LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Greg Simpson & Dos Amigos) And The ARCH Run Concert Preview!!

Today's post got somewhat rushed and altered thanks to not one, but two SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for TONIGHT, so those lead off today along with our preview of a returning charity concert on Saturday, so here's what you should know as our weekend concert previews roll on!

Local acoustic punk cover duo Dos Amigos will make their apparent debut at Thomson Farms Cider & Winery for an outdoor patio concert TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was first announced via this AI generated poster on the winery's Facebook page last night, and it appears to have been relatively late notice in conception, as it's not on the band's summer concert calendar from Instagram on July 3rd. The 4057 Third Line West winery has been hosting occasional live unplugged musicians for Thursday evening concerts this summer, and it makes sense that Dos Amigos would step in for at least one of them, as singer/guitarists Mikey Hawdon and Dustin Jones played at Thomson Farms' teddy bear picnic in June 2024 and 2025 with BookcluB (such an event did not happen last month). Despite the late notice, hopefully there's a decent turnout TONIGHT for Dos Amigos' acoustic punk covers!

Thomson Farms are also hyping up having appetizers on sale, as well as seven different kinds of cider, so keep that in mind if that's your thing! This concert takes place TONIGHT from 6:00-9:00 PM with a presumed 19+ age limit given the winery aspect, and no announced cover charge. As this is on the patio, 9&10 News is calling or partly cloudy to clear skies TONIGHT with 22-23° temperatures. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Dos Amigos live (albeit indoors!)

Next up, Bone Yard 225 frontman Greg Simpson will bring his "Ranting Rockstar" solo show back to The Dive Gastro Pub for a "Think It Over Thursday" concert TONIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, Greg only announced the show via his personal Facebook page yesterday (he doesn't have a public page for his solo concerts that I am aware of), and while The Dive did finally confirm the booking on their Facebook page this afternoon, that's more than many of their concert bookings have gotten in recent months. TONIGHT's concert will be indoors in "The Naughty Corner", and if you're familiar with Bone Yard's "uncorked" gigs (let alone The Bearded Lounge), expect more of the same, just with Greg alone, though note that Soundcheck's Travis Sharpe has guested with him at the former Low & Slow before, and is a credited guest for Greg's set at the Maddy's Mighty Mutts family fun day in two weeks. Be there TONIGHT to see if he shows up again!

In case you're curious, Bone Yard 225 are playing at a stag & doe on Saturday night, which is listed on their website's calendar, but with rare exceptions, I don't cover stags & does as "concerts" here (even if ticketed) due to their hyper-personal nature. They'll next play proper public concerts next weekend at Beck's Bar, but TONIGHT'S "Ranting Rockstar" show is at 9:30 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details! The only public videos of Greg's solo dates that I can find are via The Dive, which now content matches their videos' audio as being their own, so embedding videos from their Facebook page now doesn't work.

Finally for weekend concert preview post #2 is an event that thankfully had lots of advance notice, namely the third annual ARCH Run takes place on SATURDAY outside of Jay's Piston Broke Pub! After last year's ARCH Run bizarrely never had a public schedule release, we now know exactly which bands will be rocking out to support the Algoma Regional Community Hospice as bikers make their annual rally through Sault Ste. Marie. Of course, if you want to pledge donations to ARCH or ride in the rally proper, or get details on the draw for a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle, click here. Numerous vendors will also be on site on this closed section of Korah Road for all of today's action! And just to clear up any confusion, this is the only ARCH motorcycle rally/concert this year, as the Dragonfly Run (which the ARCH Run splintered off from in 2024) ended last month, and click here for more on that decision from their organizers. 

Musically speaking, there will be a nightcap inside Jay's once again, this time by country rock cover band Elly McWatters & The Drifters at 9:30 PM, but outdoors, your headliners are young local hard rock quartet 5 Dollar Bribe, another high profile set or them as they continue building their local name and reputation! Country cover veterans (and 2024 ARCH Run performers) Tex Riviera & The Ride will take the stage at 7:00 PM, preceded by newer classic rock cover quartet Doo & The Boyos at 6:00 PM (if there will be a Stones At The Alter sidequest then, it's not in the advertising). New local alt-hard rock band Riverside Stasis will play their third public concert set (and penultimate gig with rhythm guitarist Liam Dinsmore) at 5:00 PM, while 1960s-themed classic rock band Whiskey Hippy are on at 4:00 PM. Prolific local drummer Chris Johns will hop on guitar for a reunion of his early 1990s local band The Korner Monsters at 3:00 PM.

If you're friends of his on Facebook, head there to see archival video of this band, and it will be interesting to hear how they go over on Saturday, or if this leads to more concerts! Chris will joined by singer/guitarist Rusty Barrel, bassist Dave Konkin, and drummer Jim Edwards, and they will be playing 1980s-1990s alt rock covers. Your openers are local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith and his Big Finish Band in his first proper advertised local date of 2026, and of course, most of his band will be playing at night's end with Elly & The Drifters, so they have a big day ahead! While donations and pledges are encouraged, attending the ARCH Run and the indoor nightcap is free, and the outdoor festivities are all ages. In terms of the weather, 9&10 News is currently calling for overcast to mostly cloudy skies with a high of 23°, and as of the current forecast, the rain expected on Saturday morning should be done prior to Mike's opening set. 

Supporting ARCH and the work they do for those dealing with cancer is always a wonderful reason to come out for events like this and help out, and kudos to everyone for donating their time! While it is unfortunate that the Dragonfly Run isn't back this year, I am very glad that there is still an outdoor concert festival and motorcycle rally to raise money for ARCH, and hopefully there's a great turnout on Saturday, especially with the comfortable temperatures hopefully continuing! Visit the above links for more on ARCH Run III, and here's 5 Dollar Bribe live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned next for our Go North Music Festival and Sandman previews, and the Superior Whitefish Festival Battle of the Bands and Sunday's all-local Blaster concert are also in queue! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (ARCH Run & Quite Frankly!!)

