This Weekend's Hard Rock & Punk Concert Previews!!

After a quiet week for news and updates on the site, we're back with a busy weekend concert preview slate, and as of this writing, all are previously announced gigs to boot! In fact, we'll start with an unusually busy Thursday night slate for metal/punk concerts in the Soo , so here's what you should know for tonight and beyond! (Our preview of Sunday night's Anvil concert will hit the site in our next news post to give it a closer look.)

We'll start at The Grand Gardens North, where a handful of local music acts will join forces for a special fundraiser concert TONIGHT! As some of you may know already, local realtor & mother Shelby Kerns was recently diagnosed with brain cancer, and to fund specialized treatments out of town, this special event will help cover costs for her and her family, including partner Cory Murchison of Skeyes of Seven & Sense of Truth fame. For the occasion, there will be raffle and door prizes and a pasta dinner, so be sure to visit the official Facebook event page for full details on the non-musical events. Previously announced musical performers will include local Tool tribute band Parabol in a rare set outside of The Rockstar Bar, while their frontman will front the eponymous John Barber Band tonight as well. Who else is in the band, are they a one off, and will they take inspiration from John's past local hard bands? We'll find out tonight!

A third music act was quietly confirmed on the event page on May 22nd, namely the Tidal Records duo of Shannon Moan & Frank Deresti, who will play an acoustic set after supper. Nice way to ease into things, and they're both talented musicians in their own right! Tickets are $30 at Exit Realty Lake Superior at 207 Northern Avenue or through their employees, while you can donate $20 or more to show support without attending, which will get you a door prize entry. The event starts at 5:00 PM, and has no stated age limit. It's great to see everyone showing their support for Shelby and family at this time of need, so see above for full details, and here's Parabol live!

Next up, fan-favourite Montreal ska punk band K-Man & The 45s will make their seventh local concert appearance in the last 6 years TONIGHT! Before we get too far, just a heads-up to some late changes that broke on the Facebook event page earlier this week, including the move of the concert from The Rockstar Bar to The New American Pub. Promoters (Choose) Maxx Entertainment revealed that the show was forced to move on short notice due to a scheduling conflict with a celebration of life at The Rockstar Bar, which is totally understandable, and our condolences go out to the deceased's family & friends. Of course, The New A isn't foreign territory for K-Man & The 45s, as they've played there thrice before, including in March 2017, so regulars of their sets won't be out of place! However, the opening act has been replaced, apparently due to budgetary concerns at the smaller venue, despite The New A's K-Man shows having local bands open in the past.

As such, local punk quartet The Cover-Up are out (hopefully we see them back soon), but Planet Smashers bassist Dave "Smasher" Cooper will now be the surprise opening act, bringing him back to the Soo after the full band last played here in 2005. How will Dave sound as a solo artist? Be at The New A TONIGHT to find out! A $10 cover charge is in effect for this 19+ concert, which has a 10:00 PM start time. Changes aside, this should be a great time for ska-punk fans, and The 45s are well known for their wild live shows and Ska-Mones tribute, so see above for current details, and here they are live!



Moving to shows on the regular weekend schedule, we'll next address the ongoing weekly acoustic concerts from veteran hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison, who will play his first full concert weekend of June 2019 TOMORROW & SATURDAY at Gliss Restaurant, sandwiching his latest nighttime show at The Roadhouse Bar & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT! Another busy month lies ahead, and you can take in Tym's extensive live setlist at the Spring Street restaurant for these two evenings, but if you like your live music at a full nighttime timeslot, head to the east end tomorrow night for his first of two Roadhouse gigs this month. Fans should get a solid sampling of Tym's skill and fan favourite nature this weekend, so keep all three gigs in mind! The Gliss shows are 6:00 PM matinees with no stated age limit, the Roadhouse show is 19+ at 10:00 PM, and none have a cover charge. Visit the Facebook event pages linked here and here for more details, and here's Tym live!



Finally for today's previews (Anvil are coming in our next post), we'll head to Reggie's West, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck are advertised to return for solo headlining concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! While not newly promoted by the band on their Facebook page, These shows are listed on their 2019 concert calendar, though it is worth noting that the band has not newly promoted them online, and that the Sault Music Newsletter Facebook page lists The Bearded Lounge as playing at The Reggievelt this weekend instead, possibly as 5:00 PM matinees before Soundcheck hit the stage. If we hear any clarification either way, we'll let you know, but we'll treat these as Soundcheck shows taking place unless otherwise stated. A busy concert slate for Soundcheck should prove to see them firing on all cylinders as they kick off a new month, so don't miss out on their hard rocking covers in the west end this weekend!

Expect 19+ age limits, no cover, and a 10:00 PM start time to be in effect, as usual for Soundcheck's stops at the former Rosie. Visit the above links for more details on these shows, and here's Soundcheck live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates (including our Anvil preview) on the site next! Thanks everyone!

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

On this Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, there's a fair amount of concerts in store for you guys to check out on the hard rock and punk spectrum, so much so that we're holding our preview of Saturday night's Fluid 5ive concert for tomorrow's post to spread things out. Don't worry, it is coming, but for now, let's kick off our previews with some SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, with a new video, lineup addition, and some show relocations alongside! (Updated at 9:03 PM)

Local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will reportedly be the (Fishbowl?) Friday entertainment at Room 21 TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the venue's Facebook page only confirmed this concert this afternoon, and while the band hasn't acknowledged the show on their own Facebook page yet, note that the Stallyns haven't plugged any shows of theirs in advance in the past few weeks. This will be the Elements side project's first public concert since last month's Downtown Street Party, and their first stop at the bar above Low & Slow since playing there early last month. I don't know whether this will be another Fishbowl Friday event, as has been common at Room 21 as of late, but don't miss The Wyld Stallyns' fan favourite covers there TOMORROW! This concert has a 19+ age limit, no announced cover charge, and a likely 10:00 PM start time. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's a new videos of theirs!

Uploaded to the Stallyns' Facebook page last Tuesday during their open-mic hosting gig on the M.S. Norgoma,  this is fully representative of the open mic nature of the event, as it's a cover of the jazz standard "On The Sunny Side Of The Street" alongside uncredited guest performers. It's a well done rendition, so give it a look below, and don't miss The Wyld Stallyns' more traditional live experience TOMORROW at Room 21!



Next up, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck are advertised to return to The Water Tower Pub THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, this concert was only announced via the venue's new concert calendar earlier this week, as shared via the Sault Music Newsletter Facebook page. This is Soundcheck's first advertised concert at this venue since ex-drummer Scott McLurg's retirement gig in August, and it should prove to be another fun time with their diverse but often heavy blend of covers! This will also be their first solo booking since adding Flat Stanley drummer Glen Thomas to their lineup full time, as cited on their Facebook event page, reuniting him with former Mourning Wood bandmates Terry Eaton and Paul Belair. Glen will be a fine fit with this familiar veteran band, so look for him with Soundcheck on SATURDAY and going forward! Also, note that his 1960s cover band The Peace Vibe will be playing at The Water Tower Pub themselves in two weeks, as noted on the pictured schedule.

