The 2025 Northern Vibe Festival Preview!!

The tenth annual Northern Vibe Festival kicks off TOMORROW NIGHT with another stacked lineup of local and touring musicians descending upon the old Hempfest grounds on Poplardale Road in Ophir, so here's our extended preview! This annual camping & concert festival once again sees vendors, activities, food & drinks, and more along with the live music, so be sure to visit the official website for this weekend's complete non-musical details! Once again, there are two distinct stages for Northern Vibe, with DJs and EDM artists performing on the Roost River Stage (click here for its schedule), while bands and solo musicians will set up shop on the Forest Stage once again, as curated by Spades GT frontman J.D. Pearce for a fifth straight year in his annual return to local concert promotion. 15 acts (up from 10 last year) will grace the Forest Stage between tomorrow and Saturday, so who all can you expect to see an hour east of the Soo this weekend?

Just to preface things: the official schedule (released unusually early on August 11th) was considered "tentative" at that point, but there has been no contradictory announcements to go against what was stated then. Five bands will perform tomorrow during the shorter opening day program, which will be headlined by the local debut of Sudbury-based Tool/A Perfect Circle tribute band Avessel at 10:00 PM. They have the chops, so welcome them to the Algoma District in style tomorrow night! New (and maybe one-off) jazz/standards group The Josh Norling Quartet will co-headline at 9:00 PM, while hard rock quintet HeadF1rst will be the only band from this year's Rotaryfest to pull the summer festival double at 8:00 PM. The Friday bill kicks off with an extended rap block, including the merged Fvcksxvad/Sound Syndrome supergroup SoundSxvad at 7:00 PM & The CSWS Crew at 6:00 PM.

Nice diverse array of music to check out tomorrow, including heavier stretches from Avessel and HeadF1rst to keep things rocking, so keep everything in mind if you'll be in Ophir for night #1 of Northern Vibe X! 9&10 News is calling for cloudy skies with temperature going from 26° down to 18° as the night progresses. Note that they are forecasting rain in the 11:00 PM hour, which may affect Avessel's set, but the forecast isn't projecting more than a 20% chance prior. Visit the above links for more on the Friday Forest Stage lineup, and here's Avessel live! 

The longer program on SATURDAY will feature ten bands, and your headliners this year are local Pink Floyd tribute band Dark Side Of The Soo, as the Bourbon Blue side project will build on their recent Beck's gig by closing Northern Vibe in prog rock style at 10:00 PM! Niagara Falls prog/improv rock band The Road Waves will return to Northern Vibe as the 9:00 PM co-headliners in their fourth Ophir appearance, while local alt-hard rock quartet Handsome Sandwich will become the only band to play all five years of this festival since the post-pandemic relaunch at 8:00 PM. This year's other two touring bands (both from Cornwall) take the stage prior, including hard rock quartet Don't Tell Sarah in their second straight year at Northern Vibe at 7:00 PM, and speed metal band Hellrager (featuring ex-Spades GT guitarist Jay Sarrazin) at 6:00 PM, returning for their own second year after dropping out last year.

Folk/country quartet The Golden Scoundrels (featuring fellow Spades alum and Handsome Sandwich drummer Johnny Belanger) will return for their second Forest Stage set at 5:00 PM, preceded by the first of two shows this weekend from local/Barrie alternative/hard rock musician Mike Haggith and his Big Finish Band at 4:00 PM, one year removed from their set that had professional cameras rolling. Will things get filmed thusly again? As revealed on Wednesday the 13th, the 3:00 PM band named The Barbarians are actually the new band fronted by ex-Elements/Wyld Stallyns singer/guitarist Rob Speers (replacing his originally announced solo set), and he will be joined by Handsome Sandwich bandmates Taylor Emlaw and Rafael Medina as well as Boat Dads drummer Kevin Harrison. They're described as a "party band", but what specifically do they play, especially compared to Rob's old bands?

Note that these three musicians have backed up Rob at some solo dates this year, but is this the start of a formal new band, or are The Barbarians a one-off? The 2:00 PM block is listed as "bingo break" on the schedule, and based on promotion since then, it appears to literally be a break in the schedule with no band. I haven't seen direct reference to bingo being played or scheduled elsewhere, but get your dabbers ready just in case! We'll let you know if something else is afoot then. The 1:00 PM set belongs to debuting local punk/hard rock quartet Spun Out (featuring Caveman Morrison and Half Past alumni), who were themselves late additions to the Forest Stage lineup, so come out to Ophir to hear how they sound! The Saturday bill will be lead off by "Benny's Acoustic Thing", which has yet to be elaborated on in official social media promotion. I believe I know who Benny is, but just in case, I won't make an assumption in case I'm incorrect.