This news post had some big changes while it was being written, thanks to a big LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month for a wonderful cause, but first, here's another new show and a related update from a talented foursome who suddenly have a high profile July ahead!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Quite Frankly will return to Beck's Bar for one night only on Saturday, July 11th! The band announced the show on their Facebook page on Sunday as a secondary note in a post thanking everyone for seeing them at The Water Tower Pub the previous night, and it's always good to get advance word of shows at Beck's on a band's end! This will be a 9:30 PM event with a 19+ age limit and no cover as usual. While we're on the subject, Quite Frankly made a big announcement yesterday, as they will make their Rotaryfest Stage 1 debut on Friday, July 17th at 8:00 PM! There has been lineup shuffling to create this opening, as local Tragically Hip tribute band The Luxury have quietly dropped out of the closing 10:30 PM set on Saturday the 18th (I have not heard a public reason as to why). Festival organizers opted to move classic rock trio The Sidekicks into that timeslot instead.

As The Sidekicks were originally the 8:00 PM Friday band, that timeslot became available, so kudos to Linsaey, Frank, Harley, and Joe for stepping in to play the Soo's summer festival! Quite Frankly will be the third-to-last band that night, only behind headlining North Bay classic rockers Just Press Play and local veterans Headrush. Click here for the updated Rotaryfest Stage 1 schedule, hopefully all is well with The Luxury, and visit the above links for more on Quite Frankly's plans over the next month!

Next up, the full band lineup for the third annual ARCH Run at Jay's Piston Broke Pub has been announced! The annual Algoma Regional Community Hospice fundraiser motorcycle rally will take place on Saturday, July 25th, and along with the rally proper that starts and ends at the former Roosevelt Hotel, there will be a draw for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. If you want to take part as a rider and/or pledge for a great cause, click here. After not plugging a band schedule last year despite reportedly hosting live music all day and night (Bourbon Blue played inside Jay's as the nightcap), Jay's have mercifully publicized a schedule for 2026, albeit via an AI-generated poster on their Facebook page. Country rock cover quintet Elly McWatters & The Drifters will serve as the indoor closing band this year at 9:30 PM, but the rest of the bands will be playing outside on Korah Road, so who all can you expect for the ARCH Run on July 25th?

The closing outdoor band at 8:00 PM will be young hard rock cover quartet 5 Dollar Bribe, in what may be their highest profile gig yet, so keep this one in mind! They'll be preceded by country rock cover veterans Tex Riviera & The Ride (who played the ARCH Run in 2024) at 7:00 PM, with newer classic rock quartet Doo & The Boyos taking the stage at 6:00 PM. No sign of Stones At The Alter in the advertising here, for the record. New local alt-hard rock quintet Riverside Stasis will play another outdoor summertime gig at 5:00 PM (we'll have more on WestFest II when the full lineup goes live), preceded by acoustic 1960s classic rock duo Whiskey Hippy at 4:00 PM. A mystery band named The Korner Monsters are scheduled for 3:00 PM, and while I have zero idea who they are, note that 2024 had a mystery band too (The Hoovers, who ended up being most of Soundcheck with a singer from their old open mic nights).

Could The Korner Monsters be similar? We'll let you know when/if we hear anything! Lastly, local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith (or, if you believe the AI bot, Mike Haggath) will kick off the music schedule at 2:00 PM, presumably with The Big Finish Band in tow. Most are playing with The Drifters that night anyway! Nicely varied lineup of music with a lot of hard rock to go around, and kudos to everyone for donating their time to support ARCH! Attending the concert will be free, but donations and pledges would be absolutely welcomed if you are able. The outdoor portion will be all ages, but you'll have to be 19+ to see Elly & The Drifters inside. If you're wondering, this will be the only ARCH benefit rally/concert this year, as the Dragonfly Run (the former Ride For ARCH that was held at Jay's in 2023 before things split in two between venue & organizers) has ended after a decade-long run, as per this statement last month.

Co-organizer Marcy Catherine D'Ettore said that "we have a lot on our plate right now", and that "I don't feel (that) I can give (the Run) the amount of time, effort, and care that it deserves this year, and something this meaningful should never be done halfway". While not mentioned directly, Marcy and her husband (Bone Yard 225 guitarist Alex D'Ettore) lost their daughter Ally in the spring, which must have played a factor into where priorities lie. Marcy & Alex did a lot for ARCH and the community with this ride, and at least they're ending things on a high note in terms of what they did accomplish! Visit the above links for more on the ARCH Run, and look or more news and notes on the SMS soon! Thanks everyone!

New Videos From & Prior To Recent Concerts, Plus Upcoming Event Details!!

I hope everyone had a good Easter long weekend! We're back with a full news post on this Easter Monday, including pre-concert teaser videos from a recent extreme metal show, new live footage, and leading off, new details on an upcoming charity event, so here's what you should know!

When we first covered local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225's spring concert calendar on the site last month, I noted that one announced date was a "promo party" for this year's Dragonfly Run motorcycle rally for the Algoma Regional Community Hospice, to take place at the Downtown Plaza on Saturday, May 24th. I listed it in our calendar despite the lack of information, but we can rectify that now, as a Facebook event page has been launched for the event, entitled "Hearts & Horsepower"! This pre-party will see Bone Yard take the stage at the plaza at 12:00 PM, along with a motorcycle show and on-site donations for ARCH, helping set the stage for and promote the Dragonfly Run proper in August, as it enters its tenth year, third as the Dragonfly Run, and second at The Grand Gardens. Weather permitting (covered stage for bands acknowledged), hopefully this is a great time to help get the word out for the rally!