As usual for Water Tower Pub bookings, SATURDAY'S one-night-only concert has a 9:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and a 19+ age limit. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Soundcheck live at the same venue earlier this year!

Moving to previously announced concerts, we'll take a trip south to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, where Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm will return for shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! This is an unusually quick turnaround for these regional favourites, as Scarkazm just played at The Rapids Lounge three weeks ago. Whether you've seen the Peril side project recently or not, their hard hitting covers and potential originals should go over well at The Rapids Lounge tomorrow and on Saturday night, so consider trips there for all of the action! If you miss these gigs, Scarkazm will apparently be back on November 31st and December 1st at The Rapids Lounge, shows that were originally advertised for the St. Ignace Kewadin before quietly being moved, as per Scarkazm's Facebook event pages. No word on why the shows were moved north, but assuming Scarkazm aren't wrong, keep the new locale in mind!

As usual for Scarkazm's Kewadin bookings, these are 9:00 PM concerts with no announced cover charges and 21+ age limits. Visit the above links and the Facebook event pages liked here and here for more details, and here's Scarkazm live! (Note that this preview video was also shared on Facebook, but it's not overly substantial and has no audio.)

Finally, we'll head back to Sault Ontario for a fundraiser concert THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at The Sault Theatre Workshop, where an array of local musicians will join forces for the #TeamBear benefit in honour of prolific stage actor, director, and cab driver Pirie "Bear" Kaufman! Readers accustomed with local theatre productions will be most familiar with Pirie's work, including with the Chippewa Theatre Guild, and with him currently battling cancer, this benefit concert is designed to raise funds and support for him and his family, so definitely consider coming out to help out the Kaufman family through this difficult stretch! A buffet, cash bar, and silent auction are expected for the cause, so visit the official Facebook event page for non-musical details, but who all is playing? The nominal headliners are local power rock quintet Re:Born in their first live appearance in 4 months, with a largely acoustic opening roster also signed, including most of progressive rock quartet Machines Dream (led by the previously announced Craig West), ...

...ex-Blackberries frontman Norm Rosteck, folk artist M.D. Dunn, a mystery act named The Cheesemakers, and in a new confirmation, hard rock solo artist Tym Morrison, who will replace The Elements due to "unforeseen circumstances". Hopefully all's well in The Elements' camp, but Tym's a fine choice to step in! As well, a planned performance by local drag performer Paris Gore has quietly been removed from the bill for unannounced reasons. Tickets for this ALL AGES event at 121 Pittsburgh Avenue are $30 at The Rad Zone, Games Nook II, Amore For Your Pleasure, and Joe’s Clockwork Computers, plus through organizers, and the show begins at 6:00 PM, while there will be special $10 admission at the door after 9:00 PM on Saturday if you just want to see Re:Born and Tym for the heavier end of things. Hopefully this is a huge hit for Pirie and family, so see above for more details, and here's Re:Born live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Fluid 5ive preview and more tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Joni Radford Benefit) & Infathom Concert Videos!!

After our first off day of the new year, we're back with a new post divided between the Twin Saults for two distinct topics: New concert videos from a major recent show, and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for a big benefit fundraiser next week, so here's what you should know!

The performer lineup has been announced for the Joni Radford benefit concert at The Canadian Nightclub on Saturday, January 13th (exactly one week from today!), and it's an all-punk roster for the cause, as local punk quartet Redundant and trios A Dire Setback and Stegadeth will join forces next week! The lineup was announced by Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce on the Facebook event page on Wednesday, and while he's not promoting this event, he has publically been helping regarding the concert aspect of it. Of course, this event is to support local resident and prior cancer survivor Joni Radford through the return of her breast cancer, with all proceeds going to her and her family while she's off work dealing with this unfortunate re-diagnosis. To that end, the benefit will also feature raffle and 50/50 draws, a silent auction, a door prize, a toonie toss, pizza, and the Northern Axperts cage will also be open for interested patrons.

In terms of the bands, this will be all three's first concert set of 2018, with Redundant notably debuting new second guitarist Yannick Casavant in their first live appearance in well over a year (not counting Justin's solo set at Rock 4 Autism in May), while this will be just the second live appearance of both A Dire Setback and Stegadeth's current lineups. Solid picks all around, and hopefully they rock at their best to help Joni out next week! Presumably a 19+ event with doors opening at 7:00 PM, the ticket will cost are $25, but remember that this is a benefit show towards Joni's cancer battle. Tickets are available from organizers listed on the Facebook event page, as well as at The Upper Deck Bar & Grill above The Canadian, and delivery is available if you can't get out there in these temperatures. And just in case, don't let the parking lot renovations at The Canadian scare you off, the venue is still open and things are coming along there!

I don't know Joni well, but everything I've heard of her has been very positive and encouraging to her character and personality, and if she can beat cancer once, I'm sure she can do it again! Kudos to everyone for helping her out at this time of need, stay tuned for more details on this event next week, and visit the above links for full current information!

We'll close this post with new videos from the Theory of a Deadman concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino last week, though these are not of the headliners. Instead, these are from Munising hard rock quartet Infathom's opening set, so what else is publically available beyond Chris Paci's videos? Well, how does their whole set sound? Filmed by their manager Michael Cole and uploaded to his YouTube channel on New Year's Eve, this marks his first upload there since last year's Alter Bridge concert, and first of Infathom since filming their outdoor Savoy Bar show in the Soo back in July 2014. In this half hour set, Infathom can be seen below playing their original (I think) "Nothing New", Guns 'N Roses' "Civil War", Buckcherry's "Lit Up", Candlebox's "Far Behind", The Beatles' "Come Together" (though it seems to take more from Godsmack's cover), and their originals "Live Tonight" and "Blissful Insanity".

Great angle of the band from the front corner of the stage, Infathom sound good, and I'd love to hear more original songs from them, but they do have a few songs that Dillion's vocal range isn't as suited for (plus, "Lit Up" was missing a lot of the first verse), and the camera's audio clarity isn't always pristine. Also, while the security crew-member is continually in camera range, I can't fault him, as he's just doing his job regardless of who may or may not be filming near him. Give this full set video of Infathom in Sault Ste. Marie a look below, and go straight to specific songs above!



Finally, here's one more Infathom video from the Soo Kewadin branch, this time courtesy of their own Facebook page very shortly after their set wrapped last week, and it's of their closer "Blissful Insanity"! Though the camera angle is very similar to Michael's full-set video, they are definitely from different filmers, as the video below wasn't on a stationary angle and does pan around and zoom a bit. Good audio and video quality, and the filmer does make more of an effort to not film the security, so this is also worth watching below, and hopefully Infathom come back east soon!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Bin Hawdon & The Taliband) & The Boxing Day Concert Preview!!

