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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (5 Dollar Bribe & The Superior Whitefish Festival Battle Of The Bands!!)

We have a lot of stuff to get to on the SMS this month (July is our busiest month every year), so today's post is devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS of distinction, one on each side of the border, but we'll first head to Michigan for a returning battle of the bands later this month!

Local punk/hard rock trio About:Blank will be among the competitors at the second annual Superior Whitefish Festival Battle of the Bands on Saturday, July 25th in Brimley! As you may recall, this community festival returned after a decade's hiatus last year, with two distinct music events being held for 2025, including a "Music In The Park" concert and a battle of the bands. An official performer lineup for the former has yet to be announced, but it and the returning battle of the bands will take place again at the festival's stomping grounds opposite the Riverview Park & Campground at 12084 West Lakeshore Drive. This year's battle of the bands only features four advertised performers, none technically returnees from last year's battle (won by Crush), though About:Blank were Music In The Park performers last year. Dafter singer/guitarist Molly Escherich (on summer break from Interlochen) will also compete in the battle on the 25th, but in what form?

Last year, Molly fronted a variant of her 2024 LSSU Battle-winning live hard rock cover band Molly & The Other Guys, but according to her Facebook page's 2026 summer tour poster, she will be playing with a band named "The 8th Fire" (all of her other listed summer dates are solo acoustic concerts, including a Music In The Park set). No word on who is in The 8th Fire or if Molly & them will play her originals and/or similar covers to The Other Guys, but we'll let you know if we hear anything! Of course, About:Blank (sans then-guitarist Nathan Webber) played an acoustic set at last year's LSSU Battle, but with Jon Stone now on bass, will that help them make the podium a half hour southwest? Two other bands are advertised to be competing, including The Whole Shabang and Blood, Sweat, and Beers. The former name was used by a classic rock cover band that regularly played the former Rudyard Musicians Festival in the late 2010s, but is it the same band?

Note that The Whole Shabang (who did play Brimley concerts in the past) featured John Napoletano from the later masked metal band Stoned Ape Evolution. No word on who Blood, Sweat, and Beers are, but we'll let you know if anything comes out to answer these unanswered questions! Like last year, the Superior Whitefish Battle will award a $1,000 top prize, with $750, $500, and $250 awaiting the second-fourth place bands (and seeing as there's only four acts, everyone basically gets $250 for showing up). The battle is advertised to take place from 7:00 PM-12:00 AM, and About:Blank are reportedly playing from 8:00-9:00 PM with Molly at 10:00 PM, so if bands do have an hour apiece, that's abnormally long for a battle. It is definitely all ages, and if similarly set up to last year, it will be outdoors but with bands performing under a tent. I don't know if the battle will be judged by a fan vote, by an actual judges panel, or via another method.

There are still blanks to fill in re: this battle, but at least I heard about it before it happened this year! It still baffles me to an extent that battles of the bands have been thriving in the E.U.P. in the mid-2020s where Sault Ontario hasn't had any to successfully take place since before the pandemic, but clearly the Whitefish Festival and LSSU (more on year #4 of theirs soon?) have working formulas, and look at the payouts in Brimley again! Stay tuned for more on this battle and potential other music at the Whitefish Festival as the month continues, and visit the above links for more details! 

Finally for this post, we'll head north to Sault Ontario for another intriguing all-locals concert from Underground Events SSM on Saturday, August 1st at Blaster Powerhouse, this time headlined by fast-rising high school hard rock quartet 5 Dollar Bribe! Fresh off of their public multi-band concert debut at Go Skate Day, 5.D.B. will make their first ever appearance at the former Soo Blaster in four weeks, and hopefully they turn some heads with their talents and surprising cover choices! Also playing that night are hardcore punk/crossover thrash trio Hails in their first Blaster show with new guitarist Anthony Orazietti, and their first concert at an event promoted by Mikhal Muto since he left Ha!ls at the end of 2025. Good to see that there's no hard feelings! Veteran punk supergroup The Gambit (née The Sick Sons) will play an extremely rare live concert set on the 1st as well, marking their first live appearance since Rotaryfest Stage 2 in 2024 and only their fourth under this name.

