LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Fort Creek), A Surprise Album Release, And Much More!!

In what will likely be our last news post of this painfully slow month at the SMS, we have some new videos, a couple of bands likely destined for our inactive band links, and a very surprising metal album release. Leading off are a pair of SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, and while this is a day earlier than usual, keep in mind how slow things have been this month, I have to slot in stories where I can. Here's what you should know!

Local southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek will return to Reggie's West for concerts on FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, these dates were only announced via the band's Facebook page on Monday. One week removed from rocking the downtown Reggie's, this will be Fort Creek's second concert weekend at the former Rosie, following their debut gigs there over a month ago. Like this past weekend, FRIDAY & SATURDAY'S concerts will double as Christmas Cheer donation events, so if you have new/unopened toys or non-perishable food items, bring them with you to the Reggievelt to help those in need over the holidays! You can witness Fort Creek's brand of hard rocking covers on FRIDAY & SATURDAY at 9:30 PM with a 19+ age limit and no announced cover charges, but remember to respect the venue's social distancing protocols. See above for more details, and here's Fort Creek live at Reggie's West last month!

Next up, local death metal quintet The Bear Hunters have finally released their second studio album "The Dead Testament"! Over five years after recording sessions began at Mission Control Studios, and almost two years after the debut of their "I Fear No God" music video, the album was released on their Bandcamp page on Saturday on a "name your price" model, with all twelve previously teased songs present, though "The Forest of Forests" is no longer labelled as a "bonus track". In their new Facebook page posting, the band revealed that "the album has spent far too long sitting here ready to release", but a proper CD release party hasn't taken place due to personal life commitments and the ongoing pandemic. The guys admitted that "proper metal shows are probably still a long way off", and while they did want to finally get the album out there, they hope to be able to sell CDs at a normal live concert and play the album in full there when "the day finally comes".

Of course, The Bear Hunters have only played two concerts since the end of 2017, and until Saturday, they hadn't been publically heard from since the Lycanthro concert in April was cancelled. Though the circumstances certainly aren't ideal, it is great to see "The Dead Testament" finally on sale, and while you can download it for free, consider actually paying something for this labour of love! Not expecting any metal/punk albums to go on sale in November 2020, I already reviewed an archive album for this month, but "The Dead Testament" will be reviewed on the SMS in early December, I promise! Buy or stream the whole thing at the above links!

Also, let's head to Sault Michigan for more new videos from local hard rock quartet Tarnished's Facebook page, where they have been staying busy in in the last few days! Following the reveal of their planned merchandise give-away next month, the guys next uploaded a short video of them driving to the recording studio at night, which has some amusing moments while it lasts! Next was this short video of a band member(?) in a fox mask eating a shirt(?!), while three videos followed where the guys showed off a huge lot of Yooperlites (the syenite rocks found in this region that glow orange under blacklights) that they borrowed from discoverer Erik Rintamaki (yes, the former Half A Man frontman) to make their logo and other designs with. Fun and decidedly local idea, hopefully I'll find even one Yooperlite in my travels!

Lastly, Tarnished uploaded two blooper-reel videos from their merch give-away video shoot, including a short one featuring line flubs from Josh and Nathan. Embedded below is the first of the two, which is also on their YouTube channel, and features failed takes from Alex's appearances in the giveaway video (this and the "On The Road Again" video are the only new ones covered above to be uploaded on YouTube). Fun idea to generate some new content and make light of themselves, so give the blooper-reel videos and more a watch above and below, and also visit the the band's new TikTok page (that's a new one for the SMS!)

Finally for today, I wanted to acknowledge two Sault Ontario-based tribute bands that I will likely be moving to our inactive band links on Sunday due to a year's inactivity, namely Volbeat tribute quintet The Guitar Gangsters and Distillers tribute quartet Coral Fang. I'm lumping them together here because both bands share a common member (guitarist/vocalist Tiffany Stocco), and we last heard from either band when they both took a road trip to Sudbury for a joint concert on November 29th of last year. Naturally, the pandemic could be a big factor into both bands' public hiatuses, but with Tiff and Guitar Gangsters frontman Buzz living out of town, updates would naturally be slower on that basis already. Coral Fang debuted at J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween party in October 2018, and resurfaced at last year's Joni Radford memorial concert and Go Skateboarding Day, while The Guitar Gangsters played their only local date at J.D.'s Halloween party on November 1st of last year.

