LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Scarkazm, Soundcheck, And Tym Morrison) & Weekend Concert Previews!!

Here is our first traditional news post of 2020, and it's devoted to the first batch of weekend concert previews in this new year! This does include LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, some on SHORT NOTICE, plus a few removals from our concert calendar. Things aren't as flashy as they could get over the holidays, but there's a lot of talent to see, so here's what you should know!

Local acoustic hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will kick off yet another year in his long-term arrangement with Gliss Restaurant with more solo concert sets TOMORROW & SATURDAY, but that's not all, as he will also be back at The Roadhouse Bar & Grill on Trunk Road for traditional nighttime gigs TOMORROW NIGHT and also on Friday, January 31st! Apologies for the short notice on TOMORROW'S show, remember that we take his bookings a month at a time due to his prolific long-term scheduling. Of course, Tym's skilled & prolific roster of covers will surely entertain fans and Gliss patrons this weekend, as they did on New Year's Eve, but if you'd rather see him after supper in a less formal setting, TOMORROW'S Road House concert (his first there in almost a month) should do the trick, as well as at month's end!

As usual, the Gliss shows are 6:00 PM matinees with no age limits or cover charges announced, but remember that this is a formal sit-down restaurant, not a nightclub. Meanwhile, the Roadhouse gigs TOMORROW and on the 31st are both 10:00 PM affairs with no cover and 19+ age limits. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more info, and here's Tym live!



Next up, local classic hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will get 2020 started with concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at Reggie's West! Again, apologies for the short notice, these dates were only announced via their Facebook event page yesterday, and time will tell if they post a 2020 concert calendar on social media like they did last year. This will be Soundcheck's first concert weekend at the Reggievelt in three weeks, and will be their second and third gigs in a five day span, following their Water Tower Pub show on New Year's Eve. With Cameron settling in by now in their lineup, Soundcheck should be even more polished and ready to go TOMORROW & SATURDAY, so don't miss their hard rocking covers there! As usual, expect 9:30 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits. See above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!



Also, I was planning to cover Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished's continuation of their "every Thursday" run of acoustic matinee concerts at Biggby Coffee next, but their official website's calendar does not list anything past December 19th there, in spite of listing 2020 concert dates, and neither band nor venue even plugged shows on the 19th or 26th on their Facebook pages. I could be wildly off base, but I am tentatively removing the Biggby dates in January from our concert calendar until/unless someone publically confirms that they are still on. However, the aforementioned website calendar does list five new 2020 dates that are definitely occurring, and they include four acoustic returns to The Signatures Lounge at the Sault's Kewadin Casino branch on January 16th & 29th, and then on June 18th & 24th! Those include two Thursday nighters and two Wednesday nighters, so plan accordingly. No word on whether Alex will be playing solo or with Josh/Nathan, but their unplugged mettle was well tested last year!

These are all 6:00 PM matinees with likely 21+ age limits and no cover charges. If you want to see Tarnished plugged in with drums, then head to their other new date, as they will return to Moloney's Alley on Thursday, January 30th as that venue's musical entertainment during the International 500 snowmobile race's annual pub crawl! Alex and his old group Banned used to enjoy playing I-500 weekend events, so expect another fun set as you frequent area nightclubs at month's end! Click here for more on the pub crawl itself, but attending just Moloney's Alley should mean a a 9:00 PM start time, no cover, and a 21+ age limit. Visit the above links for more details!

Finally, let's preview Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm's return to The Rapids Lounge at the aforementioned Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino, where they will play their first shows of the new year anywhere TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, but that's not all for them in 2020! We knew about this weekend's and next month's St. Ignace shows already, but as part of Kewadin Casino's new concert listings on the Soo and St. Ignace branch's entertainment pages through July, we can confirm two extra concert weekends from the Peril side project for the spring, as they'll be back at The Rapids Lounge on March 13th & 14th, before playing at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino on April 10th & 11th. One weekend a month for the first third of the year isn't a raw deal, so look for Adam, Dave, and Jeff at both regional Kewadin lounges through April! And yes, we will touch on the other new hard rock Kewadin lounge gigs soon.