Weather-wise, 9&10 News is calling for a high of 22° dipping to the mid teens on Saturday night, and there is a chance of showers in the afternoon, though they're not expected for most of the day (skies are projected to be mostly cloudy early and partly cloudy late). Note that 2023 Forest Stage performer and local magician Ryan McFarling will be back this weekend as a general performer on the festival grounds and does not have a formal timeslot, so keep an eye out for him! Even with no A Dire Setback this year, this year's Northern Vibe lineup is stacked, and after it briefly looked like last year's festival would be the final one, it's great to see everything back and in full swing for the tenth installment! This 19+ festival goes on rain or shine, and if you haven't bought your tickets yet, online sales closed yesterday, so you'll need to buy yours at the gate. The in-person rate isn't given online, but it will be higher than the advance fee was.

For reference, advance tickets cost $125 in advance (for the full weekend) and $80 (Saturday only; there were no Friday-only passes), and while Sunday is part of the schedule, that's strictly for campers to pack up and wrap up, there's no bands that day. There's a lot to take in off the grid once again this weekend, so visit the above links for full details on Northern Vibe in 2025, and for a Saturday preview, here's Don't Tell Sarah live! 

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Northern Vibe Festival 2025!!)

In a major change in approach from past years, The Northern Vibe Festival's (tentative) Forest Stage schedule was publically revealed yesterday via their Facebook page, meaning that we can formally give the Ophir-based outdoor concert festival's 2025 lineup the LOCAL CONCERT ALERT treatment with advance notice to spare! Since the J.D. Pearce-curated era began for the Forest Stage in 2021, the band schedule has never been publicized any sooner than the week of the festival (and not at all in 2021 or 2022 by festival organizers), but this has slowly been improving, and I'm glad to cover things nice and early! Even if the intent was to ensure that you have to be there for the whole thing, I'd still wanna know who's playing on what day and when.  So, who all will grace the stage at the former Hempfest grounds on Poplardale Road this year? As of yesterday, all acts from April's tentative lineup (possibly sans one) are still scheduled, plus late additions Spun Out, so who's on & when?

The shorter Friday lineup on August 22nd will be headlined at 10:00 PM by Sudbury-based Tool/A Perfect Circle tribute band Avessel in their local concert debut, which isn't a bad spot for them to make a first impression on Algoma District fans! Avessel are Friday's only touring band, and with the fire lighting ceremony (remember the impressive bonfire?) coming in between, the Friday co-headliners are new local jazz/standards group The Josh Norling Quartet at 9:00 PM. Hard rock quintet HeadF1rst will make their Ophir debut at 8:00 PM, and the day's program begins with hip hop performers, including Fvcksxvad/Sound Syndrome supergroup SoundSxvad at 7:00 PM and online page-less collective The CSWS Crew at 6:00 PM. Very eclectic musical lineup for night #1, but there's a lot of talent to be had whether you're into rock, rap, or jazz, so don't miss out next Friday as the tenth annual Northern Vibe begins in style!

As for the longer Saturday, August 23rd program, organizers have similarly given the 10:00 PM closing duties to this year's other tribute band, namely local Pink Floyd tribute (and Bourbon Blue side project) Dark Side Of The Soo, while the highest slotted touring band at 9:00 PM are Niagara Falls prog/improv rock band The Road Waves in their fourth appearance at Northern Vibe and first in three years. Local alt-hard rock quartet Handsome Sandwich will become the only band to play on the Forest Stage in all five years of the J.D. era at 8:00 PM, while touring bands from Cornwall will return in the preceding two timeslots. Hard rock band Don't Tell Sarah (who played last year) are up at 7:00 PM, while speed metal veterans Hellrager (featuring ex-Spades GT guitarist Jay Sarrazin) will return at 6:00 PM, following their 2023 set in Ophir and their quiet withdrawal from last year's event.