With familiar supergroup lineups behind both bands, and solid musicianship to make their tribute sets stand out, both Coral Fang & The Guitar Gangsters delivered for their limited live dates, and hopefully we'll see them (and/or their members) on stage again when the pandemic eases up! Best of luck to Buzz, Jesse, Mike, Derek, Tiffany, Chris, Adam, and Johnny in the future! That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next, barring a sudden influx of stories in the days ahead! Thanks everyone!

A New Local Band, Offspring/Sum 41 Concert Preview, And More Updates!!

Here's a new news post for your Monday night reading, and while it mostly focuses on a major concert preview for tomorrow night, we also have some assorted recent updates, and leading off, a new addition to our local band listings. Here's what you should know!

We have a new local band to add to our Sault Ontario band links, namely a new southern/hard rock quintet named Fort Creek! Named after the local conservation area, this group stems from local acoustic hard rock duo Tattoos & Scars' search earlier this year to find musicians to join that project, though it appears that this is a separate band, given that Fort Creek have quietly had their own Facebook page since May. Time will tell if Tattoos & Scars will be the Bearded Lounge to Fort Creek's Bone Yard, but in any event, both bands feature singer/guitarist Justin Grayson and guitarist Shane Biron. Their lineup is rounded out by rhythm guitarist Matt Sibilo (ex-Redefined, Scary Uncles, et al.), former Thin Ice/Soundcheck bassist Robin "Bones" Lee, and Griphook/ex-Gsis Murphy drummer Anthony Fabiano. As it turns out, they made their live debut at an open mic night at Reggie's West last month, with pictures to boot, though we have never considered open mic nights to be true "concerts" for our purposes.

If you want to hear Fort Creek in action, this video of the guys jamming Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man" was posted on Facebook, but it only shows Justin, and it runs for under 30 seconds. Robin's YouTube channel has audio recordings of the guys covering Radiohead's "Creep" and, as embedded below, Thriving Ivory's "Angels on the Moon". We haven't gotten a massive look at their southern rock side yet, but Fort Creek have a very talented lineup with hard rock chops, and they're already further along as a live band than Halfway Loaded were. Give Fort Creek a look above & below!

Next up, here's our preview of a very special Tuesday night concert going down TOMORROW at GFL Memorial Gardens, as California punk legends The Offspring and Ajax, Ontario punk quintet Sum 41 will join forces for a night full of hit and fan favourite songs! This will be The Offspring's local concert debut, and with songs like "Come Out & Play", "Original Prankster", "Hit That", and many more in their repertoire, their upbeat punk hits should attract a great reception at the former Essar Centre tomorrow! Meanwhile, this will be the first local stop for Sum 41 in 15 years, having last came through when they headlined at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion in September 2004. As any MuchMusic watcher should know from years gone by, Sum 41's classic songs like "The Hell Song", "In Too Deep", and "Pieces" still hold up today, as do their newer songs, and it's great to see them back! This will be their first local gig with Gob's Tom Thacker on guitar or with Frank Zummo on drums.

Finally, English alternative rock trio Dinosaur Pile-Up will open in their own local debut, and with their own single "Back Foot" climbing on the rock radio charts and getting airplay on Stingray Loud, they should set the tone well with the grunge-inspired original attack before the punk sets in! An Invictus Entertainment Group production presented by Rock 101, this ALL AGES & 7:00 PM concert still has floor and bowl seats available at this link, at the in-person box office, and at (705) 759-5251, though the price remains $90 for most seats and $67 for the upper back bowl, minus service fees and taxes. The steep cost will scare off some fans, but hopefully this show is a huge hit to encourage more punk and alternative bands to come to the Gardens! With all of the hit songs and Rock 101 standbys from both bands, I know this will be a great concert, so visit the official Facebook event page for complete details, and here's The Offspring live!



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 business name:

• Back on July 31st, a 20 year old punk/metalcore guitarist named Brett Macchio posted on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group regarding a search for players (presumably a bassist and/or drummer) for a local band that he's working on. At the time, Brett had found a singer, and he has a handful of live experience from a high school band, plus some songwriting work since then. I'm not familiar musically with Brett, but if you want more information, message him at this link or above!
• Local Distillers tribute quartet Coral Fang will join frontwoman Tiffany Stocco's Volbeat tribute band The Guitar Gangsters for their Sudbury road trip on November 29th! This will be their first out of town gig, their first anywhere since Go Skate Day in June, and just their fifth show total. It's great to see that one of Tiffany's pre-existing cover bands will survive despite her move out of town, but will we ever see Poison Girl again? See above for more on the Sudbury concert at The Asylum!
• I have moved local hard rock quintet Halfway Loaded to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity, coupled with members Justin Grayson & Shane Biron launching the aforementioned Fort Creek as their apparent primary band. Active since 2016, this promising quintet never advanced beyond open mic nights and private gigs, but follow Fort Creek to see what Justin & Shane have in store, and best of luck to Ryan, Jesse, and Dylan in the future!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Go Skate Day & Project 906), Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

