YouTube Channel Profile Series: bretdrummer's Channel

After a delay due to a busy weekend concert preview stretch, here's this month's YouTube Channel Profile, as we again spotlight a randomly selected YouTube channel whose content is at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, or punk musicians/concerts! This month's random choice is actually a channel that is very much still active, from a local drummer whose talents will be known to many extreme metal followers in the Soo area, so here's what you should know!

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bretdrummer's Channel (http://youtube.com/@bretdrummer)

Owner: Pillory drummer Bret Shuttleworth, also known for his work in bands like The Issues and Lazer Queen

Channel Timeline: Launched on May 24th, 2016; Videos uploaded from October 2016 onward

Channel Summary: A personal use channel, Bret has uploaded over 300 videos here, mostly featuring his own drum performance, practice, and cover videos. While the bulk of his uploads have been for his drumming exploits (especially in the past two years), Bret previously focused his channel more on video game uploads from titles like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Elden Ring, with 64 such videos before he switched to all music, as well as seven videos from 2019 where he showed off and tested Ultrasabers, real buildable lightsabers for avid Star Wars fans. Pillory-relevant videos include a handful of live and jam session videos from the mid-2000s and the past year, as well as uploads of their "Cringe At The Cross" demo EP, though only a few dozen videos here directly reflect/feature the band.

Why You Should Watch: As the channel mostly has drum-centric videos, fans of death metal drumming will get the most value out of Bret's channel, and he has serious drumming ability, which Pillory fans will be well acquainted with! I mean, look at his drumkit, you know he's talented to be using that! The Pillory videos (especially the recent ones) are well worth a watch to see full sets and their most technical material, and fans of modern AAA gaming and Star Wars cosplay will get a kick out of those early uploads as well. Bret still actively uses his channel, so follow/subscribe to hear what he's up to nowadays, both with Pillory and by himself!

 Our Recommended Videos To Check Out:

 

Territory - Sepultura (Cover Practice): With over 19,000 views, this jam session cover of Sepultura's "Territory" by Pillory from May of last year is by far Bret's most popular video. Also featuring frontman Robert Sartini (who does not sing here) and bassist Blair St. John (who recently left Pillory), this is a very strongly handled cover of this 1990s Sepultura classic, and while I'd have preferred vocals, it's strongly performed and well framed for the space! For more Sepultura content, Bret also uploaded a solo drum cover of "Desperate Cry" here last year.

 

Death Metal Drumming Practice (124×) (Multi-video): Bret literally has dozens of solo drumming videos here, so there is no shortage of videos to source from for a feature like this, and it's nearly impossible to pick one over the others. In terms of view count and length (as most are fairly short), one worth highlighting is this practice video from August, which showcases some excellent technical drumming with plenty of cymbals and blast beats to go around! This is just one of many though, so browse Bret's channel if solo practice performances like this interest you.

Pillory - Live at Soo Blaster (April 18th 2025): Since Pillory returned as a full public band last summer, Bret has uploaded four different full-set videos to his channel, including from sets in Leeburn, at Soo Blaster (one audio, one video), and one at Jay's Piston Broke Pub. The most bang for your buck in terms of length and video quality comes from their set at The Pit at Soo Blaster two months ago, where Robert, Blair, and Bret tore through "End Of Small Sanctuary", "Specimen Of Egotism", "Sculptor Of Cadavers", "The Angst Of Existence", "The Passing", "Abhorred Apprehension", "The Curse Of Eternal Sickness",  "A Drop Of Shame In An Ocean Of Guilt", and their "Territory" cover (now with vocals). Despite Bret opting to blur some of the strobe lighting in post-production due to the seizure risk, this is the best looking and sounding of Pillory's concert videos here, and their brutal but very proficient brand of death metal was on full display here for a receptive audience! Don't miss them back at Soo Blaster on July 30th!

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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! Next month in this series (hopefully closer to the 26th), our next randomly selected channel will be the of YouTube user TheLateandLoud, featuring video content from the local classic metal quartet's original heyday. That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's CD review next! Thanks everyone!

David Gold's Final Interview, The Launch Of SMC Radio, And More Recent News!!

Another month is upon us, so let's kick off the merry, merry month of May with a new news post to catch up on more of the recent backlog! This includes a few assorted recent updates, a surprise new internet radio station from an originating source you may not expect, and leading off, a poignant interview with a prominent local musician that I've never seen before. Here's what you should know!

If you subscribed to the former British metal magazine Terrorizer, you may have read what was purported as the final interview with Woods of Ypres frontman David Gold in issue #219 from February 2012. Terrorizer wasn't as available locally as magazines like Revolver or Decibel before publication ceased in 2019, so this easily may have bypassed even diehard fans, but it was posted onto the Woods of Ypres FanClub Facebook group by member Parker Caldwell last week, so now we can read it without hunting down this issue on eBay! Click here to read the whole thing, I recommend doing so in full screen mode or with a zoom. The interview was conducted by Terrorizer journalist Adrien Begrand just one week before David's death on December 21st, 2011, which makes David's remarks even sadder, as he reflected on how he hoped for more from the band personally & commercially.

