Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Exit 808

It's time for our first Defunct Local Band Profile of 2026, and we're starting the year with a bang, as this month's randomly selected band is a high profile E.U.P. group who just broke up last fall after two eventful years together. Here's what you should know in our latest look back at the run of a past local metal, hard rock, or punk act!

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Exit 808 (previously known as Double Jack)

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Genre: Hard Rock

Lineup: (Members not in their last full lineup are in italics. Exit 808 were increasingly known for enlisting guest musicians in concert as band member availability fluctuated, but these performers are not listed here. Also, note that the band did imply that bassist Brad Pringle was a new member during their last concert, but he wasn't credited as such in the Facebook post announcing their breakup)

Amy Beach (Shift, Wild Fate), vocals
Dillion Semasky (Infathom, Half A Man), vocals
Nathan Webber (Crush, Tarnished, Lift The Broken), guitar/vocals
Alex Zimmerman, guitar
Blaze Beairl (Heavy Lies The Crown), bass/guitar
Jackie Moon (Molly & The Other Guys), drums

Melvin Willis (Stoned Ape Evolution), guitar
Will Robbins, guitar
Isaac "Iggy" Royer (Crush, Tarnished), bass/vocals
Myke Young (Division Of Sanity), bass

Audio/Video: A covers-only band under either of their names, Exit 808 were well filmed across their two year run, with dozens of live videos featured on their Facebook page. Once Dillion joined, the two singer format was juggled with songs featuring him and Amy sharing or alternating vocals as song needs dictated, with acts like AC/DC and Joan Jett to Evanescence and Volbeat to even Eminem & Rihanna and Tone Loc covered during their shows! Videos from their debut gig can also be seen on guest singer Molly Escherich's YouTube channel, while a studio cover of Black Sabbath's "N.I.B." was recorded and posted online on April 1st, 2024. Here's one of the better quality videos of Exit 808 live with both Amy and Dillion, of them covering Seether's "Gasoline" with (I believe) Spun's Bob Libick on guest bass at 2024's Rally In The Valley in Ewen!

Info/Analysis: Debuting as Double Jack in November 2023, their original lineup (Nathan, Isaac, Melvin, and Jackie) claimed third place in that month's inaugural Lake Superior State University Battle of the Bands, but lineup turnover would quickly follow, and by the spring of 2024, only Jackie was left from who we saw at the Arts Center. They also changed their name to Exit 808 that March, due to an existing cover rock band named Double Jack downstate. Unique among local rock bands for having two dedicated lead vocalists of different genders, let alone the wide age ranges in their lineups (Amy is Blaze's mom!), Exit 808 would begin regularly playing local shows along with gigs in the central and western U.P. by the summer of 2024, including some in the Lower Peninsula, and they networked well with bands on these tour runs, with some of their members often filling in with them.

Despite Nathan's return to the band last year, live dates for Exit 808 got more sporadic by the summer of 2025 due to members' outside commitments, and they opted to amicably disband after their Halloween concert at The Back Bay Grill & Games in Brimley. A strong band with some unique covers and a lot of collective talent, Exit 808 trekked a lot of miles in their two years together, and they delivered a familiar sound with distinct visual and sonic touches to help them stand out among their local cover brethren, while also making fans and friends while touring out west. Hopefully everyone lands in new bands when able, and/or reunites when the time is right!

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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! We're heading north to Sault Ontario for the first time in this series next month, and we have a heavy hitter to get randomly selected next, namely 2007-2015 local hard rock quartet Garden Of Bedlam, so look for that on or around February 10th, and for more news and notes this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Mammoth), A Surprise Band Breakup, And Sault Ontario Updates!!

Before we get into another round of weekend concert previews, here's a new news post on this Wednesday night, which includes a newly announced band breakup, new concert videos, a revived solo project, and leading off, a big LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for the spring, so here's what you should know!

Los Angeles-based hard rock band Mammoth (formerly MammothWVH) will make their local concert debut on Saturday, March 28th when they headline at The Dreammakers Theater at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino! A quickly increasing presence on rock radio thanks to hit songs like "Distance", "Don't Back Down", and "The End", Mammoth are led by former Van Halen/Tremonti bassist (and Eddie Van Halen's son) Wolfgang Van Halen, who has emerged as a multi-talented virtuoso musician on his own in the 2020s, even performing every note of every instrument on Mammoth's three albums. It will be cool to see Wolfgang and his live touring band rock out here this spring, so don't bypass this show, especially as its on a Saturday night! Knoxville, Tennessee alt-metal veterans 10 Years (of "Wasteland" and "Novacaine" fame) will return to Kewadin Casino as openers, last seen there opening for Seether in August 2018.

10 Years had previously opened for Sevendust at The Dreammakers Theater in 2010, and I'm noticing an unintentional pattern. Good to see them back again after eight years, but should we not hold our breath for a fourth local date before 2034? A second opening band is to be announced. Presented by Allstar Promotions and sponsored by Rock 101, tickets go on sale tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM at this link, 1-800-KEWADIN, or at the in-person box office, with prices starting at $39.50. It will be interesting to see how this show goes, but Mammoth have a huge upside and a bunch of hits already, so don't miss out on their first Sault Ste. Marie gig in four months!  

