An all Sault Michigan post lies ahead on this Saturday evening, including some new videos from two prominent local acts, but leading off, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next month!
New hard rock dates at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino branch for next month have been confirmed via Kewadin's entertainment page, so what should you know there? Not counting the Tarnished and Fyrbird shows next month (the bands revealed those first), the first of the brand new dates will see Traverse City classic metal trio Peril return to the Soo for gigs on Friday, August 12th & Saturday, August 13th! After playing at Kewadin branches in the E.U.P. in both May and June, it's great to see Jeff, Adam, and Brooks' hard rocking and fan friendly selection of classic covers back in the Soo next month, and hopefully there's another great turnout for Peril on both nights! As usual for their Kewadin lounge gigs, expect 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 21+ age limits. Visit the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more updates on Peril's trips north of the Mack when they roll in!
The other new Rapids Lounge hard rock concerts are courtesy of Madison, Wisconsin hard rock trio Sunspot, who will return to Sault Ste. Marie on Friday, August 26th & Saturday, August 27th! As you may recall, Sunspot headed east to Michigan last year to perform during the Michigan Paranormal Convention (or MiParacon) which is held at the Sault Kewadin branch at the end of August annually (save 2020), and you can click here for full details on the convention. I'm not a massive paranormal follower, but if you are, this looks to be another huge weekend! Sunspot are actually releasing a new album next week, and it promises to have more of their requisite "weird Wisconsin rock anthems" that apply some deep and otherworldly topics to a fun power pop-laden hard rock sound with electronic and string influences. Had band to pin down, but definitely give them a listen for yourselves!
Like with Peril above, Sunspot's Kewadin shows next month are 21+ affairs with 9:00 PM start times and no cover charge (attendance at The Rapids Lounge is not conditional on buying MiParacon tickets, public attendees can come as normal). Obviously a huge weekend for alien, ghost, and Bigfoot fans in the E.U.P. ahead, and Sunspot should deliver some fitting tunes for attendees and general fans alike, so visit the above links for more details!
We'll close today with some new videos, starting with a live concert upload on blues/hard rock quartet Project 906's Facebook page on Sunday! Filmed at their Bird's Eye Outfitters show last week, this features 906 (who are just shy of 906 Facebook followers, incidentally) covering Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man", though based on how Billy's singing, they're definitely more doing the Shinedown cover than the original. Not badly done at all, though the vocals can be a little forced on the verses. The venue lighting seems too fancy given that it's not dark in the store, but it's a solid quality behind and in front of the camera, so check it out below!
Finally for today, here's a couple of new solo performance videos from local classical metal band Theatre of Night's YouTube channel earlier this week! Both uploaded in black & white, they are erroneously labelled as "shorts" despite not being in the TikTok competitor format. One features guitarist Steve Giles delivering "some 80's style shred goodness" for one minute via multiple stationary camera angles, and it gives a nice pure showcase of his talents that won't come amiss to old Dust N' Bones fans! Embedded below is the longer upload, which features keyboardist Craig Harrison playing an original composition named "Live Without Your Love" that he calls "a songwriting idea in short, raw form". It's a dramatic yet surprisingly lively piano piece that fans of Theatre of Night's more orchestral side will appreciate, though it's definitely unfinished. Check out both of their new videos above & below, and stay tuned for more from Theatre of Night!That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile and much more in the coming days! Thanks everyone!
I was not expecting to rush a new news post on the site today, but I completely blanked on previewing a concert taking place TONIGHT, let alone cover a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for this weekend! Blame general quietness as of late & holiday prep, I do apologize for these being so delayed (and partially too late). To round things out, we have some new videos related to local musicians, so here's what you should know!
Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's Place TONIGHT, after previously playing there last night! I profusely apologize for the short notice and for missing yesterday's concert entirely, both were only announced via their Facebook event page on Monday, though given their recent track record for advertising their own concerts on Facebook, that's an eternity by comparison! I should have caught these well before now, I apologize again, and I hope last night's concert was a hit (same for Thursday's open mic night at Reggie's West!). Yesterday's and TONIGHT'S concerts were/are Soundcheck's first normal concerts since their Reggievelt shows two weeks ago, and if you believe their most recent Facebook post, their last shows of 2021, so if you want one more chance to see Cameron, Terry, Paul, and Glen live this year, head downtown TONIGHT!
Both shows had/have 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits, but please respect and honour any & all social distancing and public health measures at Reggie's, and vaccine passports must be shown to enter the bar. Don't miss out on Soundcheck TONIGHT, I am again sorry for missing yesterday's show, and here's Soundcheck live earlier this month!