Hearts & Horsepower has a 10:00 AM-2:00 PM timeframe, no age limit, and no cover charge, though if you want information as to how to display/enter your bike into the event, contact Bone Yard 225 and/or frontman Greg Simpson on Facebook for details. This should be a fun event for motorcycle and/or rock fans alike, and hopefully ARCH gets some much needed donations before the big event takes place later this summer, so visit the above links for more details on this Dragonfly Run pre-party!

Next up, here's some videos of two bands from Friday night's The Pit metal concert at Soo Blaster, albeit not of the actual show itself (yet). We'll start with headlining death/thrash metal trio Pillory, who posted one more rehearsal/jam session video to their Facebook page on Saturday as "a nugget for everyone until we get some edits of the show up". The video sees Robert, Blair, and Bret playing an instrumental take of their newer original song "A Drop Of Shame In An Ocean of Guilt". While filmed in the same place as their "Specimen Of Egotism" video from the 14th, this was clearly shot at night, but this new video is both better and worse visually. The lighting is cooler for a metal performance, and nicely accentuates Bret's kit, and we're not staring at Blair's back for the duration here, albeit because he's sitting for the duration. Still not ideal placement, especially as Robert doesn't step into frame of the camera at all. He's definitely there, so why not move the camera?

This song is suitably brutal and heavy for fans of Pillory's, and it does have a fittingly dark quality to it to go along with the lighting, but will we see it in their teased official video content from Soo Blaster on Friday? We should find out soon, but check out this new rehearsal clip below!

Also, here's the rest of the pre-debut hype "Reels" from local progressive/djent metal quartet Convergence's Facebook page in the lead-up to The Pit on Friday! In their pre-concert "Reel" from April 12th, things start with the guys having fun during rehearsals (including new singer Stephen Gagnon-Ruscio standing "like Elliot", a reference lost on me), before we see screenshots of band members' conversations, leading into guitarist Jake Valois acknowledging curveballs on their road to their debut gig. While they were able to run through the whole set together with vocals, band members were also falling ill so it was tough to get everyone in the same room. Jake felt good about everything by the end, though! The last two "Reels" were posted after The Pit came and went, starting with this one featuring the guys (minus Jake) rehearsing for the show on Wednesday, which is a light watch without major scoops.

The last "Reel" (which I'd embed here if I was able to embed "Reels" externally) features Convergence  hanging out at Soo Blaster in preparation for their set. Mostly very light for content but there are some brief glimpses of familiar faces not in Convergence, including a couple of split second views of Pillory's headlining set, strongly hinting that someone in or affiliated with Convergence filmed the bands proper on Friday. Drummer David Peredun did acknowledge how well ticket sales went, which is good to see! We'll have more from The Pit and/or Convergence's debut set on the SMS soon, but give these "Reels" a watch for yourselves above!

We'll close today with a brand new video from local classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down's Facebook page... well, publically shared from drummer Ric Datson's personal Facebook page! This 16 minutes-long video heavily edits together bits of songs played at Jay's Piston Broke Pub over the April 4th-5th weekend (the specific day was not given), but over two dozen songs are excerpted in this montage captured at three camera angles. One is in front of the band, one is an overhead angle like previously seen in their A Flock Of Seagulls cover, and one is a drumcam video of Ric performing. He implied that filming may have been curtailed due to leaving extra camera batteries at home, so keep that in mind. Of course, I'd prefer to see full songs, but at least these are professionally edited (and horizontal) videos, and if you're curious to sample Double Down's current sets with Dan on bass, this is a good way to do it in a relatively short time!

Double Down are currently next slated to rock The Water Tower Pub on Friday, May 2nd (if they have a short notice gig or two this weekend, we'll let you know), so this video will give a taste of the diverse covers and surprise picks to hear from the Syrettes, Dan, and Ric in concert, so give it a watch for yourselves below, and stay tuned for more from their camp!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tesla & Bookclub) And Recent Sault Ontario Concert Videos!!

Today's post came together in part due to a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT that slipped my notice earlier this week, but a big show in the E.U.P. and some new videos of local cover hard rock acts are rounding things out, so here's what you should know!

Local alt-hard rock cover sextet Bookclub will return to the stage when they headline the fourth annual Illuminate The Season fundraiser for the Algoma Regional Community Hospice TONIGHT at The Machine Shop! Apologies for the short notice, Bookclub only announced their involvement in TONIGHT'S event via their Facebook page this past Sunday, and ARCH's website does not reference bands as taking part at all. Illuminate The Season is a multi-day event featuring auctions for Christmas decor and gifts from local merchants, plus Santa Claus' workshop, ice skating with Santa himself,  refreshments, and other family friendly activites at the Mill Square venue, and it is great to see so many groups and supporters coming together to celebrate Christmas early while supporting ARCH! Bookclub's concert TONIGHT marks their first publically advertised performance since their summer concert series gig at The Roberta Bondar Pavillion gig three months ago.

No word on where Mikey, Brandon, Dustin, Allan, Erin, and Josh have been since the summer, but hopefully their varied and fan-friendly, horn-laced covers draw a solid reception from attendees TONIGHT! While day #3 of Illuminate The Season began at 10:00 AM, Bookclub's concert sets proper begin TONIGHT at 7:00 PM to cap off the program (if there's musicians playing tomorrow, I haven't seen public reference to them, but its the last day running from 10:00-4:00). This is absolutely an ALL AGES event and there is no cover charge, but ARCH donations would absolutely be appreciated. See above for more details, and here's Bookclub live!

Next up, here's a big new concert announcement for 2025, as Sacramento glam metal/hard rock quintet Tesla will return to The Dreammakers Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino for a headlining date on Friday, February 28th! While Tesla are no strangers to playing here (they've been to the Soo at least four times), they have not performed up here since July 2013, so it'll be almost 12 years since Hair Scare fans heard them & their classic hits like "Love Song", "What You Give", and their "Signs" cover on local soil, let alone potential songs from their last two albums! This will also be their first local gig since Steve Brown replaced Troy Luccketa on drums. Tesla still sound good live today, and hopefully they draw a solid crowd later this winter! No word on a possible opening band at press time, but 2013's show here was opened by inactive Detroit hard rock band Fifth Way (featuring former local guitarist Zak Stelmaszek).

