LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Sylo & Tarnished), Mid-Week Concert Previews, And More!!

Before we begin this post, we have a cancellation to take note of, as the planned Krang-headlined concert at The Distraction on September 8th is no longer taking place. Promoter Mikhal Muto said on his personal Facebook page that it was "due to the current situation with The Distraction", likely referring to the East Street venue's fire safety compliance needs following the Ripcordz concert cancellation last month. With almost three weeks to go, it's a wonder why they're not looking for a new host venue, but this is still disappointing, and hopefully Krang get a chance to play here again, let alone that The Distraction re-opens with all approved safety measures soon!

Now, today's post features an unusually robust lineup of mid-week concert previews, including two SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, plus some assorted updates, but let's lead off with one of the two brand new shows, as Sault Michigan hard rock/classic metal cover quartet Tarnished will play a special outdoor concert TOMORRROW NIGHT at Lake Superior State University outside of Brady Hall! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced the show on their Facebook page earlier today, even calling this a "surprise show" there. Tarnished did not specify why they're playing a random outdoor show at LSSU outside of one of their residence halls, let alone TOMORROW, but this is orientation/move-in week for students enrolled in the fall semester at Lake State, so this must be a fun pop-up concert for the new and returning students to check out to escape from the usual preparations and unpacking!

Despite the university campus trappings, Tarnished are on TOMORROW at 8:00 PM with no cover charge, and while there's no stated age limit or restrictions for students/non-students, mind the locale if you want to check things out. 9&10 News is calling for partly cloudy skies TOMORROW with no chance of rain, and temperatures ranging from 64-66° (18-19° Celsius), so conditions should be really good for some live hard rock covers. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Tarnished live!

Next up, Sault Ontario hard rock quartet Sylo will headline a special mid-week concert at Beck's Bar TOMORROW  NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, this show was first announced on Sylo's Instagram page on Saturday.  With very rare exceptions so far (like the Motorhead tribute M1), Beck's has only hosted full electric bands on Saturdays since re-opening, so it'll be interesting to see how an originals-infused local band does TOMORROW there, especially given the atypical scheduling for a local headliner! On their Facebook page, Beck's called this "a special treat" and referenced that "we love welcoming up and coming new bands to the scene" (even though Sylo debuted in 2021). An unsaid motivation for this concert may be frontman Elijah Russell's university commitments out of town, which caused the band to take a hiatus from August 2024-May 2025. If Eli is heading back to school, TOMORROW may be the last Sylo show for a while.

Whether Sylo are going on hiatus again or not, they are a talented young group, and hopefully their Beck's debut TOMORROW goes off without a hitch despite the unusual scheduling! This is a 19+ concert at 9:00 PM with no cover charge. Visit the above link for more details on TOMORROW's stop at the former Vibe Lounge, and for a preview, here's Sylo live!

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Also today, here's one more mid-week concert preview, but it's one we knew about already, as local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will headline the annual Cruisin’ The Dub motorcycle show at the older A&W at 121 Great Northern Road on THURSDAY NIGHT! Weather permitting, the last few years have seen joint classic car and motorcycle shows to support Multiple Sclerosis Canada at both of the A&Ws on Great Northern Road (the newer one down the highway hosts a car show), and given Bone Yard's affinity for motorcycles, it's a no-brainer that they'd support a great cause like this at the bike show half! August 21st is Burgers To Beat MS Day too, so buying a burger will help out even if you don't come out for the concert and bike show, which includes games, raffles, popcorn, and more. There will reportedly be live music at the newer A&W for the car show but I'm unsure which band. We'll let you know if something is publically said.

For more charitable motorcycle concert action, Bone Yard 225 will also rock the annual Dragonfly Run on Sunday, and our preview of that hits the SMS this weekend. While the bike (and car) show starts at 5:00 PM, your local 225 don't take the outdoor stage until 6:00 PM on Thursday. This is absolutely an all ages concert with no cover charge, but donations to MS Canada will absolutely be encouraged. 9&10 News is currently calling for similar conditions on Thursday evening, with partly cloudy skies, no chance of rain, and a weather in the 22° range. Visit the above links for more on Bone Yard 225's first charity motorcycle concert of the week, and here they are 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:

 