Next up, let's head across the river to Sault Michigan, where local hard rock quartet Tarnished will make their Bird's Eye Outfitters debut TONIGHT as the featured band for their 1980s hair metal theme night! Again, apologies for being so late to preview this concert, but at least I did cover it when first announced, so we're not entirely in the woods here.... but given that Bird's Eye Outfitters is an outdoor store, you'd be well equipped if you were! This will be Tarnished's first Soo date in a couple of weeks, but elsewhere in the E.U.P., you may have seen live at Huck's in Rudyard last week. If you know anything about Tarnished's range of covers, you'll know that 1980s hair and glam metal is a staple of their setlists, and they're quite a fitting band for an '80s hair theme night, especially given their current hairstyles (Nathan excepted), so don't miss out tonight if you're free and in the area!
Yes, attendees are encouraged to dress in '80s hair band-inspired outfits, and while no one has advertised a contest for them, there will be drink specials. An early 7:00 PM start time (again, I'm sorry) is in effect for tonight's festivities, which have no announced cover charges and a likely 21+ age limit, but again, please respect any public health measures at Bird's Eye to keep yourself and everyone else safe. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Tarnished live!
Now let's look at a couple of new videos with no attached concerts to let slip through the cracks, starting with a new full-album upload of local classical metal band Theatre of Night's 2010 debut album "Christmas Night"! Uploaded to the band's YouTube channel on November 10th, this may have been intentionally timed for the 10th anniversary of this album's expanded reissue from November 2011, given that all 12 of the songs return here, but that's just speculation. So much of Theatre of Night's Christmas output in recent years has been centered around live performances and re-recordings with female vocalists that I'm kind of surprised they're bringing the original-ish "Christmas Night" back like this, but it was a very solid album that will get you in the holiday spirit! This album features long-time bandmates Craig Harrison and Steve Giles alongside Steve's brother Greg as their then-drummer.
For this YouTube copy, the track listing has seen very belated edits, "Woods IV"-style. "Carol of the Bells" was moved all the way to track #2, while a number of song names were altered, though aside from "The Nutcracker" becoming "Dance of the Sugarplums", all are just shortened, in what (to me) looks like consequences of the video dimensions & chosen font. If you want a TSO-style metal take on Christmas classics, give Theatre of Night's debut album a listen below, and stay tuned for more from their camp!
Finally for today, let's head north to Sault Ontario, where new local punk band Vanity uploaded a short new video to their YouTube channel on Wednesday of them playing a snippet of Avenged Sevenfold's "Unholy Confessions". This is just a short guitar harmony video with no Keegan/Ljubov present at all, and you can only really hear the lead guitar, but is sounds good while it lasts, and it's nice to see Vanity spreading their wings further into metal! Give it a watch below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned (in all likelihood) for this month's CD review on the site next! Thanks everyone!
Here's a rarity: Two posts in one day! As our newest Metal Morpheus recap post was delayed into the wee hours of Thursday the 18th, we have a second post to cover both weekend concert previews and some other news, like a new video and related updates from one band, and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT from another! Here's what you should know!
Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Tarnished will make their apparent Bird's Eye Outfitters debut on Saturday, November 27th when they topline a 1980s hair band night at the venue! This will be Alex, Nathan, Isaac, and Josh's first concert since their Rapids Lounge gigs this past weekend, and it definitely marks the first show we've covered at Bird's Eye Outfitters (the outdoors store/cafe on the site of the former Golanka's Bar/The Bird at 107 East Portage Avenue) since the onset of the pandemic. Bird's Eye have hosted live music sporadically this year, so Tarnished aren't the first band back, but they have to be the first heavier band since 2019, and they are up for an '80s hair metal theme, especially given the current hair lengths of 3/4ths of the group! While the Christmas season will be fully upon us by next weekend, attendees are encouraged to dress up as their favourite '80s artists.
Note that the venue didn't name the headliners in their Facebook advertising, but Tarnished confirmed that they were the band in question on their own Facebook page earlier today. A 21+ age limit and no cover charge are likely in effect for this show, which has an early 6:00 PM start time, and yes, there will be drink specials of some kind that night. Please honour and respect any and all social distancing and public health guidelines at Bird's Eye to ensure that everyone has a safe and responsible time next weekend. Visit the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more from Tarnished's camp!
Next up, let's head north to Sault Ontario for some weekend concert previews, and barring some late notice gigs (always a possibility), this looks to be relatively quiet overall for heavier bands. However, local southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek will end their two month break from the stage when they rock Reggie's West TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! After dropping out of a planned Reggievelt date in August due to a band member illness, you could call these dates a rescheduling (if after twelve weeks), but fans will have last seen Justin, Shane, Matt, Robin, and Tony at an outdoor fundraiser event in September. Always good to see Fort Creek back with their hard rocking blend of covers, but they won't be alone! Stemming from a Facebook search on November 10th for "up and coming talent" that wanted the chance to open for Fort Creek, they will actually have an opening act for these shows!