Next up, we have some very surprising news that broke earlier today, as local hard rock cover sextet Exit 808 have announced that they are amicably disbanding. According to their Facebook page, personal life concerns (band members moving, health issues, other bands, and a band member having a baby on the way) mean that Exit 808 "just can't be a priority anymore", and "we want to step off the stage gracefully without falling on our faces". With hindsight, the fact that they have played just one date (in Brimley on November 1st) since the summer could be a sign that members' focus was drifting. Launching under the name Double Jack in the fall of 2023, they debuted with a third place finish at the inaugural Lake Superior State University Battle of the Bands, but drummer Jackie Moon aside, the band was nigh unrecognizable by the following summer as members came and went, let alone their name change.

Exit 808 would become a popular sight at local venues and far flung locales in the Central and Western U.P., and even in the Lower Peninsula a tiny bit, and were known for networking and befriending non-local musicians along the way, who often helped fill in with and guest with Exit 808 during their two year run. This, along with their very modular lineup including two lead singers and a wide age range made them stand out extra, and they were always a fun and talented group, as seen in their ample live videos. Best of luck to Amy, Dillion, Alex, Nathan, Blaze, Jackie, and other former members in the future, and hopefully we see them in new projects when able!

Let's head north to Sault Ontario for the back half of this post, starting with some more new concert videos from Christopher Paci's excellent YouTube channel that didn't fit in Monday's all-E.U.P. post, as he was in attendance for Oshawa-based Bon Jovi tribute band Bon Jovi Forever's return to the Soo at The Sault Community Theatre Centre in September! Like with his Night Ranger videos, these were only uploaded earlier this week, but better late than never! Chris filmed B.J.F. playing the Bon Jovi classics "Livin' On A Prayer", "Wanted Dead Or Alive", "It's My Life", "Bad Medicine", "Runaway", "Have A Nice Day", and as embedded below, "Bed Of Roses". I'm not a Bon Jovi fan, but this tribute does a solid job replicating multiple eras of the band, so hair metal fans should enjoy the performances on offer here, helped by Chris getting a good close angle of the stage from the center section. Check these out above and below, and stay tuned for more from Chris' channel!

Finally for today, here's the latest from local hard rock solo musician Mike McCleary, who has revived his solo project after a 20+ month hiatus! In his first proper post since January 2024, Mike revealed on Saturday that the instrumental album that he was working on in the early 2020s "has officially been put on hold", and while he did not explain why he made that decision, he didn't completely close the door on the album, and is planning to post some material from the album on Facebook to show how it has progressed. However, Mike has signed a deal with Swedish independent label Rexius Records, and is planning to write and record an 8 song album over the next year, which will have "several singles" and contain "some fun, catchy, and energetic rock music for everyone to enjoy". Mike also got spotlighted in this new article from aKtmusiC which promoted what they called "his first-ever release", namely his 2018 song "So Surreal".

This isn't his first release, but fans of Mike's will be aware that he was one to delist or take down old albums and songs based on where his life and music was going. To close, here's a 5 minutes-long instrumental from his unfinished album mentioned above, and while I won't comment on it pending the chance that he does finish and release it, it has more progressive dynamics, a lengthy guitar solo, and some of his heaviest musicianship yet, so you get the sense that he was spreading his wings when writing for this album. It's great to see Mike back at it, so check out more from him above & below!

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

Sault Michigan Hard Rock Concert Video Showcase!!

Let's tackle some recent videos from bands from or playing in Sault Michigan in today's post, and we'll start with long awaited public videos from the Night Ranger-headlined concert at The Dreammakers Theater at the local Kewadin Casino on October 3rd! In the immediate aftermath, videos weren't quick to surface online, but the ever-prolific Christopher Paci was in attendance for this one, and he finally uploaded his videos from the show to his extensive YouTube channel on Friday. No word why these took a month (let alone if he was across for the Trixter show), but better late than never! Chris filmed twelve videos at the show, nine coming from the headlining San Francisco hair metal quintet's set, where they played "(You Can Still) Rock In America", "Sentimental Street", "The Secret Of My Success", a cover of Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train", their own self-titled song, a cover of bassist Jack Blades' old band Damn Yankees' "High Enough", ...

..."When You Close Your Eyes", "Don't Tell Me You Love Me", and as embedded below, "Sister Christian". While definitely not in the center section and filming from a sharp vantage point, Chris is by no means far from the action, and he zooms in well to capture Night Ranger's return to the Soo! This version of their biggest hit is extended to 8+ minutes, and while the vocals are a little quavery at points (the heavier songs from this show come across better), fans are definitely into it! Note that drummer Kelly Keagy plays live with his kit sideways, so you can see him actually drumming from a straight-on angle (not unlike Stryper). Good stuff, so check out Night Ranger's new Kewadin videos above & below!

Next up, Chris also filmed three videos of opening Santa Monica glam rock duo Nelson, who performed acoustic sets on this tour. Matthew & Gunnar were filmed at the Soo Kewadin playing "After The Rain", "(Can't Live Without Your) Love & Affection", and as embedded below, "Two Heads Are Better Than One" (which they co-wrote for Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure but was credited to the band name Power Tool). A hard rock band touring in acoustic mode only isn't unheard of for The Dreammaker's Theatre (i.e. Godsmack, Mr. Big), and while there will be a bit of an adjustment, their vocals have held up well over the years, and a reserved performance is well captured for audio with this camera, so give these a watch also!