• SooToday's Greg McGrath-Goudie reviewed B.A. Johnston's concert at Venue in May for this article, going into solid detail about the eclectic happenings at the Hamilton outsider punk musician's latest local stop and what goes on at his shows in general. Two pictures were included, even of him performing on top of a car outside of the Queen Street East events space, and Greg did get some interview remarks with B.A. post-show as well. Entertaining read that does as good of a job at outlining his hard-to-describe live shows as you can, so check out the full article above!
• Newer local death metal band Bardo, progressive metal quartet Convergence, and online page-less metal supergroup The Sault Side Squad will join the previously confirmed Maynard Hayes as the local openers for the Napoleon-headlined concert from Heavy North Entertainment at Soo Blaster on Friday, September 26th, as per a quiet update to the Facebook event page. Notably, this will mark Convergence's first time opening for a touring band, while this will be Bardo's first concert in almost a year, after debuting when they opened for Selias at the same venue this past September. Looks like a solid lineup to me, so visit the above links for more details!
• I have moved local punk quintet The Gambit to our inactive band links. The former Sick Sons have not issued a public update since their Rotaryfest Stage 2 set in July of last year, but note that they have always been sporadic for their social media updates and live gigs, having played just once a year since their name change and late 2022 revival. The Gambit were working on original material and had teased future plans, so hopefully we do see Lucas, Steve, Christian, Dave, and Clint back when the time is right, especially with that stacked lineup of local punk veterans!

 

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

A Missed Concert Apology, More Ripcordz Cancellation Fallout, And New Videos!!

Before we dive into what is looking like a little busier concert weekend in the Twin Saults, let's look at some news and notes from both sides of the border, including new video uploads, updates on a major recent concert cancellation, and more, so here's what you should know!

To lead off this post, I wanted to apologize for a missed concert in this past weekend's round of previews. Given how slight last weekend's hard rock/punk slate was, knowing about this one would have been extremely optimal! This past Saturday, local acoustic punk duo Dos Amigos returned to Northern Superior Brewing Co.'s on-site Tap Room for a one-nighter, after playing their third announced show there in June, but unfortunately, the venue only plugged the gig on their Facebook page that morning and it completely slipped us by. On Dos Amigos' end, the BookcluB side project also never acknowledged the booking on their Facebook page prior. I profusely apologize for missing this show regardless, but acoustic acts do well at the unique setting of the Tap Room, and hopefully Mikey & Dustin had a good show on Saturday! Actually, we can see if they did for ourselves now, as they shared a video from the concert the following day!

The first public video on Dos Amigos' Facebook page (and their first post there of any kind in almost four months), the video sees Mikey & Dustin covering Rancid's "Roots Radical" and doing a solid job of adapting it to a two man unplugged setting! I wish the filmer got more than 24 seconds, but everything sounds and looks good at the Tap Room. and the vertical camera angle isn't as objectionable because both guys are in frame without issue. Give it a watch below, and apologies again for missing this show in last weekend's previews, I'd have happily covered it with even a day's notice!

Next up, here's more on the mid-show cancellation of last month's Ripcordz concert at The Distraction in Sault Ontario! In a follow-up article on SooToday on July 30th, Sault Fire Services public education officer Aaron Gravelle confirmed that the show was cancelled following "a fire safety complaint", with police and fire crews determining that the basement space didn't have sufficient fire/life safety measures in place, and was thusly not approved for use as a concert venue. Fire Services and the city's building division will reportedly work with The Distraction towards ensuring "future building compliance", but whether this means that concerts will return to the East Street nightclub and when, I don't know. In the article, Ripcordz frontman Paul Gott is interviewed in text and in an attached video by contributor and former Honest Job frontman Drew Armstrong, where Paul praised the Soo and small concert venues like The Distraction.

Despite the cancellation, Paul was cordial and respectful on camera about the abbreviated concert and the local scene, let alone the younger generation of punk fans and musicians, and it's a good watch for fans! Unfortunately, I can't embed videos directly embedded onto SooToday (this isn't from YouTube) on the SMS, but give it a watch above, and it includes black & white photos from the local openers' sets!

Finally, let's zip over to Sault Michigan for some relatively rare videos of local classic/hard rock quartet Tarnished's current lineup in action! These actually come from the Fourth of July parade in the Soo last month, where Alex, Josh, Chris, and Ron performed on a float once again (the band as a whole has done this for at least three years now). At least two people posted their own copies of the half hour-long parade route to YouTube, one being user onewxone, who was stationed beside the Ashmun Street Bridge. In his video, Tarnished become audible 24:30 into the 30 minute video (which was edited slightly in post-production to reduce the dead air between floats). While in earshot, Tarnished were covering The Go-Gos' "We Got The Beat" and while you only see them on camera for about 25 seconds, you can hear them at varying levels of clarity for two minutes before and afterwards.

Click here to jump straight to Tarnished's spot in the parade, but I won't embed that particular video here because of the sharp stationary angle of the procession. Embedded below is the parade video shot by Sunshine Gregory, who was filming further down the route at the corner of Ashmun and West Portage Avenue, capturing the procession with more of a side view, and not on a tripod. In Sunshine's video, you can first hear Ron's drumming at 24:17, and the guys are covering Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" at this juncture. Like they did for at least part of last year's July 4th parade, Alex & Josh walked alongside the float while both cameras were rolling, with Chris and Ron performing on the float itself, and you get a better view of that in Sunshine's video given her placement en route. Here, Tarnished are only on camera for 16 seconds, but Sunshine was moving her camera around to better capture what an attendee might see.

