LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Sunspot & Fyrbird), A New Hails Video, And More!!

Keeping this run of daily posts going, we're mostly staying in Sault Michigan and the Eastern U.P. for a third straight say, but some Sault Ontario content has poked its way in, including a video and some assorted updates. We're leading off in Michigan though via some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you should know on this Wednesday evening!

We have addressed some of the upcoming hard rock shows in the next two months at the regional Kewadin Casino lounges via promotion from the bands themselves, but we have two unaddressed weekends from hard rock bands at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie branch next month, starting with Manistique hard rock duo Fyrbird's return to the Soo on Friday, August 9th and Saturday, August 10th! While we're on the subject, frontman Jamie Hider's wife Shannon confirmed more dates in the E.U.P. in a concert calendar post on their Facebook group back in March, so if you wanna see them at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin, you can do so on October 4th-5th & November 29th-30th! Yes, they'll be playing more frequently through the end of the year in Gould City and Newberry, but both are further than an hour's drive from the Soo. Fyrbird were last seen in our coverage range at The Rapids Lounge in early May.

Hopefully Jamie & Rick's gritty two-man rock attack gets another strong reception at The Rapids and Northern Pines Lounges at these three weekends, so keep them in mind if you miss seeing Fyrbird this far east! All six shows have 9:00 PM start times, 21+ age limits, and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details!

The other newly confirmed hard rock shows from Kewadin's entertainment page are courtesy of Madison, Wisconsin hard rock trio Sunspot, who will rock The Rapids Lounge in the Soo on Friday, August 23rd & Saturday, August 24th! This will be Sunspot's fourth straight August trip here, always timed with the annual Michigan Paranormal Convention, which takes place annually (2020 aside) at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin's ballroom. Sunspot's brand of "weird Wisconsin rock anthems" will prove an apt soundtrack for MiParacon attendees and fans of the paranormal, especially with their creative lyrical themes and unique electric violin-infused brand of hard rock and power pop, so keep their annual E.U.P. pilgrimage in mind for next month! Again, these shows have no cover charge, 9:00 PM start times, and a 21+ age limit, and you don't need MiParacon tickets to go to The Rapids Lounge that weekend (it may be a lot busier than normal though).

If you're curious about the paranormal convention proper, click here for details on the guests, vendors, speakers, and how you can attend. If you didn't know, Bridge FM owner/morning host Tim Ellis is the co-founder of the MiParacon, and there are a lot of familiar faces coming here that you may recognize from ghost/cryptid hunting & exploration TV shows (even the saxophone player from The Lost Boys!). See above for more on Sunspot's local return for the convention next month!

Also today, let's head north to Sault Ontario for another new video from local punk/thrash quartet Hails' Facebook page yesterday! Lately, it's seemed like Ha!ls have been posting a live video every few days, which is very welcomed for fans, especially compared to some bands who lean into "Stories" or "Reels", or mainly post videos on personal accounts, so kudos to Brent and crew for letting fans see everything as originally shot! This sees the Vanity First side project playing their non-EP original "Dawn Of The Dead" at the It's The Pits festival in Leeburn last month, and while just 70 seconds long, it captures this ripper with good quality and relatively natural lighting, so check it out for yourself below!

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

• I have removed Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock cover band Banned from our inactive band links due to the deletion of their Facebook (and only online) page at some point in the last two years. Active from 2011-2019, Banned are best known today as the first high profile live band from future Tarnished frontman Alex Traynor, who played covers and select originals in this group alongside his dad Don on drums and a rotating array of bassists and other musicians. Given how young Alex was when Banned launched, it was impressive to see his skill level then and how it's developed, and while I'd have left Banned's page up, check out some early videos on their YouTube channel!
• In a late lineup change for this year's Rotaryfest Stage 2, Sault Ontario alt-indie rock band The Hollow Heads have replaced The Crossroad Magdalenes as the 6:30 PM band on Saturday, July 20th, as per the festival's Facebook page. A reason for The Maggies' withdrawal wasn't announced, but that band never acknowledged their 2024 reunion on their own social media. This will be The Hollow Heads' third straight year on the Second Stage, and Handsome Sandwich guitarist Brandon Ruch will be also playing with them next weekend, meaning that he will be playing in three acts that day. Hopefully Gabrielle and crew get a good response!
• The ninth annual Northern Vibe Festival in nearby Ophir on the August 24th weekend "will (likely) be the last", as per festival organizers on their Facebook page on Saturday when promoting the festivities. The post alludes to needing to "take a break and re-evaluate" if they can't make Northern Vibe better each year, and reference is made to "our core group of attendees who always show up", but I'll let you read into things further if you are so inclined. Northern Vibe has proved to be a fun event for local music fans post-pandemic thanks to the increased rock band contingent, and hopefully this year's is a smash hit, last year or not!
  