Let's shift focus to local bands for this post's second half, starting with newly publicized videos from last month's third annual Lake Superior State University Battle of the Bands! When I recapped the battle results on the site, I noted that local hard rock/punk band About:Blank's short-handed acoustic set has a video filmed that was uploaded to personal Facebook accounts, and was thusly not shared here because of that. Well, the guys uploaded it (and two more videos) to their Facebook page last week! The video that I knew was uploaded privately saw Parker & Kade (no Nathan) playing their new original "Unfazed", and it is embedded below, but the two other videos saw them play "Infest My Mind" and "Run & Hide". Parker & Kade are really dwarfed as an unplugged duo on the cavernous Arts Center stage, so much so that I won't even complain that these videos are vertical, because everything's in frame!

Effectively, the lack of electric instruments and Nathan made this a reprise of Parker's solo set from last year's battle, just now with percussion, but the songs on offer here are promising, and I do like the grungier ambiance to "Unfazed" that would be well suited to their full presentation. Check everything out above & below, and stay tuned for more from About:Blank!

If you were hoping to see Nathan Webber, good news, as we're closing with videos of his hard rock cover band Exit 808's "Fright Night On The Bay" post-Halloween concert at The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley, with eleven videos from that gig now uploaded to guest singer Molly Escherich's Facebook page! Most have Molly taking over for Amy Beach on vocals, with her and Dillion Semasky splitting or alternating vocals on covers of Eminem & Rihanna's "The Monster", Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O Mine" (also filmed by a second camera), AC/DC's "TNT", Alice In Chains' "Man In The Box" (which was also filmed twice), Volbeat's "A Monster's Hand", Green Day's "Brain Stew", and Lit's "My Own Worst Enemy". Molly & Amy joined forces to cover Joan Jett & The Blackhearts' "I Love Rock & Roll" and Journey's "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)".

Lineup wise, new addition Brad Pringle plays bass on all of these songs aside from "T.N.T.", which had Blaze Beairl on the four strings (I'm to assume he played more often on songs that Molly wasn't singing on). As well, "The Monster" had a costumed guest guitarist in place of Nathan, who waved glowsticks and rocked out from the audience. No definitive word on who he was, but Exit 808 did tease that Project 906's Joe Jenkins would be a guest performer too on this night. Because Dillion's mad scientist costume was still on at that point, I'll embed the Lit cover here, but there's a lot of fun performances on offer, and Molly's developing vocal talents and stage presence are always welcomed! Give these a watch above & below!

That's all for not, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site shortly! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Three Days Grace) & Exit 808 Updates!!

No, I didn't forget the big LOCAL CONCERT ALERT from yesterday morning, so here's what you should know about that, as well as some updates from a local band's recent Halloween gig!

Norwood, Ontario hard rock quintet Three Days Grace will make their long awaited return to Sault Ste. Marie on Tuesday, April 28th at GFL Memorial Gardens! Announced yesterday morning as part of the band's world tour in support of their new album "Alienation", this will be Three Days Grace's first appearance in the Soo since headlining at what was then the Essar Centre in December 2009, and third total after debuting at the downtown arena in January 2008. Of course, in that sixteen year gap since we last saw them, singer Adam Gontier left the band and was replaced by bassist Brad Walst's brother Matt, only for Adam to return full time last year with Matt sticking around, giving 3DG two frontmen. We never saw Three Days Grace with Matt Walst as the sole singer here, but they kept on racking up rock radio hits with him like "Painkiller", "The Mountain", and "So Called Life", so how will they sound with Adam singing too?

This won't be Matt's first time performing in the area though, as he fronted his old band My Darkest Days (of "Porn Star Dancing" fame) at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino in April 2012, while Adam fronted his own band Saint Asonia at The Dreammakers Theatre in February of last year, shortly before he rejoined Three Days Grace. No matter which singer/era of the band you prefer, it's awesome to see Three Days Grace coming back to the Gardens, especially with current hits like "Mayday" and "Apologies" in their back pocket, so don't miss out in five months' time! Joining them for most of the Canadian leg of the tour is Burlington alt-hard rock quintet Finger Eleven, in their first local concert appearance since opening for I Mother Earth at The Machine Shop back in April 2018, and their (at least) fifth total here, each one at a different venue. Since we last saw them, they just released their new album "Last Night On Earth".

Fans can expect a set full of classics like "Paralyzer", "One Thing", and "Good Times" in Finger Eleven's return to the Soo after eight years, so don't bypass them either! Edmonton hard rock quartet Royal Tusk will make their local debut as the opening act in April, and they have been building decent momentum with their radio-friendly brand of metal originals like "Aftermath" and "First Time" (no relation to the Finger Eleven song of the same name), and they should set things off on the right foot in the spring! No word on whether Rock 101 or 104.3 The Fox will be the presenting radio sponsor for this Live Nation concert, but both local rock stations have announced ticket giveaway contests. Public on-sale tickets go live at the in-person box office or online at this link on Friday at 10:00 AM, and tickets will start at $55 with VIP packages also being available. This will absolutely be an all ages concert, and a 7:00 PM start time is advertised.