For what it's worth, Scarkazm have not posted their traditional promotional image on social media for this weekend's gigs at press time, but the Facebook event pages (linked here and here) confirm that the shows are on, so don't bypass their hard rocking metal covers this weekend. Those, March's, and April's dates all have 9:00 PM start times, 21+ age limits, and no cover charges. See above for more details, and here's Scarkazm live!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Soundcheck) & New Year's Eve Concert Previews!!

Well, everyone, 2019 is almost over (as are the 2010s), so it's time to wrap up the year and decade with our last regular news post of 2019, focused on previews of New Year's Eve concerts from local hard rock bands! Due to holiday commitments and the extra time needed to compile our year-end retrospective post (which is coming tomorrow), this post is longer than normal, featuring previews of five shows taking place on the 31st. If you want some live hard rock action, you have a lot to pick from tomorrow, so let's begin with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will end 2019 with a New Year's Eve concert TOMORROW NIGHT at The Water Tower Pub! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via the venue's Facebook page on Saturday, with the band posting their own Facebook event page last night. This will be Soundcheck's sixth concert with new singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver, in his Water Tower Pub debut with the group, and this should be a huge showcase for him, especially with the usual New Year's frills on display! Pub advertising says that there will be a "midnight toast" as well as an appetizer buffet and party favours, so keep those perks in mind. New Year's parties are often treated as bigger deals than just another concert, and to that end, tickets apparently run for $50, and that's not even getting into the $260 "Party & Stay Package" for couples (click here for details on that front.)

Of course, this is a 19+ event with a 9:30 PM start time, at least as far as Soundcheck's set goes. The price may be steep, but given the New Year's party and festivities alongside the concert, the value does show itself more, and hopefully this is the perfect way to end 2019 with TOMORROW, in spite of the late notice! See above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!



Next up, we'll head to a previously announced matinee concert taking place TOMORROW, as prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will play his final public gig of 2019 at his usual stomping grounds, Gliss Restaurant on Spring Street! Another successful year is almost in the books for his long-term weekly arrangement here, and while you can fully expect to see him back here in 2020 like clockwork, this rare Tuesday nighter should provide more of his unplugged classic & hard rock goods! Like at The Water Tower Pub, this is not just another night at Gliss, as patrons can expect a special New Year's Eve menu where $79.95 gets you your choice of the items on offer. I assume attendees are at least encouraged to have said meal for the holiday, so mind that when planning your night out. Otherwise, there are no advertised age limits, and a 6:00 start time is in effect for Tym's set as usual. Visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and here's Tym live in concert at Gliss!

Lastly for hard rock shows in Sault Ontario TOMORROW, let's go to The Whiskey Barrel, where local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will cap off 2019 with another headlining set! The Elements' side-project has made the Gore Street bar & restaurant their favourite venue in the past year, so they're a fitting choice to send 2019 out with, and their varied but often heavy covers should provide the ideal soundtrack! The Facebook event page's cover photo features Elements drummer Jonas Gasperas, a frequent live guest with The Stallyns, but it's unclear whether he will be on hand tomorrow or not. If you are looking for a cheaper night out, this may be what you're looking for, as the event page says that "there are no tickets and no cover charge". There may be less frills than elsewhere as a result, but it's a lot less pricey! Of course, this is still a 19+ event. Visit the above links for more details, and here's The Wyld Stallyns live!



Moving across to Sault Michigan next, we'll start there at The Rapids Lounge at the local Kewadin Casino branch, where sporadically seen local hard rock quartet 415E are scheduled to return to the stage TOMORROW NIGHT for their New Year's bash! Despite their talented lineup and extensive experience in past local bands, this will just be 415E's fifth advertised public concert of the year, their first anywhere since July, and their first at the Soo Kewadin since January. It's a shame that Dave, Chris, Brett, and Jason don't play live more regularly, but what better time than New Year's Eve to shake off the rust? Of course, Kewadin Casino is not lacking for New Year's festivities, both for gamblers and music fans, so visit their official Facebook page for full details on all of that. Regarding 415E's show directly, I have read nothing to indicate that this isn't the same as usual, so expect a 9:00 PM start time, 21+ age limit, and no cover at the lounge. See above for more details, and here's 415E live (original lineup still though.)



