YouTube Channel Profile Series: Kelly Cristina & Chris Hubbard

After a slight delay due to the holiday long weekend and some sad losses, here is our final monthly feature post of 2025, namely this month's YouTube Channel Profile! As usual, this series looks at randomly selected YouTube channels whose content is at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, and/or punk artists/concerts, and as the first selected channel only has one video period, I added a second channel with minimal content to round things out. As such, we're splitting things betwen the Twin Saults today, so here's what you should know from both channels!

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Kelly Cristina (http://www.youtube.com/@kekeitba)

Owner: YouTube user Kelly Cristina, a.k.a. kekeitba, who I believe is based out of Brazil

Channel Timeline: Launched on October 23rd, 2008; Only video uploaded on July 16th, 2014

Channel Summary: Kelly's only upload is a lyric video for defunct local blackened doom metal band Woods Of Ypres' song "Shards Of Love (Hurt Forever)", which led off their 2009 CD "Woods IV: The Green Album". While this is seemingly a redundant upload compared to fuller and more official copies of "Woods 4" elsewhere on YouTube and other services, note that the on-screen lyrics are in Portuguese, helping translate this post-breakup doom metal song for native speakers. There are a handful of Brazilian immigrants in the area, so note the translated lyrics if they are of use, and the song alone is a solid first sampling of their late-era doom sound!

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Chris Hubbard (http://www.youtube.com/@chrishubbard415e)

Owner: Sault Michigan hard rock guitarist Chris Hubbard, known from past local bands like Nixxon Dixxon, Splitshot, Trail's End, Hubbard, 415E, and Rhythm & Brews

Channel Timeline: Launched on May 19th, 2011; Videos uploaded from February 2016 to October 2024

Channel Summary: The official YouTube channel for Chris' solo output (and branded for his eponymous Hubbard solo project), only four videos would make their way here, two being in-studio performance clips and one featuring his own build of the time machine part of the DeLorean from the Back To The Future movies. Chris' last video to date is a "Shorts" upload where he was promoting a 5150 Frankenstrat guitar body for sale, though I don't know if he successfully sold it in the past year or not.

Why You Should Watch: Despite his crystal clear talents on guitar, Chris' post-Nixxon Dixxon bands only posted videos to social media very scarcely, so if you want to see him actually shredding on camera, the two videos here are some of the surprisingly few ways to do so! Chris hasn't been super active locally as a live musician in recent months, but hopefully he surface again when the time is right, including revisiting his solo original material! The B.T.T.F. time machine video is a neat sampler of what Chris was working on, but it is a 15 second "part 1", and the teased next part did not follow .

 Our Recommended Videos To Check Out:

 

Chris Hubbard Light Up The Sky - Van Halen Cover. Drums, Bass, Guitar ~EVH: Well known as a die-hard fan of Van Halen, Chris' first video here saw him cover "Light Up The Sky" (a deep cut from "Van Halen II") in studio. The instrumental cover saw Chris play guitar, bass, and drums at his home studio via stationary cameras, but he did not film himself playing the bass tracks. Chris absolutely nails this song on all fronts, supplemented by having the right EVH gear, and while I'd have framed his camera a little better, Roth-era Van Halen fans will absolutely appreciate the performance quality and musicianship here!

 

Messing around with Ernie Ball Music Man EVH Guitar ~ Chris Hubbard: Chris' most popular video (with over 147,000 views at press time), this 11 minute+ jam video from March 2016 was allegedly filmed with no warm-up shortly after he woke up that day. Keep that in mind when you watch this very skilled performance, both on a technical basis (look at his gear!) and for replicating Eddie Van Halen's tone and musical style, and viewers raved about how much they liked it in the comments. Chris is an excellent guitarist, one of the best in the E.U.P., and hopefully we see him back at it before long!

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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profiles! We're leading off 2026 in this series in a big way, as our latest randomly selected YouTube channel will be that of prolific local/Barrie musician Mike Haggith! There will be a lot to cover, so look for that on or around January 26th, and stay tuned for New Year's Eve concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck, Double Down, And Generations), And More!!