Tuesday nighter or not, this will be a huge concert for local hard rock fans, and even if Three Days Grace were coming solo, the sixteen+ year wait alone (and all of the hits they've released since) will ensure a strong reception in twenty-four weeks' time! Visit the above links for much more on Three Days Grace and Finger Eleven's show at the Gardens next year, and get your tickets A.S.A.P., as they are guaranteed to move quick!

Let's close today with some new updates from Sault Michigan hard rock band Exit 808, starting with the clarification on their Facebook page that bassist Blaze Beairl was definitely at their Halloween weekend "Fright Night On The Bay" concert at The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley on November 1st. While not seen in videos from the event, they did share pictures featuring him in costume as a rapper, and as it turns out, he was trading off with new band member Brad Pringle throughout the night. Whether the two will juggle/alternate bass indefinitely or if Blaze will hop on other instruments in the future, I don't know, but as the band said, "(we) love our teenagers on stage!". Of note, singer Dillion Semasky appeared to have a mad scientist costume for part of the night but he did not have the coat on in the videos. Speaking of which, we have a new video to share with Blaze on bass, so what should you know there?

Uploaded to their Facebook page on Friday, this Brad and Amy-less cover of AC/DC's "T.N.T." also features guest singer Molly Escherich (as the other two videos did), and has her and Dillion trading verses. Filmed from a strong horizontal angle (if only for 39 seconds), this cover is well handled with the two singers adapting well without cloning Bon's vocal style! No word on how bar patrons were reacting to game 7 of the World Series, but if any Sault Ontarians were in attendance, I feel your pain! Check out Exit 808's AC/DC cover below, and stay tuned for more from them soon!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Oz, Scarkazm, And Exit 808), Plus More From Sault Michigan!!

Today on the SMS, we're focusing entirely on Sault Michigan and the Eastern Upper Peninsula via some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS and new videos & related updates from a band in question, so here's what you should know!

Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm will return to both the Sault Ste. Marie and St. Ignace Kewadin Casino branches for one more weekend each in 2025, as they'll rock The Rapids Lounge in the Soo over Thanksgiving weekend (Friday, November 28th & Saturday, November 29th) before closing out their E.U.P. calendar for the year on December 19th & 20th at The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace! Both weekends were confirmed on both Kewadin locations' entertainment pages linked above, which have been updated to reflect concerts through the end of the year. Always good to see Adam, Dave, and Jeff bring their hard hitting original and cover attack to our neck of the woods, and hopefully these concerts go well across the board! While we're on the subject, Scarkazm themselves have confirmed shows through April via their Facebook page's event pages, so will they be back here in 2026?

Yes! The Peril sister band will be back at The Rapids Lounge in the Soo on January 30th & 31st, and then again on March 20th & 21st, before rocking The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace once again on April 24th & 25th, so keep all of these upcoming dates in mind for your Scarkazm fix over the next six months! As usual for Scarkazm's Kewadin bookings, all ten dates have 9:00 PM start times, 21+ age limits, and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details on Scarkazm's next E.U.P. trips!

Next up, Iron Mountain classic/hard rock cover quintet Oz will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Soo Kewadin on Friday, December 12th & Saturday, December 13th, but they too will also be back in the E.U.P. in 2026! Like with Scarkazm, Kewadin isn't going into next year yet, but Oz confirmed on their Facebook page that they will be back at the same venue on February 20th & 21st and then again on September 18th & 19th! Really far out booking there, bands that we cover don't usually announce dates 11 months prior like this, but they also confirmed a December weekend in Baraga in the same post. Local fans last saw Oz at The Rapids Lounge in April, so it will be neat to see their talented blend of classic and hard rock covers back in town for one more weekend before the year is up! Like with Scarkazm above, all of Oz's Kewadin dates ahead are 21+ affairs with no cover charges and 9:00 PM start times. See above for more details on these shows!

Also taking place on December 12th & 13th (albeit at The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace) is the return there of local hard rock band Exit 808! Kewadin's entertainment page credits the band playing there as Double Jack, but that is (of course) their old name that they changed from in early 2024 due to the existence of a separate band named Double Jack downstate. So these shows has been scheduled with the casino for at least 21 months without someone catching the old name? Exit 808 have yet to confirm these dates on their own Facebook page, but these will be their first shows in St. Ignace since the beginning of August. Hopefully these winter-time concerts go well across the board with their dual vocalist-led array of hard rock covers! Like with Oz and Scarkazm above, these are 21+ events once again at 9:00 PM with no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, but we're not done with Exit 808 for this post yet!

As you may recall, Exit 808 most recently headlined at The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino for their belated Halloween party on Saturday, November 1st, a concert that had multiple guest musicians, one being a mystery bassist named Brad. When acknowledging who performed on Saturday, they said "we were joined by 13-year-old Molly Escherich and new bass player, Brad Pringle, along with our typical 6". Note the lack of a pronoun, so is he a new bassist or their new bassist? Brad has played bass (and saxophone!) in bands downstate, and in both of the new videos from "Fright Night On The Bay" on the band's Facebook page, he is on bass with no sign of Blaze Beairl. The "typical 6" would include Blaze, so he must have been there, and he has played at Back Bay gigs in the past despite being underage, but he is not visibly performing any instrument in the two videos. We'll let you know if things get clarified on Brad and Blaze's statuses either way!