While active as a recording act on Bandcamp last year, it will be good to see The Gambit on stage again! Opening this show are space/hard rock duo The Spaceship Opening (featuring Mikhal's A.S.D.P. bandmate Ralph Barber) in their first show of the year, so look for some interesting original content from him and Andrew to kick off the night! An 8:30 PM start time is advertised for this Civic Holiday long weekend concert, it is all ages, and this will have a flat door charge of $20 with no advance or online ticket sales. Looks like a fun night of punk and hard rock action for new and familiar faces alike, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the SMS this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Headrush & Generations), Plus New Media From The Gambit & With Gunfire!!

Plans to put up this month's Defunct Local Band Profile have been slightly delayed, as LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS have crossed my radar, one on SHORT NOTICE! To round things out, we have new songs from a band who's more active than I realized, and more new live videos from a band we just talked about yesterday, so here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will rock The Full Throttle Saloon on Wellington Street West for the first time TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was first announced on the venue's Facebook page on Monday. Their second show of 2026 and third with new guitarist Joe Miller will see Generations making their way to the former Primavera Hall, so it will be good to see this veteran quartet make their way to a new locale, and hopefully things go well for them, the venue, and fans! Of course, if you're still unfamiliar with the amenities and other offerings at The Full Throttle Saloon, the venue's own promotional image will happily fill you in. TONIGHT's concert has a 9:30 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more on Generations' show TONIGHT, and here they are live!

Next up, let's stay at The Full Throttle Saloon, as fellow local classic/hard rock cover quintet Headrush will return there in three weeks' time, on Saturday, January 31st! As you may recall, the Johns, Wes, Gino, and Frank debuted at the new-ish Steelton nightclub last week, and the show was well recieved with a strong attendance, even if bassist John Amendola's teased photos from the gig never made their way to their Facebook group. Headrush don't play live as regularly as other local cover bands do, so things must have went well for them to get booked twice in January 2026 alone, and hopefully they end this month with a bang! The venue's Facebook page did get a video last week of Headrush, but I'll hold that for our preview of the new date. Like with Generations TONIGHT, Headrush at month's end are on at 9:30 PM with no cover and a 19+ age limit. Visit the above links for more details!

Also today, here's a mild surprise, as local punk supergroup The Gambit are still active and have launched a Bandcamp page featuring four studio original songs! We hadn't heard of anything from the former Sick Sons since they played at Rotaryfest Stage 2 in 2024, but unbeknownst to me, those new songs were posted in May and December of last year! Had I known that, they wouldn't have been moved to our inactive band links last summer (they're back in the active listings again), but they only belatedly acknowledged one of the songs on their Facebook page last month. As fans who have seen The Gambit live since their 2019 debut know, they have included original songs in their sporadic live dates, and the four on Bandcamp are named "Lonelier Tomorrow" (a tribute song to the late Guy Thiffault), "Border, Border" (inspired by the Canada/US border), "Fault Line" (about finding love in tumultuous times), and "Click-Bait" (which is self-explanatory).

The songs are posted individually as singles and not as a collective EP, but if you want to buy them as mp3s, they cost $1 apiece. There's a nice diverse array of punk-leaning styles here, including multiple lead vocalists, and while not as ripping and fast paced as Lucas, Steve, Christian, Dave, and Clint's 1990s and 2000s bands could get, genre fans will find a lot to like! "Lonelier Tomorrow" is obviously the most reserved of the four, given its memorial nature, and it naturally goes over well in concert! It's great to see that The Gambit are alive & well, and hopefully they have a busier 2026!

We'll close today with one more new live video from newly renamed (and still online page-less) local metal quintet With Gunfire, courtesy of drummer Jonas Gasperas' YouTube channel! When we touched on their videos from last month's Fist Magnet reunion concert at Soo Blaster, I did notice that Jonas had uploaded two more clips of them playing their original "Well Of The Dead" at different concerts. One of the videos was actually from last month's Broke & Hungry charity concert for Christmas Cheer at Beck's Bar, and if you're curious, the teased live-stream of the concert is now considered to be a private video. If Twitchy did indeed stream the event on YouTube on December 17th, then it was truly only to be seen remotely that night, alas. I'd love to recap it here if he did and publicized the video! The other video is embedded below, as it's longer and horizontally shot, but from what concert does it come from?

Based on the logos on the screen, this 100% came from the Napoleon-headlined concert at Soo Blaster that the then-Sault Side Squad played in September, and yes, new singer Spencer MacGillivray was in the band by this point. For visual quality (from orientation to how fans on the floor were placed), this is our best look yet at With Gunfire, who can definitely tear it up with varied extreme metal influences. Imagine them with a larger pit! The Broke & Hungry video isn't bad sounding, but it's more distant and vertical. Give both and more from With Gunfire a watch above & below!