On this Christmas morning, I wish you all a great holiday and I hope that Santa left you all lots of presents! Today's post is devoted to a pair of big concerts for after Christmas, one of which being a massive SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so read on below for what you need to know!

Seven bands will join forces THIS TUESDAY NIGHT for a benefit concert at The Rockstar Bar in memory of the late Guy Thiffault! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only just announced this past Tuesday, but kudos to all involved for organizing this so soon after Guy's passing! Entitled "4 Guy", all proceeds from this huge concert will go to the Thiffault family, which is an awesome gesture, especially over the holidays, but who all is playing? The headliners are local punk supergroup Bin Hawdon & The Taliband, who will be playing their first live set in eight years for the occasion, so how's that for a huge name for this event?! In listed order on the Facebook event page, this show will also mark the return of hardcore punk quintet Destroilet, who last played live at the "Fed Up!" split CD release party in October of last year. It's been way too long to see Destroilet on stage again, so don't miss out on their long awaited comeback to the local stage!

Edmonton punk/alternative band Rotbottyrot (a.k.a. Blood Guy) will also be performing in their local debut, and yes, they were the planned headliners for Tuesday's cancelled punk rock bingo concert at The New American Pub. As it turns out, promoters Six, Two, Oh. opted to cancel their own show and roll that day's bands into the Guy Thiffault benefit, so if you were hoping to see that day's bands, head to The Rockstar Bar on TUESDAY! Reunited local punk quartet Talk Shit will play just their second show since coming back as well, while local doom metal trio AlgomA will make their Rockstar Bar debut THIS TUESDAY as well. The lineup will be rounded out by new local punk/metal band Stegadeth and alt-punk quartet A Dire Setback (the planned punk rock bingo openers) in their own venue debuts. Finally, "a special performance" will take place at some point on TUESDAY featuring unidentified musicians playing music from Guy's old bands Nebraska Arms & The Business Suit Trappers.

No word on who's performing in this special set (I'd assume it'd be a loose jam with friends and old bandmates), or on if they'll do Hangdowns or Bondar material, but this should be quite a sight for fans of local punk music and/or Guy's music career! There is a $10 minimum cover charge (you may donate more to the family if so inclined), and as this is a TUESDAY concert, this show has an earlier 6:00 PM start time and is advertised to end at 11:00 PM, but I'd still expect a 19+ age limit. This should be a great concert for both punk fans who want to see some sorely missed and newer faces, and for friends of Guy and his family, and I fully expect a packed house, so make sure to get to the venue A.S.A.P. on TUESDAY! It would have been nice to see Northwest playing too, given Guy's past local band work with Wayne & Mike Yakasovich, but still, what a lineup! If you haven't seen Bin Hawdon & Taliband in particular before, get ready for a blast of old school punk insanity!

Despite the sad circumstances, shows like this don't come around often enough, but if you can't make the show and would like to donate money to the Thiffault family, visit the official GoFundMe page for the concert, which is fast approaching it's $1,500 goal. I sincerely hope to be there, if at all possible schedule-wise (I come back from a Detroit, Michigan trip that day), but don't miss what could be the show of the year if you can help it, and give Guy a huge send-off with this night full of punk rock action! See the above links for full details, and here's Bin Hawdon & The Taliband covering The Hangdowns' classic song "Fireban" live in 2006!



Finally for today, here's one more post-Christmas concert preview, as three more local bands will unite at LopLops Lounge TOMORROW NIGHT for a special Monday night concert in honour of Boxing Day! The scheduled performers are local post-punk quartet Gnaeus, indie rock quartet K.I.C.K., and alternative hard rock trio The Din, in what should be an entertaining union of Tidal Records favourites and fast rising local rock bands in their last shows of the year, with some punk and hard rock involved for good measure! Other than the seasonal trappings, there are no advertised quirks or added bonuses, but if you want to check out some entertaining original music after Christmas, a trip to LopLops tomorrow would be a good idea! Promoted by Tidal Records, this concert takes place at 9:00 PM tomorrow, you must be 19 or older to attend, and a special $10 cover charge is in effect. For full details, visit the official Facebook event page, and for a preview, here's Gnaeus live at LopLops Lounge!



That's all for today, but have a great Christmas, and stay tuned for more news and this month's YouTube Channel Profiles soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Sabrina Pelchat Benefit), Highway 63 Concert Preview, And Much More!!

We're back with possibly our last post of the month, and within, we have a preview of one more Halloween weekend concert, a packed new live concert video, and where to find some media of a recently passed local musician, but first, here's a related LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month!

The previously hinted benefit concert for late Chronic Demonic singer Sabrina Pelchat will take place on Friday, November 20th at The Rednecks Saloon, and a number of familiar faces will hit the stage in her memory! Local doom metal trio AlgomA (in their first show in two months) will headline at 12:00 AM, and they'll be joined by hardcore punk quintet Destroilet at 11:00 PM, death metal favourites The Bear Hunters (the only band that has played at the former Nicolet before) at 10:00 PM, and alternative hard/blues rock quartet Sykotyk Rampage opening at 9:00 PM, and it's great to see all of them join forces for this show! Notably, The Bear Hunters & AlgomA were both interviewed by Sabrina for YouTube videos in 2013. Promoted by her friend Bri Sunshine, all concert proceeds will be donated to Sabrina's family to help cover the cost of final expenses, and as such, the show has a $10 cover (and yes, it is a 19+ event.) For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and e-mail benefitforriina@gmail.com to donate via PayPal if you can't attend!

This should be a great event to honour Sabrina, who has received many condolences and kind thoughts since the news broke of her passing yesterday, and hopefully it's a great chance for friends and fans to remember her gifts and contributions! I will say that it's a little odd to not see bands with ex-bandmates of hers on the lineup (like the still-active Chronic Demonic, who Nik of The Bear Hunters replaced her in), but this show is a fantastic gesture no matter what, and hopefully there's a great turnout! Stay tuned for more as we hear it!

Next up, here's the last known hard rock concert preview for this weekend (barring an extremely late notice announcement), as Sault Michigan classic/hard rock quartet Highway 63 will rock out at The American Legion TOMORROW NIGHT for their second straight Halloween party there! Though not a common concert venue in our coverage, the Monkey's Uncle successors had a great time last year at The Legion, and hopefully there's another solid turnout with lots of great costumes tomorrow night! For reference, the American Legion's hall is located at 3 Legion Drive, off East Water Street. Cash prizes await in a planned costume contest as well, but if door prizes and the all you can eat buffet are returning from last year, the band's own advertising doesn't mention them. Bring $5 for a cover just in case (though again, the band hasn't indicated a cover publically), expect a 21+ age limit, and there is a special early start time of 8:00 PM. See above for more details, and here's Highway 63 rocking out live at Kewadin Casino!