 

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

YouTube Channel Profile Series: wirelessguy6969, LondonGentlemenn, and Pacoheadley's Channels

It's now time for this month's YouTube Channel Profiles, continuing our monthly spotlight of randomly selected YouTube channels whose content is at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, and/or punk artists & concerts! Due to the first selected channel this month only having two relevant videos from the same event, and the second similarly formatted, we're tripling up this month, and conveniently, all three channels have live concert footage from Sault Michigan bands in the early 2010s! I swear I didn't plan this, but here's what you should know on all three!

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wirelessguy6969's Channel (http://www.youtube.com/wirelessguy6969)

Owner: YouTube user wirelessguy6969, exact identity unknown

Channel Timeline: Launched on February 12th, 2007; Videos uploaded from January 2009 & September 2011

Channel Summary: After previously uploading two videos of his dog Casper, wirelessguy6969 posted two videos from of young local hard rock quartet Abstract (later better known as Tantrym Tyme) playing an outdoor show at the Mackinaw Crossings shopping center in Mackinaw City in September 2011. Represented here by singer/guitarist Jacob Hotlen, guitarist Kyle Burton, bassist Mike East, and drummer Ethan Twardy, Abstract can be seen here covering AC/DC's "Back In Black", and as featured here, the longer & more viewed cover of The Scorpions' "Rock You Like A Hurricane". Considering the guys (well, kids) were 11-12 years old at the time of this show, their talents are impressive and would only improve through their 2017 dissolution, so it's interesting to see them at this early phase! More Tantrym Tyme videos can be seen on other YouTube & Facebook sources.

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Londongentlemenn's Channel (http://www.youtube.com/LondonGentlemenn)

Owner: An unidentified member of 2012-2017 local rock cover quartet The London Gentlemen

Channel Timeline: Launched on July 23rd, 2012; Videos uploaded that same day

Channel Summary: The official YouTube channel for this union of Fallen Heroes & Nixxon Dixxon alumni, The Gentlemen only posted two videos here, both from a show at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino in July 2012, namely covers of The Black Keys' "Gold On The Ceiling" and, as featured here, Rage Against The Machine's "Killing In The Name". While not a full hard rock band like we're used to seeing from bassist Kyle Beaumont & drummer Jake Lalonde together, they mesh well musically with Mike Russo & Steve Sivret on these songs, even if "Killing In The Name" is quite overplayed. Solid stuff despite the dark lighting! Check out more from The London Gentlemen in 2014 at this link.

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Pacoheadley's Channel (http://www.youtube.com/pacoheadley)

Owner: YouTube user and former area resident Chris "Paco" Headley

Channel Timeline: Launched on June 21st, 2011; Videos uploaded that July and in March 2013

Channel Summary: Aside from a later video of him playing the video game Dishonored, Chris' only videos are of defunct local classic/hard rock trio Banned at a Music In The Park concert in nearby Rudyard from July 2011, where they covered Bob Seger's "Turn The Page", and as featured here, the more popular cover of Golden Earring's "Twilight Zone". Featuring current Tarnished frontman Alex Traynor and his dad Don on drums alongside bassist Alex Schrovenwever (Steelhead), the audio still holds up on these covers, but the visuals aren't great, with Chris filming from a very distant corner angle, so there isn't much to look at it beyond the park. Still interesting to see Alex Traynor's early live music work, and more videos from Banned's run do exist on YouTube (like here!)

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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profiles! This series will return on or around August 26th when we randomly look at YouTube user nathan s's channel, featuring a bunch of live and jam videos related mostly to inactive Sault Ontario punk duo Bad Back! Look for that then, and for this weekend's concert previews next! Thanks everuone!

Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Banned

For today's second post, let's tackle this month's Defunct Local Band Profile, as we continue our monthly spotlighting of defunct or inactive local metal, hard rock, or punk bands, in order to look back on their runs and see what they accomplished & where they went! This month, our rotation brought us to the Sault Michigan area, and this month's randomly selected choice was a very prominent band throughout the 2010s that only recently confirmed their demise, so here's what you should know!
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Banned

Genre: Classic/Hard Rock/Country

Hometown: Kinross, Michigan

Members: (Members not in their last full lineup in italics)

Alex Traynor (Tarnished), vocals/guitar
Wayne Lawrence (Bad Side), bass
Don Traynor, drums/vocals

Mike Straw, vocals/keyboard
Tara Starr, vocals
Alex Schrovenwever (Steelhead), guitar/bass/vocals
Denny Smith (Thieves In The Night), guitar 
Steve Jacobus, bass
Jim Pentland, bass
 
Audio/Video: Banned never released any studio material, but they did play select original songs in at least their early concerts, as documented by Alex's sister/Don's daughter Ashley's YouTube channel, including such original songs as "Cocaine Riot", "Plaid Girl", and "Yoopers Got Talent" that didn't survive to Alex's later solo project. Ashley's & Banned's own YouTube channels are the best sources for live cover videos from their active run, alongside Banned's Facebook page, though scattered other videos are extant online. However, note that no videos from 2017-2019 were ever publically posted by Banned, and certain 2013-era videos have long since been taken down. Here's Banned covering Nirvana's "Come As You Are" in 2016!

Info/Analysis: Effectively launched by January 2011 when an early lineup played at a talent show, Banned was formed by the father/son duo of Don and Alex Traynor, who were the group's only constant members throughout their 8 year run, with future Steelhead frontman Alex Schrovenwever a common sight in their early years. The band saw frequent lineup upheaval from 2012-2014, including expanding to a quintet for a few spells, as well as a country-centric period in 2013 when Tara Starr was their lead vocalist, before settling on their final trio incarnation. Frequently seen via "jobs" at regional nightclubs, community events, and battles of the bands, the Traynors & company would later make their name with occasional gigs outside of the E.U.P., while also notably playing eight times annually at The Sugar Island Music Festival. Despite Alex's move to Mount Pleasant in late 2017, Banned continued playing regularly through a March 2019 show in Grand Marais, before amicably dissolving that summer.

Over their eight years together, Banned delivered a solid sound that could appeal to a wide audience while also delivering a harder edge, and considering that Alex was just 16 when Banned launched, his musical growth over that time was always welcome to see! I was never on board with their late-era marketing that only focused on Alex, and the 2013 country run was tricky to maneuver on The Sault Metal Scene, but they always had a strong cast of musicians on hand for their often exceedingly frequent gigs, and their videos will have ample proof of that. Don't miss Alex's new band Tarnished and/or his solo project to hear what he's been up to as of late!
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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band profile! Next month, our rotation will bring us back to Sault Ontario, but as the first band we randomly selected doesn't have enough surviving information to warrant a single profile, we randomly picked on more to fill it out. Ironically, and in a coincidence I did not plan in advance (I use a random number generator!), we'll be looking at two linked black metal projects from the mid-2010s, namely Abhorrent Forest & Dullahan! Look for these on or around September 10th, and for more news next week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Alex Traynor & Tym Morrison), Plus A Band Breakup!!

Well, our regular news posting schedule was thrown slightly for a loop this week, as we have SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to tackle from not one, but TWO artists who are playing shows TOMORROW... MORNING?! You read that right, so here's what you should know, plus some more new shows from one artist in question! Yes, Graves and Faps fans, those shows are coming, I apologize for the continued delay!

Local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will play a special matinee concert TOMORROW MORNING at...the Duty Free Store?! Apologies for the short notice (and for missing one he played today as well), these shows were only announced via their Facebook event page this morning. While a concert at the 127 Huron Street store at the International Bridge plaza may seem wildly odd, this isn't new for Tym, as he played at least one more (publically unadvertised) show there this past weekend. Why? Well, the Duty Free Store has been hosting Duty Free Celebration Days to coincide with Canada Day and Independence Day, with the first two taking place on Friday and Monday, with Tym returning to headline today and TOMORROW. Well, this time out, Tym is advertising the shows on social media publically rather than through solely his personal accounts, so if you can head to the International Bridge, you can see his acoustic hard rock covers there! Expect refreshments, giveaways, and draws on both days for the occasion among other family friendly frills.