This month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post has been bumped to tomorrow in order to get a bunch of newly announced LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS covered on the SMS, while also addressing a way that you can help a prominent local drummer through a shocking medical diagnosis.  With all of that said, here's what you should know!

For the first time since revealing their January-March schedule online at the beginning of 2023, The Esquire Club has revealed their concert schedule for the last third of the year via this poster on their Facebook page! No word on why they never revealed a schedule online for bands playing between April and this weekend, but these schedules are viewable at the Second Line West nightclub. Also, no word on who is playing there on the last two weekends of the year, and while the Christmas/New Year's timing is noted, the applicable holidays are not on a Friday or Saturday this year. The first new dates that cross the SMS' radar come on Friday, September 15th & Saturday, September 16th, when newer local classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down make their first ever Esquire Club appearances!

Last seen at Rotaryfest in July, I'm not sure where Double Down have been over the past two months, but hopefully Joel, Adam, Brad, and Ric have a fun weekend of hard rocking covers in store when they make their way to a new-to-them venue in a couple of weeks! These are 9:00 PM gigs with 19+ age limits and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more on Double Down's Esquire Club debuts later this month!

Next up, we'll leap ahead two weeks for fellow local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck's return to The Esquire Club for shows on September 29th & 30th, before returning there on December 7th & 8th! Soundcheck last hit the stage here in June for two shows that included their special gig featuring three of Obsession's frontwomen, but the shows ahead appear to just be normal concerts (the band's lack of advertising for them yet acknowledged). Hopefully Soundcheck (no space) deliver strong tunes for hard and classic rock fans (and even country fans) in the west end later this month and in three months! Like with Double Down above, all of Soundcheck's upcoming Esquire Club dates are 19+ affairs with no cover charge and 9:00 PM start times. See above for more details!

Lastly for the heavier new dates (unless The Red Right Hand Band on October 7th prove otherwise), classic/hard rock fans can also enjoy newer local quartet Generations back at The Esquire Club on October 13th & 14th! Their first shows here with new guitarist Tony Kajnar, fans will have last seen Valerie, Pierre, and Tony S. on stage there back in May. Fresh off of the Thanksgiving weekend, hopefully you'll have worn off your turkey comas in time for Generations' cover rock attack next month, so don't miss out then either! Once again, these shows start at 9:00 PM and have 21+ age limits with no cover charges. See above for more details on Generations' Esquire Club return this fall! Just as a reminder, we already knew about & covered Silent 9's debut there over Halloween weekend on the site last month.

Finally for today, long-time readers will know that I try not to cover the personal lives of musicians unless it directly affects their music career, but at the same time, I know that I can help get the word out when a musician that we cover is in need, and this is one of those cases. Earlier today, a fundraiser of sorts was launched for veteran local rock drummer Chris Johns and his partner, folk rock singer/guitarist Catherine Taddo, due to Chris recently being diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer that has spread to his liver. Chris will be starting chemotherapy soon, while Catherine's mother is also fighting cancer, so they reluctantly agreed to a campaign on the crowdfunding site MealTrain that allows friends and supporters to donate prepared meals or gift cards to be delivered to the Johns/Taddo family over the fall season. Click here for full details on how you can help (this is not presently a financial campaign, just so they don't have to worry about preparing meals short term and can focus on everything else).

Best known as the long-time drummer of Frank Deresti & The Lake Effect, punk fans will recognize Chris behind the kit for Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide's final run from 2018-2020, after previously being one of their fill-in drummers in the mid-2010s, while he also drummed for Jonesy Land's live dates in mid-2021. Having had both of my parents go through cancer in recent years, I know all too well the strain that this can put on someone, and I can only hope that Chris and Catherine get all of the support that they need as Chris hopefully beats this thing. Stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post next, and get well soon, Chris!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: 2010abstract's Channel & Chris Bardawill

It's now time for this month's YouTube Channel Profiles, as we once again shine another monthly spotlight on YouTube channels whose videos are at least half comprised of local metal, hard rock, or punk-specific content! There is a slight change of plans for this month, as the second randomly selected channel for this month (YouTube user ander101) is actually one that we already spotlighted back in 2016! I'm surprised that I don't err like that more often given how long this series has been going. In its place, I randomly chose a 100% unfeatured-already channel to round out this multi-channel installment, so here's what you should know!