That's all for now, but our next Defunct Local Band Profile is definitely coming next! Thanks everyone! 

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!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Generations & Soundcheck) Plus Our Rotaryfest Stage 2 Preview!!

Alright, here is post #3 of our Rotaryfest weekend concert previews! After looking at Stage 1/Tym Morrison first and Kewadin Casino lounge gigs second, this post covers SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS on the weekend nightclub circuit in Sault Ontario, as well as Rotaryfest's Second Stage! This is longer than I would normally like for weekend concert preview posts, but this is a very busy weekend and I really don't want to have to cram a fifth post for that purpose in, especially with other news and content that I want to get to this month. Here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will follow up their Rotaryfest Stage 1 headlining appearance tonight with normal concerts at Reggie's Place TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, Reggie's only announced the shows on their Facebook page on Monday, and Soundcheck have not mentioned them publically on theirs (though in their defense, Rotaryfest is obviously first priority given the nature of the festival). TONIGHT & TOMORROW'S Reggie's shows will be their first there since April, and hopefully they ride the momentum of their third Rotaryfest set into some well received hard rocking and country tinged covers further downtown! Due to their headlining set on Stage 1 at 10:20 PM, TONIGHT's Reggie's show will have a special late start time, so don't look for them to begin there until at least 11:30 PM, maybe later than that, so it may only run for half the time or less.

TOMORROW'S show will be full at their normal 9:30 PM start time, and both are 19+ affairs with no cover charge. If you want to keep the party going post-Rotaryfest TONIGHT or just enjoy Soundcheck, head to Reggie's this weekend for even more action, so see the above links for more details, and for a preview, here they are live in concert!

Next up, fellow local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will also have some post-Rotaryfest concert action this weekend, as they'll be rocking Gateway Casino for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, drummer Tony Santoro first announced this gig on the band's Facebook group on Thursday (in this case, the venue has not confirmed any band playing TOMORROW there). This will be Generations' second show at the downtown casino after debuting there two months ago, and is their second gig in a three day span after they kicked off Rotaryfest's live music slate on Stage 1 just last night (photos and videos are already on their Facebook group but I'll save those for our inevitable Rotaryfest fallout coverage next week). Generations will have to compete with Sound Of Sting & Double Down for much of TOMORROW'S runtime, but hopefully there's a good turnout for both events!

Like in May, this one-nighter at Gateway Casino has a 9:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more on the classic and hard rock action there TOMORROW, and for a preview, here's some new videos from their show this past Saturday at Jay's Piston Broke Pub! Filmed by attendee Audrey Marshall for the band's Facebook group, the videos were all included in a batch post on Sunday that also included pictures from the show. In the four videos, Generations covered Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' "Runnin' Down A Dream" (mostly focusing on Tony Kajnar's song-ending solo), Steppenwolf's "Magic Carpet Ride" (with bassist Pierre Anthony on lead vocals), and Alannah Myles' "Black Velvet" (shot vertically unlike the others). Embedded below is their cover of Nazareth's "Turn On Your Reciever", which showcases a very healthy dance floor, as nicely captured from a stationary angle.

The camera can be shaky at times, and no video captures a full song, but kudos to Audrey for filming what she did on Saturday, and it's nice to see some harder rocking covers compared to what attendees usually film at Generations shows! Check these out above and below, and don't miss Generations at the casino TOMORROW NIGHT!

Finally for weekend concert preview post #3, here's our extended preview of Rotaryfest's seventeenth annual Stage 2, which returns to Clergue Park beside the Art Gallery of Algoma for the eighth year of the "Redirected" era! Like the past two years, Stage 2 is a two day affair, starting with a hard rock/punk-free lineup of Friday Night Blues tonight, as curated by The Sault Blues Society. Bands playing tonight are Mudfoot Mike & The Muckrakers (featuring members of Generations) at 8:30 PM, the debuting That There Blues Band at 7:30 PM and The Associates (featuring Bone Yard 225 bassist Warren Reville) at 6:30 PM, Treble Charger guitarist Bill Priddle's current classic rock/blues trio All The Tired Horses (one of just two returning Stage 2 bands this year) at 5:30 PM, and new local blues quartet The Eight Seventies (whose sister band The Rhythm Junction play on Stage 1 later tonight) at 4:30 PM. Blues fans will find a lot to like!