For what it's worth, Tym is not advertised by name on the Duty Free Store's Facebook page, but he has more than confirmed his involvement elsewhere. Given the cross-border outreach and with this being as close to the border as you can get for a show without actually entering the States, this may have some extra perks going for it! TOMORROW'S (and today's) concerts have special early start times of 11:00 AM, and there are no cover charges or age limits, but remember, this is a store, not a nightclub. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details! While we're on the subject, we may as well cover Tym's other shows this weekend (and this month) rather than redundantly go through his announcements tomorrow. As such, his long-term Gliss Restaurant arrangement will continue with matinee concerts THIS FRIDAY & SATURDAY, as well as July 12th & 13th, 19th & 20th, and 26th & 27th! Apologies again for the short notice on this weekend's shows, we held them from last week's previews due to post size concerns.

At press time, Tym hadn't publically announced any other shows elsewhere, but if you'll recall, his shows at Pointe Des Chesnes and The Old Stone House last week never got a public confirmation either (for what it's worth, the Old Stone House show was on Canada Day and was definitely open to the public, so I apologize for not covering it here despite the lack of promotion.) In any event, the Gliss shows (FRIDAY & SATURDAY included) are 6:00 PM matinees with no announced age limit or cover as usual. Click here for more details, and here's Tym live a few years back!

Also taking place TOMORROW MORNING is the return of Kinross/Mount Pleasant solo hard rock musician Alex Traynor to Sault Michigan, as he'll play a special Independence Day matinee concert at Biggby Coffee! Again, I apologize for the short notice, the venue only announced this show via their Facebook event page yesterday, while Alex has not publically confirmed it that I am aware of. This will be the first local concert from the former Banned frontman (more on that in a second) since May, also at Biggby Coffee, and while it's unclear if this will be another "play for tips & coffee" setup for Alex, the Ashmun Street coffee shop will celebrate the Fourth of July by knocking $1 off of all drink prices during Alex's set, which will be at an even earlier start time of 10:00 AM until 1:00 PM. Very unusual to see two hard rock shows on one day at this kind of hour, but hey, if you're a Yooper, you probably have the day off, so why not enjoy some live music?

Alex's talented covers and (maybe) originals should be more than welcomed back up north TOMORROW, so don't miss his latest solo return then! Of course, this is an ALL AGES event with no cover charge. See above for more details, and here's Alex live at Biggby Coffee! I am aware that there's a brand new video of him on their Facebook page, but due to Facebook video streaming issues at press time, I will hold that for a future post when the bugs are worked out. If this video doesn't load for you, it's not my fault, #facebookdown is trending on Twitter for a reason.

Finally for today, we have a related band breakup to announce here, as Kinross classic/hard rock trio Banned have officially ended their active run, as per a post by Alex on their Facebook page on Monday. A reason for their disbandment was not announced, but Banned had been unusually quiet since their last shows in Sault Ste. Marie & Grand Marais back in March, and his solo career has been more and more of his focus as it is. Of course, Alex's move to Mount Pleasant in late 2017 may be a factor, as the 3 hour drive from here to there can't have been getting any easier to manage, but Banned did make it work for well over a year. Launched in 2011, and continually featuring Alex and his dad Don in their various lineups, Banned became a favourite sight at Eastern U.P. venues and community events with their varied and often heavy selection of covers, even with some early original material, while they weren't afraid to hit the road for shows out west or even in the Lower Peninsula.

While I didn't agree with their late-period marketing that solely focused on Alex, and their brief country phase was tricky to maneuver on a metal/hard rock-centric site, Banned were always a reliable and talented source of live music in the region! It'll be odd not seeing them at the Sugar Island Music Festival this year in particular, but after 8 years, I think Banned have done all they can, and now's a good time to see how far Alex can go as a solo artist. Best of luck to him, Don, Wayne, and other former band members in the future! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more weekend concert previews tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Banned & The Wyld Stallyns) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

After a couple days of just feature posts while I attended to some personal concerns, we're back with regular news today to end the month, courtesy of (most of) this weekend's hard rock concert previews! Due the amount of shows this weekend, I am holding our preview of Saturday night's Joni Radford memorial concert for tomorrow's post where it will get proper emphasis, so look for that then! Now, here's what you should know to start March 2019 off, including some SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!!