David does reflect on recording "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light", their shift to doom metal, and how recording each of their albums affected him emotionally, but he is candid about his mindset after a decade of working in and promoting Woods of Ypres without finding a true change in lifestyle or financial security. I don't wanna quote anything directly because this seriously deserves to be read verbatim. It is a sad read knowing what happened a week afterwards, but David still held out hope that this album would change things for Woods of Ypres, and it did, though who could have guessed under what circumstances. Read the whole article above, and thanks to Parker for uploading this in full!

Next up, here's a neat discovery that some of you may be long familiar with: St. Mary's College has launched an internet radio station! The Catholic high school at 868 Second Line East is now home to SMC Radio, which first aired in October of last year exclusively on Stationhead, which you can hear at this link or via the mobile application when the station is online (i.e., not weekends, at least not yet). Spearheaded by teacher Mario Rocchetta, SMC Radio's genre seems to be primarily top 40/contemporary hits, but they have aired themed programming blocks and listener requests, and on-air DJs (all students) appear to have some say in the rotation. Hard rock/metal-wise, the Friday afternoon show Lunch with Laur did air a Hair Nation episode in February, with a special all-Poison/Bret Michaels episode following in March, which is very relevant given recent coverage of the station (more on that in a bit!)

In the past week, SMC Radio has gotten spotlighted in this article by The Sault Star's Brian Kelly and via matching press releases on SooToday and SaultOnline, so what can we learn there? The Sault Star article features comments from student DJ Hailey Laberge (who plays a lot of classic rock and underground indie music on air), graphic designer Nicholas Legacy, and Mr. Rocchetta, who also noted that some popular broadcasts have seen fellow St. Mary's faculty sharing their own favourite songs on air, and the hope is for involvement with the station to count towards an academic credit. The press release pumps up a lot of the station's exposure and reach so far, while also noting the Instagram video linked below, where Bret Michaels himself highly praises the station & staff. Also, Mario Rocchetta is a big fan of Poison & Bret, even singing with Bret in Sault Michigan n 2016!

Full disclosure, this was written on a Sunday when the station was offline, but kudos to Mario and the Knights students for putting something like this together! Outside of Algoma University's defunct podcasting series, Sault Ontario school radio wasn't really a thing before now, and SMC Radio updates their social media accounts way more frequently than Laker Radio in Sault Michigan! I think it would help if they both got 24/7 autoplay rotation & added the station to other platforms like TuneIn, but they're on a good trajectory, and hopefully their on-air content keeps a strong and diverse focus! Give Bret's shout-out a watch below, and tune in to SMC Radio on Stationhead during the week to see what's on air!

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A post shared by SMC Radio (@smcknightsradio)

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

 

• Local concert promotion agency and pop-up venue host Dryer Fire are plotting a full post-pandemic return, as per this SooToday article by Chris Belsito on Friday! The Nicole Dyble-led company (which succeeded her old venue The Gore Street Cafe in 2018) did promote sparingly at The Klub last year, but she is hoping to regularly book events on a more normal schedule again this year. She has launched a fundraising campaign on Indiegogo to get $5,000 to book five shows in mid-2022, and has gotten booking requests from touring acts. Hopefully things run smoothly, it'd be great to see Dryer Fire healthy and in full operation again!
• Bands are being sought for this year's Sault Pridefest's Loud & Proud Family Fun Day at The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Center, which will take place on Sunday, July 17th at 1:00 PM. Hard rock bands did play at this LGBTQ+ festival event pre-pandemic, including The Din in 2017 and Re:Born in 2019, so the door's open for SMS friendly acts to return. Message organizer Amanda Zuke at this link or via the Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Tuesday for more information!
• While the band still has not detailed their full lineup or sound on social media, personal Facebook posts confirm that new Sault Michigan rock band The Nameless (who opened for Buddy Repperton & The Camaros at Three One Three on Ashmun last month) are a quartet featuring singer/guitarist Joshua LaCoursiere and Tantrym Tyme alum Michael McLeod on bass. The identities of the other two members are not out yet, nor is any real indication of their sub-genre or set beyond who they opened for, but we'll let you know when more is confirmed, and check out some pre-show photos on their Facebook page!
  

 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Theatre of Night), Banned Concert Previews, And More From Sault Michigan!!

As promised, here's the second half of this weekend's very quiet slate of hard rock concert previews, but it works out well, as today's post is 100% devoted to bands and concerts in the Sault Michigan area, including videos and updates from a handful of local acts! Here's what you should know to kick off December, starting with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Sault Michigan classical metal collective Theatre of Night have added a few new gigs to their Christmas tour, and they include their Pickford debut on Sunday, December 17th when they rock the Pickford United Methodist Church at 115 East Church Street! It's not every day when we cover a show in Pickford, let alone one in an active church, but the setting fits given that they do perform religious Christmas carols. Promoted as "an intimate show" with a pot-luck dinner of some kind also teased, this joins tour kick-off dates tomorrow & Saturday night in Jackson, so mid-Michigan fans will get a chance to see Theatre of Night sooner than anyone else! Click here for details on those shows. A special 5:00 PM start time is in effect for this show, which is assuredly ALL AGES, and there is no announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for much more on Theatre of Night's Christmas tour plans soon, including on the Soo Theater show the previous night!