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2010abstract's Channel (http://youtube.com/2010abstract)

Owner: A member or representative of defunct Sault Michigan hard rock band Abstract (formerly Aux and later renamed Tantrum and Tantrym Tyme), exact identity unclear

Channel Timeline: Launched on March 10th, 2011; Videos uploaded that day and two days later

Channel Summary: The then-official YouTube channel for the Guitar Studio rock camp graduates (aged just 10-11 upon their 2010 launch), Abstract posted two jam session cover videos here from two separate locales

Why You Should Watch: While there's only two videos here, it is very interesting to see where the future Tantrym Tyme started, and even as pre-teens, you get the sense that they had bigger and better things ahead, as fans will know when comparing their mid-2010s Tantrym Time gigs to their humble beginnings as Abstract! This channel was succeeded by their later TANTRUMzone channel in 2012, which only ever had one video, with Tantrym Tyme-era videos largely posted on Facebook or by fans.

 Our Recommended Videos To Check Out:

Abstract- Back in Black: The former Abstract's first and most popular video saw them cover AC/DC's "Back In Black" in a rehearsal space, with the band then-comprised of singer/guitarist Jacob Hotlen, guitarist Kyle Burton, bassist Mike East, and drummer Ethan Twardy (all but Kyle hung on through to the Tantrym Tyme years). Their ages absolutely have to be taken into account when gauging this performance and Jasob's vocals, which all undoubtedly improved by the end of Tantrym Tyme's active run, but for kids at their age, they did very well here, and Jacob nailed the solo!

Abstract- Woman: Two days later, the band's final upload here saw them cover Wolfmother's "Woman" in a new jam space with a new widescreen camera. While shorter, this is arguably a better showcase of Abstract's skills at the time, both from the more contemporary & faster song, as well as using more of Jacob's vocal range at the time. You can see why Abstract would have turned a few heads, but of course, check out Tantrym Tyme videos to see the culmination of all of their hard work as musicians as they entered high school!

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Chris Bardawill (http://www.youtube.com/@chrisbardawill281)

Owner: Sault Ontario resident Christopher Bardawill

Channel Timeline: Launched on June 6th, 2021; Videos uploaded that day through that September

Channel Summary: Alongside three non-musical videos of Chris and friends, his channel contains five videos from defunct local classic/hard rock cover quartet Obsession's set at the pandemic-restricted drive-thru Rotaryfest outside of the former Lowe's Plaza in July 2021. Obsession were represented here by singer Valerie Powley, guitarist Gabe Tessaro, bassist Jim Michaud, and drummer Steve Porco, with Rotaryfest sound tech Dan Belanger guesting for the set. The five videos include covers of Big Brother & The Holding Company's version of Erma Franklin's "Piece Of My Heart", AC/DC's "Highway To Hell", Billy Squier's "Everybody Wants You", Heart's "Barracuda", and in his most popular video, their set-opening cover of Chuck Berry's "Maybellene" with Gabe on lead vocals. Solid stuff all around from this missed local band, and they made the most of a screwy time, as nicely filmed by Chris!

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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profiles! This series will return on or around August 26th for another multi-band post, with three channels this time, as the first random selection just had three videos from across two concerts from the same band, so I randomly picked a channel with just videos from one show to fill things out with. As such, we will be looking at the channels of YouTube users Danabelle39 (featuring videos of Havadder live at the former Nicolet) and kilko8011 (featuring videos of Treble Charger playing in Toronto). Look for those next month, and for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

New COVID-19 Pandemic Restrictions In Ontario, A Local Band's Return, And Much More!!