You can hear Tarnished finish the song, so they're audible in this parade video for about 80 seconds. The guys sound good on both covers, and Alex was definitely having fun engaging with the crowd from what was captured! If you're curious, the Independence Day parade actually featured two bands, as the E-Free Church's Sault Ste. Marie campus had contemporary Christian performers on their float, which rode down midway through the parade. They had a camera of their own rolling for their own parade video on the float itself, which gives a unique view from the other side, but check out the full parade and Tarnished's performances there above and below!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

The Ripcordz Concert Cancellation, A Reunited Local Band, And More Recent Updates!!

Let's dive into some recent news and notes on the SMS on this Sunday afternoon, including a Tuesday night concert preview, a well publicized concert cancellation from this weekend, a recent (and long awaited) album release, and a surprise band reunion, so here's what you should know!

We'll start with the big story that was all over Facebook late Friday night and into Saturday, as The Ripcordz' concert at The Distraction on Friday was abruptly cancelled when the police and fire department arrived to shut the show down. This may sound ultra fitting in a way for the Montreal hardcore punk icons, but the plug was actually pulled during the late stages of Hails' set in the middle of the program. The Ripcordz were open about what happened on their Facebook page, and frontman Paul Gott spoke by phone with SooToday's Darren Taylor for this article about everything. There, Paul indicated that he was told that someone called the police with a complaint about the concert, and while his assumption was over noise (makes sense given what the former Foggy Notions nearby dealt with), Ha!ls' set occurred before the time that a noise ordinance would have been in effect.

Based on what I have read from those in attendance on Friday, it appears to have been related to concerns over permits or the fire code, possibly due to the single door access to the basement. I won't speak further as to what happened, but the discussions ran fast and furious on Facebook (for what it's worth, The Distraction haven't posted on their Facebook page in almost three weeks). Hopefully this is just a stumbling block for The Distraction, which has gotten rave reviews for the basement space since moving downstairs last summer, and that The Ripcordz try here again soon, as they love playing here! No word on if they can on this tour run, but we'll let you know when they get a chance to return to Sault Ste. Marie!

Next up, here's some surprising news, as local hard/classic rock cover band Quite Frankly have reunited! Well, their Facebook page is treating this as a new debuting band, but three band members from their original 2009-2010 run (2000s local metal guitarists Frank LaTassa and Joe DelBasso and former No Arrow/Half Past bassist Harley Syrette) are back for 2025, though Joe has shifted to electric drums in lieu of the departed Adam Pettenuzzo. Original singer Jack "Jacklyn Hyde" Alisat has been replaced by 2024 The Soo's Got Talent semifinalist Haley Alopaeus, and while keyboardist Vince LaTassa (Frank's brother) isn't back either, he did guest with his old band in their first gig back, which was at a private function at Venue on Queen Street East. In their first public video from July 14th, you can see them covering Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" in a jam session, which does sound good across the board!

As for the Venue gig, this 3 minute video (which features both vertical and horizontal camera orientations) is a compilation of clips of cover songs from that night, including The Black Keys' "Gold On The Ceiling", Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues". Journey's "Don't Stop Believing", The Steve Miller Band's "Jet Airliner" (with Frank on vocals), Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Sun", Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "Takin' Care Of Business", Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine", Chris Stapleton's "Tennessee Whiskey", and Collective Soul's "Shine". Not long clips of anything, but a good sampler of the new Quite Frankly, who definitely still have talent, and Haley has a nice voice, so check things out above & below!

Speaking of Harley Syrette, his old 2005-2011 grunge band No Arrow's unreleased studio album "Souls For Sale" was finally released this past Monday! As detailed here, Mike Haggith's indie label MorningStar Records has belatedly given this album a professional physical release, and you can now order it via ElasticStage at this link for $17.90 on CD or $43.90 on vinyl. As best as I can tell, the album is not currently officially available through MorningStar on major streaming services, but you can hear the unreleased free demo version at this link. The album's track listing is mostly the same to what was presented on the demo, but "Cuts" was moved from the end of the album to track #6, the final two songs were flipped in the order, and the original track #7 ("Most Of All") was dropped from the final product for unannounced reasons. I'm only going off of the song previews here, but they sound largely identical to how they did in the late 2000s.

