LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Among Legends), HeadFirst EP Updates, And New Videos!!

For today's post, let's cover some recent news and notes and break from, our recent single topic posts to fill in some lost ground! Along with recent festival fallout, we have some new videos, updates on a new album release, and more, but let's lead off with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this year!

Waterloo, Ontario pop punk quintet Among Legends will make their local concert debut on Friday, October 4th when they rock Soo Blaster! Quietly announced on the venue's website, this show has (so far) gotten more promotion via bulletin boards at grocery stores than via social media, but it is 2+ months away, so a lot can happen before then. A relatively newer group who put out their debut album "Take Good Care" (produced by Siegfried Meier of "Woods 5" fame) in 2022, Among Legends' melodic brand of modern punk has many catchy qualities, strong percussion, and well written lyrics, so punk fans should find a lot to like from them this fall! The local openers are fast-rising metal trio The BAG (last seen in Leeburn this past Saturday), and while they're not a genre match, they'll inject some heavier energy to kick things off on a good note! Tickets cost $15 in advance and $20 at the door for this concert, which is likely 19+

You can buy advance "early bird" tickets at this link and presumably at the venue (no word on if The BAG have any), and this show has an advertised run-time of 8:00-10:30 PM, so it'll be an early-ish night. Punk and metal fans should find a lot to like with this double bill, so visit the above links for more details on Among Legends' local debut in October!

Next up, here's some details on local hard rock quintet HeadFirst's debut EP "Head Trauma", which was released on July 20th in limited quantities at Rotaryfest before its wide release at its launch party at Shooters Downstairs Lounge this past Saturday! I bought my copy at Loud & Proud on the 21st (#10 of the limited run of 20 discs that weekend). "Head Trauma" is very much a DIY production as far as physical pressings go, with burned CD-Rs with handwritten labels, and staples holding the cardboard packaging together, including the (mirrored) gatefold image of HeadFirst performing in concert at Reggie's Place (Saige Burch shot the included band photos). Lyrics are included for the four tracks via four individual lyric sheets in the sleeve, and while there are no guests, "Take You (Down)" does feature Liam & Anthony trading guitar and drums as also seen when played live.

Writing credits go to the entire band on "Hot Blooded Woman" & "Little Darling", all but Liam & Claire on "Take You (Down)", and just Red & Raine on "Don't Care, Don't Mind". Major streaming services like YouTube, Spotify, and even Boomplay have the album available, and physical copies will be on sale at future concerts, next including their return to Shooters on August 17th. Our review of "Head Trauma" will hit the site next month, as I'm reviewing Choking On Appendages' debut album tomorrow, but check out more from HeadFirst's... first EP above, and here's track #1!

Also today, here's some fallout from this past weekend's Go North Music Festival in Richards Landing, courtesy of the festival's Facebook page! Normally, these would get a fuller feature on the site, but alas, the page's administrator chose to upload all videos from Go North as "Reels", meaning that I can't embed any of them here (they're also vertical, short, and unplayable in background tabs, but my laments about "Reels" are well known by now). Videos from Centennial Grounds include Daniel Romano's Outfit beginning their set with "Field Of Ruins", Bleeker (née Bleeker Ridge) playing their song "Highway", and two "Reels" of The Trews' headlining set. This one features the end of their set, including guest appearances from fellow Go North performer Terra Lightfoot and Treble Charger guitarist Bill Priddle for the ending jam, while the other one has the band literally going into the crowd to perform their folksier classic "Ishmael & Maggie".

That must have been a thrill to have The Trews literally join their fans to sing this one together, and the sizable crowd definitely knew the song! "Reels" or not, the videos are solid quality and capture the stage setup on St. Joseph Island well, and it's great to see that lots of fans made the trip for the festival, whether making the hour's drive from the Soo or if they lived closer by! Check out the Go North clips above, and we'll let you know if any other public videos surface!

Finally, here's the latest from local skate punk/crossover thrash quartet Hails, whose next local concert will see them open for The Ripcordz on August 10th, but they will also hit the road for another show in Bay City, Michigan at The We/Us House there on September 21st! This will be a one-year anniversary event at this venue, and will feature eight other metal/punk acts. I don't know how Brent & crew made the connections to be playing Michigan (let alone downstate), but clearly their debut in Bay City in April went well for them to come back! Unlike then, they'll be arriving as a four-piece thanks to new second guitarist Carmen Muto, and Ha!ls showed him off in this new video from their Facebook page, where he's playing the guitar solo that he wrote for their newer original song "Ghosts" alongside his unseen bandmates. I usually don't make a big deal about musician ages, but Carmen is 14 years old, and he has serious skill level already!

Unfortunately, this video was shot horizontally but framed into vertical dimensions with pillarboxing, meaning that it's tiny. Why do some Facebook videos get that treatment? It's just Carmen, so it'd have been better to just crop it into the vertical orientation! Embedded below however is a horizontal new video from Hails, specifically of them playing their newer original song "Crustal Displacement" at Queen Elizabeth Park for last month's Go Skateboarding Day festivities, and the filmer used the placement to the side of the big ramp to get a lot of focus on skaters as well as the band. Mikhal is mostly hidden behind amplifiers, but it's an intense performance, and long for a Ha!ls video, so check it out below!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's CD review tomorrow and more news and notes soon!     Thanks everyone!