Next up, here's our previews of Kinross classic/hard rock trio Banned 's next gigs at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! A week and a half removed from their pre-Thanksgiving gig at the Dondee, this will be the Traynors & Wayne's first concert weekend at the Soo Kewadin branch in almost four months. These are also their final advertised concerts of 2017, though of course, we'll address potential local gigs as they come in, perhaps as we get closer to the holidays. Of course, Banned's often-hard rocking covers and fan favourite atmosphere should get crowds going at The Rapids Lounge over these next two nights, so don't miss out tonight and/or tomorrow for all of the action! These 21+ shows have no announced cover charges and 9:00 PM start times. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Banned live!



Also, here's a new video from last week's Bret Michaels concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Soo Kewadin! Uploaded by attendee Rhiannon Singer on Wednesday, this cell phone video is of Bret covering Poison's "Talk Dirty To Me" to open his set, as seen in much longer detail from another attendee at this link. The 41 second run time, vertical camera angle, and muffled guitars don't help the quality, but the video is good for what it is, and it's nice to see some more footage online, so check it out below!

Finally, here's some overdue updates from local hard rock quartet Project 906, so what have they been up to over the past month? While there hasn't been a public show on their schedule since October, they did play a private event in Newberry early last month, while guitarist Joe Jenkins & singer Billy Bernier played a Relay For Life benefit concert at Lake Superior State University on November 17th alongside Joe's Crooked Music colleague Zac Crook and Dead Water Tapes guitarist Garrett Chevrette. We did not call the show on here for coverage as it was officially advertised as a solo set by Joe, and I couldn't immediately verify if he would be playing similar material as 906 do or not, but hopefully it was a great time for the cause! While we wait for Project 906's next live gigs, the band shared three videos onto their Facebook page on November 8th from what appear to be the aforementioned Newberry private gig, so what should you know on these?

Filmed by attendee Ellen Grigsby and shared from Joe's personal Facebook page, the videos feature Project 906 covering Alice In Chains' "Man In The Box", Sammy Hagar's "Heavy Metal", and as embedded below, Tesla's "Modern Day Cowboy". Not bad at all, and I like how Billy's voice is developing on the latter two songs (raspy yet rangy!), but the lighting isn't always optimal, and the music can sound a little muddled through this camera. Give these new Project 906 videos a look above & below, and hopefully we hear more from them soon!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums? post next! Thanks everyone!

Bret Michaels Concert Videos, Toystock VI Fallout, And More!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Jason Michaud, who passed away on Sunday at just 23 years old after a tough battle with cancer over the past five years (read his obituary at this link.) Though not a local musician to my knowledge, Jason will be familiar to many readers from a benefit concert in his name two years ago at The Marconi Hall towards his ongoing medical expenses, which featured Redundant, Project 421, The Din, and Eclipse alongside DJ Seith as part of it's musical entertainment. A pot-luck dinner/celebration of life will take place at the Bridge View Banquet Hall (formerly The Verdi Hall) on Sunday at 6:00 PM, with arrangements entrusted to the Arthur Funeral Home, while The Din encouraged donations to the Canadian Cancer Society in their own Facebook post from Sunday. I didn't know Jason personally, but I've heard great things about his character and courage, and our best thoughts go out to everyone affected by his loss. R.I.P. Jason!

Now, today's post otherwise relates to recent concert fallout on both sides of the border, and we'll start with some new video uploads surrounding the Bret Michaels concert at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino this past Saturday! Surprisingly, I've only came across one YouTube channel at press time with footage from the actual concert, that being of attendee Annette Chandler, who had previously uploaded videos from the Lita Ford and Fleetwood Mania concerts this year. Though untitled, Annette's videos are of Bret covering three Poison classics at The Dreammaker's Theater on Saturday, including "Nothin' But A Good Time",  "Unskinny Bop" (complete with pre-song cover medley), and as embedded below, "Talk Dirty To Me" to kick off his set. Good angle of the stage for these videos, and while the audio can be a little staticy at times, everyone has good energy and Bret's great at engaging with fans and keeping up the party atmosphere! Check out Annette's videos above & below!



Also, here's a pre-concert hype video from Bret himself that was shared to the Kewadin Concerts Facebook page on Saturday evening, wherein Bret gives a final push to the concert, which was "almost sold out" as of filming. Given that it went online only an hour before the show's advertised start time, we didn't have much of a window to post it here before the show took place, so apologies for it being late, but it's nice to see more direct promotion from the artist like this, and give this video a belated look below!