Namely, the openers are Whiskey & Beer, an acoustic classic rock duo from local musician Jeremy Logan Newman and colleague Jeff Rimmer. Jeremy's a talented musician, and it'll be interesting to see/hear how they do in this spot, if atypical given that bands on the weekend bar cover circuit don't usually have openers! 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits are in place, there will be another merchandise giveaway, and vaccine passports must be shown upon entry, and please respect Reggie's West's social distancing measures. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Fort Creek live at the same venue!
Lastly for this weekend (barring something on late notice), let's head downtown to The Rockstar Bar, where genre-hating quartet Handsome Sandwich will play their first proper headlining concert since before the pandemic THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Be advised that Handsome Sandwich have not updated their Facebook page since initially announcing this show almost a month ago, and The Rockstar Bar's Facebook page hasn't promoted it at all, but as of this writing, no one has said it's cancelled, so we'll treat it as normal unless given word otherwise. This will be the second live appearance (and first in Sault Ste. Marie city limits) for Handsome Sandwich since their revival and since expanding to a quartet with Taylor Emlaw & Mitch Sirie on vocals & bass respectively, so fans who missed them at The Northern Vibe Festival might want to make a trip to The Algonquin Hotel's upstairs venue on Saturday!
Remember, Handsome Sandwich were working on their debut album "Lettuce" this summer, so expect new and already teased original songs on Saturday as well! Assuming nothing was called off quietly, this concert will have a 9:30 PM start time, no cover charge, and a 19+ age limit, and do not forget your vaccine passports if you want in the bar! Of course, please respect and follow any and all public safety and health measures in place to ensure that everyone leaves as healthy as they arrived (alcohol intake notwithstanding). Visit the above links for more details, and here's Handsome Sandwich's new lineup playing one of their originals!
Finally, I've gotta cover these items before bigger things happen with this band in short order, as local party metal duo The Apocalypse Afterparty have had some new teasers for their planned music video launch (and more?) on Sunday! This past weekend, they did launch a contest on their Facebook page for fans to suggest drummer Amanda Stanghetta's first ever tattoo, and the most liked choice (barring anything offensive) will be what she has to get. Bold and risky, keep this in mind if you want to take part! As for the prior contest for a $100 Station Mall gift card, the winners of that and other undisclosed prizes will be drawn in a Facebook live-stream video tomorrow at 8:00 PM, so you still have time to enter if you haven't already! And yes, Paul & Amanda took part in a hot wings roulette challenge on their Facebook page two weeks ago, and you can witness their pain in this 20 minute video of the festivities!
If you're familiar at all with video challenges/demos of people trying obscenely spicy hot sauces, you can imagine what they're going through in this video, and yes, be advised of adult language (not to mention the sideways camera angle for most of it). While not seemingly musical, the last four minutes do feature The Apocalypse Afterparty loosely covering Say Anything's "Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too", but the cymbals on Amanda's drums override Paul entirely in this recording. Give everything a watch below, though you may need to tilt your head, and stay tuned for their "List of Demands (Reparations)" music video's premiere on Sunday!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site soon, perhaps tomorrow if any late notice shows surface! Thanks everyone!
Now that the equinox has passed, here's a stacked new news post for your Saturday night delectation! Along with a new teaser video, we have a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, a new album release, and leading off, a new band to add to our listings, so here's what you should know!
We have a new solo project to add to our Sault Michigan band links, and they are X's & Y's, the new musical venture from Werehold Records founder and ex-Life's Eclipse/et al. guitarist Jason Mills! The launch of their Facebook page marks the first new public update concerning his music career since Moss' final online posting in March 2018, so this has been a long time coming. Don't take this as a sign that Werehold is back in operation too, as their Facebook page was quietly deactivated during his musical hiatus, and has been removed from our links on the SMS as such, but we'll let you know if the label returns down the road. Jason revealed last month that he is working on a release named “Þe Obsidian Sömnen”, which roughly means "The Black Sleep", though I do not know yet whether this will be a single, an album, or both. In any event, Jason's ex-Shatterhand bandmate Mitchell "Barph Blahgo" Wells will mix, master, and co-produce the new material.
There are a lot of unknowns yet regarding X's & Y's, including specific genres we can expect Jason to tackle here, but remember that his past Werehold acts (Moss aside) all tended to play a form of extreme metal, often sans vocals. I'm very curious to hear where Jason has planned for his new project, so visit the above links to stay in the loop!