As for TOMORROW'S main lineup, this is where the usual Stage 2 format of original-leaning musicians, often of an indie/alternative persuasion, take the stage, and there will be a couple of SMS-amenable acts! Headlining tomorrow are new local bluegrass/folk quartet The Golden Scoundrels (featuring Shit Liver and Handsome Sandwich alumni) at 8:30 PM, while your co-headliners at 7:30 PM are Crystal Falls, Michigan folk/Americana band The Seth Brown Duo in the first post-pandemic Stage 2 set from a touring band. Alternative rock band The Hollow Heads (replacing The Crossroad Magdalenes) will become the fourth band to play Stage 2 in three straight years when they take the stage at 6:30 PM, while the highest slotted heavier/punk band are veteran punk supergroup The Gambit at 5:30 PM. With original material in the works, this union of Bankshot, Downshift, and 12 Gauge Ready alumni should get a strong reception tomorrow! 

The Jacob Valois Group (led by the Convergence/Rhythm Junction guitarist) will bring an original jazz-leaning set to Stage 2 at 4:30 PM. The preceding hour-long set is interestingly split in half for two half hour sets from indie-folk singer Juliana Regan at 4:00 PM and Handsome Sandwich guitarist Brandon Ruch at 3:30 PM. Whether Brandon backs up Juliana or not (he has in the past), he has a very busy day ahead, as he's playing with Bookclub on Stage 1 after this, then heads back to Stage 2 with The Hollow Heads and The Golden Scoundrels, so kudos to him for juggling four (five?) distinct sets tomorrow! The 2:30 PM slot belongs to "Miss Madii", which is essentially pop rock cover quartet Lime, rebranded to reflect that they're playing frontwoman Madii Schomogyi's own original material, meaning that they're jetting from their Stage 1 opening set tomorrow to pull the double. It'll be interesting to hear how that goes for (Miss) Madii and the guys!

Opening tomorrow at 1:30 PM are hard rock quintet HeadFirst, who will release their debut EP "Head Trauma" in limited CD copies at Rotaryfest, so consider buying one for $15 if you want it before it drops on streaming services and/or in wider quantities next week! As always, Stage 2 is FREE & ALL AGES. Currently, The Weather Channel is calling for mostly cloudy weather at 20-24°, and there is a sub-20% chance of rain, but check back closer to showtime for a more accurate projection. This should be a fun time for fans of original and rising local music, with some heavier chasers within, so visit the above links (and your programs) for more on Stage 2, and for a preview, here's The Gambit live at LopLops last year!

That's all for now, but stay tuned either tonight or tomorrow morning for our Ace Frehley, Vaegon, and Pridefest Loud & Proud concert previews to cap off this busy preview stretch! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Wax Mannequin), Hails Updates, And More Recent News & Notes!!

On this Saturday evening, we're playing catch-up with lots of shorter updates on the SMS, but leading off, we have news from a prominent local punk band, and to start, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month. With all of that said, here's what you should know!

Hamilton "weird folk art punk" solo project Wax Mannequin will return to Sault Ste. Marie for a headlining concert at The Loft at the Algoma Conservatory of Music on Wednesday, August 7th! Led by singer/guitarist Chris Adeney, local fans will have seen Wax Mannequin on local stages at least twice before, following gigs at the former Cafe Natura in 2014 and at the Sault Ste. Marie Museum in 2022. I actually hadn't covered those gigs on the SMS due to the project not seeming like it'd suit our coverage, but Wax Mannequin cross many genre lines with their varied original material, including metal, and there's a lot of ground to cover with their skilled (and often funny) alt-folk music dating back to the early 2000s, so don't bypass them in their (at least) third local stop! Your local opener on this night is The Floor Between Us, the avant-garde comedy rock project led by 2022 Soo's Got Talent finalist Colin Gasparelli.

Solid choice on the comedy/folk side of things, so don't bypass what Colin has in store next month! Presented by Piecing It Together Shows (who promoted Wax Mannequin's 2022 show here as Dryer Fire), there is no stated age limit for this 7:00 PM concert, which has $20 advance tickets available at this link and a $25 door charge. This is $5 higher across the board compared to 2022, but remember how high-end The Loft is as a formal concert venue. It'll be good to see Wax Mannequin back on a local stage, so visit the official Facebook event page for more on their return!