Before we begin today's post, I wanted to apologize for a missed concert, as local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns played at The Whiskey Barrel on Gore Street last Friday, which was announced last Thursday on their Facebook page but slipped us by entirely for our weekend concert previews. I profusely apologize, but hopefully it was a great show, and we will work harder not to miss future Stallyns shows there! Now, today's post features this weekend's (few) hard rock concert previews, new video finds, and leading off, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for later this month!

Tidal Records will host their seventh annual Go Skateboarding Day festivities on Friday, June 21st at Queen Elizabeth Park outside of the John Rhodes Center, and for a fifth straight year, local bands are on the docket! As finally revealed on their Facebook page this morning, local skateboarders can come down to the skatepark next Friday for skateboarding demonstrations, vendors, refreshments, and more family friendly entertainment as usual, so if you're a past Go Skate Day participant or new to the event, you may want to circle this on your calendars! Musically speaking, this outdoor concert event (presumably back atop the half pipe) has a mostly different lineup from last year, as is usually the case, but online page-less local punk quartet The Cover-Up will join The Din as just the second band to play in consecutive years. Next week, they'll be joined by headlining funk/hard rock quartet The Elements, Distillers tribute band Coral Fang, and surf rock instrumentalists The Dynowaves, all in their Go Skate Day debuts.

Solid lineup of punk and alternative sounds that should provide an ideal soundtrack for the skate action, and hopefully the weather holds out for everything! This FREE & ALL AGES event takes place at a special 4:00 PM start time next Friday, and (Choose) Maxx Entertainment will apparently be handling sound for the day. Another fun lineup of music and extreme sports is just over a week away, so don't miss out on all of the action next week, and visit the above links for more details on next week's events!

Next up, let's take a detour to Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula, as local blues/hard rock quartet Project 906 have announced just their third public show of the year, which will see them return to The Strongs Tavern in nearby Eckerman on Saturday, June 29th! This concert was first announced on their Facebook page on Monday, where the band acknowledged their public hiatus since their last shows in February, blaming it on personal life matters (i.e. new houses, babies, and jobs for their members), but they do have some openings for shows this summer. In a somewhat unusual move, the guys revealed four Fridays in June (including next Friday) & August, plus Sunday, August 25th that they're looking to get shows booked on, and to contact them if you can help set anything up. Hopefully they get some concerts scheduled, it's been too long, but in the interim, they will be back at The Strongs Tavern in a couple of weeks, so you know where to go if you've missed Project 906 over the spring!

The Strongs show on June 29th will be a 10:00 PM affair with no announced cover charge and a 21+ age limit. It's great to see that Dustin, Joe, Billy, and Tommy are still active with the band, but alas, personal lives can throw a wrench into any band's plans, even if they're all positive. At least we'll be seeing Project 906 in a couple of weeks, and see above for more details!

Also today, here's our preview of (surprisingly) this weekend's only publically announced hard rock shows in the Soo area, barring any late notice confirmations, as Sault Ontario hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will continue his long-term arrangement at Gliss Restaurant with solo acoustic concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY! No nighttime shows elsewhere this weekend, so if you want to take in Tym's prolific and proficient brand of classic and hard rock covers, you'll need to come by the Spring Street restaurant around dinner time over these two days. With Tym's well tested and fan approved sound, this should be another solid weekend of live entertainment, so don't miss out tomorrow or on Saturday! As usual for Tym's Gliss shows, expect 6:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and no age limits, but remember that this is a formal sit-down restaurant, not a nightclub. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!



Finally for today, here's three belateds video hyping up Sunday's Anvil concert at Soo Blaster, and I apologize for these being late, Facebook videos can fly under the radar very easily, especially from sources you don't expect. Soo Blaster's Facebook page posted three videos to hype the Anvil show up last month, confirming the promotional involvement of Thunder Bay's Loffredo & Associates in the process, with the first video being a commercial for Anvil's local and Thunder Bay shows, as set to videos of vintage and modern Anvil, plus teasing a contest to win tickets. The third video is totally devoted to the Soo show, serving as a commercial for just Sunday night's festivities, as set to the "Badass Rock 'N Roll" music video. Tucked in between is the video embedded below, which features an audio recording of Anvil frontman Steve "Lips" Kudlow hyping up the concert, oddly over top of a photo of Lars Ulrich. Short but to the point, hopefully this helped get some tickets sold, and give all three a look above and below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post of some kind tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Punk Rock Princess Fest Review!! (Algonquin Pub Half)