Local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will return to Room 21 for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via the band's Facebook page on Monday. After a couple weeks off (Rob & Christina's "Me & The Missus" show at Johnny's Chophouse aside), this will be The Wyld Stallyns' first show at the bar above Low & Slow since early January. It's worth noting that the band's Facebook event page credits TOMORROW's show as their "usual monthly gig" there, but given that they didn't play a publically advertised Room 21 show at all in February, that strikes me as a generalization given their frequent shows there. The Wyld Stallyns' brand of unplugged, fan-involvement-friendly, and often heavy covers should go over well TOMORROW, so don't miss out then! There is no cover charge for this 19+ concert, which takes place at 10:00 PM. See above for more details, and here are The Wyld Stallyns live last year!



Next up, we'll take a brief detour to Sault Michigan, where Kinross classic/hard rock trio Banned are apparently returning for shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at The Double D Bar & Grill at Dondee Lanes! Again, apologies for the short notice, these shows were quietly advertised on frontman Alex Traynor's website, but they haven't been acknowledged on Banned's Facebook page at press time. For what it's worth, the promotional push for Alex's debut solo EP has been his primary focus as of late, so that may explain the Dondee gigs falling under the social media radar. Surprisingly, these will be Banned's first concerts at the local bowling alley since playing at the then-Sportsman's Lounge last March, so if you've missed Banned at a non-Kewadin venue in the Soo, you may want to circle TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S shows on your calendar!

You can take in their hard rocking covers at an earlier 8:00 PM start time both nights, with 21+ age limits and no cover charges expected. Assuming these are definitely on as advertised, Banned should put on a solid show TOMORROW & SATURDAY, so see above for details, and here's Banned live!



Moving to previously announced concerts, let's briefly head back to Sault Ontario, where local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison has three more acoustic shows this weekend to kick off another busy month! You can see Tym continue his long-term arrangement at Gliss Restaurant on Spring Street TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT with two more acoustic matinees, while the shows bookend a traditional nighttime concert at The Roadhouse Bar & Grill on Trunk Road TOMORROW NIGHT as well. Whether you're at one or more of these concerts, Tym Morrison's unplugged hard rock and classic hits should garner a solid reception once again, so keep his downtown matinees and his east end Friday nighter in mind! As usual, the Gliss shows are st 6:00 PM with no stated age limit, the Roadhouse gig is at 10:00 PM with a 19+ age limit, and none have a cover charge. Visit the Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Tym live!



Finally for today, let's go back to the Eastern Upper Peninsula, as Sault Michigan hard rock quartet 415E are scheduled to rock The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Note that 415E have not directly plugged these shows on their Facebook page at press time, but they are listed on Kewadin's entertainment page, and are the only 2019 gigs at any Kewadin branch currently adverised for the former Hubbard-Menard Band. After returning from their lengthy hiatus and lineup retooling last month, this will be 415E's second concert weekend in this new era, and their first in St. Ignace since their last pre-hiatus concert weekend in July 2017, so if you didn't see Dave, Chris, Brett, and Jason last month, here's your next chances! You can take in their Van Halen-influenced rock attack tomorrow & Saturday at 9:00 PM, with 21+ age limits and no cover. See above for more details, and here's 415E live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Joni Radford benefit concert preview and much more tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Banned), An Inactive Band Note, And New Videos!!

Let's dive back into news and updates on this slippery Tuesday morning, and here, we have some new videos from the Ontario side of the border, a note on a band moved out of our active band links, and leading off, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this summer!

Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned will return to their hometown for a pair of special post-race concerts at the Kinross Speedpark later in the 2019 auto racing season! Much like they did last year, this veteran cover outfit will rock the on-site stage for concerts on Saturday, July 13th and on Friday, September 6th, which will respectively follow the second annual Baby Show qualifier race and the Four Cylinder Friday events during the Memorial Invitational weekend. For full details on the race aspects of both days, click here! It's great to see Alex, Don, and Wayne back at the Speedpark for a couple of gigs this season, and hopefully they provide a great soundtrack to cap these nights with! The other four races with a scheduled musical performer will feature classic rockers The Whole Shabang and Rudyard country/classic rock quartet Steelhead (featuring Banned alum Alex Schrovenwever.)

Both of Banned's Kinross Speedpark gigs in 2019 have 9:30 PM start times, these are definitely ALL AGES events, and concert admission is FREE post-race, though click here to locate full admission fees regarding the races proper. Visit the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more!