Fellow (Jack) Spades alum Johnny Belanger will play his first of two sets that day at 5:00 PM with folk/country band The Golden Scoundrels, who also played here last year, while the 4:00 PM timeslot belongs to local/Barrie alternative/hard rock standout Mike Haggith & his Big Finish Band in their third straight year on the Forest Stage. Questions arise with that afternoon's band slots, starting with "Barbarians" at 3:00 PM. I am not 100% certain on who this band is, but one possibility is the Vancouver speed metal quartet of that name. Note that former Elements/Wyld Stallyns frontman Rob Speers is the only absent name from the April lineup posting on this schedule, so could The Barbarians be a new band of his? Regardless, we'll let you know when more is publically confirmed! The 2:00 PM slot is listed as "Bingo Break", and barring this being a Rob Speers-led project, could that legitimately mean that bingo is being played for an hour?

Again, when more is confirmed, we will let you know on if Bingo (Break) is literally a band's name-o or if you'll need your dabbers for the occasion! New local alternative/punk quartet Spun Out (featuring Caveman Morrison, Half Past, and Disciples Of Rock alumni) will make their live concert debut on the Forest Stage at 1:00 PM, and the Saturday lineup will be led off at 12:00 PM by "Benny Acoustic Set", previously labelled as "Benny's Acoustic Thing". I have a hunch as to who Benny is, but no concrete proof in writing, so I'll leave it there for now, but he should get things off on the right unplugged foot if I have the right guy! Assuming that organizers continue posting promotional images for individual bands on their Facebook page in the next two weeks, we should eventually know more on The Barbarians, Benny, and (if this is a band) Bingo Break, so follow along there for potential updates!

The concurrent & DJ/EDM-centric Roost River Stage schedule was also released on Friday, so click here to see who's performing there next weekend. Tickets for The Northern Vibe Festival remain on sale for $125 (full weekend) and $80 (Saturday only) at this link, so if you haven't bought yours yet, do so while you still can! The festival takes place rain or shine, it is 19+, and while Sunday the 24th is part of the schedule, that's the camping/pack-up day with no scheduled bands. Click here for full details on expectations, ground rules, and directions to what should be a blast in the bush next weekend, visit the above links for more on this year's Forest Stage lineups, and look for more on the SMS soon! Thanks everyone!

Early Lineup Information For This Year's Northern Vibe Festival!!

The tentative lineup for this year's Northern Vibe Festival has been announced on the festival's Facebook page! Yes, this annual festival on Poplardale Road in nearby Ophir (on the old Hempfest grounds) will indeed return for its tenth annual installment from Friday, August 22nd to Sunday, August 24th, despite hinting last year that 2024 would be its finale, so hopefully there's a strong turnout for year #10! While specifics on Northern Vibe X are to be confirmed, you can get preliminary details at this link, and there will once again be two music stages, including the Roost River Stage for DJs and electronica artists, and the Forest Stage for live bands and musicians of multiple genres (Crank Sound Distribution will return to make everyone on the Forest Stage sound as good as possible). Organizers have emphasized that the lineups for both stages are tentative, but they historically don't mention the daily band schedules right away.

If announced at all, organizers wait until the week of the festival, but remember that bands previously have not played on the Sunday, which was more of a camping/pack-up day. As best as I can tell, Spades GT frontman J.D. Pearce is putting on his old concert promotion hat once again to curate the Forest Stage for a fifth straight year, but who is currently scheduled for this end-of-summer bash? After last year's 10 band program, the tentative lineup actually has 15 bands, including three touring acts, all returnees from prior Northern Vibe lineups. One is Cornwall speed metal group Hellrager (featuring former Spades GT guitarist Jay Sarrazin), who came north for the festival in 2023 before quietly dropping out of last year's event. Fellow Cornwall hard rock band Don't Tell Sarah will make their way to Ophir for a second straight year, and Niagara Falls prog/improv rock trio The Road Waves will also return.

The Road Waves previously played at the festival in 2017-2018 and again in 2022, so it will be good to see their soul/funk-influenced tunes back in our neck of the woods, while more recent fans will enjoy Hellrager & Don't Tell Sarah's hard rock attacks! Two tribute bands are currently scheduled for Northern Vibe X, who will be playing Pink Floyd and Tool songs. The former are 100% Dark Side Of The Soo (the Bourbon Blue side project that played at last year's ARCH Run), as per personal Facebook posts, but I don't know if the Tool tribute is a reunion of Parabol, a different local group, or a touring act. We'll let you know when/if we get clarification! In terms of known local acts, five are returnees from 2024, including alt-hard rock quintet Handsome Sandwich (in their fifth straight Northern Vibe), local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith and his Big Finish Band in their third appearance, and folk/bluegrass band The Golden Scoundrels for their second year.