Finally for today, here's some fallout from the sixth annual Toystock charity concert this past Sunday at The Northern Grand Gardens! By the vast majority of accounts, Toystock VI was another successful event for music fans and charitable locals alike, and while I couldn't make it this year due to Christmas decoration/tree setup conflicts, I'm sure it was a great time! SooToday's Donna Hopper was in attendance for part of the day, posting this article mid-concert, so what lies within? The article includes interview remarks from promoter/performer Greg Simpson on the high early attendance and Christmas Cheer donation levels, a call to keep donations coming for those in need, and how Toystock has evolved. Solid overall, nice to hear that things are continuing to grow for Toystock, and here's to even more in 2018! The article also confirms a late band change, as Superior Heights Collegiate rock trio The Voyageurs (pictured) replaced pop rock cover quartet Cherry Crush on the bill for unannounced reasons.

Hopefully nothing too serious came up in the Cherry Crush camp, but good on The Voyageurs for stepping in! Other than being comprised of high schoolers, I know nothing on them or their sound, but hopefully some Toystock media turns up. In any event, there appears to have been some shuffling to the lineup order too, as the article went up before Cherry Crush's 7:00 PM set would have taken place. Two photos of The Voyageurs can be seen in Donna's high quality photos linked above, though no other bands are featured. See above for more on Toystock VI, and that's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Soundcheck), Weekend Concert Previews, And Inactive Band Notes!!

Happy Thanksgiving to our American readers! Before (or after?) you take in the parades and football, we have a new news post to take in, and while the U.P. side of things is naturally light over the holiday weekend, there's a big show to take in on Saturday there, plus a good slate in Sault Ontario, including a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT! Some bands being removed from our active band links are rounding things out, and we'll cover this year's Toystock in our next post. Now, here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will hit the stage for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via it's official Facebook event page on Sunday. Fresh off of their return from hiatus last week, tomorrow's concert will be the first at The Rockstar Bar for the Mourning Wood successors since early June, so if you've missed Travis, Terry, Paul, and Steven at this popular downtown nightclub, you know where to be for some hard rocking but varied tunes TOMORROW! As well, this could also be seen as a tune-up event before Soundcheck rock Toystock VI on Sunday, so stay tuned for our extended preview of that charity concert in the coming days! Note also that TOMORROW'S show is a one-night-only concert, and while The Rockstar Bar's physical marquee board was advertising The Ride as playing there on Saturday, I have not seen online confirmation of that, so take that with a grain of salt.

In any event, TOMORROW'S Soundcheck concert has no announced cover charge, a 19+ age limit, and a late start time of 11:00 PM. This should be a solid concert from this familiar veteran outfit, so if you can or can't make Toystock on Sunday, keep this one in mind as well, and hopefully some public videos of Soundcheck turn up soon!

Next up, here's the latest solo acoustic gigs from prolific hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison, who will return to Gliss Steak & Seafood as usual TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY! Playing his last full concert weekend of the month (next weekend straddles the start of December), Tym should have another triple header of entertaining classic and hard rock covers in store for fans at The Quality Inn's house restaurant over the next three evenings, so don't miss these matinees if you're up for some acoustic entertainment! No, Tym didn't play at Mark's Breakfast Plus this week, breaking a four week run there. Also, note that the Facebook event page for this weekend's gigs also confirms that Tym will be playing there throughout December, but due to the high amount of very similar shows in a short timeframe, we always take Tym's regular weekly bookings a month at a time, and will address his December shows next week.

(FYI, Tym's website's concert calendar lists consecutive weekly Gliss gigs through August 2031, so accurate or not, be glad we tackle these month by month!) Tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday's shows have no announced cover charges or age limits, and they take place at 6:00 PM. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!



Lastly for this weekend's concert previews (Toystock aside), let's head to Sault Michigan for the highly anticipated return of Poison frontman Bret Michaels to The Dreammaker's Theater at the Soo's Kewadin Casino THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Marking his seventh local concert appearance in the past 12 years (all but one of which being at Kewadin Casino), this show is being billed as their "Thanksgiving Weekend Mega Party", so hopefully the tryptophan is out of your system in time for a night of classic Poison renditions like "Talk Dirty To Me" & "Nothin' But A Good Time", plus solo cuts from Bret's own albums! After all, Bret wouldn't come back time and time again if his shows weren't hits, so expect another good time for you Hair Scare lovers on Saturday! Tickets are still available from the second row and back, but in the prime center section, there was only 18 tickets remaining at press time, so act quick if you want the best possible seats in time for Saturday night!

Tickets are $48.50 unless you buy from the front six rows, then the price jumps to $58.50. This all ages show takes place on Saturday at 7:00 PM, so get your tickets if you haven't yet at 1-800-KEWADIN, the in-person box office, or at this link! A quiet concert weekend in Sault Michigan will end with a bang on Saturday, so don't miss round 7 of Bret Michaels in the Soo area, and here's Bret live earlier this year!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, all relating to bands being removed from our active band links. As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• First, we have removed prolific metal/folk musician Chase Wigmore's Coyote Speedfreaks solo project from our links due to the deletion of it's Facebook (and only online) page at some point earlier this year. A creative experimental extension of Chase's earlier solo work, he did note in January that the Speedfreaks were "a series of albums under a unifying name" moreso than a band, but it would be interesting to see him return to this project down the road. Stream some of his Coyote Speedfreaks material at this link!
• I have also moved local instrumental black metal duo Dullahan to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity, not having posted on their Facebook page since last November, or given a written update since February of last year. Dullahan showed promise as a rare regional example of atmospheric black metal, so hopefully we see Sevriz and Wyrn back at it in the near future, and follow Wyrn's active solo project Abhorrent Forest too!
• Lastly, I have moved former Fitswitch/Scary Uncles bassist Andrew MacDonald's Likekissingbricks solo project to our inactive band links as well, as Andrew has not visibly posted any new updates or material for it since September of last year. Likekissingbricks were a work in progress, but had potential, and hopefully Andrew revisits this or other solo work in the future!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this weekend, including our Toystock preview! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Theory Of A Deadman & Theatre Of Night), Plus New Sault Michigan Videos!!