Go North Music Festival & Bone Yard 225 Concert Previews!!

Here's post #2 of this weekend's hard rock concert previews! Due to the high amount of events this weekend, we'll hold our previews of tomorrow's Salty Marie Trails Fest, Neither Could Dylan, and HeadFirst concerts for a post either tonight or tomorrow morning, so don't worry, they are coming! Today's post is devoted to a major returning summer festival and a prominent veteran local band's weekend gigs in town, plus some linked new updates, so here's what you should know on both!

We'll start at Reggie's Place, where local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will return to the stage TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! After skipping Rotaryfest for a second straight year, these will be Greg, Alex, and Warren's first traditional plugged-in gigs since rocking the same venue three weeks ago, with their only interim date being an "uncorked" show at The Water Tower Pub on July 12th. Good to see this talented veteran trio back at it, and hopefully they deliver more fun and hard edged classic and hard rock covers for fans downtown this weekend! As usual for their dates at Reggie's, this weekend's shows have 9:30 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's a new video of your local 225 at Reggie's on July 5th! This live-stream from their Facebook page captures the guys covering Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show's "Cover Of 'Rolling Stone'".

Sadly as usual, this video was shot vertically, helping accentuate the lack of fans on the floor at this point in the night (one of my main issues with vertical orientation of concert videos), but the cover is sound, as fans who've seen this song done live or in past videos will know! My mom loved Dr. Hook, so she'd have gotten a kick out of Bone Yard's cover! The overly red/purple lighting won't be for everyone, but check this video out below, and don't miss Bone Yard 225 back at Reggie's this weekend!

Next up, the summer festival season continues with the sixth annual Go North Music Festival, which returns to Centennial Grounds in Richards Landing on St. Joseph Island TOMORROW! Well, it actually started yesterday with David Francey's sold out show at Richards Landing Town Hall, as part of the festival's expansion to a multi-day event coordinated with the town's Community Night weekend, but the main multi-band program is tomorrow at the former Cornfest homebase. This annual concert festival features local craft and food vendors, overnight camping, and good vibes in general, so be sure to visit the official website for complete non-musical details on what to expect whether making the hour's drive as a music fan and/or camper! Unusually, organizers have not released timeslots for the Saturday program, but gates open at 3:00 PM, and I can't assume an identical timeslot placement to 2023 given that there's one more band this year, so I'll address the bands in descending order of how Go North promotes them online.

If there's a kids stage again featuring scheduled acts playing mini-sets in an alternate locale, organizers haven't said. Tomorrow night's headliners are Juno Award nominated Nova Scotia alt-hard rock quintet The Trews in their first local date since opening for Marianas Trench in the Soo in 2022, and their first headlining date up here since 2009. With songs like "Not Ready To Go", "What's Fair Is Fair", and "Hold Me In Your Arms" in their back catalogue, it will be great to see The Trews' diverse but hard rocking sound back on a local stage, and I do like many of their songs, so this will sure be a different way to experience them! Orillia garage rock band Bleeker will co-headline tomorrow in their first local date since opening for Airbourne in the Soo in 2013 under their old name Bleeker Ridge, back when they played an overall heavier style of music. They're still talented, and their current sound is a better Go North fit!

Juno nominated musician Daniel Romano and his solo band Daniel Romano's Outfit will also make their way to St. Joseph Island with their Welland-based prog rock stylings, as will Hamilton folk/blues singer/guitarist Terra Lightfoot. Three local bands will take the stage tomorrow, including local alternative hard rock quintet Handsome Sandwich (last seen at Poutine Feast), indie/pop rock standouts The Hollow Heads, and Central Algoma Secondary School's Mustang Sally-esque student band CASS FM (surprisingly this year's only returning act from any prior Go North Festival). It's worth noting that both Bleeker and Handsome Sandwich took part in local news interviews to promote Go North, the former with Bleeker singer Taylor Perkins by SooToday's Chris Belsito and the latter with Handsome Sandwich drummer Johnny Belanger by The Sault Star's Brian Kelly, so what should you know on each?

The Bleeker article is good to reintroduce the band to local fans, and Taylor sounds excited to play at Go North! In the Handsome Sandwich article, Johnny (credited as "John") talks about their recent push to play more shows out of town, implies that they chose the Handsome Sandwich name to spark audience curiosity (I'd say that worked!), and their recent studio work with Treble Charger members. Brian notes in the article that the seven new songs being worked on at the Algoma Conservatory "will likely be released as singles", but whether that is a shift in approach from earlier EP plans or just noting that they're being released individually alongside, I don't know. Handsome Sandwich will also be playing an Ottawa date on September 12th, which I believe was first announced via this article. Good promotion to get the word out about Handsome Sandwich, even without them at Rotaryfest this year!