Next up, here's the latest from local punk/thrash band Hails, who did indeed add guitarist Mikhal Muto's brother Carmen on rhythm guitar, officially expanding them to a quartet, as per recent updates to their Facebook page. Carmen had debuted with Ha!ls in May at The Distraction, and he has seemed to fit in well in public videos shared since then! Note that their sister band Vanity First (who Carmen has played with in a similar capacity) still say that they're "a three (sometimes four) piece punk outfit" on their Facebook page, so is there a distinction between the two re: Carmen's involvement, or is that just outdated? We'll keep you posted! While we're on the subject, a brand new video of Brent, the Mutos, and Keeghan is now up on their Facebook page courtesy of their set at Go Skateboarding Day last month, so what should you know there?

The video sees Hails playing their non-EP original "Pink Clouds Of Destiny" in the usual Go Skate Day stage locale atop the big ramp at Queen Elizabeth Park outside of the John Rhodes Centre. The video runs for 2:28 (incredibly long as Ha!ls' Facebook videos go), and while the skies were quite gray, it is good that the festivities went on despite some rainy weather earlier in the day! Mikhal is often hidden behind an amplifier at this vantage point though. Solid and well performed skate punk from this talented foursome, so check everything out for yourselves below!

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

 

• Despite his two nominations (for The Northwest & Handsome Sandwich's newest albums), Id Iota/Pixo Control alum Dustin Goodall lost the Outstanding Engineer award at last month's Northern Ontario Music & Film Awards to Sudbury's Matt Wiewel for his work on London alt-folk band Status/Non-Status' new album "Surely Travel". Congratulations to Matt on his win, and to every nominee, including Caddy Street Avenue alum Patrick Dal Cin's work with his current band Knkm!
• As per the official program for this year's Rotaryfest, we can finally confirm that the third guitarist added to local punk band The Gambit in 2022 is former Bankshot guitarist Christian Pasiak, reuniting with his old bandmates Lucas Schmiedendorf and Clint Wilson in the process! Oddly, The Gambit never confirmed him by name on their Facebook page when he came on board, and they still don't list their lineup in writing there. New official band photos can be seen there though, and according to the Rotaryfest program, they're releasing their teased original material on Bandcamp later this year, so keep an eye out for that!
• In the past two weeks for Shooters Downstairs Lounge's annual Talent Quest karaoke competition, the judges were members of local hard rock bands Half Past on June 23rd and Handsome Sandwich on June 30th. We don't cover straight karaoke-only events here, but it's neat seeing familiar musicians join the judges rotation! Opening round competition continues with night #5 tomorrow and into next month as the judges pick two singers each Sunday to make the top 25, so stay tuned to Shooters' Facebook page for more details!
• In another lineup note from the Rotaryfest program, former(?) Re:Born singer Elly McWatters is listed in the write-up for Mike Haggith's Stage 1 set as being on "guitar/vocals". If accurate, this likely points to her being a full member of his solo band this year and not just a backing singer on a handful of songs like in the past. No word on how she sounds as a guitarist, but Soo's Got Talent finals attendees last fall may recall judges suggesting to her that she play an instrument too if she re-enters in 2024. Regardless, Elly will be an asset however utilized in Mike's band in two weeks!
• In their first Facebook post in over two years, local power rock/classic metal band Re:Born said on June 14th that "I think maybe it's time for one last ride...". Re:Born succeeded Project 421 upon their 2018 debut and played a number of gigs over the next two years, but the pandemic and personal concerns kept them off the stage in the early 2020s, and they disbanded in March 2022 despite announcing a new lineup the previous fall. Even if not a full-time reunion, it would be nice to see Re:Born get some closure after not being able to get the chance previously, so we'll see if this gets any public follow-through!
• As per their Facebook page, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck recruited guest bassists for their late notice bookings at Jay's Piston Broke Pub this weekend due to the absence of Jim Michaud for unannounced reasons. Sidekicks/ex-Griphook bassist Dan Beaupre filled in for their normal concert last night and will do so again TONIGHT, while Toronto-based ex-Saultite Cory Valentine (who has guested with Soundcheck multiple times since 2019) sat in for their one-off jam night return on Thursday. Hopefully all's well with Jim, and that Cory and Dan fit in nicely!
   

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Rotaryfest Stage 2!!)