Both videos feature Molly on guest vocals and Brad on bass, but teased guest guitarist Joe Jenkins is not in either clip. The videos include a cover of Volbeat's newer single "By A Monster's Hand" with Dillon and Molly splitting vocals (no Amy), but as it's shorter and bafflingly uploaded in vertical "Reel" dimensions with heavy pillarboxing despite being a horizontal landscape video, it's not embedded here. Instead, here's the longer and fully framed (but still vertical) video of Exit 808 covering Journey's "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" with Amy and Molly sharing vocals. This alone is unusual as Molly usually subs in for Amy, but they sound good together! Both covers are solidly done, so give them a watch above & below!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (HeadF1rst), New Videos, And Sault Michigan Updates!!

Tonight's post came together somewhat out of necessity due to a surprise SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so that is rounded off with some new videos and shorter notes, so here's what you should know!

Local hard rock quintet HeadF1rst will return to the stage TONIGHT at Shooters Downstairs Lounge as post-game entertainment after game 7 of the World Series! I apologize for the short notice, this show was only announced on the venue's Facebook page at 12:22 PM today. This may look like it came together on late notice to take advantage of the Toronto Blue Jays/Los Angeles Dodgers series going the distance, but guitarist Rainey Rancourt plugged it on his personal Facebook page on Wednesday, before we knew there would even be a game 7. In any event, HeadF1rst have not publically corroborated this booking on their Facebook page whatsoever. Shooters in general has really dialed back on hosting live bands this year, with HeadF1rst really being the only band of any genre to play there since the spring, so they're ideal to head back to Dennis Street to cap off the World Series in style TONIGHT!

This is a 19+ concert with no cover charge starting immediately after the World Series game ends, which is a bit of a leap of faith given how long game 3 went (18 innings running until about 3:00 AM). Assuming things aren't delayed like that again, HeadF1rst should take the stage between 10:30 and 11:30 PM given how games in the rest of the series have ended so far. In other words, this will be a shorter (but later) concert compared to a normal HeadF1rst gig, but fingers crossed that the Blue Jays can win the World Series TONIGHT to start the hard rock action on the right foot! Visit the above links for more details, and here's HeadF1rst live!

Next up, remember how I mentioned at the end of yesterday's post that a biography on local blackened doom metal band Woods of Ypres and frontman David Gold is now being written? Well, it got featured on CBC News Windsor yesterday, and the piece is now on YouTube! Posted to the book's YouTube channel (that has to be a first for here), this of course comes from the CBC affiliate of Woods of Ypres' initial hometown. David later moved the band to Toronto and then home to the Soo, but we haven't had a dedicated local CBC affiliate in over 20 years. The 2 minute piece by CBC's Dalson Chen reflects on how the forest off of Ypres Avenue in Windsor inspired the band's name, and how the band's legacy has grown among fans since David's passing in 2011. Author J. James and Glenn Fricker of Spectre Sound Studios (who worked on both of the band's first two albums) were both interviewed here.

We also hear from David's mom Esther Gold, who has been the strongest champion of her son's music career since, and accepted their Juno Award win in 2013 on his behalf. I like the paintings of him behind her for her interview clips! If the book is getting attention on the CBC, then you know things are really in motion for it, and while I'd have included more live performance video of the band, it's worth checking out for fans. Give it a watch below, and stay tuned for more on Deepest Roots: The Woods Of Ypres Story!

Also today, let's look at a new concert video from a more recent local extreme metal band, namely death/thrash metal trio Pillory from their album release party at Soo Blaster last month! This was uploaded to drummer Bret Shuttleworth's YouTube channel earlier this week, and it is their first video on Bret's channel with bassist Devon Lucier after their recording from July's Insurrection show was uploaded as audio only due to poor camera placement. Bret also said to "give a warm welcome to our new bassist" as this was his first channel appearance on video, though Devon was previously in Pillory briefly in 2014. At the release party, Pillory played every song from their new full-length album in order, followed by their cover of Sepultura's "Territory", but that cover and the final two originals did not make the cut for YouTube due to "an undiagnosed error with (Bret's) phone". In order, what can we see?

The video features "The Angst Of Existence", "Abhorred Apprehension", "The Curse of Eternal Sickness", "Wasting", "Sculptor of Cadavers", "The Passing", and "Specimen of Egotism". Bret's phone was set up from a stationary locale on the floor, capturing a good if somewhat tight angle of the guys in action, and with no pesky strobe lighting to blur out this time. I'll hold comment on the songs pending our review of "Old Soul" early next year, but the brutality is off the charts, so check out (most of) Pillory's release party set below, and stay tuned for more from them!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while (this time, all from Sault Michigan and the E.U.P.), and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

 

• I have moved local groove/thrash metal band Buddy Repperton & The Camaros to our inactive band links. The group last posted on their Facebook page in October of last year (itself their only post since mid-2023) when frontman David Waite noted his return to singing metal, only to blow out his voice. I don't assume that's why The Camaros haven't posted anything in over a year, but this band had a lot of promise for true original metal in the E.U.P., and hopefully we hear more from David, Doug, Brett, Jason, and Dennis in due course, in this band or otherwise!
• Regarding tonight's Exit 808 show at The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley, they finally confirmed on their Facebook page earlier today that Molly Escherich will indeed be guesting with them on vocals, while Project 906 guitarist Joe Jenkins will also pop up tonight, as will a bassist named Brad, with other impromptu guests also possible. I have no idea who Brad is, let alone if he and Joe were replacing anyone in Exit 808 outright, but hopefully every performer involved delivered well for the post-Halloween "Fright Night On The Bay"!
• Speaking of Joe and Project 906, their Halloween concert at Huck's Pub & Grill in Rudyard last night went ahead with hand drummer Brian Duford playing the standard drumkit in place of Jason VanLuven, who was double booked with Unfortunate Sun at The Merch. They also welcomed young local guitarist Garrett Howland (son of former Steelhead guitarist Mark Howland) to play with them for a set, which reportedly went well! Visit the band's Facebook page to see photos from the gig, including what costumes that some members of 906 were wearing!