Also, the expanded Go North Music Festival will host a free concert at Centennial Grounds TONIGHT featuring local pop rock cover quartet Lime during the main Community Night celebrations, so don't miss that if you're on the island! The main festivities at Go North VI take place tomorrow with gates opening at 3:00 PM, and while timeslots are not out, note that The Monowhales' headlining set last year was at 9:40 PM. Admission tomorrow is $60 for attendees 13 years of age & older (kids 12 and under get in free), while $140 camping passes for two are also available (otherwise, camping is a separate $20 rate for those with a tent, $35 if you are bringing a trailer). If you're not paying at the gate, click here to get your tickets online! Weather-wise, 9&10 News is calling for 26° temperatures and partly cloudy weather during Go North tomorrow, so it'll be warmer than last year but will have less of a chance of rain.

Between getting The Trews this year and the move three weeks ahead in the calendar to line up with Richards Landing's Community Night weekend, this is shaping up to be a great time for fans of live music, especially indie and folk-leaning bands, but there's enough hard rock on tap to keep a multitude of fans invested! Visit the above links for full details on what to expect on St. Joseph Island tomorrow, and for a preview, here's The Trews live at GFL Memorial Gardens two years ago!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for the rest of this weekend's hard rock concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Go North Music Festival) & The Silent 9 Concert Previews!!

As promised, we're rounding out this weekend's concert previews today, but most of this post is devoted to a huge LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for this summer, so here's what you should know!

The lineup for the sixth annual Go North Music Festival in Richards Landing on St. Joseph Island has been announced, and they've got their biggest touring headliners yet, as Nova Scotia hard rock quintet The Trews will make their long awaited return to the Algoma District on Saturday, July 27th! Last seen in our coverage range when they opened for Marianas Trench at GFL Memorial Gardens in November 2022, this will be The Trews' first local headlining concert in fifteen years, and first that isn't acoustic since 2008. This Juno Award nominated band will remain familiar to Canadian rock fans from hits like "Yearning", "Paranoid Freak", and "So She's Leaving", and as a fan of multiple Trews singles, it's great to see them back in the area this summer! Co-headlining the festival this year is Orillia garage/pop rock band Bleeker, who long-time readers may recognize under their old name Bleeker Ridge!

If you saw the Airbourne concert at The Canadian Nightclub in August 2013, you'll have already seen Bleeker Ridge, who played a more hard rock-centric sound then, but have moved to more accessible and varied styles since dropping "Ridge" from their name in the mid-2010s. Still cool to see Bleeker (Ridge) back after over a decade away from our region! Two more touring acts will make their way to St. Joseph Island in July, including Welland progressive/indie rock project Daniel Romano's Outfit (led by the Juno nominated musician & visual artist) and Hamilton folk/blues solo musician Terra Lightfoot, so definitely give both a listen to see what they bring to the table! Three local bands will play this year, including local alternative/hard rock band Handsome Sandwich and indie rock quartet The Hollow Heads in their festival debuts, so definitely don't miss these Lopstock and Rotaryfest alums in four months!

This is the first announced Handsome Sandwich gig since they added guitarist Brandon Ruch to their lineup (who he replaced, if anyone, is still unclear). As well, Central Algoma Secondary School student band CASS FM (not unlike Mustang Sally) are this year's only returning band, last seen at Go North in 2022. All of this goes down at Centennial Grounds at 1511 Richards Street in Richards Landing (the old Cornfest site) on what is actually the final day of the festival this year. A separate concert at the Richards Landing Town Hall from Juno-winning Elphin, Ontario folk musician David Francey takes place on Thursday, July 25th, while local pop rock cover band Lime will play a free concert at Centennial Grounds on Friday the 25th as part of this year's Richards Lsnding Community Night, which is timed with Go North this year. Read the press release for more details on the Thursday and Friday festivities!

As for the Saturday, this is an all ages event with gates opening at 3:30 PM, and $55 early bird tickets go on sale on Tuesday at this link with the promo code TREWSGONORTH. Once those 200 tickets sell, prices jump to $60 for Saturday attendees, though kids 12 and under are free, and teenagers/young adults with valid student ID will get a discount rate. Expect lots of vendors, and camping will also be available on Friday night and Saturday if so inclined, with the fireside jams returning, though no word on if the kids zone stage will be back. Go North VI sounds absolutely stacked this year, so if you're up for the hour's drive to St. Joseph Island, visit the above links for full details on this year's festival!

Finally, let's round out this weekend's hard rock concert previews by looking at newer local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9's return to The Esquire Club TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Just their fourth and fifth public concerts of 2024, fans will have last seen Jess, Ryan, Paul, and Steve at the same venue at about this time last month. Hopefully their fan friendly and often heavy slate of covers find another strong audience in the west end tonight and tomorrow, and if you can't make it, Silent 9 will be back at The Esquire Club in four weeks! These concerts have 9:30 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details for more details, and for a preview, here's a new video of Silent 9 live at The Esquire Club last month, courtesy of their Facebook page! I'm unsure whether this was filmed on the Friday or Saturday, but the 90 seconds-long video features (as Soundcheck would say) "snippets" from the show.