It may take ordering the album for potential liner note details (remember, they broke up in 2011), but No Arrow are represented here by singer/guitarist Dann "Wayek" Pichette and drummer Joe Falco, with Harley and Brad "Gortium85" Griffith supplying bass tracks. This has to be exciting for No Arrow alumni who couldn't get this album out at the time, so kudos to Mike for getting things completed and published all these years later! I wonder if Dann & Brad's successor band SBD's limited print album "Sonic Experiments" could get a similar reissue next? Given our immense backlog of album reviews, "Souls For Sale" is pencilled in for December, so 2025 is now booked solid. In the meantime, buy it for yourselves above!

Finally for this news post, here's a special preview of a show on TUESDAY NIGHT, as local punk/alternative cover band Bookclub will rock The Roberta Bondar Pavilion as part of the City of Sault Ste. Marie's Summer Concert Series! Annually, local musicians (typically covers-centric ones) take the stage under the big tent downtown on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the summer, with BookcluB being the fifth of eleven with the honours in 2025. Last seen at Rotaryfest Stage 1 this past weekend, Tuesday's show should see the return of saxophonist Josh Norling, who was out of town and missed their Saturday evening set at Clergue Park. Hopefully a strong crowd turns out on Tuesday for BookcluB's eclectic mix of unexpected rock covers! Mikey, Dustin, Brandon, Allan, Erin, and Josh take the stage from 7:00-9:00 PM, and this concert is FREE & ALL AGES, as are all others in the Summer Concert Series, which runs through late August.

As the show is kinda sorta outdoors (tent acknowledged), 9&10 News is currently calling for mostly cloudy skies with a high temperature of 23° and a 10% chance of rain, so not quite as warm as it is today. That said, we're not close enough for an hourly forecast, so check in closer to for updates on the likely conditions. Visit the above links for more on BookcluB's Tuesday evening gig downtown, and here they are live!

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

Most Of This Weekend's Concert Previews, Plus Two Missed Show Apologies!!

Before we begin this news post, I wanted to apologize for a missed concert in our packed Rotaryfest weekend coverage, as local hard rock band HeadF1rst returned to the Pridefest Loud & Proud family fun day at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion on Sunday. I honestly saw no public advertising for a band lineup this year (shouldn't there have been some given the events last week?), but HeadF1rst frontman Red Jettison let me know about it earlier on Sunday. They played this event alongside veteran rock trio Spiders Have Names (who played this event in 2019 under the name Woodwind), though a planned return set by The Apocalypse Afterparty didn't take place. I hope things went well for this Pridefest event, and apologies again!

Now, this preview post takes us to a busy (but not as busy) weekend of hard rock concerts in the twin Saults, with Saturday's WestFest and Generations concerts being held for tomorrow's previews, and we'll start with the big one this weekend, as Montreal hardcore punk legends The Ripcordz will return to The Distraction for another basement punk concert TOMORROW NIGHT! As regulars of the East Street all ages venue may recall, Paul and crew kicked off the permanent move of concerts there from the former barbershop upstairs to the once-named Stellar Door downstairs when The Ripcordz took the stage here this past August. That show went very well for the bands' and attendee's sake, and here's hoping for more punk intensity downstairs tomorrow in The Ripcordz' tenth show here since 2013! Fresh off of their Stage 2 debut at Rotaryfest, crossover thrash quarter Hails will return as openers tomorrow as well.

Taking over for 2014 openers The Haze tomorrow are local hard rock quartet Sylo as their summer reunion run continues, so don't miss their energetic originals and covers to kick things off! This all ages (but unlicensed) concert begins tomorrow at 7:00 PM with a cover charge of $20 or "pay what you can", though limited $20 advance tickets were available at The Rad Zone and through the local openers. Should be another great time for fans of fast & furious punk rock, so visit the above links for more details, and here are The Ripcordz live at The Distraction last year!

Next up, let's head to the E.U.P. for some hard rock cover action, and we'll start at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino, where Traverse City, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Peril will set up shop TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at The Northern Pines Lounge! Last seen at the St. Ignace branch at the end of May, this will be Jeff, Howard, and Brooks' first E.U.P. booking since rocking The Rapids Lounge in the Soo last month. This weekend's shows should give fans a strong weekend of hard rocking favourite covers, so keep these in mind if you'll be in the region or are up for a short drive south! Note that Peril have not confirmed these shows on their Facebook page as of late, but they are listed on Kewadin's entertainment page. Tomorrow and Saturday's concerts are 9:00 PM affairs with 19+ age limits and no announced cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Peril live! 

In a brief detour back to Sault Ontario, fans can check out classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison live at Misty's Fifties for another matinee concert on SATURDAY! The latest stop in Tym's long run of shows at this Second Line West nightclub in 2025, this will be his first matinee gig there in three weeks, and his first public show anywhere since he played a show that we missed for coverage on here, as he debuted at McCauley's Restaurant in Goulais River this past Saturday. Tym quietly announced the gig via its Facebook event page one week ago today, and I never saw social media reference to it from McCauley's end. Hopefully Tym's trip north to Havilland Bay was a success this past weekend, and I'd have happily covered it had I known about it! Alas, Rotaryfest week is always very busy. We won't miss his Misty's return on Saturday, which has a 19+ age limit, no cover, and a 4:00 PM start time.