The other returning band is the rap collective Soundsxvad, who played last year under the name Fvksxvad, and this year, they'll be joined by a separate hip hop outfit named The CSWS Crew. I admit that I don't follow the local rap scene ardently, but I've never heard of The CSWS Crew, so this will be something else that I'll get back to you guys on when public details on them surface! As well, former(?) Wyld Stallyns frontman Rob Speers will return to Northern Vibe after (from my understanding) going solo there last year despite event advertising always crediting The Wyld Stallyns, who have not issued a public update since May of last year. CSWS Crew & tribute bands aside, this year's debuting bands include hard rock quintet HeadFirst (whose new album "Road Trippin'" comes out next month), the possibly one-off Josh Norling Psycho Jazz Infusion (led by the Bookclub/Wyld Stallyns saxophonist), and an acoustic set by a musician named Benny.

At press time, I have no idea which Ben/Benjamin/Benny is being referenced in the advertising, and the most recent ones mentioned on the SMS don't seem like obvious fits, but we'll let you know when/if we hear more! As well, magician Ryan McFarling (a Forest Stage performer in 2023) will be back to perform separately on the main grounds. Conspicuous by their (current?) absences are local alt-punk trio A Dire Setback (who haven't missed a Northern Vibe yet post-pandemic) and any of J.D. Pearce's bands, though he last fronted a band officially there when Spades GT played in 2022. Stay tuned for any potential lineup additions or removals! Northern Vibe X remains a 19+ event taking place rain or shine over the August 23rd weekend, and you can buy tickets at this link for $125 via the Tier 2 weekend pass (there are no single day options). Tier 1 referred to the early bird passes that went on sale before any of the bands were revealed.

Between the hour's drive, off-the-grid nature, and weather/nature-related concerns, the Northern Vibe Festival won't be the most accessible event to attend for many readers, but if this weekend full of live rock music, DJs, and camping piques your interest, do click here for full ground rules and recommendations. If you make it to Ophir in August, you should have a blast, so visit the above links for more details on this year, and we'll let you know (likely on short notice) who's playing on what day! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Northern Vibe Festival)!!

The ninth (and final?) Northern Vibe Festival goes down this weekend, and as has been the case annually post-pandemic, the full band schedule was not made available before the week of the festivities, so here are some SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS re: this year's Forest Stage lineups! Apologies for the short notice, I wish organizers would publicize the schedule much earlier than they do, even if the idea is for attendees to come and camp out for the whole weekend. As of this writing, the band-centric Forest Stage lineup has not been posted publically, but kudos to Mike Haggith for sending me a tentative schedule that he had received in conversations with organizers, so we know who is playing and when! If there are late variances, I'll edit this post to address them if they come up prior. Of course, Northern Vibe returns to the former Hempfest site on Poplardale Road in Ophir (just outside of Bruce Mines) this weekend.

Along with the camping in the forest just outside of town, attendees can expect vendors, food trucks, outdoor activities, and loads of DJs on the Roost River Stage on site. There will even be (paid) wifi this year! Be sure to visit the official website and the Northern Vibe Facebook page for complete non-musical details, and a complete schedule for the River Stage is on the latter if you want party with the EDM musicians playing there. Like in the past three years, Spades GT frontman and former local concert promoter J.D. Pearce will come back home to curate this year's Forest Stage, and bands will again play TOMORROW NIGHT & SATURDAY, with Sunday being a camping/closedown day with no live bands. The band lineup begins TOMORROW NIGHT, and will be headlined at 10:00 PM by new local folk/bluegrass quartet The Golden Scoundrels. They also closed Rotaryfest Stage 2 last month, so they're getting huge endorsements already!

The rest of TOMORROW's lineup is hard rock/punk-themed, including local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith and his backing Big Finish Band co-headlining at 9:00 PM in their return to Ophir. Mike & crew are fresh off of a successful Rotaryfest set last month themselves, and Mike's got a much better knee than he played through at Northern Vibe last year! Alt-punk trio A Dire Setback will play Northern Vibe for their fourth straight year when they hit the stage at 8:00 PM, while Cornwall hard rock trio Don't Tell Sarah will open TOMORROW'S proceedings at 7:00 PM in their local debut. Don't Tell Sarah should leave a big impression with their up-tempo and hard hitting originals, so don't miss them! Admission details for the weekend will be at post's end, but we are looking at cloudy 18-21° weather in Ophir according to 9&10 News, with a slight chance of rain early in the band program.