Finally for tomorrow (in hard rock terms), we'll wrap up these previews at Moloney's Alley, where local hard rock cover band Tarnished will play their last show of 2019 TOMORROW NIGHT! After a successful debut at the 227 West Portage Avenue nightclub three weeks ago, the Banned successors will be back for an encore tomorrow, albeit short-handed due to drummer Tommy Korcal's absence (if it's due to a Project 906 gig, I haven't heard about it at press time.) As a result, Alex, Nathan, and Josh will play a special acoustic trio set TOMORROW, which will shock no one familiar with Tarnished's "every Thursday" run at Biggby Coffee, so they should acclimate themselves well here! As best as I can tell, the concert proper has no cover charge, a 21+ age limit, and a 9:00 PM start time, but a dinner-for-two special for $50 is in effect for those wanting a meal, so click here for details on that front. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tarnished live!



Lastly, for friendly reference, Moloney's Alley is a 2 minute drive down the road from Sault Michigan's annual New Year's Eve ball drop at the corner of Ashmun & Portage, in case that's any extra incentive to going there tomorrow night. That's all for today, but stay tuned for our 2019 retrospective post on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tarnished), A New Local Band, And Much More!!

It's not too often where we have an all-Sault Michigan news post on here that's not solely focused on one band or concert, but we have a nice array of topics from the E.U.P. to touch on here, including a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT and new Facebook pages from local bands (one new, one old) to acknowledge. Here's what you should know!

We have a new band to add to our Sault Michigan band links, albeit a year or so late (my profuse apologies!), and they are St. Ignace progressive metal quintet Heavy Lies The Crown!  Publically launched in November 2018 via their Facebook page, their lineup consists of singer Brandon West, guitarists Ted Olson & Highway 63's Nathan Switzer (who joined the band in June), bassist Danny Tucker, and drummer Cale Krist. Heavy Lies The Crown began tracking studio material with producer Danny Vail as early as February, with videos posted regularly to show off their progress on Facebook. In April, H.L.T.C. made their apparent live debut in Kalkaska at Troutzilla Fest, and followed that up with a show in Saginaw in September, coinciding with the digital release of their debut EP "Scatter Brain". Fans below the Mackinac Bridge have since seen them in Saginaw & Kalkaska again, plus in Hemlock and Grand Rapids, while physical copies of the EP dropped last month.

Unless I missed something, Heavy Lies The Crown do not appear to have played local concerts yet, though I won't get into a big debate here regarding the E.U.P.'s lack of local extreme metal bands and shows in the 2010s. At least this new band is finding concerts and an audience! Their exclusively Lower Peninsula gigs may be why it took me so long to discover Heavy Lies The Crown, in conjunction with me not knowing the members from prior local bands (Nathan aside), but they musically have the chops to leave a mark locally! I don't want to show my cards in full regarding their sound, as I am heavily leaning towards reviewing "Scatter Brain" (physical cover art recreation pictured) on the SMS this month, but if you like technical metal with American Head Charge-style vocals, you should find a lot to like here. Check out more from Heavy Lies The Crown on Instagram and via the above links, stream their album on Spotify, and here's video from their debut!



Next up, here's that LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as Sault Ste. Marie hard rock band Tarnished will return to Moloney's Alley on Tuesday, December 31st for that venue's New Year's Eve party! Clearly, their debut at the 227 West Portage Avenue nightclub on December 7th went well, as they have a high profile encore coming up in just over two weeks, though unlike then, their set will be shorthanded. As per the band's Facebook page, they will be playing as an acoustic trio sans drummer Tommy Korcal for unannounced reasons, though keep in mind that Tommy's infrequently seen prior band Project 906 haven't publically put their New Year's plans (if any) out there yet. As anyone who's seen Alex and Josh and/or Nathan at Biggby Coffee can attest, they know their way around an unplugged set, and that shouldn't hurt things come year's end! Potential admission fees and dinner specials aren't out yet, but festivities begin for this 21+ event at 5:00 PM, with Tarnished beginning at 9:00. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details as they roll in!