Next up, here's that LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, and it's very surprising, as defunct local metal trio Tantrym Tyme are back for a special one-night-only reunion concert on MONDAY NIGHT at Bird's Eye Outfitters! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via the official Facebook event page on Friday. We haven't seen Tantrym Tyme on stage (in an event with public online advertising, at least) since Downtown Days in 2016, after which they quietly dissolved, but it looks like Jacob's back home in the Soo for the holidays. Despite the odd Monday scheduling, it'll be great to see Tantrym Tyme back after 3 or so years! This is also a rare non-Project 906 hard rock concert at Bird's Eye Outfitters (the outdoors store/venue on the site of the former Bird nightclub), so if you've missed seeing heavier bands there, head to East Portage Avenue on MONDAY! Expect a 7:00 PM start time, 21+ age limit, and no announced cover charge.
Let's head north to Sault Ontario now, starting with the latest from prolific local folk punk & experimental metal solo artist Chase Wigmore, whose public activity slowed down over the fall, so what's new to report? Well, on November 20th, he revealed that he was "sort of taking a vacation" due to positive changes in his personal life, though he did hint that his forthcoming true debut solo album "Songs To Punch Yourself In The Face To" was largely complete. In spite of mixed messages about the planned release date and issues therein, Chase posted the apparent final copy of the album on his Bandcamp page on December 7th for $7 (or more if you are so inclined), so now it is finally on sale digitally. He did leave the door open for a physical release down the line when monetary concerns are met, but this is better than nothing! As it currently stands, the album has 10 songs, down from the previously advertised 23 songs on a double album.
I'm unsure whether he made huge revisions to the final product or is shelving the other 13 tracks (including the 25 minute-long "Stray Dog Howl") for a separate release, but Chase has went through a lot to complete this album, and it's nice to see him get it on sale! As for when we might review this album on the site.... how does this month sound? Stay tuned!
Finally, here's a new video from Chase's ex-Strange Coyotes bandmate Mike Haggith's Facebook page earlier this month, and while it doesn't feature him on camera or performing, it is relevant to his upcoming studio album "If Ever Comes The Day." The 17 second clip features Justin Fuciarelli, Mike's bandmate in the Thompson, Manitoba pop rock cover band Between The Ditches, playing some solo guitar for what will be one of two guest spots on the CD. This has a bit of a country twang, but Justin's a solid guitarist, and it'll be interesting to hear how he fares on the final product. Check it out below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site next week! Thanks everyone!
As promised, we have our Scarkazm previews in today's post, but before we get too ahead of ourselves, we have a few LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to tackle, and one is on SHORT NOTICE, so here's what you should know this morning!
Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Project 906 will return to Bird's Eye Outfitters for their third show of the year TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via the band's Facebook page yesterday, but fans shouldn't be too surprised about this gig. TONIGHT is the first of five open days that Project 906 announced a booking search for earlier this month, and while we await confirmation on if the other four dates (next Friday included) will get 906 shows somewhere, it's great to see one knocked off! We haven't seen Project 906 rock the Ashmun Street outdoors store/venue since their New Year's Eve party, so if you've missed their hard rocking cover selection on a Sault Ste. Marie stage, don't miss all of the action TONIGHT! An early-ish 7:00 PM start time is in effect, I'd assume this is still 21+, and there's no cover charge. See above for more details, and here's Project 906 live last year!
Next up, let's head back to Sault Ontario for a couple of new dates later this summer, as a few familiar faces will rock The Roberta Bondar Pavilion in August as part of the city's annual Summer Concert Series! An annual tradition under the tent downtown, the Summer Concert Series does not usually lend itself well to hard rock bands (RPM arguably came the closest in recent years), but a couple of SMS-covered bands will hit the stage there in a couple of months, starting with acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns on Thursday, August 1st! Their first announced show outside of The Whiskey Barrel since the spring, The Pavilion is not uncharted ground for the Elements side project, as you may have seen Christina, Rob, and Jesse there last summer during the Art In The Park/Fringe North Festival events. Their diverse and often heavy covers should attract a good crowd at the beginning of August, so don't miss out on The Wyld Stallyns then!
As is standard for the Summer Concert Series (Encore next month excepted), this is an ALL AGES and FREE 7:00 PM event, and visit the City of Sault Ste. Marie Facebook page for more details. Among a talented lineup of familiar local performers like L!me, The Algo Rhythms, the reunited Wishbone, and many more, hard rock fans can look forward to a rare outdoor set by classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck under the big tent on Tuesday, August 27th as well! That's not a typo, all events in this series are either on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Another gig not previously advertised on Soundcheck's 2019 concert calendar, this comes just days after a scheduled weekend at The Esquire Club. With their old school and often heavy covers, this should be a fine platform for Terry, Travis, Paul(?), and Glen to entertain the locals, so keep this show in mind if you can come down on a Tuesday!