Hopefully the weather holds off TOMORROW, especially as there's more of a chance of rain on SATURDAY, but Northern Vibe goes on rain or shine (the Forest Stage has a roof), so bring any protective gear you need in the event that the sky starts crying! Visit the above links for more on TOMORROW'S band lineup, and for a preview, here's Mike Haggith and his band's complete multi-camera set in Ophir last year!

As for SATURDAY's Forest Stage band lineup, the longer six band program will be headlined by Montreal ska punk band K-Man & The 45s in their ninth local concert since 2013 and their second straight year as the closing band outright, and they are slotted for 9:45 PM. Fans of horn-infused ska punk and Ramones covers should be well used to K-Man and crew from their Soo dates, and hopefully their Ophir encore is well received on SATURDAY! Alt-hard rock quintet Handsome Sandwich (featuring Golden Scoundrels bandmates Brandon Ruch & Johnny Belanger) will play Northern Vibe for a fourth straight year at 8:00 PM, while Sudbury psychedelic hard rock trio The Dirty Mystics slot in at 7:00 PM for their first ever concert appearance (somehow we got a truly non-local band's live debut!). Local funk/hard rock cover quintet The Wyld Stallyns (the Friday headliners last year) are blocked at 6:00 PM on SATURDAY in what would be their fourth year too.

Now, The Stallyns have not been up to much publically this summer, with singer/guitarist Rob Speers picking up the slack with unplugged solo gigs. The band and/or Rob (who doesn't have a public social media page devoted to his solo project) have not publically acknowledged Northern Vibe on social media in recent weeks, so I don't know what format their scheduled set will take, but we'll let you know if we hear anything! Local folk/country solo artist Brian Tremblay (a late addition like The Dirty Mystics) will play Northern Vibe for the first/only time at 5:00 PM, and the day's program begins at 4:00 PM with a set by local rap collective Fvksxvad. They'll be a good bridge for fans coming over from the River Stage, so don't miss these familiar MCs! Weather-wise, the current forecast has 20-24° temperatures, and while there are currently showers projected for the first couple of bands, clouds are expected to go away as night draws near.

With this being the official lineup, we can confirm that Cornwall speed metal band Hellrager, Spades GT bassist James Roy Daley, and North Bay electronic rock band Medussah have all dropped out of the festival. Reasons for the three touring acts' withdrawals were not announced, but none have been credited in Facebook promotional materials since July 4th, and none have gotten the individual images there to plug their sets. Hopefully all is well with the three groups, especially after Hellrager and James' past local appearances! Also, note that local magician Ryan McFarling (who had a formal Forest Stage set last year) will be back in Ophir as an on-site special guest, but does not have a scheduled set on either stage, so keep an eye out for him! Online ticket sales for Northern Vibe have closed, but if you haven't already bought passes, they are on sale at the gate. Admission on site cost around $150 (full weekend) & $85 (Saturday only) last year.

Note that organizers haven't clearly specified if that price held steady for 2024 or not. Click here for all of the ground rules and directions you could ask for! While not hinted at in recent social media postings, organizers said on Facebook last month that this "will (likely) be the last" festival due to concerns about not being able to make Northern Vibe better each year, and thusly being "time to take a break and re-evaluate". Whether this is the last installment or not, come out to Poplardale Road TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT to enjoy all of the action! Visit the above links for full public details, and for a preview of SATURDAY's bill, here's K-Man & The 45s live!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our previews of this weekend's two ARCH benefit motorcycle rallies and Wax Mannequin's return next as we wrap up these previews! Thanks everyone!

Early Lineup Details For This Year's Northern Vibe Festival's Forest Stage!!

The initial band lineup is now out for the ninth annual Northern Vibe Festival at the old Hempfest grounds on Poplardale Road in Ophir, so what should you know there? The festival returns on the last full weekend of August once again from Friday the 23rd through Sunday the 25th, and for a fourth straight year, Spades GT frontman J.D. Pearce will return to his old local concert promoter guise to curate this year's band-centric Forest Stage (the DJ-centric River Stage lineup is also out). If past years are anything to go by, the Friday band lineup will be the shorter of the two, followed by a longer Saturday progam on the 24th, while that Sunday will be the camping/wrap-up day with no scheduled bands. As has been custom for Northern Vibe post-pandemic, the daily schedules/timeslots are not out yet, hence why we're not calling this a formal local concert alert, but organizers did announce them publically last year, if on late notice.