Finally for today, we go from a new E.U.P. band to a very much defunct one, but both have Facebook pages that I didn't know existed until just recently. In this case, the band in question is late 2000s Sault Ste. Marie grunge/alternative trio Half Stupid, who quietly launched a posthumous Facebook page last fall to archive their original run. Given how their MySpace page was decimated following layout overhauls and the music transfer errors, I fully welcome this development, and I wish more defunct bands would have something similar! Half Stupid was comprised of future Crooked Music owner Zac Crook on vocals/guitar, his later Plastic bandmate Matt Williams on bass, and Twisted Manikin alum Jordan Gendreau on drums, and they had a steadily rising profile around 2008 and 2009. Their Facebook page includes a handful of videos from an old Big Bear Arena concert, plus lots of promotional, jam session, and live photographs from 10 or so years back.

Intriguingly, Zac (I assume) teased in September 2018 to "stay tuned for something NEW in the near future", and elaborated in March that they were half done recording an original song they didn't get to record at the time, but there has been no apparent public follow-through since. This was a nice find when I was initially doing research for our Defunct Local Band Profile on Half Stupid (coming next month), and if you like grunge and 1990s alternative rock, these guys delivered the goods while they lasted. Check our more above, their link on the SMS is now updated, and here's one of their three Big Bear Arena concert videos from the archives!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide, The Cover-Up, Tarnished, And Fluid 5ive!!)

Before we dive into this weekend's concert previews, we have a bunch of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to tackle today, including one on SHORT NOTICE, with an attached Thursday concert preview for convenience sake given that the same band is involved. Here's what you should know!

Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Tarnished will make their Moloney's Alley debut THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, following the expected continuation of their "every Thursday" matinee run at Biggby Coffee TOMORROW! Apologies for the short notice on SATURDAY'S concert, the band only announced it via it's Facebook event page on Monday. We haven't covered concerts at this popular 227 West Portage Avenue nightclub since Project 906 played here over two years ago, and while there is no apparent special event attached to this concert, Tarnished should deliver a hard hitting night of covers here on SATURDAY, so keep this one in mind! Of course, Alex (and company?) will precede that tomorrow at Biggby Coffee for tips & coffee, so if you want some acoustic jams in the afternoon, you know where to go! That is a 12:00 PM gig with no cover or age limits, while SATURDAY'S Moloney's Alley concert is at 9:00 PM with no cover and a 21+ age limit.

Visit the above links for more on both shows, and for a preview, we have two Facebook videos  from Tarnished's three shows at The Double D Bar & Grill at Dondee Lanes last week to share! One was shared from bassist Josh Fair's girlfriend Olivia Eden's personal Facebook page, and features her guesting on a cover of The 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up". Vertical camera angle aside, it's a well done cover, if against type, and Olivia has a good voice! Embedded below is the band's own upload of them covering Metallica's "For Whom The Bell Tolls", and while Alex's vocals are nearly inaudible, this is well shot and the twin guitar attack is used nicely! Give these a look above & below!

Next up, Sault Ontario classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive will reportedly return to The New American Pub for one night only on Friday, December 13th! Their last announced show of 2019 (remember that their Facebook page hasn't been updated since September), this will be Fluid 5ive's first concert at The New A since their Saturday matinee to end November, and this should be another fine opportunity to see their hard rocking take on classic hits you don't see covered often elsewhere! Remember, they are not playing the next day due to The New American's weekly karaoke nights. As usual for New A Friday night cover bookings, expect this to be a 19+ event with no cover charge and an 8:00 PM start time. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for new video footage of theirs soon!

Also, we have two big holiday-season punk concerts at LopLops Lounge to take in later this month, both courtesy of Tidal Records, and the first of them takes place on Saturday, December 21st, to be headlined by local Celtic punk quintet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide! This will be The Tide's first public concert since Rotaryfest in July, but it will be just their second indoor concert of 2019, following their St. Patrick's Day show at LopLops. With their forthcoming studio album still in progress, what kinds of new music will we hear from Dustin and company for this pre-Christmas bash? Be at LopLops in a couple of weeks to find out! Funk/hard rock quartet The Elements will open in a rare LopLops appearance, marking their first show since Halloween, and first non-tribute set since the Oh!No festival in September. As fans who saw them last month can attest, The Elements do know their way around punk covers, and they should provide a fine compliment on the 21st, so don't bypass their set!