Tym's huge setlist of rock covers should drive a solid response at Misty's Fifties on Saturday, so keep this one in mind for some early live music action this weekend! Visit the Misty's Facebook event page for more details, apologies again for missing last week's Goulais River show, and here he is live!

Finally for this preview post, we'll head back to Michigan for local hard rock quartet Unfortunate Sun's return to Huck's Pub & Grill in nearby Rudyard on SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen in St. Ignace last week, this will be the Fake Chow successors' first show at Huck's in three months, and comes on day #3 of the annual Rudyard Summerfest, so there should be a larger crowd for all of the action! Technically speaking, Huck's isn't part of the official itinerary (click here for the schedule), but they're smart to capitalize on the festival this weekend by hosting lots of live music, including three days starting tonight (for reference, tomorrow's band there is named Reserection, though I know nothing about them). Whether you'll already be in Rudyard, are up for some live music, or are planning to attend the "biggest party in the EUP", keep Unfortunate Sun's hard rock stylings in mind for Saturday night! This is a 21+ show with a 9:00 PM start time and no cover. See above for more details and here's Unfortunate Sun live!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Krang & Project 906), The M1 Concert Preview, And A New Punk Cover!!

Here's a new news post to check out on this Tuesday evening, which is half devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, with the back half featuring a special Wednesday night concert preview and a new studio cover to check out, so let's get things rolling!

Sault Michigan blues/hard rock quintet Project 906 will return to The Strongs Tavern in nearby Eckerman on Saturday, July 19th! Not yet announced by the band on social media, this concert was announced by the venue's Facebook page two weeks ago in this poster advertising July events (or lack thereof, as they closed for two days during the Fourth of July long weekend). Last seen on stage in Brimley late last month, the guys last played in Eckerman at the end of May, and hopefully the #summerof906 continues well with another night of strongly performed and crowd friendly hard rock classics next Saturday! You can see Billy, Joe, Dustin, Jason, and Brian take the stage at The Strongs Tavern next Saturday at 8:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more details on Project 906's next show, unless they announce something on short notice prior!

Next up, remember how two Swiss death metal bands played in Sault Ontario this past Sunday night? Well, another band is trekking all the way from Europe to play in the Soo, as Czech skate punk band Krang will make their local concert debut on Monday, September 8th at The Distraction! An upbeat pop punk band whose songs are heavily based on retro pop culture and nostalgia (yes, the songs are in English), Krang will absolutely pique the interest of local punk fans this fall, so don't bypass their fun original attack in two months! Local support will include online page-less "east end rock & roll" duo The Spaceship Opening (featuring ex-Fitswitch/Redundant bassist Andrew MacDonald alongside Ralph Barber) and A.S.D.P., which I am 99% sure stands for "Adam Smith Death Parade". You may recall seeing them debut as a late replacement band at the private Go Skateboarding Day replacement event last month, which also featured The Spaceship Opening.

The venue describes A.S.D.P. as "crackrocksteady", so does the "rocksteady" reference imply ska punk? I don't known anything else on A.D.S.P., but stay tuned when we hear more! Taking place in The Distraction's current basement locale on East Street (all shows were moved out of the former hair salon upstairs starting last summer), this all ages concert will have a 7:00 PM start time and a cover charge of $15 or "pay what you can". Sounds like a fun way to kick off the fall season in style, so don't miss this stop on Krang's Real Canadian Moose Pit Tour if you can swing coming out on a work/school night! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Also, here's a special mid-week concert preview for your Motorhead fans in the area, as Calgary-based Motorhead tribute band M1 will rock Beck's Bar TOMORROW NIGHT! The first time that a touring band has headlined at Beck's since the Goulais Avenue nightclub re-opened three months ago, M1 will bring a faithful sounding (if not looking) tribute to Lemmy Kilmister and crew to local audiences, and it will be neat to hear Motorhead songs other than "Ace Of Spades" covered at a local concert, let alone this many! As per a quiet update to the Facebook event page, Dodge This singer/guitarist Jason Taillefer will open tomorrow's festivities. Having an acoustic solo artist open for a Motorhead tribute may seem odd, but Jason has ample experience in hard rock bands, most notably the out of town groups Phatstick and Human Disorder, so I'm sure he'd tailor his set somewhat for the occasion, and he is a very talented musician, so don't be late!