As promised, here's an all-Sault Michigan post for your Tuesday afternoon reading, and within this post, we have some new video postings from the last while, and leading off, some big LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for in a couple of months. Here's what you should know!

Local classical metal project Theatre of Night have announced the first dates for their Christmas tour, and they will indeed hit Sault Ste. Marie for one show, as they'll make a rare local concert appearance on Saturday, December 16th at The Soo Theatre at 534 Ashmun Street! This was confirmed via a Reverbnation event posting shared on their Facebook page, while the tour will first hit Midlothian, Illinois (outside of Chicago) for two dates the previous weekend, so click here for details on those surprise out-of-state concerts. As per the Reverbnation listing, the Soo Theatre stop will be an ALL AGES licensed event, with a 7:00 PM start time, a $10 admission fee for adults, and a $5 for children, while half of all proceeds will go to the venue's Raise the Roof campaign to fund theatre renovations. Four and a half years since their last public concert, it's awesome to see Craig and Steve bring Theatre of Night back to a local stage, complete with a full backing band this time around!

We'll let you know more about the Christmas tour when it comes in, but with "Christmas Night" selections and new carols, this will be a seasonally heavy time in two months! Before we move on, a new preview video was shared from keyboardist Craig Harrison's personal Facebook page to the band's Facebook page two weeks ago, which just features a slideshow of recording computer photos with Snapchat-esque captions, and brief video footage of Craig playing "Silent Night" and some rehearsal jamming. Not a whole not new here, and despite what the video still implies, Craig doesn't speak to the camera, but it's another nice preview, so check it out below!



Next up, here's almost certainly the final major hard rock concert of 2017 in the area, as British Columbia hard rock/post-grunge quartet Theory of a Deadman will return to The Dreammakers Theatre at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino on Saturday, December 30th! As first announced on Scott & Brian in the Morning on Rock 101 on Monday, this will be the third local stop from these radio regulars at the Soo Kewadin, having previously headlined there in 2012 and 2015, and will see the band touring in support of their upcoming album "Wake Up Call". With hit songs like "Bad Girlfriend", "Lowlife", and their newest "Rx (Medicate)" in their repertoire, they should get another strong reaction from fans at year's end, even if some dislike the new album's softer sound, so keep this one in mind over the holidays! At press time, a potential opening band hasn't been announced, we'll let you know if one is confirmed.

Promoted by Allstar Promotions once again, this all ages concert at 7:00 PM will see tickets go on sale on Thursday (source here), and while I saw a reference online to $34.50 ticket prices, I can't 100% confirm that with a link at the moment, so check back at appropriate sources for final word. In any event, tickets will be available at this link, 1-800-KEWADIN, and at the in-person box office. Stay tuned for more updates on Theory of a Deadman's year-end show here as they roll in!

While we're on the subject of upcoming Dreammaker's Theater concerts from local favourites, Bret Michaels himself recorded a teaser video for his upcoming concert at the Soo Kewadin on November 25th! Posted by Kewadin's Facebook page to this show's event page two weeks ago, the 22 second video features the Poison frontman hyping up the Thanksgiving weekend concert, which will feature "three generations of us, celebrating and partying over the holidays". Short but sweet, and nice coverage for his sixth regional concert, so check it out below, and get your tickets A.S.A.P.!



Finally for today, here's the newest video postings to local music/record store Crooked Music's Facebook page from last week! One video just showcases guitars on sale on the wall for their Friday the 13th sale (13% off!), but the other features co-owner/Half Stupid alum Zac Crook testing out a new Stratocaster guitar with custom parts, even explaining it's setup to the viewer. Informative overall, while Zac also showcases some bluesy guitar work for good measure to bookend things, so give it a look below, and stop by Crooked Music on Ashmun Street for your musical needs!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Bret Michaels), Plus Diamond Head Concert Videos!!

Here's another new post for your Tuesday, and while it's mostly devoted to some long awaited video footage from a big recent concert, we're leading off with a huge LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this year, so without any further adieu, here's what you need to know!

Poison frontman Bret Michaels will return to The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino for another headlining concert on Saturday, November 25th in what the venue is calling their "Thanksgiving Weekend Mega Party" during his The Party Starts Now World Tour! Make this concert Bret's seventh (at least) in the Twin Saults, having previously rocked The Eastgate Hotel in 2005 and the Soo Kewadin in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014 and last November, which is a clear sign of how well his local concerts go and are received! Falling over the American Thanksgiving long weekend, hopefully fans' turkey hangovers are gone in time for a night of hair metal classics from Poison like "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" & "Unskinny Bop", plus selections from Bret's solo career, so keep this huge show in mind for later this fall! As of this writing, there are no announced opening bands, though none were advertised last year either.