Presented by Rock 101, tickets go on sale on Friday at this link, at 1-800-KEWADIN, or at the in-person box office, with tickets running for $65-$85 USD depending on location of seats. This is definitely higher than Tesla's 2013 concert here, but again, that was almost twelve years ago. Hair/glam metal is a reliable seller up here, so Tesla should get a strong turnout in three months, but visit the above links for more on the first major hard rock show in the Twin Saults for 2025!

Also today, let's return north by looking at some brand new videos of Sault Ontario acoustic classic/hard rock cover act Dodge This' late notice gig at The Water Tower Pub on Friday! Jeff July was there to provide hand drum percussion on Friday, with four videos from the night being shared to the band's Facebook page on Monday in a batch post. The videos include mostly-solo renditions of Kings of Leon's "Sex On Fire" and Zach Bryan's "Something In The Orange" by Jamie July and two full band performances, including Collective Soul's "December", and as embedded below, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band's "Night Moves". While not a heavier song, that's the only one with Jason Taillefer on lead vocals, and he injects some good heavier vocals and passion into this ballad that Phatstick fans will appreciate! Good work all around, especially for fans of Jamie-led material, so check out Dodge This above & below!

Finally for today, here's a new promotional clip for newer local classic/hard rock cover quintet Headrush's shows at The Esquire Club this weekend, tonight included! Bassist John Amendola shared it to the band's Facebook page last night (less than two hours before showtime for night #1, granted), and it features 46 seconds of very brief clips of them in concert at public and private events. Notably, the video does include some snippets that have not publically been uploaded in a longer form, let alone a horizontal one. While I can't identify all of them given the audio quality of the original cameras and the brevity of the clips, a late and new-to-me snippet is from Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me", focusing on guitarist Wes Greco during the solo. Actually, the video ends with Wes-focused clips, so if you know his skill level and like solos, wait til the end. Good teaser while it lasts, so check it out below, and don't miss Headrush tonight in the west end!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site next week! Thsnk

Chase Wigmore/Del Boy Druid Concert Preview, New Videos, And ARCH Run Clarifications!!

Before we begin today's post, just a heads up that Tym Morrison's previously advertised concert at Gino's Fired Up Kitchen & Bar has apparently been cancelled, as per the deletion of its Facebook event page and earlier reporting by Bone Yard 225 bassist Warren Reville that acoustic patio concerts there in general had stopped. Disappointing, but we'll have more from Tym soon, and we still have a Wednesday concert preview leading things off, as well as new videos and recent updates, so here's what you should know on this Wednesday morning!

We'll start with a special mid-week concert preview, as local folk punk/extreme metal solo musician Chase James Wigmore will rock Soo Blaster TONIGHT when he opens for Winnipeg "hobo rock" singer/guitarist Del Boy Druid! Last seen earlier this month at Soo Blaster opening for Sylo, tonight's show promises to lean well into Chase's folk punk side more than anything, so while we may not get harsh vocals and such, his intense and passionate original music should be at the forefront as he helps kick off the proceedings! Del Boy Druid will bring his own distinct and original brand of folk rock to the local stage for the first time tonight, and he should turn some heads among folk and indie music fans, so definitely check him out on Bandcamp to see what he brings to the table! Outsider/anti-folk solo musician Shae Tull will kick things off tonight with another opening set that should leave a strong impression also at Soo Blaster once again!

Another presentation by promoter Mikhal Muto (kinda surprised that Agnosticism aren't playing this one), tonight's concert is a 19+ affair at 10:00 PM with admission costing $10 in advance at this link or $15 at the door. If you like anti-folk, outsider folk, and folk punk, you won't want to miss this concert despite its scheduling on a work/school night, so visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Chase live!

Next up, the twelfth song in Mikey & His Uke's series of 30th anniversary covers of songs from Green Day's 1994 album "Dookie" went live on their YouTube channel on Monday! Unfortunately, this was our longest wait yet for a new remotely filmed all-star cover in this series, coming six weeks after "Coming Clean" dropped. As Mikey's tribute to "Dookie" continues the deep cuts-only home stretch, song #12 is "Emenius Sleepius", and if you're a fan of Bowling For Soup, you'll be very interested, as singer Jaret Reddick and bassist Rob Felicetti are on hand for this cover! Fans may recall Jaret covering Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" with Mikey and crew last year, while Rob's involvement makes this the first "Dookie" cover in this series to not feature Andy Plafoot or Randy Bradbury on bass. Bookclub frontman Mikey Hawdon plays guitar and (initially) ukelele once again.

Ex-Goldfinger drummer Darren Pfieffer continues his run as the series' house drummer here, and he has another hockey jersey for the occasion! No major frills here for production or video settings, but everyone delivers an enthusiastic performance of this Green Day hidden gem, and it is neat to see half of Bowling For Soup involved in this one! We have just two songs left (three if the bonus track "All By Myself" is tackled separately), so look for "In The End" next! Given past timeframes, it should drop between Sunday and October 7th (the current average would be September 14th). Check out "Emenius Sleepius" for yourselves below!

Also today, here's some updates from local hard rock quintet HeadFirst, who have been announced as the local openers for the Blood Opera-headlined Steel City NerdCon afterparty at The Queen Of Hearts Club above Shooters on October 19th! They will be taking over for The Apocalypse Afterparty in this role for Blood Opera's local return, and hopefully their skilled originals and covers prove to be a fitting appetizer for the violent horror-influenced stage show to follow later this fall! In terms of new videos, HeadFirst posted a "Shorts" video to their YouTube channel earlier this week of drummer Anthony Boudreau dancing to Men Without Hats' "The Safety Dance" outside of Jay's Piston Broke Pub during the ARCH Run while in work clothes! Yes, HeadFirst were the headliners outside that day, but he is seen here dancing during Bourbon Blue's set (I don't think they were playing "The Safety Dance" though.)

