LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Hard Rock Revue), Fort Creek Updates, And Much More!!

Here's another packed news post to check out on this Tuesday evening, and here, we have some recent assorted updates, a look at a unique concert from earlier this month, and big lineup changes from a local hard rock band, but let's lead off with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

The day before the Punk Rock Fiesta goes down in October, The Rockstar Bar will signal their return to hosting regular public concerts on Friday, October 2nd when they host the one-off Hard Rock Review! This is a supergroup of veteran local rock musicians led by Dodge This singer/guitarist Jason Taillefer in his first local concert appearance with a plugged-in hard rock band since Phatstick broke up in 2012, so that alone will be a pull for many. Other 1990s local rock veterans will join him here, including guitarist Jeff See, bassist Robert Iacoboni (later seen in Master Steven and the Taiwanese Pink Floyd tribute band In The Flesh), and former Gsis Murphy/Fort Creek drummer Anthony Fabiano, so local rock fans who were around then should be quite interested! As well, they will have a guest singer for six songs, namely Dallas Crockett, a friend of Rob's who sings for the Kelowna-based AC/DC tribute band High Voltage.

Dallas isn't local, but it will be interesting to hear how he does on six AC/DC classics during his planned guest spot in October! Hard Rock Review (isn't "Revue" more accurate in this context?) are advertised to play a 1980s-leaning hard rock set on October 2nd, including acts like The Scorpions, Judas Priest, Journey, The Cult, and even "a couple of one-hit-wonders". Doors open at 8:00 PM for this 19+ concert, and an admission fee or potential ticket sales are not known yet. The first weekend of October is shaping up to be huge for fans of hard rock and punk of the past, and an ideal way to kick off The Rockstar Bar's full relaunch as a proper concert venue, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Next up, we have some big lineup news from local southern hard rock band Fort Creek, who announced two new additions to their ranks via their Facebook page on Sunday! First, they have enlisted Half Past bassist Arthur Lacasse to replace the long-since departed Robin "Bones" Lee. Art is a good fit based on his musical background, though does him joining Fort Creek mean anything negative for Half Past's status? That band has yet to play live this year following drummer Johnny Amendola's departure and move to Soundcheck/Separate Wayz, but we'll let you know if anything is clarified from their camp! Meanwhile, in a surprise, Fort Creek have also brought in former Stillbroke/Borderline Divine alum Sam DeDominicis as their new drummer, replacing Phil Greco. A reason for Phil's departure was not announced, though if you recall Bones and Anthony's quiet departures in 2023, this won't be shocking.

Fort Creek were recording their long-awaited debut album at Phil's own Jettison Studios though, so does this signal anything bad re: the album sessions, or will he still work with the band behind the scenes? Again, we'll let you know! We last heard from Sam when Borderline Divine teased a reunion in 2016 that never got off the ground (the former Stillbroke last played live in 2012), so it's been a while regardless, but it's great to see him in a new local band after all these years, let alone Justin, Shane, and Bill having a full lineup again after almost three years! Stay tuned for more from Fort Creek in live and studio contexts hopefully soon!

Now to the oldest topic in our backlog that we hadn't yet covered in an SMS post, namely fallout from this year's Government Bay Barge Bash in Cedarville, Michigan! As you may recall, three bands play this annual Les Cheneaux Islands summer concert on a floating barge in Government Bay, with swimming and boating to the event and the stage encouraged among the revelry, and for the rain-delayed event on August 2nd, their official Facebook page did get two videos highlighting what went down four Sundays ago. One features quickly cut clips from the Barge Bash, including very brief looks at The Mark Bowen Band's set. Alas, this video is both vertical and 14 seconds long, but it is an effective teaser! The longer of the two captures Cedarville classic rock veterans Shipheads On Shore covering (as best as I can tell) Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' "Running Down A Dream" for 51 seconds.

Shared from attendee William Maloney's personal Facebook page, he panned the camera around in a circle, and you can see that the barge isn't that far from shore, so you can walk around in the water (just don't slip!). The aesthetics alone make this video worth a watch, as you don't often get concerts where boats are parked so close to the stage, let alone the wide forest sightlines, so if you don't mind getting a little wet, this deserves more attention as a summer destination concert. Sadly, no public videos of Project 906's headlining set that I am aware of, but see above for more from this year's Barge Bash, and here's to another big one next year!

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

 

• Local hard rock cover trio Nate's Chow have added a new gig to their calendar, but it will be on the road this Saturday at the Jerk-N Depot in Alanson, which is 90 minutes south of here (give or take Mackinac Bridge traffic) and 20 minutes northeast of Petoskey. According to the band's AI-generated poster, this is a "last minute add on show" due to a previously scheduled band cancelling. This will now be just the second gig since the former Unfortunate Sun rebranded as Nate's Chow, and while anything in the Lower Peninsula is out of our coverage range, hopefully things go well on Saturday night!
• While we await confirmation of who their new bassist is, Sault Ontario classic/hard rock cover quartet Separate Wayz shared videos of their "epic crossover" gig in Chapleau with their sister band Soundcheck via this batch post on their Facebook page last week! Unfortunately, both videos are 7 seconds long and do not have audio whatsoever, but from what we can see, it looks like a lot of fun was had by the bands and fans alike at the Gold Rush Nationals, and stay tuned for more from both bands!
• Former Spades GT bandmates J.D. Pearce, Matthew "Fang" Voros, and Sean "Skull" MacNab will reunite for the first time since their abrupt dissolution in December this Thursday at The Queens Nightclub in Barrie, when they play a one-off Misfits tribute set as Fiend Club! This show is an all-tribute band affair featuring six bands, mostly punk and emo ones, plus the amusingly named headliners Rage Against The Poutine. Matthew and Sean have remained active this year in their psychobilly band The House of Haunt, and it is good to see J.D. (a.k.a. Johnny Pints) back on stage again with them, but could this lead to more in some fashion?

