouse has to offer!
• Facebook users may have seen a "Story" video recently from local classic/hard rock cover quartet Separate Wayz of their sister band Soundcheck covering Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion" at Reggie's Place this weekend, with the twist of Separate Wayz singer Nicole Thibodeau guesting from the audience (she was holding a microphone brought from the stage). Allegedly, Nicole had FOMO (fear of missing out) despite this not being an "epic crossover" of the two bands. What I saw and heard was good, but alas, "Story" videos vanish forever after one or two viewings, and the video was not permanently uploaded otherwise, so if it pops up in your "Stories" strip, watch it A.S.A.P.!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck & Wheelhouse) A New Local Band, And More!!

Today's post turned into more of a weekend concert preview motif than I imagined, thanks to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (one on SHORT NOTICE), clarification on a kinda-sorta new band, and a missed concert from last night, so here's what you should know as the Canadian long weekend continues!

We have a new-ish band to add to our band links, and as hinted at at the top of Thursday's post, that band is classic/hard rock cover trio Wheelhouse! Now, those familiar with the weekend cover band circuit may recognize Wheelhouse from playing sporadic regional dates since 2023 (their earliest publically documented gig was at Reggie's that June), and they either were successors to or a renaming of the 2022 band Buzzsaw Jaw, but they only launched their own Facebook page this month. Wheelhouse are notable for reuniting guitarist Michael Davies and bassist/ex-Foggy Notions co-owner Jon Ferguson in a new band, following their successful 1996-2017 run with Stiffler's Mom, and they are newly joined by Golden Scoundrels/Eden Plague drummer Johnny Belanger on lead vocals and drums! I don't know who drummed for Wheelhouse previously (let us know if you can confirm), but Cliff Alloy at least drummed for Buzzsaw Jaw.

On their Facebook page, Wheelhouse claim to cover "hits from the 80's, 90's, and today's music" (people realize that "today" in that context covers a 26 year span, right?), and while there are band logos in their Facebook photos, I refuse to take AI-generated artwork at face value for setlist hints. What I can tell you is that Beck's Bar (where they played last night) did film at least two videos, though sadly, they were only uploaded to Facebook as "Story" videos, which means that if they show up in the "Stories" strip on your news feed, they will vanish forever after one or two viewings. I do not like "Stories", but alas, there's only so much I can do about them. If you weren't at Beck's last night, you'll have to take my word for it that the videos showed them covering AC/DC's "TNT" and Billy Idol's "Dancing With Myself". If you remember pre-pandemic Handsome Sandwich from 2017-2020, it is good to see Johnny on lead vocals while drumming again!

In one of today's LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, Wheelhouse will return to Beck's on Saturday, July 4th, That show will again be at 9:00 PM with no cover and a 19+ age limit, so if you miss Stiffler's Mom or Handsome Sandwich 1.0, their return may just be in your "wheelhouse"! There is one actual permanently uploaded video on the band's Facebook page that I can embed here (it's horizontal, too!), and it features 75 seconds of John, Mike, and Jon covering (no joke) The Village People's "YMCA". The dark lighting and side-stage angle don't help the view, but it's a lively rocked-up cover with a solid and animated crowd, so give Wheelhouse's first fully public video a watch below!

Next up, here's that SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's Place TONIGHT after previously playing there last night. My profuse apologies for both the short notice on TONIGHT's show and missing yesterday's outright, I only heard about the gigs this morning via the venue's Facebook page, and the band has not announced the bookings on their own Facebook page. Alas, this isn't the first time that Soundcheck and related bands have forgone social media promotion for one reason or another. TONIGHT's (and yesterday's) shows mark Soundcheck's first since at the Queen Street staple since early April, and unlike their Esquire Club shows two weeks ago, this is not an "epic crossover" weekend with their sister band Separate Wayz, at least not according to current promotional materials.

As was also the case last night, TONIGHT'S show is at 9:30 PM with no cover & a 19+ age limit, and if you believe the AI promotional image, "good music (and) good times" are to be had. Despite the lack of press from Soundcheck proper, it will be good to see Travis, Terry, Jim, and Johnny rocking out with their hard rocking blend of covers again downtown, so apologies again for missing last night's show, and I hope TONIGHT'S goes over just as well, if not better! See above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

Lastly, let's talk about prolific local classic/hard rock musician Tym Morrison, whose run of frequent Saturday matinee concerts at Misty's Fifties continues TODAY (as in, RIGHT NOW), and I do apologize for not being timely enough to cover it before it started. I'm out of town this weekend and was on the road for much of yesterday. Today's Victoria Day long weekend concert marks Tym's penultimate advertised gig from his batch Facebook event page for shows at the Second Line West nightclub, with a return scheduled in two weeks on Saturday, May 30th, but we await likely show announcements there in the short term. There is still time for Saultites to head down to Misty's to check out Tym's smooth and talented mix of rock covers today, and you know his solo shows give a production quality beyond the usual trappings of the acoustic singer/songwriter, so you'll get your money's worth (free admission acknowledged!)

This is a 19+ event that started at 4:00 PM and runs until 8:00 PM. Stay tuned for more from Tym in due course, here he is live, and apologies again for not previewing this show until after it began! He'll be back in two weeks!

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