Where we covered Rotaryfest's Stage 1 lineup reveal on the SMS yesterday, let's look at Stage 2 today, as the full lineup for this year's originals-leaning stage was released in the last few days! This year's Second Stage (beside the Art Gallery of Algoma at Clergue Park) is the seventeenth total and the eighth since the "Redirected" era began in 2015, but in the biggest year-to-year overhaul for Stage 2 since then, only two bands are returnees from prior lineups, and only one of them played last year! As has been the case since Stage 2 returned from its two year pandemic hiatus, there will be two nights of music for a third straight year, starting with Friday Night Blues on July 19th, as sponsored/curated by The Sault Blues Society. No hard rock or metal bands to speak of there, but the headliners this year are Mudfoot Mike and the Muckrakers (featuring half of Generations backing up their past fill-in guitarist Mike McDonald).

Also scheduled are the new/one-off (both?) That There Blues Band and The Associates, Treble Charger guitarist Bill Priddle's alt-rock trio All The Tired Horses (the only returning Stage 2 band from last year, let alone Stage 1 in 2022), and new local power blues quartet The Eight Seventies. That band shares three members with new pop rock cover band The Rhythm Junction, who themselves play at Stage 1 that evening, so kudos to Marshall, Jaime, and Joe for pulling double duty! Click here for full details on the Friday Night Blues lineup, including the complete lineups for all five bands!

Despite the above promotional image, Mitch isn't playing Stage 2 this year, but nine acts are on the indie/alternative-leaning program on Saturday, July 20th, and the headliners will be new local folk/bluegrass quartet The Golden Scoundrels (featuring Shit Liver and Handsome Sandwich alumni). This is a huge stamp of approval for this new project, so while a big jump from members' heavier work, don't bypass them at 8:30 PM! For the first time since 2019, a touring band will play the Second Stage that night at 7:30 PM, namely The Seth Brown Duo, an Americana/folk act from Crystal Falls, Michigan, which is in the Western Upper Peninsula. Seth and Desiree are been playing all around the region this year, and just played at LSSU in Sault Michigan last week, so their well-tested original folk country material should draw a good reception! Rotaryfest will be their only Canadian tour date this year.

The second and final returning band this year is the surprise reunion of local folk/country band The Crossroad Magdalenes (now apparently shortened to The Crossroad Maggies) in their first announced concert after a four year hiatus, and first Rotaryfest set since rocking Stage 2 in 2019. Good to see The Maggies back after the pandemic lockdowns seemed to stop them in their tracks! They're on at 6:30 PM, while the highest slotted act in the SMS' coverage range precedes them at 5:30 PM, namely the sporadically seen veteran punk quintet The Gambit in their first show since opening for Fuller at LopLops in December. Hopefully the former Sick Sons deliver a fun set of punk originals, and maybe a few covers to boot! Convergence/Rhythm Junction guitarist Jacob Valois will play on Stage 2 at 4:30 with his eponymous Jacob Valois Group, who I don't believe have a social media account to promote themselves with.

As best as I can gather, this should be an extension of his recent live jazz performances (his website also calls this group "The Jacob Valois Quartet"), and it'll be interesting to see what he and his band have in store for Rotaryfest, as he is a talented player across multiple genres! The preceding hour's timeslot is actually broken in half for two solo artists, with folk/indie singer Juliana Regan scheduled for 4:00 PM and Handsome Sandwich/Golden Scoundrels guitarist Brandon Ruch blocked at 3:30 PM. Of course, Brandon has backed up Juliana live multiple times in the past year, such as at Lopstock, so that could recur, but what does Brandon play as a solo artist? I have no clue, but we'll keep you posted! The 2:30 PM slot is listed for "Miss Madii", who I am 99.9% certain is Lime frontwoman Madii Schomogyi, who runs the double herself via playing on Stage 1 with Lime earlier that afternoon.

Madii had posted on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group on Saturday looking for a "female bassist for a girl band", so is this the project in question? If so, how do they musically differ from Lime, and is "Miss Madii" legitimately the band's name or is that a solo placeholder? Stay tuned! The opening band on this year's Second Stage is hard rock quintet HeadFirst, and you can make the argument that they'll be the heaviest band to play on Stage 2 in the "Redirected" era, so don't miss their lead-off set at 1:30 PM! Like with Stage 1, all of the festivities are FREE and ALL AGES. While recent regulars like Handsome Sandwich, The Hollow Heads, Machines Dream, Rusty McCarthy, and Smokehouse are not playing this year, the very fresh lineup of performers across both nights should give attendees lots to enjoy! Visit the above links for much more on Stage 2, and look for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Bookclub & HeadFirst) Plus New Studio Song Teasers!!