 

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next! Thanks everyone!

The Rest Of This Weekend's Hard Rock/Punk Concert Previews!!

As promised, here's the rest of this weekend's known hard rock concert previews as we plunge deeper into the Civic Holiday long weekend for many (but not all) readers on the Ontario side of the border. Mercifully, all of today's shows had prior advance notice, but one was postponed a day, so here's what else you should know to end July!

We'll start at Gateway Casino TOMORROW NIGHT, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will end their recent break! After members spent last month working on other projects and bands (including a one-off Jus' Chillin reunion), tomorrow's show will be Generations' first at Sault Ontario's downtown casino in almost two months. Hopefully this one-nighter delivers more of the classic and hard rock goodness for fans of Valerie, Joe, Pierre, and Tony's tried-and-tested brand of rock covers, so keep this show in mind for your (long?) weekend plans! If you can't make it tomorrow, Generations will return to The Water Tower Pub next week. Tomorrow's concert takes place at the casino at 8:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Generations live in concert a few months ago!

Next up, if you crave some original music and/or multiple bands, you might want to head to Blaster Powerhouse TOMORROW NIGHT, where four local bands will join forces, including rising young hard rock quartet 5 Dollar Bribe as the headliners! Proving that their rapid ascent this year isn't a fluke, this skilled high school-aged group should have an intriguing array of covers (expected and unexpected alike) tomorrow, so keep this show in mind! Crossover thrash trio Hails will play their first show at the former Soo Blaster with their current lineup tomorrow, while veteran local punk supergroup The Gambit will play just their fourth show with this name and first since Rotaryfest two years ago tomorrow as well. Space/hard rock duo The Spaceship Opening will... open this concert in their first public gig of 2026, and this is definitely an interestingly varied lineup of newer and established names!

Promoted by former Ha!ls guitarist Mikhal Muto's own agency Underground Events SSM, this all ages concert begins tomorrow at 8:30 PM with no age limit, and admission is $20 at the door ("no tickets will be made for this one", so apologies to ticket stub collectors, alas). Despite a somewhat out-there poster (at least it's not AI!), this is shaping up to be a fun concert for punk fans, so visit the above links for more details, and here's a new video of 5 Dollar Bribe at the ARCH Run earlier this month! Uploaded to their Facebook page last week, this is their frequent live cover of The Atlanta Rhythm Section's "So Into You", albeit for just 34 seconds. Well played and relaxed, if not that heavy, so give it a watch for yourselves below!

Also this weekend, local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will have the rare double header weekend TOMORROW NIGHT & SUNDAY at Beck's Bar! On the weekend that they release their new studio single "Welcome To The Shit Show" (more on that next week), tomorrow's concert is a regular plugged-in, full band concert for fans of "the dirty three" in their full splendour, so you'll be ending July on a loud and high note if you come to the former Vibe Lounge tomorrow! If you're curious, tomorrow's matinee performer (who isn't "opening" for Bone Yard) is new local singer/guitarist Stephen Biason, who plays from 3:00-7:00 PM. On Sunday, your local 225 will go "uncorked" for an acoustic matinee concert, which coincides with Beck's weekly euchre tournament on Sundays, so whether you play cards or not, you'll have a fitting soundtrack from Greg, Alex, and Warren! 

Tomorrow's nightcap is at 9:00 PM, the Sunday unpl... uncorked concert is also at 3:00 PM, both shows are 19+ affairs, and none have an age limit. Visit the above links for more details on Bone Yard's busy west end weekend, and for a preview, here they are live in concert last year!

Finally for these previews, we'll head south to Cedarville, Michigan for the annual Government Bay Barge Bash, but later than you may think, as it has been postponed from tomorrow to SUNDAY. As revealed via this AI-generated poster, organizers have decided to push the Barge Bash back a day due to the rainy weather forecast tomorrow. 9&10 News currently has rain forecasted for Cedarville in the 12:00 PM hour, but an even likelier chance for precipitation is spotted from the 4:00 PM hour onward, which would not be ideal for bands, let alone everyone else. Sunday's forecast is much better (sunny skies all day with 73-76° temperatures, 23-25° Celsius), and all bands are able to play the rain date, so adjust your schedules accordingly! The Les Cheneaux Islands Barge Bash will again feature bands playing on a literal barge floating in Government Bay off of East Hodeck Street, so if you want to boat or swim over for the music, you can! Click here for non-musical details.

Sunday's headliners are hard rock cover quintet Project 906 (likely around 4:00-5:00 PM) alongside Cedarville rock veterans Shipheads On Shore (likely around 2:00-3:00 PM), and The Haske Brothers (now featuring prolific local singer/guitarist Mark Bowen!) kicking things off at noon, giving us a near identical lineup to last year. The Barge Bash is FREE & ALL AGES, though please drink responsibly, and be careful out on the water regardless. This is always a fun and very unique concert event on the EUP calendar, so visit the above links for more on Sunday's action, and here's Project 906 live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site next month! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Project 906, Tarnished, And The Nameless) & Weekend Concert Previews!!