 

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post next! Thanks everyone! 

Two More Saturday Night Concert Previews, Plus More Recent Updates!!

I hope everyone is having a happy and safe Halloween, however you choose to celebrate! Tonight's post takes us to two more weekend concert previews in Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula tomorrow night, with lots of recent Sault Ontario updates to take note of, but let's lead off in the E.U.P. with the last of this weekend's heavier concert crop!

We'll start with a show TOMORROW NIGHT that has no credited post-Halloween ties, as local promoters Serious Business are bringing an intriguing package of local and touring musicians to... Pizza Hut? Yes, the bands will be setting up shop in the basement of the 2255 Ashmun Street restaurant, and while this is highly atypical for local concert locales, why not give it a shot if they're willing to host it? Novi noise punk quartet Permanently Pissed and Detroit grunge/alternative band Werewolf Jones will both be making their local concert debuts tomorrow, and with the former's garage rock-influenced noise attack and the latter's punk inflected hybrid originals, fans should get some quality sounds that we don't get often enough in the E.U.P. tomorrow! Local support will include new local hard rock trio Crush (fresh off of Alex & Josh's Halloween gig with Tarnished in St. Ignace tonight) and three-time LSSU Battle of the Bands competitor Kevin Blakeney.

Tomorrow's concert goes down at 6:00 PM with an 18+ age limit, and admission will be $15 at the door. It's always good to see Serious Business host a multi-band event like this, let alone one with touring bands, and hopefully fans pack the space for this concert (and maybe to buy some pizza?) Visit the above links for more on tomorrow's festivities, and for a preview, here's Permanently Pissed live!

Next up, I almost forgot to preview one more concert TOMORROW NIGHT, but I caught it in time, as local hard rock quintet Exit 808 will return to The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley for their Halloween party! It's a day late because The Back Bay Grill doesn't host bands on Fridays, not even for October 31st. Yes, there will be a costume contest, and organizers have even revealed that prizes of $300, $200, and $100 will be awarded for the top three, so don't put away your costumes just yet! "Fright Night By The Bay" will be Exit 808's first concert in over two months and their first in Brimley since the spring, while it will see them joined by fast-rising Dafter singer/guitarist Molly Escherich (straight outta Interlochen) as a guest singer, as per her Facebook page. The band has oddly not confirmed her involvement themselves, but hopefully Molly shines in her return home for the weekend!

Tomorrow's post-Halloween festivities begin at 9:00 PM with a 21+ age limit (Molly and Blaze aside) and no cover charge. With two (no, three) singers in force for this concert, hopefully Exit 808's lively brand of hard rock covers get a strong reponse at Bay Mills tomorrow as we wind the Halloween season to a close! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Exit 808 live!

Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter news items from the last while (all from Sault Ontario bands and concerts), and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or event name:

 

• This might be nothing, but a scheduled live-stream for the multi-genre Broke & Hungry fundraiser concert at Beck's Bar on December 19th has quietly been posted onto host/MC Twitchy T. Tantrum's YouTube channel. Live-streams of local concerts don't happen enough, let alone charitable ones for the Soup Kitchen, so we'll have to keep tabs on this as we approach the holidays! Just to clarify, listed performer King Mizo is an alternate handle for Toronto rapper Unknown Mizery, who has been advertised right along.
• Sudbury-based Rush tribute band Rust have changed their name to Epic Rush, as per their Facebook page on October 20th. This came just four days after they headlined at Soo Blaster, and while I'm told that they were still were selling Rust-branded merchandise at the local gig, the name change can't have been a kneejerk reaction given the turnaround to update social media and whatnot. Regardless, posts referencing the local show are calling them by the new name, so I figured I should acknowledge it here. Hopefully things went well, and that we see Epic Rush (and/or Just Leppard) back in Sault Ste. Marie in the new year!
• Reunited local classic/hard rock cover band Quite Frankly did not perform at Kosmos Pizza in Bruce Mines this past Friday, as per their Facebook page on Tuesday last week. The band cited "an unexpected medical circumstance" as the reason for their withdrawal from the Down syndrome awareness fundraiser event, but did not go into specifics beyond that. Hopefully whoever got sick/hurt gets well soon, and that we see Quite Frankly at a public concert again soon! Kosmos Pizza still plugged "live music" afterwards, but never confirmed who replaced them.
• Local punk trio Redundant have quietly dropped out of next month's Toystock, as per the newly updated schedule on the Christmas Cheer benefit concert's Facebook page and website. A reason for Redundant's withdrawal wasn't publically announced, but they haven't posted on their Facebook page since 2023, not even to plug their Toystock set last year (let alone their bassist change). Hopefully all's well in their camp! They have been replaced by a mystery band named Sunday & The Broken Hearts, who I know as little about as I do The Reeves (the other mystery band at Toystock this year), so stay tuned when more comes out on one/both groups!
• If you're wondering why I didn't feature local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9's Facebook video from Wolf Fest last month on here, it's because it's actually not of Silent 9. While the thumbnail features frontwoman Jess Amadio, this actually comes from a guest turn she took with headining local pop rock cover band The Killer Hooks, where she joined in on their cover of Rose & Bruno Mars' "Apt.". While sadly vertical and incomplete, it's a fun and lively cover of this modern pop hit, and hopefully things went well at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion for Wolf Fest!
• A book is being written about defunct local black/doom metal band Woods of Ypres and their late frontman David Gold! To be named Deepest Roots: The Woods of Ypres Story, it's being authored by J. James of the California-based Arcane Archivist Zine, and he has kept fans updated as to the biography's progress on the Woods of Ypres Fanclub Facebook group. Apparently, he has conducted 20 long format interviews adding up to around 100 minutes of material for the book so far, but things are still at an early stage. This is highly intriguing, so stay tuned for updates as the book comes together!