Also today, here's a packed new video of local classic/hard rock cover quartet Mourning Wood! Uploaded by drummer Glen Thomas to his YouTube channel on Monday, this was shot with a stationary camera at their Rednecks Saloon gig on Saturday, and gives us our best public look yet at their current lineup (at over 21 minutes long, how could it not?) Comprised of 24 song clips played that night, I can't identify three songs in the video, as Terry's vocals aren't terribly clear on the video (I'm sure it was better live), but you'll hear covers of a bluesy song, Jet, a heavier cover, Katrina & The Waves, Nick Gilder, Cheap Trick, Keith Anderson, REO Speedwagon, a country song, Fleetwood Mac, The Black Crowes, Bob Seger (with Steven Flint on lead vocals), The Monkees, Robert Palmer, The Beatles, Grand Funk Railroad, Bryan Adams...

...Duran Duran, Keith Urban, The Outfield, The Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Puddle of Mudd, and Poison, so click each link to hear the songs! While largely not direct hard rock covers until late, they do effectively add an edge to unexpected cover choices and many familiar favourites, and as Glen notes in the comments, they have internet access to pull up songs on stage to cover on the fly if there are requests not in their direct setlist! Despite the dark purple lighting, and the guys' stiff stage presences, the fuller quartet lineup sounds good, so give this packed new Mourning Wood video a look below, and stay tuned in case they do have late notice shows this weekend!



Finally, I thought it was appropriate to collect known public media of Sabrina Pelchat's music for interested readers, especially as I couldn't find anything in a quick search yesterday. She did quietly delete or privatize the vast majority of her solo & Shadowthrone media in the past year, but her Soundcloud page (under her Isla Encanto handle) survived the purge, and it features covers of Megadeth, Neil Young, and Marilyn Manson songs (sadly, that cover of "A Tout Le Monde" may hold more resonance now.) Sault Online's Mike Caruso filmed her doing a karaoke version of The Black Keys' "Lonely Boy" at Reggie's Place in February during Bon Soo's annual karaoke competition, noting that she did "a commendable job", and while it's not the song you'd think she'd be covering, she sounds fine on it! And her old punk/metal band Chronic Demonic reshared their video from their live debut in August 2013 at the former Roosevelt Hotel, where they covered The Misfits' "London Dungeon"! Though still active, this lone song is their only live performance to date.

While it's very staticy, it's a sample of what could have been had any of her bands lasted longer, and kudos to April for filming this! An audio demo also exists on personal Facebook accounts if you know where to look, and it'd be nice to see Robert re-post some old Shadowthrone songs if possible, that was a promising project in it's own right. Sabrina was a talented singer that had a lot of unrealized potential, but hopefully her fans keep her memory close! Here she is live with Chronic Demonic two years ago!



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

The Return Of Winkstinger, Tuned Updates, And Much More!!

Another slow news period has hit as of late, but let's help remedy that now that Thanksgiving has come and passed (on the Canadian side of the border), and I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend! Today, we have lots of assorted recent notes, updates on a popular webseries, and first, a surprise band reunion, so here's what you should know!

Local extreme metal band Winkstinger are back! After almost two & a half years of public dormancy, they reemerged with a new Bandcamp page with live jam recordings this morning, with their Facebook page confirming that "things are happening", among other typically irreverent hype. Guitarist Jesse Cook (also of Jack Spades & The Elements) and drummer Jonas Gasperas are back from the original run, but singer Alan Wells and bassist Jason Bourcier are not back from their last full incarnation in 2013, and it remains to be seen who will fill out the new lineup. Their Bandcamp page features two new original songs in progress (one being over 7 minutes in length), though both are untitled at this stage, so give them a listen at the above links! Of course, fans will remember Winkstinger well from their original 2010-2013 run which saw them win 2012's Battle for the Blood, play numerous fun & heavy concerts (including at 6 Roosevelt Hotel metal nights), and record material for an unreleased debut EP.

Dare I say it, the new Winkstinger original jams actually sound more technical and progressive-influenced than back in their heyday, and while they did take a self-deprecating bent when describing the quality, I'd be very curious to hear these fleshed out with bass, vocals, and perhaps rhythm guitar! It's great to have Winkstinger back at last, so check out their new material above, and they're back in our active band links!

Next up, here's the latest from Local2's music webseries Tuned with Donna Hopper! Alongside newer episodes on Al Wood & The Woodsmen and another from Sudbury's Northern Lights Festival, the newest installment went up on Saturday, spotlighting the Soup Kitchen benefit at The Algonquin Pub earlier this month featuring (among others) the aforementioned Elements and The Bear Hunters! The main interview is with Machines Dream frontman and event promoter Craig West about the inspiration to promote the show and add the benefit side to it, why local musicians are more prone to participate in charity shows like this, and the odds that Machines Dream may do a similar event in the future. Short but respectful interview that shows Craig's good nature well, and it looks like the concert was a hit! In terms of concert footage, Machines Dream, Drew Armstrong & friends, and The Elements were filmed, but The Bear Hunters and Nikkfitt were not.

Most of the music is muted behind the interview, particularly Drew and friends (some of which being very familiar faces), but The Elements get some spotlight during the credits, covering what appears to be the ending of Primus' "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver". Another solid, if brief episode of Tuned, so give it a look at the above links!

Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter news items (including two inactive band notes) from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or website name:

• Project 421 singer Curtis McKenzie is looking for a bassist and drummer for his "sweet new project" in the making. Presumably this references the band he previously posted about that he hoped wouldn't play metal or hard rock, but just in case it fits our coverage, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Wednesday!
• In their newest update on their Facebook page, secretive local black metal duo Dullahan revealed that they plan to record their second "EP" soon, which they hope to be "even rawer" in production than on older recordings. They also reiterated that they'll "never" reveal their full identities, and have "no intention" of playing live (which is odd, they'd attract positive and unique attention with their sound if they did!) Stay tuned for more from Dullahan above!
• Rudyard, Michigan hard rock quintet Exiled have quietly deleted their Facebook (and sadly, only online) page, which likely indicates their breakup. Featuring Absolute, Full Throttle, and Division of Sanity alumni, Exiled played numerous regional concerts in the latter half of 2014 before announcing a break in December due to drummer Justin Lawless and his wife's impending arrival of their new baby, though no word on if that's a factor for the apparently demise. Exiled had a strong lineup, so hopefully everyone stays active in music, best of luck to Donny, Joe, Myke, Johnny, and Justin, and don't miss Joe with Ten Kings!
• We have moved Sault Michigan hard/alternative rock collective The Highest of Fives to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity. Featuring Intrepid, 415E, and Free Refill alumni, the band expanded from a young cover group in 2011 to a more fluid studio project that had ambitious plans to record & release short films, an album, and music videos that were only partially complete before their Twitter page's last update over a year ago. I liked The Highest of Fives high goals and diverse skill set, and hopefully they pick things back up again at some point! Best of luck to Devin, Jack, Marcel, Mike, Mitch, and Travis in the future!
• Ex-Late & Loud frontman Jonathan Tiberi is gauging support towards bringing his current Hamilton blues/hard rock quartet Jon & His Friends to the Soo for a concert (for reference, their lineup also features Mike Agostino & Scott Brady, Jon's bandmates in Xanadu from 2013's Apocalypse: The Musical event.) It'd be nice to see Jon and the guys back home, so message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group on October 7th for more details!
• And just as a house cleaning note for the SMS, we've removed the video bars from the sides of the page, which rotated recent videos from YouTube channels that we're subscribed to. For one reason or another, they no longer work, so I deleted the widgets that ran them. If they're ever restored or replaced by the host, I'll add them back, but I just wanted to acknowledge their absence!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and more later this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Bear Hunters & Havadder) And Much More!!