Hey guys, it's time at last for our review of last night's Joni Radford memorial concerts, a.k.a. Punk Rock Princess Fest! Due to the unique split-venue nature of the event, I'm going to review the bands playing upstairs at The Rockstar Bar in our next post, with this one focusing on the downstairs action and general concert info. Of course, this event was completely devoted to Joni's memory, with pretty much every TV and screen showing a slideshow of pictures of her and inspirational quotes, which was a great touch to allow everyone to remember her life and good times! T-shirts and sweatshirts were on sale, not unlike the ones from the David Gold memorial shows in 2012, and Joni's own Bad Religion canvas poster was raffled off before The Cover-Up's set upstairs. Event co-promoter and Case's Music owner Carrie Suriano spoke before Destroilet's set to thank everyone for making this event possible and give a toast to Joni, though if other teased presentations and speeches occurred, I was on the wrong floor.

Attendance was excellent, especially for the final two bands upstairs, but from about 9:00-11:00 PM, when bands were actively playing on both floors, the attendance was understandably thinned out as people chose their preferred bar and/or band. It may have been a more impressive group for the long-term if everyone was on one floor, but this felt more like a special event the way it was structured. Thank goodness for the wristbands so I could freely hop between floors! As the Algonquin Pub bands straddled with the first two bands upstairs, I didn't see any of their full sets, so if I missed any special performances or Joni tributes, I completely apologize.

A minor band swap resulted in The Algonquin Pub/Spin Nightclub's first band being local punk trio Stegadeth (the only returning band from Joni's benefit show last year), who got a solid crowd early, possibly helped by mostly playing unopposed. Fans gathered saw a solid set of originals like "Kingdom of Ashes" & "The Wire" alongside covers from the likes of GG Allin, The Dead Kennedys, SNFU, and yes, Bad Religion, among others. Musically, Stegadeth were on form, with Tiffany Stocco nailing some solid riffs, and her and bassist Bill Bennett were a nice compliment, but the vocals were often very muffled. My big takeaway is that Tiffany and Bill should work on their stage presences and between-song banter, as things were a bit stiff (especially compared to Johnny Belanger's energy on drums.) Solid blast of punk overall though for Stegadeth!

Post-lineup switch, the second downstairs band was now Stegadeth's side project Coral Fang, a tribute to Los Angeles punk legends The Distillers. Things didn't change dramatically in tone, as Tiffany and Johnny remained on stage, now joined by A Dire Setback's Chris Nielsen and Destroilet's Adam Larcoque. This was Coral Fang's third public show, but the first time I've seen them live, and fans were treated to renditions of such Distillers songs as "Drain The Blood", "Dismantle Me", "City of Angels", and (of course) "Coral Fang". I am not a Distillers scholar, but from what I know of their songs, I can tell that everyone performed well and tackled these songs with energy and enthusiasm! Adam did seem to be standing a little far from everyone else, and Tiffany should project her voice more to match Brody's intensity on the original songs, but overall, this was a natural extension, and here's hoping we hear more from Coral Fang!

Headlining the bottom floor action was local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, completing Tiffany and Johnny's triple-booking on this night (good thing they didn't have to lug all their gear upstairs!) Their set followed a pseudo-Handsome Sandwich jam by Johnny, Jesse Cook, and Jack Spades bassist Rob Speers, but we soon learned that Jesse was filling in for an absent Daniel Horton on guitar for the set proper. No word on why Dan wasn't there, but it was nice to see Jesse back with his old band for at least one night! Returning to the stage for the first time in six months, Jack Spades picked up where they left off with an explosive set of originals like "Breakneck Speed", "Sewer City Radio" (improvised lyrics and all), and "Crossroads", plus some later fan favourite covers. This set gave us more of Jack Spades' intense and hard hitting sound, with J.D. Pearce at his aggressive top form, and Rob Speers' bass lines came through well! Great way to end things at the Algonquin Pub!

Overall, the musical lineup downstairs was entertaining and delivered in their own ways, and huge kudos to Tiffany and Johnny for pulling triple duty in three different bands, not to mention Rob, Jesse, and Adam playing in different bands on each floor! I hope the Algonquin Pub lineup didn't fly under the radar too much, but if you missed out, I did get photos and videos of all three bands, the latter now available on our Facebook page and at this link (both floors are in that album.) As for videos, here's Stegadeth covering The Rebel Spell's "All We Want", Coral Fang covering The Distillers' "Sick Of It All", and Jack Spades playing "Motorwolf"!