Fun video for what it is, and we'll have more from the ARCH Run in a second! For now, we actually have proper new live videos of them at their late notice Hilton Beach gig on August 17th from their Facebook page, where you can see HeadFirst covering Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising", and as embedded below, either a very obscure cover or an unreleased original song, as I couldn't match the lyrics to anything. Both of these videos are vertical and were shot in "selfie mode" by singer Red Jettison, capturing a lively crowd dancing along at this community hall kitchen fundraiser, and while neither video is very long, the band sounds good on both! Check these out above & below!

Finally for today, here's four brief clarifications from the band lineup at the ARCH Run outside of Jay's Piston Broke Pub on Saturday! Partial credit goes to Audrey Marshall for these notes, as photos shared from her personal Facebook page helped confirm some missing or incorrect details from our coverage last week. These are in alphabetical order by artist name:

 

• Bourbon Blue drummer Alvaro Scheid was in attendance for the motorcycle rally/concert, and actually played guitar in their debuting Pink Floyd tribute sister band Dark Side Of The Soo (Jules Cote drummed). Alvaro did drum with the pop rock cover band for their matinee outdoor set (which was also short-handed alongside just Jules and Nicole), but he did indeed miss Bourbon Blue's indoor nighttime show at Jay's, with Double Down's Ric Datson filling in instead. Hopefully both bands' sets were a success! 
• Though personal Facebook postings indicated that new local acoustic rock project Dodge This was a duo, guitarist Jamie July is not pictured in Audrey's photos from the ARCH Run, with just singer/guitarist Jason Taillefer performing. I haven't heard why Jamie missed the event, but hopefully nothing too serious happened, and fans of Jason's recent shows at The Dive will have taken to his covers on Saturday!
• New local classic rock band The Hoovers welcomed Soundcheck's Terry Eaton, Jim Michaud, and Glen Thomas (no Cameron) to back up singer/guitarist Dwayne (not sure of his last name). According to Glen's personal Facebook page, they knew Dwayne via performing with them when they were jam night hosts at Jay's. Time will tell how The Hoovers will progress as a live concern, but Dwayne found a very capable backing band for the set!
• "The Preacher" has nothing to do with Lindsay Pugh or his song of that name. Rather, that is a handle being used for former Crossed/Deter guitarist Josh McNally's current blues solo material, which has recently been garnering attention at some more intimate indoor venues. In fact, he makes his Jay's debut as a solo musician on Friday! It is good to see Josh back performing locally, even if he's playing very different material nowadays than old Oddfellows Hall regulars will be used to!
  

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

The ARCH Run Concert Preview!!

For post #4 of this very busy slate of weekend concert previews, we're looking at the first of this weekend's two motorcycle rallies in support of the Algoma Regional Community Hospice! Now, I want to preface our previews by noting that I am not going into details about or taking sides re: the Dragonfly Run's split with Jay's Piston Broke Pub, or Jay's decision to host the ARCH Run the day prior. At least in a public sense, I only know the Dragonfly Run organizers' side of the break, and you can read their statement at this link. Regardless of what happened, both rallies are donating their proceeds to ARCH, which is a very worthy cause to support no matter how you do it, and I hope both rallies meet expectations!

Now, here's our extended profile of TOMORROW's first annual ARCH Run, which replaces the Dragonfly Run at Jay's Piston Broke Pub (also this run's hosts). The centerpiece of this event is (of course) a motorcycle rally through town in support of the hospice, and while riders have been pledging money in support of ARCH, you can also contribute by attending the street party outside of Jay's featuring a busy lineup of local musicians, vendors, a silent auction, prize draws, and more! Visit Jay's Facebook page and the official Facebook event page for full non-musical details. While we knew fragments of the live music lineup prior, organizers only announced the full band schedule on Wednesday, and there will be some hard rock to take in! The closing band outside of Jay's at 8:00 PM tomorrow is local hard rock quintet HeadFirst, moved up from their originally announced 5:00 PM set, and they should end the street party with a bang tomorrow evening!

Co-headlining outside tomorrow at 7:00 PM are Dodge This, the new local acoustic rock duo featuring former Phatstick frontman Jason Taillefer and former Havadder/Band Camp Rejects guitarist Jamie July. You may recall seeing the two playing at The Dive Gastro Pub in recent weeks, preceded by Jason's own solo dates there, and it will be interesting to see how their set goes over! The 6:00 PM set belongs to a mystery act named "The Preacher", who I know nothing concrete about, but I do know that veteran local musician Lindsay Pugh has a song of that name on his most recent solo album. Whether that's relevant or not, I don't know, but we'll let you know if we hear anything! Pop rock cover quartet Bourbon Blue (whose members played at the Dragonfly Run last year as "Nicky & The Southpaws") will take the outdoor stage at 5:00 PM before they head inside Jay's as their regular nighttime performers.

Note that Double Down drummer Ric Datson will be filling in with Bourbon Blue this weekend due to Alvaro Scheid's inavailability, and he'll be very fitting as a guest! Rising young metal trio The BAG will rock the street party at 4:00 PM to give things a bit of a heavier kick, while the 3:00 PM set belongs to Dark Side Of The Soo, a local Pink Floyd tribute band largely comprised of Bourbon Blue members. I'm unfamiliar with them as a public concern, but if you recall Jules & Nicole's prior tribute band The Soo Fighters, you know that they can handle tribute sets easily! Country rock veterans Tex Riviera & The Ride hit the stage at 2:00 PM, while your opening band at 1:00 PM is The Hoovers, who are new to me, but according to classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck's Facebook page, their set will see three members (likely absent Terry or Cameron) backing up a friend named Dwayne on vocals & guitar for this afternoon-opening set.