Before we reveal last month's poll results and post info on this month's poll (which is up now, so VOTE A.S.A.P.!), here's a new news post for your Saturday morning! This includes some assorted recent notes, a surprise re-recording, and first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, including for a new show TONIGHT, so here;s what you should know! (Updated at 12:33 PM)

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Havadder will play a rare set at The Moose Lodge TONIGHT, but there's a charitable air to the proceedings! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced the event yesterday via it's official Facebook event page, though they had teased it beforehand. Tomorrow's event is a fundraiser for Valerie Belsito, a friend of the band who suffers from multiple sclerosis and can't walk, but it hoping to raise money tonight to travel to California for a stem cell treatment that may help her walk again. I won't get into any ethical debates here about stem cell treatments (this is a music site), but hopefully there's a great turnout tonight so Valerie can try this out and see if the stem cells can do what they're hoping! Admission is $30 (remember the cause behind it), and it's presumably all ages, and it kicks off today at 5:00 PM, while there will be dinner served and numerous prize draws.

Considering the intent and theme of the event, this might not be ideal for Havadder fans in general, but they're just donating their time to help Valerie out, and if she can walk again when all is said and done, everyone at The Moose Lodge will have helped the cause! Keep it in mind if you want to help Valerie, and for a preview, here's Havadder live last year!



Next up, here's another new concert taking place at The Rednecks Saloon, as death metal favourites The Bear Hunters are hosting a special Tuesday night concert on April 28th called "The Windshield Benefit"! The show is to help drummer Johnny Belanger replace his car's windshield, which was recently smashed, and while the show is free, you can donate to the cause! Almost like a live Kickstarter, there are incentives to donate, as $1 donations get you a "Thank you" acknowledgement in the booklet for the band's upcoming album "The Dead Testament" and $5 donations will get you entered in a draw for a free copy of said album upon release, and apparently a personalized letter and mini-comic from Johnny! As for the performer lineup, the newly announced headliners are local/St. Catharine's death/grime trio Shit Liver, in their Rednecks debut and first local concert since last summer! This is a bit of a surprise considering that the guys were aiming for their local tour date to be next week, but it's great to have them back any time, so don't miss them at 1:00 AM! The Bear Hunters will co-headline at midnight in their first set since their VM Radio Battle of the Bands second place run.

Local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades are on at 11:00 PM, and local alternative hard rock trio Mike Haggith & The Din making their Rednecks debut at 10:00 PM. The opening sets will be acoustic, with Johnny & his Jack Spades bandmate Jesse Cook reprising their Sleigher turn from X-Mess 2 for a half-set, while Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie is slated to play a rare acoustic set as well, apparently named "Alan Strings" with a set of... Alicia Keys covers?! I assume that's a joke, but maybe we'll be surprised? This is a 19+ concert, and hopefully there's a good turnout to fund Johnny's new windshield, so click here for more details, and stay tuned as updates roll in!

Also today, here's a slight surprise from local grunge/hard rock quartet Haggith, as they've revealed one final song for their upcoming EP "XIV"! Originally announced to have just the three songs recorded before Daniel Horton left the band, they've recently added a re-recording of "Rage Train" (originally on their 2012 debut "Dragon Joy Ride") to the track listing! You can hear it via their YouTube channel on Wednesday, and while we won't review the song here yet pending a likely review of "XIV", I will note that it is longer than the original version. For reference, this version features frontman Curtis McKenzie on all guitar parts (the returning Caleb Cachagee isn't featured), while Jordan Leach plays bass on the track. Check it out below, and stay tuned for more on Haggith's album release plans!



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

• The teased Dank Fest 2 all ages concert event at The Oddfellows Hall (presumably intended for this weekend) has been cancelled due to "current contract issues" with the venue, as per promoters Heavy North Entertainment's Facebook page yesterday. It's a rented hall, did the price go up recently? H.N.E. haven't shut the door on holding a second Dank Fest next year, and hopefully they don't stop putting on shows there!
• Frasiers drummer Devin Williamson is looking for a 16-24 year old guitar player with harmony vocal ability for his new local band, who would play originals and covers, and are influenced by everyone from Van Halen & Motley Crue to The Arctic Monkeys and Band of Skulls. Wide range there, but if you're interested in more details, message Devin at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Wednesday!
• The presumed cover artwork for local doom/punk trio The Revolution's upcoming EP "Roll Call" can now be viewed at their official Facebook page! It might just be a teaser, but it leaves an impact, so give it a look above! Note that recent postings concerning a search for a full time lead singer have recently been taken down.

That's all for now, but stay tuned for last month's poll results and this month's poll info next, and VOTE TODAY! Thanks everyone!

Amy Ellis Benefit Concert Review!!

Before I head out to TONIGHT'S Biipiigwan show, we have a review of last night's Amy Ellis benefit concert at The Canadian Nightclub, but of course, check out our most recent news post below this one! Despite the cold evening on our hands, there was a solid crowd at the benefit already (there was a preceding dinner at 6:00 PM by ticket admission), and The Canadian (now with a new horseshoe "Welcome" sign above the stage) was decked out for the occasion with plenty of tables for patrons! Now, how about the bands?

Opening the show was new local quartet Late Shift (complete with wigs and sunglasses), the new local band from former Fingerbone singer John Barber, ex-Scary Uncles guitarist Matt Sibilo, North West's Clint Wilson (on bass), and Matt's ex-Groove Commitee bandmate Anthony Gagnon on drums. Fans from the early 2000s may recognize John & Matt from the former local hard rock band Redefined, but did Late Shift sound similar? While not quite as heavy (and with no originals), Late Shift did skew towards a hard/alternative rock sound, with covers of everyone from Pearl Jam, The Stone Temple Pilots, and Led Zeppelin to The Black Keys, Imagine Dragons, and The Pixies. I will applaud them for effectively adding extra punch to some songs that I wasn't a fan of going in (their version of "Radioactive" comes to mind), and they put a fun and often heavy energy on their songs, with John's solid singing voice really impressing, but he needs work on his crowd banter. Very solid debut set from some familiar faces, and hopefully we hear more from Late Shift soon!