Here's our first proper news post of 2022, where we're diving into big updates on a local band's surprise reemergence, a bunch of recent shorter stories, and leading off, big details on an unwelcome return to days of pandemic's past for local music fans in Ontario. Here's what you should know!

Concerts in the province of Ontario as we know them are on hold again, as the provincial government has rolled back many of the loosened restrictions to fight the dramatically increasing number of COVID-19 cases in recent weeks due to the omicron variant, starting tomorrow. While we're not being fully locked down again (yet?), Ontario is returning to a modified version of the "Stage 2" of re-opening following the end of lockdown #3 in June 2020, which means that indoor gatherings are being restricted to five or fewer people again and indoor dining is also cancelled. Measures are in effect until at least January 26th, and for more on the new/restored restrictions, visit this SooToday article. Michigan has not followed suit with similar announcements, we'll keep you posted if they do. No previously announced local hard rock concerts were cancelled as a direct result of the restrictions, but be advised that the rescheduled Glambition fundraiser is only four days after the current end date.

This is all disappointing to hear, especially given how many Ontarians got vaccinated last year (I got the booster last month myself), but the omicron variant is getting to overwhelming numbers and is clearly very contagious even if you have had three shots. I don't want things rolled back, and I certainly don't want a fourth lockdown, but I also don't want people to get sick or worse. It is what it is, and I just hope that the new provincial measures do lead to a decline in COVID-19 case rates so that things can somewhat get back to normal sooner rather than later.

However, one immediate casualty is the apparently permanent closure of Pim Street hotel, restaurant, and concert venue The Canuck (née The Canadian Motor Hotel), as per their Facebook page yesterday. This news comes just seven months after Jim Brogno bought The Canadian from the Marrelli family and announced big plans for upgrades to the building, While this may seem like a rash decision for what we hope will be just three weeks of capacity limits and no indoor dining, I have no way of knowing how their books look, and maybe staff assumes things will be limited past the 26th. In any event, The Canuck did not resume hosting hard rock concerts last year, with the downstairs Canadian Nightclub not being used as a concert venue, and bands of other genres only played upstairs at The Upper Deck Bar & Grill. I'm not getting into any of the divisive reports about un-vaccinated gatherings there on the SMS.

I hope The Canuck/Canadian isn't closed forever, and that at least the Brognos sell to new owners, as it's a long established and well liked central spot for a meal, a drink, a room, and/or live music, and The Canadian Nightclub was the locale of many big concerts over the years, including my first 19+ show in 2008. Hopefully this isn't the absolute end, but best of luck to the staff as they make their next moves, and we'll keep you guys posted as more comes out on the Ontario restrictions!

Next up, let's move to some more positive topics, starting with the apparent rebirth of local metal/punk band Jack Spades, albeit in a new home! After 15 months of public silence, the band posted this picture on their Facebook page of a modified version of the classic Skates logo, coinciding with a name change to Spades GT. The band confirmed in November that they've relaunched out of frontman J.D. Pearce's current Barrie homebase (he moved out of town for work reasons in 2020) so does GT mean "Greater Toronto"? Inevitably, lineup alterations have followed, with the band enlisting Adaptive Reaction bassist Steve Lorenz and former Caym drummer Tyler Reiner (the son of Anvil's Robb Reiner) to replace Rob Speers & Johnny Belanger, both of whom are still in the Soo. As best as I can tell, guitarist Daniel Horton is still/back in the band, having moved to Barrie himself already.

Whether the band is moving forward as a four piece or keeping/replacing Tiffany isn't clear, but note that while she also moved out of town, it wasn't to Southern Ontario. In the November Facebook post, Spades GT revealed that there are "new tracks incoming", and their live debut under that name would be next month at Queens Hometown Pub in Barrie, but given the omicron variant, new restrictions, and uncertainty therein, I'd say that date is hopeful at best right now. Still, it's great to see (Jack) Spades continue on down south, and hopefully we hear lots of good stuff from them to come, with perhaps a return show up here when the time is right?