Next up, we have a local band to move to our inactive band links, namely Sault Ontario lo-fi punk/grunge project Telephone & Address. While a firm public statement has not been made regarding their status, there hasn't been a public update from Telephone & Address' camp since the release of their album "Monster" on February 3rd of last year, now over a year ago. It's also worth noting that frontman Christopher Shoust's old website (which featured Telephone & Address information and material) has had it's domain expire, and his current website is solely devoted to his painting & visual art pursuits. A recurring presence in our coverage since 2013 (though demo albums were recorded dating back to 2010), Chris achieved a following with his varied albums, which featured acoustic, punk, ambient, drum-and-bass, and grunge influences over the years, while his unplugged solo sets were easy to slide into concerts big and small.

Plans to release an early demo compilation named "The Early Tapes" stalled indefinitely, and not a lot came of their late-period expansion to a duo, but Chris had a good thing going with Telephone & Address, and he had an eclectic range of sounds to apply to his albums, always well suited to his lo-fi production and packaging methods. Hopefully they resurface down the road, but best of luck to Chris and Jackson in the future!

Also today, here's a new video of local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck's set at the Soolebrity Showcase Saturday concert at The Machine Shop from this past weekend's Bon Soo festivities! Posted to their Facebook page on Sunday, this is of the guys playing their lengthy classic rock medley that long time fans will easily recognize, such as from Toystock last year. As a refresher, the 10 minute video features the guys covering fragments of David Wilcox's "Riverboat Fantasy", Journey's "Don't Stop Believing", Metallica's "Enter Sandman", Boston's "Foreplay/Long Time", Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer", and Van Halen's "Jamie's Cryin'", though it cuts off before the "Riverboat Fantasy" reprise. Like previously, Terry Eaton sings for the Wilcox, Metallica, and Van Halen covers, Travis Sharpe handles the rest, and they sing backing vocals for each other.

The vertical cell phone camera angle isn't ideal, especially as Soundcheck proper are only in the video's top half, but the guys have these covers down well, and their chemistry and energy comes through strongly enough! Give Soundcheck's Soolebrity Showcase video a look below, and stay tuned for more updates from Soundcheck when announced!

We'll close today with a new-ish live concert recording from local/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock solo artist Mike Haggith's Facebook page! Though uploaded on Friday, this "from the vault" clip was recorded at MacLean Park in Thompson during the city's Concert In The Park series last July that Mike played at, and this is of him playing a stripped down acoustic version of his newer original "An Act of Strength." I presume we'll be reviewing the full version when the "Bridges" CD finally comes out, but in this mid-2018 live form, it's a solidly done number with a sense of purpose, and the recording quality is nice! Based on the video's picture, I can't confirm if Mike has plans to release this concert as a live Bandcamp album or not, though stay tuned if he does. Give Mike's live & unplugged rendition of "An Act of Strength" a listen below, and stay tuned for more from his camp!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Scarkazm & Banned) & Weekend Concert Previews!!

Before we cover some newly announced concerts (including a big tribute show in March), let's tackle our first hard rock concert previews of February 2019 to end this month! Due to the amount of shows, we're bumping our preview of Saturday night's Chase Wigmore concert at The Rednecks Saloon to tomorrow's post, which will also (in theory) allow an extra day for public information on the lineup, as updates haven't been quick since the postponement. Now, let's kick off this weekend's previews with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one on SHORT NOTICE!

Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned will make their first live appearance of 2019 when they rock the beer tent at the annual International 500 snowmobile race in Sault Ste. Marie TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed this gig via it's Facebook event page on Friday. In spite of the ongoing polar vortex and frigid temperatures, the show must go on, and Banned are still slated to rock the I-500 pre-race festivities, as they previously did in 2016, not to mention their rare mid-week Kewadin Casino gigs timed with the I-500 in 2017. This will be Banned's first concert outside of Manistique since the fall, so if you've missed the Traynors and Wayne in recent months, and can withstand the cold, head to the I-500 beer tent at the race site at 984 West 4th Avenue! Much like Project 421 did last year, Banned are on TONIGHT at around 8:00 PM after the Woody’s Challenge race, with their set coinciding with the annual I-500 downtown pub crawl, so keep that in mind if you're so inclined.