That's all for today, but stay tuned for our review of the Rockstar Bar half of Punk Rock Princess Fest in our next post! Thanks everyone!

Joni Radford Memorial Concert Previews, Plus More News & Updates!!

Today's SMS post concludes this weekend's concert previews with a massively extended preview of a big memorial show tomorrow night with a very unique angle, but we also have some assorted shorter stories to close things with, with more to come. For now, here's what you should know!

The highly anticipated benefit/memorial punk concert for the late Joni Radford goes down at The Algonquin Hotel TOMORROW NIGHT! Over a month after her passing, and following her lengthy battle with breast cancer, her friends and fans in the local music scene will gather to honour her memory for "Punk Rock Princess - An Evening in the Memory of Joni Radford", with seven local bands joining forces for a celebration she'd surely appreciate. Alongside the music, a slideshow will be showing pictures of her throughout the night, limited sweaters and t-shirts will be on sale, and there will be some form of guest speakers & presentations as well. All concert proceeds (including the $10 tickets/entrance fee) will go to Sault Area Hospital and the St. John’s Ambulance Pet Therapy Program in her name, which are great and fitting causes! Be sure to visit the Facebook event page for all non-musical details. This event is 19+, and as far as I know, admission covers both floors.

Seven bands are scheduled for tomorrow, but in a surprise announcement that only broke publically this week (following scattered personal Facebook hints), the bands will be playing on both floors of The Algonquin Hotel, with 4 bands playing upstairs at The Rockstar Bar and 3 bands playing downstairs at The Algonquin Pub (a.k.a. Spin Nightclub), and the bands will more or less be playing concurrently! That's definitely a unique idea to have a specific multi-level event like this there, and it presents a challenge if you want to see every band, but I will try my best, and thanks to Destroilet's Christian Foisy for his help in the schedule confirmation and timeslots!

Starting our band previews upstairs, the memorial concert will be headlined by online page-less punk quartet The Cover-Up unopposed at 12:00 AM, and might we hear frontman Dustin Jones' "Punk Rock Princess" tribute song to Joni for the occasion? Hardcore punk veterans Destroilet will finally end their 2+ year concert hiatus when they co-headline at The Rockstar Bar half at 11:00 PM, and I'd fully expect their cover of The Rebel Spell's "Murderers" (which Joni guested on in studio) to turn up! Returning co-vocalist Brent Ellis will not be in the lineup. Indie/punk quintet Northwest will deliver their original attack upstairs at 9:00 PM, while the opening band on this floor will be funk/hard rock quartet The Elements. Very solid & punk-heavy lineup at The Rockstar Bar alone, so keep the upstairs entertainment in mind for tomorrow night! I still don't have a public Cover-Up video for a preview, so in lieu of that, here's Destroilet covering "Murderers" live!

Meanwhile, the three bands playing at The Algonquin Pub all have a common thread, namely guitarist Tiffany Stocco, so while she has a long night ahead, at least she can keep her gear on one floor! The closing band on this floor will be punk/metal quintet Jack Spades at 10:30 PM in their first show in 6 months, so they should provide a solid blast for the occasion, and if you're planning to stay downstairs, they'll end in time to see the last two bands upstairs! Local punk trio Stegadeth will co-headline on the bottom floor at 9:30 PM, while Distillers tribute band Coral Fang will play their third public concert set to lead off the night at 8:30 PM (and they're unopposed until The Elements begin at 9:00, so keep that in mind also.) The lineup at The Algonquin Pub is solid as well, so don't bypass either floor tomorrow, and I will see you guys there to help honour Joni the right way! See above for complete details on this huge memorial show, and here's Jack Spades 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 name:

• Local death metal veterans The Bear Hunters quietly unveiled the cover art & final track order for their second studio album "The Dead Testament" on their Facebook page on February 17th! The artwork is surprisingly minimalistic, with the band logo and album name on a black textured background, but maybe simple is best? As of the 17th, the design is complete, and "printing shall commence", but when will see this long awaited CD? Keep tabs for updates!
• Dynowaves/ex-Bizotic trumpet player (Francine) Louise Lamothe is looking to join or launch another local band, but in this case, she indicated that she'd love to sing lead and help organize concerts eventually. A genre range wasn't given, but if you're interested in working with Louise, message her at this link or via her Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from yesterday!
• This came to our attention on too short of notice to mention here, but the reunited This Is Your Band On Drugs and the debuting Full-Send (p.k.a. PCxFascist?) quietly dropped out of Tuesday night's Rotopsy-promoted grind/death metal concert at The New American Pub, as per updates on the Facebook event page. Reasons for the withdrawals were not announced, but hopefully nothing bad happened in either camp, and remember that Chase did still play as Awokest. Local rapper Mike "Reeder" Reed-Lecuyer was added to replace one/both acts, and hopefully he added a strong element!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & Soundcheck), Plus Most Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