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:

 

• Tribute shirts for late local rock drummer Chris Thompson are in the works by his Frightlight bandmates J.D. Pearce & Kevin Powe, and pre-orders for them took place last month! Available as t-shirts for $20 or pull-over hoodies for $45, the artwork features a black & white image of Chris in his Frightlight outfit, as well as the names of his major local bands (the image shared on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group on December 10th was preliminary & does not have the final band listing). Proceeds from the sales go to the Thompson family, and e-transfer the money to johnnypints@gmail.com with name and size if you want one!
• The next Mike Haggith live-streamed concert will take place on Tuesday, January 25th at 7:30 PM on his Facebook page, and for a second straight episode, he'll be interviewing a local musician he hasn't played in a band with, namely Bad Chug guitarist and folk solo musician Jacob Quarrell! Mike has produced material of Jacob's, and he was tapped to be in Mike's solo band for his cancelled "If Ever Comes The Day" release concert in 2020, so there is definitely a mutual respect there. Make sure to tune in to the live-stream on Facebook in three weeks' time, especially as Mike's covering two share contest winner picks!
• SooToday contributor and veteran local musician Chris Belsito covered the vinyl re-release of defunct local punk band Room 206's album "2 Innies & 1 Outie" for this article last week! Though it incorrectly gives 1993 as the original tape's release year, the article does give a little more background info into Room 206's active run, and includes some photos, including one of Soolebrity Records head & bonus song performer Mikey Hawdon holding two copies at The Rad Zone. Give everything a look if you want above!
  

 

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

More Updates From Recently Active Local Hard Rock Artists!!

Before we begin this news post, I just wanted to note that Frightlight/Soo Fighters/et al. drummer Chris Thompson's obituary is now up on SooToday, confirming that he suddenly passed away on Monday night at Sault Area Hospital with his family by his side. Chris is survived by his wife Stephanie Nelson, his kids Destiny & James, his parents, his sister, and numerous in-laws, nieces, and nephews, among other extended family & friends. At Chris' request, there will not be a public funeral service, but a celebration of life will be announced at a later date. Arrangements will be handled by the Arthur Funeral Home and Barton & Kiteley Chapel, and the family would appreciate donations (by check) to the Canadian Diabetes Association or the Heart & Stroke Foundation. Having lost my mother last fall, I know all too well what the Thompson clan are going through, and my continued thoughts go out to them!

Given his deep musical connections, a tribute concert would be extremely apt, whether that's what the celebration of life will be or not, but I have no inside information. With Christmas just a month away, keep Stephanie, Destiny, James, and the rest of their family in mind over the holidays, and hopefully they hold their great memories as close as they can. R.I.P. Chris!

Now, today's post features some assorted updates from a couple of local hard rock/metal acts, and we'll start out in Thompson, Manitoba (literally), as prolific local alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith will play his first public concert since before the pandemic there this Saturday! Of course, Thompson is ever so slightly out of our coverage range (22 hours west of the Soo), but if you're curious, Mike is opening for a stand-up comedy show benefiting Thompson's Seniors Community Resource Council, and he will have a full backing band with four additional musicians, finally realizing a goal from his cancelled CD release party last year! It'd be very interesting to see Mike with a full band again, hopefully someone's filming! Mike will also be hosting the annual Thompson Santa Claus Parade earlier that day, but if he's performing any music there, no one has confirmed that.

Sure, none of this is taking place locally, but in the wake of the "Bridges" release (our review coming in the next few days) and with the long wait for Mike to return to some sense of normalcy as a live musician, I had to mention his busy weekend ahead. Moving things more towards "Bridges", the album did get a review on the Winnipeg-based blog Bad Gardening Advice, which didn't grade it proper or really analyze individual tracks, but the review uses a lot of symbolic and regional references for the overall concept, which helps when you're in the same province and know about the Mystery Bridge already! Finally for today's Mike updates, let's finally take things truly local, as The Sault Star's Brian Kelly interviewed him for this article last week, so what should you know there? Mike discusses isolation and mental health, his adjustment in moving to Thompson, and the album release proper, ...