Musical entertainment is not advertised on other days for this year (usually, the beer tent only has a band on the Thursday), but click here for the full schedule, and follow necessary links there for details on the race proper and potential admission fees where required. Of course, the I-500 race begins on Saturday morning, and I believe 1230 AM will call the action for those curious. Visit the above links for more details, hopefully Banned put on a great show in spite of the temperature TONIGHT, and here they are live!



Next up, we'll stay in Sault Ste. Marie, where Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm will rock The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, but that's not all from their camp, as they've announced more 2019 dates for the E.U.P. via a spree of Facebook event page postings last week! We already knew of local gigs from Scarkazm and sister band Peril in the first quarter of 2019, but as linked en masse here, we can now confirm the rest of Scarkazm's Kewadin Casino slate for this year, so where and when can you see them in the coming months? At the aforementioned Rapids Lounge, you can see Scarkazm on May 17th-18th, September 27th-28th, and November 29th-30th, while they'll return to The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace for concert weekends on June 21st-22nd, August 9th-10th, October 4th-5th, and December 20th-21st. Aside from April and July, E.U.P. fans will get their Scarkazm one weekend a month for the rest of the year!

Of course, don't forget about tomorrow & Saturday night's Scarkazm gigs in the Soo, and with convenient timing during the I-500, that should be a nice attendance boost, so consider a run to The Rapids Lounge for some hard hitting tunes this weekend after each day's festivities! All of these Kewadin gigs from Scarkazm have 21+ age limits, 9:00 PM start times, and no cover charges. Visit the above links for full details, and here's Scarkazm live!

Now, let's head north to Sault Ontario, where local acoustic hard rock solo artist Tym Morrison will continue his long-term arrangement at Gliss Restaurant with matinee concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY! Unlike the next two weekends (where he has a nighttime concert elsewhere), this weekend's bookings are solely the usual Gliss ones, but his unplugged covers are always worth a listen, especially with his prolific setlist, so don't bypass Gliss on Spring Street for all of the action this weekend! If you'd rather see him at nighttime, be at Room 21 or The Roadhouse Bar & Grill on each of the Fridays after this week. As usual for Tym's shows at this downtown restaurant, both of these shows are 6:00 PM evening events with no announced cover charges or age limits, but mind the locale. Visit the Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Tym live!



Finally for today's previews, we'll head to The Machine Shop, where this year's Bon Soo Winter Carnival will welcome back local bands via the first annual Soolebrity Showcase SATURDAY concert event! Promoted by (Choose) Maxx Entertainment, this will be an indoor event unlike Bon Soo's old Marquee series, and it will unite live bands with local artists of various media (like painting, crafts, and photography), while local craft brewed beer will also be on tap to purchase, so this should be a prime chance to support varying local talent! Visit the official Facebook event page for full details on the artists and brewers you'll see at The Machine Shop on Saturday. Country rock cover quartet Bone Yard are headlining on Saturday at 10:00 PM, preceded by classic/hard rock veterans Soundcheck at 9:00 PM for the night's only heavier kick, and their Machine Shop debut.

The opening bands are both acoustic country duos, namely Bone Yard side project The Bearded Lounge at 8:00 PM & The Jeff & Jeff Show at 7:00 PM. Yes, all four of these bands played at Toystock in both 2018 & 2017, so if you want an encore/spinoff, you know where to be this weekend! Admission is free with the purchase of a Bon Soo button from local merchants or at the door, and despite the craft beer angle, this is an ALL AGES event. While I wish The Marquee lived up to it's potential, it's great to see Bon Soo trying a local-centric concert again, and hopefully this is a big hit for the festival! Check the above links for more, and here's Soundcheck live!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck) & The First Of Our Halloween Weekend Concert Previews!!

A typically busy Halloween weekend is upon us for hard rock and punk concerts, so let's dive right into our concert previews! To spread things out, we are holding our previews of Saturday-only events (namely the Wyld Stallyns' gig and Frightlight's reunion) for tomorrow's post, while remember that the Devil's Night Oddfellows Hall concert on Tuesday was cancelled earlier this month. Now, here's what you should know to start the weekend, leading off with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will rock Reggie's West TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT as part of that venue's Halloween weekend festivities! Apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced via their Facebook event page on Monday. While Soundcheck played outside of the former Roosevelt Hotel during the Ride For ARCH street party in August, these will surprisingly be Soundcheck's first ever concerts inside the venue, not counting their predecessors Mourning Wood's shows there. Bassist Paul Belair and drummer Glen Thomas are also presumably back in the fold after missing last week's Esquire Club one-nighter, so here's a second (and third) chance in the west end TOMORROW and/or SATURDAY! Given the seasonal setting, Halloween costumes are encouraged both nights, but the formal costume contest (prizes unclear) will be on SATURDAY, so keep that in mind if you're interested in competing.