An extremely eventful and busy weekend of hard rock concerts is in store for the Twin Saults and area this weekend, so much so that I might have to break our previews into three posts! For now, this post is 100% devoted to Sault Michigan and the E.U.P., including LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, two on SHORT NOTICE, so here's what you should know to start the weekend!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Tarnished will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, I was aware of these shows for a few weeks now after being announced on Kewadin's entertainment page, but they got lost in the shuffle in a very busy month (not helped by the glut of new-to-the-EUP touring bands playing there this summer that I covered initially). Last seen at the Soo Kewadin in May when they were late replacements for The Louie Longoria Band, these will be another good chance to see Alex, Josh, Chris, and Ron's 1980s-leaning hard rock covers all weekend long, so don't miss out if this is up your alley! No word on if SATURDAY'S booking is why their sister band Crush aren't defending their title at the second annual Superior Whitefish Festival Battle of the Bands in Brimley or not though.

As usual for Kewadin lounges, TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S shows are 21+ affairs at 9:00 PM with no announced cover charges.  If you can't make their next two shows in St. Ignace, then don't miss out on Tarnished here TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, so visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here they are live!

Next up, let's head to Rudyard, Michigan, where Sault Ste. Marie blues/hard rock cover quintet Project 906 will return to Huck's Pub & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT, but in a new confirmation, they will also return to the annual Government Bay Barge Bash in nearby Cedarville on Saturday, August 1st! The #summerof906 marches on first tomorrow with a show timed with the annual Summerfest in Rudyard, and while this isn't an official Summerfest event, there should be a good crowd at the former Joe's Bar for Project 906 (or "906 Band", as it were) rocking out tomorrow! This is a one-nighter due to or resulting in Saturday's Private Drive concert, and it goes down at 8:00 PM on Friday with a 21+ age limit and no cover charge. While we're on the subject, let's discuss the aforementioned Government Bay Barge Bash one week from Saturday, which will again see Project 906 in Cedarville for quite a unique outdoor concert on the local summer calendar!

Billy, Joe, Dustin, Jason, and Brian have played this event many times, which is quite literally named, as the bash takes place on a barge in the water off the coast of Government Island near Bumpas on East Hodeck Street in Cedarville, and attendees are more than welcome to swim or boat over to the stage! 906 and Cedarville classic rock veterans Shipheads On Shore are both returning from last year's Barge Bash, while The Haske Brothers (formerly of Oddfellow fame) will replace The Mark Bowen Band as the third band this year, though of course, Jason Haske was in Mark's band last year. Project 906 are this year's headliners, with their set likely beginning on August 1st at around 5:00 PM, with the Shipheads playing a mid-afternoon set likely around 2:30 PM or so, and The Haske Brothers kicking things off at 12:00 PM  This is a fun event for those in and around the Les Cheneaux Islands, so keep it in mind, especially if you love being out on/in the water!

The Barge Bash is a FREE & ALL AGES event, and remember to please drink responsibly if you are so inclined here, especially given the nature of the concert being literally held on the bay. Visit the above links for more details on the Barge Bash and tomorrow's Huck's show in Rudyard, with lots of hard rocking covers in store from this talented local band at both events, and for a preview, here's Project 906 live! 

Finally for this preview post, we'll head back to Kewadin Casino in Sault Ste. Marie, where local hard rock cover quartet The Nameless will serve as the musical entertainment at the third annual American Legion Riders' Hell To Paradise motorcycle rally on SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for erroneously noting when this was first announced that they'd be at The Rapids Lounge (Tarnished are there, obviously), the band has since confirmed that they'll actually be playing in The Dreammakers Theatre, so the ending banquet will be well staged! The two-day Hell To Paradise rally will see bikers drive north from Stockbridge to the Soo (15 minutes west of Hell & an hour+ east of Paradise respectively) to support awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health, as those battling depression can feel lost between Hell and Paradise. Click here for full details and how you can support the cause!

The Nameless will be rocking out after a buffet dinner and awards ceremony, and as best as I can tell, you do not have to pay a dedicated admission fee or buy dinner to see the concert, which will be 21+ at 8:00 PM. If you'd rather see them in normal concert confines, Kewadin's entertainment page confirms that their previously teased Kewadin dates (lounge then unclear) will indeed be at The Rapids Lounge on Friday, August 28th & Saturday, August 29th, so consider those LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS too! Same ground rules as Tarnished this weekend. Visit the above links for more on Josh, the Mikes, and Jamie's Kewadin gigs of any scale ahead, and for a preview of the Hell To Paradise afterparty, here are The Nameless live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for previews of Sault Ontario concerts and the Superior Whitefish Festival Battle of the Bands next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Demon King, Project 906, And Generations), And More!!

Here's a packed news post for your Monday night reading, which mostly features LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the next three months on both sides of the border, plus an inactive band note, so let's get things rolling!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations have announced five upcoming concerts for the next month and a half, courtesy of their Facebook group yesterday, so where can you see them next? The band will return to The Kiln at Searchmont Resort for Saturday nighters on January 24th and February 21st, so clearly their debut there on January 3rd was a hit for them to get rebooked this fast! You can also see Valerie, Joe, Pierre, and Tony back at The Full Throttle Saloon for two more concerts on Saturday, February 14th & Friday, February 27th, with the former falling over the Family Day long weekend (and on Valentine's Day). Lastly, their busy February will also include a one-nighter at The Water Tower Pub on Friday, February 20th, and because that venue never books the same band on consecutive nights, and The Kiln only books bands on Saturdays, the two gigs pair well to keep them busy all weekend!