 

...though most of the interview is via Brian's solid write-up, hitting most of the relevant bullet points about Mike's recent activities. Solid read, so give it a look at this link, above, or in the November 18th edition of The Sault Star, and look for our review of "Bridges" by Tuesday!

Finally for today, here's the latest from local party metal duo The Apocalypse Afterparty, who may not be a duo for long! As per the Musicians Wanted Facebook group yesterday, they're looking for "a willing musician... to balance the band", specifically looking for a second bassist or a keyboardist, and similarly to prior musician searches they held in the past, skill level and experience are not required and they'll teach interested parties. The A.A. were a trio pre-pandemic with two bassists (Alice Rose being their last publically named bassist aside from Paul), but in their masked days, they were a quartet with Amanda playing an MPC controller before moving to drums (they have never had a guitarist). Given their wide criteria, it's anyone's guess who The Apocalypse Afterparty will bring on, but we'll let you know when/if a new members signs on, and message the band above or here for more details!

Lastly from the Stanghetta camp, The Apocalypse Afterparty's newly released studio cover of Saul Williams' "List of Demands (Reparations)" has been included on "Nooooooo!!! Volume III", a Noise Rock Now compilation album to benefit German indie rock band Trigger Cut after they lost all of their gear in a fire two weeks ago. This is the third such compilation album already, and all three are available for €1 minimum. The A.A. are the only locally recognizable band on any of these compilations, but give them a listen to see what you think, and consider buying one to help Trigger Cut out! That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next, plus a review of "Bridges" before the month ends! Thanks everyone!

R.I.P. Chris Thompson (1979-2021)

The Sault Metal Scene sends its deepest condolences to the family & friends of prolific local hard rock drummer Chris Thompson, who just passed away at the age of 42, as per numerous posts on his personal Facebook page. Chris had suffered a heart attack earlier this month and had been battling complications from it in recent days, though I won't go into specifics out of respect to his family. If you've followed local hard rock, metal, and punk bands in Sault Ontario in the past two decades, then Chris' presence behind the drumkit will be very familiar, most recently as the drummer for pop rock cover band Lockdown & their sister group, Foo Fighters tribute band The Soo Fighters, who all just played live at The Rockstar Bar over Halloween weekend. Chris was also a frequent bandmate of J.D. Pearce's in the punk/metal acts Fitswitch, Frightlight (as "Chris Freaknstein"), and Jack Spades, and he also drummed for classic metal band Project 421, their hard rock sister band Eclipse, hard rock quartet Half Past, and death metal band Giwakwa, among others.

I knew that Chris had been battling some health problems that may have explained why he was not part of the Half Past reunion, but I never expected he'd be gone this suddenly, and his loss will definitely be felt by friends, family, and fans alike. My interactions with Chris were always positive, and I know he greatly loved his fiancee Stephanie and his children, who shouldn't have to lose a parent already like this. I'll let you guys know when/if services are made public, but keep the Thompson family in your thoughts, especially with the holiday season fast approaching. R.I.P. Chris!

Tarnished Concert Preview, New Videos, And More From Sault Michigan!!

After publishing six posts in six days last week, things have crashed back to Earth more or less in terms of news and notes, but if you're interested in new content from the Sault Michigan-area, then today's post will be up your alley! It includes a surprise lineup departure, new videos, and a preview of a concert this weekend, so here's what you should know!

With news slowing down again in the wake of the Kewadin Casino schedule announcement and the beginning of Stage 2 in Ontario, I'm opting to post this weekend concert preview slightly early to ensure that steady content on the SMS is maintained. That said, if you're in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, look for Sault Ste. Marie hard rock trio Tarnished back at their recent favourite local venue (Hulbert House Bed & Breakfast in Hulbert Township) THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! This is a special concert tied into an American Veterans motorcycle gathering that you can get full details on via the Facebook event page, and there are events relating to that all weekend, including a bonfire and unspecified separate musicians on Friday. Hulbert House did not announce if Tarnished's show on Saturday would be outdoors or indoors, but again, if the weather's good, why not take advantage of their proper stage?