In order, you'll see Silent 9 covering The Offspring's "Why Don't You Get A Job?", Cee Lo Green's "Fuck You", Alanis Morrisette's "You Oughta Know", Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It", and Robert Palmer's "Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)". Alas, these were all shot vertically, and I'd rather hear full songs, but Silent 9 sound good and lively with a strong audience command on these clips, and the filmer got some nicely varied angles, so check it out for yourselves below!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

New Airbourne Concert Videos & Assorted Sault Michigan Updates!!

Keeping the news rolling on this Friday afternoon, we have some more fallout from a big recent concert to touch on, along with some recent Sault Michigan updates, so read on below for what you need to know!

A bunch of Airbourne concert videos from Sunday night have turned up online yesterday, so we'll start with six from YouTube user Christopher Paci's channel! A frequent uploader of videos from Kewadin Casino hard rock concerts in the past year, the Airbourne concert was just the second Sault Ontario event he's uploaded footage from (following one video from the Tragically Hip show in February) Four of Christopher's videos are from Airbourne's set, including "Ready To Rock", "Diamond in the Rough", "Raise the Flag", and (as embedded below) their extended closing number "Runnin' Wild", so click each link to see the clips! Chris would have a good angle, but The Canadian Nightclub was very packed, so attendees' heads are definitely in the way often, but I imagine this was a problem many people had unless they were very tall or in the first few rows, so I won't judge. The audio is also a bit scratchy, but it's not unlistenable. Solid attempt to catch the action, so give "Runnin' Wild" a look below!



Christopher's other videos are from openers Bleeker Ridge's set, as he filmed them playing their originals "Shine" and (as embedded below) "Last Cigarette", so again, click each link to check them out! They have a better and more central view of the Orillia hard rockers, and Taylor Perkins is definitely easier to hear from Christopher's angle, but front row fans do block some areas of the stage, albeit not as much as the crowding for Airbourne. These actually don't sound as scratchy either somehow, so give Bleeker Ridge playing "Last Cigarette" a look below, and see more of Chris' Airbourne concert videos at the above links!

Closing today's post, we'll head to Sault Michigan starting with some news relating to newer local hard rock trio Plastic (who, like Power Slug, still don't have an online page.) In rather surprising news given that they only first played live two months ago, they'll apparently be opening for The Misfits at Harpo's Concert Theater in Detroit on October 21st! I have no idea how that came about, but my source is drummer Paul "Dorothy" Burns' new solo Facebook page, which he recently started to keep fans to date on his music projects (Plastic or otherwise.) Paul also launched a number of Facebook event pages there for gigs all over Northern Michigan (including in Alpena and Rogers City), along with the Misfits/Detroit show and a pair of local dates (Dan's Bar in Rudyard on September 7th & The Merchant's Bar in the Soo on September 20th), but I can't verify at present if these are all Plastic dates or not, as he uses the page for all of his music work. If I hear more, I'll keep you posted, but if you want tickets to see Plastic open for The Misfits, message members Zac Crook, Nick Moreau, or Paul Burns on Facebook!

Finally for today, it looks like Sault Michigan classic hard rock quartet Sir Charge have dissolved. This hasn't been officially confirmed (their Facebook page hasn't been updated in almost 3 months), but members Henry Switzer, Ray Mayer, and Ruseell Mayer have apparently reformed their pop rock cover band The Mama's Boys, re-debuting at at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino on August 5th. My source is Ray's personal Facebook page, and like before, I believe he sings lead rather than Henry. Also, with Sir Charge guitarist Nathan Switzer taking on their existing Kewadin Casino dates for his other band RamWagon,  that helps lead me to think that Sir Charge have at least ceded focus to the Mama's Boys' reunion. Sir Charge had been active since succeeding Henry & Nathan's similar earlier band Monkey's Uncle last fall, playing a number of gigs at regional bars through at least June of this year, and while it is disappointing to see Henry-fronted bands end locally, at least everyone from Sir Charge is still active in local music, so best of luck all around!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more this weekend, including a few more Airbourne concert videos! Thanks everyone!

Airbourne/Bleeker Ridge Concert Review!!

It's now time for my review of last night's Airbourne concert at The Canadian Nightclub, so here's what to know from last night! Great turnout, and though I heard attendance was a bit below expectations, it'd be hard to tell with how packed the floor was by the night's end! Crank Sound Distribution was on hand to tackle sound, and while they did a great job, vocals were hard to hear if you were close to the stage, a problem I'm told didn't affect fans further back. The usual layout wasn't too affected by the stage setup, so aside from the crowd, it was easy to maneuver, but how about the bands?