Like with The Wyld Stallyns on the 1st, Soundcheck's Summer Concert Series show is at 7:00 PM with no age limit or admission fee. Looks like a fun summer of live music is ahead downtown, and with a slightly heavier kick in August to boot, so see above for full details!
We'll close today's post with the last publically announced hard rock concerts for this weekend in the Soo area, as Traverse City, Michigan metal trio Scarkazm will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino for shows TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! These gigs come about a month after Scarkazm last rocked Sault Ste. Marie, but these will be Adam, Dave, and Jeff's first collective shows at The Northern Pines Lounge since the St. Patrick's Day weekend. With Scarkazm's hard rocking brand of covers and possible originals, fans know they're in for a good time in this latest trip north of the Mackinac Bridge, so don't miss out on these shows if you're in the St. Ignace area this weekend! As usual for Scarkazm's Kewadin Casino bookings, tonight & tomorrow's concerts are 9:00 PM affairs with no announced cover charges and 21+ age limits. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Scarkazm live!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for more big and overdue news on the site this weekend! Thanks everyone!
Barring some more late notice announcements, this could be our final news/concert preview post of 2018, so what lies within here? Some new videos from a major recent concert, our last show preview for this weekend, and our previews of the Monday slate of New Year's Eve hard rock concerts, but let's begin with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!
Joining their previously announced Hulbert Happy Hour concert in Hulbert Township TONIGHT, local hard/blues rock quartet Project 906 will return to Bird's Eye Outfitters in Sault Michigan for their New Year's Eve party THIS MONDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice on the latter concert, it was announced on the venue's Facebook page two weeks ago, but the band only confirmed their involvement on their own Facebook page on Thursday. An eventful year for the 906 camp will conclude at Bird's Eye on MONDAY, with a 1990s-theme night for the occasion, so expect a focus on covers from that decade during their set. Drink specials, appetizers, and a photo booth are all advertised for the occasion, and staff did remind us that Sault Michigan's second annual New Year's ball drop will take place just outside of the venue, so keep that in mind as well! As for tonight's Hulbert Happy Hour gig, this will be their first show there in 7 months, so if you've missed them an hour west of the Soo, you'll know where to go tonight!
Tonight's Hulbert concert has a 21+ age limit, no cover charge, and a 9:00 PM start time, and the same largely applies to MONDAY's year-end party at Bird's Eye Outfitters, but the band is slated to begin performing at 10:00 PM that night. Fans of Project 906's entertaining and proficient hard rock covers won't want to miss out on their last two shows of the year, so visit the above links for more details, and here's 906 live in Hulbert earlier this year!
Next up, we'll move to previously announced New Year's Eve concerts, starting with prolific Sault Ontario solo musician Tym Morrison, who is advertised to end 2018 with a special MONDAY matinee at Gliss Restaurant on Spring Street! Note that Tym hasn't publically confirmed this show on Facebook, but it's listed on SooToday's events calendar, and Tym did plug it on his personal Facebook page, so it's definitely on. Arguably his first triple weekend booking at Gliss since it's relocation in the fall, Monday's show should give fans another entertaining look at his acoustic hard rock covers in the new intimate standalone locale, so if you're going out for dinner on Monday, keep Tym's sets in mind! Despite the seasonal timing, this is still a 6:00 PM matinee and will not run through midnight, with Tym reportedly playing a private New Year's event afterward. As usual, there's no announced cover charge or age limit, but remember the locale. See above for more details, and here's Tym live a few years back!
Also on MONDAY NIGHT, The Rockstar Bar will wrap up 2018 in style when local classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive headline their New Year's Eve party! After a well received first year on the local concert circuit, Fluid 5ive will bring their diverse and often heavy selection of covers back to The Algonquin Hotel's upstairs nightclub on Monday, and they should provide a fun soundtrack of familiar classic hits to the year-end action! As usual for The Rockstar Bar's New Year's Eve bashes, expect party favours, drink specials, and more entertaining accoutrements to be on hand, and as the only New Year's Eve show in Sault Ontario with a hard rock headliner, why not come out? Doors open at 8:00 PM on Monday, you must be 19 or older to attend, and a special $10 cover charge is in effect to go along with the extra seasonal frills. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, don't miss Fluid 5ive to end 2018 on Monday, and hopefully some public video footage of theirs turns up in the new year!