Tickets go on sale this Friday at the in-person box office, online at this link, and at 1-800-KEWADIN, and while tickets start at $48.50, expect higher prices depending on seating location and announced VIP packages. Expect this one to be another 7:00 PM event with no announced age limits. It's great to see Bret return to Sault Michigan for his sixth show here in the past decade, and if he keeps coming back, something is obviously clicking, so for all you Hair Scare fans, don't miss out on this one over the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend, and tickets go on sale FRIDAY!

Next up, here's some long awaited videos from the Diamond Head concert at The Rockstar Bar in Sault Ontario from earlier this month, courtesy of Christopher Paci's awesome YouTube channel once again! Uploaded yesterday despite a two week wait for his footage, Chris filmed 13 videos on September 2nd, including seven of the headlining British NWOBHM pioneers, including their songs "Streets of Gold", "It's Electric", "Set My Soul On Fire", "Diamonds", "Wild on the Streets", and of course, "Am I Evil?", complete with a mishap near the end where Chris says he "got decked". Hopefully he was OK! Given that song's local familiarity from 421 sets, I'll instead embed Diamond Head's rendition of "Helpless" below. While Diamond Head only retains guitarist Brian Tatler from their classic era, the current lineup sounds good from what I've heard, and singer Rasmus Bom Andersen is a solid fit, though the bass doesn't come through well in the videos, and earlier clips are shot at a worse angle from further away. Check our more from Diamond Head's local set above & below!



As for Chris' other videos, he got three each of the two local opening bands, including punk/metal quintet Jack Spades playing their songs "Rise", "To The Left", and as embedded below, "Motorwolf". These are their first public online videos with Rob Speers on bass, but from what I can tell, the band was also playing as a four-piece with no sign of guitarist Anthony Orazietti. No word on why he missed their set, but we'll let you know if anything else is afoot! Yes, J.D. Pearce was there, he's just singing in the crowd once again. The guys sound good as usual, and Rob fits in well, but he could show more of the energy he uses when fronting The Elements. Check these out above & below!



Finally, here's footage of classic metal quartet Project 421's opening set, as they tackled covers of Iron Maiden's "Running Free" & "Powerslave" and as embedded below, Saxon's "Denim & Leather". This isn't an optimal view of the band, with guitarist Frank McGillivray often out of camera range, but it captures 421's sound well, and for a band that covers Diamond Head so regularly, you know they were firing on all cylinders for this one! Give their videos a look above & below, and kudos to Chris again for his hard work filming all of this footage, it's much appreciated!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates this week on The Sault Metal Scene! Thanks everyone!

A New Local Band, Bret Michaels Concert Videos, And More!!

Before we dive into another weekend's worth of concert previews, we have a new news post for your Wednesday afternoon, and it includes a new video appeal to local musicians, some long awaited videos from a recent major Kewadin Casino concert, and first, a new yet familiar local band, so here's what you need to know!

We have a new local band to add to our Sault Ontario band links, and they are Stegadeth, who are more or less the successors to the 2011-2014 local punk/metal band T-Rex Manning! Returning from that band's original lineup are singer/bassist Bill "Orthae" Bennett (also of Stereo North), guitarist/singer Tiffany Stocco (formerly of Jack Spades), and drummer Daniel MacDonald (who recently moved back to the Soo.) With singer J.D. Pearce absent, Stegadeth can also be seen as a renamed revival of Pools of Booze, the band name that Tiffany, Bill, and Daniel played under during their 2012 trio gigs in the first place. Presumably continuing the dinosaur name theme by combining "stegosaurus" & "Megadeth", Stegadeth describe themselves as "a fusion phenom of rock", which leaves things open to what they will play, but if you saw T-Rex Manning or Pools of Booze live, you'll have a rough idea of what to expect! With all of that said, when will we see Stegadeth on stage for the first time?

Though not yet confirmed by promoters, personal Facebook postings and event shares have indicated that Stegadeth have been added to the lineup of November 19th's Live 705 concert at The Oddfellows Hall, presumably to replace the now singer-less Eclipse, but we await an official public statement. Regardless, it's great to see 3/4ths of the original T-Rex Manning back in this new band, and in particular, this will mark Daniel's return to the local stage after four years, so keep that in mind too! Stay tuned for more from Stegadeth, and presumably look for them live on the 19th!

Next up, we finally have some YouTube videos to share from Saturday night's Bret Michaels concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino! We'll start with five from prolific local concert filmer Christopher Paci, who made it out to this show as well and posted these clips to his YouTube channel yesterday, so what did he get? Primarily Poison covers, including "Nothin' But A Good Time", "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", "Something To Believe In", "Talk Dirty To Me", but embedded below is a video featuring a crowd-rallying medley of everyone from The Red Hot Chili Peppers to DMX to Bruno Mars(?!), before launching into Poison's "Unskinny Bop", and closing with a drum solo by drummer Mike Bailey. Bret and his solo band (including Cinderella bassist Eric Bittingham) sound pretty good for fans of hair metal and Poison, with Bret nicely engaging fans, and the packed crowd responding in kind! Kudos to Chris for getting more great local concert videos, and check out Bret live in the Soo above & below!