While the above poster implies that "more (is) TBA", the currently advertised list of eleven acts equals who played last year on the Forest Stage, including six returning bands, but they do appear to be leaning on touring acts more this year, as three of the five Northern Vibe newbies are from out of town. This year's advertised headliners (presumably the 9:00 PM Saturday act if that holds) are Montreal ska punk band K-Man & The 45s, who were last year's closing band at Northern Vibe, and famously played seven local concerts from 2013-2019. Clearly, K-Man's return to our area was a hit last year, so it'll be good to see their horn-laden punk attack back at the Forest Stage in four months! The other returning touring band is Cornwall speed metal group Hellrager, who still feature part-time Spades GT guitarist Jay Sarrazin. Counting his bass fill-in with Spades in 2022, this will be Jay's third straight trip to Ophir.

It'll be good to see him and Hellrager tear it up again! While Spades GT proper are not playing this year, bassist James Roy Daley will be making his first trip to the festival with an apparent solo set. I don't know if they mean his psychobilly band Killroy A.D. (which he drums in) or if this is purely a solo gig, but we'll let you know if we get confirmation! Also making the trip to Ophir for Northern Vibe IX are two more bands making their local debuts, including Cornwall hard rock band Don't Tell Sarah, a raw & high energy quartet with an old school flair and strong talents that will serve them well with local festivalgoers! The other touring band is Medussah, a female-fronted electronic rock duo from North Bay whose name was misspelled in much of the early festival promotion (omitting the H at the end). Definitely a stylistic jump from other bands playing the festival, but they are talented and will give some zest to the proceedings!

For the six announced local acts playing this year, four are returnees from last year's Northern Vibe Festival, including alt-hard rock quintet Handsome Sandwich, local/Barrie solo standout Mike Haggith (in his first announced full-band show of 2024 and since Matt Fronzi replaced Jacob Quarrell on bass), sporadically seen punk trio A Dire Setback, and funk/hard rock cover sextet The Wyld Stallyns (who headlined the Friday lineup last year). All but Mike are playing Northern Vibe for the fourth straight year, so if you've liked the local aspect so far, you'll be right at home in 2024! The two newcomers from the Soo are new local folk/bluegrass band The Golden Scoundrels (featuring Shit Liver's Josh Penno and Handsome Sandwich bandmates Brandon Ruch & Johnny Belanger) and local rap collective Fvksxvad, who we've primarily covered members of individually on the SMS in the past.

The Golden Scoundrels have gotten positive reviews since debuting earlier this year (Dirtfight fans should like them), while Fvksxvad have talented MCs and they'll add a unique dimension to this year's Forest Stage lineup! Crank Sound Distribution will be on hand once again to keep everyone sounding their best at this year's festival. Once again, Northern Vibe is a 19+ festival, and you can get all the ground rules for attending, camping, and directions to Poplardale Road via their official website. The first wave of early bird tickets completely came and went before the Forest Stage lineup reveal, but weekend passes for wave 2 of the early bird availability are now on sale for $110 ($200 for VIP passes) at this link, and official festival shirts/hoodies are available when buying tickets. At this juncture, Saturday-only tickets are not out yet, but for reference, admission closer to the opening date was $150 for the weekend and $85 for Saturday alone.

It's great to see Northern Vibe back for a ninth year (and tenth anniversary of the original installment), and hopefully things go smoothly for organizers in terms of performers, attendance, weather, and attendee conduct this August! If you're up for the music and/or camping off the grid, definitely visit the above links for more details, and in all likelihood, look for this month's CD review on the site next! Thanks everyone!

Don't Look Back Concert Preview, New Video Finds, And More!!

On this Saturday morning, we have some more news and updates to tackle on the SMS, so what's in store here? A relevant video regarding our local OHL team, the latest from a prolific local bassist, and a new posting of a recent album release, but first, here's our remaining weekend concert preview!