We'll close today with some newly posted live videos from Sault Michigan classical metal project Theatre of Night's Dreammaker's Theater concert at the local Kewadin Casino from December 15th! These were filmed for the way-too-generous Christopher Paci's YouTube channel, and while these were only just posted on Thursday, it's better to have them after Christmas than not at all! Chris also shot some videos at Theatre of Night's Soo Theater show last year, FYI. Videos filmed two weeks ago include "The Little Drummer Boy", "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from The Nutcracker, "Silent Night", an instrumental/aria number, "O Holy Night", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", and as embedded below, "Carol of the Bells". Filmed from a closer (but sharper) angle than the band's own livestream, the audio holds up well on these carols, and this should be worth a watch for fans of Theatre of Night's seasonal concert tour! Give these a look above & below, and stay tuned for more in 2019!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for our 2018 retrospective post on Monday, and more news and updates soon! Thanks everyone!
I hope everyone had a great Halloween! Before we begin this weekend's concert previews, I just wanted to acknowledge that Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned are playing at a special awards banquet this Saturday at the Kinross Speedpark reflecting this summer's auto racing season. Given that admission requires an advance RSVP and isn't clearly a publically attendable event, I'm not covering it here, but keep it in mind if you are inclined to attend! Now, let's start today's post with some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, some on SHORT NOTICE!
Tym Morrison's long-term run of weekly matinee concerts at Gliss Steak & Seafood will finally resume TOMORROW, with shows following on SATURDAY and through at least the end of the year at it's new home! Apologies for the short notice, we were waiting for public confirmation of the arrangement's resumption, which came via the shows' Facebook event page on Monday. While the prolific local acoustic hard rock musician played a private pre-opening engagement there on Friday, TOMORROW'S concert will be his first publically advertised gig at the slightly renamed Gliss Restaurant since mid-July, after the venue closed in advance of a move from The Quality Inn to the former Cesira's building at 133 Spring Street, not far from the old Case's Music/Colosimo's location. Staff and patrons have hyped up the more intimate location and expanded menu, so see above for full details on the culinary side of things, but it's great to Tym back on a regular schedule there!
Note that Tym's advertising does not list any Thursday night gigs, despite traditionally playing a thrice-weekly schedule at Gliss from July-December each year. If this turns out to be a temporary or accidental change, we'll let you know, but that may just be how the schedule is laid out at the new location. Alongside Tym's other new gigs there on November 9th-10th, 16th-17th, 23rd-24th, and 30th-December 1st (we'll add his other December shows to our listings in a few weeks), Tym will also play one previously announced nighttime concert THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, when he returns to The Harp Pub & Grill at the Pine Plaza! Tym was the only regular musical performer at this venue (post-Madison's) from 2013-2016, including a run of weekly concerts for a time, and it's great to see him back after over 2½ years as part of the new concert-heavy path The Harp recently kickstarted! No word though on why he's not playing there tomorrow night.
Tym's revived Gliss shows (including TOMORROW'S & SATURDAY'S) remain 6:00 PM matinees with no announced cover charges or age limits (but remember, this is still a formal sit-down restaurant, not a traditional nightclub venue), while Saturday night's Harp show is a 9:00 PM affair with no cover and a 19+ age limit. Click here and visit the above links for more details on Tym's renewed busy concert slate, and here he is live!
Next up, local acoustic hard rock/jam trio The Wyld Stallyns will return to Room 21 for another headlining concert TOMORROW NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's official Facebook event page yesterday. Last seen at The Harp last week, this will be the Elements side project's first concert at the nightclub above Low & Slow since their Tom Petty tribute early last month, and first without a single-artist theme there since September. Requests and fan involvement are again encouraged for their varied and often heavy selection of covers and classic hits, so don't miss The Wyld Stallyns latest Room 21 stop TOMORROW NIGHT! Note that this is a one-night-only booking, and I do not know if there will be a Fishbowl and/or Finger Food Friday theme. TOMORROW's concert has a 10:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and a 19+ age limit. See above for more details, and here's The Wyld Stallyns live!
Finally, we'll head to Sault Michigan for one more concert preview this weekend, as local hard/blues rock quartet Project 906 will return to Bird's Eye Outfitters (and/or The Superior Cafe) TOMORROW NIGHT! This will be the second show in a week's span for this fan favourite group, who just ended a nearly 2 month break from the stage at Saturday night's Musicians Showcase at the same venue, and as seen on Facebook photos, that Halloween themed-show was a hit. If nothing else, frontman Billy Bernier rocked that Zakk Wylde-esque blonde wig! Tomorrow's show will see more of a return to normal for the 906 crew, so look for more hard rocking cover favourites at the East Portage Avenue locale then! There is no announced age limit or cover charge for this concert, which has a 7:00 PM start time. Visit the above links for more details on tomorrow's one-nighter at The Bird('s Eye), and here's Project 906 live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post next! Thanks everyone!