This 19+ concert has a $10 cover charge and a 10:00 PM start time. Punk fans won't want to bypass this talented double bill four nights before Christmas, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

One week later, punk fans will want to return to LopLops, where Tide bandmates Dustin Jones & Marshall Jaaskelainen will bring their online page-less punk cover quartet The Cover-Up back for a headlining concert on Saturday, December 28th! This will be this group's first public concert since Go Skate Day in June, and their first LopLops date since their pre-Christmas show here in 2018, and it's great to see the guys back out there! Event advertising is billing the headliners under a new name, You First & The Givee Givees, and you can probably guess the inspiration for it. If we're being perfectly honest, I really hope that's a temporary name to reflect the 1990s/2000s punk cover theme of the show, as it's not catchy, it feels forced, and it has been done locally already (remember when the now-defunct HTs debuted as You First & The Passive Aggressives?) Speaking of The HTs, frontman Lucas Schmiedendorf's current punk quartet The Sick Sons will open on the 28th.

Despite their continued lack of an online page, The Sick Sons have been gaining in prominence in recent months, and their talented veteran take on the genre will be a great match! Billed as "Punk Rock Xmas" despite being held 3 days after the 25th, this is also a 10:00 PM concert with a 19+ age limit, but the cover charge is $7, lower than on the 21st. We have a nice string of Saturday night punk action in store at LopLops later this month, so visit the official Facebook event page for this show and the above links for much more on both of these concerts! That's all for today, but stay tuned for the rest of our weekend concert previews tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Din & Project 906), Plus Remaining Weekend Concert Previews!!

Here's our last weekend concert preview for this batch of shows, and just off the bat, I wanted to acknowledge that the Elements' preview should have been yesterday instead of Peril due to the Friday-only placement. Blonde moment, but I hadn't forgotten the show, and it's previewed here, along with two SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, despite their attachment to big festival events, with a new video from one! Here's what you should know!

Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Project 906 will provide musical entertainment at the fourth annual Moloney's Michigan Beerfest at (and outside) Moloney's Alley on West Portage Avenue TOMORROW! Apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed their involvement via their Facebook page this past Saturday, and with no posts scheduled until Monday, we opted to hold them for this weekend's previews. A festival devoted to craft and independent breweries in Michigan, 17 in-state breweries will be on hand with their wares for fans to try for themselves, which will be very exciting for beer aficionados, so visit the official Facebook event page for complete non-musical details! It's also worth noting that half of the proceeds will go towards the ongoing cancer battles for young area residents Jessica Jorgensen (who was similarly supported at Pop Evil's 2013 show here) and Alex McCready, so keep them in your thoughts when attending Moloney's Michigan Beerfest TOMORROW!

And yes, this is the latest Project 906 event at Moloney's Alley, which they have played prolifically in recent weeks, though they will look slightly different, as bassist Dustin Paras will be out of town this weekend. Filling in is former Scofflaw/Broke on Sunday bassist Barney Gravelle, who you may remember from playing with Joe Jenkins & Will Storey in 906's predecessor band Ten Kings, so keep that angle in mind TOMORROW! Moloney's Michigan Beerfest begins at 3:00 PM, but Project 906 will be on at 6:15 PM as a (the?) featured band, and tickets are $20 in advance, $25 on Saturday, with 4 drink tickets included, 5 if bought in advance. Tickets are available at Moloney's Alley, The Palace Saloon (just down the road) and the Downtown Development Authority office at 511 Ashmun Street. Visit the above links for complete details, and for a preview, here's a brand new video of Project 906 live at last week's Sidewalk Sales event at Crooked Music!