Also, note that in the "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" video, Bret alludes to coming back with Def Leppard next year.... he also teased a full Poison show a few years ago that has yet to occur, but hey, keep that in mind just in case! Now, you may have seen a shout out to a fan named Mario Rocchetta in the video above for donating a lot of money to Bret's Life Rocks Foundation, but as it turns out, it was more than that. Apparently, high donating fans could get special perks, and Mario (a local author, teacher, and self-help coach who has guested with That 90s Band) donated enough to get a chance to sing on stage with Bret himself, joining him for a cover of Kiss' "Rock & Roll All Nite" that was uploaded to his own YouTube channel on Monday. That's a nice incentive and bonus for fans, and while Mario seems overwhelmed at first, he gets into it and is clearly having a blast! The video angle is great too, coming central and very close to the stage, so check out Bret & Mario covering Kiss below!



Finally for today, here's a new video from local alternative/hard rock trio The Din that was posted to their Facebook page yesterday in the wake of the divisive online conversation surrounding both Project 421 and Eclipse's lineup in recent days. Though The Din don't acknowledge the bands or ex-frontman Curtis McKenzie by name (despite the bands' long histories), the video serves as an attempt to try & keep the peace, while pledging to stay out of matters that don't concern them, albeit with as much of a light-hearted mood as they could manage, though watch for some swearing. I won't rehash the situation otherwise, but again, I continue to hope that things aren't as bad as what I've read. Give it a look below if you want!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Gianni Gagoots), New Sault Michigan Videos, And More!!

At last, here's our first news post of November 2016 that doesn't feature weekend concert previews! Below, you'll find some assorted recent news and notes, and a pair of videos that will be relevant to Sault Michigan-area readers, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for year's end!

New local improv hard rock/funk quintet Gianni Gagoots will cap off 2016 as one of the featured performers at Six, Two, Oh.'s Holiday Funk Show at The New American Pub on Friday, December 30th! Last seen opening for Castle in September, this will be Gianni Gagoots' third local concert appearance, and their second with their current lineup, and they'll be on an eclectic & wildly varying bill that will call to mind the three-act hybrid shows that Six, Two, Oh. put on in the summer, just on a bigger scope. The advertised headliners are Montreal jazz/funk trio The OM Sound, while the other local opening acts are rapper Mikey Thomas, the debut of a new local rock band named Bizotic (public information forthcoming, but this may be their Facebook page), local comedian Shane McGuigan, and the turntable stylings of DJ Seith. If you liked the Debutaunt show that Mikey and Shane opened in August, definitely keep this one in mind, as there's a little something for everyone!

This show has a $5 cover charge, you must be 19 or older to attend, and there is an advertised 9:00 PM start time in effect. This show definitely has an intriguing lineup, and while it largely doesn't lean to metal and hard rock, Gianni Gagoots will help cover that with their funk and punk-inspired instrumental jams, and it's anyone's guess how Bizotic will sound at this point, but we'll let you know if public information on them is revealed! Circle this show at The New A for your New Year's weekend plans!

Next up, here's a new original hard rock song from the YouTube channel of prolific Sault Michigan metal artist Bob Helsten, a.k.a. Orb Hearthstone! The I.S.O.M. and Power Slug alum is an avid fan of the Entropia Universe MMORPG video games, and he recorded the song "I'm Not As Eco As I Used To Be" for hopeful usage in the game & related ventures, featuring fellow game user "Refuge MirrorBlack Denied" on guest bass. Even if you're not familiar with the game (like myself), the song has a fun hard-driving sound that will appeal to fans of the newest I.S.O.M. album, but if you prefer his harsh vocal work, you may be disappointed. Check it out below!



Also, here's a short new video to hype up TONIGHT'S Bret Michaels concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino! It's just of Bret reminding fans in the Soo that the show is coming up tonight, and that it will be "an unbelievable party" that will "rock your world", and while it's not that substantive, it's cool to see a major artist film a video specifically tailored to us like this! Give it a look below, and remember, tickets are still available, so get yours A.S.A.P. if you haven't already!