 

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Permanently Pissed & Exit 808) Plus More Weekend Concert Previews!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to profusely apologize for completely forgetting to preview local hard rock quartet Half Past's gig at Beck's Bar on October 11th in that weekend's concert previews. I did plug it when first announced in late September, but it completely slipped me by despite that. Hopefully the show was a hit for the guys, and they'll be back at Beck's before the year is up, so I won't miss covering that one in any way! Now, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the Halloween weekend and the rest of this weekend's hard rock concert previews!

Sault Michigan hard rock band Exit 808 will return to the stage on Saturday, November 1st for a belated Halloween party at The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley! One assumes that this concert isn't on Halloween proper because Bay Mills doesn't host live bands on Fridays, and a day late beats six days early. Dubbed "Fright Night On The Bay", this will end a two month break from the stage for Exit 808, who last played live in Walloon Lake in mid-August, in the E.U.P. in St. Ignace at the beginning of that month, and at The Back Bay back in March. While not advertised in the band's own promotion, they'll have a special guest for the occasion, as Dafter singer/guitarist and Molly & The Other Guys frontwoman Molly Escherich will return north from the Interlochen Center For The Arts to join in on vocals! It's not clear if she is filling in for Amy for the whole set or just making appearances.

That should be fun to see, so kudos to Molly for announcing this on her Facebook page! Don't put your costumes away yet, as there will be prizes of $500, $300, and $200 for the top three costumes next Saturday. Exit 808 take the stage at 9:00 PM for this 21+ event, which has no announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more on Fright Night On the Bay!

Next up, there's more post-Halloween concert action in Sault Michigan on Saturday, November 1st, courtesy of the latest multi-band show from promoters Serious Business, and it is taking place... in the basement of Pizza Hut?! There's a new one, but if they're willing to host a concert down there, why not give it a shot? Two touring bands will make their way here next weekend, including Novi noise punk quartet Permanently Pissed and Detroit grunge/alternative trio Werewolf Jones, who both deliver unique sounds that you don't get much of from the E.U.P., so don't bypass either one in advance of next weekend's show! Local support will come by way of new local hard rock trio Crush (the originals-focused Tarnished spinoff who just destroyed the Savoy this past weekend) and veteran local folk singer/guitarist Kevin Blakeney, who just competed at the Lake Superior State University battle of the bands last night.

We will have more on the fallout from the battle when things go public, for the record (I was unable to attend due to catching a cold). For the record, the above information comes from promoter Brighton LeBlanc in an e-mail conversation, as I haven't found public social media promotion for the show yet, but it'll be short notice if I don't talk it about it now. This concert goes down(stairs) at Pizza Hut at 2255 Ashmun Street on the business spur, across from Little Caesars at the corner of 14th Avenue. A 6:00 PM start time is advertised, this is an 18+ event, and admission is $15 at the door, though no word on a possible Halloween theme. Should be a fun and varied concert, so visit the above links for more details!

Let's head north to Sault Ontario to wrap up this weekend's hard rock concert previews next, starting with local death/thrash metal trio Pillory's album release party at Soo Blaster TOMORROW NIGHT! With years of even heavier and more brutal original songs built up, and months of studio session teasers, fans will get their first chance to buy CD copies of "Old Soul" for themselves tomorrow, and while it will also be posted on major streaming services, physical media is a huge plus! It's great to see Robert and Bret finally get this album done and dusted, and hopefully they and Devon deliver a brutal headlining set downtown tomorrow for the occasion! Support acts include progressive metal quartet Convergence (in their first public concert since Rotaryfest in July) and crossover thrash quartet Hails, who should each set the tone well with their own talented and heavy original attacks, so don't be late!

Remember, Ha!ls' new album will be reviewed on the site by month's end, but Pillory's won't be until early 2026 due to our lengthy new album release backlog. This ALL AGES concert goes down tomorrow at $7, and if you were unable to buy $20 advance tickets, the door entry fee tomorrow is $25. Pillory t-shirts will also be on sale, and the band has confirmed that Halloween costumes are encouraged if you're inclined to dress up early. Kudos to Pillory on finally getting the album out, and hopefully tomorrow's show is a blast! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's the second advance single from the album, namely "The Passing" via their YouTube Music channel, with more coming tomorrow!