The Kiln and Water Tower Pub gigs are all at 8:00 PM, the Full Throttle Saloon shows are at 9:30 PM, all are 19+ events, and none have an announced cover charge. Fans of this veteran group will want to circle these winter dates on their calendar, so visit the above links for more details! 

Next up, Family Day weekend for Sault Ontario = Presidents' Day weekend for Sault Michigan, and hard rock fans in the E.U.P. won't be lacking either, as local blues/hard rock cover quintet Project 906 will return to Snow's Bar & Grill in nearby Cedarville for a Valentine's Day concert of their own on Saturday, February 14th! The band mentioned this show at the end of their Facebook post thanking everyone for coming to see them at The Merch on Saturday night, but didn't note that the show will coincide with the annual Les Cheneaux Islands Snowsfest, the annual winter festival held jointly in Cedarville and Hessel over the long weekend. Full event details are forthcoming (check back on the Facebook event page), but this will be the (at least) fifth straight year where either The Islander Bar or Snow's Bar included a regional hard rock band playing at Snowsfest that weekend, typically during the annual pub crawl. Project 906 previously did the honours in Cedarville in 2023. 

We'll let you know when more comes out regarding the exact itinerary for Snowsfest and how bands tie in, but it's good to see 906 making the hour's trek again for what should be a busy weekend! Expect a 9:00 PM start time, 21+ age limit, and no cover charge on Valentine's Day. See above for more from updates from Project 906 and Snowsfest!

Also newly announced is a big Sault Ontario death metal concert for the spring, as Nashville-based death metal band Demon King will make their local concert debut on Tuesday, March 24th at Soo Blaster! Not to be confused with Maynard Hayes frontman Damon King (though imagine if they were added to the bill!), Demon King bring their own brand of technical blackened death metal to the forefront, and they have a ferocious and punishing sound that should start a good sized pit in two months' time! A multi-national touring roster will also include London progressive death metal quartet Sentiment Dissolve (who headlined at Jay's Piston Broke Pub this past May) and Norwegian death metal band Celestial Scourge. Both will deliver the brutality you expect, and how often do bands literally from Norway come here? Local openers will include death/thrash metal trio Pillory and progressive metal quartet Convergence.

Both local bands are making their first announced live concert appearances of 2026, and they are solid choices to set the tone! Promoted locally by Mikhal Muto via his newly created agency Underground Events SSM (more on them soon), this all ages concert has a 7:00 PM start time, and while tickets are not on sale yet, they will cost $15 in advance and $25 at the door, and will be available through the local bands, at The Rad Zone, and online. If yo u love death metal, especially of a technical and complex variety, you won't want to miss out on this concert, so visit the Facebook event page for more details!

Finally, I have moved local death metal quartet The Bear Hunters back to our inactive band links. This may not come as a surprise to many readers given their sporadic updates in the 2020s, but the band was last publically active on January 13th of last year, when they posted a belated music video for their song "Collapse The Sun" on YouTube, one of two new music videos spearheaded by guitarist Mitch Sirie that month. After previously being inactive from late 2021 onward, The Bear Hunters awoke from "hibernation" in July 2023 to play a private event that drummer Johnny Belanger put on at Robbie Adamson's church in Leeburn. Despite teasing that they'd be working on new music, no updates followed for almost a year, when Mitch said on their Facebook page that a final album and concert would be in the works, as connected to a contest relating to wearing band t-shirts.

Updates never came on the album or farewell gig, and while the two videos from last January (including a music video for their live favourite "Squirrel Buddy") were welcomed by long-time fans, the "Collapse The Sun" video was 100% archival content, and "Squirrel Buddy" was co-opted from Mitch's 2023 solo project Sir Hell, and only featured Johnny among other Bear Hunters members in audio or video. Mitch did say "slay tuned for more" at the time, and hopefully we do get more eventually, but their activity levels have been slow since the end of 2017, and members have talked about the eventual end multiple times in recent years. Hopefully we do hear from Nik, Mitch, Justin, and Johnny again, even if it's only once more, but stay tuned for more updates on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Dodge This, Project 906, Curtis McKenzie, And Generations!!)

The weekend concert preview train rolls along on this Civic Holiday long weekend, but in a stroke of luck(?), ALL of the concerts in preview post #2 were publically announced on short notice by the featured bands. Not ideal, but it does add to a busy calendar, especially as all take place TOMORROW! Tym Morrison's previously announced matinee gig tomorrow at Misty's Fifties will follow in a separate post. Here's what you should know!

Sault Michigan blues/hard rock quintet Project 906 will return to the annual Government Bay Barge Bash in nearby Cedarville TOMORROW! Apologies for the short notice, the guys first announced their involvement in this year's festivities via their Facebook page on Tuesday, but the lineup has been public since late June via the official Facebook event page. A very unique component to the local concert calendar every August, the Barge Bash literally sees bands performing on a floating barge off the coast of Government Island (near Bumpas at 74 East Hodeck Street) in Cedarville, which leads to some great optics as attendees can literally swim or boat to the concert proper! The band lineup TOMORROW is identical to 2024 save for the now-inactive Dirty Musky, with 906 joined by Cedarville classic rock veterans Shipheads On Shore and pop rock mainstays The Mark Bowen Band.