Arizona-based Boston tribute band Don't Look Back will make their local concert debut TONIGHT when they headline at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino! One of a handful of touring tribute bands to play at the Soo Kewadin's main indoor venue in recent years, this should be the next best thing to seeing Boston on a local stage, which we are a decade removed from as it is. Based on what I've seen from Don't Look Back, they live up to their descriptions with a faithful looking and sounding tribute to the 1970s and '80s hard rock legends and their hits like "More Than A Feeling", so be sure to check this one out for the Boston experience! Tickets for this ALL AGES and 7:00 PM concert still run for a paltry $12.50, and while there are still plenty of seats available from any row, the center section is almost gone! You can get yours at this link, the in person box office, or 1-800-KEWADIN. This should be a fun show for Boston diehards, so check the above links for more details, and here's Don't Look Back delivering their Boston experience live!



Next up, here's some new-ish videos from the Ontario side of the border, starting with the free YouTube posting of local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver's new studio album "Hitting The Fan"! Uploaded to their YouTube channel on Tuesday, this completes their free postings there of their entire studio recording catalog to date, so if you want an hour+ of crusty death/punk action, you know where to look! If you were curious to jump to an individual track, the 10 songs in order are "Evacuation", "Makes Me Sick", "Just Take It", "It Won't Change", "Liverated", "Cirrhosis", "Matt Got Beat Up By Cops", "Livin' In Shit", "Wait", and the album's title track. Yes, two songs are under 15 seconds in length, but if you're a Shit Liver diehard, that fact is nothing new! Of course, if you want to buy "Hitting the Fan" and missed last night's tour kick-off show like me (I have a cold), do so via ordering from the guys, or check The Rad Zone to see if they have any records!

Those who listen to streaming music on YouTube over Spotify or Bandcamp should enjoy this YouTube copy, but definitely consider supporting Shit Liver's work if you can financially! And yes, our review of "Hitting the Fan" is coming this month, hopefully sooner rather than later, but I wish I could have been at The Rednecks Saloon (moved on short notice from The Speak Easy) last night for Shit Liver's local return engagement! Hopefully cameras were rolling, but in the meantime, here's "Hitting the Fan" in full!

Also today, here's the latest from former Haggith/Pillory bassist Jordan Leach-Berube, who indicated last summer that he was "leaving soon" and would need to be replaced in his local bands. That said, he may not be entirely done with the local scene, as he posted on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group last week that he is now recording bass tracks "purely for fun." Just send Jordan a file to add bass to, and he'll record with it, and send it back in WAV format. Former bandmate and collaborator Mike Haggith already expressed interest there, but if you're interested in working with Jordan on a studio track, message him at this link or above! On a related note, Jordan also has a YouTube channel documenting his recent travels in Asia, which may explain why he left his local bands. He has some interesting content there if you like travel channels on YouTube and Asian culture, so give them a look if you're so inclined, but he does have some bass content there to check out!

One video features him playing alongside Lon Granger's "Mr. Harris", but embedded below is a half hour-long video of Jordan trying out a new bass while repeatedly playing alongside an instrumental track from "a current project". It feels very death metal-esque, and while it sounds like it could be a new Pillory song (assuming that he didn't fully leave), note that we have not heard from Pillory publically in over 8 months, and this project may not be local at all beyond his involvement. The video quality is hit and miss, but it's interesting to see Jordan hard at work in this setting, so give his new bass videos a look above and below!



Finally, this is not a new news item in terms of the local metal, hard rock, or punk scenes, but it's very topical for fans of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and their excellent season so far. Fans may remember Julie Farkas' disco-tinged 1980 song "Hound Power", which still gets airplay at games and online, but if you want something with a punk flair, defunct local quartet The Inner City Surfers had you covered! Back in 2008, the guys recorded a 98 second non-album original named "Let's Go Greyhounds" at Insight Recorders in Toronto with producer Simon Head, and drummer Mikey Hawdon re-posted it to his YouTube channel in December, presumably to capitalize on the Hounds' success. This song would work well as a goal song at home games, and it has a lively spirit that preserves The Surfers' punk sound while leaving catchy lyrics for fans to sing/chant along with, so hopefully it gets some deserved extra airplay as the playoff run continues!

Give it a listen below, and good luck to the Soo Greyhounds next week as they continue their second round series with the Owen Sound Attack! You can catch games 3-5, plus 6 & 7 if necessary, on Rock 101 on your FM radio, and on Shaw TV (channel 10 if you have cable), while tickets for game 5 are now on sale at The Essar Center, so get them while you can!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Seether, Don't Look Back, And The Sky's The Limit!!)