Today's post features some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for mid-2024 and some teasers for new studio material from two local bands, so here's what you should know on this sunny Tuesday!

Local hard rock quintet HeadFirst have announced their concert calendar for the next month via their Facebook page! I will hold their shows this weekend for our weekend concert previews due to being announced on late notice, and we already knew about their set opening for Greg Rekus & The Inside Job at The Distraction on Thursday, May 23rd (event page linked here), but they will be back at Reggie's Place on Queen Street East for a one-nighter on Friday, May 31st! This appears to have fallen into place due to their booking on Saturday, June 1st at Shooters Downstairs Lounge (which has been booking DJ nights on Fridays in 2024), so they're ending May on the right foot before kicking off June in style a little further downtown! Bone Yard 225 had already confirmed that they're playing at Reggie's on June 1st after a one-nighter at The Water Tower Pub on the 31st, so both bands solved their full weekend booking problems!

If you want to check out HeadFirst for a full weekend at Reggie's afterwards, they will be back there on Friday, June 7th and Saturday, June 8th, so keep these four new dates in mind! All are 9:00 PM affairs with 19+ age limits and no cover charges, and remember, we will be addressing this weekend's HeadFirst shows in our weekend concert previews on Thursday. Meanwhile, remember how HeadFirst vaguely teased on Facebook last month that "Something. Is. Coming." on May 18th (this Saturday)? Well, we now know what exactly. Is. Coming. on the 18th, namely their first studio single! Rather than release the previously filmed "The Walk" thusly, the single (strongly hinted to have been recorded at Mission Control Studios) will be for their original "Don't Care, Don't Mind", and it will be accompanied by a music video featuring footage of the band performing at Case's Music.

The 67 second teaser clip also features the band hanging out, fans dancing at one of their shows, and cigarette package imagery. No vocals, so you aren't spoiled too much yet! Oddly, the teaser video was uploaded sideways, so if you want to watch it without tilting your device/head, you will sadly have to watch it as a "Reel". I can't embed "Reels" here, so the sideways teaser is embedded below, but check it out if you want before the launch on Saturday, and stay tuned on Thursday for our late notice preview of their shows this weekend!

Next up, online page-less local alternative/punk cover sextet Bookclub will perform at this year's second annual Salty Marie Trails Fest at Hiawatha Highlands at 780 Landslide Road on Saturday, July 27th! If you're not familiar, the Salty Marie Fest is a festival of mountain bike and foot races alongside family activities, refreshments, local vendors, and more (click here for SooToday's coverage of last year's event), and this year's sophomore outing is shaping up to be bigger and better, so click here and above for current details on what's going on this year and, if you're up for it, how you can enter one of the races! Among the upgrades for year #2 is live music on "the salty stage", with Bookclub playing in their first confirmed summer festival gig of the year, so don't miss their up-tempo and atypical covers slate then! I have no idea if other musicians will be playing in two months, we'll keep you posted if we hear of anything.

Note that The Salty Marie's Facebook promotion gives us our first official (non-live) photo of Bookclub since adding Josh Norling on saxophone and since Brandon Ruch replaced Dave Bahun on guitar. Presented by Red Pine Tours, the trails fest is absolutely an all ages event, and as best as I can tell, the only admission fee would be for registrants taking part in the bike/foot races. A start time for The Salty Marie has not been announced yet, let alone for Bookclub's set, but based on last year's public media, I'd be shocked if Bookclub weren't on during daylight hours. Visit the above links for more details on the festival and races to come in July!

We'll close today with some punk cohorts of Bookclub's founding members, namely veteran local punk quintet The Gambit, who posted on their Facebook page last week to reveal that they are recording in studio! An 18 seconds-long video was attached featuring drummer Clint Wilson drumming at what appears to be a home studio, and we don't hear any tracks from the rest of the band, but it is a good sign that the former Sick Sons are working on studio material! Fans will recall seeing this band play a few originals live, and you can hear at least five in their live-stream from the Fuller reunion concert at LopLops in December, which I had titled as "Lonelier Tomorrow", "Lucky Seven", "Depth", "Clickbait", and "Faultline" (some could be mislabelled, blame the audio quality of the stream). Are they just recording a one-off single, or is more afoot? We'll keep you posted, but watch Clint's video below, and stay tuned for more from The Gambit!

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