Though the weather wasn't as bad as forecasted, the downtown music store still hosted their musical entertainment inside, with their Facebook page confirming the day's musicians mid-sale, including Dead Water Tapes guitarist Garrett Chevrette, two-man-band The MC Experience (featuring Connor Tetzlaff & Tantrym Tyme's Mike East), former Half Stupid bassist Matt Williams, and a joint set from Stuck In Reverse's Raven Griffin and Retro Troop's Cliff Schaut. Project 906 (sans Dustin again) headlined, with a store staffer filming them covering The Marshall Tucker Band's "Can't You See". Solid acoustic performance of this southern rock classic, if a little pixellated, so give it a look below, and stay tuned for more from Project 906!

Next up, here's one more late notice show announcement, as Sault Ontario alternative/hard rock trio The Din are back at it TOMORROW NIGHT for a special Roberta Bondar Pavilion concert as part of the inaugural Fringe North International Theater Festival! Again, apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's official Facebook event page on Tuesday, and hadn't previously been advertised on the festival's website at that time (though it's on their schedule now.) An early event in this Buskerfest-succeeding festival of theatrical, street, and musical performers at varying downtown locations, TOMORROW'S show will double as the anniversary concert for their debut studio album "Give In To The Din", which came out on August 12th last year. In honour of the anniversary The Din will play the entire album from start to finish, as well as selections from their upcoming second album, so keep all of this in mind!

Though not advertised by the band, Fringe North's website lists local Christian rapper Bold Noize as opening, which does make sense, given his past guest appearances with The Din. Look for him to start the night and on three future days under the tent! Fringe North vendors will be on site for this FREE & ALL AGES concert at 9:00 PM TOMORROW, and of course, finally we'll see The Din rock the border at a (partial) music fest! Despite the unusually late notice, this should be a fun concert to commemorate The Din's one year old CD, so see above for more details, and here's The Din live!

Finally, here's a preview of one more previously announced concert taking place TONIGHT, as local funk/ska/hard rock quartet The Elements will play a rare headlining concert at The Rockstar Bar! Preparing a set chock full of varied covers and all of their originals for tonight's concert, this will definitely get a ska kick compared to their other recent shows, as saxophonist Josh Norling will return as a guest performer for the first time this year, so look for some smooth sax to compliment The Elements' hard hitting covers and originals tonight! Local alternative/hard rock quartet Bizotic will open tonight's proceedings in a rare Rockstar Bar stop, giving both bands some horn instrument action, and they should compliment things nicely, so don't be late for their set either, or to get some new stickers! A 19+ concert, expect a 10:00 PM start time and no announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more on this intriguing concert, and here's The Elements (and Josh) live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site over the weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Alien Boys, Rudyard Musicians Festival, And Project 906!!)

With a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT hitting the wire this afternoon, here's a surprise second news post for your Thursday night! That is also joined by two more new concerts taking place over the same weekend in just under a month's time, so read on below for what you should know, and check out other weekend concert previews and more in the post below this one from this morning!

Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Project 906 will return to Moloney's Alley for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced this show via their Facebook page earlier today. Still a largely unfamiliar venue for our coverage, the 227 West Portage Avenue bar played host to a private Project 906 show last month for Sault Area High School's class of 1997 reunion, but as far as I can tell, TOMORROW'S show is a regular, publically attendable show. Last seen at the King's Club Casino in Brimley two weeks ago, Project 906 are no strangers to branching out to atypical concert venues in the E.U.P., and hopefully things go well at Moloney's Alley TOMORROW! No word however on if the show will be outdoors again or indoors, but the picture they used to promote the event was from their outdoor set at the aforementioned reunion. Expect a 9:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and a 21+ age limit, so check the above links for more details, and here's Project 906 live last month!

Next up, here's some more new concerts with more than a day's public notice, starting with another new show from Sault Ontario promoters Six, Two, Oh.! Unusually taking place at The Rockstar Bar rather than their usual New A stomping grounds, this event on Friday, August 18th will be headlined by the local debut of Vancouver hardcore punk quintet The Alien Boys, but despite their name, they're actually an all-female group featuring former Rebel Spell guitarist Erin McGillicuddy. This will be nothing new for fans who saw Beaver Slap locally last month, but The Alien Boys' solid and energetic brand of punk rock should gain them their own audience locally, so don't miss them on the 18th! Local support (both in their Rockstar Bar debut) will include death metal duo Twistory's second live set of the year, as well as the second concert appearance period from Vol., the new indie/hard rock trio from Pixo Control and Aldous alumni. Nice diverse lineup, so don't miss out next month!