Second on the bill was Rockstar Bar Battle winners The Suicide Kings in just their second concert since opening for Airbourne at The Canadian in August, and they were back in form with a fun and crowd-engaged set! If there was a difference from their mid-2013 gigs, it was in the setlist, which eschewed many original songs (only "Into The Fray", "King of the World", and the intros made it), with them tackling many of their more general rock covers (everything from The Killers & Jet to newly learned Lit and Jimmy Eat World renditions), though I'll note that their setlist credited an encore song named "Two More Jag" (possibly an original?) that didn't get played. Musically, everyone was on form from past gigs, and while I know Mike Gaetano's been through a lot to help Amy lately, he was in full frontman mode and delivered strong vocal performances throughout their set! Steven Flint was on fire on guitar too, and it was nice to see The Suicide Kings back, even if their set was a bit more varied then I'm used to!

Closing the night was the recently reunited cover rock band Havadder, playing just their second show since the end of their Turner Up-infused 2012 incarnation, and I have to admit, this was the first time I've seen Havadder live in any form. Their set was honestly a bit more varied than I would have predicted, with their song choices ranging from The Travelling Wiburys, Jason Aldean, and Tom Petty to Godsmack, Ugly Kid Joe, and Green Day, but it fit with the previous bands shaking things up! Frontman Jason Roy shared lead vocal duties with new guitarist Jamie July throughout the night, with both handling their songs pretty well (albeit with the occasional lyric flub), and I appreciate that their set wasn't predictable (I can't name other bands in town who cover Better Than Ezra), so that all worked! It was also nice seeing Lucas Bugyra playing live again, and their talents were clear overall (Jason has a nice command of the crowd), so if you see Havadder's full show, be prepared for a nice mix of rock covers!

Overall, the musical portion of the Amy Ellis benefit went really well, and though I don't know Amy personally, I hope the event raised a lot of funds and support for her cancer battle, so best of luck to her, Mike, and her family going forward! As we've learned with Luke LeBlanc & the late Ray Brown this year, cancer sucks, so any help is much appreciated! Photos and videos from the show can be seen at this link or at our Facebook page, and in terms of videos, here's Late Shift covering Pearl Jam's "Corduroy", The Suicide Kings covering Buckcherry's "Crazy Bitch", and Havadder covering The Beastie Boys' "Havadder - (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)"







That's all for today,but I'll see you guys TONIGHT at The Moose Lodge for Biipiigwan, The Bear Hunters, and Bad Back, which is ALL AGES and just $5! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Suicide Kings) & Most Of Our Sault Michigan Weekend Concert Previews!!

As promised, it's now time for our second metal/hard rock concert preview post for this unusually busy November weekend, this time covering a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for TOMORROW NIGHT and a pair of Sault Michigan-area concert weekends from two popular local bands! We'll touch on tomorrow's Nick Cam Jam in Brimley and Sunday's Biipiigwan show in TOMORROW'S post, so watch out for those then as we wind down the weekend! With that said, let's begin our previews!

Just one day after their return to the stage, Rockstar Bar Battle winners The Suicide Kings will rock The Canadian Nightclub TOMORROW NIGHT as part of the musical entertainment at a benefit event for frontman Mike Gaetano's girlfriend Amy Ellis, who is currently fighting cancer. I apologize for the short notice, this event was announced in October (and acknowledged on here at the time) at this link, but a public confirmation of bands only came yesterday via this Facebook event page. The event itself will feature a pasta dinner at 6:00 PM and other events and prize draws, but the music is slated to begin at 9:00 PM tomorrow night. DJ Reverend J (a.k.a. Jay Perron) will be providing music in between and before the bands, and there are two other scheduled bands, including the recently resurrected rock cover band Havadder! Now featuring Turner Up and Asylum Country alumni in their new lineup, this will be just their second show since their return in September, and I know Jason and company have a few hard rock covers in store, so don't miss their set!

The other band is Late Shift, a new local rock quartet featuring former Redefined bandmates John Barber (most recently of Fingerbone) & Matt Sibilo alongside Matt's former Groove Committee bandmate Anthony Gagnon and North West drummer Clint Wilson. No word on if they lean heavier yet or not, but they have metal chops based on John & Matt's past work, so I'm curious to hear them! Admission will be $25 for the dinner and full event (or $5 for just the bands), and while there's no announced age limits, I'd keep them in mind if you only come for the bands at 9:00 PM. For more details, check the above links! Hopefully this event is a huge success to help Amy, Mike, and her family out at this difficult time, and the music is a solid mix of local rock acts, including some returning and debuting bands, so keep it in mind for tomorrow night! I don't live far from The Canadian, so that's added incentive to check everything out, so hopefully I'll see you guys there! For a preview, here's The Suicide Kings live at The Canadian from August!

Next up, Sault Michigan hard rock trio Power Slug will return to the local concert stage TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT for shows at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino! The pageless but talented band actually haven't plugged the shows on personal Facebook pages yet, but Kewadin's entertainment page has listed them for a while now, so at least there's advance notice! Their first announced concerts (that I know of) since a Halloween party gig in Brimley that we missed on here, look for an entertaining and diverse night of classic and hard rock songs from this talented trio tonight and tomorrow! There's no announced cover charge for these 21+ shows, and a 9:00 PM start time is likely. For more details, check the above links, and for a preview, here's a video of them live that I finally was able to track down! I think if I'd spelled "Power Slug" as two words earlier, this would have already been on the SMS, but it's of Chris, Chris, and Bob covering The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band's hit "Blue On Black"!

Filmed at an August 2013 appearance at The Corner Pub Bar & Grill's outdoor stage (and as filmed by drummer Bob Helsten's Toast bandmate Melissa Strand for her YouTube channel), it's in cell phone dimensions and generally far from the stage, but it's still the best quality Power Slug video I've seen (but to be fair, I've only ever found two.) Chris Leask has a gritty voice that adds a heavier quality to this song, but Bob's backing vocals aren't always audible. Well played though, if bluesier than I assumed for one of their videos, so check it out below, and stay tuned for more from them and Melissa's YouTube channel!

Finally for today (and speaking of Kewadin Casino), The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino will be hosting a regional hard rock band of their own TONIGHT AND TOMORROW, as Kinross hard rockers Banned will be back there this weekend! Coming just two months after their most recent Soo Kewadin dates, look for the Traynors and company to rock the local stage once again with their blend of diverse and often heavy hard rock covers and originals, especially fresh off successful gigs in Hessel last weekend! Like the Power Slug shows at The Rapids Lounge's sister venue, admission should be free, you must be 21 to attend, and a 9:00 PM start time is likely. For more details, check the above links! Banned continue to impress on their busy schedule, so don't miss their Soo Kewadin shows TONIGHT & TOMORROW, and for a preview, here's Banned playing their original song "Deadbeat Dog" in Charlevoix this summer!