A busy pre-concert weekend is upon us, so we're only touching on concert previews for this weekend that (partially) take place tomorrow, with some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (one on SHORT NOTICE) thrown in for good measure! If you're looking for our previews of Saturday's Northwest EP release party or Highway 63's return show, check back tomorrow, and same regarding a big metal show in Sault Ontario next spring! Now, here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck are advertised to return to The Rockstar Bar for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard about this concert via advertising on The Rockstar Bar's physical marquee board. I have not found reference to this show online via either the band's (sporadically updated) Facebook page or the venue's Facebook group, so if we hear any negative clarification regarding this concert, we'll let you know. Assuming this is definitely on, this will be Soundcheck's first show at The Algonquin Hotel's upstairs nightclub since playing there this past Saturday, and their hard rocking blend of covers should be welcomed on stage again TOMORROW! Note that this is a one nighter due to Saturday night's Bone Yard show at the same locale, and The Rockstar Bar's marquee was also plugging karaoke in some fashion.

If still on & happening, TOMORROW'S concert has a 19+ age limit, no announced cover charge, and a 10:00 PM start time. Fans of this veteran hard rock outfit should find a lot to like at this one, so visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!



Next up, local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will apparently return to Gliss Restaurant for a special New Year's Eve concert on Monday, December 31st, joining his previously announced regular Friday & Saturday nighters there next week, TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Like with Soundcheck above, the December 31st show hasn't been newly acknowledged on Facebook, but it is advertised on SooToday's events calendar, alongside the start of his busy 2019 schedule that we'll begin rolling into our listings next week. Yes, he is continuing his long-term arrangement at Gliss in the new year, but this will be the penultimate weekend of his 2018 concert slate there, and if you enjoy his acoustic matinee gigs at the new Spring Street locale, you won't want to miss out this weekend! Both this weekend's shows and the New Year's Eve event are 6:00 PM gigs with no announced cover charges or age limits (but remember that this is a sit-down restaurant.)

As for New Year's Eve, the SooToday advertising lists the show as ending at 10:00 PM as usual for his Gliss run, even though New Year's Eve concerts tend to run through the new year. If this is inaccurate, we'll let you know, but I'm just calling it how it's advertised. Still, expect some seasonal frills there to help ring in 2019! Visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!



Also, we will move to previously announced concerts, starting with a double shot of punk cover action TOMORROW NIGHT at LopLops Lounge, featuring online page-less punk quartet The Cover-Up and new local Distillers tribute band Coral Fang! In what will be a solid capper for a great return year, this will be The Cover-Up's first live set since opening for The Gabba Heys in September, and with their familiar lineup and strong grasp of many punk standards, look for another solid set from Dustin, Marco, Marshall, and Aaron tomorrow! As for Coral Fang, fans will recall this supergroup's well received debut set at The Rockstar Bar over Halloween weekend, and this will be a fine chance to see their take on Distillers classics once again, so whether you saw them then or not, don't bypass Tiffany, Chris, Adam, and Johnny then! This concert is promoted by Cover-Up frontman Dustin Jones' own Tidal Records, with a 19+ age limit and 9:00 PM start time both in effect.

A cover charge has not been publicized on the Facebook event page, but bring $5 just in case, as LopLops tends to have a $5 cover. There is a lot of talent on display with this double header at LopLops tomorrow, so if you love punk rock (and especially The Distillers), don't miss out on all of the action! I don't know of any public videos of either band to preview this one with, but see above for more details, and stay tuned for our preview of Saturday night's Northwest EP release show tomorrow, also featuring Cover-Up drummer Aaron Dunn with his other band K.I.C.K.!

Finally for today's concert previews, let's head to Sault Michigan, where Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm will return for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at The Rapids Lounge at the Soo's Kewadin Casino branch! This is advertised to be the Peril sister band's final concert weekend anywhere in 2018, and these will be their first shows there since the December 1st weekend. No word yet on their 2019 plans for the E.U.P., but just in case we don't see Scarkazm's hard hitting covers and originals too soon into the new year, don't bypass their Rapids Lounge gigs tomorrow and/or Saturday night! You can take in Adam, Dave, and Jeff's fan friendly yet heavy onslaught both nights at 9:00 PM, and these are 21+ affairs with no announced cover charges. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and for a preview, here's Scarkazm live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Highway 63 and Northwest previews (and more) tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Cover-Up, Soundcheck, and The Wyld Stallyns), Plus More Concert Previews!!