This 19+ concert has a 9:00 PM start time (moved up from 7:00 PM), and despite featuring a touring headliner, it will have no cover charge! While the work night scheduling won't be ideal for many, Motorhead fans won't wanna miss M1, especially at that (lack of) price, so visit the above links for more details, and here they are live!

Finally, remember how local crossover thrash quartet Hails released a self-titled album last month without much public warning? Well, that was prefaced by their appearance on the new compilation album "Punk Canada Vol. 4", and they released their contribution to it errrrrrrrrvrywhere on major streaming services on June 10th! Curated and released by Montreal hardcore punk legends The Ripcordz, you can get physical copies of the album (which features covers of Canadian punk bands by modern acts) on vinyl via Ha!ls members, and you can hear the whole thing on Bandcamp at this link, including Sault native Ash Richtig's band Avoid The Comment Section's cover of Grimskunk's "Dead End Violence". Hails contributed a cover of "Meathook" by Toronto punk legends The Almighty Trigger Happy, in their first studio recording with guitarist Carmen Muto in the fold. How is the cover overall?

Played a touch faster than the original (running for just 92 seconds), this isn't quite as ferocious as Ha!ls can get on their heaviest originals, but it's a faithfully executed cover that Trigger Happy fans will like, with a good pace & solid hardcore punk intensity! Give it a listen below or on other major streaming services, check out "Punk Canada Vol. 4" above, and look for our review of Hails' new album in October!

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

Victoria Day Long Weekend Concert Previews!!

The Victoria Day (a.k.a. May 2-4) long weekend is upon us, but in a bit of a surprise, this is a pretty quiet weekend for hard rock and punk concerts. Nothing on short notice (yet) either, but here's who to look for this weekend, including two shows with touring headline acts!

We'll start at The Distraction TONIGHT, where Nanaimo, British Columbia pop punk quartet Danger Box will set up shop in the basement for a headlining concert! The work/school-night scheduling won't be ideal for many, but fans of modern punk rock with hardcore and alternative influences will take to Danger Box's original attack, and hopefully their local debut goes down well with fans on East Street tonight! Fresh off of opening for The Dayglo Abortions last week, local crossover thrash quartet Hails (featuring concert promoter Mikhal Muto on guitar) will be the local support in their second gig of the year, and they should slot in well with their blast of original thrash and punk songs! Tonight's stop on Danger Box's Reality Tour across Canada has a 7:00 PM start time, it is absolutely all ages (the venue is not licensed), and admission is $20 or "pay what you can". Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Danger Box live!

Next up, let's head further downtown to Reggie's Place, where local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will take the stage for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen "uncorked" at The Water Tower Pub this past Saturday, this is the fourth weekend in the past seven that "The Dirty 3" have played at Reggie's, with a return also scheduled for the last weekend of May. Bone Yard have been definitely making themselves at home at Reggie's this spring, and hopefully sizeable crowds turn up to witness Greg, Alex, and Warren's latest "sermons" over the May 2-4 long weekend! If you can't make it this weekend, their next show will be at the Dragonfly Run pre-party at the Downtown Plaza one week from Saturday. This weekend's shows from your local 225 have 9:30 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Bone Yard live!

Also this weekend, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will return to the stage for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at Jay's Piston Broke Pub! This weekend's shows will end their month+ break, having last seen Generations at The Water Tower Pub at the beginning of April, and last at Jay's two months ago. If you've missed this skilled veteran outfit on a local stage, head west for their classic covers! As usual for Generations' stops at Jay's, the band (minus singer Valerie Powley) are hosting tonight's weekly jam night before their full band concerts go down, so if seeing the guys perform with/without guest musicians (or yourself?) is of note, head to the former Reggie's West tonight! We don't cover jam/open mic nights as "concerts" due to their unpredictability. Generations' long weekend shows have 19+ age limits, 9:30 PM start times, and no cover. See above for more details, and here are Generations live!

Finally for this surprisingly quiet long weekend on the hard rock/punk front, we'll end things at The Whisky Barrel, where Edmonton psychobilly/punk veterans The Raygun Cowboys will play their first local concert (on record?) THIS SUNDAY NIGHT! A longstanding presence among genre fans out west, The Raygun Cowboys' genre hybrid sound will appeal to many readers with their horn section, upbeat energy, rough-edged vocals, and punk attitude all colliding into a fun live experience that fans won't want to miss, let alone at an intimate venue like The Whisky Barrel on Gore Street, who only sparingly host touring bands. Many of you have Monday off anyway, so why not rock out with The Raygun Cowboys in three days' time? This concert is promoted by Piecing It Together Shows (the former Dryer Fire) and does not have a local opener. An 8:00 PM start time is in effect for this 19+ show.