(Updated at 5:22 PM) I know things have been slow on the site lately, but so has news from the local hard rock, metal, and punk spectrums. Hopefully this weekend concert preview post will help, as there's a solid amount of concerts to take, so let's start with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!
Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck are advertised to return to The Esquire Club for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced earlier this week on SooToday's events calendar courtesy of the venue, and the band proper has not publically acknowledged them on their Facebook page at press time (they hadn't for their shows two weeks ago either.) After splitting their last weekend across two venues, the Mourning Wood successors will return to this popular west end nightclub TOMORROW & SATURDAY for the first time in three weeks with another weekend of hard rocking covers, so keep Soundcheck's new gigs in mind for some solid and familiar action this weekend! As usual for their Esquire Club stops, TOMORROW & SATURDAY's shows are 10:00 PM affairs with no announced cover charge and a 19+ age limit. See above for more details, and no public videos of theirs yet!
Next up, we'll move to previously announced concerts, starting with the ever-prolific Tym Morrison's ongoing weekly concert arrangement at Gliss Steak & Seafood, which continues for yet another week TOMORROW & SATURDAY! Fresh off of his short notice Monday-Wednesday returns to Mark's Breakfast Plus, Tym will play his fourth & fifth shows in six days this weekend, and should have another stacked slate of classic and hard rock covers ready for Gliss patrons and fans alike tomorrow and Saturday, so keep these downtown matinees in mind as usual! As is standard for Tym's supper-time concerts at this restaurant, expect 6:00 PM start times tomorrow and on Saturday, and while these shows do not have announced age limits or cover charges, mind the locale. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!
Also this weekend, Sault Michigan fans can take in a pair of shows from Sault Michigan blues/hard rock quartet Project 906, including shows TOMORROW NIGHT at Bird's Eye Outfitters, and then a trip west to Hulbert Happy Hour in Hulbert Township THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! As announced last week, these will give fans their first chance to see Project 906 on a solo stage since their Hulbert debut in March, having solely stuck to multi-band showcases and competitions at The Superior Cafe in the interim. Tomorrow's Soo show is a relatively rare headlining concert in their hometown, and while logic would dictate that The Superior Cafe would be the host venue compared to it's hunting/outdoor store on the same complex, all band and venue advertising says that the show will be in Bird's Eye, so the cafe proper must be geared more to smaller or unplugged acts. Venue advertising indicates that a duo act named Brian & Keith will be opening for 906 tomorrow, and while I don't know much about them, I believe they've played at here before.
The Hulbert Happy Hour show on Saturday appears to be a standard stop for this well traveled hard rock group, so if you're out that direction, keep that show in mind too! Tomorrow's stop on the former Golanka's Bar location has a 7:00 PM start time and no announced age limit or cover charge, while Saturday's Hulbert show is at 9:00 PM with no cover and a 21+ age limit. Click here and visit the above links for more details, I've added Bird's Eye Outfitters and The Superior Cafe to our Sault Michigan venue links, and here's Project 906 live in concert earlier this year!
Lastly for known hard rock shows this weekend, fans of Sault Ontario indie/hard rock quartet Id Iota can see them back on stage THIS SATURDAY NIGHT when they take part in the Indie Spring concert at LopLops Lounge! As memorably hyped in this Facebook video where Id Iota summoned "Father Spring", this concert will mark Id Iota's third local concert appearance with their current lineup, and with new songs from their forthcoming full length album expected, look for more good times from this fan favourite quartet on Saturday! Id Iota will play support to Sudbury garage rock band The Almighty Rhombus, who are touring in support of their brand new EP "Swish", and with their lively, upbeat brand of rock music, they'll be a fine fit at LopLops this weekend too! Also playing support is local drone/noise rock trio Pointless (featuring Treble Charger's Bill Priddle and Id Iota's Dustin Goodall), who should deliver in their own unique way on Saturday as well, so don't be late for their set!
Promoted by Dustin Goodall via his recording studio Unsalted Audio (in a pseudo-revival of his old Unsalted Records agency), this concert has a $10 cover charge, 19+ age limit, and 9:00 PM start time. Indie rock fans should take to this show well, and with some hard rock and punk glimmers to boot, so visit the Facebook event page for more details, and here's Id Iota live!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for last month's poll results and our newest poll on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
On this Saturday afternoon, we have lots of stories to touch on, including some assorted recent updates, a 30 year old video from a big local punk concert, and a revived solo project's new material, but first, here's a note on a removal from our active band links!