In what I project to be our final post of November 2018, we have the conclusion of this weekend's metal/hard rock concert previews, but we'll start with lots of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, including a pair on SHORT NOTICE, so here's what you should know! (Updated at 2:45 PM)

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck are advertised to return to Reggie's West for concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard about these shows via SooToday's events calendar earlier today, as the band hasn't publically acknowledged these shows on their Facebook page. Assuming these are still on, this will be Soundcheck's second concert weekend inside the former Roosevelt Hotel, following their Halloween weekend gigs there, though presumably now with their full lineup. If the videos floating around on personal Facebook accounts are any indication, Soundcheck's Toystock set on Sunday was a hit, and here's hoping they continue that positive momentum TONIGHT & TOMORROW! You can take in their hard and classic rock hits at around 10:00 PM both nights, you must be 19 or older to attend, and there's no announced cover charge. See above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

Next up, here's some shows with lots of advance notice, starting with local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns' New American Pub debut on Thursday, December 13th, when they play a special fundraiser concert towards the Special Olympics' Provincial Winter Games taking place here early next year! Of course, the Soo hosting this sporting competition for those with special needs is a big deal, and it'll be great to see everyone compete and showcase their athletic skills from January 31st-February 3rd, and this concert will see all proceeds going to the Special Olympics, so keep that in mind in two weeks! Dubbed "Music Night", this concert will see three local acts perform, with The Wyld Stallyns joined by local folk singer/songwriter Catherine Taddo, as well as Oosik Records owner Al Bjornaa mixing some 1990s tunes as DJ Oosik. Presented by Exit Realty and Girl Friday Productions, this concert has $20 tickets, and you can buy them at Exit Realty at 207 Northern Avenue and at the venue proper.

An early 6:00 PM start time is advertised, and while this is a nightclub, I can't confirm if an age limit would still be in place given the timing. This should be a great way to support a wonderful event, and kudos to The Wyld Stallyns, Catherine, and Al for hopping on board! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

Also, the Friday, December 21st LopLops Lounge concert teased on personal Facebook accounts is finally public, as online page-less punk quartet The Cover-Up and new local Distillers tribute band Coral Fang will join forces that night for a double dose of punk cover action! This will be The Cover-Up's first show since opening for The Gabba Heys at the same venue in September, and if you've seen the personal Facebook videos of them jamming, you'll know what Dustin, Marco, Marshall, and Aaron have in store in three weeks time! As for Coral Fang (not pictured, that's The Distillers proper), this will be their second ever public concert, following their well received debut at The Rockstar Bar over the Halloween weekend. Featuring members of Stegadeth, A Dire Setback, Destroilet, and Bear Hunters in their ranks, this supergroup should deliver a fun set of Distillers classics on the 21st, so don't be late!

Presented by Tidal Records, this 19+ concert has a 9:00 PM start time, and while an admission fee isn't given, bring $5 just in case. With the Northwest CD release show taking place the next day, Tidal and LopLops have a stacked weekend in store for your pre-Christmas delectation, but if you want wall-to-wall punk hits, that Friday is worth circling on your calendar! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Last but not least, let's preview the last major Dreammaker's Theater concert at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino for 2018, as Los Angeles glam/comedy metal quartet Steel Panther will make their local concert debut TOMORROW NIGHT! This band has became a fast favourite among glam metal fans for their amusing and often too-adult-for-radio original songs like "17 Girls In A Row", "Death To All But Metal", and "Party Like Tomorrow Is the End of the World, and the buzz is high for their entertaining yet musically proficient stage show, with covers and originals in store! I saw Steel Panther open for Judas Priest in Detroit a few years ago, and if that was any indication, they could steal the show for the whole year tomorrow, so don't miss out then! Detroit hard rock quintet Wilson will open in their first area concert since opening for Bam Margera in Sault Ontario 5 years ago, and as attendees of that show will attest, their brand of intense party rock should kick things off in high gear tomorrow as well!