Oddfellow alum Jason Haske and Project 906 hand drummer Brian Duford will join Mark's band for the occasion, which will be cool! Mark and crew open the FREE & ALL AGES festivities at 12:00 PM, with S.O.S. playing at 2:00 PM, and Project 906 get the headlining honours TOMORROW at 4:00 PM. 9&10 News is calling for clear skies TOMORROW with temperatures of 71-75° Fahrenheit (22-24° Celsius), so cooler than last year, but the forest fire-induced air quality advisories are still very much in effect. Hopefully everyone has a great time off Government Island for the twelfth annual Barge Bash TOMORROW, so see above for more details, and here's Project 906 live!

Next up, let's head north to Sault Ontario, where Beck's Bar has another SMS-friendly double header TOMORROW, starting with a matinee concert from former Haggith/Eclipse frontman Curtis McKenzie! Again, apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced via Beck's Facebook page on Tuesday, where they announced their complete live entertainment schedule for this weekend. Just two weeks removed from his last unplugged gig at the former Vibe Lounge, hopefully Curt's latest west end concert is a hit TOMORROW, so be at Beck's early for all of his entertaining alternative and hard rock covers! Like normal, this is a 3:00 PM matinee with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details on Curtis' Beck's matinee TOMORROW, and for a preview, here he is live!

As for the Saturday night band at Beck's Bar TOMORROW NIGHT, it's an acoustic double-header there, as unplugged classic/hard rock cover trio Dodge This will kick off the month there for the nightcap! Apologies again for the short notice, this show was also only announced in Beck's weekend schedule post on Facebook on Tuesday (though note that the band hasn't publically advertised a show on their own Facebook page in almost two months). Unless we missed something, this will be Jason & the July brothers' first publically advertised concert since rocking The Dive early last month. This should be a fun night of rocking covers from this veteran group, so don't miss out on the unplugged action at Beck's TOMORROW at 9:00 PM! Remember, Curtis McKenzie isn't "opening" for Dodge This, they are two separate & full shows on the same day, with Dodge This also having no cover and a 19+ age limit.

It's worth noting too that former Re:Born frontwoman Elly McWatters is playing the Sunday matinee at Beck's, as part of her recent push into more concerts as a solo headliner, including some with a full band (The Drifters) featuring Soundcheck alumni and bandmates of hers from Mike Haggith's Big Finish Band. To my understanding, Elly's modern solo sets lean towards country, but she is a very talented singer, so keep her in mind as well! Visit the above links for more on Dodge This' Beck's show TOMORROW NIGHT, and for a preview, here they are live there!

Finally for this short notice spree, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will return to The Water Tower Pub for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Once again, apologies for the short notice, the band only announced this show via their Facebook group by drummer Tony Santoro on Sunday (the venue has not publicized a monthly concert calendar on social media since June). In that same post, they confirmed that they will return to Reggie's Place (where they played this past weekend) once again on Friday, August 15th & Saturday, August 16th, so fans of their classic cover array will want to keep those dates in mind. Hopefully things go well TOMORROW at The Water Tower Pub, let alone the Reggie's shows in two weeks! Remember, the Great Northern Road nightclub hosts different nightly acts, with tonight's band there being veteran classic rock band Flashback.

TOMORROW'S Water Tower concert is at 8:00 PM, the Reggie's ones ahead are at 9:30 PM, and these are all 19+ engagements with no announced cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Generations live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Tym Morrison preview and more on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Scarkazm, Fyrbird, Exit 808, And Unfortunate Sun), Plus More Weekend Concert Previews!!

Today's conclusion of this weekend's known hard rock concert previews ended up being an all-Sault Michigan/E.U.P. post chock full of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one on SHORT NOTICE but also extending into early 2025. Here's what you should know!

Local hard rock band Exit 808 will make their debut at Huck's Pub & Grill in nearby Rudyard TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only announced on the band's Facebook page on Tuesday. Indeed, this will surprisingly be their first show at the former Joe's Bar, but given their talents and wide spread since debuting, Exit 808 should attract a strong audience TOMORROW! Note that recent fill-in guitarist Bob Libick is tagged in posts about TOMORROW's show, but no bassists (neither Myke nor Blaze) are, let alone co-vocalist Amy Beach, so read into that however you like. Meanwhile, Kewadin Casino has announced shows through February 1st on their website's entertainment pages, and there are a few hard rock names to take note of, including their return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino on Friday, January 17th & Saturday, January 18th! These will be their first stops at the Soo Kewadin since August.

TOMORROW'S Huck's show takes place at 8:00 PM, the Kewadin shows next month are at 9:00 PM, and the three dates are all 21+ with no announced cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's a brand new video of Exit 808 live at the 2 Wheel Tavern in Wolverine two weeks ago! Uploaded to their Facebook page on Saturday, this extremely vertical video sees the band (plus Bob and Blaze, minus Amy and Alex) covering Godsmack's "Bad Religion", and it's a strong showcase of Dillion Semasky's aggressive but melodic vocals! The orientation is really unfortunate, but check this out below, and don't miss Exit 808 TOMORROW!