I'm not even familiar with which musician named Dwayne that the band referenced, but be there at 1:00 PM to learn what you can about The Hoovers! Soundcheck's support for this set came together on late notice, for the record. The street party proper begins at 11:00 AM, and it is FREE & ALL AGES, though of course, consider donating to ARCH however you can while on Korah Road tomorrow, and the rally through the city starts and ends at Jay's. Weather-wise, we are looking at mostly cloudy skies with temperatures ranging from 21-24° throughout the day, but note that 9&10 News is calling for a 30% chance of rain from about 2:00 PM onwards, with a chance of thunder until around 4:00 PM. If you are at all concerned about the weather impairing any of the events outside of Jay's, then keep tabs on their social media for any extra details. It sounds like the ARCH Run has a lot planned for a great cause, so don't miss out on all of the action!

We'll preview Sunday's Dragonfly Run next, but visit the above links for complete public details about tomorrow's ARCH Run, and I hope that loads of cash are raised for the hospice, who are always deserving of support from the community! For a preview, here's HeadFirst live last month!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Dragonfly Run and Wax Mannequin previews tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (HeadFirst!!)

Local hard rock quintet HeadFirst have announced six upcoming concerts that we didn't know about via this concert calendar on their Facebook page on Wednesday, so what should you know for these LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS? Not counting their already-occurred June dates and their Rotaryfest Stage 2 opening set on July 20th, the guys' next brand new show will see them rock The Roberta Bondar Pavilion on Sunday, July 21st as part of this year's Sault Pridefest Loud & Proud family fun day! This annual event occasionally (but not always) hosts heavier bands, and while some past installments have been at the Bushplane Museum, things are under the big tent next month. Expect family friendly activities and lots of LGBTQ+ community awareness and inclusion events and vendors on this day, but we await a formal public announcement of the lineup/itinerary.

This will take place rain or shine at 1:00 PM (running until 4:00), it's absolutely all ages, and there is no announced cover charge. Stay tuned for more on Loud & Proud when details roll out! Then on Saturday, July 27th, HeadFirst will return to Shooters Downstairs Lounge for... their EP release party?! While they did release their single "Don't Care, Don't Mind" last month, this is the first 100% public confirmation that they recorded a formal EP rather than just a one-off single, which is encouraging for fans! As noted in their Facebook post about the new dates, the EP will be called "Head Trauma" and will feature four original songs (I assume "The Walk" is one, but they haven't posted full videos of any other originals live). No word on if physical copies will be on sale, but "extra goodies" will be unveiled at Shooters on the 27th, and the EP will drop on major streaming services the following day. Exciting times for HeadFirst, obviously, so stay tuned for more on "Head Trauma"!

As best as I can tell, the release party remains a 9:30 PM event with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge, and like normal this year, Shooters hosts DJs on Friday nights, hence why this is a one-nighter. Moving to August, their first date that month (at Shooters on Saturday the 17th) was already announced publically, but it is the leadoff in a string of four straight Saturday nighters for Red, Raine, Liam, Claire, and Anthony, with their next show being at Jay's Piston Broke Pub on August 24th for the first ever ARCH Run! This is the new splinter motorcycle rally being held at Jay's after the Dragonfly Run (née Ride For ARCH) moved to The Grand Gardens. I won't get into the controversy about why the rally split into two competing events on consecutive days, but don't lose sight of the fact that both are fundraisers for the Algoma Regional Community Hospice, and I don't want to discourage anything that will help them.

HeadFirst will be playing from 5:00-6:00 PM on August 24th during the street party outside of the former Roosevelt Hotel, which will feature more live bands, vendors, prizes, and a silent auction, basically like what the Dragonfly Run did at Jay's last year before the schism. A motorcycle rally for the cause is the event's centerpiece, and pop rock cover band Bourbon Blue (members of which played last year as Nicky & The Southpaws) will be the headliners inside Jay's that night. We await fuller details on the live entertainment in and out of Jay's during the ARCH Run, but it's a FREE & ALL AGES event unless pledging for/riding in the rally, and it starts at 10:00 AM. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details! Ending their summer concert slate, the guys will return to the aforementioned Shooters for a show on Saturday, August 31st, which notably falls on the Labour Day long weekend, so don't forget that angle!

Lastly, HeadFirst will play a rare full weekend on Friday, September 6th & Saturday, September 7th when they return to the site of their live debut, namely Reggie's Place, so help the guys kick off the fall concert season then! Their Shooters date the previous week and these Reggie's shows will all be 9:30 PM affairs with no cover charge and 19+ age limits, so if you want some hard rock cover and original action downtown in late summer/early fall, keep these dates in mind! That's all for this single band post, but stay tuned for this month's CD review and more soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (BookcluB) & Their Brand New Facebook Page!!

Today's post is almost entirely devoted to one local band in particular, and one that I no longer have to include the "online page-less" qualifier for in write-ups! LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS lie within as well, so here's what you should know on this rainy Sunday morning!

We have a new-ish local band to add to our links, and they are BookcluB, at long last! Despite debuting on stage at Outspoken Brewing's Oktoberfest concert in 2022, it took over 20 months for the band to launch a Facebook page, so now we can link them here and they can publically promote gigs on social media! As you may know, BookcluB is the current live project from former Inner City Surfers/Rising Tide bandmates Mikey Hawdon & Dustin Jones, albeit in different roles (Mikey on vocals & guitar, Dustin on bass). Since debuting, they have been joined by drummer Allan Watson (ex-Room 206) and trumpet player Erin Antonello, while Wyld Stallyns saxophonist Josh Norling came on board by last fall to round out their horn section. Handsome Sandwich/ex-Generations guitarist Brandon Ruch is the band's newest member, joining over the winter to replace fellow Surfers/Room 206 alum Dave Bahun.