Finally for this weekend's concert previews, strap in for the lighter side of Bone Yard 225, as the southern hard rock trio will go "uncorked" for an acoustic one-nighter TOMORROW NIGHT at The Water Tower Pub! Despite the Great Northern Road nightclub hosting plugged in bands as well, Bone Yard always go acoustic there, but expect a solid evening of hard, classic, and southern rock favourites (and perhaps some stripped down originals) from Greg, Alex, and Warren as usual! If you'd rather see your local 225 plugged in, the full electric show will be at Beck's Bar next Saturday. As usual for The Water Tower Pub, tomorrow's concert is at 8:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no announced cover charge, Visit the above links for more details on this latest "uncorked" concert from "the dirty three", and for a preview, here's Bone Yard 225 live!

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

Woodhawk Concert Preview, Exit 808 Updates, And A New Cover Video!!

Let's dive into some more recent news and notes on this Tuesday evening, including a new cover video, updates from a prominent E.U.P. band, and leading off, a mid-week concert preview, so here's what you should know!

We'll start with a special Wednesday night concert preview, as Calgary stoner hard rock quartet Woodhawk will finally play Sault Ste. Marie for the first time TOMORROW NIGHT at Soo Blaster! This concert is over five years in the making for Woodhawk, as they were supposed to headline at LopLops Lounge back in April 2020, one of many local concerts scuttled due to the first pandemic lockdown. It's very rare to see a smaller touring band (let alone not a tribute band) reschedule a cancelled Soo show from 2020, so come out tomorrow to party now that things have calmed down! Alongside the retro-influenced stoner and hard rock originals in store from Woodhawk, fans tomorrow can also see local hard rock quintet HeadF1rst and online page-less metal supergroup The Sault Side Squad, which should add up to a diverse but still uniformly heavy night of rock if you can swing coming out on a work/school night!

Tomorrow's festivities run for $15 at the door (no advance tickets), which is up $5 from Woodhawk's planned 2020 show here, but this time, there's no age limit, and bands start at 7:00 PM. Whether you've been waiting for Woodhawk for five years or are new to their sludgy original attack, consider coming to Soo Blaster tomorrow night if you can! Visit the above links for more details, and here's Woodhawk live!

Next up, let's zip over to Sault Michigan for the latest from local hard rock band Exit 808, and we have a new lineup confirmation, as they have welcomed former Tarnished guitarist Nathan Webber back to the fold. While he had first returned on a guest basis in June, he hasn't missed a local gig since, and the band confirmed on their Facebook page on August 26th (Nathan's birthday) that he was 100% back, noting that they were "grateful for round 2 with you". Nathan had been a founding member of the former Double Jack upon their 2023 launch, but quietly left the band in the spring of last year, with Will Robbins replacing him until the fall. After playing with guest guitarists (one being bassist Blaze Beairl) through the spring, it is great to see Nathan back with Exit 808, finally giving them a full six-piece lineup again! Now let's continue playing catch-up on Exit 808's live videos from their summer concert schedule, so where did we last leave off?

Over the last weekend of June, Exit 808 hit the road 4½ hours west to Ewen to perform at the outdoor festival Rally For The Valley, where attendee Angie Hood filmed two videos from their set for her personal Facebook page that the band shared to theirs on June 30th. One is a "Reel" of Exit 808 covering Joan Jett & The Blackhearts' "I Hate Myself For Loving You" with Amy Beach on lead vocals, but embedded below is a proper embeddable video (albeit still vertical) that sees them covering Eminem & Rihanna's "The Monster" with Dillion Semasky and Amy respectively sharing vocal duty. Note that this video begins with Amy introducing the band to attendees in Ewen, even referencing Nathan as their "new guitar player", though one fan's scream does block out some of what Amy says. I wish these weren't vertical, but everyone sounds good here with nice energy and weather, so check everything out above & below, and stay tuned for more from Exit 808 on the SMS soon!

Finally for today, let's head back to Sault Ontario for a new cover from a band that we've talked about but never fully featured here before, namely local country/bluegrass quartet The Golden Scoundrels! SMS readers will be familiar with this band for featuring ex-Shit Liver frontman Josh Penno and former Handsome Sandwich bandmates Brandon Ruch & Johnny Belanger (plus fiddle player Todd Webb) in very atypical waters from what we are used to. While they obviously fall outside of our genre range, fans were surprised three weeks ago to hear The Scoundrels cover Motorhead's "Iron Fist" for their YouTube channel! Filmed with multiple cameras by Josh's own Spacebag Productions with Hails frontman Brenton Ellis providing partial camera-work, this cover is certainly a bluegrass take on Motorhead, and while recognizable structurally, there will be an adjustment given the genre switch.

I'm not big into bluegrass, I will admit, but this is a fun and rollicking change of pace (look at Josh rocking the stand-up bass), and the inclusion of some performance outtakes at the end is neat! More local bands should do that, imagine what is left on the cutting room floor that could have humourous value! Well shot and performed, give it a listen below, and if you like what you hear, check out more from The Golden Scoundrels above!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile next! Thanks everyone!