That's all for now, but stay tuned TONIGHT for this month's YouTube Channel Profile, and TOMORROW for our previews of the Nick Cam Jam and the Biipiigwan concert! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Diemonds), Big Loonie Bus Show Videos, And More!!

In this Friday night auto-post (apologies if anything major isn't up yet, it's coming!), we have some assorted recent news and notes, a new live concert video, and a preview for a Sunday night concert in Sault Ontario, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month!

Toronto hard rock quintet Diemonds will make their long awaited return to Sault Ontario on Thursday, November 21st at The Algonquin Pub! Last seen locally at the old Coch's Corner in the summer of 2009, this female fronted outfit have a fun and sleazy swagger that should fit in well for their next local stop, and after missing their 2009 show until after it took place, it's nice to get a rain check to cover it fully on here! Local all-female hard rock quartet The Danger Cats will open the show in their fourth full concert appearance (and first at The Algonquin since debuting there last month), and they should be a solid fit as they continue to carve a local name with their entertaining and growing sound! The Facebook event page still hypes bands to be announced, and if any do get added, we'll let you guys know. Promoted by Frightlight/Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce (in his first Algonquin Pub show in over 4 months), admission will be $5 with a 10:00 PM start time, and you must be 19 to attend. Check the above links for more details!

It's great to have Diemonds back in town after such a long wait, and hopefully there's a big turnout next month for their return, and for The Danger Cats too! Stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

Next up, here's the first new videos from The Big Loonie Bus Show at La Cucina in Echo Bay last week, starting with local death metal quartet Crimson Crusade's entire set! Uploaded by 62nd Chamber Productions' YouTube channel yesterday, this gives us our first clear view of La Cucina (white interior with a hockey jersey motif by the stage), but the stationary camera's at a high side-stage angle for some reason, so while the view is close, we only see the band's upper body and not much else. The video captures 30 minutes worth of action, including their songs "Here We Lay", "Pillage", "For Him", "Crimson Crusade", "Reality", "Vanquish The Tyrant", and "Lost Memories", closing with a cover of Death's "Pull The Plug", so click each song name to go straight to it! Crimson Crusade sound as great and brutal as usual, though I am sort of surprised that songs from their EP like "Left For Dead" and "Consumed" were snubbed. Check out Crimson Crusade's full Echo Bay set below!

Also from Echo Bay, here's a video from an act who you might be expecting. As you may remember, a secret special guest was hyped by promoters Oh! Right Arm! Promotions in the lead-up to the event, but the original planned act fell through for unannounced reasons (no word on who they were either, but my guess was a BeeFMouTH reunion.) Regardless, promoters felt obligated to ensure that there would still be a secret act to play at La Cucina last weekend, so they signed on local musician Chris Shoust's acoustic/grunge solo project Telephone & Address to play the Big Loonie Bus Show, and 62nd Chamber Productions filmed his set and posted this 15 minute video onto their YouTube channel on Wednesday! Alternating between stationary black & white shots and more psychedelic filtered & mirrored effects (but all from the side-stage angle), these continue with Chris' lo-fi original recording style, but all still retain the grungy outsider feel that would definitely be interesting to hear expanded to a full band.

Check out Telephone & Address live in Echo Bay below, stay tuned in case there's more fallout from this show, and watch for some more recent Telephone & Address video discoveries! (Also, note that Telephone & Address' Facebook page has been deleted for unknown reasons, but I've since replaced it with Chris' website again for their link in our active Sault Ontario band links.)



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

• I've replaced the link for the now-closed Bottoms Up Lounge in our inactive Sault Ontario venue listings with their Facebook page, as their website has been shut down. The Queen Street bar/acoustic venue's been closed since June, so this won't be a major change, but I wanted to give the heads up!
• Sault Michigan solo guitarist Mike Libertoski has posted a rough demo of his/Galactic Alignment's original song "Abort the Export" onto his SoundCloud page, featuring vocals! They're done by his Toast bandmate Bob Helsten (a.k.a. Orb Hearthstone), who used to sing with I.S.O.M. & End of Existence, among other projects. His growling vocals fit really nicely on this technical death metal track, so give the new version a listen above!
• In terms of lineup notes from the Ray Brown benefit concert last week at The Verdi Hall, I can now confirm some additional performers, including that Mike Case's Junior Rockers (featuring ex-Jack Spades drummer T.J. Case) apparently replaced Redundant on the bill, and Ray's former The Chosen bandmate Taryn Bugyra sang guest vocals during Lucky 13's set. My source is performer Valerie Powley's photo album on her personal Facebook page, and I hope the event was a huge hit for Ray!

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

Chronic Demonic Updates, New Videos, And Much More!!

Before I head off to take care of Thanksgiving stuff and family dinner, let's touch on some leftover news on this Sunday morning! We have new song postings from a pair of regional solo projects, a bunch of other recent updates, and leading off, some news from a recently debuted local band's camp, so read on below for what you need to know!

Let's start with the latest updates from newer local metal/punk band Chronic Demonic, who are NOT breaking up! Over a month after their status was questioned on their Facebook page, a band member posted there on Wednesday to announce that "sometimes, you just can't keep a good beast down", while confirming that they had found both a new singer (to replace Sabrina "Strange" Lavoie) and a new drummer, which means that Rick "Styles" White has also left. A reason for Rick's departure was not announced, but I do wonder if the injuries from the incident at The Rosie last month are a contributing factor? I have no idea for certain, but hopefully the split was amicable, and best of luck to Rick in the future! An announcement of the new members (joining Frightlight guitarist Kevin "St. Mayhem" Powe and Faithless Sin alum Ryan Gratton) isn't being given away yet, as they said "where's the fun in that?", but all will apparently be revealed soon. I'm curious to see what Chronic Demonic have in store, especially after recent non-activity and the lineup changes, but stay tuned for updates when they roll in!

Next up, here's the newest video from Dafter, Michigan solo hard rock musician Ken "SweetKenny" Sutton, and it's of his new song "The Scorpion King"! Posted on his YouTube channel last week, this is set to footage of the 2002 Dwayne Johnson movie of the same name,  it is an instrumental (at least in this form), and it will be included on SweetKenny's next album "Cracks in the Wall", which is still slated for a Halloween release. Slower overall, it has a good hard rock influence with some blues flourishes, though I will admit it doesn't seem to fit the Egyptian setting of the movie. Check out SweetKenny's new song below, and stay tuned for more on the CD release!



Also today, here's a new song from Sault Ontario grindcore solo project Brutaly Fatal! A cover of The Beatles' "Come Together", it's the only Brutaly Fatal song on their recent split demo with Malignant Neoplasm and Rotopsy (why not include more songs if it's supposed to be "split" between the three acts?) Uploaded to their label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel on Thursday, this maintains Austin McRae's usual "growl & bass only" work, albeit cutting the original song down to 95 seconds in length. If you love death metal & the original song, you might find value in this cover, but it could stand to be longer and more fleshed out. Check out Brutaly Fatal's Beatles cover below!