Finally, we have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS to tackle on this Wednesday morning, and there's some big ones to touch on from the last few days, so here's what you should know for these three concerts!

In the first of two new hard rock show announcements for The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, classic rock diehards will want to note the local debut of Arizona-based Boston tribute band Don't Look Back, as they'll hit the Soo Kewadin on Saturday, April 7th! Of course, local fans saw the real hard/progressive rock legends here in 2008, but this looks like the next best thing for fans of their classic hits like "More Than A Feeling", "Smokin'", and "Foreplay/Long Time", with Don't Look Back self-describing themselves as "an incredible re-creation" of Boston as they were in the 1970s. From what I've seen, they have the sound and the look down pretty well, so definitely keep Don't Look Back in mind for the Boston experience next weekend! Tickets are a very affordable $12.50, and there are plenty of seats available for this tribute show, so head to this link, the in person box office, or 1-800-KEWADIN to get hooked up. Don't look back on Don't Look Back, and stay tuned for updates!

Next up, the third annual Sky's The Limit mental health fundraiser/awareness concert will take place on Thursday, May 10th at The W.W. Baldwin Auditorium at The Tech in Sault Ontario! Though curiously not advertised online yet, physical posters are floating around (I photographed this one at a Food Basics bulletin board), and there, it's confirmed that local blues/hard rock trio Electric Church will perform as this year's pre-determined headliners! After playing the first two installments via the performer auditions, now they'll be the featured attraction in their first announced show of 2018, so keep them in mind for later this spring! Christian rapper Tristan "Bold Noize" Goslow will also return for his own third year as an announced performer, so keep an eye out for his rhymes as well in May! As was the case in 2016 & last year, the night's remaining performers will be chosen following a private audition at The Tech on Thursday, April 19th at 6:00 PM, so for more details on the audition in person or via e-mail (if you live outside of town), visit this link for the official contact phone number and e-mail address!

Presented by Algoma Family Services as part of Children's Mental Health Week once again, The Sky's The Limit III has a 7:00 PM start time, it is ALL AGES, and tickets are $5 for individual attendees or $20 for families, so keep that in mind if you have a party of five+. I'm surprised that the online press isn't as big yet for this year, but this event has always been held for a great cause, and hopefully there's another solid turnout for the music and the mental health awareness alike in May! Visit the above links for more details!

At last, here's the big one, as South African hard rock/post-grunge trio Seether will return to the Sault Ste. Marie area for a headlining concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on Saturday, August 11th! A extremely familiar band to Rock 101 listeners thanks to hit singles like "Broken", "Fake It", and "Betray & Degrade" (among many others), this will be Seether's first local appearance in over a decade, following January 2008's Three Days Grace concert in Sault Ontario. It's awesome to have Seether back in our neck of the woods at last, and they've only gotten bigger since the last time, so look for more hard rocking fan favourites at this already highly anticipated concert this summer! Knoxville, Tennessee hard rock quintet 10 Years will also join Seether for this concert, in their own first Sault Michigan appearance since opening for Sevendust here in October 2010. Though still best known for their chart topping song "Wasteland", they've recently had success with their single "Novacaine", and it'll be great to have them back in the Soo in a few months' time as well!

A third band is to be announced, no idea on if they'll be local or another touring act. Presented by Allstar Promotions in their second Dreammaker's Theater show of 2018, this stop on Seether's Poison the Parish World Tour will take place at 7:00 PM on August 11th, while this is an ALL AGES event, and tickets go on sale THIS FRIDAY at 10:00 AM at this link, at the in person box office, and/or at 1-800-KEWADIN. The cost is $46, which is high as Allstar events go, but keep in mind how big Seether in particular are, and expectations are that this show will sell out quick, so get your tickets A.S.A.P.! No word yet though on potential VIP ticket prices or a possible meet & greet session. This should be a huge concert for the summer season, and it's been a long time coming for both Seether and 10 Years to return to the Soo, so check the above links for more details in advance of Friday's on-sale date! Also, a trailer video for this show was posted to the promoters' Facebook page on Monday, so what should you know on it?

Clearly dragging out the reveals for dramatic effect, the trailer features clips from Seether's music videos for "Remedy" & "Rise Above This", as well as both of 10 Years' biggest hits, along with imagery of the poster, and a radio dial rapidly shifting about. Effective promotion, so give it a look below, and remember, tickets go on sale FRIDAY MORNING!



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