A 9:30 PM start time is advertised for both nights, and these are definitely 19+ gigs with no cover charges. These don't feel like Soundcheck's first gigs at the Reggievelt proper, but their familiar hard rock classics should draw a fun crowd over the Halloween weekend, so visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!



Next up, we'll move to previously announced concerts with a long awaited punk show TONIGHT at The Rockstar Bar, as California punk rock veterans Ten Foot Pole will hit Sault Ontario for a show years in the making for many fans! Underground favourites from popular originals like "Never Look Back" & "Racer X", among many others, Ten Foot Pole's melodic skate punk sound won them many fans locally over the past 20 years, and it'll be great to see them rock the Soo with old standards and tracks from their new CD "Setlist" tonight! Local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades will open in their first concert since the Michale Graves cancellation, while veteran punk trio Redundant will hit the stage for their first local concert since the release of their debut EP in July, making this their de facto release party. Redundant are also joining Ten Foot Pole for their other Northern Ontario gigs this tour, having opened for them on Tuesday, and with their Thunder Bay debut coming tomorrow night. Huge opportunity to be sure, hopefully all three dates are big hits!

This concert is the first of three this weekend promoted by Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce, and while there is no overt Halloween theme tonight, he will assuredly make up for that in the shows to come. Also, note that this concert was moved from the relaunched Harp Pub & Grill to the larger and more electric-friendly Rockstar Bar three weeks ago, despite The Harp remaining on the online ticket site. Admission is $15 via that link and presumably at the door, you must be 19 or older to attend, and a 9:30 PM start time is advertised. This should be a huge show for punk fans, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Ten Foot Pole live!



Also this weekend, we'll stick with J.D.'s busy slate of concerts, as his annual Halloween party returns for it's 14th straight year TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at The Algonquin Pub! Alternately named "The Howling" this year, we'll only focus on tomorrow's concert here, with Saturday's coming in our next news post. Originally scheduled for Soo Blaster, these concerts were moved back to more familiar confines shortly afterward, returning his party to The Algonquin Hotel for the fifth straight year and sixth in seven years. As has been the case since 2015, this year's Halloween party is tribute band themed, and tomorrow's show will see (unnamed) tribute sets to The Distillers, H.I.M., and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Unusually, all three will be represented by the same band, a one-off group comprised of Jack Spades/Stegadeth bandmates Tiffany Stocco and Johnny Belanger alongside A Dire Setback frontman Chris Nielsen & Destroilet bassist Adam Larocque.

How will they handle three very different bands on the same night, and how far will they go to look like the three bands for the occasion? Find out tomorrow! Admission for this 19+ concert is $10 unless you buy a full weekend pass for $15, which will also get you into Saturday's second Halloween party, preview forthcoming. Of course, Halloween frills are expected both nights, and costumes are encouraged, but personal Facebook postings indicate that the costume contest proper will take place on Saturday only. This should be a fun concert to keep the punk rock action going in full force, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

We'll cap off today's preview post with a trip to Hessel, Michigan, where Kinross classic/hard rock trio Banned will return to The Runway Bar for their annual Halloween weekend concert TOMORROW NIGHT! With frontman Alex Traynor's work on his debut solo EP, a handful of Manistique & solo gigs, and E.U.P. Kewadin Casinos "going in a different direction", this will be Banned's first regional concert since their Kinross Speedpark gig early last month, as well as their first public gig in Hessel since February. Alex, Don, and Wayne's fan friendly range of covers should go over well at The Runway Bar again tomorrow, so if you're in the area, this would be a solid way to enjoy the Halloween season! Again, expect Halloween frills and themes galor tomorrow, and there will be a costume contest at midnight, as per the venue's Facebook page. A 9:00 PM start time is advertised for this concert, which has a 21+ age limit and no announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Banned live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Howling night #2 and Wyld Stallyns previews next, plus more news and notes! Thanks everyone!