Opening the show straight at 9:00 PM was rising local hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings, who played an abbreviated set of six songs for the gathered fans! I'll admit that I got there slightly late, so I missed their first couple of songs, but they played mostly (if not entirely) originals like "Into The Fray" and "King of the World, with Steven Flint and Mitch Sirie swapping guitar & bass duties for a couple songs (and no, they haven't added a full time bassist yet.) Compared to their set at Bushplane Musical Madness II, the guys seemed more focused and energetic, despite the lack of fans on the floor, though that slowly improved as the night wore on. Maybe the restricted stage movement was an issue, but everyone was on their game musically, with Mike Gaetano's vocals and Ben Boudreau's drumming coming through well, and here's hoping they keep up the momentum with their next shows!

Following them was the first local concert set from metal standouts Garden of Bedlam in 4 months, and they definitely haven't lost a step since April (maybe the Quebec City concert helped keep the gears turning in the interim!) Also a short set of 6 originals (including "Shallow" and "Your Disgrace"), there wasn't any real surprises for song choices, so if you've seen recent Garden of Bedlam concerts, the songs will have been familiar, but the guys sounded as good as ever and played well to the growing number of fans on the floor! Buzz even made the most of the time by climbing the speaker during "New Rain", which created a neat visual! Josh & Evan Belleau were really solid on guitar & bass, Derek Turner's drumming was as varied and fast as ever, and Buzz's singing was stellar as usual! Though it'd be nice to have seen something a little different from past gigs, you can't beat a quality Garden of Bedlam set, and hopefully we'll see them on stage again in the fall!

Co-headlining in their local concert debut was Orillia, Ontario hard rockers Bleeker Ridge, and even if their debut is late following their Buckcherry show exit from last year, they made up for it with an energetic melodic sound that got a lot of positive attention! If they were unknown before the set, they won a lot of new fans on songs like "Last Cigarette" and "Go Home", with constant movement and clear talent throughout, and I like how enthusiastic the guys seemed to be just to be on stage! Very solid modern hard rock material, with guitarists Dan Steinke & Cole Perkins particularly impressing, but from where I was on the floor, singer Taylor Perkins was almost inaudible on heavier stretches. I like their chemistry and cohesiveness, and while I would like to see a bit of an extra edge and risk to their material, Bleeker Ridge impressed fully, and here's hoping we see them in the Sault again at some point!

And of course, the headliners were Australian hard rock standouts Airbourne in their own local debut, and they proved their reputation and success is not just hype with an extremely entertaining set of classic metal originals, and even some brief cover throwbacks during their encore-capper "Runnin' Wild"! The O'Keeffe brothers, David Roads, and Justin Street plowed their way through memorable songs like "Diamond in the Rough" and "Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast", with the on-stage antics like beer showers, an air raid siren, and a beer can-assisted guitar solo only adding to the action! Musically, the AC/DC comparisons are bound to be made, but these guys have more of a youthful recklessness that sets them apart, and fans were too busy rocking out to notice! Joel O'Keeffe in particular kept the fans hanging on every note with blistering vocals and piercing vocals, and the whole band was eager to leave the Soo wanting more! There's a reason why Airbourne have a #1 rock single in Canada, and the local fans definitely want more Airbourne, so hopefully this won't be the only time they run wild through Sault Ste. Marie!

Overall, this was an awesome concert, and kudos to promoter J.D. Pearce for bringing Airbourne here! Great show and a great atmosphere, and he's doing great work bringing major acts to the Soo! I imagine this was the last big Sault Ontario metal show of the summer, but it was quite a bang to end the season with, and we'll of course see The Dayglo Abortions and The Creepshow from J.D. next month, so don't miss those early fall dates if you can help it! Check out my photos from last night at this link or at our Facebook page (which also has a "Tag Yourself!" crowd photo), and for videos, here's The Suicide Kings (sans crowd obstructions this time) playing "Way Out Of Hell", Garden of Bedlam playing "New Rain", Bleeker Ridge playing "Small Town Dead", and Airbourne kicking things off in style with "Ready To Rock"!









That's all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for more Airbourne concert fallout and other updates! Thanks everyone!

Airbourne Concert Preview, A New Local Metal Band, And More!!

In our second post of the day, we're mainly focusing on an extended preview of a huge show going down TOMORROW at The Canadian, but we also have a handful of assorted news stories and (leading off) a new local metal project to add on the site, so read on below for what you need to know, and check out last month's poll results & info on this month's new poll in the post below this one!

We have a new band to add to our Sault Ontario metal band links, as even though we've touched on them before, only today did they launch a Facebook page. They are Malignant Neoplasm, who were introduced on the site back in June, and they're a newer "gorenoise/cybergrind" project from Crucify The Whore/Blood Shed Productions mainman Ringsnaps Gibson! Named after and with songs based on medical conditions & procedures, Ringsnaps considers this a side project, but little else is stated on the Facebook page beyond song postings, including the previously uploaded "Needle Aspiration Biopsy" and a "full album" (though their other public song upload "Abdominal Operations" isn't linked on Facebook.) Like before, I find that Malignant Neoplasm takes on a more techno/space influenced sound from Ringsnaps' other grindcore projects, so electronic fans may find extra value in it, especially as I don't think he uses the sometimes off-putting pig squeal vocals as much. Check out Malignant Neoplasm above, and stay tuned for more as it makes it's way online!