Next up, there are more Kewadin Casino dates in the pipeline courtesy of their entertainment pages, and first up in the Soo is Manistique hard rock duo Fyrbird, who will kick off 2025 with dates at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino on Friday, January 3rd & Saturday, January 4th! Fyrbird are one to announce months worth of bookings at a time in a post on their Facebook group, but at press time, they have yet to do so. While fans saw Jamie & Rikk rock out at the St. Ignace branch last month, these will be Fyrbird's first Soo dates since October. and it will be good to get their gritty and hard rocking cover slate back in the Eastern Upper Peninsula in a few weeks' time! These shows are 9:00 PM affairs with 21+ age limits and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details on Fyrbird's regional return early next year, and stay tuned for more from them!

Also, Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm have announced their first 2025 concert dates via Facebook event pages on their Facebook page, so after their shows at the Soo Kewadin tonight and tomorrow night, when will you be able to see them in the E.U.P. next? Their first shows in our coverage area next year will see them rock The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin on Friday, January 3rd and Saturday, January 4th, so if you wanna start the year on the right foot in Mackinac County, Scarkazm's hard rocking and crowd-friendly covers would be a good place to start! On February 7th & 8th, you can see Adam, Dave, and Jeff back at The Rapids Lounge for the first time in 2025, so fans in the Soo who can't see them this weekend or want an encore will be able to see them in almost two months! The last new shows currently confirmed for Scarkazm will see them back at The Rapids Lounge on April 4th & 5th.

All six of Scarkazm's known upcoming Kewadin dates have 21+ age limits, no cover charges, and 9:00 PM start times. It's great to see Scarkazm continue their long run of road trips to the E.U.P. in 2025, and definitely consider seeing them at these dates and beyond! At press time, I have not heard about Peril shows up here in the new year yet. Visit the six official Facebook event pages for each individual show above at this link! 

Finally for today's post, here's one more weekend concert preview for TOMORROW NIGHT, as local hard rock quartet Unfortunate Sun will rock The Merchant's Bar for one night only! Last seen at The Merch back in September, this is (presently?) the Fake Chow successors' final show of 2024, and while it has been promoted as "the biggest asskickery event" of the year, more recent promotion indicates that tomorrow's concert will also have an attached ugly Christmas sweater party, so wear your best (worst?) for the occasion! No word on a possible contest or prizes. Meanwhile, Unfortunate Sun have a new show of their own to announce, as they'll debut at Snow's Bar & Grill in nearby Cedarville for one night only on Saturday, January 18th! It's too soon for Snowsfest, so this looks like a standard concert for Unfortunate Sun, so try to welcome-ish them to a new locale next month!

Tomorrow's and next month's Unfortunate Sun dates have presumed 9:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and 21+ age limits. It's good to see Skip, Jody, Tony, and Jason staying busy over the winter, so don't miss them at The Merch tomorrow and at more venues next month, and for a preview, here they are live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison) & Project 906 Concert Previews!!

After a pair of very busy weekends for local hard rock and metal fans in the Twin Saults, things are slightly less hectic to kick off August 2024, as I'll only need two posts to cover this weekend's heavier concerts! To spread things out, I'll hold our previews of this weekend's Tarnished, Half Past, and Curtis McKenzie shows for our next news post hitting the site hopefully by tomorrow. Now, here's what you should know on both sides of the border, including LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, some on SHORT NOTICE! (Updated at 1:07 PM)

Local classic/hard rock cover singer/guitarist Tym Morrison has another full month of acoustic solo concerts ahead at his usual seasonal haunts, starting with a show at The Mike Case Memorial Stage outside of The Trading Post TOMORROW NIGHT and a matinee at Misty's Fifties on SATURDAY! Apologies for the short notice on this weekend's non-Dive shows, I should have rolled in all of his August dates on the site last month. While we're on the subject, the former Caveman Morrison frontman will bring his unplugged classic and hard rock covers back to The Trading Post (weather permitting) on Friday, August 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th, while west end fans will be able to see him on Saturday, August 10th, 17th, 24th, and 31st at Misty's! Remember that he only plays at the former venue seasonally, and that arrangement ends for 2024 late next month.

Yes, this weekend's shows fall on the Civic Holiday long weekend for many readers, while the August 30th-31st shows are on the Labour Day long weekend, so if you get either Monday off, keep the scheduling in mind! Note that Tym was originally scheduled to play a "Think It Over Thursday" concert at The Dive Gastro Pub tonight as well, but it was cancelled due to illness, as per the venue's Facebook page earlier today. No word on if Tym's health will impede TOMORROW or SATURDAY's shows, but we'll let you know if we hear anything, and hopefully he feels better soon! TOMORROW'S and this month's Mike Case Stage shows also begin at 7:00, and SATURDAY'S and this month's Misty's matinees are at 4:00 PM. None have a cover charge, and the Misty's Fifties show is presumed to be 19+. Weather-wise, 9&10 News is calling for sunny skies TOMORROW with temperatures hovering around 25°.

The forecast implies that we're coming out of the humid snap that has hit the Soo hard this week, but it'll still be a warm one for fans seeing Tym out on Great Northern Road TOMORROW, so stay cool and hydrated where possible! Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here and here for more details on all of Tym's August concerts, and here he is live!