A $5 cover charge is in effect for this 19+ concert, and a 9:00 PM start time is in effect. Check the official Facebook event page for more details, and don't miss out on what should be a fun night of varying kinds of alternative music action! And yes, we are aware of a major concert event announced by Six, Two, Oh. for this fall, but we are waiting on confirmation on the venue and if it technically has a public address before we get ahead of ourselves on here. Stay tuned though, as this will be a big event!

Finally for tonight's post, the full lineup for this year's second annual Rudyard Musicians Festival in nearby Rudyard, Michigan was finally announced on Tuesday, so who all is rocking Rudyard Township Park on Saturday, August 19th? Mostly the same bands as last year, with only Stoned Ape Evolution, Second Offense, and The Gaskins not returning, so if you liked the inaugural Musicians Fest lineup, here you go! Despite previously indicating that there would be "NO METAL" this year, hard rock acts do populate two of the three top slots, with the aforementioned Project 906 headlining at 11:00 PM, as preceded by classic rockers/event promoters Steelhead (with guest performer Jimmy Bishop) at 10:00 PM, and sporadically seen experimental hard rock group The Karstens as one of this year's new bands at 9:00 PM. Good to see them back on stage! Fellow newcomers The Whole Shabang will tackle their own classic rock covers as well at 8:00 PM, while remaining performers are mostly in the online page-less country or bluegrass realm unless otherwise stated.

Other acts will include The North Country Band at 7:00 PM, The Wednesday Night Headliners at 6:00 PM, Robert & Bob Malaski at 5:00 PM, Jimmy Williams at 4:00 PM, pop artist Hayley Malaska at 3:30 PM, festival newcomer Kevin Blakeney at 3:00 PM, Crossroads alum Denny Verrett at 2:00 PM, Traverse City experimental outfit The Neighbourhood Dogs at 1:00 PM, and The (New?) Jazz Trio opening at 12:00 PM. Lots of talent on hand this year, so keep them all in mind! As well, organizers have confirmed that Friday the 18th will play host to an open mic night, as all of their equipment will be set up already, so "we might just as well use it" for a "Friday night free for all." You never know what you'll get with an open mic night, so if you're in the neighbourhood, this might be worth checking out! Free rustic camping will be available on sight for that weekend, while there will be a pig roast and other concessions for good measure. Admission is $5 a person, but kids 10 years old or under get in FREE, and like last year, all proceeds go to Rudyard Area Schools' music and band programs, which is always a worthy cause!

Despite promoters' earlier claim of no metal this year (no word on if that's specifically why Stoned Ape Evolution aren't back), it's nice to see some music on the heavier spectrum again this year, so if you're a fan of country or some more rocking music, you have options in this sophomore event, which is for a great cause and definitely looks to be a friendly event for fans of all ages! Visit the above links for complete details on this year's Rudyard Musicians Fest, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the SMS in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (FireHouse, Havadder, and Tym Morrison), And Canada Day Concert Previews!!

For our last post of the month of June 2016, we're tackling concert previews for this Canada Day weekend largely, including SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, but we also have additional shows for later this month from one act playing this weekend, and enough details on a big August show to call it for our listings, so here's what you should know!

With a new month drawing near, we'll add Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's July slate of acoustic solo concerts at Gliss Steak & Seafood to our concert listings, starting with shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY! Apologies for the short notice on this weekend's gigs, we were waiting for public confirmation of the July dates in his ongoing weekly arrangement with Gliss, which came via this weekend's Facebook event page. As usual when approaching this long-term run of shows, we've added Tym's presumed remaining July shows as well, so look for him at The Quality Inn's house restaurant as well on July 10th & 11th, 17th & 18th, and 24th & 25th for three more full weekends of unplugged classics! You can check out Tym's solo matinee concerts each Friday & Saturday this month (including TOMORROW & THIS SATURDAY) at 6:00 PM each, with no announced age limits or cover charges. For more details, see the above links, and here's Tym live!