Now, to our preview of one of the biggest metal shows to hit Sault Ontario in 2013, if not the biggest, as Australian hard rock/metal quartet Airbourne will hit The Canadian Nightclub TOMORROW NIGHT! With a number of high charting singles on the Canadian rock charts (including "Runnin' Wild", "No Way But The Hard Way", and "Live It Up", this AC/DC-esque band have became a fast success with numerous awards and major concerts to their name, and now they head to the Soo in support of their new album "Black Dog Barking"! Besides, how often do we see a metal band play here that has previously been covered by a local band? (Late & Loud covered Airbourne a bit in their early concerts.) Airbourne will be joined tomorrow night by Orillia, Ontario hard rockers Bleeker Ridge in their own local debut, though it's a makeup date of sorts for their planned Sault Michigan date in March 2011 with Buckcherry & Papa Roach, a show that they had to drop out of due to visa issues. It'll be nice to see them in the area finally, and their melodic hard rock originals should find an audience at The Canadian tomorrow!

Local support will be provided by standout metal quartet Garden of Bedlam (in their first local show in 4 months & first Canadian Nightclub gig of the year) and rising hard rockers The Suicide Kings, fresh off of their Rockstar Bar return on Friday, and both bands should deliver entertaining original sets to open this huge show tomorrow night! Promoted by J.D. Pearce (and huge kudos to him for booking this show), tickets are $30 if available at the door tomorrow night, with a 19+ age limit and an 8:00 PM start time announced as well. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This is shaping up to be a can't-miss concert, and Airbourne are definitely among the biggest young classic metal bands of recent memory (let alone from Australia), so you know I'll be there, and I certainly hope you guys have your tickets, as this should be a packed house with loads of exciting metal action! For a preview, here's Airbourne's newest music video, and BE AT THE CANADIAN TOMORROW NIGHT!!!!



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 or website name:

• Local musician Kryz Stanley Shez (who I believe is drummer Mullet Studborne of The Issues) is looking for a bassist for a thrash band via the Musicians Wanted Facebook group, though it's unclear whether it's to replace Vinyl Muto in The Issues or if he's adding to a separate project. If you're interested in learning more, message Kryz at this link or via his Facebook group post yesterday!
• SooToday's current poll concerns what readers would like to see if the local news website produced more original videos. I'm mentioning this here because one of the choices is "Local live band performances", which is something they haven't done much of in recent years. It currently sits in 7th of 11 choices (albeit just 21 votes off of third), so if you want to see more live concert clips on SooToday, vote A.S.A.P. at the bottom of the page!
• Former Foggy Notions owner Taryn Bugyra is looking to get back into a local band, with her own search active on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group linked above. Last seen with Cherry Crush, she not into really heavy metal, but she has sang hard rock before in bands like The Chosen, so she could be a good addition to a band needing a singer! If you're interested, message her at this link or find her own Facebook group post from yesterday!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post tomorrow either before or during the Airbourne concert! Thanks everyone, and I'll see you guys there!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Airbourne), Mike Haggith Updates, And Much More!!

Happy Canada Day to all of our Canadian readers! In honour of the holiday, today's post is all Sault Ontario-centric, but we'll get to some overdue Sault Michigan-area news tomorrow! For today, we have a huge LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month, the latest from a local solo musician's upcoming original material, and plenty of other shorter recent news stories, so read on below for what you need to know!

J.D. Pearce has done it again, as he's bringing quite the show to The Canadian Nightclub on Monday, August 19th, as Australian hard rock notables Airbourne are coming to the Soo that night! Their AC/DC inspired sound has carried them to big success in recent years, including hit songs like "No Way But The Hard Way", "Too Young Too Fast", and "Running Wild" (which topped the Canadian rock charts in 2007), and with their new album "Black Dog Barking" climbing the charts, you won't wanna miss the rare opportunity to see Airbourne (let alone any metal band from Australia) live in the Soo! Orillia, Ontario hard rock quintet Bleeker Ridge will join Airbourne as openers for this show, in what's somewhat of a makeup date for them, as they were scheduled to open for Buckcherry & Papa Roach at Kewadin Casino in March 2011 before visa issues caused them to pull out. It'll be great to see them in the area finally, and with a new album named "Four" full of energetic and gritty hard rock originals, they should fit well on August 19th for their own local debut!

Two local openers have been signed, including local hard rock standouts Garden of Bedlam (in their first announced show since their Quebec gig last month) and Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands winners The Suicide Kings (in what may be their first show as a quintet, pending their bassist search's outcome), and both are great picks to add some big local names to this huge show! Now, unlike J.D.'s usual concerts, tickets will primarily be available online for $30, and less than 300 are available, so get your A.S.A.P. at this location! A credit card or PayPal account is required, but if you'd like to skip the online ordering and get your more directly, message J.D. on Facebook at this link for details (as best as I can tell, they're not available directly from local merchants or The Canadian itself.) Crank Sound Distribution will provide sound for this 19+ show, and an 8:00 PM start time is advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

If this isn't a huge show for the Soo (let alone The Canadian), I don't know what is, and as one of the most intimate shows on Airbourne's Canadian tour, you definitely won't wanna miss all of this hard rock action! Get your tickets A.S.A.P. before they're gone, and stay tuned for any possible updates!