Despite the touring headliner, this show has no cover charge, but P.I.T.S. encourage everyone to buy merchandise and/or drinks to help support The Raygun Cowboys on their current tour. Should be a blast for fans of punk, rockabilly, ska, and everything in between, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Raygun Cowboys live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Ripcordz, B.A. Johnston, The Nameless, And Dodge This!!)

Today's post is devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS over the next three months, with two of the cited bands also having lineup changes to take note of, so here's what you should know in chronological order!

Hamilton outsider folk/punk musician B.A. Johnston will return to Sault Ste. Marie for his sixth local concert on Friday, May 23rd! Notably playing all of his local dates at different local venues without ever repeating, that pattern will continue for this show, as he will be headlining at... Venue? Yes, that is its name, and it is a new public events space at 482 Queen Street East that is capable of hosting small & intimate concerts (their website lists a capacity of 60 guests, 30 seated). While new to the SMS, readers may recognize 482 Queen as the former location of the Fortune Shop, Queen Street Beads, and the boutique store/cafe Void Vinyl. B.A. Johnston was last seen here at The Whisky Barrel in September of last year, and his eclectic blend of punk, offbeat humour, and audience interaction is well worth checking out and remains as hard to sum up and detail in text as ever, so do watch some live videos for more of an idea!

Former(?) Wyld Stallyns/Elements frontman Rob Speers will return as the local opener on the 23rd, after doing the honours for B.A.'s last local stop, and who knows if he'll have any familiar faces guesting with him, which has been common at his recent solo dates! This show has an 8:00 PM start time, no announced age limit, and a $10 cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details on B.A.'s return! 

Next up, local classic/hard rock cover duo Dodge This will return to The Dive Gastro Pub for another headlining concert in "The Naughty Corner" on Saturday, May 31st, as per the venue's Facebook page's concert calendar! For a second straight month, Jason & Jamie are hitting the stage at the former Low & Slow on its final Saturday, and hopefully they keep the good vibes rolling with some more solid rocking unplugged covers in a few weeks' time! Like last month, singer/guitarist Jason Taillefer will also play a solo show without Jamie (or Jeff) beforehand, as he'll take the stage this Saturday the 17th, but whether his solo gigs differ substantially, I couldn't tell you. As usual for The Dive, this month-capping concert has a 10:00 PM start time (Saturday shows now start a half hour later than Thursday nighters), a 19+ age limit, and no cover. See above for more details!

Also newly confirmed is the return of Sault Michigan hard rock cover band The Nameless to Huck's Pub & Grill in Rudyard on Saturday, June 14th! The guys just returned there for a headlining date this past weekend at the unusual matinee timeslot of 4:00-8:00 PM, but matinee concerts appear to be the new normal at the former Joe's Bar, as all of their advertised concerts since the end of February have been matinees starting no later than 6:00 PM. That is when The Nameless will be playing over the Father's Day weekend, and they'll be preceded on the 14th by local country veteran Gary Hatch at 2:00 PM (he isn't "opening" for The Nameless, this is a separate 3 hour concert earlier in the day). It's worth noting that The Nameless have officially parted ways with drummer Justin Lawless and backing vocalist/his wife Anna for unannounced reasons, and they have enlisted Dirty Musky drummer Jamie Costner into their lineup.

Our source is the band's Facebook page's updated lineup, plus personal Facebook postings. Jamie debuted as a fill-in drummer with The Nameless when they played at The Merch last month, and she did indeed drum with Joshua and the Mikes in Rudyard this past Saturday. Hopefully things are still amicable with Justin & Anna, and that we see them back out there in due course, but Jamie is a strong drummer and she will definitely fit in well here! Next month's Huck's show runs from 6:00-10:00 PM with a 21+ age limit and no announced cover charge. See above for more details on this show!

Finally for today's new show announcements, it's a big one for punk fans, as Montreal hardcore punk icons The Ripcordz will return to the Soo on Friday, July 25th when they headline at The Distraction! Their tenth local date in the past twelve years, Paul Gott and crew will return to the basement of the former East Street barbershop once again, memorably kicking off concerts in what was then known as The Stellar Door in August of last year, with The Distraction permanently moving all of their concerts downstairs afterwards. The Ripcordz raved about the basement space and atmosphere last year, both during and after the show, so if you want more of the same or missed out, you know where to be this summer, let alone to experience their fast-paced and hard-hitting hardcore punk originals! Crossover thrash/skate punk quartet Hails will return as local openers from last year's Ripcordz concert, and they should keep the ferocity up with their high impact originals!