Admission is $50 for the weekend and includes camping priviliges at the Hulbert House site, and while Tarnished's concert is included with admission, inquire within if you want to ask about attending just the concert itself. I assume they'd prefer attendees be related to AMVETS or motorcycling, but you never know! Tarnished will be on at 7:00 PM on Saturday, and if you are up for a trip over the Mackinac Bridge, they will also be playing in Mackinaw City on Friday night, so click here for more details on that. See above for more information on their Hulbert gig on Saturday, and for a preview, here's some new videos of Alex, Nathan, and Josh from their set in Grand Marais this past Saturday! While not promoted much on Facebook, this outdoor show two hours west of the Soo was filmed for two 45 seconds-long videos posted on Tarnished's Facebook page, so what can you see here?

These videos show covers of Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band's "Old Time Rock & Roll", and as embedded below, Van Halen's "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love", which I chose to embed as it's both a heavier cover and it's filmed in a normal landscape orientation. Both are well done covers that put Alex's strong melodic singing to good use, and it's just a shame that the filmer wasn't closer to the stage (let alone filming vertically for the Seger cover). Give both videos a look above and below, and don't miss Tarnished in Hulbert on Saturday if you're attending the AMVETS gathering!

Next up, here's a new video from Heavy Lies The Crown guitarist Ted Olson's YouTube channel, this time of a short new instrumental original track named "Kitten Cat Shark Attack"! Well, Shark Week is coming up, perhaps this is getting an early jump on things? Despite the thumbnail, there's no kittens or sharks to be seen, it's just Ted playing a very heavy progressive metal song with his headless guitar. I'll admit, this is one of my favourite of Ted's solo tracks so far, the brutal technicality is great, and the new lighting/camera setup works to it's advantage! Give Ted's new video a watch below!

Finally, we have some surprising news out of Sault Michigan, as new local hard rock quartet Rhythm & Brews have surprisingly parted ways with bassist Chris Leask before they could even debut at The Rapids Lounge this past weekend. The band did not elaborate on their Facebook page, but Chris revealed on his personal Facebook page that he left for medical reasons that will impair his ability to play bass, though it is nothing life-threatening. Given the non-public source, I won't elaborate here, but Chris has been a frequent presence in our Sault Michigan coverage with bands like Power Slug and Highway 63, and hopefully his condition improves so he can return to the stage down the road! A new Facebook photo posted by the band from their debut weekend shows the bassist they brought in at least for those gigs, and I may be wrong on this, but he looks like Brett Blackwood, who played in guitarist Chris Hubbard's prior hard rock band 415E from 2019-2020. 

In any event, Rhythm & Brews have not publically confirmed a permanent replacement for Chris, let alone acknowledged his departure in writing, but they don't have any other Kewadin Casino gigs advertised in 2021, so there may not necessarily be a rush either. We'll keep you posted when more rolls in from Rhythm & Brews' camp, but that's all for today, and stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile next, barring any late notice concert announcements! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck & Tym Morrison) And More Updates!!

Rock The Border in Sault Michigan aside, we haven't had any true public concerts to preview and cover on the SMS in over four months, but today, not only do we have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for Sault Ontario, they're largely on SHORT NOTICE too! If you're up for some live hard rock this weekend, you do have options, including a show TONIGHT, so read on below for those and some more assorted updates! To space things out given it's size, our Squatfest preview will hit the site tomorrow.