Next up, here's the latest from local solo musician/Haggith drummer Mike Haggith's original material plans! While we wait for the fallout from his bands' private Goulais Mission shows this past weekend, Mike has kept fans up to speed in the last few weeks on his next solo albums via his solo Facebook page, including revealing the artwork and name of his 46th solo album "Where It Ends". The name's not foreshadowing anything finite about his music, as his previously announced album "The Tower" (his first to be recorded locally at PaperClip Productions in it's entirety) is still in the works, it's just planned to come afterwards (perhaps as late as next year.) One instrumental demo from "Where It Ends" has been posted online, and it's entitled "Grace", but what should you know on it? As a Facebook video upload, I can't embed it here, but it has a very orchestral and grand feel to it, though I don't know if this is the general sound that "Where It Ends" will have. Check out "Grace" and more recent details on Mike's solo work at the above links, and don't miss the Haggith band at The Rosie on Thursday!

Finally for today, here's six shorter recent news items (most of which come from the Musicians Wanted Facebook group), and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or venue name:

•  Following past attempts to launch a punk band, local musician Chris Raginskis is now exploring the possibility of launching a hair metal band locally, as per the Musicians Wanted Facebook group yesterday. We've had bands that touched on hair metal in part before (like Late & Loud and Dirty Virgin), but a full on hair metal band could be fun to have in the area, so message Chris above or at this link if you're interested!
•  Local drummer Fernando San Martin is looking for an experienced guitarist to join his new rock band, which would cover everything from Guns N' Roses & Bon Jovi to Journey & Lynyrd Skynyrd. If you're interested in trying out, message Fernando on Facebook at this location or through his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post on June 13th!
•  Former local concert venue Madison's Pub (at 701 Pine Street) officially re-opened under it's new name and Irish theme as The Harp Pub & Grill on June 25th. No word yet on possible concerts of any genre, but their karaoke nights are still on Wednesdays, and they're hosting open mic nights and the Mixed Music Musician of the Month contest on Fridays. I've heard good things about the new look and theme, but we'll have to see if heavier bands ever return there after such a long hiatus!
•  Newer local metal band The Hydra's Teeth (essentially Late & Loud's successors) are officially looking for a lead singer & rhythm guitarist to add to their lineup, as per their Facebook page on Friday. They're hoping for someone with a good old school metal voice and/or someone who can competently play harmony and back-up guitar parts. If you're interested, message the band at this location!
•  Ex-Blackwater bassist James Watterworth is looking for an improv drummer to jam some "funky progressive music" with, and though metal doesn't appear to be front & center, he's hoping for someone who can impress like Primus' Les Claypool. If you're interested, message James at this location or through his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post last month!
•  Former Smeltzer/The Fury bassist Paul Stanghetta is looking for musicians to complete a new "hard music" project that he's starting, which I assume he's handling guitar for. Posts on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group late last month implied that the band would be "high energy and fun", and one of at least two bands he's working on right now. If truly metal-leaning, this could be an intriguing addition, so message Paul (a.k.a. Puablos Stancu) at this link or at the group above!

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

Lots Of Concert Lineup Changes, Plus News From Mike Haggith & WLSO!

Nope, no new concerts in today's post, but we have lots of notable news to share, mostly revolving around concert lineup changes! Three upcoming metal/hard rock concerts have bands removed or added, and those are our top stories today! Also, we have the latest news from Mike Haggith and WLSO: The Sounds Of Lake State to share with you guys. Let's begin today's post!

The first concert with lineup changes that we'll discuss is the Palms To The Sky/Breathing Apparatus concert on December 17th, as there are now two local opening bands! The first confirmed openers are local rock trio The Fury, who'll bring their bass-powered brand of music to Foggy Notions that night! Frontman Paul Stanghetta had told me about really wanting to open this show, so it's nice to see them get on the lineup! My source for this news is an e-mail by promoter Mike Gaetano to attendees on the official Facebook event page. The other new addition is local hardcore quintet As It Stands, in their first concert at Foggy Notions since their return set at August's Endast show! I should note that the promoters haven't confirmed their involvement yet, but As It Stands announced that they would be opening on their Facebook page, even launching their own event page for the December 17th show. That's good enough confirmation for us, but if something is said otherwise, I'll have it here! Remember to check this show out, as there will be lots of hardcore mayhem for you to enjoy! It's at 10:00 PM on the 17th, it is a 19+ show, and there is no announced cover charge! If I hear more, I'll have it here!