As well hyped on SaultOnline, this concert (the 25th concert presented by Allstar Promotions to date) is at 7:00 PM with no announced age limits, but remember the very adult content of many of Steel Panther's songs. While center seats are sold out, left & right aisle seats are still available from the 10th row and back for $25 at this link, at 1-800-KEWADIN, or at the in-person box office. It's great to see tickets selling so well for what should be a wild and hilarious night of glam metal, so don't miss out on the Sunset Strip experience live in the Soo tomorrow, and here's Steel Panther live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates next month! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tool Tribute, Soundcheck, And Fluid 5ive), Plus A New Punk Band!!

Before we dive into weekend concert previews, we have a bunch of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to touch on, mostly at one popular venue, but first, here's a new addition to our band links!

We have a new local punk band to add to our active band links on the site, and they are the Distillers tribute band from last month's Halloween Party concert at The Rockstar Bar, who are no longer simply a one-off! Following a positive response to their set, the band has decided to continue as a full project under the name Coral Fang (taken from The Distillers' 2003 album), so if you liked what you heard late last month, they are reportedly open for more bookings! Channeling Brody Dalle up front is Stegadeth/Jack Spades guitarist Tiffany "Spades" Stocco, with bandmate Johnny Belanger joining her in a third active band on drums, and their lineup is rounded out by A Dire Setback's Chris Nielsen on guitar and Destroilet's Adam Larocque on bass. Aside from teasers of more dates both here and out of town, we don't know much about Coral Fang, but can they sustain in the long-term just as a Distillers tribute, or might original songs or outside covers join their rotation? It will be interesting to find out, but like and follow Coral Fang at the above links!

We'll have more on the Halloween tribute end of things in a bit, but first, let's kick off those LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, starting with local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck's return to the aforementioned Rockstar Bar for one night only on Saturday, November 17th! While not confirmed at press time by the band, the show was announced via the venue's Facebook event page on Sunday. This will be Soundcheck's first stop at The Algonquin Hotel's upstairs nightclub since June, and unless there's a short notice surprise this weekend, their first anywhere since rocking the Reggievelt over Halloween weekend. Soundcheck's fan favourite blend of 1980s-themed hard and classic rock covers should go over as well as ever in 10 days time, so keep this one-nighter in mind for next week! No word yet though on if bassist Paul Belair will be back in the fold on the 17th. There is no cover charge for this 19+ show, which has a 10:00 PM start time. Visit the above links for more details!

Also, here's another Rockstar Bar show that was newly announced via a venue-created Facebook event page this week, as local classic/hard rock cover quintet Fluid 5ive will return there for one night only on Saturday, November 24th! This will be their first concert since playing at the same locale early last month, and their second with new guitarist Liam Vaillancourt, so if you haven't seen their fan-friendly blend of rock covers yet, this would be a good time to be introduced! In another new show announcement, Fluid 5ive will be the musical entertainment at the third annual Habitat For Humanity Builder's Bash at The Grand Gardens North on Friday, November 30th! This special event is a fundraiser for local Habitat for Humanity operations (always a great cause),with dinner, a silent auction, some type of gaming, a photo booth, and yes, Fluid 5ive in concert, so keep this in mind if you want to show your support! Keep all of the above details in mind when you note the $40 ticket cost, or $375 for a reserved table for 10.

Contact organizer Sandi Wheeler at (705) 941-9646 or sandi@habitatsault.ca for ticket availability (reportedly, drummer Jeff Pennett has tickets too), and a 6:00 PM start time is advertised. Meanwhile, the Rockstar Bar show the previous week has a 19+ age limit, likely 10:00 PM set start time, and no cover charge. See the above links for complete details on both of Fluid Five's shows this month, and stay tuned for possible updates!

Finally, we have one more Rockstar Bar show to acknowledge, as two more tribute bands from the aforementioned Halloween parties there will join forces for an encore on Friday, December 14th! The announced headliners are the (two-off?!) Tool tribute band from night #2, featuring Late Shift's John Barber & Anthony Gagnon, The Wild Iris' Steve Myers, and Skeyes of Seven's Alain Fletcher. It;s great to see the guys bring their proficient and authentic brand of tribute prog/alt-metal back for another go-around, and in case this is it for this tribute, don't miss out! The other announced band is a Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute, and while not firmly stated on the Facebook event page, this appears to be a encore of The Elements' themed set from night #1 of the Halloween party. If accurate, they should have another fun blend of Chili Peppers hits in store on December 14th, so don't be late for their set either! No other bands are advertised, but wouldn't it be fitting if Coral Fang played this too?

A $5 cover charge is advertised for this 19+ concert, which has a 10:00 PM start time. This is a solid way to help continue the holiday concert season, and after how good the Halloween Party sets were, who will complain about one more set from each? Visit the above links for more details, and that's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!