Next up, let's head to Sault Michigan for some live hard rock concerts this weekend, starting with local hard/blues rock quartet Project 906, who have a busy weekend ahead via two outdoor concerts in the E.U.P.! The guys will first head to Pickford TOMORROW NIGHT for an outdoor set at this year's Pickford Hay Days, taking place this week throughout the town, but 906 will be performing at Pickford Township Park at 287 Harold Street #279. Food trucks will be on hand thanks to the Hay Days festival, but there will be a more poignant cause to support as well. Guitarist Joe Jenkins' wife Mary Jo has been diagnosed with breast cancer, and while tomorrow's concert is free, the band is raising money to help support Mary Jo and the family at this difficult time. The Curbside Cravings food truck at Hay Days will also be donating some proceeds to Mary Jo tomorrow.

Having lost my mother to ovarian cancer, I can definitely relate to what Mary Jo and the Jenkins & Croft families are going through right now, so our best support and wishes go out to her during this fight! You can enjoy Project 906's hard rocking covers tomorrow night at 7:00 PM with no cover charge or age limit, and weather is expected to be similar to Tym Morrison's Sault Ontario show TOMORROW, with sunny-clear weather at 73-80° Fahrenheit (23-27° Celsius). Visit Hay Days' Facebook page for full details on remaining festival events and the official Facebook event page for more on 906's show proper! That's not all for the #summerof906 this weekend though, as Billy, Joe, Dustin, and Jason(?) will also head to Cedarville for another special outdoor concert on SATURDAY when they join three other bands for this year's Government Bay Barge Bash, literally playing on a barge on the water off the coast of the Les Cheneaux Islands!

Project 906 will literally be rocking Lake Huron just off the coast of Government Island (near Bumpas at 74 East Hodeck Street) as the second of four bands on Saturday, joining Sugar Island rock quartet Dirty Musky (more on them soon) at 6:00 PM, Cedarville classic rock veterans Shipheads On Shore at 4:00 PM, and veteran pop rockers The Mark Bowen Band at 12:00 PM (906 are at 2:00 PM). For the record, the Barge Bash is not openly tied to any charitable drives for Mary Jo, but I doubt they'd turn away any support there. There's no age limit or cover charge for the Barge Bash, but as it's being held on the water, attendees with boats or a love of the beach/swimming will obviously benefit. As this is outdoors, the current weather forecast is calling for a high of 84° Fahrenheit (29° Celsius) with sunny-clear weather, so very similar to tomorrow in Pickford. If you love the warm summer weather, it should be ideal waterfront conditions then!

Whether you'd prefer to see Project 906 on terra firma in Pickford or in Government Bay surrounded by water and boats, you have some very appealing outdoor options this weekend! Visit the above links for complete details on both of their shows ahead, and for a preview, here they are live!

That's all for now, but we'll wrap up this weekend's hard rock concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Nameless) & More Weekend Concert Previews!!

As promised, let's round out this weekend's hard rock concert previews, but after yesterday's short notice-heavy affair, today's is mostly devoted to shows that I knew about before the last few days. However, we are leading off with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one on SHORT NOTICE, so here's what you should know for the rest of the weekend!

Sault Michigan hard rock band The Nameless will return to Snow's Bar & Grill in nearby Cedarville for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band did announce it via their Facebook event page on June 26th but it slipped us by last week when I could have plugged it with time to spare. The Nameless debuted at Snow's in February during this year's Les Cheneaux Islands Snowsfest, but TOMORROW'S show appears to be standard fare, so if you liked them there in February and/or want to enjoy some hard rock covers, keep this one in mind! In other news, The Nameless will return to The Merchants Bar in Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday, July 13th (here's its Facebook event page), while they will make their debuts at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino on Friday, July 26th & Saturday, July 27th (both shows have individual Facebook event pages linked here and here).

It's good to see that Josh, the Mikes, Justin, and Anna have a busy month in store for fans, so don't miss their upcoming shows across the E.U.P., starting with their trip to Cedarville TOMORROW! All four dates are 21+ affairs with no announced cover charges and 9:00 PM start times. See above for more details, and click here to watch their sole (if unembeddable) public concert video from their Merch debut!

Next up, let's look at shows that had 100% advance notice, starting with Sault Ontario classic/hard rock musician Tym Morrison's return to The Mike Case Memorial Stage outside of The Trading Post TONIGHT! Fresh off of his Gino's Fired Up Kitchen debut on Wednesday, this will be another outdoor show way down Great Northern Road, if without the partial patio protection for attendees, so it'll be a familiar time for fans of Tym's varied and extensive setlist, not to mention his vocal and guitar talents! For the only time in his 2024 summer calendar, Tym is not pairing this show with a Saturday nighter at Misty's Fifties, and I have not seen a public reason as to why he's not playing there tomorrow. He'll be back there next week! Tonight's Trading Post show has a 7:00 PM start time, no cover charge, and no age limit, as per usual during his summer gigs there. Weather-wise, 9&10 News is calling for a 40% chance of rain tonight with temperatures of 19°.

Tym has cancelled/shortened his Mike Case Stage shows due to weather before, so if you're at all concerned about tonight's being rained out, keep tabs on it closer to showtime. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here he is live!