Next, here's some lineup news for the Soo Music Mash-Up concert at The Oddfellows Hall on December 28th! We'll start with the good news lineup-wise, as new local hardcore band Changing Waves have been added to the lineup! First seen live at last month's Total Chaos concert, they have been slotted third on the bill, sandwiched between RedD Monkey and Tea With Lincoln. Nice to see them gigging again, they're impressive for their age, but it'd be nice to know more about them! Now, for some bad lineup news, as local death metal quintet Bring The Fallen are now off the bill. Promoter Jeremy Hannah said they dropped out last minute on the Facebook event page, but I haven't heard a reason from the band as to why they're off. Frontman Josh Stephney seemed surprised by the news, so who knows. Sucks to see them off the bill, they'd have been a great addition! Replacing them as the co-headliners are experimental pop rockers The Crossed, in their long awaited return to the stage! I'll be honest in saying I've never dug them, but they still have a good local following, and they do have a metal connection, as former As It Stands & Stillbroke bassist Nathan Bouliane was once in The Crossed! Remember, this concert also features As It Stands, The Fury, and Ocean View, and is on December 28th at 6:00 PM! Tickets are $8, and it's ALL AGES! Stay tuned for more news on this show as we get it!

Our final concert updates concern the first announced hard rock show at The Dreammakers Theater at Kewadin Casino in 2010, which as you may remember, is on March 14th and features three very huge rock bands: Buckcherry, Papa Roach, and My Darkest Days! The first note is that the final opening band has been announced, and they are Bleeker Ridge, a hard rock quartet from Orillia, Ontario. Nice to see another Canadian band on the lineup! Signed to Roadrunner Records, they play a brand of radio hard rock which fits the show well, and though I've never heard of them before recently, I recognize that they have talent! I like them better than My Darkest Days, for what that's worth! Allstar Promotions confirmed their involvement on their Facebook page last Tuesday, and they're included on the posters for this show that you may have seen in Sault Michigan. The other note I have concerns ticket sales. Originally planned to go on sale tomorrow, it's been pushed back to Friday at 8:00 AM due to fan club restrictions. In other words, if you're a member of Papa Roach or Buckcherry's fan clubs, you'll have first dibs on tickets before they go on sale to the public. Remember, if you want to attend this heavy duty concert, tickets will be $36.50, and will go on sale Friday at this location, at the Kewadin Casino box office, or by phone at 1-800-KEWADIN! Stay tuned for updates as I hear them!

Fourthly, here is the latest from local solo artist Mike Haggith! Firstly, he has announced what will be his 44th solo album, to follow up the release of "Suspended Animation" in a few weeks! Entitled "The Blue Album", it's being described as a "cut-and-paste type of project". Three songs are currently confirmed for it, including a re-recording of his 2008 song "The Curse [Of 13]." And yes, this is the album cover, looks nice! No samples have been posted yet, but we still have a whole other album to get beforehand, so be patient! A release date of April 17th is listed on his Facebook page, and expect this to go on sale for mp3 download around then. Click here for updates, and yes, this will be in our January "Where Are The New Albums?" post! Now, back to talk about his imminent new album "Suspended Animation", as he has posted instrumental takes of the entire album onto his official Reverbnation page! I won't comment heavily on them because I wanna save major criticism for my eventual review after it goes on sale, but check them out, there's some good stuff to be had! Yes, I know there's no vocals yet, but Mike's recording those this month in Windsor, and if you want a sample of what to expect, he's posted the lyrics for the entire album at this location, so give them a look! There's some real thought put into these lyrics in many areas, I wonder how they'll sound vocally? Time will tell! Check out the above links for more on what Mike has in store next!

And finally, here's the newest updates from local radio station WLSO 90.1 FM: The Sounds of Lake State! Firstly, if you hadn't heard, WLSO announced "a new outlook" last month on their official website, to provide a better and more reliable station for listeners and LSSU students. What that entails isn't elaborated on, but it did mean the cancellation of all scheduled DJ broadcasts and programs for the remainder of the semester and a random auto-play format until January. Hopefully there's nothing too drastic going on, I've always enjoyed what they've been doing at WLSO! That being said, if you're a current student at Lake Superior State University and would be interested in being a DJ or program host next semester, contact personnel director Ramsey A've at (906) 635-7504 or rave@lssu.edu. If you're returning as a DJ next semester or are interested in DJing, you are encouraged to attend the WLSO Christmas party, which takes place THURSDAY EVENING at 6:30 PM at The Galley, which is the restaurant/convenience store area downstairs at The Cisler Center, across from WLSO headquarters. Give it a shot if you can, maybe we can get more metal shows on rotation!

Also, WLSO is still looking for a business director to manage station budgets and marketing. If you're a full time LSSU student in good standing with marketing knowledge, pick up an application at The Campus Life Office in room 125 downstairs in The Cisler Center. You have until Sunday to apply! For more info, e-mail campuslife@lssu.edu!

That's all for today, but there's more news on the horizon, including previews of this weekend's local metal and hard rock concerts, and our next CD review! Stay tuned for more!