Rather than sticking to most members' punk backgrounds, BookcluB specialize in alternative and indie rock covers, often songs that other local bands don't play. There's enough here to cross the SMS' radar based on their complete playlist and background, and of course, they'd theoretically do a bang-up job on ska punk with Josh & Erin around! BookcluB have played numerous festivals and community events since debuting, far moreso than traditional bar gigs, including sets last year at the Fringe North and Summer Moon Festivals, a Queen Street block party last August, Mikey's pre-wedding concert at Soo Blaster featuring multiple bands of his, and two December headlining dates at LopLops, among other events. Recently seen at the Great Lakes Outdoor Show and Searchmont's Spring Bash, BookcluB's next show (weather permitting?) is at Thomson Farms today at 1:00 PM during their first ever teddy bear picnic.

Other previously announced dates from them ahead include their second straight Rotaryfest Stage 1 set at Clergue Park on Saturday, July 20th, before playing at the second annual Salty Marie Trails Fest at Hiawatha Highlands the following week. It is newly confirmed that local pop rock cover band The Dead Stops (featuring Garden of Bedlam & Sense of Truth alumni) will be opening there, so look for them at the Trails Fest too! Three dates (one oddly not referenced on the band's Facebook page yet) are new to us, including a reported set this weekend during Poutine Feast, which moves to the new Downtown Plaza this year after previously being held outside of the Ermatinger Clergue National Historic Site. Given the relatively late notice, I'll hold off on formally going into details at this juncture, but we'll have more for our Canada Day weekend concert previews (last year, Poutine Feast organizers only announced the full entertainment lineups on the Tuesday prior).

The next date is the one that BookcluB didn't mention (yet), as they'll return to The Roberta Bondar Pavilion on Thursday, August 8th! This show takes place during the city of Sault Ste. Marie's annual Summer Concert Series under the big tent, with musicians again playing there on Tuesdays and Thursdays in July & August, though BookcluB are the only real SMS-amenable band scheduled for 2024 (click here for the full performer lineup). BookcluB played in this series last summer too, and hopefully they get a solid crowd and non-humid weather for the occasion! This Thursday nighter takes place at 7:00 PM, it's definitely all ages, and there is no cover charge. Lastly for today's BookcluB announcements, they will hit The Machine Shop on Saturday, September 28th when they play at The ARCH Bucket List Ball, a returning charity event to support the Algoma Regional Community Hospice.

The ball will feature "an abundance of alluring adventures", including dinner and refreshments, caricature portraits, a magician, tattoos, and more entertainment to support ARCH, and hopefully there's a great turnout for the cause this fall! Note that organizers have not confirmed BookcluB's involvement online, let alone possible other musicians. A 5:00 PM start time is advertised for this all ages event, but given the charity ball nature and all you get for going, tickets cost $125 (you can buy them and 10-person table seating at this link). We'll pick things back up for BookcluB with our Poutine Feast late notice preview later this week, but see above for much more on them now that they have social media! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Cory Marks & Bone Yard!!)

Today's SMS post is devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for your summer delectation, and while most come from a frequently seen cover band, a big headlining show was also confirmed featuring a rising headliner. Here's what you should know on all announced fronts!

Local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard have announced their concert schedule for the entire summer season (barring anything that could be announced in the interim) on their Facebook page, so what should you know about Greg, Alex, and Warren's mid-2023 plans? Firstly, we won't retread the Queen Street Cruise at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion on June 16th & 17th, as they were already announced for that last month, but click here for our coverage at the time. Five (technically six) of the new shows will take place at Jay's Piston Broke Pub, including a one nighter on Friday, June 2nd and then full weekends on June 30th-July 1st (Canada Day) and August 18th-19th! No word on why they're not playing at the former Roosevelt Hotel on Saturday, June 3rd, but as you can see in the calendar, they will reportedly be replacing Soundcheck as jam night hosts there on Thursday the 1st, though the reason for the switch is not yet known.

This won't be the first time that Bone Yard have subbed in for Soundcheck as the Thursday jam night hosts at Jay's, so prepare for the change in band if you come to that in two weeks! Of note, the August gigs at Jay's coincide with the Dragonfly Run, so what is that? Basically, it's the relaunched and renamed Ride For ARCH, the annual motorcycle rally that benefits the Algoma Residential Community Hospice, which will be held on Saturday, August 19th this year. Bone Yard are no strangers to the Ride For ARCH, having played at the former Reggie's West multiple times to support the cause, and while I'm not sure why the event was renamed, it's still benefiting ARCH in full. Along with the bike rally, there will be a barbecue, a street party on Korah Road, local vendors, and family entertainment outside of Jay's, so be sure to visit the above links and the Facebook event page for details on the event as they come in! All of Bone Yard's upcoming Jay's concerts have 19+ age limits, no cover, and 9:30 PM start times.

Heading downtown, Bone Yard have confirmed five upcoming concerts at Shooters Downstairs Lounge on Dennis Street, so look for them there on June 23rd & 24th, Friday, July 7th only (no word on why they're not playing on Saturday the 8th), and then on August 11th & 12th. Good to see the guys back at this familiar nightclub, so consider checking them out on all five of these dates! These are all 9:00 PM events with 19+ age limits and no cover. The other new dates are not local, starting with their already teased return to The Coulson Entertainment Centre in Sudbury (four hours east of the Soo) on July 21st-22nd, and hopefully they get a similarly strong reception compared to their gigs there in March! Lastly for this schedule, they'll take a road trip on Saturday, August 26th to Larder Lake (7 hours northeast of the Soo, near the Quebec border), so what's going on there in three months?