Now let's take a brief detour back to Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula to look at Sault Ste. Marie hard/blues rock quartet Project 906, who return to the stage TONIGHT at The Islander Bar in nearby Hessel! This will be Project 906's first public concert since February and their first gig in Hessel since August of last year, so regardless, it's been a while to see their hard rocking cover slate on a local stage! So far in this "summer of 906", the band has exclusively played at private events, not to mention a trio of solo dates for singer Billy Bernier, including once at The Islander Bar in May (if his solo shows are basically 906 unplugged or not, I don't know). Project 906 are on tonight at 9:00 PM, there is a 21+ age limit in effect, and there is no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more on Billy, Joe, Dustin, and Jason's Hessel return tonight, and for a preview, here they are live!

Finally for this weekend, let's head back north to Sault Ontario, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 will play a special outdoor concert at Strathclair Park at 639 Black Road during this year's COPPA Giovanni Soccer Tournament TOMORROW NIGHT! This very nontraditional concert comes on day #2 of the annual local soccer event, with their set taking place near the main field during (after?) games featuring local men's and women's squads in World Cup-style tournaments. Like last year, Silent 9 are only playing at private, festival, or special gigs this summer before returning to the weekend nightclub circuit in the fall, so if you want to see Jess, Ryan, Paul, and Steve rock out, this is your only chance before Rotaryfest! Remember, Silent 9 dropped out of the Giovanni's Italian Festival on Sunday for unannounced reasons, and they were replaced by RPM.

Silent 9 takes the stage at 7:00 PM tomorrow, this is definitely an all ages event, and there is no admission fee for spectators. 9&10 News is calling for partly cloudy weather of around 19° tomorrow night during Silent 9's showtime, and the tournament action should beat the rainy weather forecast that morning. Good luck to all of the competing teams this weekend and to Silent 9 as they take the stage, so see above for more details, and here's Silent 9 live!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Project 906!!)

Sault Michigan blues/hard rock quartet Project 906 have announced their summer concert slate via their Facebook page, which is the sole topic today! No word on where they've been since their last date in February, but they have multiple dates around the E.U.P. scheduled in July and August, while also announcing solo dates from frontman Billy Bernier in Mackinac Island (which is outside of our coverage range) and at The Islander Bar in Hessel tomorrow night. I'm not sure if Billy's solo show is basically Project 906 unplugged or if he explores less hard rock in his sets, so I won't cover that show on here just in case, but keep it in mind if you're in Hessel! If you want to see the full splendour with Joe, Dustin, and Jason too, they have two private bookings next month, but their first public date in five months will see them rock the aforementioned Islander Bar on Friday, July 5th with a return planned for Saturday, August 10th!

The former show is a normal affair, but the latter will be a special matinee set during the Les Cheneaux Islands Antique Wooden Boat Show, an event that 906 did play last year as well, albeit at a normal nighttime timeslot then. It's too soon yet to know what possible changes could be in store on August 10th, but last year, The Islander Bar had four nights of live music from different nightly acts the week of the boat show. Stay tuned for any updates! On Saturday, July 13th, Project 906 will return to The Well Diggers Watering Hole & Feed Lot in nearby Kinross for an outdoor concert, and their first show at this venue since last summer. Should be a good time in a relatively unique setting, so keep their Well Diggers return in mind also! Then on Friday, July 26th, the guys will return to the Soo for a concert at The Merchant's Bar alongside "special guests" The City Lines, so who are they?

As best as I can tell, 906 are actually opening for The City Lines, a power pop trio from Ann Arbor whose frontman is Sault Ste. Marie native and Sault Tribe member Patrick Deneau. Not the heaviest band going, but fans of indie rock and midwest emo (let alone more recent material by The Northwest) will take to The City Lines, and it's cool to see Patrick play a show at home like this, let alone the rare sight of Project 906 opening for a touring band! Moving ahead to August for another festival set, Project 906 will make their debut at Pickford Hay Days on Friday, August 2nd, and while they didn't specify the locale beyond saying that it'd be outdoors, the festival's Facebook event page confirms that they're playing at Pickford Township Park (no word on extra bands). Click here for full non-musical details on Hay Days, but food trucks will be nearby for festival and/or concert attendees, and you are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.

The last of the newly announced Project 906 shows will see them play in Cedarville on Saturday, August 3rd for this year's tenth annual Government Bay Barge Bash, which I am pretty sure is returning to its literal location on a floating barge in Government Bay in front of Bumpas at 74 East Hodeck Street. Promotion for this year's Barge Bash has not begun that I've seen, but this event has featured multiple bands in recent years, and how unique is it to see bands playing literally on the water? Note that one of the bands that played last year's Barge Bash (which didn't have known-to-me hard rock bands at the time) was Dirty Musky, a new band featuring 415E alumni Dave Menard and Brett Blackwood alongside Brett's dad Fran (of Clownsack fame). Despite that lineup, Dirty Musky have given no indication of their set/sound on social media, so I won't rush them into our coverage, but keep them in mind!

Most of these shows have 8:00 PM start times, but the Pickford show is at 7:00 PM, the Cedarville show is to be announced (remember, multiple bands play that), and the Hessel boat show gig in August is a 4:00 PM matinee. The Islander Bar, Well Diggers, and Merch shows are all 21+ while the rest are all ages, and while none have a stated cover charge, do inquire within as far as the annual festivals go. It's great to see Project 906 back (even without Strongs Tavern returns booked, surprisingly), so look for their hard rocking cover slate at multiple E.U.P. venues in the coming months, and stay tuned for more news on the site in the coming days! Thanks everyone!