Next up, local classic/hard rock cover trio Havadder will return to The Rockstar Bar for one night only THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced the show via the official Facebook event page yesterday. Seen less frequently this year than we have in the past, this will be Jason, Travis, and Scott's first concert in about a month, and just their fourth of the year, all at The Rockstar Bar. Of course we've seen 2/3rds of Havadder recently with The 3 Day Millionaires, but if you miss Havadder's blend of classic and hard rock covers, be at The Rockstar Bar THIS SATURDAY! Note that this is a one nighter due to a previously announced Canada Day concert tomorrow by country rock cover band The Ride (formerly The Border City Band), whose current lineup notably features ex-Havadder drummer T.J. Case. Admission for SATURDAY is likely free, there is a 10:30 PM start time in effect, and you must be 19 to attend. See above for more details, and here's Havadder live!



Before we round out this weekend's previews, here's one more new concert announcement, as we now have fuller details regarding Superior Entertainment's previously announced FireHouse concert on Saturday, August 6th in Sault Michigan, so where is it being held? Outdoors, behind Moloney's Alley, the Irish pub at 227 West Portage Avenue, which is just seconds down the road from The Satisfied Frog. Moloney's Alley isn't a frequent sight for hard rock concerts in the area, but it's great of them to host this huge outdoor show! In the event of rain, promoters will apparently "work with Kewadin (Casino) as a back up venue", even though The Dreammaker's Theater has a British Legends tribute show that night, but details would be fleshed out if need be. As for the lineup, North Carolina glam metal veterans FireHouse will of course headline in their third local concert appearance, while Saginaw rap rock band Redburn and Rochester, New York post-hardcore band Lights Out Paris will also return to the Soo as featured acts.

The show will apparently be an all-day event starting at 12:00 PM and ending at 8:00 PM, and "many more acts" are to be announced, so we'll let you know when they're confirmed! This Downtown Days event (which isn't being advertised as a sequel to last summer's Superior Festival) will be ALL AGES, and tickets are now available online at this link for $25, while children 14 and under can get in for $15, and babies 2 years and under will get free admission, though I can't confirm if you can get tickets at Moloney's Alley or not. It's great to see a huge summer concert event in Sault Michigan, in what has otherwise been a quiet stretch, so see above, click here, and stay tuned for continued details on this huge show!

Finally for today's previews, here's the biggest show of the Canada Day weekend in Sault Ontario, as Abbotsford, B.C. power pop/punk quartet Hedley will headline at The Yard at 75 Huron Street for a huge outdoor show TOMORROW NIGHT in the first half of the venue's Canada Day Kicker! This will be Hedley's first local concert appearance since headlining at The Essar Center in the fall of 2010, and with hits like "She's So Sorry", "Crazy For You", and "On My Own" in their repertoire, the Juno Award winners' diverse and fan friendly hits should attract a huge audience tomorrow! All-female Toronto indie rock quartet The Beaches are joining them on tour as openers with their poppy and skilled originals, while local/Toronto Celtic punk quartet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide will play their first local concert of 2016 to kick things off, and it'll be great to see them back on a local stage! For what it's worth, Dustin's personal Facebook posts for the show have tagged Mikey Hawdon in them, who is the band's most recent permanent drummer, but hasn't played with the band in their recent shows.

Nothing has been publically confirmed otherwise regarding who'll be behind the kit tomorrow, but be there to find out! Notably the first concert of any kind since The Tech bought The Yard from the Mill Square developers, this half of the Canada Day Kicker will be complimented by Saturday's Kira Isabella show, which should be entertaining for country & pop fans! This ALL AGES event has gates opening at 6:00 PM, with tickets going for $59.89, plus extra VIP & dual show passes from $82,49 & up, so click here to get yours online! Hedley are a huge attraction for pop and punk fans, and this should be a big hit, so see above for more details, and here they are live in the Soo!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes next month! Thanks everyone!