They're heading to Larder Lake (east of Kirkland Lake) for the third annual Rock N' Country By The Lake festival, whose full lineup hasn't been announced yet by organizers, but clearly Bone Yard got the go-ahead to promote their involvement. Should be a fun time for country & rock fans, so see above for details when they roll in! Conspicuous by its absence in the above schedule is a July return to Rotaryfest, an event that Bone Yard have rocked each year since 2019 and eight times total (nine if you count the virtual 2020 set) since their debut there in 2010. I wouldn't assume the worst yet, as the schedule reveal was in late June last year, so stay tuned there and at the above links for more on Bone Yard in 2023!

We'll close by staying in a country-ish lane, as North Bay country rock musician Cory Marks will make his local debut with a headlining concert at The Machine Shop on Friday, July 21st! This may seem off topic for the SMS, but Cory has been getting real crossover notice on both Canadian and American country & rock radio in the early 2020s, with his single "Outlaws & Outsiders" being a top 15 single on rock charts on both sides of the border, and a #7 country hit in the US at the same time. Adding to the crossover appeal, that song features Five Finger Death Punch's Ivan Moody, country star Travis Tritt, and ex-Motley Crue guitarist Mick Mars! There's more collaborations where that came from, including with Lzzy Hale from Halestorm and Theory of a Deadman's Tyler Connolly, among others. If you've taken to country/rock crossover artists like Hardy and Jelly Roll, then Cory will be up your alley come July!

No word on possible opening acts yet, but tickets for this 7:00 PM concert are now on sale at this link for $37.71, and there are no posted age limits. Country concerts usually do well here, but one that has such a rock component (especially courtesy of his new EP "I Rise") will be interesting on its own, so definitely give Cory's music a listen to see what he brings to the table, and it is neat seeing a Northern Ontario musician getting real notice like this! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Parabol & Soundcheck), Plus More Assorted News & Updates!!

I know I'm behind for a number of things on the site, so let's kick off a hopefully busy week with some assorted recent updates, a new (if short) video, and leading off, a pair of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's West on Saturday, August 17th when they play at the fifth annual Ride for ARCH! While not listed on the Facebook event page, the performer lineup for this year's Algoma Residential Community Hospice fundraiser was posted on the motorcycle rally's Facebook page proper back on June 26th (apologies for the delay), which confirms that Soundcheck will be playing at 5:00 PM on this day for an hour-long set outside of The Reggievelt on Korah Road, before heading inside for a proper nighttime concert at 9:30 PM. This will be Soundcheck's second straight year playing at this event, which will feature a street party with local vendors to help send off the bikers for this year's rally, so see above for full non-musical details! Bands after Soundcheck this year will include country cover quartet (and fellow 2018 performers) Bone Yard as the 9:30 PM headliners, with classic rockers Flathead Ford at 8:00 PM, ...

...and blues rock trio The Dell Brothers (a.k.a. The Paul Dellavedova Band) at 6:30 PM, while two more 2018 returnees (acoustic country duo The Bearded Lounge and folk/classic rock veterans The Algo Rhythms) will open at 3:30 & 2:00 PM respectively. In fact, only Stone Orchid and Amanda Jeffreys are not back from last year, so if you liked that event, here you go! The indoor Soundcheck set at 9:30 PM is a 19+ affair, but everything else seems to be FREE & ALL AGES, fees assoiciated with the bike rally aside, and of course, ARCH donations would be heavily accepted. Visit the above links for more details on all of the action in almost two weeks!

Next up, local Tool tribute band Parabol will play a solo headlining concert on Saturday, October 12th at Soo Blaster! For a local headlining concert with no openers or visible frills beyond who's performing, it's very interesting to see a venue the size of Soo Blaster hosting Parabol alone like this, but if you know Parabol's faithful and massive Tool tribute show, you'll know they'll fill the room as much as possible! No word on if Parabol will rush to learn songs from Tool's long awaited new CD "Fear Inoculum" in time for this show, but they have the skills to do so! Featuring 705Live (not Live705) behind the soundboard, admission for this 10:00 PM & presumably 19+ concert will be via $5 tickets or $8 at the door. While not available yet, advance tickets will be on sale at Soo Blaster, through Parabol members, at Case's Music, and (believe it or not) at Myers Chiropractic Clinic at 143 Great Northern Road.

In scope, this could be Parabol's biggest local concert yet, so if you love John, Steve, Al, and Anthony's tribute to the progressive metal masters, don't miss out on all of the action in two months' time! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details as they roll in!

Also today, here's a brief video hyping up the huge Muddfest concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on November 1st, courtesy of the Meridian Entertainment YouTube channel. In this case, the video features Tantric frontman Hugo Ferreira (the video proper is a still image) giving an 11 second plug for their set that night, with no mention of the other bands on this stacked lineup, aside from Saving Abel in the video title. Fans of the Kentucky hard rock band and their big hit single "Breakdown" should give it a listen below, and get tickets at this link!



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

• As briefly alluded to in yesterday's "Where Are The New Albums?" post, local alt-punk trio A Dire Setback strongly hinted on their Facebook page on Saturday that their debut album is currently being mastered... in New York. Very intriguing news, we'll have to see how things continue to progress for their long awaited CD, so see above for more info as it rolls in!
• Local indie/punk quintet Northwest have shared photos and videos from their road trip to Timmins last month for the Rock on the River festival onto their Facebook page! The photos are of great quality, but note that the videos are live streams of The Trews' set that same night, and as such, are not embedded here, as this wasn't a local concert. I do like The Trews (especially "So She's Leaving"), hopefully they play here down the road!
• Destroilet drummer Matt Waples has relaunched his graphic design company (previously known as Sonigraphix Design Solutions) under the new name Underdog Grfkdzn Co. A reason for the name change wasn't announced, but the new Facebook page features a very professional looking portfolio outlining his extensive work in this field, including many high quality concert posters and band logos. I can't say I'm a fan of the vowel-less corruption of "Graphic Design" in the new name, but it's great to see Matt's company back up, so give them a look above, and our link is corrected on the site!

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