Local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to the live concert stage TONIGHT and every Thursday this month when he plays special matinee sets at Motley Market at 132 Gore Street! Apologies for the short notice (it feels good to say that again) on TONIGHT's show, Tym only announced it and the rest of these dates via his Facebook event page this morning. If you're not familiar with the Motley Market, you're certainly not alone, as this business is a new addition downtown, located in the former Soo North Fly Shop/Eagle Golf building (just down the road from the old Princess Theater). As best as I can gather, Motley Market will be operating as a canteen selling various refreshments and offering casual activities, while also hosting live events, and they are looking for people interested in hosting or putting on live entertainment there, or renting space for their own businesses. Click here for more details on the Motley Market.

Sort of sounds like a smaller, more whimsical take on Mill Market, especially with the carnival imagery they're using, and I am curious to see how things go at the Motley Market in the months ahead! Tym has clearly taken them up on their offer to host live entertainment, as you can see him there TONIGHT and then on August 13th, 20th, and 27th! All are 6:00 PM shows with no age limits or announced cover charges, though I don't know how active the Motley Market proper will be at this early juncture, especially given their teaser photos. Nothing is stated re: social distancing measures, but if you go TONIGHT and beyond, please use common sense. This all said, what will happen to Tym's live-streamed concerts, which typically happen on Tuesdays and Thursdays? Well, Tym indicated on the event page that "the show will be online as well", implying that episode #35 will be live-streamed from the Motley Market TONIGHT to watch at home, so how's that for a change?

Fingers crossed the apparent live-stream goes well without any technical issues, but does this mean this live-stream will go beyond two hours? In any event, tune into Tym's YouTube's channel at 6:00 PM if you can't make it in person! Get more details on all four of these new concerts at the above links, and for a preview, here's Tym live last year!

Next up, we have more new concerts to take note of, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will end their pandemic hiatus by returning to Reggie's West for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced via their Facebook event page on Tuesday. After a month of kitchen/patio operations only, the former Roosevelt Hotel re-opened indoor services on July 17th, and they didn't wait too long to try having live bands again, with country rockers Bone Yard ending the dry spell there last week. Soundcheck are second up at the Reggievelt, and their hard rocking covers should be welcomed by assembled fans TOMORROW & SATURDAY! That all said, social distancing measures are very much in effect, so there will be a limit of 50 people inside the Korah Road nightclub. Face masks are mandatory unless you are seated or outside, and the pool tables and bar seating are unavailable.

Of course, please use common sense if you come out and are able to get in this weekend. Bone Yard's shows last weekend clearly went well if Reggie's West is pushing forward with a live music schedule, and hopefully things don't regress this weekend, as I know how much Cameron, Terry, Paul, and Glen have missed being on stage! Visit the above links for full details on TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S shows, and here's Soundcheck live!



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 website name:

• New local hard rock band The Isolation Sessions have officially added Frightlight/Bridge Heads drummer Chris Thompson to their lineup, making them a trio (for now), as per their Facebook page on Monday. Chris was already a bandmate of Jordan and Arthur's in Half Past, most notably in early-mid 2011, so he is a perfect fit once again! The band is still looking for a bassist and/or guitarist to help round out their lineup, so if you are interested in trying out, message them above for more details.
• I have restored local hard rock solo artist Shane "The Shaner" Solomon back to our active band links, as he has been working on and uploading new music to his Reverbnation page in recent weeks! One of my pet peeves about Reverbnation is how uploaded music isn't visibly dated, but Shane confirmed on his personal Facebook page that two new songs ("Silks and Dangling" & "Exit Cryosleep") are up, and they showcase distinct styles with strong production, and the former will satiate heavier appetites! Give both songs a listen above, and it's good to see Shane back after 8 years away!
• SooToday contributor Chris Belsito posted this article on July 25th where he asked local musicians about their most memorable gigs, and among others, it includes remarks from Soundcheck bassist Paul Belair, ex-Gates of Winter keyboardist Brian Holmes (though the show he referenced was in 2008, not 2009), Inner City Surfers bassist Brad "Example" LaSalle Lacell, and Frightlight/Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce, who gives a rare elaboration on the famed "secret show" at Coch's Corner. Really good article with nice insights from a wide array of local musicians, so do check it out above!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Squatfest preview and more on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!