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

• Suicide Kings frontman Mike Gaetano is looking for artists who can donate their time for an upcoming benefit event for his girlfriend Amy Ellis, who is currently battling cancer. The event will take place at The Canadian Nightclub on Saturday, November 23rd, and tickets will be $25, with live entertainment and a pasta dinner both planned. If you're interested in playing the event, message co-organizer Stephanie Lynn-Poitras at this link, and get more details at the Facebook event page. Hopefully this event's a huge help, stay tuned for updates, and our best wishes go out to Amy, Mike, & her family!
• I've moved local hard rock musician Shane "The Shaner" Solomon's solo project to our inactive band links, as I don't believe he's posted any new material on his Reverbnation page since last fall (though this isn't easy to 100% verify, as Reverbnation doesn't allow you to see the date of song postings.) Shane has guitar talent, so hopefully we'll hear more from his solo work sooner or later!
• Following in singer/guitarist Josh Penno's lead, it looks like his Shit Liver bandmates Mike Kyle & Matt Baic have moved (or soon will be moving) to Southern Ontario, according to personal Facebook posts, with the band beginning work in the Toronto scene afterwards. I hope that this works out for them, but I have seen local bands relocate south and do less as a unit after the fact, so be careful. Stay tuned for updates!

That's likely all until Tuesday, but have a great Thanksgiving weekend, and don't get too stuffed with turkey! Thanks everyone!

This Weekend's Sault Ontario Metal/Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

In our second post of the day, we're previewing this weekend's slate of metal & hard rock concerts! All are in Sault Ontario (at least, for ones that I can confirm at present), but if any across the river (or any short notice ones in general) turn up, we'll have them here tomorrow or Saturday! There's a pair of big multi-band concerts with very different aims and sounds in store, but we'll start with a new acoustic solo gig, so read on below for the previews, and check out this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles in the post below this one! (Updated on Friday at 12:18 AM)

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return to The Roadhouse Bar & Grill ("Roadhouse" is officially one word now) TOMORROW NIGHT! Despite earlier word confirming tomorrow's date, this show was publically advertised on it's Facebook event page as taking place tonight, but it's since been confirmed there that this is a Friday night show as usual, so apologies for any confusion! Tym's acoustic hard rock and metal covers are always a welcome sight at a local venue, and if you can't make the Ray Brown benefit tomorrow night (more on that in a second), you can still see Tym somewhere in the next few days! TOMORROW's show has a 19+ age limit, and there isn't an announced cover charge, but for more details, checl the above links! Keep the return of Tym's solo act in mind for tomorrow night if you're up for some acoustic rock action in the East End, and for a preview, here's Tym covering Heart's "Alone" at Mill Square!

Also this weekend, a variety of local musicians will gather for a bittersweet benefit/tribute show TOMORROW NIGHT at The Verdi Hall to honour local drummer Ray Brown (formerly of The Chosen and some past heavier local bands), who is currently battling cancer in the lungs & liver, and was given only a few months to live last month. As a result, his friends and fellow local musicians have banded together to help raise money to cover his final expenses, and to help him and his family out and honour him as a person and musician. A pasta dinner will be provided for attendees at 7:00 PM tomorrow, while there will be raffles, a door prize, and games to help the cause, so visit the Facebook event page for full details on the non-musical entertainment. Confirmed bands for tomorrow night include local rock cover band Boxcar Junction (formerly Cleveland Steamer), newer local hard rock quintet The Thrill Junkies, alternative hard rockers Lucky 13, fellow hard rock quartet Griphook, Obsession singer Valerie Powley and some unidentified friends, and the aforementioned Tym Morrison (who will also be playing in between breaks.)

Local punk trio Redundant were also confirmed initially for the event, but have dropped out due to drummer Rick White's ongoing recovery from last month's hospitalization. His brother & bandmate James had suggested that his other band Caveman Morrison could fill in, but this hasn't been confirmed by event organizers. Also note that this event was moved from The Canadian Nightclub last month following the major flooding that took place there, and it was bumped from Saturday to Friday due to The Verdi Hall not booking events on the actual Thanksgiving weekend. Advance ticket sales closed yesterday, but you can still get one at the door for $25 IF you inform an administrator of the Facebook event page linked above so they can hold your ticket (also, there's no announced age limits.) Check the above links for more details! I don't know Ray personally, but I know he's a very talented musician and a good guy who's been hit hard by cancer, and it's just sad that news like this is what draws everyone together.

I just hope it's a huge success to help his family through a very trying time, and I know Ray will enjoy and be grateful for everyone's help as a result! On the musical side of things, this event really reminds me of Toystock from last year given it's base of veteran cover bands, so there should be a solid assortment of proven talent to entertain everyone and give Ray his due! Check the above links for more details on this very special event, and for a preview, here's Lucky 13 covering The Stone Temple Pilots last year!




Finally for the known hard rock concerts this weekend, a rare concert on the outskirts of Sault Ontario goes down THIS SATURDAY when new local concert promotion agency Oh! Right Arm! Promotions host The Big Loonie Bus Show, a metal concert at La Cucina (the bar underneath Bucci's Place) in nearby Echo Bay, right near the big loonie! As recently hyped with video interviews with half of the announced bands, the bands playing on Saturday include local sludge/stoner metal trio AlgomA (in just their fourth show & third public concert), popular local death metal quartets The Bear Hunters & Crimson Crusade, and local hardcore punk quintet Destroilet (in a rare show for them with no out of town headliners), while the Facebook event page still hypes a "special secret attraction" to perform as well. Note that most of the bands have new material to debut, so there's more reason to attend! Besides the unique location in Echo Bay (40 minutes east of the Soo), another unique angle is that promoters will be renting a bus to trek fans to and from La Cucina for free on Saturday night!

Drop-off and pick-up will take place outside of the Station Mall Wal-Mart and at the front entrance of the Wellington Square Mall (the earlier Wendy's/Tim Hortons spot on Great Northern is no longer planned), so if you can't/don't want to drive, or want to take a unique ride to and from this very heavy show, keep it in mind! Tickets for this 19+ show (complete with a chocolate loonie) are still available at The Rad Zone or through AlgomA members (with free delivery!) for $10, but the price jumps to $11.50 at the door, regardless of your method for getting to Echo Bay. For more details, and to get your tickets, check the above links! I know Oh! Right Arm! are really hoping that this show's a huge hit, and will encourage more concerts in Echo Bay, so take advantage of the unique location and the party bus to not miss out! Besides, with new material and that surprise band, why not go? I've got family coming up from London that night, so I can't confirm my attendance yet, but make this show a hit, the promoters deserve it and they've put in a lot of work to make this a brutal and unique concert! For a preview, here's AlgomA live at The Rosie in June!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and any late notice concert alerts shortly! Thanks everyone!