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 venue name:

• In their first album recording update in over five months, Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie revealed on their Facebook page that the local death metal quintet only have 4 songs left to finish recording vocals & lead guitar for their upcoming second album "The Dead Testament", and he cited "finishing touches" for the delay in it's release. Mitch spoke very highly of the recording quality of this album compared to "Eternal Hibernation", noting also that it's "a rebirth" of the band. Sounds good to me, so stay tuned for continued updates!
• We surprisingly haven't mentioned this on the site yet, but the late-notice replacements for one-off Me First & The Gimme Gimmes tribute Hey, What About Us?! at last week's Halloween Party at The Algonquin Pub were a Misfits tribute named The Black Mirrors, whose lineup featured Fitswitch alums J.D. Pearce, Jason Bourcier, Andrew MacDonald, and Chris Thompson. Very cool, hopefully they had a good turnout, and I wonder if this might lead to a full Fitswitch reunion down the road?
• Downtown banquet hall and occasional concert venue The Verdi Hall (later Bucci's Verdi Hall) has quietly changed it's name to The Bridge View Banquet Hall. A reason for the name change isn't available online, but to be fair, I don't believe the Queen Street West location has an active online page anymore. The change was also noted in recent local radio ads. If we hear of any public concerts there in the future, we'll let you know!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates next week as we plow into November! Thanks efvveryone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Pop Evil), And Sault Michigan Weekend Concert Previews!!

As promised, here's this weekend's concert previews for the Sault Michigan area, with a huge returning hair metal legend to cap things off, but let's begin with a huge LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, our first of 2017, in fact!

North Muskegon, Michigan hard rock quintet Pop Evil will return to Sault Michigan for a headlining concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault's Kewadin Casino on Sunday, February 26th! Since we last saw Pop Evil at the Jessica Jorgensen benefit concert in August 2013, they have became a rock radio staple with four #1 singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts, including "Footsteps" and "Torn to Pieces", so the interest and crowd levels should be even bigger than ever for their return after 3½ years! Notably, this will also mark their first local concert appearance since Hayley Cramer replaced Joshua "Chachi Riot" Marunde on drums. Akron, Ohio hard rock quintet Red Sun Rising (of the #1 rock hit songs "Emotionless" and "The Otherside") will open in their local debut, and they should be a nice compliment for fans of modern hard rock! Leading off in February are Los Angeles hard rock quartet Badflower, whose classic-tinged hard rock should find a good audience as well, so be sure to check them out as well in advance of the show!

Allstar Promotions will return after a lengthy hiatus to promote this concert, their first since Theory of a Deadman last year, and it's great to see Dave & company back at it! Tickets for this ALL AGES show are just $23.50, and they are now on sale at this link, at 1-800-KEWADIN, or at the in-person box office, while the show itself is advertised to begin at 7:00 PM. It's awesome to see Pop Evil back in the Soo for their fourth headlining appearance (they also played at Kewadin Casino in 2010 and The Satisfied Frog prior to that), and they're as big as they've ever been, so see the above links A.S.A.P. to get your tickets for February 26th, and stay tuned for updates!

Next up, let's tackle this weekend's concert previews, starting with the return of Kinross classic/hard rock trio Banned to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Continuing their fall string of concerts at Kewadin branches, this will be their first St. Ignace weekend in two months, and the shows come fresh off of their Halloween weekend appearances in Manistique. Alex, Don, and Wayne should be in their usual solid form with their return to the E.U.P. this weekend, so if you're in the area, definitely consider a trip to see Banned's varied and often-heavy sets! There's no announced cover charges for these 21+ shows, which have 9:00 PM start times. Check the above links for more details, and here's Banned live!

Also, let's head north back to Sault Michigan, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63 are advertised to rock The Rapids Lounge at the Soo's Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT themselves! Returning to one of the sites of their regular monthly concert weekends after a rare non-Kewadin show at the American Legion for Halloween, these will surprisingly be their only concerts of November 2016, as Highway 63 weren't advertised to play at The Northern Pines Lounge this month. As a result, fans won't want to miss this veteran quartet's solid blend of covers this weekend, so don't miss out tonight and/or tomorrow, especially for some post-Bret Michaels rock action tomorrow! As usual for Highway 63's local concerts (and like Banned's St. Ignace shows this weekend), these are 21+ events with no announced cover and 9:00 PM start times. See above for more details, and here's Highway 63 live!



Finally for this weekend, Poison frontman Bret Michaels will make his sixth local concert appearance when he headlines at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen there over two years ago, Bret is bringing his "The Party Stops Now Tour" back to the Soo this weekend for what should be a huge show for fans of both Poison's hair metal classics and his more recent country-tinged solo material, with the show itself also serving as the "mega pre-party" before Kewadin's 31st anniversary celebrations. We haven't seen a major hard rock show at The Dreammaker's Theater since Theory of a Deadman last summer (Europe last spring for hair metal), so it's great to see the hard rock drought end at last! This concert will also see funds going to Bret's Life Rocks Foundation's charity drives and local charities, with merchandise sales at the show also including vintage memorabilia for the cause, so keep all of that in mind also!

Tickets are still available from the third row and back for this concert, and they go for $48.50 (general admission), $58.50 ("gold" seating in the first six rows in the outside sections), and $250 for VIP admission in the center's first 5 rows, backstage passes, and a meet & greet with Bret himself. You can get tickets at this link, 1-800-KEWADIN, and at the in-person box office, so get yours A.S.A.P. to ensure a good seat! Bret's always been a reliable draw and fan favourite for his numerous Sault Ste. Marie stops, and this weekend's show should be a big hit for Hair Scare loyalists and more, so see above for full details, and here's Bret live in the Soo in 2014!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for some overdue news and notes next! Thanks everyone!