In a mild surprise, local hard rock band Sylo will also open here in their first public gig since headlining at Soo Blaster in August. The former Raincourt had been on hiatus while frontman Elijah Russell attended university out of town, so it is cool to see Eli bring them back while home for the summer! Their Instagram page implies that they are looking for more summer dates, and also now credits Owen Middleton on guitar. Nominally, he's replacing Owen Dearing (same name, different musician), but Owen Dearing was their bassist, so my best guess is that Alder DeVries is handling bass right now? I wish Sylo had more of a social media presence, but hopefully they make a good impression in the coming months! Promoted by Ha!ls guitarist Mikhal Muto, this all ages concert has a 7:00 PM start time and an admission fee of $20 or "pay what you can", though message Mikhal if you want advance tickets.

Visit the official Facebook event page for more details on what will be a huge concert for hardcore punk fans, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Raygun Cowboys, Derev, Danger Box, And Curtis McKenzie!!)

Today's post is 100% devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, including one that I should have gotten to last month, but there's some intriguing acts hitting Sault Ontario in the next few weeks, both local and touring, so here's what you should know on this Wednesday morning!

Nanaimo, British Columbia pop punk quartet Danger Box will headline at The Distraction on East Street on Thursday, May 15th! Announced on less than two weeks notice on Friday, this show will be highly worth checking out for punk fans, with Danger Box's raw but melodic (and occasionally hardcore-tinged) original sound definitely up the alley of many genre fans, so don't bypass this show next week! Support will come by way of local crossover thrash/skate punk quartet Hails (featuring this show's promoter Mikhal Muto), who will be one week removed from opening for The Dayglo Abortions at Soo Blaster, preview forthcoming. This will be Ha!ls' second show of 2025, so pack the venue to rock out with them! This show is once again being held in the basement space, not the former barbershop upstairs, and at this point, I'm going to assume that this has been a permanent change dating back to last summer.

Also, they haven't used the Stellar Door name for the basement venue in months, so that's clearly now officially The Distraction, no name distinction needed. We'll let you know if concert bookings clearly happen upstairs again though! A 7:00 PM start time is in effect for this ALL AGES concert (the venue is not licensed), and admission is $20 or "pay what you can". Visit the official Facebook event page for more details on this high energy show next week!

Next up, Edmonton psychobilly/punk quintet The Raygun Cowboys will make their local concert debut (as far as I'm aware) on Sunday, May 18th when they invade The Whisky Barrel! Apologies for the delay in this making the site since being announced in mid-April, this show fell through the cracks. A familiar veteran presence in the Alberta music scene with their brassed-up brand of punk and rockabilly, The Raygun Cowboys deliver a fun and loud sound with their genre hybrid attack, distinctly gritty vocals, and upbeat, crowd-friendly energy, and it will be fun to see them in town! There are no advertised local openers whatsoever. A still relatively rare concert from a touring act at The Whisky Barrel on Gore Street, this show is a presentation of Piecing It Together Shows (the former Dryer Fire). It's a 19+ event with an 8:00 PM start time, and has NO COVER CHARGE. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Also, Toronto progressive metal quintet Derev will play Sault Ste. Marie for the first time on Friday, May 23rd at Soo Blaster! Announced in this SooToday press release on Sunday, this show has oddly only seen minimal promotion on social media so far, but it will be the third post-relaunch concert promoted by Heavy North Entertainment, and their first modern show not headlined by Selias. Derev will be a relatively unique local headliner as touring acts go, combining melodic progressive rock, metal, and Middle Eastern influences (two band members met in Kuwait before forming the band in Toronto), and with their intricate & technical music and solid baritone vocals, Derev will be bound to turn local heads in 2+ weeks! As of Saturday, Heavy North Entertainment were still looking for local support bands for this concert, so message them at this link if your band wants in!

Tickets for this all ages show were supposed to go on sale on Eventbrite in the last full week of April, as per H.N.E.'s Facebook page, but I have not found any public link to that end. We'll let you know when more comes out about this show's opening band(s), start time, and/or admission fee, but hopefully things are on track, especially as the concert isn't that far away. Visit the above links for more details on Derev's local concert on the 23rd!

Lastly for today's new concert announcements, former Eclipse/Project 421 singer/guitarist Curtis McKenzie will bring his solo acoustic show back to the stage for two shows later this month, including a Saturday matinee at Beck's Bar (the former Vibe Lounge/White Eagles Club on Goulais Avenue) on May 24th before rocking The Dive Gastro Pub once again for a "Think It Over Thursday" gig on May 29th! These shows will end a nearly 2 months-long public break for Curt, who last played an acknowledged concert in early April at The Dive, so it will be good to see this prolific local hard rock/grunge musician back at it with more entertaining cover sets at month's end! Both gigs are 19+ affairs with no cover charges, and while his Dive show is at the usual 9:30 PM start time, the Beck's show on May 24th is in the 3:00 PM matinee timeslot (I do not yet know what band is playing there that night). Visit Curt's Facebook page for more details!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!