We regrettably have to remove local hard rock quartet Eclipse from our band links due to the deletion of their Facebook (and only online) page at some point in the past few months, which seems to signal their second and final breakup. A reason for their apparent demise hasn't been announced, but rumours of internal issues have came up more than once last year, so read into those if you want. This does mirror the recent deletion of frontman Curtis McKenzie's solo Facebook page, though I don't know if the two were deleted for the same reason. As you may recall, the Haggith successors initially reunited early last year after their tumultuous original split in November 2016, with the guys notably opening for bands like The Hazytones, The Raygun Cowboys, and Speaker in 2017, among other events, with their tribute turn as "SSM of a Down" at The Algonquin Pub on Halloween weekend appearing to be their last public appearance.
Eclipse were a talented band with good chemistry and a fun selection of originals and covers, and their disbandment (and page deletion, sigh) is disappointing even if you factor in certain rumours. Hopefully we see Eclipse back down the road (or their originals/prior bands' songs carry over to a new project), best of luck to Curtis, Daniel, Fred, and Chris in the future, and don't miss Daniel in Jack Spades!
Next up, here's the first new original songs from former Din frontman/Haggith drummer Mike Haggith's solo project since the release of "The Warinside" in 2015! As you may know, Mike moved to Thompson, Manitoba for work last fall, and announced that he was resuming his solo project shortly beforehand, so we're starting to see some new material from him in this new year. Both of these songs were uploaded as solo performance videos to his Facebook page, and they are titled "Come On Home" and (as embedded below) "An Act of Strength". Both are acoustic solo performances in this current form, but Mike has indicated that a proper album entitled "Bridges" (source here) will come out later this year, presumably with a full band structure. The former song is more of a downbeat soft ballad, and while the latter has backing instrumentation and a drum track, it also has serious subject matter about a friend who survived domestic abuse.
It's great to see Mike finally getting his solo career back into first gear with some solid first demos, and remember, he has dozens of official studio albums, so this is old hat for him! Most of the Windsor-era ones aren't on his official pages anymore, but he still has a good deal of solo albums online to listen to, including some songs later played by his local bands. No word on if he'll resume work on "Neighbourhood Watch Revisited" in Thompson too, but check out Mike's new songs above and below, and visit his Bandcamp page to hear his Sault Ste. Marie-era solo output!
Also today, here's a surprising YouTube find: footage taken during Toronto hardcore punk band Hype's local concert appearance way back in 1987! This was uploaded to their promotional company Reuben Kincade Productions' YouTube channel late last month, and features the band arriving in the Soo for their show, setting up for it, and leaving for Winnipeg (you can see more of the trip there at this link.) Unfortunately, no concert video footage survives from this channel, but you can see that from other stops if you check out the other six videos of the tour. I wasn't born until May 1989, so I definitely can't comment on the scene as it was then, but you see lots of familiar sights on Gore Street surrounding this concert, including Rad Zone predecessor Radical Records (Paul Muncaster himself was key for getting Hype here), and there is a funny moment when Hype run into some kids going to a birthday party.
This video is a nice time capsule of downtown Sault Ste. Marie, but the audio quality is it's achilles heel, often sounding like the camera is attached to a propellor. You can't complain too much, as this is over 30 years old and no one could have forecasted putting this on the internet back then, but overall, kudos for putting this online! Hype themselves were an explosive and fun band, as you can see through other videos on the channel, and they were apparently the first hardcore punk band from Toronto to release a full length album, so it was cool to see them here on their second tour! Give this a look below, and see more from Hype at the above links!
Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or event name:
The opening band for the Big Wreck concert at The Machine Shop on February 13th was quietly announced last month, as Winnipeg alternative rock trio Attica Riots will join them on their "In Loving Memory Of..." 20th anniversary tour! Playing more of an upbeat power pop/indie sound in support of their new CD "Sunshine & Hysteria", they'll add an interesting contrast next month, so give them a listen as well, and get your tickets A.S.A.P.!
A musicians' competition is being held at Bird's Eye Outfitters at 107 East Portage Avenue in Sault Michigan on Saturday, January 27th, with gift cards awaiting the winners! There is a $10 registration fee, but solo artists and full bands are welcome, drums & a PA system are supplied, and while the term "battle of the bands" isn't being thrown around, this sounds like a fun way to showcase some local talent, so click here for more details! Also, if an outdoor equipment store strikes you as a peculiar venue for this, keep in mind that Bird's Eye Outfitters used to be Golanka's Bar, a.k.a. The Bird!
In advance of their live concert return TONIGHT at the Joni Radford benefit, Sault Ontario punk quartet Redundant announced on their Facebook page that they are recording their long awaited debut album at Mission Control Studios with producer Dustin Jones starting next month! This seems to imply that their 2012-2014 recording sessions are now completely discarded, but if they wanted to include Yannick, they'd have to rework things anyway. Exciting news all around, Dustin is be a great choice to get this album sounding as good as possible, so stay tuned for updates!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site next week! Thanks everyone!
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